MY most sounng frendes and brethrē (concerning our cōmon faith in Christ our Lorde) where of late dayes I am contemptu­ously and slaunderously reported, and named among some, to be an errone­ous felowe, one of the new learning, an heretike, one of Latimers secte, & I wotte not what: Be it knowen to the worlde, that I am none other, thā [Page] a true christian man, regenerate & instructed (nowe in my middle age) in y^e blessed schole of Goddes most holy Bible and Testament (thankes be to his fatherly bounteous mercy therfore) & sythence I haue not folowed the secte of any earthy man, nether grounded myne opinion, faithe, or doctrine, vpō any newe learning or heresie, but vp­on the most certaine pure vnfailing true worde, and learning of almigh­tie God, sent downe, reuealed, & tau­ght from the seate of his Maiestie, & preached at his cōmaūdement by the fathers and prophetes, by Christ his sonne, and his holy Apostles: and also regestred and specified in the rolles & euidēces of the holy sacred scriptures, to be the foūdacion, rule, and lawe, for the true catholike churche of God to be builded vpon, and ruled by, from the begynning of the worlde, vnto the laste daye of iudgement.

And here vpon only haue I set the building of my faythe (Iesus Christ hym self beyng the head corner stone) Ephe. 2. and according thervnto I haue dili­gently and faythfully taught and in­structed my parisheners and neigh­bours, as vnto my vocacion I consy­dered [Page] it iustlye to apperteyne.

Notwithstādyng, like as S. paule reporteth, that Apollo & he were ministers, 1. Cor. 3. by whom y^e Corinthiās beleued, as God distributed vnto euery one: e­uen so doo I acknowlage, & (from the botome of my harte) vnfeynedly con­fesse, that the reuerende father of bles­sed memorie Hugh Latimer was to y^e Hugh Latymer. very death a right worthy instrumēt & minister of God, by whose most hol­some doctrine, syncere exāple of godly lyfe, and constaūt frendship towardes me, it hathe pleased thalmighty Lord, to open vnto me (among many other the most vnworthy) the true christian faithe, & to cal me out of the damnable darkenesse of Antichristes iniquirie, in to the true light of Christes gospel­les veritie.

And like as the people of Berrhoe (by diligent reading and examining Act. 17. of y^e scriptures) foūde that Paules doctrine was bothe right, true, and cer­tainly good: euen so do I vndoubted­ly credite, & plainly testifye, the doc­trine aswel of the glorious martir of Iesus Christ, Hugh Latimer (concer­nyng Iustificacion, & other articles of the christen faithe) as also of the most [Page] reuerende father in God and right constaunt confessour of Christ Iesus, Thomas Cranmere Archebishop of Cantorbury (concerning the blessed sa­crament Thomas Cranmer. of Christes precious body & bloud, most catholikely and syncerely set furthe in print) not being sedde by any carnall affeccion towardes their persones, nether for worldly promo­cion, but bicause I haue perfitly pro­ued their doctrine, to be conteyned in the holy sacred scriptures: by testimo­nie and waraunt wherof, they and other ministers of Christes gospell, haue taught, and set furthe the true catholike doctrine & worde of mānes saluacion accordingly.

And forasmuche as I esteme them men, which (without sure holde of the scriptures) might both haue deceaued and ben deceaued, therfore I and all other (that be knytte together in one true vntō, and knotte of Christes spi­rite) laye our foundacion & grounde worke, not vpō fleshe & bloud, y^t is to saye, vpō no mannes worde (of what power, vertue, wisdome, learning, autoritie, estate or cōdiciō so euer he be) but vpō y^e vnfailing true worde of the almightie euerlyuing Lorde God.

[Page] In the meane while, yf any man can teache me better, & more truly, by the holy canonical scripture, I am cō ­tent (as reason is) gladly & hartily to folowe him, & willingly geue him place, w^t cōdigne praise, & great gramer­cies. But as for any other doctrine of faith, besides the scriptures, or contra­ryr to the autoritie of the scriptures, either elles by violent wrasting and wrythyng of the scriptures out of of their owne sēse, or right meanyng, I shall (by the assistence of goddes merciful helpe) neuer suffre my selfe to be plucked awaye frō the simple, plaine apostolike true faithe: bicause man is frely iustified by this saith, and euery fayth contrary to this, is a dead fruteles faithe: & euery doctrine not foūded vpon, or cōtrarie to Goddes holy boke Ro. 3. 4. Iac. 2. Gal. 1. the Bible, is to be holde accursed: yea although it were preached, set furthe or cōmaūded by an Angel of heauen, muche more by any mortall creature, thoughe it be neuer so great a Kyng, Quene, gouernour, or potentate.

And cōcerning the holy canonicall The holy canonical Scriptures scripture, I (among other poore ministers of the Gospel) hauing charge of soule, & folowing the exāples of other christiā churches & teachers, haue be­leued, [Page] & taught my parisheners and neyghbours, & so stil beleue and testi­fie, on this maner of waye folowing. The canonical scripture (I meane the holy Bible) which is y^e true vnfailing declaracion of the eternal wil of God, deliuered by y^e holy Goost, & preached & diligently declared vnto the worlde (vnto mākinde, I meane) by the holy prophetes & chosen apostles, is of al o­ther the most aūcient, most perfite, & most excellēt doctrine, cōprehēding & teaching absolutly & fully, al y^t is ne­cessarely required to y^e holsome know lage of God, to true faithe & the true worship of God, to true christian righ­teousnesse, and to the framyng & or­dring of honest, blessed, & holy lyfe.

And forasmuche as the Canonical scripture (the Bible I saye) is the selfe same worde, that the eternal God him selfe hath spoken and taught, and therfore endureth permanent, to be a lan­terne vnto the fete, & a light vnto mē ­nes fotesteppes & ꝓcedinges for euer­more: it hath fidelitie, autoritie, certai­tie, truthe, estimaciō & perfectiō plein­teously ynough in it self: so as it ought not to be made authentike again by the churche, or by autoritie of the wyt­nesse of men, either yet to be pice [...], [Page] and patched it with the tradicions of men. And albeit mennes spirites are not hable to accorde w^t some bokes & textes of the scriptures: y^e mater is not much to be passed vpō. For we know, that mennes iudgementes ought to be applied and obeye vnto the scrip­tures, and not the scriptures vnto mē nes iudgementes.

And touching the interpretacion of the holy canonical scripture, this haue I thought, and (after the exam­ples of other christen ministers) I haue taught, and yet stil I thinke, and confesse vnto the worlde, that it ought 1. Pe. 1. not, nor must be interpreted or expoū ­ded after any mannes opinion or thought (much lesse after euery man­nes pleasure and phantasie) but by it self, and of it selfe, aswell according to the propreties of the tongues wherin it was furst written, and by diligent wayeng and consideracion of the say­enges that goo before, and those that be ioyned together and folowe, with all the circumstaunces: as also accor­ding to the meanyng of other places, that seme either more playne, or like ther vnto, or elles contrary: by the lyne and rule of faithe and charitie.

[Page] And wher the fathers, the doctours of the holy churche haue interpreted Doctours. and expounded the scriptures after this maner, and haue in no wise blen­ched nor swarued frō this lawe and rule now before mencioned: them we doo with harte and good will ac­knowlage, and take for faithfull and diligēt interpretours of the scripture, and honourable instrumentes of the holy goost, whose paynefull labours and industries our Lorde God hathe vsed in the churche, to the glorie of his owne name, and to the profite of his faithfull flocke. And therfore we not only reuerence thē, but also thīke not well of suche men, as haue them in contempt.

But as for all other doctrines and tradicions of men (how glorious, how gaye, how highe autoritie, title, or aū ­cientie so euer they be commended or bragged to be of) if they be not foun­ded & groūded vpon some testimonies of the scriptutes, and also if they pull vs from God, from the scripture, and from the true faithe, or be hinderous vnto vs in the same, I thinke them al­together vayne, vnprofitable, and of non effecte, yea rather pernicious and [Page] noysom: as Christ him self openly re­porteth of them, Matth. 15.

Moreouer the only intent, scope & ende of the canonical scripture is this: that al men of all naciones, coūtreyes and places might be by it instructed & taught, cōcernyng the grace of God, concerning the redempcion, bounte­ous liberalitie and saluacion, that is pleyntifully bestowed & geuen in Ie­sus Christ, vnto this most wretched & most corrupte synfull worlde: & also cō cerning charitie and faithe, namely that the people being now regenera­te, might be partakers of this saluaciō by true faithe, the holy childrē of God the father, and heires of al his heauē ­ly substaunce.

And touching the faithe of Christ. I and suche other poore slaundred Ministres haue nother taught, nor doo beleue any other thing, than that is deliuered vnto be from the holy apostles, and that we haue receaued of our christian elders and faithfull forefathers. And that same I for my parte (sithence it pleased God to trans­late me from the Antichristian darke­nesse of popery in to the kingdome of his sonne) haue constauntly and faith [Page] fully kept hitherto pure in euery con­dicion. And the same I purpose (by the helpe of Christes gracious fauour) to kepe still and confesse, w^t the true ca­tholike churche of Christ, while the breathe is in my body: & y^t is euē thus.

Now forasmuche as God hathe geuē me grace (thākes be to his mercifull goodnesse therfore) to pitch my staffe, in y^e foūdacion of this most holy, most [Page] asicient, & true catholike faith: And to thinkēt you shal plaīly knowe, how I vnderstāde y^e said articles of my Cre­de: I do truly saye, & playnly confesse, touching the furst article: that ther The furst Article. is but one only, blessed, eternal and almightie Lorde and God, in the holy sacr [...]o, inseperable, and vnconfused Trinitie. God the Father, the Son­ne, and the holy Goost. And what so euer is in the nature of thinges as­wel visible as inuisible, it is well and rightly created and made of God, to the be hoote and profite of man, and by him it is also preserued, bestowed, and administred.

And therfore God is the father of mankind, not for his creating of mā ­kynde only, but also for his daily con­seruacion, eternal goodnesse, mercie, prouidence, comforting and helping of mankynde.

