The accompt re­kenynge and confession of the faith of Huldrif Zwinglius byshop of Zuryk the chief towne of Heluetia, sent vnto Charles the fyfte nowe Emperoure of Rome, holdynge a counsel wyth the moost noble Princes, Estates and learned men of Germany assembled together at Ausburgh. 1530. in the moneth of Iuly.

Math. 11. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are laden, and I wyll refresh you.
3. Esdr. 3. Aboue all thynges truth hath the victorye.
Augustyne. Truthe maye be opprest for a tyme but it can not be ouercome.

Translated out of latyn by Thomas Cotsforde. And imprinted at Geneua. In April. 1555.

The contentes of thys hole boke.

  • ¶Of the vnitie & Trinitie of God, and of Christe the sonne of God, and the sonne of man. pag. 3.
  • ¶Of two Natures in one persone, and that the distincte properties and operations of the two natu­res in Christe diuide not the persone. 4.
  • ¶The weaknes of mans Frewyl, and of Goddes gracious proui­dence. pag. 8.
  • ¶Of mans creacion and of God­des goodnesse, mercy and rygh­teousnes. pag. 9
  • ¶Of Christes incarnacion pag. 10
  • ¶The only medicin of the sicke soule pag. 11
  • ¶Christ is the only waye to recon­ciliacion and true felicitie, & that iustificacion of workes, merites prayers and intercession of saintes are confuted, and of the con­dicion of Goddes eleccion pag. 12
  • ¶Of original synn. pag. 13. 14
  • ¶Synne is the cause of mans my­serye. pag. 15
  • ¶The state of bondage spryngethth of the faulte. pag. 17
  • [Page]¶It is rasshnes to condempne in­fantes dyeng wythout baptyme of water. pag. 18
  • ¶Infantes of Christianes by the promyse made vnto theyr parentes are membres of the churche pag. 19. 20.
  • ¶Of the churche of the Electe. pag. 21
  • ¶The felicitie of fayth is to be per­suaded that he is the inheritoure of eternall lyfe pag. 22
  • ¶Of the vniuersal and sensible Churche pag. 23
  • ¶Euel as wel as good are contey­ned in it pag. 24
  • ¶The Christen fathers, mothers, Godfathers and godmothers & the Churche it selfe acknowlege theyr infantes to be membres of it pag. 26
  • ¶Sacramentes gyue not grace pag. 28
  • ¶By Sacramentes we witnesse to the churche, that we haue recey­ued the grace of God. pag. 31
  • ¶What a Sacrament is, and that Sacramētes represent the agrement done by the spirite. pag. 33
  • ¶Of the holy Supper of ye Lorde pag. 35
  • ¶Christes body occupieth place pag. 41
  • ¶The only spirite gyueth spiritual [Page] thynges pag. 43
  • ¶Thre argumentes against the bodely presence of Christes natu­ral bodye in the Supper pag. 45. 46.
  • ¶The olde wryters spake sacramē ­tally when they reasoned of the frute of eatynge Christes bodye in the Supper. pag. 49.
  • ¶Of Ceremonies, and that yma­ges ought to be taken awaye yf there be any peryl of worship­pynge them. pag. 51.
  • ¶Of Monstrouse mytred byshop­pes. pag. 53
  • ¶Of the office of ye Magistrate pag. 54
  • ¶Of the Popes Purgatory pag. 55
  • ¶Of Hell. pag. 56
  • ¶The frutes of true doctrine. pag. 61
  • ¶The frutes of mennes tradiciōs. pag. 62.
  • ¶An Epistle declaryng the confes­sion of synnes pag. 65
  • ¶Of a general confession of syn­nes. pag. 67
  • ¶Confession of synnes vnto God only pag. 69
  • ¶Confession of synnes before men pag. 72
  • ¶Priuate confession of synnes is nedeful to many for knowlege, [Page] counsel and comforte pag. 74
  • ¶Howe it is nedeful for knowlege pag. 74. 75.
  • ¶Howe it is nedeful for coūsel pag. 76
  • ¶Howe a synner shal recouer god­des fauour. pag. 80
  • ¶Nyne preseruatiues from whor­dom pag. 81. 82.
  • ¶Priuate confession is nedeful for comforte pag. 82
  • ¶To whome chefly one ought to cō fesse hys synnes pag. 86
  • ¶What is true absolucion of syn­nes pag. 86
  • ¶Of confession of recōciliacion pag. 87.
  • ¶An open confession to the churche pag. 89
  • ¶Abuses of eare confession. pag. 90 91. 62. 93
  • ¶The erroure of the Nouacions & Anabaptistes pag. 96
  • ¶Thre sortes of synnes, one is cal­led synne, an other blasphemye, the thyrd, blasphemye agaynste the spirite or synne agaynst the holy ghost. pag. 110
  • ¶What is Synne. pag. 111
  • ¶What is blasphemye pag. 111. 112. 113
  • ¶What is the synne agaynst the holye [Page] ghost. pag. 114.
  • ¶Daniels prayer in Metre. pag. 116

Fautes escaped.

¶Gentle reader before thou reade it ouer wyth thy penne mende the fautes escaped, begynnynge with the cyphers on the toppe of the pages. thus:

¶Next after the page. 91. mēde the cyphers of thre pages immediatly folowyng thus: 92. 93. 94. and so folowyng from 95. vnto the ende of the boke.

Page. 29. lyne. 13. reade brought

Page. 39. lyne. 5. reade after

Page. 51. in the margin, read it thus Images oughte to be taken a­waye yf ther. &c.

Page. 57. the fyrst worde of the first lyne reade: beleue.

Page. 77. lyne. 26, read publicanes

Page. 80. last lyne scrape out ye first worde (he)

Page. 81. lyne. 14. read: auoyde.

Page. 91. lyne. 13. reade: for they thynke

Page. 97. lyne. 22. read: of the wyc­ked

To all hys faythfull brethren and systers other willyngly fled or ty­rannously exyled out of Englande for Christes Gospel sake, Thomas Cotsforde wyssheth from God the father thorow our Lorde Iesus Christ much incre­ase of fayth, godly kno­wlege and constan­cie in Christes holy reli­gion.

DEarly beloued, whan I wyth a lamentable hert consyder wyth my selfe the myserable stare of Englande my natiue cū ­treye, and the great ouerthrowe of Christes pure religiō there, sythe ye moste dolorouse death of our moste godly and vertuouse prince, Kynge Edwarde the syxt: and agayne remembrynge howe Idolatrie, superstici­on, Papistrie, and al kyndes of false worshippinge of God hathe in so shorte tyme ouerflowed so noble a realme: and what an infinite nom­bre (which wythin these two yeares [Page] past bare a fayre face towards true religion) are now suddenly turned backe to worship the beast, that is, to enbrace the Babilonicall strum­pet, and to taste agayne of the cuppe of her abhominacions, I can scant­lye refrayne myne herte from sob­bynge, and myne eyes from distil­lynge of teares. Alasse for pytie, what a great nōbre of Goddes peo­ple is thys day within Englād, that in theyr hertes do deteste & abhorre that false worshippinge and great dishonourynge of God nowe vio­lently (I wyl not saye tyrannously) thrust into euery churche and chappel, and wolde wyth all theyr her­tes (yf they knew whyche waye to bringe it to passe) flye out of that Babylon nowe the great cytie of synne and confusion? And contrary wyse it wolde pytie any true christen mā nes herte to remembre how many ther are wythin that realme (which are fully persuaded in theyr consci­ences concerninge true religion) that myght wel enough escape and come away, & yet wyl not: but some of them had rather wyth moste ma­nyfest and shamefull ydolatrie pol­lute [Page] both theyr soules and theyr bo­dies, than they wolde forsake the pā parynge of theyr paunches, & theyr best beloued God the wycked Mā ­mon. Other ther be that stāde in de­fence that they maye tary wel enoughe and cōmūnicate wyth the ydo­latrers: but I maruell wyth what consciences they can other reade or heare these and suche lyke places of scripture here followynge:

2. Cor. 6.Beare not a straunge yoke (say­eth saynt Paule) wyth the vnbele­uers: for What felowship hath righteousnes wyth vnryghteousnes? What cōpany hath lyght wyth dar­kenesse? What cōcorde hath Christe wyth Belial? &c. Howe agreeth the temple of God wyth ymages? And it foloweth: Come awaye out from amonge them, and separate youre selues (sayeth the Lorde) and touche none vncleane thynge, so wyl I re­ceaue you. &c. Doutlesse me thynke that thys texte rehersed shulde sore nyppe theyr consciences cōsydering that the Lorde hymselfe speaketh it.

Apoc. 18.Let them weye also thys scrip­ture: Come awaye my people from Babilon (that is, from that cytie, re­alme, [Page] towne, village, house, familie and company, whiche openly disho­noureth God by ydolatrie, supersticion and false worshippyng) that ye be not partakers of her sinnes, that ye receaue not of ther plages.

Againe, let them remembre this sayeng of the prophete Elias:3. Reg. 18. Why halt ye betwene two opinions? Yf the Lorde be the true God folowe hym? But yf Baal be he, than folow hym.An excuse But many excuse them selues by a boke made and compiled by a great clerke that dyed wyth in these fyue yeres past: whych boke (as they saye) maketh muche for theyr pur­pose, that is, for goynge to the wyc­ked Masse. &c. But surely, yf they weye that boke wel, it maketh no­thynge for them at al: for he wrote that parte of hys boke for them that were but yonglynges in the true knowlege and vnderstandynge of the mysteries of Christes religion, and dwelt in suche a realme or cun­treye that were cleane ouerwhel­med wyth Papistrie, and not well reformed as was Englande. He wrote not that for them that hadde ben already wel nuseled and exerci­sed [Page] in true religion many yeares (as some of these excusers haue) and are fullye persuaded already in the greatest misteries of pure religion. I dare saye, yf he were alyue he wolde not iustifye, neither beare wyth these men, to whōe God hath geuen so plentie of true knowlege, and that so many yeares ago, but wolde mooste sharply rebuke them and tel them playnly, that theyr ac­companiyng and fellouship in false worshipping with ydolatrers shuld 1 moste manifestly extende: Fyrst to the great dishonour of the omnipo­tent 2 Lorde their God. Secondarely to the accusacion and condempna­cion of theyr owne consciences, ha­uynge so manyfest places of holye 3 scripture agaynst them: Thyrdly, to the great offence of their yonge and weake christen brethren, whych ha­ue many yeares knowen theyr opi­nion 4 touchyng religion. And final­ly, to the confirmacion of the olde cā cred and rustie Papistes in theyr grosse erroures and blyndnesse.

But the sorest grefe of al vnto myn herte (were it not that theyr bolde confession of theyr fayth and stoute [Page] standing and constant perseuering in the same vnto the death comfor­teth me agayne) is the tyrannicall slaughter and butcherlike murther of the saintes, whych were the true seruaūtes of God, the syncere prea­chers of the waye of saluacion, the veray martyrs, true wytnesses and constant confessoures of the true fayth of Iesus Christ, whych of late in Englande haue bestowed theyr veray lyues for ye testimony of that truth, whyche they haue in tymes past so faythfully preached to many thousandes of Christen soules with in that realme.

O Englande, Englande, what a sore buffet hath God now gyuē thee: Partlye, by restorynge that bloud­suckyng byshop the Romyshe Anti­christ to hys former vsurped autho­ritie in that goodly realme, contra­rye to Goddes worde, contrarye to thyne owne lawes, and cōtrary vn­to al your othes, faith and fydelitie, to thy perpetual shame so longe as the worlde shal endure: And partly, by takynge awaye from thee suche notable Instrumentes, by whose mouthes thou hast abūdantly herd [Page] God speake vnto thee, and moste louyngly shewed thee how thou mightest be saued, and in steade of them in hys heauy displeasure nowe suf­freth thy shamelesse shepherdes out of al pulpettes to fede the wyth too shameful lyes? And why? Doutlesse moste worthely. Because, (as S. Paule sayeth) thou receauedst not the loue of the truthe (when thou myghtest haue hadde it) that thou myghtest haue ben saued:2. Tess. 2. and ther­fore God shal sende thee stronge delusiō, that thou shuldest beleue lyes. But take hede. For prate they neuer so monstrouse lyes, glorious Gar­dener and butcherlyke Boner with other of that ruflynge route of Ro­myshe rutters, shall set suche a gly­sterynge glose vpon them, and with suche counterfeted coloures set thē forth & paynt them, that thou shalte thynke them to be moste certaine & Euangelicall truthes, and shalte be brought into suche dotage and so be bewitched, that thou shalt thynke, that chese is chalke, and chalk chese. Swete is sowre, and sowre swete, good is euel,Esa. 5. and euel good, and consequently, that truth is lyes, & lyes [Page] are truthes. And yet to say the truth it is maruel, that other the Pope, the Quene, the Nobilitie and com­mons of Englande, or any other bodye els where, shulde or can credite or beleue suche wethercockes & dubblefaced dreamers of myschefe as Gardener and Boner are. Whose wrytynges agaynst the wycked and vsurped authoritie of theyr louynge father nowe the Romyshe byshop, and the vnlawfull mariage of the Quenes mother with kinge Henry the eyght (for so they called them both than) shall to both theyr perpe­tuall shames remayne, whan they are bothe gone to the deuel, excepte they earnestly repent in tyme, and ratifie agayne that, that they truely wrote than. For yf theyr wrytinges were than false, why dyd they (yf it were but for shame of the world) af­firme any falshed, and cause it to be wrytten and printed, excepte they wolde openly shewe them selues to be the very chyldrē of the deuell the father of al lyes & falshed? Yf those thinges that they wrote than were true, why do they nowe so shamefully deny them in al theyr wycked doynges? [Page] why do they not nowe sticke vnto the truth of them euē vnto the death? Vnto death quod he? Naye. whoo there my frende. For bothe they haue alwaye ben moste tenderly brought vp, and theyr fleshe is to fyne, delicate, nyce and to tender to suffer ether imprisonment or death for the trueth sake. Yea they had ra­ther put fyue hundreth to death for affirmyng the truthe (as they haue done many already in theyr tyme) than they wolde either sticke to it them selues, or suffer other godlye persones to lyue, that wolde wyth tothe and nayle sticke vnto it. But here I wyl let passe these open ene­mies both to God, to the truth, and to all true Christianes inhabitinge the realme of Englande, and cōmit them to the vnsearcheable iudge­ment of hym, whych knoweth beste howe to vse both them, and al other hys creatures to the settynge forth of hys glorye, and wyll nowe pro­cede to my matter.

Whan I had in latin red the notable confession of the fayth of that excellent learned mā Huldrik Zwinglius, I cōsydered (yf it were turned [Page] into Englyshe) that it wolde be both profitable & confortable to a great multitude of my contrey folke, na­mely to them that are but yongelinges and weake in knowlege of true religion, wherof some perchaunce are in pryson already for the gospel sake, and some shall hereafter be called before the Magistrates to gyue a rekening of theyr faith:A christiā ought plaī ly & openly to confesse with his mouth, the right bele­fe of his herte. 2. Cor. 4. whervnto yf they shalbe requyred, ther is no remedy, but openly and playnly to confesse wyth theyr mouthes, what they beleue wyth theyr hertes, vn­lesse they wil forsake Christ and his open truthe, and so (whych God for­byd) runne into the hasarde of eter­nal damnaciō. Therfore they muste vnfaynedly saye wyth S. Paule: I beleue, and therfore I speake. For vndoutedly, yf euer we loke to be saued, the playne and open confes­sion of the mouthe muste necessare­lye go wyth the ryghte belefe of the herte, thoughe dredful death shulde immediatli folowe. Do beleue with the herte iustifieth (sayeth S.Rom. 10. Paul) but to knowledge wyth the mouthe maketh a man safe. S. Peter lyke­wyse voucheth the same, sayeng:

1. Pet. 3.Be ready alwayes to gyue a reke­ning or an answere to euerye man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, and that wyth mek­nesse and feare, hauyng a good con­science.

By these and suche lyke authori­ties and examples of Goddes holye worde it dothe playnly appere: that yf the Magistrate or tyraūt demaūd of any a rekenynge of theyr belefe, they muste in any wyse boldly and constantly declare it, thoughe they se euen death before theyr eyes.

It is therfore no lesse but playne hypocrisie, dissimulacion and halfe a denial of the fayth of Christe, to be­leue ryghtly wyth the herte, and for fear, flatery, lucre or worldly gayne to saye or do the contrarye. God graunt vs all therfore to do as Ie­sus the sonne of Syrack sayeth:

Stryue thou for the truthe (sayeth he) vnto death,Eccle. 4. and God shall fyght for thee agaynst thyne enemyes.

But here one of good knowlege wyl saye.Obiection. Syr I am not yet come vnto that perfeccion to dye for my fayth sake: neither to forsake my cū trey, and therfore I wyl abyde by it [Page] and tary here styl.

I answere:Answere then I wyl aduyse thee who soeuer thou arte, to make thy rekenyng wyth thy selfe before, Examyne thyne owne herte & con­syder well: whether thou doest vn­faynedly feele in thy selfe suche a stronge & stoute stomake, that thou canst be content boldly to confesse & byde by thy fayth: and for the truth sake wyllyngly and gladly forsake father, mother, syster, brother, wyfe chyldren, and al worldly pleasures, and further suffer therfore shame, rebuke, losse of all thy landes, goo­des, and promocions, forsakyng of thy kynsfolke and frendes, lōge im­prisonment, tyrannical tormentes, and finally moste shamefull death: Yf thou (I saye) vnfaynedly feelest in thy selfe suche a lusty corage that thou canst constantlye and wyth a ioyful herte do al these thynges for the loue of thy Lorde, and for the truthe sake, than on goddes name stande vnto it and abyde all sharpe stormes and tempestes,Eccle. 4 [...] & God shall (as Syrak sayeth) fyght for thee a­gaynst thyne enemies. And so in al thy greatest trouble thou shalte glo­rifie [Page] God.

But contrarie wyfe yf thou feele in thy selfe weaknesse, and arte af­frayed that thou arte not able to suffer all these thynges, doutynge that thou can not stande stably in the o­pen confession of thy ryght faythe & beleue, and paciently suffer al the a­fore named tormentes: Than I wil aduyse the in any wyse to followe Christes aduertisement and cōmaū dement,Math. 10. sayeng: whā they persecute you in one cytie (wherin is vnder­standed village, towne, cuntrey or region) flye vnto an other. For yf thou feeling in thy selfe suche weaknesse wilt aduenture to tarye styll, than beware of these terrible threatnynges of Christe, sayeng: who so euer shall deny me before men,Math. 10. him wyl I also denye before my father whych is in heauē.Marc. 10. Agayne, who so euer shalbe ashamed of me & of my wordes in this aduoutrouse & sinful generaciō: of him also shal the sonne of man be ashamed whā he cōmeth in the glorye of hys father wyth the holy Angels. Come awaye therfore spedely, and preuent these great daū gers of denyal of Christ, and of hys [Page] knowen truthe.

But thys my poore and symple aduice good brethrē and systers toucheth nothynge at al any of vs that are already come awaye for the gos­pel sake. For (God be praysed ther­fore) we haue obeyed Christes voice both speakynge in S. Iohn & in S. Paule. In S. Iohns Reuelacion thus sayeth Christ:Apoc, 18. Come away my people from Babylō, that ye be not partakers of her synnes, that ye re­ceaue not of her plages. In S. Paul thus sayeth the Lorde:2. Cor 6. Come out frō amonge them, and seperate youre selues from them (sayeth the Lord) and touche none vncleane thynge: so wyll I receaue you, and wyl be a father vnto you, and ye shalbe my sonnes and doughters, sayeth the Lorde almyghtye.

