time and with the preaching of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles is most comfortablie sealed vp and confirmed the Lords name be praised therefore The Lords name I say be praised who hath bin so mercifull and gratious vnto this little Ileland that passing ouer many greater richer and mightier nations hath set such an especial loue vpon vs as he hath vouchsafed to preferre and exalt our nation aboue many other to be of his holie and catholike church of the blessed communion of his saints and a true member of his visible people vpon whom his name is called That we may truely iustly and boldly say that the religion which we follow and the faith and doctrine which wee confesse is the faith of Gods elect the knowledge of the truth according to godlines vnder the hope of eternall life the verie true and onely way of saluation which God and not man teacheth Which he hath taught al the fathers before the law was giuen or any part of Gods woord written during the space of 2517. yeeres In the ende of that time Abraham our father euen the father of all beleeuers 430. yeeres before Moses when the world began to be corrupted receaued and professed for al nations which should be after him Which Moses and the Prophets proclaimed and maintained some 1445. yeeres vntill the blessed time of Christes holie incarnation And which the same Iesus Christ the glorious son of God euen the Lord of life preached in his owne person and his holie Apostles which heard him and saw al his great works did witnes and publish to all the gentils and was confirmed by gods holie testimonie from heauen with great signes and wonders and gifts of the holie ghost And which the same euerlasting God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ commanded to be taught vnto all people out of the holie Scriptures of Moses the Prophets and Psalmes and hath opened and made manifest by the holie inspired writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and left and commended vnto his Church for the saluation of his elect vnto the worlds end By which al gods people ar to be known by which God will be glorified in his saints and out of which no man hath been shall be or can be saued I say therefore againe the Lords name be praised for euer Amen CHAP. IIII. Where is declared First that antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession is no perfect marke of the church much lesse of the popish Synagogue which is but of yesterday 2. The measure order of the visible succession of the Church from Christs time forward is shewed by the Scripture 3. Therefore the papists do prooue themselues to be no church when they ground themselues on this false principle the church cannot erre 4. How the true religion hath shewed it selfe by manie witnesses from the Apostles time euen vnto our dayes THE Synagogue of Rome claimeth antiquitie vniuersality and succession visible from the time of Christs Apostles to be vndoubted markes of the church of God and so of the pure religion addinge thereunto as it were the sinewes and ioints to make them all holde together the faithfull and constant grace of the church visible vnder the ghospell namly this false principle that It cannot erre And therfore when they are convicted to haue fallen from the true christian religion and find themselues openly bewraied being tried by the perfect touchstone of Gods holie written woord to be lately vpstart and of a new deuised religion doctrine and faith brought forth into the world by the fanatical and superstitious humor of heretical prauitie and humaine follie and begotten by the cunning insinuations and coulorable suggestions of him which vseth all spirituall craftines and profoundnes of wisedom to bruse the heele of the womans seede and to darken the glorious light of the heauenlie faith of Gods chosen least happely they should not be found the very true Antechrist after the maner of him that trāsformeth him selfe into an angel of light they would beare downe the world with the vaine titles and goodly shew of antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession of the vnerring and vnchangeable persistance of the visible church in the truth and leaue out altogether that which is indeede the very nature and foundation of the church the true religion faith and doctrine of Apostles and Prophets of God But alas these are but the figge leaues of Adam which cannot couer their shame for as all men knowe that the serpent cannot proue himselfe a man by his auncient continuance and remaining in the world vnlesse hee had those essential properties of bodie and soule whereof euery man doth naturally consist So for so much as all these things antiquitie vniuersalitie c. are such as heretikes Ethnikes did and could claime from Caine and Cham or Iaphet as wel as Christians from Seth and Shem and that the true nature of the church cōsisteth in the fellowship of the true religion doctrine and faith the sygnogoge of Rome vnlesse it hold the true faith and religion cannot for these things be the true visible church of God For no antiquitie vniuersalitie or succession can make the whore of Babel to be the true and chast spouse of Christ And who knoweth not that Caine was before Sheth and that their two posterities were the two churches one which is of Caine called the children of men because their religion came of a runnagate man the other was called the childrē of God because their religion was giuen and taught them of God Likewise in