Concerning the seconde Article, I beleue & confesse, that God the father, The. 2. Article. became a father, not only after he had made mākīde, but y^t y^e same God was also a very father from euerlastīg, so y^t he hathe also one onely eternal sone, eternally begottē of God y^e father, af­ter a diuine & vnspeakeable maner. [Page] This sonne of God (I beleue and cō ­fesse) is of the fathers owne substaun­ce, and of all one being, of like equali­tie, and consubstaunciall with the fa­ther: of all one substaunce (I saye) na­ture, power, and vertue, and very na­tural Lorde and God, aboue all, in al, and through al thinges.

Notwithstanding we confesse the sonne to be our Lorde, most chiefly, for that he hathe deliuered, and made vs free, from the lordeship, power, and tyrannye of the deuil: and hauing payde our raunsom with his owne precious blood, which he sheadde for vs, he hathe made vs his owne pecu­liar people: wherof I shall speake af­terwarde at more large.

Touching the thirde Article, I be­leue and confesse, that the same sonne The. 3. Article. of God, which eternally hathe ben and is with the father, hathe also in this worlde, taken vpon him the very nature of man, of the fleshe and blood of y^e blessed virgin Mary, which was Abrahams daughter, and borne of the stocke of Dauid, according to the promise of God, declared by his mi­nisters and seruauntes, the Patriar­kes, and prophetes: and being borne [Page] of her (she remayning and contynu­ing stil a chaste and a pure maide) ve­ry God and very man, in one insepe­rable persone, without confusion of the natures of his godhead and man­head together, he became like vnto men his brethrē, touching his reaso­nable and immortal soule, and his mortal body, in al thinges, sinne only except.

And after this maner I confesse, that he was conceaued very natural man, in the wombe of that chaste and most pure virgin, and of her blessed blood, not by the carnal companie of man, but by the holy goost: And that he was borne of the same virgin, ve­ry man, howbeit holy and pure with­out synne. For all men elles, are (ac­cording to their owne nature) bothe conceaued in synnes, and borne the children of wrathe vnto deathe.

And in this behalfe I do playnly Original [...]nne. confesse original synne. For inas­muche as all mankynde (aswell the infauntes, which haue not yet com­mytted actuall faultes, as others of further age) are originally poisoned Psal. 51. with sinne, and therfore subiecte vnto deathe, as the wages of synne: from Ro. 6. [Page] the which synne and deathe, man­kynde could not be in any wise dely­uered and redemed, but by Christ a­lone: for that cause it was requisite, that Christ, which should put awaye the same poison, shoulde he conceaued and borne holilie and purely without al spotte of synne, to thintēt he might 1. P [...]. 1. Ephe. 5. Ro. 3. 5. offre a pure and a cleane sacrifice for all, bothe olde and yong, to make vs pure, and free.

Cōcerning the fourth Article. I be­leue and confesse, that the same sonne The 4. Article. of God and of Mary, our Lord Iesus Christ, in going about the busynesse and affaires of our saluacion, did per­fitly and fully declare the waye of sal­uacion here vpon earthe: And that he (to shewe vs more certainly, that he is the only Lorde of life and deathe, which is only hable to helpe, and at whose hādes al helpe must be sought) cured all maner of diseases, ceassed the rageing stormes of the wyndes and of the sea, suppressed the power of satan, troade downe all power of ad­uersaries, forgaue synnes, and raised vp the dead vnto life.

And after all this, he gaue him self willingly (and of his owne accorde) [Page] vnto deathe. And was shamefully and spitefully brought furthe and de­liuered by the Iewes, cruelly tormē ­ted of the gentiles, and last of all gilt­lesly nailed vpon the crosse.

And here I confesse that this same our Lorde Iesus Christ, very God & very mā, suffred (not for him self, but for vs, and for our synnes sake) most greuous paynes, vndeserued stripes, and bitter sorowes: & in his humayne nature (which coulde dye) he was vn­doubtedly dead and buried: & in his soule he suffred most extremely y^e bit­ter sharpenesse of Goddes iudgemēt, and the very paines of hel, y^t he might deliuer vs ther from.

And I most faithfully and certain­ly beleue, that this blessed passion and deathe of the innocent sonne of God, Iustifica­ [...]ion. is the only, perfite and eternal righ­teousnesse, and iustificacion of man before God, and the true satisfaccion, raunsome and payment for y^e synnes of all the hole worlde.

And therfore forasmuche as I am throughly instructed in this most cer­tain and sure strong argumēt of this our true, and vndoubted christen ca­tholike faithe, I plainly confesse, that [Page] man can in no wise be iustified, pour­ged of his synnes, or fynde any shifte to satisfie or to be clensed of them, ei­ther by any workes or merites of mā, but only by y^e free grace of God: that that is to saye, by the most blessed pas­sion and giltles deathe of the crucified sonne of God. And that we are made partakers of the innocencie and me­rite of y^e deathe & bloodshead of Christ, at suche tyme, as we doo constauntly and faithfully beleue, that the sōne of God is our owne: and that he suffred that bitter deathe for our synnes, to make vs righteous and blessed.

For I will in no wise contemne (or recken as of non effecte) the most fauourable free grace of God, which opened it self most expressely & plain­ly, in y^e passiō & deathe of Iesus Christ.

But I thinke rather verily, and surely beleue and cōfesse, that we should openly cast away, and compt y^e deathe of Christ to be of nō effecte, in case we should seke or thinke to be clensed, sa­ued, & iustified frō our synnes, by any other meanes, than through faithe, by y^t only bloodshead, deathe, & raūsom of Iesus Christ: in asmuche as we heare the holy Apostle S. Paule saye. I des­pise [Page] not the grace of God: for yf righte­ousnesse Gala, 2. 3. come by the lawe, than Christ dyed in vayne. And also: If the enheri­taunce come of the lawe, than it is not of promyse. But God gaue vnto Abra­hā by promise: so that they which haue fayth, are blessed with faythful Abrahā.

As many therfore as in the olde lawe, from our furst father Adames tyme, vnto the cōming of Christ, were blessed and iustified, I beleue verely & saye, that they were made blessed, holy and iustifyed through faithe, of free pardon and grace, by none other, but by Iesus Christ, y^e blessed sede alone.

Touching the fyfthe article I be­leue and confesse, that Iesus Christe The. 5. article. very God and very man, in the selfe same bodye, that was hanged on the crosse, and from thence taken downe and buried, rose agayne frō the dead. For althoughe our synnes be perfit­ly purged by the Lordes deathe, and a most full satisfaction made therby for the same: yet hope of lyfe is restored vnto vs, and faythe in him is engen­dred in vs, by his resurrection. For yf he hade not rysen agayne, we coulde not haue thought, that deathe had ben [Page] ouercome. And so we could not haue beleued, that he hade satisfyed for our synnes. For deathe is the hyre of synne. And death remaynyng in his force, synne must also be thought to remayne. Moreouer Boddes spirite and faythe (wherby Christes deathe and merites are applyed vnto vs) be the gyftes of Christ raysed from the deade. Of Christ (I saye) which hathe washed vs cleane from our synnes in his owne blood, and so is become the propiciacion or mercy seate for our synnes, and not for our sinnes only, but for the synnes of all the hole worlde: and nowe hauyng dyed for our synnes, and being rysen agayne for our iustificacion, he reygneth and trihumpheth ouer deathe. Not­withstanding his very fleshe & bones, that is to saye, his very humayne bo­dy with his reasonable and humaine soule, was not deified, that is to saye, not chaunged & turned in to his God-head, but only clarified.

And the clarificacion dothe not consume, waste, nor take awaye the propreties of a very humaine body, either the substaunce or facion therof: [Page] but only despecheth & deliuereth the body and the state of the body frō all diseases, whether they be corrupci­ons or infirmities: that is to saye, from feare, dreade, sorowe, heauy­nesse, from all carke and care, from hate, from carnall loue & couetous de­sires: from false Ioyes and griefes, frō affections, troubles, hōgre, colde, heate, wearynesse, and from al maner of infirmities, saintnes & smerte, and specially from mortalitie and corrup­tiō: And on the other parte, it maketh the body and the facion of y^e body glo­rious, cleare, immortal and vncorruptible.

Suche a maner of body S. Paules wonted phrase is to call a glorious & a spiritual body: not that it is after­warde no more fleshe, nor that it is chaūged and turned in to the spirite, 1. Cor. 15. but bicause it is no more subiecte to a­ny cares or griefes, or to corrupcions, vncleanesse, or infirmities of y^e fleshe: and bicause it is garnished and beau­tified with vncorrupcion, immortali­tie, and many other spirituall giftes besides, out of nombre.

And like as the body of Christ, af­ter it was risen vp frō deathe, remay­ned [Page] still a very body, notwithstāding it was become after the resurrection immortal and glorious: euen so shall the bodies of all faithfull folke (at the general resurrection) be made like vnto the body of Iesus Christ, wherof I shall speake more largely, in the ele­uenth article of our faithe. For Christ our Lorde (by his glorious resurrecci­on from the dead) dothe most euident­ly proue and declare, that he hathe despeched synne quyte out of the waye, that he hathe ouercome deathe, which cometh by the occasion of synne: that he hathe restored life, that he hathe cō ­quered hell, for all them that are true faithfull beleuers, and that he hathe mightily put sathan to flight.

Cōcerning the sixthe Article, I be­leue and confesse, that our Lorde Ie­sus The. 6. article. Christ ascended in to heauē, w^t the very self same his humaine body, that rose again from the dead, and sithence exerciceth not his dominion and go­uernement here vpon earthe, corpo­rally. For according to the nature & propretie of his very humayne body, he is in no mo places but in only one, in one self same moment.

And forasmuche as he hathe caried [Page] our fleshe in to heauen, & hathe placed it at the fathers right hande, that is to saye, in euerlasting ioye & felicitie, all faithfull beleuers knowe now for a certaintie, that the waye to heauē is vnshutte, & set wyde open, & that they also shall (through Christ, in whom they beleue) be caried bothe body and soule in to euerlasting life.

For the Lorde him self (with mani­fest Ioh. 17. and playne wordes) hathe saide: I wil father, that wher I am, ther shal my seruaunt be also.

Seing than that y^e body and fleshe of our Lorde and brother Christ, is abyding and resteth now in heauen, our fleshe hath this certaine & assured hope, that it shal be caried thider also, & ther (according to Christes promise) Ioh. 14. shal haue a perpetual dwelling place.