Loo, these two scriptures I haue rehersed agayne, both for our singuler comforte, and for the comfortes of al them, that shall do the lyke that we haue done by cōmynge awaye. And in wayinge of these two afore­sayd scriptures I can not but moch reioyse and prayse God on oure be­halfe, and that for diuers consyderacions [Page] followynge:

1 Fyrst by cōmyng away we haue declared oure selues to be Christes people. For Christe sayeth: come a­waye my people from Babylon.

Marke that he calleth the flyers frō ydolatrie hys people. Seyng thā in thus flyinge awaye we are accompted by this place of scripture to be of Christes people, haue we not muche cause in our hertes to reioyse & glo­ritie God? I thinke we haue.

2 Agayne, for that we haue obeyde the Lordes voyce sayeng: Come a­way: Come out from amōge them: Separate your selues from them: touche none vncleane thynge, we shal vndoutedly be partakers of the blessynges mencioned in the holye scriptures:Deut. 28. Leui. 26. Thē yf we be partakers of Goddes blessynges, it is a plaine assurance that God is on our syde. Yf God be on our syde, who thā can finally preuayle agaynst vs? Dout­lesse, neither Reyser, Kinge, Quene tyraunt, deuel, death nor hell.

3 Further, in commyg awaye we haue declared that we vtterly detest and abhorre al Idolatrye, supersti­cyon, papistrie and false worshippinge [Page] of God, and not to be partakers of them and other abhominacyons, whych nowe ouerflowe that noble realme of England: by reason wherof we shal and that most fortunatly auoyde and escape suche greate pla­ges as now hāge ouer it. For which cause let vs dayly more & more stu­dye to be thanckful vnto the Lorde.

4 Finally, as we haue obeyed (bles­sed be God therfore) those commaū dementes: Comme awaye: Comme out from amonge them: Separate your selues from them: touch no vnclean thynge: So shal we be partta­kers of these promeses followinge, that is: so wyl I receaue you: and wyl be a father vnto you: & ye shall­be my sonnes and doughters, sayth the Lorde almyghtie.

These swete promeses and spiri­tual confortatiues let vs be mynd­ful of both whan we laye vs down to rest, & whē we ryse vp agayn. And giue God most hertie thanckes both for them, and for that grace that he gaue vs to leaue our countrey, li­uynges and promocyons and cō ­me awaye.

But here a papist wyl saye that [Page] I am out of my witte,Obiection to saye that we are fortunate with commynge awaye, nowe suffering greuouse exyle, dispatched of our lyuinges, for­saken of our kynsfolke, and out of the Quenes fauoure. Thys (wyl he saye) is to cōme out of Goddes bles­syng into a warme sonne.

Answere.I answere: The fleassh and car­nal reason wyl iudge no lesse. But yf we iudge after the rule of holy scripture, it is qwyte contrarie: For all Christes scholars muste suffer trouble in thys worlde. As S. Paul affirmeth,2. Tim. 3. sayinge: Al they whyche wyl lyue godly in Christ Iesu shal suffer persecucion. Thys exile ther­fore is our crosse, whych we muste esteme to be swete vnto vs for Christes sake,Mat. 10. because he sayeth: he that taketh not hys crosse and foloweth me, is not worthye of me. And: yf a man come to me, and hate not hys father and mother, and wyfe & chyl­dren,Luce. 14. and brethren and systers, yea and hys owne lyfe also, he can not be my disciple.

And touchynge our persecucion and exile let vs patiently beare it. For Christ suffred muche more per­secucion [Page] for vs. And was compelled in hys infancie (kynge Herode se­kynge to destroye him) to flye away out of his owne natiue cuntrey into a straunge lande,Matth. [...]2 and there to tary a lōge tyme tyl the death of his persecutour.

As for the Quenes displeasure towardes vs (though perchaunce so me other causes are pretended) it is doutles for ye gospel sake. Therfore let vs strongly beare it, and cōmitte our hole cause vnto God, & let hym alone wyth the redresse therof, and dayly praye for her true conuersion vnto ye enbracynge of Christes true religion.

But concernynge the spoyle of your landes, goodes and possessiōs, and the lawles robberie of oure ly­uynges and benefices, let vs glad­lye cōmitte them into the handes of God, and he wyl moste surely (whā he seeth conueniēt tyme) recōpence euery peny to the vttermoste, other one waye, or els an other: other spi­ritually, or bodely, or both.Let vs trust surly to Christes, payment. Let vs truste surely to Christes recompen­sacion, whyche promyseth to vs (I saye to vs) repayment, sayeng:

Matth. 19Euery one that forsaketh house, or brethren, or systers, or father, or mother, or wyfe, or children, or lāde for my names sake, shal receaue an hundreth folde, and shall inherite e­uerlastyng lyfe. Lo here Christ say­eth: Euery one. whyche consydered, than saye I, that he dothe not except vs, nether any that hath done as we haue done. For hys promyse is vni­uersal.The pro­myse is v­niuersal. And as the promyse is vni­uersal, so is also the perfourmance therof, yf man continueth faythfull in hys callynge.

Luc. 18.Saynt Luke rehersyng thys sayeng of Christ, sayeth thus. Verelye I say vnto you: Ther is no mā that hath forsaken house, eyther father or mother, eyther brethren or wyfe, or chyldrē (for the kyngdome of goddes sake) whyche shall not receaue muche more in thys worlde, and in the world to come lyfe euerlasting. As thoughe Christ shulde thus say: No man for my cause shal suffer dā ­mage here, but shall enioye muche more againe for it, both in this lyfe, and in the lyfe to come.

Marc, 10.S. Marke telleth Christes tale after thys sorte: Verely I saye vnto [Page] you: There is no man that hath for­saken house, or brethren, or systers, or father, or mother, or wyfe, or children, or landes, for my sake and the gospels, but he shall receaue an hundreth folde nowe in this lyfe, houses and brethren, and systers, and mo­thers, and chyldren, and lādes with persecucions, and in the worlde to come eternal lyfe.Hundreth fold.

Thys hundrethfolde signifyeth a mynde muche better content and satisfyed with that porcion be it neuer so lytel that God shall gyue one to­wardes hys fyndyng in hys exyle & aduersitie, than wyth that great abū daunce had in tyme of prosperitie.

Christianes for Goddes glorie forsaking theyr houses and goodes, for one house forsaken shalbe many times moste hertely welcome to many godly mennes houses. Yea the faythful shal so gladlye receaue thē and charitably intreat them, that they shall thynke them selues fortunate to haue in theyr houses suche straungers and geastes.Act. 10.

So thought Symon the Tāner that lodged Peter, & lykewyse Cor­nelius the captayne.

Act. 16.So were Paulus and Sylas at Philippos moste gladly takē to lod­gynge wyth godly Lydia the seller of purple, whych sayd vnto them: Yf ye thynke that I beleue on the Lorde, come into myne house and abyde there. I could here bryng you exemples of Abraham, Iob and Dauid, whyche for theyr patient suffe­ryng exyle, spoyle, and losse of lande and cuntrey, were muche more abū dantly enriched of God afterward, than they were before.

But here my good brethren and systers,Iouianus & Valen­tinianus. I praye you marke the exā ­ples of two noble gentlemē, the one named Iouianus and ye other Valē tinianus, beyng both of the in hygh fauour and authoritie, and were Capitaynes of a thousande men a pece vnder Iulianus the Emperoure, whych in the begynnyng professed Christ but afterwards forsoke him, and persecutyng the Christianes became a playne Apostata. Thys wyc­ked Emperour by a lawe cōmaun­ded al hys men of warre vnder payne of losynge theyr promocions to do sacrifice vnto hys false Goddes.In histo. Tripar. lib. 7. ca. 1 Es Theo­doricut. li. 4. cap. 1. Iouianus notwythstādyng rather [Page] than he wolde obey a wycked com­maundement of a wycked Empe­rour, and so denye and sclaūder the profession of his fayth in Christ, chose vtterly to forsake and departe frō hys great promocion. For whyche cause Christ wel recompensed hym. For after the worthy cruel death of that wycked Emperour, Iouianus was aduaunsed to be Emperoure nexte after hym.

So lykewyse the noble gentelmā Valentinianus beynge a christian folowynge hys maister the said wicked Emperour Iulianus whan he wente to the Temple of hys false Goddes,Theodoricus li. 4. ca 5. & Tri­par. hist. li. 6. cap. 35. was of the heythen Preste be sprincled wyth holy water. And beynge greued therwyth, for the ze­ale that he bare vnto Christe, gaue the preste a blowe of the eare, & boldlye sayde:So may one righ­tly saye of the Pa­pistes ho­ly water. that wyth that water he was rather polluted than purged. For whych thynge, he was first imprisoned, and than exiled and bany­shed. Neuertheles for hys feruente zeale in gyuynge the heythen preste a blowe, Christ afterwardes wel recompensed hym. For next after the death of the sayd Emperour Iouia­nus, [Page] was he exalted to be Empe­rour of Rome. So is it playne, yt for their great losses of their ꝓmocions for the professiō of their fayth sake, Christ euen in thys lyfe recompen­sed eyther of them an hūdreth fold. I coulde brynge mo histories to the confirmacion of this matter, but I wyl for thys tyme content my selfe with these. But yet one lessō derely beloued let euery one of vs learne of S. Paule, and saye wyth hym e­uen from the very herte thus:Philip. 4. I ha­ue learned in what so euer state I am therwith to be content. I know howe to be lowe, and I knowe how to excede: Euery where and in all thynges I am instructed both to be ful and to be hongrye, both to haue plentie, and to suffer nede. I can do all thynges throughe Christe that strenghneth me.

Thus makynge an ende of my longe bablyng wyth you dearly be­loued brethren and systers, I here present vnto you the notable confession of the fayth of ye greate learned man Huldrik Zwinglius, whych I haue after my grosse knowlege la­tely translated out of laten for the [Page] instruccion and comfort of the true Christianes of Englande. And whā I had translated it within lesse thā one leafe of the last ende, one of our brethren shewed it to me translated already many yeares ago and printed at Zurik. Whych thynge had almoste caused me to suppresse my translacion: had not an other after that tolde me, that of the old translacion ther was but a smale nombre printed, & many of them were loste. In consyderacion wherof, he aduy­sed me & that earnestly to put forth thys my translacion, bothe for the profyte of many of my Christē bre­thren whych neuer red the former translacion, and also for the reui­uyng of so worthy a confession, and so haue I done.

I haue also added thervnto two lytle Epistles of myn owne: the one conteynyng my poore and symple iudgement concernyng the confes­sion of synnes, howe farre the holye scripture wyl beare therwyth. And what I thynke touchynge eare confessiō nowe reuyued agayne in En­glande. The other Epistle is an an­swere to the demaunde of a godlye [Page] lady moste instātly desyryng me to declare vnto her ye true meaning of an hard texte of ye vi [...]cha of S. Paules Epistle to the Hebrues, & also what is the synne against the holy ghost, and howe and wherin it differreth from all other synnes.

These thynges wrytten after my rude maner and nowe put forth in printe I besech you take in good worth, and of your Charitie re­membre me in youre dayly prayers

VVe whyche preache the Gospel in cyties, townes and villages, of christē fe­lowship O Charles noble Emperour consecrated & holy appointed to equitie and ryghteousnes, haue longe desyrously loked-for when a rekenyng of oure fayth, whych both we haue & professe, shuld be required of vs. And whyle we stād thus in a redynes, it is sayd, rather of comon brute, then of any sure and certayne message or tydynges, that many alredy haue prepared and fur­nished the order, summe and fourme of their fayth and religion, which they maye spedely present vnto you. And here are we in great doute and perplexitie, for on the one part ye loue of truthe and great desyre of comō quietnes pricketh vs forwarde to do the same our selues, that we se other do: And on the other syde, shortnesse of tyme afrayeth vs, Partlye, for that we muste do al thynges to hastely, & passe them ouer to lyghtly, because of your great haste, (for so the rumour goeth that you wyl make haste from thense.) And partly, because we whi­che are preachers of goddes worde in [Page 2] cyties, townes and villages are pla­ced farther abrode, than we can in so shorte a tyme assemble and take aduisemēt, what were moste mete to writ vnto your hyghnesse. Wherfore se­yng that we haue alredy sene the confession of the fayth of other, yea and also the confutacion of their aduersaries (which neuerthelesse semed to be prepared before any thinge (touching that) was demaūded of them) I thou­ght it was not vnmere yf I also pri­uatly without the hynderaūce of my contreyfolke shulde forthwith declare a reason and rekenyng of my fayth. For although other matters require softe and easy haste, yet in this thyng quicke spede is to be made, lest (ye matter slouthfully passed ouer) we shulde fall in daunger other of suspicious si­lence, or els of presumptuouse negli­gence. Lo therfore (O moste myghty Emperoure) here I offer vnto youre maiestye the summe of my fayth on this condicion, that I maye also wyt­nesse therby my selfe to commit and suffer the iudgemēt not only of these articles, but also of al other whych I haue hertofore at any tyme wrytten, or by the goodnes of God hereafter [Page 3] shal wryt, not to one only, neither yet to a fewe, but to the hole Churche of Christ so farre as it pronounceth by the rule and inspiracion of Goddes worde and spirite.

¶The first article.

FYrst of al I bothe beleue and knowe,His fayth of the vni­tie & tri­nitie of God. that ther is but one a lonly God, and that he is of nature good, true, almighty, ryghteouse, wyse and mercy­ful, the maker and gouernour of all thynges visible & inuisible. And that the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost are thre persones, but the Essence & substance of them is simple, vnmixte and but one alone. And concerninge the Godhed and names or thre persones I agree vtterly in opinion in al thinges wyth the declaracion of the Crede aswel of Nicene as of Athanasius.

I beleue that the Sonne hath ta­ken to hym flesshe,His belefe of Christ the sonne of God & the sonne of man. vnderstandynge therby, that he hath verely and truly of Mary the vndefyled and perpetual virgine taken to hym the nature of man, yea the hole man, whych consi­steth of body and soule, and that after this maner: [...] the same hole mā [Page 4] is so taken into the vnitie of substāce or persone of the sonne of God,Of two naures in one persone that man maketh not a proper or special persone, but is taken vnto the insepe­rable, indiuisible, and vnlousable personage of the sonne of God.The distī ­cte proper­ties & operations o the two natures in Christe diuide not the perso­ne. And al be it that both natures, that is the God­hed and Manhed so kepe styl their natures and properties, that both of thē in hym may truely and naturally be knowen and perceaued, yet neuerthelesse the distincte and seueral proper­ties and workinges of natures diuid not the vnitie of persone. No more than in man the soule and body make two persones. For as thei are of most diuers and contrary natures, so are they also of sundry properties and o­peracions. And yet man whych con­systeth of them both is not two perso­nes, but one: Euen so God and Man is one Christ: the perpetual sonne of God from euerlastynge, and the sōne of Mā frō ye tyme appointed & deter­mined. One persone, one Christ, per­fecte God, and perfect Mā. Not that the one nature is made the other, or that they are mixed, confounded or disordred amonge them selues, but that either of thē abydeth styl in his owne [Page 5] propertie. And yet ye vnitie of persone by these sondrie properties is not dis­ioyned. And thus one & ye same Christ touchyng ye propertie of his manhed cried as a chylde, grewe & waxed, in­cocased in wysedōe, hōgred, thrysted, dyd eat, drynke, slepe was hote colde, beatē, dyd swet, was wounded, mur­dered, affrayed, was in heuinesse, and suffred other thinges, whych pertain vnto the payne and punyshment of synne, and yet was he vtterly gyltles and moste estraunged from synne it selfe. But touchynge the propertie of hys Godhed, he wyth the Father and ye holy Ghost ordreth, goeth thorow, ruleth, sustayneth and nurrysheth all thynges both hyghe & lowe, he lyght­neth the blynde, restoreth the lame, calleth vp the dead, wyth a lytle word throweth downe his enemies, beyng deade he taketh agayne to hym lyfe, he ascendeth vp to heauē, and sendeth downe the holy Ghost as his owne spirite. And one and the same Christe abydynge in one persone of the sonne of God doth al these thynges, albeit they are contrary in nature and pro­pertie, so that euē those thinges, whi­che belonge properly to the Godhede, [Page 6] because of the vnitie and perfecciō of persone, are sometyme ascrybed and imputed to the Manhode: and cōtrarye, those thynges whych are proper to the Manhode, are sometyme spo­ken of the Godhede.Iohan. 3. He sayd: that he hym selfe beynge the sonne of Man was in heauen, when he had not yet in body ascended into heauen.1. Petre. 2. Peter also sheweth: that Christe suffred for vs, when only hys māhode could suf­fer. But for vnitie of persone it is trulye sayd: bothe that the sonne of God suffred, and that the sonne of mā for­gaue synnes. For bothe he whyche in one persone is the sonne of God, and the sonne of Man, touchinge the pro­pertie of hys manhode, suffred: And he whych in one persone is the sonne of God, and the sonne of Man, tou­chynge hys Godhed, forgaue synnes. So we saye: thys man is wyse, whan notwythstandynge he consysteth as­wel of body as of soule. And the body is moste estraunged from wysedom, yea it is a very poison and hyndraūce of knowlege and vnderstandynge.

And agayne, we saye: the same mā is sore cutte and wounded, whan onely the bodye can receaue woundes, and [Page 7] not the soule. Thus no man sayeth. Of man there is made two persones, whan to either partie hys owne pro­pertie is attributed and applyed. And agayne no man sayeth: that the natures are mixte, disordred and confoun­ded, whan of the hole man that is sayd, whych for the vnitie of persone pertayneth to the hole, but for the propertie of the parties belongeth onely vnto one. Paule sayeth:2. Cor. 12. whan I am weake, then am I stronge. Who is it that is weake? Paule. who ryghtly is also stronge? Paule. But is not thys sayeng contrarye to reason, vnstable and intollerable? No. for Paul is not of one nature, albeit he is but one persone. Therfore whan he sayeth: I am weake, doutlesse that person speaketh whych is Paule, but that that is sayd, is neither spoken nor vnderstanded of both natures, but only of the weaknesse of the fleshe. And whan he say­eth, I am stronge: Surely the person of Paule speaketh it: but only hys spirite is vnderstāded. Euen so, the sōne of God is dead: Doutlesse he (whyche by vnitie and singlenesse of persone is bothe God and Man) is deade, but that is only touchyng hys manhode. [Page 8] Thus therfore not only I thynke concernynge aswel the Godhead and persones, as taking to the nature of mā, but so lykewyse haue thought al they both olde and newe that are of ryght fayth and belefe. Yea and so thynke they also that euen nowe acknowlege the truthe vnfaynedly.

¶The seconde Article.