the Apostasie of the time of Abraham the nations were almost setled vpon the dregges of their filthie idolatry when Abraham was now but newly called Ismael and Esaue which fell out of the church and house of Abraham became goodly states and monarkes before Iacob was established and the people of Israell were gathered into a knowen and visible floorishing forme of a church which was 430. yeeres after the calling of Abraham Lastlie the gentils continued in that apostasie and idolatrie ouerspreading all the world from the time of Abraham vntil Christ eighteene hundred yeeres when the Church was but in a little corner of the world the land of Canaan and of that a great space in the territories of Iuda and Hierusalem onely Because Caine Ismael and Esaie calling antiquitie and visible succession before Sheth and Isaack and Iacob is their religion the true religion or were they the true church or shall the Gentils iustifie thē selues to be the true worshippers of God or to haue the true God because they can brag ouer the Iewes christiās with al these termes of antiquity vniuersality succession visible c. therfore he that readeth the stories shall find how they scoffe at the Iewes christians euen as the papist do at vs because that although they haue no truth on their side yet they thinke these painted paper walles and leaden weapons of long continuance and open appearance and flowrishing in
the light of his word to make all things manifest that it might be said of vs as by prerogatiue it was once spoken of Israel Psal 147.19 He sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not so dealt with euerie nation c. The entrance of her Maiesties raigne a most blessed day vnto England There was a day of darkenesse a day of great blacknes sorrow when the people of this land were made slaues vnder the thraldome of spirituall Aegipt and Babilon when they knew not aright the true and liuing God nor the power grace of our Lord Iesus Christ but were led after vaine things in whom there was no helpe and men by a iust plague of God were giuen ouer vnto their owne lustes and fancies yea euen vnto most abhominable idolatrie But the day of her Maiesties most royall coronation was a day of light and glorie a day of cleare and perfect ioy in that day did the sunne of righteousnes arise shined from on hie hee cast forth his bright and pleasant beames and enlightened all the land Then fell away the grosse misse of palpable foolishnesse and ignorance and the vaile of mans presumption was taken from our hartes Then humane deuises and the greeuous yoke of the apostaticall bondage in tradition voluntary seruice of men was taken from our necks Then were our hearts opened and the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God and his bright shining countenance in the face of Iesus Christ did shine into our soules It was a day that the verie Angels of heauen did reioyce and sing because of the sweet blessed tidings of great ioy vnto al the people of this land For the grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men did then appeare and the beautifull feet of the messengers of peace which brought tidings of good thinges and said vnto euery elect soule Thy God raigneth had then a merrie and comfortable passage and safe trauell ouer all the land the embassadors of God brought vnto vs the wholsome word of reconciliation Then did the Lorde plant his vineyard and build his holy temple among vs and hee became our strong sanctuarie and visited vs with his rich mercie and saluation his blessings spirituall and corporall most plentiful flowed down from heauen vpon our land So that our enemies being Iudges it must needes be said God hath done great things for vs and hath giuen vs all things aboundantly to enioy In which time many nations round about vs in greeuous darknesse and bloudy miserie euen mourning dayly before our eyes might well haue counted themselues happie if they had part of our peace We haue lent and not borrowed wee haue giuen and not taken we haue beene a refuge for the poore and a place of succour for the persecuted our men and money haue beene a reliefe to the oppressed and deliueraunce to many in great daunger and distresse Our prince hath bin an hyding place from the wind as a refuge for the tempest as riuers of waters in a drie place and as the shadow of a rocke in a wearie land My pen is insufficient and I am vnworthie and vnable to rehearse the manifold and constant goodnesse and fauours of God vpon vs these many yeares O let vs loue the Lord and serue him let vs praise and glorifie him who hath beene so beneficiall and bountifull vnto vs. Hee hath deliuered our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feet from falling hee hath brought vs out of the horrible pitte and mierie clay and set our feet vpon the rocke and ordered our goings hath put in our mouthes a newe song of praise vnto our God many that haue seene this haue reuerenced the Lord and put their trust in our God All Englishmē are bound to loue the Queenes most excelent Maiestie And who can but loue the blessed and worthy instrument of our peace and ioy whose heart is not inflamed with her desire If wee were tenne thousand times more then wee are and euerie man had a thousand liues who would not willingly lay them downe at her feete in the cause of truth to shewe his thankfull mind vnto her Maiestie who hath constantly passed through many hazardes of her life for loue of Gods truth and care of his Church whose hart