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
cōming to your sermōs But you now be com to vs howbeit not in such time nor with such liberty as you wished For now as you se imprisōmēt Iaylers fetters manacles cheines are that triūphes of your Apostleship that the crosse of Christe maye retayne still his glorye in this preaching among vs. I am not ignorant howe there are a great nomber of our citizens which woulde willingly heere your Sermons if you myghte preach the Gospell openlye who being now offended at your bondes voutsafe not somuch as to come at you But what for that Farewell worldly wysedome with all his ambitiousnes and let Christ reigne euen with his crosse which is too the Iewes a stumbling blocke and to the Gentyles foolishnes but vnto vs that beleeue it is Christ crucifyed the power and wisedome of God P. Surely you cheere my harte with this speech of yours full of the feling of godlinesse And I beseche God the author and gyuer of all good thinges to gyue grace peace and all kynde of prosperity to you for this your courtesy or rather kyndnesse towardes me and too all that imbrace the Gospell of Christ R. Amen P. The last part of mine Epistle conteyneth commendaciōs and greetings Chap. 16. First of all I commended to you our sister Phoebe a minister of the church of Chenchry that you shoulde receiue hyr in the Lord and fauour hir as it becommeth Saintes in any matter wherin she needed your helpe For she hath helped many yea and euen me my selfe R. I saw the woman surely very honest and worthy of your commendacion And it is not for naughte that you giue hir those notable tytles For you call hir sister that is as I take it a fellow of your owne religion But I vnderstande not why you call hir a minister P. Perhaps you haue not yet ordeyned any such ministery in your church But whersoeuer I preach the Gospell set order in the church there I looke if there be any widowe that is childlesse free from cares of houshoulde keeping and such a one as bycause she is old and hath led an honest holy lyfe semeth not that any suspicion of euill can light vppon hir If I finde such a one for asmuch as she is a very rare bird I admit hir into the publik seruis of the church to minister to the necessityes of the Saintes Such a one was the sayd woman whome I decked with those tytles of commendacions And I exhorted you to shew courtesie towardes hir grounding my reason vppon your duetie For you that of woorshippers of Idolls are become professers of the Gospell must interteine all folkes gently and specially those that haue deserued wel of the Church R. We did for hir sake whatsoeuer she requyred of vs so farre as oure abilitye would stretch P. But the intent of my commending this vvoman vnto you was not only that you should be a helpe to hir But I ment also that your matrons of Rome whiche vvere become Chistians shoulde learne both godlinesse and honestie by hir example and also diligent seale to serue the whole Churche and to doo good to the poore comfortlesse and diseased vvhich haue neede of the seruice of vvomen R. This your intent Paule was not altogither vaine vneffectuall For that vertuous weldisposed woman dyd by hir exāple and cōmunication bring many of our country womē from their worldly superfluitie and from pleasures delights of this citie which in mine opinion is most giuen to pleasure of all the cities in the world P Also I greeted Prisca and hir husbande Aquila sometime my helpers in Christ Iesu whiche haue offered their ovvne necks for my lyfe and that with so great louingnesse that they counted my lyfe of more valevv than their own both to Gods honor and to other mens saluation And therfore they vvillingly offered therir lyfe to the death to saue mine and refused not to put ther heads in deaunger to saue mine R. We haue heard muche heere of the godlinesse and holy conuersation of this couple And your freende Luke hathe in his storye wrytten of their seale in furthering the Gospell Act. 8. and of their loue towardes the Sayntes and in what wyse they lodged you when you came to Corinth Truely both we and all the Churches of the Gentiles which professe the Gospell are muche bounde to them For seing that you are peculiarly apointed of God to be our Apostle he that saued your life did vs also a gret benefit which attaine the true life saluation of the soule by your preaching Also you saluted Epinoctus surely a verye excellent man and mooste constant in maynetayning the truth But I know not why you call hym the first fruites of