Further more Christ our Lorde sytteth on y^e heauēly fathers right hāde, that is to saye, euen he y^t is bothe very God & very man, reigneth & hathe do­minion, in like power, & like glorie, w^t God y^e father: so as al thinges are in subiectiō vnder his power: & he w^t the father & y^e holy goost, vpholdeth & ꝑser­ueth al thinges, & is also wourshipped & serued, the vndoubted true & eternal [Page] almightie God. The chief bishop & most high king of al faithfull people sitteth on y^e right hāde of God. Christ Iesus is y^e only, eternal & faithful true bishop & priest of al true beleuers.

It is he, y^t dothe most trustily pleade al y^t matters & causes of his faithfull people, before God his heauēly father

It is he, y^e offreth vp all our good wishes and faithfull folkes prayers to God the father.

It is he, that appeareth cōtinually in the sight of God, prayeng and ma­king intercession for them, & geueth them his blessing. And so those that be of y^e true faithful belief in dede, wil nother seke, allowe, nor receaue any other mediatour, intercessour, spokes-man, attournaye, or entreatour, but Christ alone.

He is that only and eternall sacri­fice and oblacion, which being ones offred for all, endureth for euer, clen­seth, and sāctifieth al them, y^t are true beleuers.

And euen he, this selfe same high Bishop and priest of ours, dothe daily (w^t his spirite & worde) instructe & tea­che his churche and congregacion, & [Page] geueth them trusty and syncere vp­right men, to be their teachers and ministers, whom he also garnisheth and decketh with his grace, and most excellent giftes, and defēdeth from al euil.

Vpon Goddes right hande sitteth Christ our most roial king, the king of kinges, the iudge & mightie Lorde of heauē & earth. He it is, that informeth and ordreth his churche and people, with holsome and good lawes, accor­ding whervnto they frame and ad­dresse all their matters, to the loue of God, and of their neighbour.

This king of ours beholdeth vs faithfully, and layeth vp all our grie­fes and sorowes trustily in his harte. He is content with good will to heare the complaintes, sutes and desyres of all his faithfull flocke, and is neuer wearied nor grieued with the tedious­nesse of them.

He also is that most pleynteous fountayne, which alwaies geueth li­berally and yet neuer wāteth, which only filleth, and yet is neuer the lesse, nor any whitte decreaceth. Frō him ther can nothing at all (no not so muche as mēnes inwarde thoughtes) [Page] be hidden or kept secrete. He is the righteous true iudge, iudgeing after thintent and purpose of the harte, and rendreth aswell to the good as to the badde, all that they doo, without all respecte of persones.

Those that be oppressed he relieueth, with his ioyfull and comfortable suc­cour: But as for thē that are stowte, arrogaūt & prowde braggers of their owne powers, whan he seeth his iust tyme, he is on y^e bones of thē strayght waies, and hurleth them downe and the necke before. Ther is no maner of thing, but he hathe a respecte and a consideracion vnto it. His infinite wisdome in euery thing and euery where vseth iuste and right deserued meanes.

He (by his exceding great grace) sendeth faithfull, trusty and good mē to be gouernours and rulers. And thē he directeth and maynteneth in his churche. And contrary wise, he dothe somtymes take awaye good gouer­nours (as he did lately our most chri­sten king Edwarde the sixte) and set­teth vp naughti and wicked persones in autoritie now and than (as bloody bishoppes, proude popishe pestilēt prie­stes, [Page] & vnnatural merciles forayners) to reigne, & rule y^e rost, to punyshe hi­pocrites coūtrefaicte gospellers, and worldlinges withall.

To be shorte, Christ dothe at all ty­mes defende and kepe those y^t his be, from their enemies and foes, bothe visible and inuisible. After this sorte Christ sitteth on y^e right hāde of God, and thus is he the only head of his faithfull beleuing people, the only & most high bishop, y^e most roial & euer­lasting kyng and prince of them that be his. He is neuer out of their cōgre­gacion and company, he is alwaies occupied in the myddes of them, so y^t he nedeth nother the seruice, aide, nor assistence of any vicegerent or helpe felowe. For he is the only and euer­lasting sūne of righteousnesse, whiche altough (as concerning his humayne corporal presence) he be in one only place in heauē, yet he doth worke sēsi­blie & frutefully, w^t his vertue, light, glorie, nourishement and power, in al them that be faithfull.

In cōsideraciō hereof, I admonishe, & in Goddes behalfe require you (as I haue, accordīg to mi litel talēt alwaies taught my parisheners, and in other [Page] places, wher I haue occupied y^e row­me of a preacher) aswell to pray, and without ceassing to call vpon God, through Iesus Christ, and alwayes faithfully to set furthe his praise ac­cording to the doctrine of the holy scriptures, as also to beware and take hede, that ye make no inuocacion nor praier to the sayntes departed, for helpe or succour: forasmuche as to make any moo or any other media­tours, intercessours, spokesmen, su­tours or attournayes to the throne of Goddes mercie, for any necessary thing either bodyly or goostli, but on­ly Iesus Christ our alone euerlasting sacrificer and aduocate, is the horri­ble transgression of the furst cōman̄ ­demēt, dishonour to the high maiestie of God the father, preiudice to the ho­nour & dignite of Christes euerlastig priesthode, blasphemous against the schole learning of y^e holy goost, vtter­ly against our cōmō catholike Crede, and contrary to the doctrine and ex­ample of all the patriarkes, prophe­tes, apostles, euangelistes martires, confessours, and virgines, that haue any name or commēdacion either in the olde testament or newe, & a plaine [Page] denyall and falsifyeng of the hole bo­dy of the blessed Bible, the most vn­doubted true holy worde of almigh­tie God.

Concerning the seuenth Article, I beleue and confesse, that the state The. 7. Article. of this season, and this corruptible worlde, which hathe his beginnyng and was created of God, shall haue also his ending, and be vtterly despe­ched: and that at the final despeche of the worlde, Christ our Lorde shall in y^e same body that was woūded & nai­led on the crosse, come vnfailingly in the clowdes of heauen, to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead.

For at suche tyme as the most parte of this worlde shall layne and holde with the power of Antichrist, flyrting of the tyme, in most horrible contēpt of bothe God and his worde, and walowing themselfes in all kynde of sinne, abominacion and lust, and shal deuise and set their myndes vpon mocking and persecuting of them that be true faithful christē beleuers: than shall Christ at a sodain cheoppe (as it were lightenyng from heauen) com in the clowdes with his holy an­gelles vnto iudgement.

[Page] And the same houre, as many as haue died from the begynnyng of the worlde vnto y^e last ende of the worlde, shall by the might & power of Christ, rise strayghtwaye again vnto life: & the other that are not than departed this life, but haue lyued still vnto the last daye, shall in y^e space of a momēt, or the twincling of an eie, be chaun­ged from mortalitie and corruption, in to immortalitie and vncorrupcion.

And after that, all mē of al partes of the worlde shal be restored & gathe­red together, and be presented & stāde before the iudgement seate of Iesus Christ, & shall see the iudge ouer their heades corporally, in the selfe same bodye that he fuffred in. And than the righteous iudge our Lorde Iesus Christ, shall pronounce and geue his last and most iust iudgement vpon al fleshe, in the same maner & fourme, that he long agoo tolde before hande, Matth. 25.

Than shall euery one receaue ac­cording to their workes. Than as Christes body was at his ascension taken vp from the mount Oliuete, so shal they that be faithfull, by y^e might and power of God, be taken from this [Page] earthe, bothe body and soule, and ca­ried vp in to the clowdes vnto Christ our Lorde. Him they shall folowe, and with him shall they dwell in euerlas­ting ioye, for euermore continually to abyde. And those that be vnfaithfull & wicked shal be deliuered to the de­uil (whose chāpiones and householde seruauntes they were) to fele and a­byde (both body & soule) suche paynes, sorowes and tormētes, as no tongue cā expresse, for euer to endure worlde without ende.

In this behalfe I haue alwaies be­sought my parisheners & hearers (& so now I require thē eftesones to the sa­me) to set euer before their eies, & dili­gently to print in their myndes, that last iudgement of God: and with ear­nest repentaūce of their former filthy life, to geue themselues vnto christen charitie & good workes. For like as y^e holy scripture dothe clearely and eui­dently shewe, that we are not made righteous, blessed and holy, by our owne merites and good workes, but by the only grace of Christ through faithe, so that all glorie and honour must be manifestly and plainly ascri­bed and geuen to the only fre grace [Page] and pardon of God, and to the redēp­tion of Iesus Christ his sonne: euen so haue I euer taught, and now (by the waraunt of Goddes most holy worde) confesse and constauntly affir­me, y^t this doctrine of faithe is vna­uaileable and of non effecte to impe­nitent hooremongers, bawdes, glut­tones, dronkerdes, oppressours, bri­vers, Idolaters, men pleasers, epicu­res, and other wicked vnfaithful per­sones. And that this lyuely iustifieng faithe is the worker of all maner of good workes (what so euer they be) according to the worde of God.

For he that is iustified and made righteous (as faithe only iustifieth and maketh righteous) doth liue also iustly and righteously: and iustly and righteously doth al thinges. And he y^t dothe faithfully beleue the worde of God, dothe without al doubt percea­ue and knowe, that to be good which God commaundeth, and that to be euil, what so euer he forbiddeth. Yea it is the very wonted maner of faithe it selfe, to moue and enforce the iusti­fied mā to eschue that is euil, & folowe that is good and right.

Moreouer he y^t perfitly & throughly [Page] by faithe vnderstandeth the mater of mannes saluacion and redempcion, bothe doubtles loue bothe God. & his neighbour. And loue is the perfite fulfilling of the lawe: yea in the loue of God and a mannes neighbour hē ­geth al the hole lawe & the prophetes.

These maner of workes which be the frutes of the spirite, faith and cha­ritie, and that we should fall to amen­dement of our life, and what so euer the worde of God dothe furthermore commende vnto vs, like as all faith­full preachers and Ministers doo di­ligently teache and set furthe vnto the people: euen so they abhorre & reiecte all suche workes, as folkes are vsed to fantasie and deuise of their owne braynes, deuocion, or good intentes, cōtrary or without the sure warraūt of Goddes worde, how vertuous or how holy so euer they be estemed, or how long so euer they haue ben accu­stomed and vsed. For as saint Augu­stin saithe, Whan the truth is mani­festly De vnico Baptis. Li. 2. shewed, custō ought to geue place vnto the truthe. And moreouer he alle­geth: Let no man preferre custom before reason & truthe, for reason & truthe do alwaies shutte custom out of the dores.