is not greatly moued to glorifie God who hath giuen vs so faithful constant a nurse louing mother so wōderfully defended and preserued her and by vnder her most happy gouernment hath made vs so many yeares together without feare the free possessors of most vnspeakable ioy in the participation of incomparable heauenly treasure and most flourishing earthly prosperitie We are to consider whether we haue rendred to the Lord according to his kindnes toward vs. But O my deare mother my good reuerend fathers and brethren haue wee rendred to the Lorde according to his kindnesse haue wee with reuerence receiued with thankfulnesse acknowledged and with care conscience vsed these mercies of our good and louing God and mercifull father in Iesus Christ O that I could boldly and faithfully so say that our siluer were not become drosse and our wine mixt with water And that the vine which God hath planted with good and pleasant plants did not in stead of grapes bring forth wild grapes and men did not neglect yea forsake the word of the Lord and follow the foolish imaginations of their owne heartes O that it might not be iustly said that the Lord hath a controuersie with this lande because there is no truth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whooring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud And that men did not encourage one another in their wicked and vicious liuing saying come and let vs bring wine and wee will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morrow shall bee as this day and much more aboundant let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die O that men would consider and that their hearts would smite them in remembring and forethinking what a fatherly watch word our tender and louing God hath giuen vs by many and sundry most mild and kindly tempered corrections and chastisementes at many times but especially within these eighteene yeares last past when hee beganne at his sanctuarie and lightly touched his holy remembrancers when he caused a great and cloudie mist to couer the verie heauens so that many bright starres were not seene to shine for a certaine season Then did the windes burst out shaking our houses ouer our heades as vnworthie to dwell vnder so good and plentifull grace our bodies and liues were assailed with grieuous pestilence dearth scarsitie and the threatning sword did aduance themselues against vs. Thousands haue gone forth and returned but by hundreds And now seeing all these things haue not made vs to turne to him that smiteth
know God turned from dumbe idols to serue the liuing and true God Hereof the almightie giueth sentence by his holy seruant Hieromie saying d Hier. 9.23 Let not the wiseman glorie in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c. And according to this frame is the last iudgement literally described namly that e 2. Thes 1.7 the Lord Iesus should shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God c. 2. And herein we shall find that he which knoweth God is instructed in two things First that God is one and that there is no other God beside him euen as Moses saith f Deut. 6.4 Here O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and how is he one namely g Esai 44.6 the first and the last the beginning and the ending which is which was and is to come h Maluch 3.6 he neuer changeth nor hath so much as a i Iacob 1.17 shadow of turning Therefore saith the Psalmist k Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were made and before thou haddest formed the earth and the worlde euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God Secondlie that God is the l Iacob 4.12 onely law-giuer and teacher of righteousnes saluation as saith m Psal 94.10 Micas 6.8 Psal 98.2 the Prophets He teacheth man knowledge shewing him what is good and what the Lord requireth of him he declareth his saluation his righteousnes he reueileth in the sight of the nations 3. Now in the true and perfect vnderstanding of these true things we shall clerely see that there is but one true catholike religion from the beginning of the world to thend thereof fitly proportioned to the nature of the only God the author foūdor maintainer therof For as Christ teacheth because n Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit he must be worshipped in spirit and truth So the nature of God being one vnchangeable his supreme authority to be the only lawgiuer there can no religion please him but onlie one which varieth not whereof himselfe is the author For this cause in one part of our religion which is our iustification saluatiō S. Paul reasoneth thus a Rom. 3.29 God is hee the God of the Iewes only not of the gentils also for it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith vncircumcision thorow faith Thereby shewing that as God is one namely as wel ouer the Gentils as ouer the Iews so he will iustifie circumcision which are the Iewes vncircumcision which are the gentils that is al other nations by one way of religion that is to say thorough faith and beleefe in his sonne Iesus Christ For which cause this religion is called the b Tit. 1.1 faith of Gods elect because al the elect are but of one religion and therefore saint Iude c Iud. ver 3. wisheth vs to contend for the faith which was once giuen to the saints affirming that in writing thereof hee writeth of the common saluation And it is called in the former place of saint Paul The knowledge of the truth according to Godlines vnder the hope of eternall life shewing what is the matter of this religion and lastly to shew the author he saith which God that cannot lye hath promised before the world began hath made manifest in his times c. To which sence are these words in the Epistle to the Hebrewes d Heb. 