FINIS The Articles of the Catholike fayth which Anthonie Coranus Spaniarde Student of Diuinitie professeth and alwayes hath professed Nowe set out in Print for their sakes which haue not bene present at his Readings To the Christian Reader 1. Pet. 1.15 THe Apostle Peter exhorteth the faythful in these words To be readie to yeelde an account of their faith Be ye always readie to answere euery man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you with mildnesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that they which slaunder your good conuersation in Christ may be ashamed of their misreporting of you as euil doers Beeing warned by this counsel an eight yeeres agoe when I taught at Andwerp in the French tung I wrate a confession of my fayth in the same language which by Gods grace shall within a while come foorth in Latin and Englishe also Afterwarde I wrate at London certeyne Tables concerning Gods works which were printed in fower Languages Latin Frenth Dutche and English In the short Articles of those Tables I indeuered to comprehende as it were in propositions the holy doctrine of bothe the Testamentes And I beleeue assuredly that in that writing I haue sette foorth the true the right meaning and the very pure truthe of the Christian Religion drawen oute of the fountaynes of the holye Scriptures and that in suche orderlye methode and apparante playnnesse as my conscience vpbraydeth mee not withe any errour Howe beit that soome reporte otherwise eyther peraduenture bicause they perceyue not my meaning at all or else bicause they looke but slightly vppon the articles them selues Now therefore for their sakes which haue not read those writings I will set downe certen shorte articles concerning the chief points of our christian religion which I imbrace with all my hart Farewell gentle reader and hereafter neither thinke nor speake euill of any man for the reports that are spred abrode of him but first giue him eare and heare his reasons Of Gods written worde I receyue and imbrace the Canonicall scriptures both of the olde testament and of the new and I thanke our God for raysing vp that light vnto vs that wee might haue it euer before our eyes least we should be led away to errours or fables eyther by deceiptfulnesse of men or by the wilinesse of deuils I beleeue that they be heauenly voyces whereby God hath vttred his wil vnto vs That mens minds can haue no rest but onely in them That in them as Origen Austin Chrisostome and Cyril haue taught all things are conteyned abundantly and fully which are needfull for our saluatioÌ„ That they be the power and might of God vnto saluation That they be the foundation of the Prophets Apostles whervpon Gods Church is buylded That they be the most certen rule wherunto the Churche may bee inforced if it swarue or go astray and wherevnto all the doctrine of the Churche ought to be â—alled backe And that against them there â—s no lawe no tradition no custome to be â—eard no not although Paule him selfe or an Angell from heauen should come and teache otherwise Of the mysterie of the holy Trinitie Therfore I beleeue that there is one certen nature and diuine power whiche we call God and that the same is distinguished into three equall persons the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost al of one selfe same power of one selfesame maiestie of one selfsame euerlastingnes of one selfsame Godhead of one selfsame substaunce And that althoughe those three persons be so distincte that neyther the Father is the Sonne nor the Sonne is the holy Ghoste or the father yet they bee all three one God and that the same one created heauen and earth and all thinges that are conteyned in the compasse of the heauen whether they be seene or vnseene Of Christe the Mediator betweene God and man I beleeue that Iesus Christ the onely sonne of the euerlasting father toke flesh and mans whole nature vpon him of the blessed and pure virgin when the fuâ— time was come according as had bin determined long ago before all worlds to shew vnto men the secret and hidden wiâ— of his father whiche had bin kept close from al ages and generations and to accomplish the miserie of our redemption in humane body and to nayle to hys crosse our sinnes and the handwriting that was written agaynst vs. Of the holy Ghost I beleeue that the holy Ghost whiche is the thirde person in the holy Trinity is the very true god not made not created not begotten but proceding froÌ„ both that is to wit from the father the sonâ— by an vnutterable meanes vnknowen to men and that it belongeth to him to soften the hardnes of maÌ„s hart and that when he is receiued into their brests eyther by the preaching of the gospell or by any other meane he inlighteneth them and leadeth them vnto the knowing of God into the way of all truthe into newnesse of the whole lyfe and into hope of euerlasting saluation Of the Catholike Church I beleeue that there is but one church and that the same is not now shet vp into any one corner or kingdom as it was in times past among the Iewes but that it is Catholike and vniuersall spred abrode through the whole worlde so as there is now no Nation that can iustly complayn that it is excluded and can not belong to the Church and people of god That the same Church is the kingdome the body and the bridâ—e of Christ that of that kingdome only Christ is the king that of that body only christ is the head that of that bride only Christ is the bride grome That there are diuers orders of ministerie in the Churche some Deacons some Elders some Bishops to whom the teaching of the people and the care of ordering of Religion is committed and that no one eyther is or can be ouerruler of the whole forsomuche as Christe is euer present in his church and needeth not a lieuetenante to supply his roome in the whole and no man is able to comprehend in mind the whole Churche that is to say all partes of the earth muche lesse to set them in order to rule theÌ„ rightly handsomly Thaâ— the Apostles as Cyprian sayth were aâ— of like power amoÌ„g theÌ„selues that thâ— residue were the same that Peter was 〈◊〉 That it was said alike to them all feedâ— yee That it was sayd alike to them all â–ª Go ye into the whole world That it was sayd alike to them al Teach the Gospel â–ª and that as Ierome sayth all Bishops whersoeuer they be ether at Rome or aâ— Eugubium or at Constantinople or aâ— RhegiuÌ„ are all of one desert all of onâ— Priesthood and that as Cyprian saythâ— there is but one Bishoprick that euerâ— Bishop holdeth a part of it as the whole and that according to the Councel of Niceâ— the bishop of Rome hath no more poweâ— ouer the church of Christ