[Page] And the holy martir S. Ciprian saith also: we ought not to passe what our elders and fathers that were be­fore vs did, but muche rather what Christ (which was before all men) cō ­maundeth vs to doo.

This also doo all godly preachers & ministres warne the people of: that no man that walketh in the cōmaun­demētes of God, and is riche in good workes in dede, set his workes in Christes place, nor put any as [...]aunce, confidence, or trust in thē, as though he were made righteous, holy and acceptable vnto God for his workes sake. For it is y^e only deathe of Christ, and free grace and pardon of God, that maketh a man acceptable vnto God, and fitte vnto all good workes: yea to speake truly and plainly, All the good workes that true faithfull people doo, are nothing elles, but a certain free working, that the grace of God enforceth & procureth. Wher­fore all that is spoken in the scriptu­res concerning the merite and re­warde that the faithful shall haue, ought rightly to be iudged and taken for the grace and free gifte of God. By reasō wherof S Austi also taught, [Page] that all the good workes y^t the fayth­full do, are the grace of God, & y^e God dothe crowne & reward his owne me­rites in the faithfull, which he of his bounteous liberalitie reputeth, as though they were our merites, or as though we of our selues deserued thē.

Touching theight Article, I beleue & confesse, that the holy goost, the thrid The. 8 Article, persone in Trinitie, is the very true & eternal God, w^t the father & the sonne: & that our Lorde Iesus now reigneth & administreth al thinges in his chur­che by y^e holy goost, as he him self said: I wil pray the father, & he shal geue you an other comfortour to abyde with you for euer, euen the spirite of truth, which the worlde can not receaue, because he seeth hī not, nor knoweth him. But you knowe him, for he abideth w^t you, & shal be in you. Be shal teache you al thīges, & put you in remēbraunce of al thinges, what so euer I haue spoken vnto you. And againe he saieth: I tel you truthe, it is expedient for you, that I go away. For yf I go not away, that comfortour shall not come vnto you. But yf I goo away, I shall sende him vnto you. And whā he cometh, he shal reproue y^t world of sinne, of righteousnes & of iudgemēt. [Page] Therfore all those that be true prea­chers & ministers haue plaīly instructed & taught their parisheners & peo­ple (as I according to my poore talent haue done) y^e our Lorde Iesus Christ is not nowe corporally w^t his churche here vpon earthe, but that he worketh & reigneth in his faithful flocke, by the holy goost ꝓceding frō the father and him, and by the same spirite doth comforte and sanctifie the faithfull. Al the ioye, all the vertue, & all the sanctifica­cion that is in the faithfull, is of y^e spi­rite of God. And without this spirite of God, ther is nothing either holy or perfite. Ther is no mā in al the wyde worlde, that hathe faithe of him selfe, but aswell faithe as al other good gif­tes are of the spirite of God: as the ho­ly apostle S. Paule dothe manyfold­ly, and in many places of his epistles teache and make mencion, but speci­ally, Ephe. 4. and. 1. Cor. 12. The. 9. Article.

Concerning the nynthe Article, I beleue & cōfesse, y^t all they, which truly beleue in Christ throughout all y^e hole what the true catholike chur­che of Christis. vniuersal worlde, are one body & one church of Christ, whō he sanctifieth by his holy spirite in his own blood. And all they are w^t one only bōde & knot of [Page] faithe, & through loue vnited & knit to Christ, & one to another among them selues, lyke membres all of one body: and principally they are made parta­kers of the free grace & gyftes of their heade and saueour Iesus Christ.

This churche is holy, this churche is begotten and borne of the worde of God recorded in the holy scriptures: this churche dothe frame and ordre al thynges accordyng to the worde of God: this churche lyueth in christen sobrenesse and honest discipline: this churche (alwayes whan it maye, and hauing no necessary lette) is partaker of Christes most holy sacramentes, which be two in nombre, Baptisme & the Lordes Supper.

From this churche, the holy scrip­tures and syncere teachers therof do exclude and barre out, nother the vse of mariage from any state or professi­on of men or women, nor the possessi­on and ꝓpretie of worldly substaunce, nether honest occupacions or worldly trauailes, ne yet the ordres & degrees of rulers and magistrates, nother hi­gher powers, nor nobilitie, ne yomā ­rie, nether bonde nor free, maister nor seruaunt, nor any suche estates of mē. [Page] This churche, albeit not many wyse after y^t fleshe, not many great estates, nor many noble are chosen membres of the same, yet for asmuche as euery long and nacion vnder heauen, bothe Psal. 113. of the Iewes and of the gentiles, and some of euery state, prayse the name of the Lorde, from the rysyng of the Sunne, to the Sunne settyng: and se­yng the voice of this churche is heard throughout all the coastes of the hole worlde, and (as the prophete sayeth) hathe spread her braunches vnto the Psal. 80. sea, and her boughes vnto the ryuers: therfore according to this article, it is ryghtly called the catholike or vniuersal churche.

And bicause it is begotten & borne 1. Pe. 1. of the immortall sede y^e worde of God, mencioned in the scriptures, heareth the voice of her head and shepeherde Iesus Christ, sleeth from the voice of Ioh. 10. all straunge doctrines and spirites, y^t be without or cōtrary to that worde, and dothe all thynges (lyke an obedi­ent wyfe) as her husbande Christ bid­deth Ephe. 5. her in his written worde: ther­fore is it also iustlye called the holye churche.

But forasmuche as the supremacie, [Page] iurisdicion, power, antoritie, lawes & The po­pishe churche. doctrine of the bishop and churche of Rome, be not groūded vpon Goddes worde, which the Lordes shepe, that is to saye, his church and flocke heareth, nor hath bē, nether euer shal be heard receaued & obeyed in al tongues & na­cions of true christen people, but of a certain folkes in a fewe realmes, do­minions, & people, whose eyes sathan the God of this worlde hath blinded, and bewitched their myndes (among whom Christ neuerthelesse scattereth his sely shepe, and defendeth them vn­der the shadowe of his gracious wyn­ges, euen as the hēne dothe her yong chickens) therfore it foloweth many­festlye, that the bishop and churche of Rome with all his sacrificeing chap­layns & other mēbres & cōplices whosoeuer, depending vpō or cleaning to the supremacie, new & straūge lawes, constituciōs, decrees, tradiciōs, & customes of the bishop & church of Ro. may not be iustly called the catholike or v­niuersal churche of Christ. And foras­muche also as the supremacie, lawes, customes, canones, decrees, & doctri­nes of y^e bishop & churche of Rome (for the most parte) w^t their mēbres ar not [Page] borne nor truly groūded vpō the foū ­daciō & immortall sede of the worde of God, nother do the papistes frame & administre their tradicions, doctrine, religion, sacramentes, & ceremonies, according to the testament and gospel of God, but vpon the deuises, and po­wer of men: The teachers & mainte­ners of that Romishe power, supremacie & religion w^t their membres & cō ­plices are falsely called y^e holy church: Bicause that churche or flocke of chri­sten shepe, wherof Christ is the shepe-hearde and head, harkeneth to his voice and teaching alone, and folow­eth not the voice or cōmaundement of straunge tradicions, but dothe (concerning the wourship and true seruice of God, & touching the necessarie health of soule) only that whiche the Lorde God cōmaundeth, nother blenching on the right hande nor on the lefte.

But contrary wise, like as the ꝑti­cular churches of Arriās, Donatistes, Pelagiās, Marcionistes, Eutichianes, Mahometistes, Idolaters, libertines, Anabaptistes, and other sectaries, & fantastical spirites of errour, be y^e va­riable malignaūt churche, wherof the prince of this world y^e deuil, is y^e vn­doubted [Page] head. And the teachers & defē ­dours of errours are by the apostle S. Iohā called Antichristes: But so forasmuche as the Romyshe churche of the ruffling rabines & popishe tippet men with their complices the papistes, doo not only not founde nor groūde their autoritie, decrees, tradiciones, & doc­trines (for the most parte) vpon y^e sure rocke, the worde and gospell of Christ (which, as Chrisostome saithe, is the only marke to knowe the true church In Math. ca. 24. Ho. 49. in opere impersecto of God by) but also in some poyntes they wraste and wrythe, and falsely allege textes of the scriptures for their carnal pleasure and profite, and in the chiefest articles of the catholike chri­sten faithe (like most fantastical spiri­tes of errour, & sowers of most wicked sectes) they repugne and teache cōtra­ry to the gospel & scriptures of God, altring the immutable ordinaunce of Christ, and setting vp straunge sacri­fices and godseruice, propounding o­ther articles of faithe, and meanes of saluacion besides Iesus Christ, ma­king the commaundement of God of non effecte, for y^e aduaūcemēt & mayntenaūce of their owne traiterous tra­diciones, & teaching doctrines of de­uilles, 1. Timo. 4 [Page] as forbidding of meates & ma­riage: And forasmuche also as the churche of the papistes cā not abyde y^e pure worde of God, nor to haue it pu­blikely in y^e vulgare tongue for Chri­stes flocke to be fedde withall, but w^t banishing and slaundering the euer­lasting testament and blessed Bible of Iesus Christ, & w^t ꝑsecuting, empriso­nyng, & murthering of the preachers & witnesses of the same, set vp their owne gloses, cōstituciones, customes, deuises, dreames, tradiciones & procedinges of men, contrary to the writ­ten worde and gospel of God, cōtrary to the patriarkes, prophetes, Christ, & his apostles, and contrary to the pro­ceding & exāple of the fathers of y^e pri­matiue churche: And seing moreouer, y^t the churche of the papistes had her begynnyng, proceding, continuaūce, power, aduaūcemēt & successe only by force of wicked Emperours & other naughty princes & traitours, vnder false p̄tenses garnished & decked w^t the vsurped name of catholike churche, & other coūtrefaicte titles, & hipocritical colours: & is also maītened & vpholdē by treason, murther, sacrilege, fraude, rauine, crafte, sorcerye, cō [...]uring, flat­tery, [Page] lyeng & marchaūdise of mennes soules, to vphold their idlenesse, pryde, crueltie & wyueles hooremōging w^tal: I cōfesse & plainly affirme, y^t the same swarme and cōgregaciō of papistes, I meane as many as teache, willingly mayntene, & obstinately defēd y^e supremacie, tradiciones, & doctrines of the Romysh religiō, setting asyde y^e Bible of God, are Antichristes: And (amōg other erroneous churches of hereti­kes) y^e chief ꝑticular malignaūt church of y^e deuil & of al errours: And that the churche & sea of Rome (according to y^e Dan. 7. & 11. Apo. 13. &. 17. descripcions of Daniel & Iohn thapo­stle) is y^e very hoore of Babilō (wher w^t y^e kinges & potētates of y^e earthe haue cōmitted spiritual fornicaciō, & are drū ken w^t y^e cuppe of her obominaciones) y^e sinful synagoge of sathā, y^e most cur­sed kenel & cathedral churche of Anti­christ: And also y^t y^e bishop of Rome (y^t head of y^e same churche) is y^e vndoub­ted singular great Antichrist, the man 2. Thes. 2. of synne the childe of perdiciō, and the principal aduersary, y^t maketh batail w^t the lambe, & exalteth him self aboue all y^t is called God, sitting in the tēple of God, & vaūting him self to be God, whom the holy apostle S. Paule spea­keth [Page] of, 2. Thessa, 2. & is now (by God­des most merciful benefite) reuealed in our dayes, & herafter, the Lorde w^t the blast of his mouthe shall destroye him & al his littour, & finally cōmaūde thē to be cast in to vtter darkenesse, to Matth. 21. 24. haue their mede & porciō amōg hipo­crites, wher shal be weping & gnashīg of tethe, for euer & euer worlde w^tout ende.