SEcondarely, I knowe and beleue,Here fal­leth man­nes free wyll. that thys moste excel­lēt maiestie, which is my God, doth frankely and wythout cō straynt or let appoint and de­termine of al thynges, so that his coū sel and determinacion hangeth of no cause or occasion of any creature, for that is the propertie of the maymed wisedome of man, to iudge and determine by conferrynge and debatynge of natural reasons, or by exemple goynge before. But God (whyche from euerlastynge vnto for euer & euer wt one only and simple lokynge vp­on beholdeth al thynges) nedeth no accompt,Goddes prouidēce. rekenyng, experience or profe of thynges that are done, but beynge on euery parte wyse, prudēt, good &c. hath frankly determyned and set an order in al thynges. For hys owne [Page 9] are al thynges that are. Hereof it is, that all be it wyttingly and aduisedly he in ye begynnyng wolde make mā,Of mānes creation. whych he knewe perfectly wolde fal, yet neuerthelesse wolde aswell deter­myne, to cloth hys sonne wyth mans nature, to repayre and restore againe the fall: wherby hys goodnes on eue­ry parte doth appere.In Goddes goodnes is conteyned mercy & righteou­nesse. In whych goodnes is comprised both hys mercy and ryghteousnes. His ryghteousnes he put forth, whan he cast the transgressours out of the pleasaunt mansions of Paradyse: whan he tyed them in the prison of mannes mysery, and fettered them in the chaynes of sycknes­ses, and whan he layed the lawe vpō them, whych (albeit it was holy) they could neuer of theyr owne power fulfyl. For here man beynge a dubble wretch learned, not only hys body to haue fallen into mysery, but also his mynde for fear of the lawe transgressed to be tormented. For whan after the spirite he sawe that the lawe was holye,Roma. 7. ryghteous and the messenger of Goddes mynde and wyll, as she whych cōmaunded nothyng but that-that ryghte requyred, but yet also se­ynge that by dedes he coulde not ful­fyll [Page 10] the mynd of the lawe, he in hys owne iudgement condempned (the hope of attaynyng felicitie cast awa­ye) goyng awaye desperate from the sight of God, remembred nothing but that he shulde suffer the payne of eternal tormentes. Thus farre was Gods ryghteousnes made open.

Mercy.After thys whan the tyme shulde come to vtter hys goodnes, which frō the begynnyng he appointed to shew as well as ryghteousnes,Christes in carnation he sent hys sonne to take to hym oure nature on euery parte, except that that is dispo­sed and redy to synne, that he made a brother and lyke vnto vs, myght be a mediator, whych for vs by offering hys innocent body vnto death, might satisfye Goddes most vpryght iustice, whych behoued to cōtinue holy, pure & vncorrupt aswel as hys goodnesse, that the worlde myght be throughlye assured both of the recompensacion & satisfyeng of hys ryghteousnes, and of hys present mercy to be offered vn­to vs. For seyng he hath to vs and for vs geuen hys owne sonne,Roma. 8. howe shall he not to vs gyue al thīges with hym and for hym? what is it that we may not promyse to our selues of him whiche [Page 11] hath let downe, abased and hum­bled him self hyther, to be not only ly­ke vnto vs, but also to be holly & fully our owne? who can maruel ynough at the inestimable rychesse and fauor of Goddes goodnes,Iohan. 3. 1. Iohan. 4 wherby he hath so loued the world, that is, mankynd, to gyue his owne sōne for ye lyfe of it?

These lyuely fountaynes & swete vaynes of ye Gospel I thynke are the only and alone medicine of the sycke soule,The only medicyn of the syck sowle. wherby she is restored bothe to God & to her owne selfe. For nothing can assure her of Goddes fauour, but God hym selfe. And he so lyberally, so abundauntly and so prudently hathe powred hys louynge kyndnes hollye vpon vs, that nowe he hath lefte no­thynge behynde that we can desyre, onlesse any durst requyre any thinge more then enough, and aboue the o­uerflowynge habundaunce.

¶The thyrde Article.

THyrdlye, I knowe ther is no nother Sacrifice of purgynge synne, but Christ a­lone,1. Cor. 3. (for Paule truly was not crucifyed for vs:) & that [Page 12] ther is none so sure and vndoutefull pledge of Goddes goodnes & mercye as is Christ (for ther is nothynge so sure as God,Christ is the only waye to reconciliation & feli­cite. Acte. 4. Iustification of workes & pra­yng vnto Sainctes is here dispatched. 1. Timo. 2 The electe are on this condition chosē, that by the son­ne they myght be saued. which affirmeth ye same) and that vnder the sūne ther is none other name but the name of Iesus Christ, wherby we muste be saued.

Here therfore (concernynge the at­taynynge of Goddes goodnes & mer­cy) are refused as wel the iustificacion and satisfaccion of our workes, as the merites, deseruynges, prayers, and intercessions of all saintes, whether they be in earth, or in heauen. For here is but that one alonly mediator betwixte God and man, the God and man Iesus Christ. And Goddes elec­cion abydeth stedfast & sure, for those that he hath chosen before ye makinge of the worlde, he hath so chosen them, that he myght chose them out to hymselfe by hys sonne. For as he is gen­tel and mercyful, so is he holy & rygh­teous. Al hys workes therfore resem­ble of mercy & ryghteousnes. Wher­fore ryghtly his eleccion smelleth of them both. Of hys goodnes it was to haue chosen whome he wolde, but it was of ryghteousnes to purchase and ioyne to hym selfe them that are cho­sen [Page 13] through hys sonne made a sacri­fice to recompence Goddes ryghte­ousnes for vs.

¶The fourth Article.

FOurthly, I knowe that that great graundfathers father, our fyrst father Adā through selfe loue, by the subtyle sug­gestion, wycked temptacion and enuious coūsel of the deuel, was allured to thys pointe, to couet to be made lyke vnto God. And when he had committed that synne, he tasted of the forbydden and moste daunge­rous frute,Of origi­nall synne. wherby he fel into ye faute and gyltinesse of most horrible death and dampnacion, made therby the stubburne aduersarie and enemye of hys God. Wherfore whā God myght of equitie and ryght haue vtterly de­stroyed hym, yet beyng moste graci­ouse Lorde vnto him, he chaunged his euerlastynge payne and punyshment into a state, that is, to make hym a bond seruaunt, whome he myght ha­ue worthelye punyshed wyth euerla­styng death and vtter destruccion.

For asmuch than, as neither he, nor [Page 14] yet any that is borne of hym can take awaye thys state and condicion of bō dage (for a bondman can not but be­get another bond mā) he hath by the deadly tastyng of the forbyddē frute,They are called bōd that are saued, whan of right they might haue bene kylled by their ta­kers. kest all hys posteritie into bondage. Nowe therfore touchynge original synne I thynke thus:

That is truly called synne, whych is cōmitted against ye lawe: for where no lawe is, there is no transgression. And where no transgression is, there is no synne, as synne is properlye ta­ken, that is, so far as synne is a dede, a faute, an acte or offence. Therfore I acknowlege that our fyrst father syn­ned a sinne, that is sinne in dede, that is to say, an acte a faute, and a detestable thynge. But they that are borne of hym haue not synned after that ma­ner. For whyche of vs haue bytten wyth our teeth and eaten the forbyd­den frute in Paradice? Wherfore wil we nyl we, we are cōpelled to graunt that original synne as it is in the children of Adam, is not properly synne, as it is nowe declared, for properly it is not an acte or dede cōmitted agaīst the lawe. But it may properly be cal­led, a byrthsore, a naturall sycknesse & [Page 15] disease, and also it may be called a sinful state and cōdicion. A disease it is, for as he of self loue fel, so we also fal It is also a synful state or condicion: for lyke as he by his synne was made bond and subiecte to death, so we also are borne bond, the childrē of wrath, and subiecte to death. Al be it I passe nothynge yf thys disease and condici­on after Paules maner be called syn, yea it is suche a synne, that who so e­uer are borne in it are the enemies & aduersaries of God: for hither the synful state of our byrth draweth vs, and not the actual cōmittynge of offence, excepte so farre as oure fyrst parent hath cōmitted it once. Therfore the very cause of enmitie & death is the synne and offente committed of Adā,Synne is the cause of mannes miserie. and that is verely synne. But this syn whych cleaueth to vs in our concepci­on is verely a natural disease & a syn­full state, yea a necessitie of dyenge. Notwythstandyng that neuer shulde haue ben by byrth onely, had not of­fence fyrst defyled the byrth. Synne therfore is the cause of mannes mysery, and not the byrth. But of byrth it is none otherwise, than of it that foloweth of the foūtayne and principall [Page 16] cause. The confirmacion of this sentence is grounded both vpon authoritie and exēple,Roman. 5. Paule speaketh thus: Yf by the synne of one,Autoritie death reygned by the meanes of one: muche more they (whyche receyue abundaunce of grace, and of the gyfte of ryghteous­nes) shal raigne in lyfe by the meanes of one, that is to saye, Iesus Christ. Here we se that synne is properly ta­ken. for this one, is Adam, throughe whose fall death hāgeth ouer our neckes. Agayne the same Paule sayeth: All haue synned and haue nede of the glorie,Roman. 3. that is, the goodnes & lybera­lytie of God. Here synne is taken for the disease, state and byrth, that we al are sayd to synne, yea before we are powred out into thys lyght, that is, we are in the state and condicion of synne and death, yea before we synne in acte or dede, whyche sentence vna­uoydably is agayne strengthned by these wordes:Roman. 5. Neuerthelesse death raigned from Adam to Moses, euen ouer them also which had not synned wyth lyke transgression as dyd Adā. Loo, death is vpon vs, albeit we haue not synned lyke as Adam dyd. Wherfore? For he synned in dede, but seyng [Page 17] we haue not synned after ye maner, why dothe death deuoure vs? For he is dead because of synne, and beynge dead, that is, iudged to death, he hath begottē vs. Therfore we also dye, but thorowe hys faute, and by our owne synfull state and disease, or yf thou wylt, by synne, but takē vnproperly.Exemple. The state sprīgheth of the fawte. The exēple is suche: one takē prisoner in battel, by his vntruth, disloyaltie & ennemitie hath well deserued to be a bondmā. They that ar borne of him, that is, the bondmannes children are made bond, not by faute, acte or offence on theyr behalfe, but by state & condicion, whych followed the faute: for theyr father of whome they were be­gotten, had deserued that by offence. The chyldrē haue not ye offēce, but the punyshment & penaltie of the offence, that is, the state or condicion, the bō ­dage and prison. Yf ye lust to cal these thynges offence, because they are executed and ministred for offence, I forbyd you not. To be short.

I acknowledge this originall syn­ne by condicyon & infeccyō to spring in al mē which are begotten through the affectyon of man and woman.

And I knowe:Ephe. 2. that we are by nature [Page 18] the chyldrē of wrath: but thorow grace, whych by the second Adam Christ hath restored the fall, I dowt not to be receyued amonge the chyldren of God, and that after thys maner that foloweth:

¶The .v. Article.

It is ras­shnes to condempne infantes dyeng withowt bap­tym of water.FYftly. Doutlesse thys is eui­dent: Yf in Christ the seconde Adam we are restored vnto lyfe, lyke as in the fyrst Adā we are gyuen ouer to death, than do we rashly cōdempne the chyldren borne to christen parentes, yea and the chyldren of the heythen also. For yf Adam by synnynge could de­stroye all mankynde, and Christe by dyeng hath not quickened and rede­med all mankynde frō the great my­sery brought in by hym, then is not lyke the saluacion restored by Christ, and so (whych God forbyd) thys scri­pture is not true:1. Cor. 15. He wyll not diffine of the infā tes of the heythen. As in Adam al dye, so in Christ are al restored to lyfe.

But howe so euer men determine of the infantes of the heythen, thys certaynly we affirme, because of the power of saluacion perfourmed by [Page 19] Christ, that they rashly gyue sentence wythout reasonable cause, that iud­geth them to the euerlastynge curse, partlye, for the sayd cause of restauracion by Christ, and partly, for the free eleccion of God, whych foloweth not fayth, but fayth it, wherof I wyl speake more in the article folowyng. For they whyche are chosen from euerla­sting, doutlesse are chosen before they haue fayth. Therfore they whych for lacke of age haue not fayth, ought not vnaduisedly to be condempned of vs. For albeit they haue it not yet, yet goddes elecciō is hyd from vs, of whō yf they be electe, we iudge to hastelye of thynges to vs vnknowen.

Neuerthelesse touchynge the infā tes of Christianes we diffine other­wyse, that is to saye:He diffi­nyth of the infantes of christianes that so many as are the infantes of Christianes are of the congregacion of Goddes people, and partes & membres of his church, whych we proue of thys wyse: By the wytnesses almoste of al the prophetes it is promysed that the cōgregaciō of ye heythē shulde be gathered together to the churche of Goddes people. And Christ hym selfe sayeth: Many shall come from the Easte and from the [Page 20] West and shal sytte wyth Abraham, Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen.Math. 8. Marc. 16. And: Go ye into al the world and preache. &c. But to the churche of the Iewes their infantes perteyned aswel as the Iewes them selues.

Therfore no lesse pertayne our infantes vnto the churche of Christ, than in tyme past the infantes of the Iewes. For yf it were otherwyse,Gene. 17. then were not the promyse perfourmed and ra­tifyed: for than we shulde not equally sytte with Abraham in Goddes kingdome. Doutlesse he was nombred to the church wyth them, whych also af­ter the fleshe were borne of hym. But yf our infantes be not so nombred wyth theyr parentes, as were the in­fantes of the Iewes, thā were Christ not indifferent, but parcial and enui­ous towarde vs, denying to vs that, that he had gyuen to them of olde. whych were to muche wyckednes to affirme. For otherwyse al the prophe­cies concernyng ye callyng of the Gē ­tyls shulde be made of none effecte. Therfore, for asmuche as the infātes of the Christianes are aswel of the visible church of Christ, as are theyr pa­rentes or other that be of age, it is euident [Page 21] that they are aswel of theyr nomber whōe we iudge elect, as are theyr parentes. For thys cause it is, that I iudge them to do wyckedlye and pre­sumptuously, whyche appoint to con­demnacyon the infantes of Christia­nes, seyng that so many playne wit­nesses of scripture affirme the contrarye. Which shewe that the church of the gētyles shall not nowe be equall, but much mor large, than the church of the Iewes. All which thynges shal nowe be made playne, when we shall shewe our fayth concernyng the Churche

¶The .vi. Article.

SYxtlye, Cōcernyng the church, thus we thynke:Of the church of the electe. yt the Church in ye scriptures is diuersly takē. Fyrst it is takē for those chosē, which by ye wyl of God are ap­pointed to eternal lyfe. Of whyche Paule speaketh, sayeng:Ephe. 1.5. that she hath neither wrynkle nor spotte. Thys Church is knowen only vnto God. For he only (after the worde of Salo­mon) hath knowen the hertes of the chyldren of men. But neuerthelesse,3. Reg. 8. [Page 22] they that are membres of thys chur­che knowe verely that they themsel­ues are electe, and are membres of thys fyrst Churche, because they haue fayth in Christ. But they know none other mēbres therof besyde themsel­ues, for so is it wrytten in the acres of the Apostles:Act. 13. And they beleued as many as were ordeined to eternal lyfe. Therfore they that beleue are ordey­ned to eternal lyfe. But who truly beleueth, no man knoweth but he that beleueth.Ephe. 1.2. 2. Cor. 1.11 The felicitie of fayth is to knowe that he is the inheri­toure of e­ternal lyfe. He therfore nowe is sure that he is the chosen of God. For he (after the worde of the Apostle) hathe the earnest of the spirite, wherwith he beyng dispoused and sealed, knoweth hym selfe to be made, not bond, but verely free, and the sonne of the familie. For that spirite can not dis­ceyue. Whych, yf he beare recorde vnto vs & certifyeth our cōsciences, that God is oure father, & that we beynge sure and wythout feare do cal hym father, not doutyng but that we shal go vnto the euerlastyng inheritaunce, than is it certayne that the spirite of of the sonne of God is powred into oure hertes. It is certayne therfore that he is electe whych is so surely by [Page 23] faith perswaded. For they that beleue are ordeyned to eternall lyfe.Act. 13. But many in times past were, and many nowe are chosen, whych yet haue no fayth. The blessed mother of God,

Iohn and Paule whyle they were yet but infantes and lytleones were they not electe? & that before the crea­cyō of the world? but thys they kne­we not in their īfācy nother by fayth nor reuelacyon. Mathew, Zacheus, ye righth ād thefe, & Magdalē were they not also electe before the world was made? and yet they knewe not that, tyl they were lyghtned by the spirite, and drawen of the father vnto Christ Hereof therfore it maye be gathered,Ionh. 6. that this fyrst churche is knowen on­lye vnto God, and that they only whiche haue a sure and an vnshakē fayth knowe them selues to be membres of thys churche.

Agayne the Churche is taken vniuersally for al that are rekened vnder the name of Christ, that is,Of the vnē uersall & sensible Churche. whych haue gyuen theyr names to Christ. Of which a great sort acknowlege Christ sensibly by confession of fayth, & vse of Sacramentes, and yet in theyr hertes other they abhorre hym, or els [Page 24] knowe him not. Therfore we thinke, that so many as acknowledge the na­me of Christ,In thys church as­well the e­uel as the good are cōteyned. are of that Church. So was Iudas of the church of Christe, & al they that stept backe from Christ. For of the Apostles Iudas was aswel thought to be of the churche of Christ, as Peter or Iohn, whan he was no­thynge lesse. But Christ knewe who was hys, and who was the deuelles. Of thys knowen and sensible church (albeit it agree not in thys worlde) are al that with mouth cōfesse Christ, although there be many reproba­tes amonge them.Mat. 25. For Christ payn­teth out thys church by a proper parabel of ten virgins, wherof fyue were wyse, and fyue folyshe. Thys churche also somtyme is called electe, albeit it is not ye fyrst church, whych is wyth out spotte. but lyke as by the iudge­ment of men it is Goddes church for the sensible confession of fayth, so by the same reason it is called electe. For we iudge them both faythful and chosen, whyche gyue theyr names to Christ.1. Pet. 1. So spake Peter, sayeng: To the electe whych are scattered thorow Pontus. &c. where by the name of E­lecte he vnderstādeth al them whych [Page 25] were of the cōgregacions, to the whi­che he wrote, and not them only whi­che properly are chosen of the Lorde. For as they were vnknowē vnto Peter, so could he not wryte vnto them.

Fynally, the Churche is taken for euery partyculer assemble, company and congregacion of thys vniuersal & sensible church, as: The church of Rome, the Churche of Ausbrough. The Church of Lyōs. There are also other maner of takynges of the Churche, whych I wyl passe ouer wyth sylence at thys tyme.

But here I beleue that ther is one Church of them, whyche haue the sa­me holy spirite that certifyeth them, that they are the true chyldren of the housholde of God, and these are the fyrst frutes of churches. That church I beleue verely can not erre, namely in those chefe foundacions of ye fayth, wherin the chefe pointe of true religion consysteth.

I beleue also that the vniuersal & sensible congregacion is one church, so longe as it holdeth thys true con­fession of fayth, wherof it is sayde al­redy. And I beleue that al they are of ye churche, whyche gyue theyr names [Page 26] to it accordynge to the rule and pro­myse of Goddes worde. I beleue also that the infātes Isaac, Iacob, Iudas and all that were of the sede of Abra­ham, & also those chyldren whose pa­rentes in the begynnyng of the chur­che at the preachinge of the Apostles came to take parte wyth Christe, are of thys Church. For yf Isaac and the residue had not bene therof, they had not receyued the badge of the church. Seyng therfor they were of the chur­che, the infantes and chyldren of the primatiue churche were also therof. And for that cause I beleue & knowe that they were marked wyth the Sa­crament of Baptyme.The fa­thers & mothers, godfathers & god mothers & the churche it selfe acknowledge their infantes to be of the church by the recepte whereof, they were rekened to be of the nombre of the Churche. For so the very infantes acknowlege before the receyuynge of Baptyme by the mouthes of theyr parentes, and of theyr godfathers and godmothers when they are offered to the churche, yea rather because the promyse offe­reth them whyche is made no lesse vnto oure infantes, but muche lar­ger and more often than to the infantes [Page 27] of the olde Hebrewes.