may please you not only to imbrace me more more vvith your good vvill and fauour but also to cherishe defende this vvriting by your authoritie vvhiche although it come foorth vnder your name in the English tung as clothed in a new garmēt yet is it set out by me as a cōfession of my fayth to be examined and iudged by the whole church of England And thus I wish your noble L. most happy welfare prosperity beseching our most gracious almightie God to preserue your Honor long in health as a right strong defence vnto this Realme Your good L. most humble Anthonie Corranus TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL THE GENTLEMEN OF BOTH THE TEMPLES which studie the common Lawes of Englande Anthonie Coranus of Ciuill sendeth greeting in Christ. RIGHT Worshipfull to whom I am in many respects beholden it is nowe full three yeeres agoe since by Gods prouidence and as I beleeue calling and by your voices together with the cōfirmation of the right Reuerend father in God the Lord Edwine Sandes Bishop of London I was chosen to execute the office of reading the Diuinitie Lecture in your companies In whiche time how great curtesie I haue receyued at your handes it is not needefull to rehearse heere for asmuche as the ende of your weldooing is not to seeke perishing glory among men by the sounde of a Trumpet but too haue it appeare before the eyes of Gods maiestie by whose inspiration and grace they bee done there to bee adorned with their due prayse and revvarde Therefore leauing the setting foorth of youre friendlinesse tovvards mee I vvill saye somevvhat of my dutie tovvards you of the office of teaching in the executing whereof the Apostle Paule willeth his deare beloued Timothie too obserue these poynts 2. Tim. 2. and. 15. Indeuer sayth he to yeelde thy selfe a tryed vvorkeman vnto God such a one as needeth not too bee ashamed and as deuideth the worde of truthe rightly The Apostle requireth heere as I thinke three thinges both in his shepheard whom he fashioneth and in all the dealers foorth of the heauenly doctrine The first is that they strayne themselues to the vttermost to yeeld thēselues tried workmen vnto God euē in the maner of their teaching in no wise coueting the perishing prayse of men muche lesse standing ouer fearfully in awe of the iudgemēts of ambitious teachers Another is that they sticke lustely to the work that is inioyned them in no wise being ashamed of Christes Gospell but gladly and cherefully imbracing the miseries that are laide vpon them and the crosse which is wont to be the vnseparable companion of all Christes disciples and specially of such as are called too the building vp of Gods church and labour stoutly therin The third is that they deuide the worde of truth rightly that is to say that as nere as is possible they aduisedly set foorth obserue a true Method or order of teaching taken out of the holy writers and fashioned like to the patterne and practise of the sermōs of the Prophets As touching the first point Paul warneth Timothy that he which hath the charge to instruct mē in the faith must haue his eyes cast vpō god not couet to vaūt himselfe to the worldwarde For witty men are wont to hunt more for the prayse of the people thā for the edifying of the Churche Therefore the effectuallest remedie of that leawdnesse is to yelde profe of our selues and of our seruice vnto God with whome if wee thinke our selues to haue to doo all desire of perking vp will bee gone and we will bee muche more carefull to become faythfull stewards of Gods truth than ydle disputers of it Setting this warning of the Apostles before mine eyes I haue purposely as neere as I coulde absteyned from all contentious questions and alterations which are wont to haue more curiositie than profite Agayne I considered howe yee haue very famous Vniuersities full of excellent lerned men in which I know that if any poynt of Christian doctrine require more diligent opening it is wont to be inlightned made plaine by publike disputations and therefore to knit many and harde knottes and to vnknitte them agayne and to deuise curious questions in the decyding whereof there may appeare more worldly slight than heauenly light in open assembly where persons ignorante of holy matters are oftentimes wont to intermingle themselues with the learned I thought it was no discretion at all Neuerthelesse leauing euery man free to his owne iudgement I will make haste to the considering of the Apostles seconde precept For he willeth vs to be workmen in buylding of the Churche and to bestow our trauell in suche sort as the fruites of godlinesse which our hearers shall bring foorth may beare recorde of our diligence in husbanding the Lordes vineyarde And wheras he sayth that Gods seruaunts and workemen muste not in any wise be ashamed it conteyneth a notable lesson of the bearing of the Crosse which is wont to accompanie Gods faythfull ministers For it is not inough for them to apply their inioyned charge day and night but they must also with an vndiscouraged mind abide the hissings raylings wrong-dealings of suche as passe by yea and sometymes also the backbytings of those whose vineyarde they seeke to doo good vnto The mynding of this precept hath brought agayne too my remembraunce what a number of troubles and incombraunces I haue borne out since the time that the lord called mee to the charge of teaching in his Churche But to say the turthe playnly as it is they for whose sakes I haue taken payne these full ten yeres do more comber me with their priuie maner of dealings than other that are at open defiaunce agaynst Gods seruaunts and workmen Wherefore leauing the miseries sorowes of mind wherewith men of my calling are wont to be vexed I will speake heere but onely of those incumberaunces which haue made my crosse the greeuouser added vndoubtedly and layde vpon me by their meanes who if I be not deceyued ought rather too haue beene Iosephs of Aramathia in helping mee to beare the burthen of my crosse than to haue made it heauyer I will not say importable by their attempts But to the matter Although not with suche diligence as I ought to doo for I am a man and therefore thinke not my selfe priuiledged from any frayltie of man yet too the vttermoste of my power I haue too vse Paules manner of speeche indeuered to make my selfe alowable before God in discharging my dutie among you most deere Readers In the meane while none of both the crosses neither inwarde nor outwarde hathe wanted Inwardly the changing of my function did long trouble my minde And outwardly the misreportes that were spred abrode of me and my doctrine did greeue me more than can be vttered Of mine inwarde griefe this was not the least part for thereat will I beginne that whereas from my very youth all my studies haue