This mater shal appeare more plaine in certain Homilies (intitled Antichrist) which I haue translated in to englishe, and now by the goodnesse of God, they are put in prynt accor­dingly. For I promise in the sight of God (he assisting me with the power of his holy spirite) y^t I shal be an enemie, to the vtermost of my poore possible power, vnto the errours of that popishe malignaunt churche and satanical Romyshe religion, while I lyue, and after my deathe no lesse than an enemye.

Notwithstanding like as I neuer [...]ought y^e hurte of any of thē, either in their bodies or their goodes, but by charitie & al gentilnesse to wynne thē vnto y^e truthe, if it might be, euen so I beseche almightie god, frō y^e botome of [Page] my harte, if it be his godly will, to graūt vnto the y^t be wrapped (through infirmitie and ignoraūce) in the dar­kenesse of popishe errours, the light of his pure gospel, with hartie repētaūce and amendement of their iudgemē ­tes, to be newe creatures in Iesus Christ, walking in the true frutes of Christes faithe & loue: and as well to doo, as I wolde doo my selfe. Amen.

Touching the tenthe Article, I be­leue and confesse, that almighty God The. 10. Article. by his grace and mercye in Iesus Christ, geueth vnto all true faithfull beleuers free pardon and forgeue­nesse of al their synnes (if they will acknowlage and confesse them vnto their onely and true goostly father God) at what tyme so euer they shall repent. And this I take to be the true preaching of the Gospell.

But as for the vnbeleuers, and suche as persiste stil in their vnbelefe and impenitent wickednesse, it is not possible for them, euer to haue true perfaicte forgeuenesse of their sinnes.

And I doo confesse, that al synnes are not alike, nor after all one condi­cion, but that som synnes are greater thā some, & some sines more greuous [Page] than some: as their maner is to tende against the glorie and loue of God, against faithe, and the loue of a man­nes neighbour, some more than som, some lesse than some.

I saie moreouer, that what so euer is comitted against the lawe of God, that is to saye, contrary to the will and worde of God, that same is sinne.

Wherfore no faithfull preacher or ministre dothe make God the author of synne, but we declare, that y^e origi­nal poison of synne beganne in the apostata of God, and the common ad­uersarie of mankynde, and in man­nes owne corrupt will. Howbeit we deme not, but that god thorough his infinite wisdō, ordreth and disposeth mennes synnes to his glorie & welth of his chosen.

And wher I haue learned in the holy scriptures, that the remissiō and forgeuenesse of synnes is nother bo­rowed nor bought for any money, or for any other ware or corruptible thing: And seing S. Petre did (in Sy­mon Magus) bitterly curse and crye out vpon all them (and their money bothe) which thinke, that the giftes of God maye be bought out for money: [Page] Albeit I sawe no great occasion (du­ring all the tyme of my ministerie) to speake muche against peltīg Romishe pardones and pilgrimage gates, for the people did abhorre them almost of their owne accorde: yet bicause the horrible supersticion of the popes po­ticary ware (which the idolatreus priestes vsed afore tyme, and now set freshely a sale again, in stede of hol­some medicine to the soule, and al for money) is through false persuasions of couetous lyeng hipocrite priestes, through goodly gaye shewes & lōg cō ­tinuaūce, cākred depe into many peoples cōsciēces, especially of olde folkes & supsticious wilful womē: I declared vnto my parisheners and neighbours (as place & occasion of mater serued) y^t the cōiured water, salt, palmes, ashes, ymages, candles, masses, diriges, and such other like, being raised and set vp without & cōtrary to the worde of god, only of couetousnesse, & for filthy lucres sake, to occupie y^e rowme, & to claime the merite, honour, & vertue of Christes death & bloodshead, were not only vayne & vnprofitable dumme ceremonies, but also most haynous and damnable supersticion. And in consi­deracion therof I besought them (& [Page] so I doo still) in the bowels of Iesus Christ, & as they wil auoyde y^e peril of their owne damnaciō, not only to put no confidence, trust, nor affiaunce in any of them, but also to flee frō thē, & abhorre them as y^e most present pike­purce & pestilent poisō of y^e soule: And namely that priuate popishe masse, wherin forasmuche as the creature is worshipped in y^e stede of y^e creatour, y^e idole of bread is caried about, reserued & hanged vp to be gased at & worship­ped in the stede of Christ: the priest ea­teth & drinketh alone: the one halfe of the sacramēt is nypped awaye front the laye people: their is no publike thankes geuen of the priest & the peo­ple for Christes passion. Finally Chri­stes most sacred institucion is altred, defiled, & quyte turned vpside downe: And seing furthermore, that the Masse is demed and vsed as a sacri­fice propiciatorye: that is to wete, to purchace and geue remissiō of sinnes bothe to the quicke and dead, which is the only office, worke, and merite of y^e one only sacrifice ones offred for all, whan the body of Christ was broken, and his precious blood sheadde vpon the aultare of the crosse, for the forge­uenesse of the synnes of al mākynde: [Page] Therfore I affirme and constauntly confesse, that the same apishe paynted Masse is not only vnprofitable and vneffectual to purchace or geue remission of synnes either for the quicke or for the dead, but that it is also the damnablest idolatrie, and supersticion (as ye maye see by the causes rehearsed) y^e most detestable defiling of the Lordes most sacred supper, the most cursed doctrine: the most horrible heresie, & y^e bawdiest spiritual hooredome y^t euer sathan inuēted to breake faithe, loue, & knotte of mariage betwene Christ the husbande, and his spouse y^e christē flocke: the greatest preiudice to the ho­nour and dignitie of Christes crosse & passion, the maintenaunce and chief keye of Antichristes cursed kingdom, the priestes chief marchaundise and money marte: & finally, the deuilles owne yole game or entrelude. For as Bede in rehearsing S. Augustin vpō 1. Cor. 10. sayeth: Quid lusui puerili magis Simile est, quam idola colere? what is more like a boyes game, than the worship­ping of ydoles? What cuckoldrye that cursed Masse causeth, what for nicaci­on it enticeth, what careles life it occa­sioneth, what idlenesse and mischief it [Page] mainteneth, what vngeaūce of God it prouoketh, it were to long to make rehearsal at this present, yea it cānot possibly be exprest w^t tongue or pēne.

Therfore assure your selfe, that like as if a man thrust his body and his clothes in to a fornace of hotte scaldīg pitche, he shall marre his clothes, and put his body in peril of destruccion: euē so he that thrusteth him self in to the presence, worshipping or hearing of the masse, and other popishe super­sticiones, marreth his new garment Iesus Christ, as muche as in him lyeth, and putteth him self bothe body and soule in perile of perpetual dam­nacion.

And as euery honest harted hus­bande wolde not only be ashamed of his wife, but also (onles she repented) put her out of his companye for euer, if she were bothe an harlot of her ly­uing, and a common bawde, to stande by whā her neighbours wyues were defiled also: euē so our saueour Christ being the head and the husbande of all the hole christen congregacion, is ashamed, offended, dishonoured and angred, whan any man or woman kepeth company with that hooremō ­ging [Page] masse, or stādeth by, [...] in pre­sence whā other christen people are defiled with it.

If a gelous husbāde can not abide to haue his wife to be kissing & famili­ar w^t other men: Remēbre that the al­mightie strong gelous Lorde God can not abyde to see his wyfe the christen flocke, to cōmit hooredō before his face w^t Antichrist in y^e mischeuous masse. Awaye, awaye (sayeth the prophet) get Esa. 52. out from thence, you that beare the vesselles of the Lorde. The vesselles signifie not only your soules, but al­so your bodies, which ye ought to pos­sesse and kepe in holynesse & honour: 1. Thes. 4. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 3. bycause they are the mēbres of Christ, and the temple of God. Who so euer defyleth the temple of God, the Lorde shall destroye him. For the temple of the Lord is holy, which ye are. Seing than you belong holly vnto Christ (as­well body as soule) and that you haue no power of your selues, being the spause of Christ, and the very temple of God, wherin the holy goost maketh his dwelling: what a doo hathe the tē ­ple of God wyth Idoles?

Take hede therfore in tyme. For though God of his merciful benigni­tie [Page] did beare with vs in the tyme of ignoraunce, yet we maye not loke, that he wil do so nowe in the tyme of stub­burne wilfulnesse, seyng the light of his glorious gospel is spread opēly before al our eyes, so that no pretēse nor excuse in that behalfe wil be pleadable at the barre, before our most iuste iud­ge and gelous husbāde Iesus Christ.

I knowe wel ynough, it is as hard a case as Susannes case was. But forasmuche as it is a mater (in myne opinion) bothe vndisputable and vn­dispēsable, our best sauegarde is to re­signe our owne carnall reasons, & cō ­mitte al to the prouidence of God, say­eng with Susanna: It is better for me to fall into the handes of men without the dede doing, than to transgresse the lawe of the Lorde my God.