These are the foundacions of bapty­synge infantes and commendynge them to the churche, agaynst whych al the craftye inuencions and subtyll deuices of the Catabaptistes can do no thynge. For not only they that beleue are to be baptysed, but also they that acknowlege, and they that are of the churche by the promyses of Goddes worde. For otherwyse vtterly none of the Apostles shulde haue baptysed a­ny man or womā, because they were not throughly assured of the fayth of them that confessed and gaue theyr names.Act. 8.5. For Symon the iuggler and enchaunter, Ananias, Saphiras and Iudas the traytoure wyth many mo were baptysed, whan they gaue theyr names to be christianes,Gen. 17. and yet they had no fayth. Contrarywyse Isaac beynge an infant was circumcised, whan he profered not hys name nei­ther beleued, but the promyse gaue the name. Then, seynge that our in­fantes are in the same state that ye Iewes chyldrē were, the promyse both prefereth the name & acknowlegeth [Page 28] them to pertayn to our church. Therfore baptyme (we speake of the Sacrament of baptyme) as verely as Circū cision requyreth nothynge but one of these, that is, other confession or pro­ferynge of the name: or els the coue­naunt or promyse. Al whych thynges shalbe made more euidente by these that folowe.

¶The seuenth Article.

Sacramen­tes geue not grace.SEuēth. I beleue, yea I know. yt al Sacramentes are so farre of frō gyuyng of grace, yt they do not so muche as brynge or ministre it. In whych asser­cion perchaunce (O moste myghtye Emperour) I shalbe thought to malaperte. But thus fast standeth my iud­gement. For grace as it is wroughte and gyuen to vs of Goddes spirite (I speake after the facyon of latyn, whā I vse thys worde grace for forgeue­nesse of synnes mercy and free bene­fyte) so dothe that gyfte pearce, entre and attayne to our only spirite. But a guyde or chariote is not nedful to ye spirite. For the spirite is a power and cariage wherby al thīges are caried, [Page 29] neither haue we redde at any tyme in the holye scriptures, that sensible thynges (as Sacramentes are) could certaynly brynge wyth them the spi­rite. But yf at any tyme sensible thynges haue bene caried wyth the spirit, then it was the spirite that caryed, & not the sensible thynges.

So when the vehemēt wynd was brought,Acte. 2. by the power of the wynde tongues were also brought, but the wynd was not brought by the power of tongwes.Nume. 11. So the wynd brought the quales, and caried awaye the lo­custes, but no quayles or locustes at any tyme haue bene so swyfte to carie the wynde.

So whan the wynd beyng so great that it was albe to take away moun­taynes, passed by Elias,3. Reg. 19. Iohan. 3. yet the Lorde was not caryed by the wynd. To by shorte: the wynd bloweth wher it wyll, that is, the wynd bloweth so as his nature is, and thou truly hearest the voyce of it, but knowest not from whence it came, or where it stayeth. So is euery one that is borne of the spirite, that is, ys lyghtned and dra­wen inuisibly, and insensybly. Truth hath spoken these thinges, therfor the [Page 30] grace of the spirite nether is brought wyth that dyppinge in the water, no­ther wyth that bytte or drawght, no­ther wyth that anoyntinge. For if it were so, than it myght be knowen, howe, wher, wherwith, by whom, & into whom the spirit were brought. For if the present effecte & strength of grace were tyed vnto the Sacra­mētes, thā wither they are brought, al thinges are gracyously wrought. And wher they are not ministred nor applied, al thinges are infeblysshed, that is, than were all they gracelesse whych had not receaued the Sacra­mentes al be it they be electe and cho­sen,Ephe. 1. whyche election is by the grace of God in Christe. Nether is there cause, why the diuynes shulde alledge Materia or subiectum, the matter or subiecte, for that the order and dispo­disposicyon of it is before required, that is, that the grace of baptyme or of thankesgyuyng (for so they speake) maye be gyuen to hym, that is fyrste prepared thervnto. For he whych (af­ter theyr mynde) receyueth this grace by the Sacramētes, other prepareth hys selfe thervnto,An argu­ment. or els he is prepa­red of the spirite. Yf he prepare hym [Page 31] selfe, then haue we also some power of our selues, and so the preuentynge grace is nothyng. Yf he be prepared of the spirite to the recepte of grace, than I aske: whether yt also be done by the Sacrament as a guyde:A questiō. or without the sacrement. If by the meanes of the sacramente, than by the sacrament man is prepared vn­to the sacramente: And so the processe shalbe endlesse, for alwaye the sacra­ment shalbe required to the prepara­cion of the Sacrament. But if wyth­out the Sacrament we are prepared to the recept of the sacramētal grace, then ye spirite is present by hys boun­teous liberalitie before ye Sacramēt, and lykewyse grace is there alredy presēt before ye sacramēt be brought.Sacremen­tes are witnesses wherwith we witnesse to the church that we haue receyued the gra & mercy of God Of whych thynges thys is gathered, (whyche wyllyngly and gladly I a­lowe in the ryght vse of sacramētes) that the Sacramentes are gyuen for an opē wytnesse of that grace, whych fyrst is present to euery faythfull particuler man.

So is baptyme before the congregacion gyuen to hym, whych before he receaue it other hath confessed the reli­gion of Christ, or els hathe the worde [Page 32] of promise, wherby it is knowen, wen that he pertayneth to the churth For thys cause it is, that when we baptyse one of lawful age, we fyrst aske hym whether he beleue. And yf he answere yea: than in conclusion he re­ceaueth baptyme. Therfore fayth is confessed to be present, before he receyue baptyme, and so fayth is not gyuē in the recepte of baptyme.

But yf an infant be offred to bap­tyme, thā it is asked: whether the chyldes parentes offer it to be baptysed. And whan it is answered by the wytnesses that they wolde haue it bapty­sed, thā by & by the infant is baptised.

And here the promyse of God wēt before, that he aswel estemeth our in­fantes to be of the church, as were the chyldrē of the Hebrues. For whā they whych are of the churche offer them, than the infante is baptysed by thys lawe, that for asmuche as it is borne of christianes, it is by Goddes promyse reputed and taken amonge the mē bres of the Churche. Therfore by baptyme the churche openly receaueth him, which before is receyued by grace. So than, baptyme bryngeth not grace, but wytnesseth to the churche, [Page 33] that grace is alredy gyuen to hym, to whome baptyme is ministred.

I beleue therfore O Emperoure, that a Sacrament is a sygne of an holye thynge, that is,What a sa­crament is of grace gyuen al­redy. I beleue that it is a visible figu­re or fourme, of an inuisible grace. whyche by the fre gyfte of God is mi­nistred and gyuen.Sacramen­tes represēt the agre­ment af a thing done by the spi­rite. And that it is a visible example whych neuerthelesse declareth almoste a certayne conueni­encie, proporcion or agremente of a thynge done by the spirite. Moreouer I beleue that a Sacramente is an o­pen wytnesse of grace gyuen: As whā we are baptysed, the body is wasshed wyth a moste pure Element: but therby is sygnifyed, that we thorowe the grace of Goddes goodnes are chosen into the company of the churche and people of God, wherin we oughte to lyue holely, ryghteously and godlye, for so Paule expoundeth the mistery.Rom. 6. Therfore he whych receaueth bapty­me wytnesseth therby hymselfe to be of Goddes churche, whyche worship­peth here God in soundnesse of faith and purenes of lyfe. And for that cause the sacramentes,Awsten vpon Iohn whych are holye Ceremonies (for the worde cōmeth to [Page 34] the Element and it is made a Sacra­cramēt) are deuoutly to be reuerēced,treaty. 80 that is, to be had in price & esti­macion, and reuerentlye to be mini­stred & vsed. For albeit they can not pardone vs nor release vs of our syn­nes, yet vysiblye they ioyne vs to the churche, whych fyrste were inuisibly by the grace of Eleccion receyued into the same, whych thynge seyng that in the ministracion of them it is together pronounced and publyshed wyth the wordes of Goddes promyse, it is wyth muche deuociō to be had in esti­macion. For yf we thynke otherwyse of the Sacramētes, namely that they beyng applied outwardly do purge & clense inwardly, then playnly Iewyshnes were come home agayne, whiche wyth diuerse wasshynges, oynte­mentes, offerynges, sacrifyces and meates beleued that theyr synnes were purged, and that grace by them were as it were purchased & bought. Whych thynge neuerthelesse the pro­phetes, and specially Esay and Iere­mye dyd alwaye moste constantlye wyth sharpe wordes shake vp, tea­chinge that the promyses and benefittes are gyuen by the free liberalite of [Page 35] God, and not for the regarde of wor­kes, merites or outward ceremonies

I beleue also that the Catabapti­stes denyeng baptyme to the infan­tes of christen men, do moste shame­fully erre, not only therin, but also in many other thynges, wherof nowe is no tyme to speake. And to beware and exchue whether ye wyll the foo­lyshnesse or malyce of them, throughe the helpe of God not wythout peryl I both taught & wrote fyrste agaynst them, that nowe throughe hys good­nes that infeccion amōg vs is great­ly slackt, ceassed, relinquyshed & lefte of, so farre is it of that I other haue receyued, taught, or defended any thynge of thys sedicious secte.

¶The eyght Article.

EYght, I beleue that in the holy Supper of thākes gyuing the very body of Christ is present wyth the eye,Of the ho­ly supper of the Lorde. contemplacion and beholdyng of fayth: that is, that they whyche gyue than­kes to the Lorde for the benefyte gy­uen to vs in hys sonne, acknowlege hym to haue taken to hym very flesh, [Page 36] in it verely to haue suffred, and vere­ly to haue wasshed awaye our synnes in hys bloude, and so al the thynges done by Christ to be made to them in the beholdyng of fayth as it were present.

But that Christes natural body by substaunce & really, that is, that hys natural bodye other is present in the Supper, or chued in oure mouthes & wyth our teeth, as the Papistes and certayne that loke backe vnto the pottes of Egypte shewe and wryte, that truely we do not only denye, but con­stantly affirme to be an errour, whi­che is contrary to Goddes worde.

Whych thynge O Emperour, by goddes helpe I shal in fewe wordes ma­ke as playne and euident to your maiestie, as is the sunne. Fyrst by bryngynge notable and godly authorities of holy scripture. Then wyth argu­mentes taken out of them as it were wyth great peces of ordināce encounteryng in battel against our aduersa­ries. And fynally, in shewing that the olde doctours & diuines were of oure mynde, and stande fully wyth vs.

A prayerIn the meane whyle come O thou holy spirite the creatour, be present & [Page 37] lyghten the myndes of thyne, fyl with grace and lyght the breastes whyche thou haste made.

Fyrst Christ him selfe the mouth and wysedome of God sayeth thus:

You shall alwaye haue poore folke wyth you,Mat. 26. but me shall ye not alwaye haue. Lo here the only presence of his body is denyed. For accordyng to his Godhede he is alwaye present. For so is he alwayes euerye where, accor­ding to an other worde of hys: I wyl (sayeth he) be wt you vntil the worldes ende. That is, touchyng hys Godhed,Mat. 28. power, and goodnes.

Wyth vs in declaryng thys place agreeth S. Aug,Awsten vpon Iohns gos­spel the 50 treaty. vpon Iohns Gospel the .l. treatye.

Neyther is there cause why oure aduersaries shulde alledge: that Christes manhed is, whersoeuer is hys Godhed, otherwyse the person is diuided. For that allegyng shulde take a­waye the very manhed of Christ. For nothing but God can be euery wher.

And the manhed to be in one pla­ce, but the Godhed to be euery where doth not diuide the persone, no more then the sonne takynge to hym man­hed, diuideth the vnitie of substance. [Page 38] But marke thys well. It shulde seme rather to diuide the vnitie of substāce (but yet it dothe not) whyle one per­sone taketh to hym a creature, which the other two persones take not to thē at all: than is, to diuide the persone, the manhed to be in one place, but the Godhed to by euery where. For we maye also se in creatures. That the bodyes are tyed to one place only, but the power and vertue of them stray­eth farre abrode. As appereth by two examples folowynge.

The Sūne.The sunne is bodely placed but in one place: but hys power and vertue worketh in al places of thys worlde.

Mannes mynde also surmoun­teth euen the very starres and pear­ceth the very helles,Mānes mynd. and yet the body is but in one place only.

Iohn. 16.Christe also sayeth thus: Agayne I leaue the worlde and go to the fa­ther. Lo, here is a worde of forsaking, as before ther was a word of hauing: because our aduersaries shal not be able to saye:A Popisch glose. we haue him not here visiblie. For whan he speaketh of the visible wythdrawynge of hys bodye, he sayeth thus: A lytle whyle, and ye shal not se me. &c. It were nothynge but [Page 39] iugglyng yf we shuld stryue, that his natural body were present here,Iohn. 16. but inuisiblie. For why shulde he, whych yet wer here, refuse to be sene, which so often tyme afters hys resurreccion shewed hymselfe to hys disciples moste manyfestly.

Agayne Christ sayeth:Iohn. 16. It is neces­sarie for you that I go away. Marke that he sayeth: that I go awaye. But yf he were here styl, it were not necessarye that we shulde not se hym, but rather confortable that we myght se him. For he (as often as hys disciples were amased and astonnyed at the beholdynge of hym) shewed hymselfe playnly and openly to them. And lest other theyr senses or theyr thoughtes shulde suffer any suspicion.Luc. 24. He sayeth vnto them: Se my handes & my feete: for it is euen I my selfe. Touche me, and handle me.

And to Thomas he said: put thyne hande into my syde.Iohn. 20. And to Magda­lene he shewed hymselfe vysiblye.

Agayne when he nowe euen go­ynge awaye shulde cōmende hys dis­ciples vnto hys father, he sayd:

Here after I wyl not be in the world. Here is vsed a Verbe substantiue,Iohn. 17. as [Page 40] well as in these wordes: thys is my body, that the aduersaries maye not here saye, that there is a fyguratiue speache, seyng they denye that verbes substantiues receiue any fygure. But the thynge hath no nede of these eua­sions, For it foloweth in the texte: But they are in the worlde. Whyche collacion teacheth manyfestly, that he touchynge hys manhed is not in the world than, whā hys disciples were. And that we maye knowe whan he went awaye (not as they rather faine than expound:Luc. 24. whā he made hymselfe inuisible) so sayeth Luke: And it hap­pened, whā he blessed them, he wente awaye from them, and was caryed vp into heauen.

Loo, he sayeth not: he vanyshed a­waye: or made hymselfe inuisible.

Marc. 16.And Marke addeth: The Lorde after he had spoken to them was taken vp into heauen, and sytteth on rhe ry­ght hande of God. He sayeth not: He abydeth here styll, but hath made his body inuisible. In yt Actes: whyle they beheld he was take vp on hye:Act. 1. And a cloud receyued hī out of theyr syght. A cloud couered hym, whych had ben no nede, yf he had onely taken awaye the syght of him selfe, and otherwyse [Page 41] had ben present here styl. Neither ne­ded he then the takyng vp,Act. 1. or lyftyng vp on hye. And it foloweth ther: The same Iesus whyche is taken vp from you into heauen, shall so come euē as ye haue sene hym go into heauen.

What is clearer than thys? he is taken away from you. Than he was not wyth them nother visiblie nor inuisiblie concernyng hys manhed. Wherfore, whan we shal se hym cōe agayne, lyke as he wente awaye, thā shall we knowe that he is present. Or els touchynge hys manhed, he sytteth at the ryght hande of the father, tyll he shal come to iudge both the quicke and the deade.

But because ther is some that do take away place from Christes body, and sayeth that it is in no place: Let them take hede howe openly they go agaynst the truth and shut theyr eyes wylfully. For they are not ignorant,Christes body occupieth a place. that hys body was in the Maunger, in the Temple at Ierusalem whā his parētes were in theyr iorney. It was on the Crosse, in the Graue, wythout the graue. for the Angel sayd: he is ryson, he is not here. Lo the place wher they layed hym. And that they shulde not say: that hys body is euery wher, [Page 42] let them wel marke the Aungell say­eng: He is not here. And thys place: Iesus came whē the gates were shut and stode in the myddest of them.Iohn. 20. What nede he to come, yf hys bodye be euery wher, but inuisiblie? It had ben enough not to come, but only to shewe hym selfe, whych was bodelye there present before. But away wyth so craftely alleged tryfles, which take from vs the truthe as wel of Christes manhed, as of the holy scriptures. These aforesayd places of scripture take awaye the presence of Christes body euery where, except in heauen, speakyng orderly and ryght after the rule of holye scripture, that is, for so muche as we are assured by the scrip­ture touchynge the nature and pro­pertie of the bodye taken to hym.

Howe muche so euer contrarye places constrayne vs, (as whan they tell vs of the myraculous power of God) yet what so euer we put forth touchynge the power of God,Contrary places neuer ought to be wrythē of vs so farre that we shulde beleue God to do contrary vnto hys worde, for that were the propertie of feblenesse & not of power.

That wyth our mouthe ye naturall [Page 43] body of Christ is not eaten, hym selfe shewed, whan he sayde vnto ye Iewes stryuynge for the bodelye earynge of his fleshe: The fleshe profiteth nothīg.Iohn. 6. Namely to eate it naturallye, but to eate it spiritually profyteth much, for it gyueth lyfe.

That that is borne of fleashe,Iohn. 3. is fleashe. And that that is borne of ye spirite, is spirite.

Yf than the natural body of Christ be eaten wyth oure mouthe, what o­ther thynge of fleashe naturally eaten can be made but fleashe? And lest it shuld be thought of any mā to be but an easy argument and a lyght reason let hym here, waye and consyder the other parte. That that is borne of spirite, is spirite.The only spirite ge­ueth spiri­tuall thin­ges.

Yf than the fleashe of Christ be holsome to the soule, it muste spiritually and not carnally be eaten. Thys also pertayneth vnto the matter of Sacramentes, that the spirite is begotten by the spirite, and not by any bodelye thynge, as we shewed before.

Paule admonysheth,2. Cor. 5 that yf any haue knowen Christ at any tyme af­ter the fleashe, yet nowe he shulde not knowe hym after the fleashe.

By these & suche lyke places are we compelled to acknowlege, yt these wordes: thys is my body muste be ta­ken not naturally, but figuratiuely: lyke as these are: Thys is the Passeo­uer. For the Lambe whych was yere by yere eaten in that great solempnitie of holy dayes was not the natural Passeouer or passe by, but dyd sygni­fye it in times past to be done. To this ende also agreeth the succession or ex­chaunge, because the Supper cōmeth in the stede of the Lābe, whych thinge putteth vs in remembraūce, ye Christ vsed lyke wordes. For the succession kepeth the imitaciō, that is, lyke ma­ner of speache.

The tyme also agreeth: for in the same supper the old passeouer is layd aparte and abolyshed, and the newe thankesgeuynge is begonne and ap­pointed.

The propertie of all the remem­braunces do agree, which chalengeth to them selues the name of it, wherof they make mencion and remēbraūce.The Athenienses.

So the people of Athens called a certayne holy daye that they had: The easment of cōmon dette, not for that the dette shulde yerly be discharged, [Page 45] but because they wyth reuerence perpetually kept that that Solon had or­deyned in tyme past, and reuerenced that theyr feast, wyth the name of the thynge it selfe: So these thynges, that is, the bread and wyne of the supper, are called the body & bloud of Christ, whych are tokens, sygnes and remē braunces of hys very body & bloude. Nowe folowe the argumentes.

¶Here folowe thre argumentes.