amed at this marke namely to incourage and exhort my owne Countreymen to the exercises of godlynesse For of all that ten yeeres space whiche I taught in Fraunce in the Frenche tung mee thought I vvrought in another mans haruest and therefore vvoulde neuer bynde my selfe too any Churche there but executed my charge alvvayes vvyth condition tyll oportunitie vvere oflered too doe seruice too myne ovvne Countreymen surely I could not but be greeued and sorie at the harte in so sodaine chaunging of my function For I beseeche you if we haue an eye but to humayne affections what could happen more acceptable to me after so many windlasses wandrings and paynes susteined in the vprores of Fraunce and Flaunders than to haue found in Englande not only a most safe and welremoued hauen from those streames but also the readie occasion whiche I had vvished many yeeres afore namely of gathering a Church of mine owne countreymen in some place where I might both learne the pure doctrine of the Gospell by teaching it and teach it in learning it By the goodnesse of the Diuine Maiestie I obteyned the thing which I had long time and with moste earnest prayer sought and at London I gathered together my Countreymen that had forsakē the Realme of Spaine for the Gospels sake and I began to teache the doctrine of the holy Scriptures opēly not without great anguish and nipping griefe of minde to the enuious sorte but to the exceeding great ioy of the godly and to suche as mind Christes glory rather than their owne commodities and estimation This pleasure of minde and wished quietnesse I could inioy no longer thā two yeeres In which space how much comfort how much heauenly delight and how great increase of doctrine I receyued liuing right poorely in this Citie among my moste poore Countreymen none knowe but he who of his mercy bestowed those benefites vpon me I that had the experience of his goodnes But ô the craftie conueiance of the olde Serpent There wanted not enuiers of this my happie state What needeth many wordes Satan vsing his wonted slightes dyd both dissolue and put to wrecke the sayde congregation of outcaste Spanyards which had forsaken their owne Countrey for religions sake and conueyed themselues into forreine Realmes and vtterly bereeue me of the quietnesse which I had scarse tasted of with the vttermost part of my lippes Verily it stood mee in hand in this calamitie to bethinke me ageine of the Apostles precept to beare this most cruel spight with a quyet mind which thinge by the benefite of Gods grace I haue to my ioy performed so farre as mannes frayltie avoorded verely vppon assurance of mine owne innocencie For as the Poet saieth In this behalfe becomme a brasen wall And nother feare ne blush what euer fall Furthermore I could here iustly complaine of the furtherers of this deede and of the seconde causes as they terme them But I thinke it better and more discretion too passe ouer mennes vntowarde attemptes in thys behalfe with forgetfulnesse and too mount vp too the prouidence of the diuine maiestie and too beleeue that this ruine of the Spanish Church was made by his will and that the same shall peraduenture fall out too greater profit both of mee and my countreimen than mans wisedome can espie Vndowtedly for mine owne part I perceiue my selfe to haue reaped no meane fruits by this change whereof I see it is not the least that I haue tryed the intentes of them which with their mouthes doo continually pretende the spreadinge abrode of Gods glory when as by their attemptes and false accusations I will not saye deceytes they goo about too hinder it But of this matter I shal peraduenture speake more at large heareafter My specifying of these things at this time is partly too the intent that my countrimen which are absent may knowe it was not long of mee that the Spanish Church which was erected at Lōdon continewed not vnto this day partly bycause I would that this publike writing of myne should beare record both of myne innocencie also of the Gospell amonge myne owne countrimē In the meane season I beseche God that those men which too speake no rowghlier of thē haue with their wyles presumed too cast downe that building bace in deede too fleshly eyes as which is made to outwarde apparance of refuse stones but moste acceptable and beautifull in Gods sight may amende Out of this fountayne sprang also one other Crosse more which was very greeuous to me namely the alteratiō of the Language in teaching which notwithstanding I bare vvith a metely indifferent mind hovvbeit to confesse the truthe agaynst my nature Howe that came to passe I will tell you in fevve vvords I am not so forgetfull of my bringing vp as to be ignorant hovv vnable my shoulders are too beare the burthen that I haue vndertaken among you neither am I ashamed to confesse how little I haue profited bothe in the knowledge of humaine artes chiefly in the exercise of the stile and in getting the eloquence of the Latin tung neither surely vvill I fall oute vvith them that shall call mee an olde Trewand For the Lorde knovveth hovve that I acknovvledge mine ovvne dulnesse and lacke of cunning insomuch that I chalenge none other skill too me than the knovvledge of mine own vnskilfulnesse And too bee at fevve vvords no large furniture of the Romane tung no readings of many Authors layde vp in store no excellent knovvledge of Gods secretes hathe made mee to yeelde to your election For it vvas ynough and more than ynough knovven to my selfe how farre the abilitie of my vvit vvas vnmeet for the charge that I tooke in hande specially in a Realme so plentuously replenished vvith excellent learned men But vvhat shoulde I doo Whither should I turne mee You on the one side called me and I on the other side vvished some fit meanes too ridde avvay the misreportes that were spred abrode of mee euen by such as ought least to haue done it and to vvipe avvay the spottes of infamie that vvere sprinkled vpon mee Therefore being vvelneere ouervvhelmed vvith slaunders I determined both to obey your vvill and to satisfie mine ovvne desire and I chose rather to shevv hovv little I haue profited by pouring out rude and vnfiled speeche in your company thā to suffer those suspiciōs of vnpure and erronious doctrine which myne aduersaries had blazed abrode of mee both openly and priuily to take deeper roote by my silence and ceassinge from my function in the churche At one woord necessitie constrained me to followe your request In goinge through wherwith the shifting of the language was not the least part of my greefe For whereas in the Spanishe tung I coulde after a sort expresse the meaninge of my minde in the Latin tunge I am often tymes compelled too sticke too stamer and too bewray myne owne childishnesse Howbeit forasmuch as mine vnpolished speach is not vnacceptable