In she (wil some saye) God is mer­ciful. It is true. His mercie is on thē that feare him, throughout al generaci­ons. But wittingly and willingly to heape synne vpō synne, in hope of goddes mercy, is most shamelesly to abuse the goodnes of God, and stampe vn­der foote the graces of his spirite, & according to y^e hardnesse of y^e hart y^t can not repent, to laye wrathe together in [Page] stoare against the daye of wrathe, at the open declaracion of the iust iudge­ment of God, which shall rendre to e­uery one, according to this dedes.

Neuertheles I say not this, to dryue myne olde neighbours and countrey men in to desperacion, for setting vp or hearing of that wicked Masse, but to moue them vnto earnest repētaūce, & to powre out their continual hūble hartie praiers & greuous gronynges before the throne of Goddes grace, as­wel for pardon of their deserued euil, as for the repulse of this massing mis­chief out of the realme: & to thintent thei may also haue a good hope of god des mercie, y^t he for his sonne Christes sake, will defende and deliuer his per­secuted flocke, by sō doughty Daniel, as he did Susanna, according to his promise by the prophet Dauid: Now for the comfortles troubles safe of the Psal, 12. nedy, and bicause of the depe sighing of the poore, I will vp, saithe the Lorde.

Alas whā was ther more comfort­les trouble? Whā was ther more ne­de? Whā was ther more cause of depe sighing, than now? Repēt therfore for Goddes sake, repent and praye.

And forasmuche as we nother [Page] knowe nor acknowlage any other Purgatory purgacion or purgatorie clensing a­waye of synnes, but only the blood of Iesus Christ, I haue euer taught, and still doo affirme, that the soules of thē which be departed this life, are pour­ged or scowred no where elles, nother in any purgatory fire nor popes scal­ding house: but I saye, y^t the powches of them that be alyue are rather emp­tied and scowred by purgatorie purgacion, through these false lyeng licke­peny dreames. A faithfull mannes soule, as sone as it departeth from the body, go the straight to heauen, and y^e vnfaithfull mannes soule straight to hell: as it shall anon be declared more plainly.

In like maner the religious life of cloystre men and women is not to be compted meritorious for the remission Cloistre religion. of synne, nor among the states of an holy life (as it is vsed vnder the pa­pacie) but rather an idle superstici­ous, and an Antichristian life, a very enemye to the religiō and doctrine of Christ and his apostles, and good for no honest vse in the common weale, as their filthy dedes foūde in y^e kinges visitacion are not yet out of remem­braunce.

[Page] Concerning the eleuenth Ariticle, Th [...]. 11. Article. I beleue and confesse, that these our bodies, wherin we doo worke in this worlde, either good or euil, shal ryse a­gayne from the deade, and non other for them, nor in their stede, that is to saye, that this same fleshe of ours be­ing raysed vp at the later daye, shal by the power of God, risepfitly in dede: and that dead folkes soules being re­turned thā to their raised bodies, shal-be ioyned and coupled to them again: & that all maner of folkes (be the good and badde) shall ryse and appeare ac­cordig to S. Paules sayeng: We must 2. Cor. 5. nedes be all presented before the iudgement seate of Christ, that euery one may receaue the workes of his body, accor­ding to that he hathe done in the body, whether it be good or badde. Neuerthelesse the righteous shall after thexam­ple of their head Christ, be gloriously clarified in their bodies vnto vncor­rupcion, eternal lyfe, and euerlasting ioye, that no tongue can expresse.

Than shal the righteous shyne lyke the sūne in the kingdome of y^e father: where cōtrary wyse y^e vnfaithfull fol­kes shall not be clarified, but shal be [Page] made immortal & vncorruptible, that they may endure eternal sorowes, paines, heauynesse, & tormentes, worlde without ende. But this resurrecciō of the dead shal be in the last daye, whan our Lord shal come (as we said before) to iudge bothe the quicke & the deade.

Finally as to the .xii. Article, I be­leue & confesse, that after this our transitorie The. 12. Article. lyfe, ther shal an eternal & euerlasting lyfe folowe, which God of his owne mere grace & fauour prepared for mankynde before the beginning of the worlde, & hathe promised it in Christ to al them that be faithful, and wil bothe truly & faythfully performe & bestowe it vpō thē. So y^t whā a faithful persone departeth, his soule goeth nother into any iudgemēt, nor into a­ny fire, ne into y^e slaughterhouse of a­ny maner of payne, nother doth it fall on siepe (for it can not slepe) nor dyeth t the bodie (for it cā not dye) but only it departeth frō y^e body, & is by the po­wer of Christ takē vp & receaued into euerlasting ioye & blisse. And cōtrarywise, almightie god of his iustice hath p̄pared & ordained after this lyfe eter­nal death also, y^t is to saye, eternal & e­uerlasting payne, eternal tormētes & [Page] sorowes, & euerlasting dānacion for al them, that are vnfaithfull and can not repent: so that whan an vnfaith­full person dieth out of the fauour of Christ, and perisheth in his sinnes: his soule also (as sone as it is out of the bodie) is straight caried to hell, and put in to euerlasting sorowes and tormentes.

And albeit the vnfaithfull mannes soule shall at the resurreccion of the dead returne to his bodye, and be ioy­ned again vnto it, yet it shal be dryuen away with the body and with the de­uil him self, frō the sight and presence of God, in to euerlasting paynes, euē as the faithfull people shall at the last daye be receaued bothe bodye & soule, in to euerlasting ioye. Amen.

Lo, my good brothren and louing frendes, This is my belief, this is my faithe, this is the pith and sūme of y^e chief & most maters that I euer taught among my parisheners and neighbours, during the tyme of my ministerie.

And I am sure that this is no new fangled nor erroneous doctrine, neither any kīde of heresie, but y^e most vndoubted true, & the very catholike [Page] christen faithe, and the most aunciēt and substauntical learning and doc­trine, beleued and preached by y^e pro­phetes and apostles, as they receaued & learned it, of y^e Lorde God him selfe.

And although tyrānes and papis­tes with other phantastical spirites of errour, do conspire, conuent, mur­ther, emprison, racke, & rage neuer so craftily, neuer so maliciously, neuer so slaunderously, and neuer so furi­ously against the preachers and mi­nisters of this faithe, yet y^e deuil him self and the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it.

Therfore seing it hathe pleased our most mercifull God to geue vnto me (most vnworthy wretche) his graci­ous light of this faithe, and particu­lar charge in this ministerie: Consi­dering also, that Iesus Christ wolde not, that the candelles appointed to serue his householde with their light, shoulde be shoued vnder a bushell, but be set openly vpon a candlesticke, to geue light to all them, that be in the house: I thought it my duetie in con­science, to put you in remembraunce of the true christen catholike faithe, nowe in these daungerous dayes of [Page] persecucion by writyng, which I mi­nistred vnto you in open doctrine, to the comforte and saluaciō of so many as contynue stedfast beleuers and o­bedient folowers of the same.

At y^t tyme y^e hooded chaplaines of Antichrist, not only wolde not speake ones against my doctrine, either in Lichefelde, Couentrie or elles where, but also allowed it, cōmēded it, thāked god (in wordes at least) for it. And som offred me for my paynes money and large rewardes, which I thāke God, I haue kept my handes cleane from, yet hitherto, as I reporte me to their owne consciences.

At y^t tyme they confessed thēselues throughly persuaded & manifestly cō ­uicte by the only streynght & power of Goddes opē worde, w^tout further cōstraīt. And so were they chearished, and louingly vsed, & intreated w^t all lenitie and gētilnesse, not susteining the losse of one halpeny of their lyuinges, nor trouble of their bodies, for a­ny poynt of religion. But what chari­tie & gētilnesse is shewed now a daies vnto suche poore ministres as be in my case, & w^t what face & streinght of shameles lyes & merciles tyrāny they [Page] defēde their popishe pedlarie & drow­sie dregges of Antichristes alelomes, God knoweth, vnto whō I committe both my selfe & y^e truth of my doctrine: which neuertheles is not mi doctrine, but the doctrine of al the true catho­like christē churche, which I haue (by goddes pleynteous mercie) sucked out of her spiritual pappes by faithe, wherby God hathe made me hable now, thus to vttre and speake.

To be shorte at a worde, I ꝓteste & cōstaūtly affirme in y^e sight of almighty God, y^e knoweth y^t thoughtes of all Psal. 8. Act. 10. men, & of his sōne Iesus Christ, which is ordained to be y^e iudge bothe of the quicke & of the dead, y^t I neuer taught nor preached any thing vnto my pari­sheners or elles where, touching any of these Articles aforesaid (during the tyme of my ministerie by y^e kinges li­cence) but y^t aswell I was boūden (by force of my ministerie) to preache and teache in payne of my dānaciō, as also my parisheners & hearers to beleue & doo after, in payne of their damnaci­on▪ Wherfore I pronounce with the Gal. 1. holy apostle: If any man preache any other gospell, than that we haue prea­ched and taught, cursed be he. [Page] Seing than, that Christe taught and spake among them by me, let thē not esteme that maner of speaking & tea­ching (though it were homely and plainly) as the worde or speche of mā but (as it was in dede) the very worde gospel, & voice of Iesus Christ, which is not only the power of God to saue Ro. 1. al that beleue, but also the thing wherby euery one of vs shal be iudged, at y^e great daye of reckonyng.

Seing also that the true preachers of Christes gospell (among whō God of his mercie appointed me to be one) are a good sauour vnto God, bothe in them that are saued and in them that perishe: in them that perishe, y^e sauour 1. Cor. 2. of deathe vnto deathe, and in thē that are saued, the sauour of life vnto life: I beseche you for the vnspeake able mercies of God, & as you tendre the saluaciō of your owne soules, cast not awaye that most pleasaunt heauenly poysye of the swete smelling gospel of God, but holde it harde to the nose & senses of your soules, y^t the stynking carion of Masses & other filthie foile of blasphemous popishe idolatrie and wicked life poison you not vnto euer­lasting deathe.

[Page] Geue no credence to those idle be­lied bussarde bishoppes and priestes, wethere cocke bi­shoppes & priestes. which in blessed kīg Edwardes daies, semed to be fauourours of y^e gospel, & furtherours of the kinges pcedinges (as they termed it) and now for their owne filthy gaynes sake & pleasing of mē, they shutte vp y^e kingdom of hea­uē (y^e glorious gospel of Christ) before men, nother entring in them selues, Maith. 23. nor suffring them that wolde, but som of them (contrary to their owne con­science) persecute it: and yet for cake & pudding wolde turne again (like we­thercockes) which waye so euer the wynde bloweth, as a man will haue them: and being blynde guydes, take vpō thē to leade the blynde, vntil both fall in to the dike of ppetual dānaciō.