The fyrst. As the bodye can not be fedde wyth a spirituall thynge, so neyther ye soule wyth a bodely thing. And yf the natural body of Christe be eaten. I aske? whether dothe it fede the bodye or the soule? But it fedeth not the body, thā of force it fedeth the soule. Yf it fede the soule, thā the soule eateth fleashe, and that were not true (which is moste true) that the spirite only is borne of the spirite.

Secondarely I aske thys: what doth the natural body of Christ eaten make perfecte? Yf the forgeuenesse of synnes (as one sorte affirme) than the disciples had forgeuenes of theyr sin­nes by the recept of the supper, and so [Page 46] Christ dyed in vayne. Agayne, yf that that is eaten ministred the vertue of Christes passion and death (as ye same sorte shewe) then the vertue of his passion, death and redempcion was des­tributed before it was begonne. And yf it fede the body vnto the resurrec­cion (as one certayne man very vn­learnedly affirmeth) than muche more it shulde heale the body & discharge it of sycknesse.Ireneus But Ireneus loueth otherwyse to be vnderstanded, whan he wryteth: that our bodyes are nur­ryshed vnto the resurreccion by the bodye of Christ. For he sheweth: that the hope of oure resurreccion is esta­blyshed by the resurreccion of Christ. Loo, thys is a pleasaunt figuratiue speache.

Thyrdlye, yf the natural bodye of Christe in the supper is gyuen to the disciples to eate, than it foloweth of necessitie, that they haue eaten it as it was. But than it was passible (for it was not yet glorifyed) therfore they haue eaten hys passible bodye.The obie­ction of the aduer­sairies is preuēted.

But they wyl saye: They dyd eate the same body, but not as it was passible, but the same after the maner and qualities that it had after hys resur­reccion. [Page 47] And we saye agayne: that thā other he hadde two bodyes, one that was not yet glorifyed, and the other that was glorifyed: Or els that one & the same bodye was al at ones in the same tyme passible and impassible. And so by thys meanes forasmuche as he so greatly abhorred death, Doutlesse heretikes wold gather that he suffred not ye paynes of death, but that he vsed thys gyft of the glorifyed body, wherby he was lackyng paine, and therfore wyll they saye: that he dyd not truly dye, but by dissimulaci­on. And thus by these blynd busardes the trade of Marcions heresie might be newly reuiued. Sex hundreth ar­gumentes O Emperour, myght be brought, but we wyl now be content wyth these. But that the olde wryters are of our opinion (whych shalbe the laste parte of thys article) I wyll pro­ue by two wytnesses, whyche are of the chefe.

By Ambrose whych vpon the fyrst epistle to the Corinthes,Ambrose. vpon these wordes: Shewe the Lordes death tyl he come &c. sayeth thus.

Seyng that by the death of ye Lord we are delyuered, beynge myndfull [Page 48] of thys thynge, in eatynge and dryn­kynge we signifye the fleash & bloud, whych are offred for vs. &c. Ambrose speaketh of the meate and drynke of the supper, & sheweth, that we signifie these very thynges, whyche were of­fred for vs.

By Awsten also, whych in the thyr­tie treatie vpon Iohns Gospel affir­meth:Awsten in the 30 treatie vpon Iohns Gospell.. that Christes bodye that rose from the dead must by but in one place. Wher the printed exemplares ha­ue (may) for (must) but coruptlye. For both in the Master of sentence and in the Decrees (wherinto this sentence of Awsten is trāslated) it is red must. Wherby we maye openly see, that what so euer the olde writters spake honorably of the supper, they dyd vt­terly vnderstand it, not of the natu­ral eatyng of the body of Christ, but of the spirituall.

The same Awsten agaynst Adimantus. Awsten a­gainst A­dimantus, .12. chap. 12 chap. teacheth: that these thre sentences: the bloud is the sowle: thys is my body: and, the stone was Christ: a­re spoken sacramentally, that is, as he speaketh in a signe, and figurati­uely. And amonge many other thinges at lengthe he commeth to these [Page 49] wordes: I maye also interprete thys commaundemente to be put in a syg­ne. For the Lord dowted not to saye: Thys is my body, whan he gaue a sygne of hys body. Thus sayth Awsten.

Loo,A keye. here we haue a keye wher­with we maye open all the saynges of the olde wrytters towchyng thys article of the supper: that that whych only is the signe of the body, he sayth is called the body.

Let them go nowe that wyll, and condempne vs of heresye, so that they knowe therby also them selues agaynst the Decrees of Bysshoppes to condempne the chefe pyllare and staye of diuines.

Of these thinges it is made most manifest,The olde writters spake sacramētally, whan they reasoned of the fru­te of eatīg Christes body. that the olde wrytters al waye spake sacramentally, whē they gaue so much to the eatinge of Chri­stes body in the supper, namly, that the sacramentall eatinge of Christes body could not clense the sowle, but fayth in God through Iesus Christe, which is the spirituall eatinge, wher­of this outwarde eatinge, is a token and shadowe. For lyke as bread sus­tayneth the body, and wyne comfor­teth, nurryssheth, quyckeneth, re­fresheth, [Page 50] and maketh a man mery: Euen so it strengthneth and susteyneth the sycke soule, and assureth it of the mercy of God, because he hath ge­uen to vs his sōne: & so lykewyse it re­fressheth, and maketh mery ye mynd, that our sinnes (wherwith it was vexed) are quenched in his blessed bloud.

At thys tyme we wyl holde vs cō ­tent wyth these, albeit one myght make hole bokes to declare & proue that the olde wryters are of oure opinion in thys matter. Neyther let the lytle boke of Eccius latly put forth touchīg the opinion of the olde wrytters discorage any man, for shortly, by the gra­ce of God, we shall se the confutacion of it, by the great learned mā our brother Ecolampadius, whose laboure hath bene frō the begynnyng of thys controuersye to enserche and gather out the myndes of the olde wryters touchynge the same. But in thys matter these thynges that maye be requyred for the more fuller declaracion herof, or confutacion of our aduersa­ries, we whyche are of thys opinion haue (as I thynke) abundantly perfourmed by many bokes written vnto dyuers men.

¶The .ix. Article.

Nynth. I beleue that the Ceremonies,Ceremonies. whych by supersticiō are nother contrarie to fayth, nor to the word of God, (albeit I knowe not whether a­ny suche maye be foūde) may thrughe charitie be suffred, til ye lyght of knowlege more and more shyne vpon vs. But I beleue also (the same charitie beynge mastres) that the sayd ceremonies (whan wythout great offence it maye be done) are to be abolyshed, al­though the vnfaythful crye out neuer so muche agaynst it.Images owght to be atken awaye yf ther be any peryll of worshippī ge them.

But I thynke that ymages, which are set vp to be worshipped are not to be accompted amonge ceremonies, but are of the nombre of those thyn­ges whyche are vtterly contrarye to Goddes word. But those that are not set vp to be worshipped, or wher ther is no daunger of worshippyng them here after, it is so farre of that I wyll condemne them, that I acknowlege both the paynters and caruers crafte to be ye gyftes of God.

¶The .x. Article.

Tenth. I beleue that the office of prophecie and of preachynge God­des worde is an holy thyng, and that amonge al offices it is moste necessa­rie. [Page 52] For to speake directly after the rule of scripture, we se amōge al people that the outwarde preachynge of the Apostles, Euangelistes, Byshoppes & Pastours went before fayth, whyche fayth neuerthelesse we attribute vn­to the spirite only. For (alasse) we se very many which heare the outward preaching of the Gospel, but they be­leue not, which happeneth for lack of the spirite. Whither so euer therfore Prophetes or Preachers of Goddes word are sent, it is a singler token of Goddes fauore, that he wyl vnto hys electe open the knowledge of hym selfe. And contrary wyse, to whom true preachers are denyed, it is a to­ken that Goddes wrath hangeth o­uer them. As we maye gather of the Prophetes and of the example of S. Paule, whyche somtyme was for­byddē to go to certein, and sometyme called vnto other. And truth it is, that both the lawes them selues & the Magistrates can by nothynge more pre­sently be furthered toward the defēce of publike iustice, than by the sincere preachynge of Goddes worde. For in vayne is ryght and equitie cōmaun­ded, excepte it be to them, that both regarde [Page 53] it and loue it. And thervnto the preachers as ministers prepare the mindes, but the spirite is the worker, as author both of the preacher and of the hearer. We also acknowlege that kynde of ministers, namely, whyche teacheth, cōforteth, affrayeth, careth for, and faythfully loketh to the saue­garde of the people of Christ. And also that, that baptiseth, that in the holy supper ministreth the body & bloude of the Lorde (for so we also figuratiuelye cal the holy bread and wyne of the supper.) And further we acknowlege that sorte of ministers, that visiteth the sycke: that ministreth to the poore wyth the almes and in the name of the cōgregaciō:

And finally ye, that in scholes teacheth, openly readeth and interpreteth, that other themselues or other may be in­structed that hereafter they maye ha­ue rule of congregacions.

But that monstrouse mitred and crosyard kynd of Papisticall byshop­pes we beleue to be lordly loyterers, bastardes and vnlawful chyldren. And yt it is a nōbre borne to consume vytayles, an vnprofytable burthen of the earthe, and fynally to be vtterlye [Page 54] that thyng in the body of the church, that byles, botches, wēnes and impostumes are in mannes body.

¶The .xi. Article.

ELeuenth. I knowe that the Magistrate ryghtly chosen & admitted is Goddes lieute­naunt aswel as the preacher. For as the preacher is the minister of the heauenly wysedome and goodnes, as he that faythfullye tea­cheth and rebuketh sinne and errour: so the Magistrate is the minister of goodnes and ryghteousnes. Of goodnes, that wyth faythfulnes and tem­perancie lyke vnto God he may both heare and se vnto the causes, matters and busynesses of his people. Of righteousnes, that he may represse, holde downe, breake and punyshe the bold­nes of the wycked: and support maintayne and defende the innocentes. Yf a Prince haue these gyftes, I bele­ue that hys subiectes nede not be a­frayed of his conscience. Yf he lacke them, and yet for al that wyll shewe hymselfe terrible and to be feared, I beleue that his cōsciēce by no meanes [Page 55] cā be discharged therfor, because he is ryghtly chosen and admytted. But yet also I beleue that a christen man ought to obey suche a tyraunt, vnto suche an occasion as Paule speaketh of: Yf thou mayst be fre, rather vse it. Whyche occasion neuerthelesse I be­leue to be shewed of God onely,1. Cor. [...]. & not of mā, and that not obscurely, but as openly as Saule was abiecte, and Dauid taken to be his successour. And as touchynge payeng of tribute and cu­stome for our defece, I vtterly thinke as Paule doth. Rom. 13.

¶The .xii. Artitle.

Twelfte. I beleue that that forged fable of the fyre of Purgatorie is as blasphemouse a thynge agaynst the free redēpcion purchased by Chri­stes bloude, as it hath ben gaynful to the authors, inuentours and mayn­tayners therof. For yf it be necessary wyth paynes and tormētes to washe away the deseruinges of our synnes, than shal Christe be deade in vayne, and than is grace of none effecte. Thā whych thyng, what can be thou­ght more wicked in the christen com­mone [Page 56] welthe, state and condicion? Or what maner of Christ haue they, whiche wyl themselues to be called christianes, and yet are afrayed of this fyre, naye, no fyre nowe, but a smoke?

Holl.But as towchinge hell, wher with Ixion & Tantalus the vnfaythfull, diso­bedient and stubburne enemyes of God are euerlastingly punysshed, I do not only beleue that it is, but I verely knowe it. For when the truthe it selfe speaketh of the vniuersall iud­gemēte, he sheweth yt after that iudgemēt certayn shal go into euerlastyng fyre.Iohn. 5. Thā after ye vniuersal iudgemēt ther shalbe an euerlastīg fyre. So yt ye Anabaptistes cā not colorably cloke their erroure, wherby they teache,

The Ana­baptistes erroure is confuted.That Euerlastinge shall not conti­nue after the generall iudgemente. For here Christe speaketh of an euer­lastynge fyre after the iudgemente, whych shal burne and tormente the deuell with his aungels, with the wicked that despise God, with the Tyraū tes which with lyes oppresse ye truth, and with the vnmercifull, whyche of tender compassyon and fayth releue not ye necessytie of theyr neyghbour. These aforsayd artycles I stedfastlye [Page 57] be­leue, teache & defende, not with myne owne wordes, but wyth the notable sentences of Goddes holy worde.

And I promyse and professe (God so wyllyng) to do the same so longe as I lyue. Excepte any man by the decrees of the very holye scriptures ryghtlye vnderstanded can as plainly and opē ly (as we haue done these) declare, proue and confirme the contrarie. Vnto vs doutlesse it is no lesse pleasaunt & acceptable than ryght and lawful to submitte our wrytynges and asserci­ons to the holy scriptures, and to the Churche by the spirite iudginge the same. We myght haue declared all these articles more plenteouslye and at length, but seynge the tyme wolde not suffer vs, we ar cōtent with these. Whiche we thynke to be suche, as mē maye easely pynche at (for so is the faciō now a dayes) but no man cā be a­ble worthelye to confute and auoyde them. Neuertheles yf any wyl assaye he shall (by Goddes grace) not escape vnanswered. For than perchaūce we shall brynge forth the resydue of oure artillarie and ordenaūce, wherof we haue good store and plentye behynde but these are sufficient for this tyme.

Wherfore moste prudent Empe­rour, and ye other princes, lordes of great power, and nobles of hyghe e­state, and fynally ye learned Embas­sadoures and heades of cōmon weal­thes, I praye and beseche you all, for Christe Iesus sake the Lorde and our brother: for his mercy and righteous­nes sake: for his iudgement sake: (be­fore whyche, wil ye nyl ye you muste al come and gyue a rekening of your procedynges) wherin he shall rendre vnto euery one accordyng to theyr desertes: from whome no coūsel is hyd: whyche by the Prophete threatneth woo to them that saye,Esa. 10.5. good is euell and euell good: and to the makers of wycked lawes: whych subuerteth and ouerthroweth the deuises and coun­sels of princes wickedly deliberating and vngodly decreyng,Psal. 33. enacting, pro­nouncyng, establyshyng and cōmaū ­dynge any thynge agaynst Goddes wyll, yea (I saye once againe) I most humbly desyre you all for hys cause, that aduaunceth the humble and ca­steth downe the proude, despyse not the symplenesse and bacenesse of me admonyshynge you so wyse and lear­ned men in the begynnynge. For fooles, [Page 59] Idiotes and symple men haue often spoken many thynges in due season.1. Cor. 1. And the truth it selfe hath chosen to be publyshed and preached of men of rude, symple and lowe estate.

Agayne, remembre that ye your sel­ues are men also, whyche both maye disceaue and be disceaued.Psal. 116. For euery man is a lyer, and vnlesse he be otherwise taught by ye inspiracion of God, than he hym selfe other knoweth or desireth, ther is nothynge to be loked for of hym, but by hys owne crafte & counsel to hurle downe hym selfe.

For ful truly sayd Ieremye the Pro­phete: Loo, they haue refused the Lor­des worde, what wysedome than can remayne in them selfus? Wher­fore, forasmuche as youre selues are the prelates and ryngleaders of ryghteousnesse, no men oughte so muche as you to haue the sure and certayne knowledge of the wyl of God. which, from whence can it be fetched and re­quyred, than out of hys holy scriptu­res? Abhorre not therfore theyr myn­des which lean holly to goddes word. For cōmonly we se it happē, that the more the aduersaries stryue agaynst it, so muche the more a great deale [Page 60] it florysheth and cōmeth to lyght, and errour and falshed is cast oute of the dores. But yf amonge you ther be a­ny (as I knowe ther is) that wyl stoutlye deminishe and diffame oure lear­nynge vnto you, and wyll saye: that we are ygnoraunt and lacke know­lege, yea and that we are maliciouse also, yet thinke this with your selues: Fyrst, whether we whych folow this maner of preachynge the gospel, and the ryght vse of ministracion of the sacrament of thankes gyuyng, haue at any tyme so ordered our lyues, that any good man hathe douted, whether we ought to be reputed and taken as good, honest and faythfull men? And agayne, whether euen from our cra­dels we haue ben so estraunged from wytte and erudicion, that all hope of learnynge shulde vtterlye be caste a­waye from vs? vndoutedly we glorie of nother of these, seynge that Paule hymselfe sayeth: that what so euer he was, it was al of the gyft of God. Neuerthelesse, yf our lyfe haue hap­pened sometyme (by the benefyte of God) to be somewhat prosperous and pleasaunt, yet wholly was it neuer giuen to riote, excesse and fylthynes at [Page 61] any tyme, neither yet (God be praised therfore) hath degenerated into cruelnes, pryde, and obstinacie, so that the wytnes of our lyfe (through Goddes benefite) hath many tymes stayed the deuises of our aduersaries, and made them so astonyed, that they haue retyred backe againe. And as for our learnynge, albeit it is greater then oure aduersaries other can beare, with­stand, or without conscience despise, yet is it farre lesse than they that tenderly loue vs, iudge it to be. But yet to comme to oure purpose, we haue so not a fewe yeres bene sowldiars & studentes both in holy scripture and in mannes learnynge, that there is no cause why yt we shuld nowe teache any thynge rasshly. We maye law­fully prayse the grace and free gyftes of God so lyberaly distributed to our congregations. For owt of al dowte so haue oure congregacions (whyche here the Lord God by our ministerie) receaued ye word of truth,The frutes of the true doctrine of Goddes words. ye lyeng & vntruth are shroncken: pryde, ryote and excesse are broken: reuilynge, slaūde­rynge, chydynge and dissencion are trudged awaye from amonge vs, whyche doutlesse, yf they be not the [Page 62] frutes of ye holy spirite, what are they els? Consyder wyth your selues, O moste myghtye Emperoure and all ye princes & nobles,The frutes of mānes traditions what good frute thys vysar of mannes doctrine hathe brought to you. The Masses that are bought and solde, as they haue increased the outragious luste and wanton­nesse as well of princes as of the peo­ple, so haue they brought in and enlarged the fylthy luste & excessiue pryde of Popes, cardinalles, and byshoppes and the vnsaciable couetousnes and gluttony of mercylesse Massemōgers What myscheue is it, that thys masse marte, with choppinge, chaunginge, byinge and sellinge therof hath not procured and set forwarde? who is a­ble to wast and scatter abrode the ex­cedyng rychesse that is heaped toge­ther by massynge, except they be stopped and strāgled euen in the vaynes & that in tyme? God therfore muche better refourme these thynges than you all, whome we gladly bothe cal & beleue to be the chefe and most myghtye here in earth, & graunt you grace to cut awaye the rootes of that wyc­ked Masse and of al other errours in the churche, and that you may bring [Page 63] o passe, that Proude Rome wyth all her dirtie dregges, whyche she hathe thrusted into al christendome, and specially into your Germany, may be vtterly forsaken and lefte. And as you tender your owne saluacions, what power so euer you haue hytherto executed agaynst the puritie of Christes Gospell, that you maye haue grace nowe at the laste wholly to bende the same agaynst the wycked inforcemē ­tes of the vngodly Papistes, that true ryghteousnesse whych thorowe your negligences is banyshed, and inno­cency, whych is obscured with fained and counterfeated coloures, maye be brought agayne vnto vs.

Ther is enough and to muche crueltie executed already, except without a cause and contrary to ryght to com­maunde, to condempne, to torment, yea to spoyle, bannyshe, and kyl be not tyrannouse or cruell.