heauen The not knowinge I will not say despising of this heauenly diuine calling is the cause that the world at this day hath and in all ages hath had innumerable ministers of the word innumerable workemen and innumerable I say in their owne opinion builders and master-builders who peraduenture in Gods iudgement by whom they were not sent and yet they ronne are but dirt-dawbers or to say more rightly pullers downe ouerthrowers destroyers Howbeit forasmuch as the knowledge or if I may so terme it the certeintie of his calling dependeth vpon the vvitnesse of the spirit in euery maÌ„s ovvne conscience I vvill leaue the iudgment therof vnto god It is more for our behoofe to knowe and aduisedly to consider what maner of dealing foorth God teacheth his Prophets that we treading in their footesteppes may on eyther side doo our duetie the teacher in deuiding the worde of truth rightly and the hearer in partaking the apt and true deuiding of Gods word rather than any of them both to disgrace them selues with curious and straunge sifting out of things for a brauerie of their wit And for examples sake let vs consider the calling of Ieremie whome when God chose to take the roome of a teacher in the Churche of Ierusalem he instituted him with these words See sayth he I set thee this day ouer Nations and Kingdomes to plucke vp and pull downe to destroy and ouerthrowe to builde vp and to plant so foorth In which saying the euerlasting Godhead hath with most apte similitudes and with a certein pithy contrary matching of words shewed Ieremie the heauenly Logike whiche teacheth that the first point of the ministration of the Gospell is to rid the hearers minds from coÌ„mon false opinions that the heueÌ„ly doctrine may find mens consciences ready plante abundance of true spirituall fruite in theÌ„ To speake more plainly The lawe must first play his part in vs before the seede of the Gospell be sowed Novve vnto the duty of the law pertein those most pithie words of Plucking vp pulling downe destroying and ouerthrowing And vnto the other part of the ministratioÌ„ belong the other words of building vp and planting How much maiestie grace vnespied learning these similitudes borowed of husdandrie buylding haue the sermoÌ„s of the other prophets shew but specially the sermoÌ„ that is in the .xiij. of Ezechiell which I will not put in heere bicause I meane to bee short You GentlemeÌ„ if it please you may reade it your selues and wey thoroughly what the lord saith against the false prophetes whiche with their forged promises seduced the Churche dispersed and banished in Babylon for their wickednesse and foaded them still in their errours whereas they oughte rather to haue set open the vvelspring fountayne of Gods vengeaunce before the captiue peoples eyes to haue exhorted the sinners to repentaunce For in very deed it behoueth vs first too pull dovvne ouerthrovv and vndo the old things that aftervvarde vvee may reere and build vp the nevv But those false prophets delt contraryvvise vvhome the holy Ghost likeneth to euill builders vvhich eyther for vvant of skill or for couetousnesse or being corrupted by some levvde affection vndertake the botching vp of decaied howses Howbeit forasmuchas the casting down digging vp of fouÌ„dacions is not voyd of perill and the laying of new requireth much labour and the rearing of them vp againe will aske expence of much tyme those fellowes had leuer ô builders most vnworthie of Gods worke those felowes I say had leuer too botch vp vnhandsomely the ruinous foundacions which they fynde and too parget them ouer and so too set on a roofe and other by woorkes readie to fall againe within a while after that they may seeme to bee buylders than to begin their house at the â—â—rst foundations or to speake more â—ightly at the very digging vp of the â—uinous fouÌ„dations as the right order of buylding requireth But as touching this matter it is best for you to reade Ezechiell him selfe that ye may the better perceiue hovv greatly God mysliketh the doings of suche as seke to commende their buylding in the Churche rather vvith pargetting and botching than vvith any right order of building And the holy Ghost sheweth how vnhappie end wayteth not only vpon such buyldings vvhich for all their whitelyming are ruinous still but also vpon the botchers and vvhitlymers them selues He that hath eares to heare let him heeare Thus muche concerning the similitude of building and the duetie of builders Novv let vs returne to Ieremie and learne of him after vvhat manner our hearers ought to be manered in the knovvledge of the holy doctrine according to the maner of dealing in husbandry He bespeaketh his Disciples in thiâ— wise Cut vp your layes sayth he anâ— sowe not vpon thornes Surely a verâ— fit and needfull order first to pluckâ— vp breers and to stub vp thornes before we sow our sede lest we lose botâ— our labour and our cost and in steedâ— of corne reape but the straw chaffe But it is best to heere Ieremie declarâ— his ovvne similitude Be yee circumcâ—sed to the Lord sayth he and pluck a way the foreskin of your harts lest hiâ— fyrie wrath burst foorth and burnâ— vnquencheably for the lewdnesse oâ— your nature The prophet Ozeas beating vpon the same similitude techeth the same thing Sow yee sayth he vnto righteousnesse and yee shall reape according to the mesure of your godlynesse breake vp your layes vvhile it is time to seeke the Lorde til he come and besprinckle you with righteousnesse As nowe throughe your vntowarde maner of dealing yee plow wickednesse and reape naughtinesse and therefore yee eate the fruite of lying bicause yee trust to your owne manners and to the multitude of your owne souldiers Thus muche concerning the order of the prophets which the teachers of the newe Testamente haue also hilde as appeareth playnly by the sermons of Iohn Baptist the Lordes forerunner who preached repentaunce and amendment of life to the forgiuenesse of sinnes The same way and maner of teaching was kept by the Apostles who first exhorted men to repentaunce towards God and then to beleue in Iesus Christ Being led by all these examples righte deere beloued Readers the first yeere of my ministration in your company I vndertooke the opening of the Epistle of Paule to the Romanes whiche in the iudgemente of all the Learned conteyneth the summe of oure Christian religion comprehended in so excellent order that vvhether yee haue an eye too the truthe or too the trade of teachinge there can no faulte at all bee founde in it For after that it hathe layde the foundation of true repentaunce it teacheth the two chiefe poynts of our religion namely the doctrine how to beleeue well and howe to doo vvell Vnto the which partition may all the writings both of the olde and nevve Testament bee referred All whiche things as I suppose doo ame at this marke namely of