Deceaue not your selues w^t the ex­ample of your forefathers & elders, Elders. which were conceaued and borne in synne, & brought vp in ignoraunce, as well as you: but rather doo after the commaundemēt of the pure spottles lambe of God, Iesus Christ, which was before your fathers, and is the very eternal truth it self, as ye hearde before, by S. Augustin, and Saint Ci­priane.

[Page] Folowe not the faciō of this fren­tike worlde, nor the rashe opiniō and The multitude. Ephe. 4. trade of the madde multitude, which walke in the vanitie of their owne mynde and not after Christ, nor in the consideracion of any iudgement to com: but rather be you renewed in the spirite of your mynde, and put on the new man, that after God is made through righteousnesse and true ho­lynesse: considering that all our trou­bles and veraciōs are the rodde & cor­reccion of our most louing heauenly Hebr. 13. 1. Cor. 11. father God, that we shoulde not be damned with the wicked worlde.

Be not carefull for meate, clothe and wealthe of the worlde, either for Care of worldly ly­uing. your selues or for your wyues, chil­dren or familie: but seing the almigh­tie eternal God him selfe is the father of the fatherles, and the prouider and defendour of the widowe: and seing also he forsaketh not the godly, nor suffreth the righteous mannes sede to begge their bread, but openeth his hande, and filleth euery lyuyng crea­ture with the largesse and pleyntie of his blessing: cast all your care vpon Christes backe, which shall fede your sede and householdes, and shall neuer [Page] see the righteous lefte destitute.

Drede not the daungerous tyrā ­nie Tyrannes of Antichristes souldiours, nor the bragging othes or chittre chattre po­wer of y^e pratīg pye, or any such other, seing the nature of that kynde of bir­des haunteth not hennes nestes for loue of the henne, but to fill their be­lies with the yolke of her egges: and seing that all the heares of our head are nombred, ye may be assured that they shal doo no more against vs, thā theternal purpose and hande of God hath determined. For God is faithful which will not suffre vs to be tēpted aboue our habilitie, but shall geue vs a waye out with the temptacion, that we maye be hable to abyde it.

Be not afraide brethren, Goddes iron rodde is as strong to beate them backe, as euer it was. He that dwel­leth in heauen, laugheth them to scorne, and will combre their stomac­kes one daye, so sore, that they shall not knowe which waye to turne thē. Let them runne on (their rageing race) vntil they bring them selues out of breathe.

And on y^e other parte, Fyre, fagot­tes, hempe, galowes, stockes, fetters, [Page] & prison make vs like to y^e ymage of the sonne of God, and the suffring of deathe for y^e gospelles sake, is the ful­filling Col. 1. of that is behinde of the passi­ones of Christ in our bodies, to beare witnesse against tyrannes and wic­ked papistes, and to be an example and encourageing of the hole congre­gacion.

The deathe of suche as suffre for the gospell, is so precious in the sight of God, that it is the ende of al troubles and sorowes, and the begynnyng and entraunce of suche ioye and treasu­res, as no eye hathe sene, no eare hath [...]o. 5. 1. Cor. 2. hearde, nor any harte is hable to per­ceaue. This is most certainly true, which as it is easily spoken or writtē, but very harde for the cowardly fleshe to beleue it, or to thinke on it, whan the very pynce of trouble and perse­cucion cometh (as I knowe by myne owne fearful experience ynough and to muche) euen so I beseche God to lighten our hartes and remembraū ­ces with his holy spirite, that whan the howre and fytte of sorowe and veracion cometh, we maye cōstaunt­ly, willingly, & ioyously laye the crosse on our sholders, & marche forewarde [Page] lustyly to the batail, that is pitched against vs, folowing the same trace, that our captain and saueour Iesus Christ hathe ledde vs the waye, so as by many tribulations, and the straite Math. 7. waye, which fewe fynde, we maye entre in to the kingdom of heauen, and receaue the crowne of eternal glorie that neuer shall fade awaye.

And be not deceaued (my brethren) with the doublefaced doinges, and toyeng trades of those politike, subtil, sleightye wise men and nyggardly nyppe crustes, which lyke as they fa­uour and haue set vp the Masse, with al diligence: some not only for aunci­ent custome and opinatyue deuoci­ones sake (as draffe is good ynoughe for swyne) but also for pretensed obe­dience and nien pleasing, regarden the masse (which is the deuilles inuē ­cion, and the workemanship of Anti­christ) more than they doo the syncere worde and sacramentes of God, mi­nistred according to Christes owne institucion: so doo they loue and care more for their faire Abbeyes, & riche wealthe of ecclesiastical possessiones, than they doo either for y^e masse or for any other religion, as by their fyne [Page] frutes (if they were forced to make re­strituciō) it wold most euidētly appeare, for al their deuout masse hearing.

But aboue al other, abhorre & blisse you frō the participaciō & cōpany of y^e Diuorced priestes. kynde of dānable dryuelles y^e priestes, which (in king Edwardes tyme) cou­pled them selues in mariage, som to a­uoide suspiciō of popery, som to hyde y^e shame of their filthy doinges, som for men pleasyng, som to do as other did, som for one respect, som for an other: And nowe (whā the doctrine of deuils is set vp againe, & the popishe powers of the world fauour not that chaste cō ­dition of lyfe) these dryuelles not only ex [...]sse their faithlesse heartes in brea­king the inseperable knotte & bōde of lawful mariage, forsaking & casting of their wyues: wherby it is euident, y^t their intent was only to couer their fleshely hoorishe lustes with the clooke of mariage, without any inwarde cō ­science to lyue in a chaste maried lyfe, but also (to shewe them selues y^e right Nu. 21. 2. Pe. 2. successours of Balaam the sonne of Bosor, and to make their blasphemy and damnacion more notorious) they renoūce, recant, and abiure their ma­riage, at Antichristes cōmaundemēt: [Page] and lyke damned dogges (whom the eternal burning galowes of hell gro­ne for) they are returned to their vo­mite of massing and other Romishe religion, crucifyeng afreshe and ma­king Hebre. 6. Matth. 12 a mocke of the sonne of God, & most shamelesly blaspheme the holy goost, wherof they shal be forgeuē no­ther in this worlde nor in the worlde to come.

Let them take their tyme whyle it lasteth, for seyng they haue forsaken to be the membres of Christ, and se­yng they are made the membres of the harlot of Rome, and become the temples of sathan, to beare hell about with them, and to glorifie the deuil in their bodies and in their bodily doin­ges. Their finall damnacion is su­rely at hande. At that tyme they shall knowe, that it had ben better for thē, to haue ben made lyke vnto the yma­ge of Christ, in suffring the losses and reproches of the worlde for a littell whyle, and shortlye after to be made partakers of his glorious resurrectiō & eternal blisse, than for a litel beastly bely cheare (y^t shal sone haue an ende) to suffre afterwarde perpetual paines [Page] and tormētes with their predecessour Iudas Iscarioth world w^tout ende.

Neuertheles I wishe them repen­taunce euen from the very botom of my hearte. Nether doo I speake this vpon any displeature or vncharitable affeccion conceaued agaynst any mā ­nes person or worldly quietnes, but only that it greueth the very harte roote of me, to see the institucion of God so horribly dishonoured, the ho­nourable state of mariage so shame­fully slaundred, the congregacion of Christ so greuously offended, the abo­minaciō of Antichrist so beastly obey­ed, and the holy goost so desperately blasphemed.

Alas, why doo they not considre, how haynons a synne it is, to geue such an occasiō of slaūdre & ruine to y^e church of God, & how smal a gayne it is to wynne a smal pelting ꝓmociō of worldy liuing for a shorte space, & to cast awaie y^e price of Christes precious blood, in vtterly dānyng their owne soules, & bequeathing thēselues to the deuil for euer more. For if Baalams mortal blynde asse rebuked y^t blynde ꝓphetes folye, muche more shal y^e im­mortal worme of these Asses (nay Iu­dases) [Page] consciences rebuke & accuse thē of their blasphemie & shameful slydig from the truthe, at suche tyme as be­ing past repentaūce, they shall curse y^e daye, y^t they were borne in, & the very howre wherin they were begotten. These men be of that company, vnto whom the holy goost biddeth vs not to saye so muche, as God spede: nether to eate nor drinke with them.

Finally good brethren, be not partakers Masse hearing goss pellers. of y^e example and faynt carnal excuse of those y^t saye, although they goo to the churche and be present at y^e Masse, yet they worship none but the lyuing God in their hartes, & hate the Masse as muche as we do. Which say­eng is muche vnlike to be true, but semeth rather a vayne pretensed fan­tasie, and preposterous wrasting of some textes of scripture, wherwith the Deuil deludeth the senses & soules of many tendre carpet gospellers, at this present tyme of tryall, to bring them past repētaunce. For Christ our saueour saithe: No man can serue two maisters. So it foloweth, that forasmuche as the body (which is the one parte of a man) serueth the deuil: the soule (which is the other parte, and [Page] ioyned w^t y^e body) cānot possibly serue God. For God requireth the hole mā, to serue him, with all the soule and powers of man, or elles he reckoneth it not only for no seruice at all, but also taketh it for very enemytie. And therfore he saythe: He that is not with me, is against me.

The body go the not to Masse with out the company and consent of the soule. And therfore it must nedes be graunted, that y^e soule is caryed with the body to serue the deuil at Masse, & not the body caried awaye by y^e soule from that most stinking idolatrie and supersticion, to the pure seruice of God.

Bicause Christ died for theternal saluacion aswel of the body as of the soule, the holy goost commaundeth vs also, to beare and glorifie God in our bodyes, and that euery one should possesse The gay­nes of go­ing to Masse. and vse the vessel of his body, in holynesse and in honour. And to be­stowe our bodies vpon the seruice or presence of y^e synfull filthie Masse, is not to possesse the vessell of the body in holynesse and honour, but to defile the hole man with filthynesse and dis­honestie, to breake wedlocke w^t Christ [Page] our husbande, to offēde the weake for whom Christ died, to comfirme the wicked in their popery, and so to pro­uoke the vengaūce of God, vpō bothe the body and the soule.