Achaia P. It is no maruell For you Romanes are not much acquainted with the Hebrew phrases when I called hym the first fruits of Achaia I alluded to the sacrifices which are made of the first fruits in the law of Moyses wherunto I lykē suche as are the first conuerted vnto Christ Novve this Epenetus a perfect man as you knovv vvas the first in Achaia that imbraced Christ and suffered himselfe to be offered vp and dedicated to God as a most acceptable sacrifice vnto hym These are my sacrifices my Brother and the sacrifices of all other preestes of the newe Testament I vvoulde that all Christians and speciallye Gods ministers shoulde applye them selues to the offering vp of suche kynde of sacrifises Moreouer I desyred you too doo my commendacions to Marie whiche had taken muche paynes for me and that ye should salute Andronicus and Iunias my kinsfolke and fellowprisoners who are renowmed among the Apostles and were before me in Christ R. Yea doo you register them in the musterbooke of the Apostles But there are a great sorte in our Churche whiche thinke this office of Apostleship to belong only vnto you and that it shal indure but for a time P. I giue the name of Apostle generally to all suche as are sent of God to preach the gospell of his sonne And I pray god that as long as there shall be any christian Churche there maye bee store of true Apostles that is too saye Messengers sent of God to teache it R. Also you greeted Amplias youre welbeloued in the Lorde and Vrbane whome you call your helpefellowe in Christe and Stachis your beloued and also Apelles whome you terme tried in Christe P. It is true For I haue proofe of his godlynes by often tryals Furthermore I desired yee to commende me to those of the house of Aristobulus and to Herodian my kinsman and to them that are of the house of Narcissus and his friendes and acquayntaunce in the Lorde Neither forgate I Tryphenas and Tryphosa whom I heard too take peynes in the Lordes behalfe Besides these I greeted the beloued Persis whome I vnderstoode too take greate peines in the Lorde Also I remembred Rufus a chosen man in the Lorde and his mother who
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
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
imbracing Gods truth with a true fayth and of expressing the beleeued truth in holy conuersation And all these thinges both generally and particularly as men terme it are taught by the Apostle in this Epistle to the Romaines the exposition whereof you haue heard of me this last yeere And bicause that in the time of my reading I haue gathered many things heere and there out of the Commentaries both of the olde and nevve Expositors vvhiche haue inlightened this Epistle vvith their vvritings I intended to set together this dialog out of that houge heape of my papers and to offer the same vnto you and that doo I for tvvo causes First that the reading of this booke may bring the thinges agayne to your remembraunce which I haue handled more at large in my Readings and secondly that there may remayne some publike vvriting among you as a record both to them that are absent and to suche as shall come after of the purenesse of my doctrine vvhich I haue taught in your coÌ„panie and how muche I abhorre the opinions of Sectaries which trouble the Churches nowadayes with their errours Also you are my witnesses after what maner I coÌ„futed the froward opinions of the Pelagians and selfe iustifiers in the discourse of IustificatioÌ„ Yee knovve also with howe great diligence I haue in the discourse of Predestination or of the calling of the Gentiles vnfolded and confuted both the madnesse of the Stoikes and chieflye the horrible blasphemies of the Manichies that by my shewing of these breakneckes you might keepe your pace in the kings high way without stumbling and imbrace the Apostles doctrine as the only rule of truth Finally to conclude I beseeche you of your gentlenesse and curtesie as to vvhome I thinke my selfe in many respects righte greatly beholden too accept this my small trauell with lyke minde as it is offered vnto you and where shall I finde anye thing in this writing that may stirre vp your minds too the loue of godlinesse thanke almightie god of it who hath imparted these things vnto me to doe you good withall And where any thing shall seeme rude and vnpolished lay that all wholly vpon mee vvho forasmuch as I am a man doo vvell knovve my selfe to be ignorant in many things and not able alwayes to expresse in fit vvordes the thinges that