destruction and casting away of such sort in deed are the vnbeleuers and the wilful stubborne Iewes that he might punishe them the sorer afterwarde and so make his power and rigour famous renomed is he to be blamed for it Againe what if that he moreouer to shew the gretnes of his glory in the vessels of mercy prepared theÌ„ to glory Is it therfore to be ascribed to mens deseruings R. He that thinkes of anye deseruing is starke madd But see agayne what the Isralites obiecte If God say they doe punnishe the falscharted disobediente and stifnecked Iewes hee may doe as he sees cause but yet should he not for those wicked mennes sakes dispossesse the people of Israel of their prerogatiue and dignitie which is nowe conueyed to the vncircumcised which as they surmise are oute of Gods couenaunt and cast awaies To conclude in few woords the Iewes accuse not God of vniustice for punishing the Israelites offences but they blame him of vnconstancie for gathering a new people to him by the preaching of the Gospell P. No maruell though he do so For god the maker of all men had so determined from euerlasting For whom he had chosen in his diuine minde them did he aftervvard call from heauen not onely of the Ievves but also of the Gentiles R. But this seemeth straunge and vnwonted to the Israelites and they crye out with full mouth that this is a new found and forged doctrine and vtterly vnknowen of old Prophets P. O gentle interpreters of the Prophets Ose 2.23 1. Pe 2.10 Remember they not vvhat the Lord promised by Osee I vvill call a people mine saith he vvhich are not my people a nation beloued which is not beloued and vvhere it was sayde you are not my people there they shall be called the childreÌ„ of the liuing god R. I see a very euident recorde of the casting of the Gentiles P. Heere also on the contrary side what Esay cryeth against the Israelites that vvere to be cast off Although the number of the children of Israell sayth hee be as the sande of the sea Esa 10.22 yet shall but a remnant be saued For the Lorde shall doo the thing rigorouslye and at once and that vvith ryghtuousnesse I say he shall doo a rigorous thing vppon earth R. The Prophet theÌ„ foretelleth that it was done as sone as said and that it is iustly done that so few of them shal be saued Therfore the matter as it should seeme is vnpossible to be called backe bicause it is iustly decreed P. Heere further what the same Esay sayd in his first sermon concerning the casting off of the Iewes Esa 1.9 If the Lorde of hostes sayth he had not lefte vs some seed vve had bin lyke to Sodom and Gomor we had all perished for our falshartednesse and stubbornesse For you must vnderstand it is the singular benefite of the euerlasting God that I and a few others doo beleeue the Gospell of God For our wicked deeds deserued euerlasting damnation R. I am ryght well assured of that nother thinke I that Gods mercy shyneth forth lesse manifestly in the calling of you than in the calling of vs. But I pray you what shall we say to this that so many Gentiles imbrace the Messias that was borne of the Iewes and promised to the Iewes and that so few of the Iewes beleeue in him Seeing that the election and calling of them both commeth of Gods grace whereof commeth so great difference that so few of the one sort and so innumerable of the other sort receiue Christ P. My iudgement is this that the Gentiles which followed not the righteousnesse of workes or of mens deseruings ouertooke righteousnes I meane the righteousnesse that springeth of faith contrarywise that the Israelits which followed the righteousnes of the lawe attayned not to the righteousnes of the lawe R. What is the cause P. As I suppose it is for that the Israelites seke not to be iustified by faith but by the deedes of the lavv reposing the whole state of their hope in their ovvne works And therfore they dashe agaynst the stumbling stone whiche thing the prophet Esay forshewed shuld come to passe Esa 8.14 18.16 wheÌ„ he bespake the children of Israell in these words Beholde I will lay in Sion a stone to stumble at and a rocke to dashe agaynst and whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed nor beguiled R. Truly the falling out proueth the Prophetes foresaying For Christe is a stumbling stone to the vnbeleeuers and disobedient But to suche as sticke to him by fayth he is the sure foundation of singular quietnesse peace and happines But to tell you the truthe Paule you are very ill reported of among your own countreymen for this doctrine For they thinke you speake it of spite or that you seeke your owne glory in the Churches of the Gentiles by their vnbeleefe P. Cha. 10.1 My dere brother I pray you giue no credite to their words For I assure you that I haue an earnest good wil tovvards them And in my prayers which I povvre out vnto God I make suite for the saluation of the Israelites and vvishe it with all my hart and cease not to be earnest with God for it rather pitying them than spyting them For I am vvont to witnesse thus muche of them that their striuing against Christ agaynst grace and agaynst the Gospell is done of a zeale to godwarde hovvebeit vnskilfully and not vpon knowledge R. I thought as muche my selfe but herken Some seeme to them selues to be ledde with a certayne desire of Gods honour and think that he thrusteth them forwarde to withstande the iustification of â—ayth But if a man could creepe into the bowels of their hartes perchaunce he shuld see that they referre not al their intents and indeuers vnto god Neuerthelesse I would be lothe to condemne any body but yet dare I say thus much that they haue no pretence of excuse before God though they sinne through ignoraunce P. I will shew you the welspring of al the mischeefe These men knowing not what righteousnes god requireth of vs indeuering to settle stablish their owne righteousnes by the deedes of the lawe vvithout faith will not submitte themselues to the righteousnes of god But you know welinough that the obeying of gods lawe without the foundation of fayth is rather a visor of righteousnes than a righteousnes that pleaseth god Nowe the very marke that faythe ameth at is the coeternall and coessentiall sonne of God becomme fleshe the true Messias and aduocate of Mankynde And the ende or vttermoste restynge poynte of the Law is the same Christe Gal. 3.24 to make them righteous and cleare vvhich trust in him Thus ye see hovv great differeÌ„ce there is betweene the righteousnes of the lavv and the righteousnes of fayth which difference my countreymen confounde and mingle togither For Moises treating of the righteousnes that commeth by the