Saint Iames saithe, that a double mynded man is incōstaunt in al his waies, and maye not loke to obteyne any thing of the Lorde, wher so euer he praieth: muche lesse wil God graūt his peticiones, which he makteh in that temple, wher God by the same peticion makers presēce is dishonoured, and the congregacion (which is the right temple of Christ in dede) is de­filed.

The scriptures teache vs, that at the great iudgement, euery one shall re­ceaue according to the dedes that are done by the bodie. And at the general resurreccion, the body and the soule shal be ioyned together, perpetually to abide either ioye or sorowe: so that the bodye must nedes goo to hell for defi­ling it self with y^e abominable Masse and other popery: And the soule can not chose, but goo with the body, and take suche parte as y^e body dothe. For God wil not parte stakes w^t the deuill. [Page] Therfore it is but a vayne pretense and a very mocking of God, to saye, that the harte and soule serueth God, seing the body ioyned with the soule serueth the deuil in the sight of God and men. So it semeth manifest, that suche gospellers, as be masse hearers, are not spiritual gospell folowers, but carnall gospell slaunderours, and walke after the fleshe: vpon whome the holy Goost geueth sharpe sen­tence, sayng: Yf ye lyue after the fleshe, you shall dye.

Considre brothren, that we are now after our syncere gospelling, ledde of the holy goost in to wildernesse (as Christ was after his baptisme) to be tempted of the deuil. Therfore we must either take the deuilles counsail, and so distrusting the might & merci­full prouidence of God, make stones, stockes, and idolatrous popishe Mas­ses, bread to poisō our selues withall: or throwe our selues downe headlōg from the highe pynnacle of Goddes temple the celestial Ierusalem in to the botomles pitte of all errous, infi­delitie and hell: or fall to the deuilles fete, and take him for our good Lorde. Or elles contrary wise sticking fast [Page] to the scriptures and gospel of Iesus Christ, bidde y^e deuil, auaunt Satan, with all his mummyng. Masses and styncking supersticion. We wyll non of thē, though we neuer haue breade, & though we be torne in pieces for it.

Euery cowherde will (for couetous­nesse of wages and fee) be glad to be reteyned in garison, and set the bet­ter legge before (as though he wolde be a good souldiour) while no daun­gier of batail is at hande, and while ther is peace, & take all one parte. And so in blessed king Edwardes daies, e­uery wan (almost) pretended frende­ship & forewardenesse to the doctrine of the gospell, and englishe churche seruice, seing the Magistrates & mul­titude layne to that syde: some of con­sciēce, som of flattery, but y^e most men for the commodious gayne that they founde by churche landes & goodes, not mynding to amende their lyues towardes God by the gospel, but vn­der colour therof to augment their ly­uinges and pelfe in this worlde.

But like as if a souldiour rūne frō the armye of his souerayne liege Lord to the enemies side (although he saye, his harte was with his soueraine stil, [Page] and y^t he ranne awaye only for feare) must nedes be demed a traitour, a cowhearde, and rennagate: euen so shal euery one that professeth y^e name and religion of Christ, to be one of his souldiours (for our life is a very war­fare vpon earthe) be demed and con­uicte of highe treasō against his most natural souerayne liege Lorde Iesus Christ, king of all kinges, which in tyme of his spirituall warres for the gospelles sake, renneth awaye frō his standarde and garison in to y^e deuilles campe, to take parte w^t popishe masse­mongers, the most deadly foes of Christes gospell and bloodshead.

Now is the fielde pitched, now our enemies bende their ordinaūce agaīst vs face to face, now they see the campe of gospellers weakened and lye open vnto their municiones. They see som fall to their side, som speake faire, som dissemble, and fewe are glad to abide the bickering, & that maketh y^e cruell papistes to make so thicke Larūmes, and to com on so lustily w^t their hotte skyrmishes on euery side against Christ our captaī & al his armye roial Howbeit seing Christ hathe the vic­torie, and shall make al his enemies [Page] his foote stole: and seing also he pro­miseth patentes of so large honoura­ble fee & wages to such his souldiours, as by pacient suffring of persecuciōs stande māfully to his standarde, and abyde the ende of the fraye: as he by his heraulde of armes, thapostle Paule maketh open proclamacion in his coate armour, sayeng: Yf we dye with Christ here, we shall lyue w^t him 2. Tim. 2▪ euerlastingly: Yf we suffre with him here, we shall reigne w^t him in his eter­nal glorious heauenly kingdom.

And on y^e cōtrary parte, forasmuche as y^e same proclamacion declareth the payne of suche of vs, as rēne away frō Christes ensigne or stādarde, sayeng: Yf we denye or forsake him, he wil also denye & forsake vs. And whā y^e general mustre and paye daye cometh (wher the constaunt souldiours shal be crowned with glorie and honour in the e­ternal heauenly kingdom) Christ the captain and iudge shal saye vnto suche shrinking traytours and cowheardly rennagates:

Auaunt you workers of wickednesse I knowe yow not. Get you hence you cursed in to euerlasting fyre, which is p̄ pared for the deuil and his angelles. [Page] I thinke therfore it is necessary good and very highe tyme for vs, to arme our selues cappe a pee (as the same Heraulde of armes Paule commaun­deth vs in king Iesus name, Ephe. 6.) and for our owne sauegarde & vaun­tage to kepe batail raye through per­secucions, troubles, rebukes and slaū ­ders of the worlde, and folowe the stā ­darde of Christes bloody crosse lusty­ly, and to bestere vs like tall felowes, in mortifieng our owne fleshe, especi­ally hauing before our eies the fore rennyng example and viewe, not on­ly of all the martirs and confessours that haue ben souldiours of the same bande, and skyrmished in their owne blood from y^e dayes of Abel vnto these daies: but also the present constaunt courage of the most faithfull souldi­ours of Christ, Thomas Cranmere Arrchbishop of Cantorbury. Hugh La­timer, Micholas Riddley, Ihon̄ Hoo­per, Robert ferrar, Rolande Tailour, Iohn̄ Rogers, Laurence Gaunders, Iohn̄ Bradforde, Iohn̄ Filpotte, Ro­bert Glouer, and Iohn̄ Cardemaker with many other bothe men and wo­mē, which did boldly in bādes spleaye Christes hanner in the myddes of his [Page] enemies, and willingly haue sheadde their blood for the salekeping of their forte, I meane for the defense of Chri­stes inuincible gospell: as well to the great comforte and encorageing of the rest of Christes armye, as to the confusion and vaynquishing of Anti­christ with all his blood thirstie sha­uelinges and massemonging kyndo­me, for all their prowde bragges and impudent rusting.

Neuerthelesse how faynt and how weake a souldiour I my self haue bē in this behalfe, myne owne experien­ce (at my furst entrie in to the gospel) taught me .x. or .xi. yeares agoo. By reason wherof being afrayed of mine owne weakenesse, & partly being en­forced from my vicarage by malici­ous force & rage of some vnthankeful people, ꝑtly bycause I was laid wayte for by writtes, processes, and cruell threateninges of D. Ermestede & cer­tain other traiterous harted papistes (which recanted their errours & pope­ry in y^e kinges visitacion) but chiefly being loth to fal in to myne enemies handes, for feare of blasphemyng the truthe, by reason of myne owne syn­ful weakenesse, or rigorous enprison [Page] ment, I departed from my vicarage somwhat before extreme trouble came. And albeit I did confirme this doctrine of faithe in sondry sermones within my parishe, in that rude ra­geing tempest, & offred to haue done the like in other great parishes ther about, where they durst not receaue me: yet myne owne consciēce accuseth me, for that I taried not ther still to y^e vttermost. And therfore if that haue ben any occasion of offence or stom­bling blocke to any of Christes con­gregacion (as I trust it hathe not) I most hartily heseche thē to forgeue me that weake wickednesse and wic­ked weakenesse.

And like as it hathe pleased God of his merciful goodnesse to holde me still in the confession of the same vn­failing truthe, that I taught priua­tely & openly in those parties, during the tyme of my ministerie: euen so I trust he will graunt me the continu­aunce of this faithe vnto the ende (the rather at y^e contēplacion of your good hartie prayers) & grace to seke only his glorie to the comforte of his poore afflicted flocke, with that litel talent that he hathe lent me.

[Page] And if it be his godly pleasure to cast me in to his enemies handes, I trust he will also geue me will and streynght manfully and ioyfully to geue my life for the confirmacion of this my faithe.

Now for a farewell, I beseche you also good brothren, praye (after your wonted maner) cōtinually to y^e mercie seate of God, that it wolde please him, to defende and encreace his churche: to graunt his gospel a ioyful free pas­sage and prosperous successe through out the hole worlde: to holde his merciful hande of proteccion ouer y^e realme of Englande: to geue vs true repen­taunce, and to forgeue vs all our syn­nes: to succour, helpe & comforte all y^t be in daungier, necessitie, trouble, erile or in bādes for his glorious gos­pell and wordes sake: to bring in to y^e waye of truthe al suche as haue erred and are deceaued: to forgeue our ene­mies, persecutours & slaunderours, & to turne their hartes: to streynghten suche as doo stāde, to comforte & helpe the weake harted, to raise vp them that fall, and shortly to treade downe the deuil vnder our fete: and with his almighty power, to destroye [Page] Antichrist w^t al his swarme of shaue­linges & cursed kingdom: And finally to haue mercie vpō all men: Amen.

Good brothren, I beseche you by y^e mercifulnesse of God, forgeue one an other, loue one an other, beare one w^t an other, chearishe one an other, ex­horte one an other, cōsorte one an o­ther, & (to your power) helpe one an o­ther, so as we maye in the myddes of this rageing tempest & skyrmyshe of persecuciō, be cōstaūt in faithe by the holy goost, ioyfully loking for y^e com­myng of y^e great God, & our saueour Iesus Christ, & finally to be foūde to y^e laude & glorie of his grace amōg the righteous, which shal shyne like the sūne in y^e kingdome of our heauēly fa­ther, by the merites of his only deare sōne Iesus Christ our Lorde, brother, & euerlasting saueour. To whō w^t y^e father & the holy goost, be al glorie, po­wer & praise, now and for euermore worlde w^tout ende. Amen. And in the same one immortal, almightie God, I bid you al most hartily wel to fare.