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same is for euer where speaking before of the word of God and faith and after admonishing them not to bee caried about with diuers and strange doctrins he meaneth by Iesus Christ putting the cause for the effect the doctrin and religion whereof he is the founder that as he in regard of his Godhead is without change beginning and ending so he is eternally the foundation of the church and that doctrine and religion which he teacheth is the truth euerlasting infallible and not to be altered as it seemeth to be expounded in the epistle to the Ephesians e Ephe. 4.4 There is one bodie and one spirit euen as you are called in one hope of your vocation there is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and thorow all in you all And for this cause saint f Epist 2. ver 9. Iohn is bold to say whosoeuer transgresseth abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne 4 For the more plaine euidence of this matter we may obserue in the new Testament two thinges First that Christ and his apostles professed taught no new religion but the same which the scriptures of the old testament did before instruct and secondly that in it the gentils were made and adopted children vnto Abraham The former Christ sheweth where he saith a Matt. 5.17 Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfil them and againe b Ioh. 5.39 Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternal life they are they which testifie of me And saint Peter affirmeth that c Act. 10.43 To him giue all the prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remission of sinnes and saint Paul saith that he spake d Cap. 26.22 no other thinges then those which the Prophets Moses did say should come and e Rom. 16.26 that the Gospell and reuelation of the misery of Iesus Christ is opened and published among all nations by the scripture of the prophets at the commandement of the euerlasting God for the obedience of faith Therefore Christ and his Apostles taught no new thing differing from the old Testament the writings of Moses and the prophets Now for the second Christ saith f Matt. 8.12 Many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaacke and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Heare he spake of the calling of the gentils insinuating that they must bee saued by the same faith and religion by which Abraham was and for this cause entring into the house of Zacheus a gentile and finding faith in the promise made to Abraham he saith g Luk. 19.9 This day saluation is come into this house for asmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham and it is shadowed in that phrase of Christ where hee saith that Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome Cap 16. But it is made more plaine by the Apostle saying h Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seede and heires by promise So
ABRAHAM'S FAITH THAT IS The olde Religion WHEREIN IS TAVGHT THAT THE RELIGION NOW publikely taught and defended by order in the Church of England is the onely true Catholicke auncient and vnchangeable faith of Gods elect AND THE PRETENSED religion of the Sea of Rome is a false bastard new vpstart hereticall and variable superstitious deuise of man Published by IOSIAS NICHOLLS an humble seruant and minister of the gospell in the Church Stand in the waies and behold and aske of the old waies which is the good waie and walke therein and ye shall find rest for your soules HIER 6.16 LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Wight 1602. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God my Lords grace Archb. of Canterburie and to the right Honorable my L chiefe Iustice of England both of her Maiesties most Honourable priuie Counsell Iosias Nicholls wisheth all grace and peace in our Lord Iesus Christ PVrposing right Reuerend Honorable to publish this little book it came into my mind to commend the same to your honourable protection For it seemed to me that although all good men of al estates are bound in conscience and loue to contend earnestly for the faith which as S. Iude saith was once giuen to the Saintes yet are there some more proper reasons in regard of your two callings which challenge in my iudgement a more peculiar eye and watch vnto these causes For being both of the same most Honourable table of her Maiesties most graue wise and Christian Counsell where all are set in the same charge and ioyned in the same care namely in all prouident and godly ouersight to manage the great affaires pertaining to Gods worship and glorie and the blessed safetie of the Queenes most excellent Maiestie whom God vouchsafe long to preserue among vs yet the one being a minister and Bishoppe of the gospell and set ouer many others for the good and faithfull teaching and practising of the christian faith in this land And the other a professed and chiefe Iudge for the executing of all lawes and statutes ordeined for the maintenaunce of true religion iustice peace and godlines this being a necessarie declaration of our Christian faith and religion established by the publike magistracie and lawes of this realme and a faithfull displaying of the iniquitie of poperie being a mortall enemie