thinges stirre vp contentions among the teachers and disquiet the consciēces of the weake to seme sharperwitted thā other men they thrust out old foreworne affections of thinges vnknowē to thēselues very hurtfull to other men P. Farevvell these light heades vvyth their lightnes you setting the exāple of mans body before your eies do euery of you your duties 1. Pe. 4.10 Yee haue in your cōgregation diuers gifts according to the grace that is wonte to be giuen vs vvhen vve beleue Therfore to vvhōsoeuer the gift of professing befalleth that he may be an vtterer of Gods wil whether it be by interpreting the holy scripture or by foreshewing things to come throgh gods reueling of thē vnto him let him apply himselfe throughly to his charge according to the proportiō of faith yet let him not take vpon hym to be only wise only learned and onely skilfull in all things R. Good God how necessary a lesson is this for our churche wherein there is such confused disorder at this tyme that all mē must hold their peace and but one man speake one man must talke whatsoeuer comes at his tungs ende and all the reste muste be faine to sit styll as toungtyde P. But in other right Apostolik churches it is not so but two or three Prophets speake the other that sit by do discerne of their sayinges 1. Co. 14.20 And if aught be reueled to any other of the sitters by the former holdeth his peace For by this meanes ye might all prophesy one after another so as al might learne al be stirred vp to lerne Besids this the spirits of the Prophets ar subiect to the prophets the prophesies one of thē suffer thēselues to be ruled by other iudgments Nother is God vvho hath reueled this maner of dealing vnto vs the author of debate but of peace Therefore I besech you do all things comely and orderly in your church If any man haue an office let him follow his office namely the teacher in teaching the exhorter in exhorting the prouider for the poore in distributing of almesse let euery mā vvalke simply vvith a soūd faythfull and ryght meaning mynde He that is set ouer orhers let hym ply his office diligently and he whom compassion moueth to do deeds of charity in visiting the sicke in prouidinge for the nedy in comforting the sorovvfull and in performing the other vvorks of mercy must not do those things grudgingly againste his vvill but vvith a cheerefull and willing mind R. God graunt that all these functions may be stablished and maintained in all Christen congregations But for asmuch as we cannot deale vprightly towardes others vnlesse our doings flow from the fountaine of true godlinesse charitie is becomme so colde as I am afrayd least these functions or to terme them more rightly these gifts of the holy Ghoste bee turned but into vizors of godlines For surely among vs many seeke their owne commodities rather than the commodities of their brethren P. So much the more indeuer you that your charitie and brotherly loue may be vnfayned beware that it be neither coūterfeit nor cloked but straine your selues to the vttermoste that it maye come from the hart Bee yee haters of euill and shun ye worse than a dog or a snake the things that may hurte or offende other men Yea rather cleaue to the thing that is good seeke one anothers welfare be forward in brotherly loue one towards another let no vaine-glory pride or disdayne reigne among you and finally go one before another in giuing of honor eche to other R. They be most profitable exhortations For I see it auaileth greatly to the maintenance of mutuall good will to yeelde honour modestly to others as to our betters P. Also there are other inward duties of godlines 1. Co. 6.1 Ho. 13.2 Math. 5.44 through the exercise wherof we must earnestly indeuer to profite dayly in faith charitie Therefore be quicke ready carefull and diligent to do well feruent in spirite and seruers of the time For to know the occasions and oportunities in our doings is not the least poynt of wisdome R. Eccl. 3.1 So do I perceyue by Salomons sermon where he disputeth of mans soueraigne good P. And bicause we must alwayes continually beare Christes crosse we must also beare in minde the preceptes of christian patience Therfore reioyce in troubles and sorowes vpon hope of the good things that are to come That ye may quickly beare out the sufferings iniuries that you be put vnto be ye pacient in aduersitie And bicause this quietnesse of minde is not gotten but by often prayer it behoueth you to continue in praying R. O steepe and very harde way P. Be of good comfort For al things ar possible to him that beleueth Moreouer it is agreeing to godlinesse that you should be faithfull Stewards of the goods that you haue receiued at gods hand in releeuing all mens wants but specially in cōmunicating to the penurie of the Saincts and the faithfull For although christiā charitie ought to extend it selfe to all men yet is it more bound to the houshold folke of fayth Also keepe hospitalitie and the further that any man is from home so muche the more charily let him be interteined in your house and let him bee vsed so much the more curteously R. We haue an example worth the folowing in the holy Patriarke Abraham and in his nephew Loth. But it falleth out diuers times that in stede of gwests we lodge spies and talebearers and that restrayneth many mens diligence in enterteyning of straungers P. Say not so my brother For it becōmeth vs vs I say that are professors of Christes mildnesse to will well euen to such as trouble vs. Therfore blesse yee but curse not For Christian louingnesse not only requireth that we should loue them that hate vs and slaunder our innocencie but also proceedeth so farre that wee shoulde count all their happes both good and bad to be as our owne And although that those whom you named taleberers be against vs yet must yee be glad of their gladnesse and sorie of their sadnesse R. Surely a harde lesson Can any man beare the statelynesse of some persons who for some peece of learning or for some pretence of holinesse disdayne all other men in respect of them selues P. There is the grounde of the greefe where euery man will be a Lorde there can be none accorde Therfore I warne you be all of one minde among yourselues not taking highly vpon you but yelding to the lower sort Neither stand ye in your own conceite nor haue you a better opinion of your selues than meete is or than truthe will beare as though ye were wiser than other men R. What and if that after the performance of all these duties of christian charitie there are yet still some that backbite vs rayle vpon vs cast vs in prison burne vs martyr vs with newe deuised