Therfore, seyng it goeth not wel forward wyth youre thys waye, you must surely go an other waye to wor­ke. Yf this counsel be of God,Act. 5. stryue not agaynst God. If it be any other­wyse, it wyl dowtlesse fal in the own folysshnesse. Wherfore O sonnes of [Page 64] men who so euer ye be, suffer the worde of God freely to be spred abrode & to spring furth. Remember yt it lyeth not in your power (if God wyl haue it growe) to forbydde and let the gras­se yt it growe not. Ye see ye this frut of ye gospel is abōdaūtly watered with ye heauenly showers, neyther with any heate of mē cā it be īforced to wyther and fade awaye. Consyder not what ye most desyre, but what in the mat­ter of the Gospel the worlde requy­reth. what so euer thys is, take it in good worth, & by your counsels, deui­ses and determinacyons, shewe your selues to be the chyldren of God.

Vnto your noble Maiestie and vnto al faythful men, your most obedient subiecte Huldryk Zwinglius by the grace, callyng and sendyng of God, flockfeeder of the congregacion of Zuryk.

The copy of an E­pistle wrytten from Copyn hauen in Denmarke vnto an Englyshe Marchaunt dwellyng at Wynchestre in Eng­land.

THe grace and peace of God be gyuē vnto you through Iesus Christ. &c. Where as in your laste letters to me moste trustye and assured frende you instantlye desyred me to wryte vnto you, what I haue redde & marked in holy scripture touchynge the cōfession of synnes. Truly syr this your reasonable request I wolde, yf I were able ryght gladly satisfye. But as you knowe I am yet but a yong lynge, and as one shulde say but a nouyce in the studye of diuinitie, & farre vnable to penne thys matter accordynge to the worthynesse therof. Neuerthelesse whā I consyder wyth my selfe, howe muche I am bounden to you, partly for your louynge kynd­nesse dayly shewed to my poore kyns­folke and frendes in Winchester, and [Page 66] partly for your lyberal gyftes & charitable exhibicion that I receiued from you whan I was student at Oxforde, I can not but thynke it to be my boū ­den dutie somwhat to gratifye you agayne. And albeit that ignoraunce, rudenesse of style & lacke of learnyng plucketh me backe from the hādlyng of thys matter, yet the consyderacion of your great discrecion and gentyl­nes prycketh me forwarde to attēpte what I can do therin. Certesse I no­thing doure, but yt you wyl gētly ac­cepte my symple rudenesse, goodwyll and endeuoure in this behalf, no lesse then yf the matter were gloriouslye garnyshed with eloquence & set forth wyth the moste probable persuasions of the freshest Philosopher or rethori­cion in Oxforde. I truste you wyl cre­dite and embrace the truth though it be neuer so bacely and homly wryttē or declared vnto you. For the truthe shal abyde and floryshe, whan al pro­phane paynted persuasions and fond Pharisaical phantasies shal vanysh awaye and be scattered abrode as drye duste before a whyrle wynde. Wher­for to kepe you no lōger frō thys matter, I shal be Goddes grace, so shortly [Page 67] as I can declare vnto you, what I haue learned & marked in holy scrip­ture concernyng thys article of con­fession of synnes. And that is thys that foloweth.

¶Of Confession of synnes.

THe holy Scripture doth dy­uersly in sundrye places set forth and treate of the con­fession of synnes.A general confessyon. In some places it maketh mencion of a general and solempne confession openly made of all the people beyng assembled and gathered to gither at thappointemente, callyng and exhortacion of their hygh Magistrate, Bysshoppe, curate or publyke minister of Goddes worde. The cause therof was commonly somme great plage, vengeaunce or punysshement wher­with God scourged them for their sinful, heynouse and abhominable of­fences committed and done by them and theyr for fathers. example therof we haue in the second boke of Esdras wher it is thus writtyn:

In the foure and twentie daye of thys monech came the chyldren of IsraelNeem. 9. [Page 68] to gether, with fastinge and sack clothes and earth vpon them, and se­parated the sede of Israel from al the straunge chyldren, and stode & knowleged theyr synnes and the wycked­nesses of theyr fathers, ād stode vp in theyr place and redde in the boke of ye lawe of ye lord theyr God four tymes on the daye. &c. And after a solempne rehersal of the iudgementes & greate mercyfulnesse of God declared in ho­ly scripture, they cōclude thus, sayeng: Thou (O God) arte ryghteous in all that thou haste broughte vpon vs, for thou haste done ryght. As for vs, we haue bene vngodly, and our kynges, princes, prestes and fathers haue not done after thy lawe, nor regarded thy commaundementes and thyne ear­nest exhortaciōs wherwyth thou hast exhorted them, and haue not serued the in thy kyngdome & in thy great goodes that thou gauest thē. &c. and are not conuerted from theyr wycked workes. Beholde therfore are we in bondage thys daye. Yea euen in the lande that thou gauest vnto oure fa­thers to enioy the frutes and goodes therof, behold ther are we bōdmē. &c.

Lo, here is a solempne open confession. [Page 69] Wolde God ye thys exāple of publyke confession of synnes were well practised through out all christendōe, namely at thys daye, seynge that the plages of God do dayly increase more and more vpon vs, our synful lyues & abhominacions iustlye deseruynge the same and muche more.

¶Thre mo sortes of confes­sion of synnes.

Ther are also thre mo sortes of cō ­fession of synnes declared in the holy scriptures. The fyrst is secrete confes­sion of synne only vnto God.

The seconde is an open confession before men.

The thyrde is a priuate & secrete confession made vnto man.

As touchynge the fyrst,1 Confessyō vnto God only. it is an hū ble and lowlye confession of synnes made vnto God euen from the verye herte. As whan a synner examyneth hys lyfe by the cōmaundementes of God, & so fyndeth hys conscience bur­dened and accombred wyth synne, & feeleth therby what daunger of dam­nacion that he is in: thys feelynge of hys sycke conscience wyl greatly mo­ue [Page 70] hym to seke a phisicyon. And whā he perceaueth that ther is no medi­cyn wyll heale hys dysease but only the mercy of God, he wyl not ceasse to make all the sute that he can to ob­teyne it. He wyl withowt any [...]laye prostrate hym selfe before God, and with an humble, lowly and contrite herte and mynd acknowledge him [...]lfe greuously to haue offēded [...] [...] ­ly maiestie in thought, cons [...] [...] [...] tacyon, worde and ded [...]. [...] leaue of hys lamētable sute and faythful prayer & requeste of this his boun­tiful mercy, tyl he obteyn it. The swellinge rage of hys putrifyed conscien­ce wyl neuer be asswaged, tyl the pre­cyouse oyle of Goddes mercy haue suppled it, mitigated it, quieted it, and vtterly cured and healed it. Of thys maner of confessyon the holy scriptu­re doth many tymes treate, doth by playne authoritie and examples [...] authoritie.Authoritie. 1. Iohn. 1. If we knowledge our syn­nes (sayth S. Iohn) God is faythfull and iuste to forgeue vs owr synnes, and to clense vs from all vnrighte­ousnes.

Example.Examples ther be many. Of whyche I wyl at thys tyme contente [Page 71] my selfe with two or thre. Kyng Da­uid felynge the intollerable burthen of his synnes, cryed out, sayeng:Dauid.

Haue mercy vpon me (O God) after thy great goodnes.Psal. 51. And according vnto thy great mercies, do awaye myne offences. Washe me againe from my wyckednes, & clense me frō my sinne. For I knowlege my fautes, and my synne is euer before me.Psal. 24. Agaynst the only, agaynst the haue I synned, for thy names sake (O Lorde) be merciful vnto my synne, for it is great.The pu­blicane. Luc. 18.

The Publicane also sayeth: be merci­ful (O God) to me a synner.

This confession and knowleging of our synnes vnto God yf with a cō trite and sorowful herte it be done in fayth, God (which knoweth the secre­tes of euery mans mynde) wil accept & allowe though the repētaūt synner vttereth not one worde wt his mouth

Exemple of the synful woman,The syn­ful womā. Luc. 7. that came vnto Christ. She spake no­thynge, but wepte, and lowlye fell downe at Christes feete, and was­shed thē with the teares of her eyes, and dryed them wyth the heeres of her head, and annoynted them wyth oyntmente.

All whyche thynges were euidēt wit­nesses of her true and vnfayned repē taūce of her synnes and frutes of her sure faythe that she had in Christes goodnes. For whose comforte Christe sayde: thy synnes are forgeuen thee. thy fayth hath saued thee: go thy way in peace. This earneste confession of synnes vnto god shuld euery christian dayly practyse & exercyse vnfaynedly.

Of thys aforesayd confessyon to God spryngeth out the confessyon of our own synfulnesse before men.2 Confessyon of symnes befor men. For he that hath felt a tast af the mercy of God as he shal se occasiō to glorifie God by hys exāple wil not be ashamed other priuatly before one man, or openly before many men, yea though al the whole world were pre­sente, to confesse him self to haue bene an horrible transgressoure of Goddes holy commaundementes. He wyll nothyng dowte, but that he with this hys meke confessyon shal moch glo­rifie God, and moue the hearers by hys example to abhorre synne and chaunge their euel lyfe. Of thys we haue an euident example in God­des chosen vessel S. Paule, whyche after hys conuersyon vnto the fayth of Christe was not ashamed many ty­mesAct 22.26 [Page 73] openlye to confesse before men, what an vnmercyful tyraunt and vngracious grafte he was agaynst the holy cōgregacion of Christ, before his conuersion to the fayth. Thys thinge also ashamed he not to wryte and set forth to the hole world, sayeng: I am not worthy to be called an Apostle,1. Cor. 15. 1. Timo. 1. because I persecuted the congregacion of God. And in an other place he say­eth: I was a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and a tyraunt. &c. And after: Christe Iesus came into the worlde to saue synners, of whō I am chefe.

Thys example of S. Paule very fewe of the Papistes in Englande haue followed,Fewe of the papis­tes of En­glande fo­lowed this example. vnlesse it were by con­straint for feare of bodely punyshmēt And therfore for my parte I suspecte thē to remayne Papistes styl in their hertes. For yf they had vnfaynedlye abhorred papistrie, they wolde after thys exāple of S. Paule wyth al theyr hertes haue confessed them selues to haue bene disceyued, and also to haue wyth false doctrine disceyued the people, and therfore haue openly and hertely asked them mercye for the same: by doyng wherof doutlesse they shuld very muche haue glorifyed God.

The thyrde maner of confession3 [Page 74] of synnes is a priuate cōfessiō to mā. And yt is of two sortes. The first is for the direccion, establyshment & cōforte of a mānes owne cōscience towardes God. The other is touchynge the recō ciliation & confession of a mānes faut & trespace to his neighbour whom he hath offēded.Priuate cō fessyon of synne is nedfull to many for­knowlege, counsell & conforte. And as touching ye fyrst waye of priuate cōfession vnto man, I thynke it is a good & holsome ma­ner & facion conuenient & nedeful to be vsed & obserued of many of God­des people for thre causes, that is, for knowlege, counsel and for comforte.

Fyrst for knowlege: As whā a simple man or womā that hath herd lyt­le or no preachynge of Goddes word,For knowledge. by reason wherof they haue almoste no knowlege of God or hys cōmaundementes, neither of the professiō of baptime, neither of fayth, neither ha­ue they in a maner any knowlege at al of the waye of saluacion by Chri­stes death. Is it not nedeful (thinke you) for such ignoraūt ꝑsones to hunt & seke out some discrete & learned mi­nister of goddes word, & to knowlege vnto hym theyr great ignoraūce, & to requyre at hys mouth ye knowlege of the lawe of the Lorde & of the waye of saluacion?Malac. 2. Is it not wrytten, that the [Page 75] prestes lyppes shuld be sure of know­lege, that men maye seke the lawe at hys mouthe, for he is a messenger of the Lorde of hoostes? It is mete ther­fore ye prestes shulde haue good knowlege in goddes holy worde, for they ar appointed to be shepeherdes ouer the flocke of Christe, to fede the soules of goddes people with ye delicate fode of goddes word, & specially with that holy breade of lyfe Christe Iesu, that cāe downe frō heauē to saue al his people frō their synnes. But alasse for pitie, the spirituall shepherdes into many places of the worlde & specially in England are very rude, vnlearned & vnable to teache other mē, because they thēselues lacke the knowlege & ryght vnderstādyng of the holy scriptures. For howe shulde they teach other be­ynge vnlearned their selues? Dout­lesse it hath bene herd of in not a few places of England,It is very straunge that the shepe shuld haue more witte & learninge than the shepperd. that the parisho­ner hath bē better lerned in holy scripture than ye parson or vicare, whych thing is muche to be lamented. Is it not a great shame, yea is it not vtter­ly against nature; that the shepe shuld be wyser and better learned than the shepeherde. But no men are so much in this bebalfe to be blamed, as [Page 76] the Babilonical byshoppes, partly for admittyng suche doltysh dodipoles to the office of presthed: and partlye for the institutynge to fat benefyces and to the cure and charge of christen soules so many vnlearned idiotes, which nother cā nor wyl fede them with the spiritual foode of Goddes word. Our Lorde redresse thys matter. Amen.

For coūselSecondarely, thys priuate confes­siū is very nedfull for counsel, specially for suche persones, whose conscien­ces are accumbred wyth scrupulouse supersticiō of meates, vowes, or with perpleexd doutes in causes of matri­monye, of restitutiō of wronge gottē or wytholden goodes, of reconciliaci­on, and suche other: Or els, yf they before assaulted wyth dyuers temptaci­ons of theyr gostly enemye the deuel, & know no remedies how to auoyde them. In al these and suche lyke doutful cases, whome oughte they rather to go vnto and aske counsell, then of the heardman of theyr soules? In worldly affayres & busynesses which waye a man maye defende his ryght tytle of enheritaūce, & how he may o­uerthrowe his aduersarye that wolde do hym wronge, mē wyl spare for no [Page 77] laboure nor cost, but wyll retayne of theyr coūsel ye best learned mē of lawe that they can get: Muche more in spiritual matters for the soules healthe ought euery true christian to seke for the best learned & discretest ministers of goddes worde, to satisfye their consciences in doutful causes, & to shewe them apt remedies for the auoidinge of their sundrie temptacions of their gostly enemie the deuel. For yf he be a good spiritual phisicion, he wyl mi­nister vnto the patient a conuenient medicine for the healyng of his spiri­tual sycknesse & disease. And the pati­entes dutie (yf he wyll recouer hys health) is no lesse than thākfully & o­bediently to embrace and receyue the wholsome coūsel of his spiritual phisicion. For the wyse mā sayeth:Pro. 12. Mat. 3. He that is wyse wyl be coūselled. Whā Iohn the Baptist preached in the disert, the people came vnto hym frō Ierusalē, & al the regions roūd about Iordan, & were baptised of hym in Iordan, confessing their synnes. And the puplica­nes cam also to be baptised,Luc. 3. & sayd vnto him: Master, what shal we do? Loo here the publicanes, which were very extorcioners & brybers, ar ye preachīg [Page 78] of Iohn the baptist came vnto repen­taunce, & callyng hym maister asked him counsel howe they shulde order their lyues. Than he lyke a discrete gostly father said vnto them thus: Require no more than is appointed you As though he shulde say: for as much as heretofore you haue ben extorcio­ners & very caterpillers & brybers, & haue taken more of the poore people for taske, tribute & custome then you ought to haue done: Nowe seyng you are conuerted & become the disciples of the heauenly doctrine, you muste wyth all diligence chaunge your euel life into a better, & oppresse the people no lēger, but take your appointed duties & no more. So lykewyse the soul­diers also asked hym & sayd: what shal we do than? And he sayd vnto them: Do no mā violence nor wronge, & be content with your wages, &c.

Yf the same trade were lykewyse had in vse amōge vs that are now ly­uynge, so that whan so euer we were encombred wyth any greuouse tēptacion, or entangled or ouerthrowen in the same, yf we euen than assone as we could possible wolde consult with our soules phisicion, to knowe which [Page 79] waye we myght best auoyde the temptacion hereafter, were it not a godly fasshiō & worthy prayse & cōmēdaciō?

Exemple:An exam­ple. Yf a yonge man beynge sore tempted vnto whordome, & ma­ny times ouercome of his temptaciō, hath yelden & gyuen hym selfe ouer vnto the deuell for that tyme, cōmit­tynge the very acte of fylthy whordōe & adultery: Yf he (I saye) vpon the consideracion of hys owne dānable stare that he standeth in, wolde go vnto a discrete, godly & wel learned preacher of Goddes worde, & playnly vtter vn­to him his abhominable dedes in ge­neral wordes, & aske hys best counsel & aduyse therin. Truly this preacher wolde fyrst declare vnto hym by god­des worde, what great daūger of eternal damnacion that he than stode in, & playnly tel hym that God sayeth in the holy scripture: that nother whore­mongers nor adulterers shal enherit the kyngdome of God: And that God threatneth to iudge & cōdempne both adulterers and fornicatours. And so groundynge himselfe vpon these scriptures and such lyke, therby beating into hys conscience the feare of God, he wolde bydde hym in any wyse ear­nestlye [Page 80] repente himselfe of hys great synne, and cōmitte hym selfe by ear­nest, faythfull and continuall prayer to the mercye of God in Christ Iesu. And in any wyse without any delaye refuse that fylthy and detestable fas­shyon of lyuynge, or els, though he se­med neuer so moche outwardly in thys myserable worlde to floryshe, yet shuld he continually lyue without the fauoure of God, and vnder hys greate wrath and vengeance, not be­ynge in that state the seruaūt of God, but the deuels slaue and bondman, owe of Goddes kyngdom, and subiec­te to eternall death and damnacyon.

Thys thynge earnestly herd, dy­ligently weyed, and deply from the ye very herte consydered: If thys syn­ner were one of Goddes flocke,Howe a great syn­ner shuld vse him selfe to reco­uer the fa­uour of God. at the hearinge of thys terryble sentence of the lawe, he wold tremble and quake for feare, wepe, wayle and lament his horrible and detestable state, crye and call incessauntly for the vnspeakable mercy of God in Christe Iesu, trustī ­ge by hys only meanes to obteyn and get agayn the fauour of God, whych thorowe hys carelesse disobedience he he had lost. And further he wold hū ­bly [Page 81] desyre counsell, whyche waye he myght best here after auoyd that hor­rible cryme of fylthy whordome and adultery.

Then his discrete gostlye father wolde exhorte hym, in any wyse with all his due diligence dayly and conti­nually to practise these wholsome preseruatiues and moste presente reme­dies agaynst whordōe. that is to say.Preseruatiues from whordom.

Fyrst, to exchue ydelnesse and al­wayes 1 to be occupied in some honeste laboure and busynesse.

Than, to auayde all occasions of 2 euel, al suspecte houses and wanton company.

Agayne, to beware of fylthy com­municacion, 3 wanton songes and hi­stories of bawdrie, and nother speake nor heare suche fylthynes.

Further, to vse sobrietie and tem­peraunce in the vse of meate, drynke, 4 slepe and apparel.

Moreouer, to be dayly conuersaūt 5 with such persones, as ar both chast, honest, vertuouse and godly.

Besyde that, to remember daylye 6 what paynful passion & death Christe suffred for our synnes and fylthy af­feccions.