and a verie great opposite vnto the same It could not so properly respect any other whose ofifce and profession did so neerely and naturally offer it selfe to patronize and protect so iust a matter of this kind Therefore I humblie craue your Honours fauour to accept of this my trauaile and your fatherly countenaunce vppon mine honest labours Which although I frankly acknowledge might haue beene more eloquently and exquisitly handled by some man of greater giftes yet I hope that in some measure it shalll satisfie the expectation of such honest and Christian readers who both can and will iudge according to equitie und truth For my purpose being considering the season to shew the antiquitie and certaine truth of our faith and religion nowe professed in England and the newnesse vncertaintie and falshoode of the popish superstition to this ende that it might bee a stay to many which wauer and seeme nowe readie to fall away I endeuoured rather to ioyne plainnesse and perspicuitie with breuitie then by large amplification to shew great learning and by direct arguments to make manifest an vndoubted truth to the conscience of all men for the gayning of some vnto Christ rather then by saying what I could to trouble the reader with abundance of matter or hunt for that which is vayne and fruitlesse And this verily I thought most necessarie and the rather because diuers men in differing manner haue heretofore handled this argument both that I might giue occasion to men to enquire after and to reade such godly writinges and also because the present season seemeth to call for the same when poperie beginneth to ouerspreade and after a sort to set vp his brissels against the gospell and men of that superstition are verie much lifted vp that it might appeare what a foolish wicked new broacht and monstrous heresie and apostasie they so much contend for so egerly labour for being greedie of that which will slay their soules and proud of that whereof they ought to bee ashamed Therefore I haue made choice of such methode and reasons as I hope thorow Gods blessing shall effect that I purposed and make that manifest which I desire Whereof knowing that your Honours can iudge with wisedome and that your Christian care tendeth to this ende that the people by all good meanes should bee staide in their faithfull obedience to God and our most gracious prince I was bolde to present this booke vnto you most humblie beseeching you to accepte of my bounden duetie to my Prince countrie and to the Church of GOD earnestlie praying GOD to bee with you alwayes with his gracious fauour and good spirite to guide you and prosper you in all good and godly endeuours to his honour and glorie to the good of prince and countrie to the increase of the Church and to your owne soules comfort in Iesus Christ Amen Your honours most humble to commaunde IOSIAS NICHOLLS TO THE HOLY AND Christian congregation of England being a most liuely member of Christes Catholicke and visible Church Iosias Nicholls Minister and seruant of Iesus Christ as a son to his most deare mother wisheth all grace and spirituall blessinges in heauenly things in Christ and all peace and prosperitie in godlinesse truth for euer NO Nation euer vnder heauen English men grealy bound to praise and serue God for his rich blessings in by the Gospell vnder the happie raigne of her maiestie more bound to praise serue God then we English men now aboue fortie yeares vnder the happie raigne of our deare Soueraigne and Ladie Queene Elizabeth whom God long preserue tasting enioying the sweet goodnes fauor of God most kindly shewing it selfe and shining into our harts by his most blessed and ioyfull Gospel No nation euer vnder heauen hath had more cause of ioy and comfortable encouragement vnto godlinesse and honestie then we Englishmen all these yeares when God most miraculously by a maiden Queene the weaker vessell hath made his name knowen and his Saintes glorious by deliueraunce when mightie potentates could not stand in battaile hee hath raised health by a woman and made the weake to confound the strong No nation euer vnder heauen hath had more sure and perfect experience of the truth of God and his worde and of the certaine knowledge of the holy faith and pure religion then we Englishmen whose eyes the God of this world hath not blinded most abundantly haue had that we might glorie in our God and magnifie the rich grace of Iesus Christ and the effectuall power of his holy and blessed spirit For we haue seene the breath of Gods mouth mightie to consume Antechrist and
neither do men seeke the Lord behold euerie man seeth how his anger is kindled more and more and how neere his sword is come vnto vs that the Lords wrath is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still But yet if it please thee O God and mercifull father bee thou entreated by thy poore seruants who seeing the plague call night and day vpon thee that thou take not so great vengeance of our sinnes as to make the sweete streaming fountains which water all thy holy temple and the garden of thy delight among vs to be salt and vnsauourie or to let that burning starre of wormewood which is fallen from heauen to touch our riuers of waters or that thou shouldst make the heart of this people fat and their eares heauie shut their eyes least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heartes and conuert and thou heale them Why should we be as men of another generation which know not and remember not thy