I knovve Wherefore I beseech you haue respect of mans vveaknesse and vvhere yee shall mislike anye thing first admonishe mee friendly of it before yee conceyue amisse of mee for it For as I confesse I may erre so I protest with good conscience that I vvill not stand in any errour Fare yee vvell And I beseeche almightie God the geuer of all good things to bee with yoâ— and to further your attemptes that â—our studies maye not onely profite â—he common Wealth to yeelde euery â—an his righte by the knovvleege of â—our Lavves but also be to the vvelâ—are of the Churche that true godlinesse and the pure doctrine of the Gospell may bee furthered by them Out of my Studie the last day of May. 1574. A generall Argument vpon all the Epistles of the Apostles THe holy Ghost hath so tempered the Epistles of the Apostles that euery of theâ— handleth a sundrie matter from other Fâ— the Epistle to the Romaines is a perfect instruction of a Christian. The two Epistles to the Corinthians do open the doubts of Churchmatters That to the Galathians breaketh thâ— strife betweene Moyses and Christ and betweene the selferighteous and the beleeuer in Christ That to the Ephesians doth moste plenteously lay forth the kingdome of Christ likâ— as that doth which is written to the Colossians The two to the Thessalonians describâ— Antichrist and the last day with the mysterie of the Resurrection and the things belonging therevnto The two vnto Timothie and the one vnto Titus doo peint out liuely the office of 〈◊〉 true shepheard and Bishop That to Philemon setteth down the profeâ— of mercie and Christian charitie That whiche was sent to the Hebrewes lyghteneth Christ by the shadowes of Moses and the Oracles of the Prophetes S. Iames correcteth the errour that sprung of the misvnderstanding of Paules doctrine and sheweth that the sauing fayth must bee liuely and frutefull Peter treateth of Christes kingdome and of the mysterie of his crosse howbeit in his owne style and peculiar gift and he sayeth the same thing that Paule dooth but not after the same maner so as yee maye perceiue them to haue had bothe one meaning but not bothe one mouth John teacheth the freendship and vnitie which wee haue with God through Christ and thervppon he vrgeth charitie and good woorkes with James Iude disclozeth the daungers of backeslyding as an vpholder of Peter and also vvill haue the feare of God taught to new-beginners and not onely his fauour and mercie least the preaching of Gods louingnesse might turne into fleshly libertie The Apocalips openeth the mysteries that shall happen in the last times Heereby it appeareth manifestly that nothing can be had or red more absolute than the new Testament For it teacheth the things that are to be knowen forwarneth things hurtfull and prophesieth both of good things and bad things to come The Argument of the Epistle of Paule the Apostle to the Romanes takeÌ„ out of the bokes of Athanasius Biship of Alexandria THey be called Paules Epistles bicause he wrote them And by them he both admonisheth and correcteth those whom he had seene and taught and also laboreth to teach them the same things whom he had not sene as they may perceiue which light vpon theÌ„ This to the Romanes he wrote from Corinth at what time he had not yet seene them but yet had herd of their faith and was desirous to see them And first of all he prayseth their faith which he herd spoken of euerywhere Then doth he them to vnderstande that he had purposed to come to theÌ„ for the good will that he bare them but hitherto could not Howbeit he frameth his Epistle after a maner of teaching informing them of the calling of the Gentiles and that circumcision serued but for a time was now abolished that Adams traÌ„sgression was discharged by Christ that the shadow of the Law was vanished away Therfore that the calling of the Gentiles was done consequently in good order he prouth in this wise He sheweth that the law is grafted in all men and that any man may know God euen of his own mother wit by the creation and state of things without the doctrine of the Law written And therefore he doth worthely first of all blame the Gentiles that wheras God hath opened the knowledge of himselfe vnto them by the works of the world and therwith also shewed them his euerlasting power which is his worde wherin and wherby he made all things They considered not by the creatures that God was the workmaster of such things but rather ascribed godhead to his creatures and worshipped them rather than the maker of