hath done me so many good turnes that I take hir as mine owne mother I beleeue also that you did my commendations to Asyncritus Phlegon Hermas Patrobas Mercurie and the brethren that are vvith them And likevvise to Philologus and Jubia to Nereus and hys syster and to Olympias and all the Saincts that are with them R. These salutations of yours were very welcome to all of vs. For as you know the Citizens of Rome lyke very well of this courteousnesse of greeting And therefore you haue wonne many mennes hartes to you by that meanes P. In dede I did at that time bethink me of this custome receyued among you but yet there vvas another cause vvhy I greeted these men by name that is to wit for that I ment to set thē foorth vnto you as patterns of true honestie and holynesse For if you liste to confesse the truthe these men are not onely worthy of honour and estimatiō but also suche as you maye set before you to follow in godlynes and religion Also I desired you to greete one another with a holy chast and right Gospellike christian kisse with the which kisse of peace the Church of Greece saluted you R. Among you Iewes kisses of peace are giuen and receyued with a holye minde and pure intente but with vs they haue muche wantonnesse and vnclennesse specially among the vnchristen sorte P. I vvas not ignoraunt of that and therefore I added the vvorde holy to the intent that your kisses should haue no resemblāce to the heathenish wicked kissings wherwith the vnchast fort are wont to shew their vnclennes But let these commendations passe I wold haue you and others to wey throughly what I admonished heere for the things are of very great importance I desired you as my brethren and my deere beloued in Christe to marke the authors of discorde and offences contrarie to the doctrine whiche you haue learned and I willed you to beware of them and to shun them R. Surely a necessarie warning and such a one as ought to make vs the more watchfull that the pure doctrine of the Gospell be not defiled with mens inuentions or rather toyes But when we red these things we marueled greatly that wheras you made so long a bederol of those whom you commende vnto vs and whom you set out with your salutations yet you poynt vs out no man heere by name whom we should shun P. It becommeth not Christes Apostles and the preachers of the gospell to deface any men by name for light causes or to bring them in suspition with the whole Churche by their writings For oftentimes it falleth out that suche open defamings do more harme than good not only to those whom we ment to warne but also to those of whom we gaue warning R. Our Church hath learned by it own experience that these things whiche you say are too true For at the beginning when the gospell was preached to vs in houses and priuately many who otherwise were none euill men would not be present at our priuie assemblies Nowe some of our company did of a good zeale soothly but yet vnaduised as I think fall to taunting and girding at them by name wherby they made a great sort of them become aduersaries to vs moste deadly enemies to the gospell whereas if they had bin handled with suche Apostolicall mildnesse as you vse heere towards these men out of doubte there was great hope of meekening them and of bringing them agayne to our companie P. Therfore take ye warning by their example to eschue this vntowarde maner of dealing and rather follow Christ who giuing to Cesar that whiche was Cesars and leauing the correction of vices vnto Magistrates did hurt no man by name wrate no reprochfull libels agaynst any man ne bronded no man with the mark of infamy but behaued himselfe with a most meeke modest mind towards all men euē though they were his enemies of set purpose It is inough for you if you keepe watch with al diligence as it were in a watch tower and spy out suche contention in your Church such as lay stumbling blocks in the way of the weaklings eyther by their lyfe or by euill and lewde persuasions contrarie to the doctrine vvhiche you haue learned And when you finde them to be suche as may do you harme by their communication or conuersation eschue them but yet in the meane while pray to God for them that he may giue them the spirite of repentaunce and a better and holyer minde I would not haue any hartburninges mislikinges disagreements or strife sowen among you and much lesse any vvritings full of rayling taunting or scorning spred abroade agaynst such as cleaue not to you peraduenture not of any euill will but bicause they yet still holde fast some remnants of the old religion which they receyued frō their tender yeeres R. O Paule you haue touched as it were the bile of our Church with your finger But to the intent we ouer shoote not our selfe in this cace by what marks may we discerne those whom you counsell vs to eschue and beware of I speake cheefly of the teachers of whome there is now a great number among vs and they inuey so sharply one against another that the sily people wot not which way to turne thē much lesse whō to beleeue so cōtrary are their sayings one to another P. Christ hath set down many marks whereby to discerne false teachers and false prophets whiche I beleeue you haue learned But here I will poynt you out some whiche in my opinion may make you ware wise inough Let the first marke be this which is of two partes When you see any teachers and preachers of the gospel which serue not the Lorde Iesus Christe but their owne bellies shun you them as moste cruell Wolues R. What call you the seruyng of Christe P. In that speech I comprehend many things whiche it were needelesse to open seuerally as now But considering the circumstance of our talke to serue Christe in the preaching of the gospell is to acknovvledge Iesus Christ to be our master and to win seruants disciples vnto him alone and not to our selues To speake more plainly when you see a teacher set vp a schole of his owne to him selfe to win scholars or disciples to him selfe and taking no care for the catholike and vniuersall church but rather labouring to purchase him selfe many friends fellowes praysers and commēders of his sermons writings him eschue you For beleeue me that teacher serueth not the Lorde Iesus Christ but himselfe he seekes not the glory of the Redemer but of himselfe and all his intent is by all meanes to prouide for his belly And by the name of Belly you must vnderstand not only feasting and all maner of deynty fare but also riches vaine glory and fame aboue other men whiche they are wont to hunt for by all meanes eyther ryght or wrong and so