To consyder also the certaintie & 7 suddennesse of death, & what a strayte accompte & rekenyng must be gyuen of euery voyde worde muche more of 8 fylthye actes and vnclennes. But specially to vse dayly, faythful & feruent sute, prayer and supplicacion vnto God for the gracious gyft of chastitie and clennesse of herte. And fynally, yf these be practised and wyll not serue nor suffice for the auoydyng of whor­dome, 9 thā in any wise to take a wyfe, for whā al other remedies fayle, that, wyth the practisynge of the other wil serue. For that is the moste present medicine and naturall remedie that God hath properly ordeyned to cure the disease of fylthye concupiscence, whordome and adultery, after the doctrine of S. Paule, whych sayeth: To auoyde whordome let euery mā take hys owne wyfe,1 Cor. 7. and euery woman her owne husbande.

Thyrdlye, thys priuate confession is chefly nedeful to them that are tor­mented in their cōsciences,For com­forte. & are not fully pursuaded that their synnes are forgeuē them, by reason wherof they are halfe in desperacion. These I say haue muche nede of a discrete spiritu­al [Page 83] phisicion to comforte them. For vnlesse their weake fayth be stayed and lyfted vp by some comfortable resto­ratiues of the swete promises of gra­ce and mercy in Christe Iesu, it is to be feared, that theyr gostly enemy Sathan wyll shortly brynge them to de­speracion, and finally to euerlastyng damnacion. Therfore here the discret soule phisicion wyl labour with tothe & nayle to beate into thys spiritual patientes mynde and remembraūce the moste swete, playne and euident pro­myses of Goddes ayde and assistence to be alwaye ready to them that aske it in faythful prayer. Wherfore it is very nedeful to suche weaklynges in the fayth, that are so sore brosed in cō ­science, to make al the haste that they can possible to the heardman of their soules, and playnly to open and ac­knowlege their grefe vnto hym, de­syrynge to heare of hys mouthe the cōfortable promises of grace in Christ Iesu, to staye and lyft vp their weake & feble cōsciences. S. Iames sayeth:Iames 5. Praye one for an other, yt ye maye be healed. For (sayeth he) the feruēt prayer of a righteous mā auayleth much. Yf the prayer of one godlye persone [Page 84] be of muche value, thē is ye prayers of two good christianes agreyng toge­ther ī prayer for any godly purpose, of more value.Math. 18 For Christ sayeth: Yf two of you shall agre vpō earth (for what thynge so euer it be that they wolde desyre) they shall haue it of my father which is in heauen. For where two or thre are gathered together in my name, there am I in the myddest a­monge them. Marke that Christe sayeth: Yf two of you shal agre vpō earth &c. And where two or thre are gathe­red together in my name, there am I present amonge them. And I praye you is not thys weake faythed perso­ne and hys curate consultyng of these matters gathered together in Chri­stes name? Yf they be (as vndoutedly they are) then is Christe in companye wyth them, by thassistence of his grace and presence of hys godhed. Again yf they two thus assembled do agree to pray together to God, for thencreace and establyshment of the fayth of thys spirituall paciente, than sayeth Christ vnto them thus: Yf two of you shall agre vpon earth (for what thing so euer it be that they wolde desyre) they shall haue it of my father whych [Page 85] is in heauen. Good Lorde what a cōfortable place of scripture is this? For we maye learne by it, that yf ther be but two personnes gathered togi­ther in Christes name for any good and godly purpose, then is Christ pre­sent wyth them. And yf they agree to aske any godly requeste of God, they shal haue it graunted, what thinge so euer it be (sayth Christe) so it be a godly requeste conteyned wythin the limittes of fayth and charitie, and agreynge vnto the wyl of God.1. Iohn. 5. For S. Iohn sayth: Yf we shal aske any thynge accordyng to hys wyl, he hea­reth vs.

But here one wyl saye:Obiection. Syr me thinke ye take the scriptures to straytly, yf you wolde bynd vs to confesse our fautes only to a preste, or only to our own curate. For albeit S. Iames sayth:Iames. 5. Knowledge your fautes one vnto an other, yet he sayth not one la­ye man vnto a preste, nor one parishoner vnto his one curate and to no no­ther: but he sayth generally one vnto a nother. Therfore I thincke that I maye aswell make my cōfessyon to a­ny other man as vnto a preste, or vn­to myn one curate.

Truth it is, that thou mayst frelye chose any discrete christen man that is wel learned in holy scripture,Answere. & re­sorte to hym for learnyng, coūsel and comforte: but yet for all that, ther is none so mete for thy purpose in that behalfe as thyne owne curate (yf he be no papist, neyther of corrupt iud­gement in the scriptures, but be ho­neste, discrete & well exercised in gods holy worde.) For he is appointed of God to be herdman of thy soule, at whose mouth thou maist lawfully require learnyng, coūsel & cōfort, yea he is called & apointed of God to preache vnto the, & to al other his parishoners both priuatly & apertly, secretly & opē ly the gospell of Christe to cōforte thy soule whā nede is. Which preachyng of goddes mercye frelye gyuen to the faithful for Christes sake,what is the true absolution. what other thynge is it than the true absolucion of their sinnes? For what other thing is the priuat absolucion of the preste, but a priuate or secrete preachinge of Christes gospel? what can the prest more promyse the synner by his absoluciō, but ther by to declare vnto him, that yf he repent hym of hys synfull lyfe, & vnfaynedly purpose to amend, [Page 87] reposyng hys hole fayth, trust & cōfi­dence in the promyses of grace & mercy in Christ Iesu, yt thā goddes truthe shal saue him for Christes sake? Can he promyse ye synner any other thyng than to be saued, yf he from the herte do repēt, beleue, & purpose to walk ī a new lyf? I thīck not. Resort therfor to thī one curat (yf he be honest, discret and wel learned, as I said before) and thynke hym to be that persone that is appointed of God, to minister Chri­stes Gospel & hys sacramentes vnto the, at suche cōuenient tymes, as shal be nedeful to the comforte of thy troubled conscience.

Ther is also an other kynde of priuate confession,Confessyō of recoci­liation. whych may aptlye be called, the confession of reconciliaciō. As whan I haue offēded my christen brother, & haue prouoked hym to an­ger. It is my boūden dutie to recon­cile my selfe vnto him, & to knowlege my faute, and desyre of hym forgeuenesse therof. This cōfession is no lesse than comaūded of Christ to be done, & he estemeth it so necessarie to be do­ne, yt he ꝓferreth it, & wil haue it done, before we do any outward seruice, sacrifice, honour or worship vnto hīself [Page 88] For thus he sayeth: If thou offerest thy gyfte at the Altare,Math. 5. Iob. 42. and there re­mēbrest that thy brother hath oughte against thee leaue ther thyn offering before the altare, & go thy waye fyrst, and reconcile thy selfe to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gyfte.

Loo, here maye we se that Christe so muche regardeth the attonement of them that are at variance, and the mutual redresse of charitie, vnitie, peace, and concorde betwene them, that he wyl haue that done before we shall be allowed of hym to do any accepta­ble seruice or outwarde worship vnto hym. And truly I am muche afrayed that the transgressynge of this commaundement of Christe, wyl condempne all moste all the hole worlde, be­caufe ther is so muche breache of cha­ritie, and so lytle regarde of mutuall reconciliacion and attonement. Howe be it they that are of God, re­generated by hys holy spirite, wyl be very circumspect and take good hede that they gyue no iuste occasion of angre vnto their neyghbour. But yf they chaunse at any tyme (as al men are frayle) by theyr occasion to offend and greue theyr euen christian, yet [Page 89] they wyl seke al meanes to theyr pos­sible power, and wyth al the spede that they can, to be reconcyled againe vnto them. For who knowynge that he can by no meanes obtayne goddes fauour, onlesse he be at one wyth his neyghboure, wyl not in thys poynte laye al worldly shame apart, and (submittynge hys obedience vnto the cō ­maundemente of Christe) go to hys neyghbour, knowlege hys faute vn­to hym, and humbly desyre the forgeuenesse of his trespace? Truly he that vnfaynedly feareth God, and inten­deth earnestly to auoyde hys displea­sure, wyl not stycke to do thys godlye worke, but wyll be glad to do it and muche more.

Besyde al these former sortes of confession, ther was also vsed in the primatiue churche an open con­fession,An open confessyon. whych they that had bene ex­cōmunicated for great and haynouse synnes, made before the hole congre­gacion at suche tyme as they were restored agayne to the same. But be­cause this is nowe out of vse (it is the more to be lamented) I wyl here speake nomore of it.

Thus haue I declared vnto you [Page 90] after my sclender gyfte of knowlege what I haue redde & marked in holy scripture touchynge the confession of synnes. But wher as in the latter end of your letters you īstātly desyred me to wryte vnto you, what I thynke of the eare cōfession that is now straitly cōmaunded wyth you in Englande. Truly to vtter my cōscience playnly vnto you in fewe wordes, I thynke it bryngeth many a simple soule to the hasarde of dānacion.Abuses of [...]are confessyon. For doutles ther are many shameful abuses therin, of whyche I wyll (by the grace of God) reherse two or thre whiche are intollerable.

Fyrst, it is cōmaunded of necessi­tie. 1 Through which abhominable cō ­maūdemēt, the simple cōmon people (for lacke of good instruccion) thinke, (for so are they disceaued by false tea­chynge) yt without eare cōfession they can not be saued. So this opinion of necessitie of the one partie, & the com­pulsarie lawes made of stinckynge papistes for the maintenaūce of the same on the other partie, (I know this certeinly) bryngeth very many to perplexed & doutful straites of cōscience. Whych (yf they be not in tyme remo­ued [Page 91] by the swet promyses of grace in Christe) wyl doutlesse dryue them to desperacion.

Secondarely, It is no smale bon­dage 2 of christen mens consciences to compel them to nombre all their syn­nes particularly, wyth all due circū ­stances of tyme, persone & place, and howe many tymes euery synne was cōmitted. Whych opinion persuaded to the vnlerned people, is not vnlyke to bring many of their soules into ye deuels daūger. For chey thinke thēselues boūden in cōsciēce (for so are they corruptly taught) to cōfesse euery syn ꝑticularly by it selfe, & to opē & declare to their gostly father euery circūstāce of the same. And yet sōetime for fear, & somtyme for shame they cōfesse not al, but coūceleth & hydeth sōe offence. Which not confessed, oppresseth their weake & feble cōsciences sōtyme .iii. or .iiii. yeares or mo, & so al that space they thinke thēselues because of ye concealmēt to be in the state of dānacion and quyte out of gods fauour. And many times (yf the thynge were tho­rowly knowen) it is scātly so weygh­ty a matter as the eatyng of an egge vppon a frydaye, so depelye are the Popyshe tradicions prynted in their [Page 82] in their tender consciences, estemyng the breach of them to be a greater of­fence, then Idolatrie, blasphemy, periurie, theft, slaunder or any transgression of Goddes holy cōmaundemen­tes. Whych thynge ought to make al the Babilonicall byshoppes ashamed (but that they are past al shame already) because they suffer Goddes people to be so drowned in ignoraūce, yt they cā not discerne the cōmaūdementes of God, frō the dirtie dregges of Pa­pistical tradicions. And albeit the ho­ly scripture alloweth these sortes of confession that I haue spoken of be­fore in this Epistle, yet for al that the proudest papist of thē al can not finde in holy scripture these wordes or sen­tences: To hys owne curate what so euer he is: Al synnes particularly: all circumstaūces: and suche lyke trash. For al these are nothyng els, but pedlarie patches of Papistrie. Whych I praye God maye be purged agayne & bannyshed out of Englande, and that shortlye.

Finally, besyde the forsayd abuses of eare confession the cōmon sorte of people are therwyth two maner of wayes disceyued. Fyrst, because they [Page 83] thynke, that their confession is the cause of forgyuenesse of their synnes, by reason wherof they blotte out the blessed benefite of the passion & death of Christe, whyche is the onely obtey­ner of grace and mercy for the sinnes of all mankynde. Secōdarely, becau­se they are fully perswaded, that the penaūce, yt is, ye fastyng, prayer or al­mes enioyned thē of their goostly fa­ther is the due satisfaccion and ful recompensacion to God, equiualent for their synnes past, whych they haue cō fessed to the prest: And so for lacke of knowlege & instrucciō they are ther­ī vtterly disceiued. For sure it is, yt to god no mā is able to satisfye for sīne: for that satisfaccion hath onely our sauiour Christ wrought in hys painful passion and death. I coulde here spea­ke of many mo abuses of eare confession, but I wyll at thys tyme passe them ouer wyth sylence.

Thus muche haue I wrytten vn­to you of confession of synnes, to de­clare vnto you my conscience and simple iudgement therin, accordynge to youre requeste in youre laste letters wrytten to me by Nicolas Nerin frō Rone in Fraunte the .8, daye of Ianuarie [Page 64] in the yeare of our Lorde. 1555. And yf you accept this my rude wry­ting & collecciō in this matter. I shal by the grace of God do myne ende­uoure lykewyse in other matters of holy scripture to shewe you hereafter my smal and sclender knowlege and iudgement. Thus the lyuynge God increase in you daylye more and mor fayth, charitie, mekenesse, godlynesse and pacience. &c.

By the rudehande of Your poore louyng frende Thomas Cottesforde.

If you wryte agayn to me wryte to Geneua for thetherwardes by Goddes grace I intende to go so shortly as I can.

An Epistle vvrit­ten to a good Lady / for the comfort of a frende of hers, wherin the Nouations erroure now reuiued by the Anabaptistes is con­futed, and the synne a­gaynste the holy Goste playnly declared.

MAdame, wher as it plea­sed your good Ladyship­pe to require me to write vnto you my mynd con­cernynge the true sence and meanynge of thys place of S. Paule in hys Epistle to the Hebre­wes:Hebr [...]. 6. It can not be that they whych were once lyghtned and haue tasted of the heauenly gyfte, and were become partetakers of the holy Gooste, and haue tasted of the good word of God, and of the power of the worlde to comme yf they fall awaye (and as concernynge them selues, crucifie the sonne of God a fresshe, and make a mocke of hym) that they shuld be renued agayn by re­pentaunce.

Madame, Many in tyme past, and at thys present daye mystakyng thys texte & not truly vnderstādynge it,The er­rour of the Nouatia­nes & now of the Anabaptistes. both haue bene and are encombred with the Nouacyons erroure, whyche is. That after man by baptyme and the holy Goost is regenerated, and hath tasted of the grace of God, and hath enbraced Christ and hys holy worde, yf he fall to synne agayn, he is with­out remedye of saluacyon.

Vndowtedly thys is a veray dam­nable errour, enoughe to brynge all them that are infected therwith to desperacion. But albeit they grounde thys theyr erroure vpon thys a­fore alledged texte of S. Paule, & cer­tayne other textes: yet they mysse the cussion, because they take thys scrip­ture to straytly, not referryng it to many other places of scripture, whi­che playnly shewe: That when soeuer and howe often so euer a synner repē teth hym truly of hys synnes, and cō ­mitteth hymselfe wyth a sure faythe vnto ye mercy of God thorow Christ, God receyueth hym agayne to grace and saluacion.

Doutlesse no prophecie in the scri­pture hath any priuate interpretaciō,2 Petri. 1. [Page 87] but muste nedes be expounded accor­dynge to the generall articles of the Christen fayth and agreable to other textes of holy scripture, and so must thys texte be also.

Nowe truth it is: that ther is al­moste innumerable textes in holy scripture, that most playnly do decla­re: that whan so ouer a true repentaūt sīner by vnfayned fayth returneth vnto god, & asketh mercy for christes sake, he shall vndoutly haue it. And albeit ye holy scripture is ful of such places, yet here by Goddes grace, I wyl shewe and reherse to you some of them, to geue you occasion to marke them and suche lyke places as you shal fynd al­moste in euery leaffe of the Byble.

A iust man falleth seuen tymes, and ryseth vp agayn.Pro. 24. Marke the scripture sayth: he ryseth vp agayn.

The wyckednesse of the wicked shal not hurte hym,Ezech. 33. whan so euer he conuerteth. Note that it sayth: whan so euer he conuerteth.

Let the vngodly man forsake hys own waye,Esa. 55. and the vnrighteouse hys own imaginacions and turne agayn vnto the Lorde, so shal he be mercyful vnto hym.

Thou disobedience Israel tourne agayn (sayth the Lorde) and I wyl not let my wrath fal vpon you.Iere. 3

Iere. 8Thus sayth the Lorde: do men fal so, that they ryse not vp agayn? Or yf Israel do repente, wyl not God turne agayn to them?

Zacha. 1.Turne you vnto me (sayth the Lor­de God of hoostes) and I wyl turne me vnto you.

Apoc. 2.Remembre from whence thou art fallen, and do the fyrste workes.

Luc. 15.Marke in the gospel of Luke the example of the vnthriftie sonne.

Luc. 22.Also Christe sayd vnto Peter: Pe­ter I haue prayed for the, that thy fayth fayle not, and whan thou art conuerted, strength thy brethern. Marke, he sayth: whan thou art con­uerted. Loo, yf you weye these places of scripture afore alledged, and al­most innumerable mo of the same sorte, you shal perceaue euidentlye, that though a christian haue sīned neuer so oft (as who doth not dayly of­fend God) yet whan so euer he re­turneth vnto God by true repentaunce (whych consisteth of inward contricyon and a sure fayth in Christe Iesu) he is assured by the worde of God to [Page 89] recouer and receaue agayn the gra­ce, fauour and mercy of God, whych thorow his disobedience he had wor­thely loste, and immediatly to enioyeful, absolute and perfecte remissyon and forgiuenes of al his synnes tho­rowe Iesus Christe, in whom he re­poseth al hys fayth, truste and confi­dence of saluacion.Iohn. 3. The gospel assu­reth hym no lesse sayinge: So God loued the worlde, that he gaue hys only begotten sonne, that who so euer beleueth in hym shuld not perysh, but ha­ue euerlastyng lyfe.

More ouer, yf you marke wel the examples of godly men, whych are registred in holy scripture, you shall playnly perceaue, that albeit they were hyghly in Goddes fauoure, yet for al that, many of them had greate fal­les, and committed very heynouse offences, but they dyd ryse vp agayn returninge to Goddes mercy by true repentaunce and fayth, and so re­couered agayne their former grace, whych they thorowe theyr owne foly had lost.

Aarō was so much fauored of god, yt by Goddes callīg he was made the hygh byshop & curate ouer his people.Aaron. [Page 90] And yet at the lyght request of the Israelites, he let them make and wor­ship the golden Calfe contrarie to his conscience, by reason wherof both he and they cōmitted that moste detesta­ble synne of Idolatrie, and yet he by true repētaunce and fayth returning to grace was saued.

Dauid..Dauid Goddes deare dearlyng, after that he had ye knowlege of God, and had muche tasted of hys grace, beynge indued abundantly wyth the holy goost and gracious gyftes from a­boue, fel both into the synne of adul­tery and murther. And yet by true & vnfayned repentaunce, returnyng to Goddes mercy was accepted and re­ceaued agayne into Goddes fauour.

Manasses.Manasses also contrary vnto hys conscience fel wyllyngly to Idolatrie but yet he rose agayne by true repentaunce and fayth, & recouered again the grace of God.

The syn­ful Corin­thian. 1. Cor. 5.So lykewyse that wycked mā of the cytie of Corinthus whō S. Paule straytly charged the Corinthians to excōmunicate and exclude out of ye holy congregacion of Christen men, and that they shulde neither eate nor drynke wyth hym, because of his opē [Page 92] and abhominable cryme of inceste & outragiouse whordome: and yet whā he declared hymselfe to be truely re­pentaunt for hys great & infamouse synne. S. Paule admonished them wyth al gentlenesse and christen cha­ritie to receyue hym agayne into the congregacion as a christian brother,2. Cor. [...]. and so to esteme hym and take hym.