than the otheâ— Patriarks of Alexandria Antioche buâ— that the Bishop of Rome which nowe adayes calleth al things backe to himself is no Bishop at al no nor so much as an elder except he do his duty in ministring the Sacraments and in instructing admonishing and teaching the people That God is the creator of al things God beeing singular good and almightie created all things bothe visible and inuisible by his coeternal word and also preserueth the same by his coeternal spirite according as Dauid witnesseth saying Psal 33. by the word of god the heauens were made and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth And al thinges that God made were as sayth the Scripture exceeding good and made for the vse and commoditie of man and I say that all those thinges proceeded from one beginning Therefore I condemne the Manichees Marcionites which did wickedly surmise two substances natures the one good the other bad likewise two beginnings two coÌ„trary gods one good another naught Of Prouidence I beleue that al things both in heauen earth in al creatures are mainteined gouerned by gods wisdome Psa 139. For Dauid witnesseth saith the lord is high aboue al natioÌ„s his glory aboue the heauens Who is like the lorde our god who hath his dwelling on hye and yet stoupeth to loke vpon the things that are in heaueÌ„ and earth The same man saith againe vnto god Thou hast forsene al my ways For there is not a worde in my toung which thou knowest not euery whit O Lorde Also Paule witnesse the same and saith by him we liue Act. 17. moue and be And of him by him and in him are all thinges Most truely therefore and according to the scriptures Rom. 12. doth Austin in the eyghte chapter of his booke concerning Christs Agonie say the Lord said are not twoo sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them lighteth not vppon the grounde without the will of your father In saying so he ment to shew that euen the thing whiche men take to be vilest are gouerned by the Lords almighty power Ma. 10. For after the same maner doth the truth say Ma. 6. that he feedeth the birdes of the aâ—re and clotheth the lyllies of the feeld and also keepeth iust account of the heares of our heades Of the Angells both good and bad I admit with the right beleuing church that among all thinges created Angells and men are the cheefe the scripture of God pronounceth of the Angels that he made his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fyre And againe are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to do seruice for them that shal be heires of saluation And the Lord Iesus himselfe witnesseth of the Diuill that he was a murtherer from the beginning John 8. and stode not in the truth bycause there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a Lyer and the father of lyes Therfore we teache that of the Angels some abode still in obedience and are appointed to the faithfull seruice of God and man and that othersome fell of their owne accord and were throwen downe into destruction and are become enemies of all goodnesse and of al faithfull men Of mans creation Concerning man and creation I beleue the doctrine of the scripture that at the first he was created good after the Image and lykenesse of God and the God did set him in Paradice Gen. 2. put all things in subiection to him Which thing Dauid coÌ„meÌ„deth mightily in the eyght Psalme Also he gaue him a wife and blessed theÌ„ And I say that man consisteth of twoo dyuerse substaÌ„ces in one persone namely of an immortall Soule and a mortall body Of the state of Innocency or of the originall ryghtuousnesse of our firste fathers and of their fall God made man at the beginning after the Image of God in true ryghtuousnesse and holynesse good and ryghtuous but by the inticement of the Serpent and by hys owne faulte he fell awaye from goodnesse and ryghtuousnesse and became subiect to sinne death and sundry calamities And suche as he became after his fall such are al the spring of him namely euen subiect to sin death and sundry calamities Of Sinne I vnderstoode Sin to be the natiue corruption of man deryued and spred abroade into vs all from those oure firste parents wherethrough we be plunged in lewd lustes and turned away from goodnesse but forewarde to all euill and full of all naughtinesse as distrust contempte and hating of God can do no good of oure selues no nor once thinke any But rather the more we growe in yeeres the more do we bring forth corrupt frutes meete for an euill tree in our thoughtes and words and deedes done lewdly against Gods law In which respect being through our own desert subiect to Gods wrathe we be put vnder iust punishmentes in so muche that we shoulde all of vs haue bin cast of from God if Christe oure deliuerer Mat. 12. Gen. 14. in whom mankinde whiche els was lost was restored againe had not brought vs to him againe Of death the wages of Sinne. Therfore by death I meane not onely bodily death whiche we must all of vs once suffer for oure sins sake but also the endlesse punishments due to our sinfulnes and corruption Eph. 2. For we were deade saith the Apostle in oure offences and sins and we were the children of wrath as others are But God who is riche in mercie quickened vs with Christ when we were dead through our sins Rom. 5. Againe like as by one maÌ„ sin entred into the world death by sin so also death passed into al men inasmuch as al men haue sinned Of originall sin and of the cause of sinne I acknowledge that there is original sin in all men and I acknowledge that all other sins which spring thereof are called sins and are sins in very deede by what name so euer they be called whyther deadly or veniall Mar. 3. or the sinne that is called the sin againste the holye Ghost which is neuer forgiuen Also I confesse that all sins are not equall though they spring all out of one fountaine of corruption and vnbeleefe 1. John 3. but that some are greuouser than othersome according as the Lord hath sayd that it shal be easyer for Sodome and Gomor Math. 10 than for the city that refuseth the word of the Gospell Therfore I condemne all suche as haue taughte contrarye heereto and specially Pelagius and all Pelagians and Iouianistes who with the Stoikes make all sins a lyke heynouse In this cace I am fullye of opinion with Sainte Austin who alledged his matters out of the holy scriptures and defended them by the same Furthermore I condemne Florinus and Blascus and all suche as make God the author of sin Psam 5. against whom