What shal I say of Peter Christes Apostle?Peter. had not he a sure knowlege of Christ, confessyng hym openly be­fore all the Apostles to be very Christ the sonne of the lyuynge God? was not he euen than indued wyth the ho­ly goost and grace from aboue, vnto whome Iesus Christ said:Mat. 16. Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas, for fleshe & bloude hath not opened that vnto thee, but my father whych is in heauen? And yet after al thys he had suche a fal, that contrary to his owne conscience, willynglye wythout any cōpulsion, threates, or imprisonmēt, he dyd moste cowardly and shamefully forsake and deny Christ, not with­out blasphemye, sweryng that he ne­uer knewe hym, cursyng and cōmyttyng hym selfe to the deuel yf euer he had to do wyth hym.

What wold the Nouacian and A­nabaptiste saye vnto thys? was it not a fal? could ther be any greater synne than thys? was it not done of know­ledge? was it not done wyllyngly? was it not agaynst hys owne con­science? Yes doutlesse, it was no les­se but agaynst hys owne conscience. But yet thanckes be vnto almyghtie God, it was not ye synne of blasphemy agaynst the holy gost, neyther the synne vnto death,1. Iohn. 5. the whych S Iohn speaketh of, for he continued not ther in vnto hys ende, but immediatly he wente furthe of the byshoppes house and wepte bytterly, very much lamē ting hys heynouse offence, & by fayth he returned agayne vnto Christ, kno­wyng hys mercy to be infinite & with out measure,Math. 26. and so he was accepted vnto grace agayn, and Christ appea­red vnto hym (to his great comforte) after he arose agayn from deathe to lyfe, & afterwardes sendynge downe hys holy spirite, indued hym wyth wonderfull gyftes of grace from a­boue. And than Peter becamme a stronge champyon, settynge furth Christe to be the only sauyoure of the whole worlde, preachynge and o­penly [Page 93] confessing hym before al men, without any feare other of the scribes phariseis or Magistrates.

Now good Madame, laye thys example of S. Peter to thys texte of S. 4 Paule to the Hebrues: It can not be that they whych were once lyghtned. &c. Yf they fall awaye. &c. that they shuld be renued agayn by repētaūce.

If a mā wolde applie the aforsayd example of S. Peter vnto thys texte of S. Paule, he wolde thinke that Pe­ter shulde vtterly haue ben cast away from Goddes fauour mercy & grace. For fyrst it cā not be denied, but that 1 he was once lyghtned, that is: indued wyth the true knowlege of Christe to be the only Messias and sauioure of the worlde. Secondlye, he had 2 also taisted of the heauenlye gyfte, whyche was a true faythe in Christe Iesus, openlye confessynge the same before all the Apostles, beynge fullye persuaded in hys owne conscience what Christ was. Thyrdly, that Pe­ter 3 was becōme parttaker of the holy goost, & had tasted of ye good worde of God, it appereth euidētly by Christes sentence, sayeng: Blessed art yu Simō, [Page 94] for fleashe and bloude (that is man) shewed thee not that, but my father whych is in heauen. Whych was, by the inspiracion of hys holy spirite. 4 Finally, Peter had a taste of ye world to come. For he dyd se in ye montayne the transfiguracion of Christ, and so dyd Iames the more,Mat, 17. and Iohn the Euāgelist also. Wherin the presence of them all Christ was transfygured and shewed hymself vnto them in the fourme of a glorifyed bodye, so that his face dyd shyne as the Sunne, and hys clothes appeared as whyt as the lyght. Ther appeared also among thē Moses and Elias. And euen there the cleare voyce of God the father of heauen was playnly herde amonge thē out of the cloude, sayeng vpon Christ. Thys is my dearly beloued sonne, in whome I delyte. Heare hym.

Loo, al thys and muche more Pe­ter both herd & sawe, beyng almost cō tinually in Christes company, eating and drynkyng wyth hym, hearynge daylye hys heauenlye doctrine, prea­chyng and teachynge, seynge euerye where (as occasion serued) hys great and wonderful myracles. And yet for al thys, what a great fall Peter had, [Page 85] it appeareth playnlye by hys deniall of Christ hys louyng maister and sa­uiour, and by the circumstances ther­of, whych I touched before. But yet to make Peters fall more horrible, Christ sayd vnto hym and vnto al the other hys Apostles, when he sent thē forth to preache the Gospel of saluaci­on: He that denyeth me before men,Mat. 10. I shall deny hym also before my father. Alasse good Peter, what case standest thou in nowe? How doth thys sayeng of Christ touche the? Remembringe thys sayeng of Christ, art thou not vt­terly at thy wyttes ende? Is it not most certain & true, yt thou hast to horribly fallē after that thou haddest ta­sted of al these gracious gyftes before rehersed? Hast thou not contrarye to thyne owne conscience moste shame­fully denyed thy maister and sauiour Christ before mē? Ah good soule what shal becōe of thee? howe wilt thou an­swer for thy selfe? For it semeth here playnly, that both S. Paule in the a­fore alleged place to the Hebr. & also Christ himselfe in the scripture afore rehersed haue gyuen sentence of con­dēnaciō against the. Wherfore, bothe the Nouacion & the Anabaptist groū ­dyng [Page 96] them selues vpō these two pla­ces of holy scripture, wil plainly pro­noūce the to be a reprobat, & that thou art dispatched & vtterly cast away frō al hope of saluacion. But here let vs not to lyghtly passe ouer, but earnestly waye & depely consyder, what may be sayd in thys matter on Peters be­halfe. And fyrst it may be ryghtly an­swered, that that place of S. Paul vnto the Hebrues,Heb. 6. maketh nothynge a­gaynst S. Peter, neither yet agaynst any christen man, howe greuously or howe often so euer he hath synned, so that he hath not vtterly forsakē Christ and fallen cleane awaye from hym. For S. Paule sayeth: It can not be that they whych were once lyghtned. &c. Yf they fal awaye. &c. yt they shulde be renued by repentaunce.

Marke here diligentlye, that S. Paule sayeth:It is not al one thyng to fal, and to fal awaye. A pro­uerbe. yf they fal awaye. He sayeth not: Yf they fal. But: yf they fal awaye. For it is not al one thynge to fal, and: to fal awaye. For Peter dyd fal, but he dyd not fall awaye frome Christ, but returned vnto hym again An olde prouerbe it is: A man rūneth very farre, that neuer returneth a­gayne. Al we christianes do dayly fal, [Page 97] for we dayly breake Goddes cōmaundementes, but yet we do not fal away from Christ, neither refuse we hym to be our sauiour, but acknowleging our manyfolde synnes and offences we dayly returne vnto hym agayne, by true repentaunce, faith and amendement of lyfe, nothyng doutyng of hys great and vnmeasurable mercye towardes vs.

They fal awaye from Christ that vtterly forsake hym and refuse hym to be their sauioure,who fal­leth away frō Christ and neuer retur­neth vnto him agayne to obtaine his mercy, but are become playne apostataes, vtterly forsakynge the christen fayth, making but a mocke of Christ, perseueryng in their obstinate apo­stasye and vnbeleue euen tyll theyr lyues end:1. Timo. 1. 2. Tim. 4. As dyd Iudas the traitour Iulianus apostata, Symon Magus, Porphirius, Hymeneus and Alexan­der the Copersmyth.

Secondarely,Math. 10. As touching that sayeng and threatnynge of Christ, say­eng: He that denyeth me before men,A good & general rule to be noted. I shal deny him before my father. &c. It is to be consydered, that al the ter­rible threatnynges that are in ye holy [Page 98] scripture threatned agaynste greate synners are threatned condicionally,A good & general rule to be no­ted. that is to saye: yf the synners do not truly repēte and returne vnto God by fayth and amendement of lyfe, thys plage and punyshement or that, shall lyght vpon them. But yf they at the preachyng, readynge or hearynge of Goddes holy worde do repente and returne vnto God, by fayth & godly lyfe, than that plage threatned shal not once touche them. Example by the Niniuites vpon whom Ionas Goddes ministre and preacher (or ra­ther God by hym) pronounced thys terrible iudgement,Ione. 3. sayinge: ther are yet fortye dayes, & thē shal Niniue be ouerthrowen. But ther as the scripture sayth: the people of Niniue beleued God and earnestly repented them of their greate synnes, and so was the sentence of God retracted, and the ci­tie saued and not ouerthrowne. So lykewyse thys terrible sentence of Christe: He that denyeth me before men, I shal denye hym before my fa­ther. must nedes haue thys condicyō ioyned with it:A condi­cion. If he doth not repent, neyther returne agayn: But Peter dyd both repence and returne agayn [Page 99] vnto Christe. For al be it hys fayth was weake and faynt (as was the fayth of al the Apostles) yet it was not vtterly extincte.Luce. 22. For Christe had sayd vnto hym befor: Symon. I haue prayed for the, that thy fayth fayle not. And in any wyse take hede, and note thys wel: Christe sayd not: He that de­nyeth me, I shal denye hym, though he repente and returne. But remember well that Christe sayd: I camme not to cal the righteouse but synners vnto repentaunce.Mat. 9. Peter therfore repented, and returned vnto Christe a­gayn, and so was receyued vnto gra­ce and was saued.

Wherfore good Madame, in thys harde texte of S. Paule vnto the He­brewes, waye wel thys condicion: (Yf they fal awaye.) For they only fall a­waye, whyche committe that moste horryble cryme, which is called in the holy scripture, the synne vnto deathe, blasphemye agaynst the spirite, and the sīne agaynst the holy gost, which neuer shal be forgeuen, neyther in thys worlde neyther in the worlde to come.

But here it myght be demaunded,Question. what ye synne agaynst the holy goost [Page 100] is, and wherin it differeth from al o­ther greuouse synnes. Wherunto I answere.Answere. That ther is difference in synnes, it maye clearly be gathered of Christes wordes,Math. 12. sayinge: I saye vn­to you. Al synne and blasphemie shal be forgyuen vnto men, but the blas­phemie against the spirite shal not be forgyuen vnto men.

Loo, here is the matter playnly o­pened by our sauiour Christe what kynd of synnes shal be forgeuen, and what neuer forgyuen. Blasphemie a­gaynst the spirite shal neuer be forgy­uen: al other synne and blasphemie shall be forgyuen. And Christe in sayinge: All synne shalbe forgyuen, compriseth both original synne,Thre sor­tes of syn­nes. Synne. Blasphemy Blasphemi against the spirite. and also actuall synne. Moreouer Christe speaketh here of thre sortes of synnes. The firste he calleth synne, the second blasphemie, & the thyrd, blasphemye agaynst the spirite. Whych the scrip­ture also calleth: the sinne vnto death, and the synne agaynst the holy gost. These thre kyndes of synnes, & the difference of euery of thē I intende by goddes help seuerally to declare vnto you so shortly as I cā, & so for this ty­me cōmitte you vnto god. And fyrste [Page 101] consyder wel what synne is.

Synne is euery wylful disobedi­ence, acte or dede,1 Synne. that is done contra­rie vnto the lawe & commaūdemētes of God, without murmur, grudge or euel speakyng other against the law, cōmaundemētes or God hym selfe yt is the maker and giuer of the lawe. As is Idolatrie, supersticion, periu­rie, swerynge vnaduisedly, breakyng of the holy daye, dishonoryng father & mother, murther, malice, hatred, enuie, wrath, strife, treasō, sediciō, sclaū der, whordome, thefte and such lyke.

Al these and such other are called, and are in dede synne, so longe as the doers of them do neyther murmur, repyne, grudge nor speake euel agaī ­ste God or hys holy lawe, neyther a­lowe in their cōscience the thing and euel yt they do, but rather do vtterly disalowe, accuse & cōdēpne in thier owne cōsciēce those their owne dāna­ble actes as euel and detestable. The seconde kynde of synne is Blas­phemye, marke it wel, and consider howe it differeth fyrste from synne, & thā frō the synne against ye holy goost

Blasphemie is more heinouse thā is synne alone, for al blasphemie is syn,2 Blasphem. [Page 102] but all synne is not blasphemie. For truth it is that blasphemie cōpriseth in it selfe both synne, and also a mur­mure, grudge, reuylynge, euel spea­kīg, sclaūder & reproche of god & god­lynes, but it is alwaye coupled wyth ignoraunce and vnbelefe, and proce­deth not of suche obstinate malice as continueth to the ende of the lyfe, as doth the synne against the holy goost. In thys synne of blasphemie S. Paule offended before hys conuersion vnto the fayth of Christ Iesu.1. Tim. 1 For thus he speaketh of hym selfe: Before, I was a blasphemer, and a persecutour and a tyraunt, but I obtayned mer­cy, because I dyd it ignorantly in vnbeleue. Loo, here is it playne and eui­dent, that thys blasphemie though it be a great offence, yet it is remissible and forgyueable, and is not excluded from grace and mercy, because it pro­cedeth of ignoraūce and not of know­lege, nor of obstinate malice that doth endure to the lyues ende. Neither is it the synne vnto death, and therfore we maye lawfully pray for suche blasphemers.1. Iohn. 5. As S. Iohn sayeth: Yf any man se his brother synne a synne not vnto death, let hym aske, and he shall [Page 103] gyue hym lyfe.

In thys symple blasphemy (for so we may call it) many of the Iewes offended, takyng Christ to be nothynge lesse, than the sonne of Dauid, or Messias, because hys parentes were very poore, and himselfe supposed to be but a poore carpenters sonne, which bare but a symple porte in the worlde. Yea & some of them that crucifyed Christe were ouerwhelmed in thys symple blasphemie. And therfore Christ pray­ed for them sayinge:Luc. 23. Father forgeue them for they knowe not what they do. So Peter in hys sermon excused ye crucifiers of Christe, sayinge.Act. 3. Now deare brethrē I know that you haue done it thorowe ignoraunce. &c. Re­pente you therfore and returne, that your synnes maye be done awaye. So dyd S. Steuen also praye for hys persecutours,Act. 7. whome before he called styfnecked, aduersaries of the holye goost, traitours and murtherers of Christ. Doutlesse he wolde not haue prayed for them so earnestly, vnlesse theyr synnes had bene forgeueable. And therfore their synne and offence was no more but simple blasphemie.

¶The thyrde kynde of Synne, is [Page 104] blasphemie agaynst the spirite.

3 Blasphe­mie agaīst the spirite.They cōmitte blasphemie against the spirite, or synne agaynst the holy goost, which willyngly, vpon know­lege, and aduisedly, contrarie to their owne conscience do deny, forsake, im­pugne, sclaūder, reuile, and persecute the playne, open, manifest & knowen truth, styfly, maliciouslye & obduratly ꝑseuerīg & cōtinuīg wythout vnfay­ned repentaūce in that their wylfull blyndnesse and obstinate malyce so longe as they lyue in thys worlde. As dyd Pharao, Saul, Herode, Iudas the traytour, Iulianus apostata, Porphirius, Hymeneus and Alexander the Copersmyth wyth other.

But marke thys diligentlye: that we can not (as farre as I can percea­ue) certaynlye iudge of these blasphe­mers agaynst the spirite, before the tyme of their departure out of thys present lyfe: because we can not cer­taynly knowe, whether at the ende of their lyfe they can repēt & by fayth re­turne and take holde of the mercy of God,Conictu­res are vn­certain. Luc. 23. or not.

We maye coniecture, but we can not (as I suppose) certaynly diffine of them. Let vs consyder, that the these [Page 105] that hange on ye ryght hāde of Christ, euen at the last houre repented, and wyth a stronge and faythfull prayer cōmitted hym selfe wholly vnto the mercy of Christe, and was saued. In consideracion wherof, let vs thinke it to be our bounden dutie (as the pro­phetes, Christ and hys Apostles dyd) to reuoke and cal backe agayne open synners and blasphemers to earnest repentaunce for theyr owne synful­nesse, and to haue a sure truste in the mercye of God, and in the meryte of Christes passion and death, thoughe they be euen at the departure out of thys present lyfe. For it is neuer to late so longe as lyfe lasteth. Let vs therfore wyth al feruentnesse call vp­on them & exhorte them in any wyse, with a good corage and a sure and vndoutful fayth aske, call and crye for Goddes mercye, for hys swete sonne our sauiour Iesus Christes sake, and vndoutedly they shal haue it. For syth the begynnyng of the worlde hyther­to was ther neuer one that in faythe asked mercy hertely, but he had it, thorowe the graciouse goodnesse of oure aforesayd moste mercyfull Sauiour Iesus Christe, vnto whome wyth the [Page 106] Father and the holy Goost be all ho­noure, laude and prayse worlde with out ende. Amen.

Yours at cōmaundement to al hys symple power Thomas Cottesforde.
1 Tim. 1.Gyue all the honour laude and prayse to God only.’

¶The prayer of Daniel turned into metre and applied vnto our tyme. Daniel. ix.

O Lorde thou hygh & fearful God
By whōe al thynges doth moue
Thy mercyes great are sure to suche
As thy preceptes doth loue.
¶We sinful men haue sore trāsgrest
Agaynst thy lawes diuine
Full frowardly we haue fledde backe
From these preceptes of thyne.
¶Thy prophetes dere to speake were
In settyng forth thy name.
Both rych & poore as bolde were bent prest
For to gaynsaye the same.
¶To the therfore yu Lorde of hoostes
All iustice doth belonge
To poure on vs suche shame & grefe
In thys we haue no wronge.
¶Our shame is great & due to al
Our flyght is but in vayne.
To tread straūge landes our syn hath sought
Our shame doth styl remain.
¶But though suche shame a reward iust
To al in common be
Yet mercy Lorde and to forgyue
Doth styl belonge to thee.
¶In dede (o Lorde) as for our selues
No lesse confesse we can.
But that thy lawes we set at nought
Muche lesse haue kept them than
¶Thy prophetes spake we wold not heare
Ne of thee stande in awe
Straūge plages frō tyme to tyme we felt
For breakynge of thy lawe,
¶The sorce wherof so fearsly bent
Was suche as hath not ben.
For all the plages in Moses lawe
Fell on thys realme for synne.
¶And yet to the who made his sute
Hys path waye so to gyde?
That flyeng vice might learn thy law
And therin to abyde.
¶Wherfore thou sawest al wolde not help
And couldst not hold thyn hand
But haste thy curse which now doeth fall.
Vpon thys synful lande.
¶For as thou arte a ryghteous God
Thy workes do so appere
Cōsumyng suche as scorne doth take
Thy louely voyce to heare.
¶But yet (o lorde) ye broughtest forth
Thy flocke from Egypt lande
Wherby thy name was largely spreb
So nowe stretch forth thyne hande
¶But we haue synned more thē they
Oh Lorde yet staye thy rodd
As for thys lāde was somtyme thyn
And thou also our God.
¶Our synnes & eke our fathers faultes
This daye to passe hath brought
That al whych border vs about
They set vs cleane at nought.
¶Now thā (o Lorde) hyd not thy face
Oh heare thy seruauntes crye.
Beholde thyne house somtyme ful ryche
Howe wast it doth nowe lye.
Thy truth is fled, thy flocke fast boūd
As shepe led to be slayne.
Thy fooes preuayle & prosper muche
Though myschefe they mayntayne.
And wylt not thou thy fooes confoūd
That thus thy workes reproue?
At least yet for thy names sake
Their vile intentes remoue.
For why, as for our owne desertes
We can no suche thynge haue.
It is for thy great mercies sake
That we suche thynges do craue.
¶Forgyue vs Lorde intreated be
To heare vs make no staye
We beare thy name, it is thy cause
Oh Lorde make no delaye.
FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.