great workes which thou hast done by our princely Iehoshuah and the great victorie ouer the Cananites of the land by thine annointed handmaid our renowned Deborah that our eyes should looke backe to the flesh pots of Egypt or that wee should returne to ioyne in friendship with that wicked Babilon whom thou hast commanded vs to reward with double as they haue rewarded vs and learning their maners being partakers of their sinnes we should be partakers of their punishmentes and thou shouldst giue vs ouer to the enemie and they which hate vs should be Lords ouer vs and then al these good things and the light of thy countenance should bee quite turned from vs and our glorie forsake vs. We haue indeed sinned most deare father and our offences are many yet is there mercie with thee that thou maiest bee feared Teach vs therfore thy way O Lord that we may walk in thy truth and knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy holy name euen for thy holy Son sake our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen When men waxe rich they begin to bee carelesse and by aboundance of peace Deut. 32.15 men forget themselues and fall away as it is written When he waxed fat he spurned with the heele For this cause hath God set vs ministers as watchmen to see the plague when it commeth and to admonish the people that they die not in their sinnes and to say vnto them Take heed you forget not the Lord your God which hath done all these good thinges for you but feare ye the Lord your God The cause matter purpose of this booke and serue him thou shalt cleaue vnto him and sweare by his name And this is verily the reason of the publishing of this treatise wherein I shew that the religion and faith publikely professed in this Realme and maintained by the righteous scepter and sword of our dread soueraign and gracious Queene Elizabeth is of the onely truth most auncient catholicke and vnchangeable out of which none euer haue beene saued from the beginning of the world neither can or shall bee And that the faith and religion vnder the pretence and name of Christ Peter and Paul and of the glorious shew and title of the Church which is now professed at Rome and followed by the vassals of the pope is but a new vpstart hereticall and superstitious deuise of man contrariant to the faith of Gods elect of the ancient couenant which God gaue taught Abraham both for Iewes and Gentils and which Moses and the prophets declared expounded and Christ fulfilled and established and his holy Apostles published to all the world and taught all nations by Christes commandement For I thought my duetie first vnto God and then to my gracious prince to shew some token of my thankefull mind and secondly to acknowledge my bounden duetie to Christes Church here among vs my deare mother in whose wombe I freely confesse my selfe to be bgotten and borne one of Gods children and though of thousands the most vnworthie yet one of the seruants of Christ and of his congregation in the ministerie of his Gospell And especially that I might call to remembrance and set before the eyes of my louing country men my louing and faithfull brethren and sisters in Christ the assurednesse of truth and the good treasure of God among vs namely that wee are lighted vpon that heauenly pearle blessed be God for which a man would sell all that he hath that this might bee some meanes to blow away the ashes from the cooling zeale of some stirre vp and awake some that are now readie to sleepe and bring backe againe some if it please God which are readie to go out of the way and that I might admonish others that they receiue not the grace of God in vaine For when a man shall thinke with himselfe and well way it in his heart that we haue the true faith which is vnchaungeable by which all Gods elect are saued will it not moue him to bestir himselfe that he neglect not so great saluation and that he trie euerie spirit before he beleeue and that he be not caried away with the vaine shew of ostentation in men of schoole learning but whomsoeuer he heare with the men of Berea to search the Scriptures whether those things be so yea though it were Paule or an Angel from heauen should preach another doctrine then that wee haue receiued we should hold him accursed I pray God for Christes sake to bee mercifull vnto mee that as he put into mine hart to take this worke in hand hath graciously assisted me and strengthened me to finish it and now to publish it So it would please him to vouchsafe his blessing to accompanie the same that it may bee accordingly profitable to many and haue an effectuall fruit to his glorie and the good of his church in the encouragement and strengthening of weake Christians I humblie beg this at his fatherly hands in and by the mediation of his son Iesus Christ euen for his holy and blessed name to whom with his holy spirit be all praise power and dominion for euer Amen From Eastwell in Kent the 26. of March 1602. The Contents of this Booke The first part of the auncient and vnchangeable estate of our religion now professed in England CAp. 1. Wherein is shewed first That wee come to know the true religion by the true knowledge of God pag. 1.2 2. That there is one God and he is the onely law-giuer pag. 3. 3. There is but one catholike religion whereof God is author and maintainer pag. 3. 4. For this cause Christ his Apostles teach the same religion which is in the olde testament and the gentils are adopted to bee children vnto Abraham pag. 5. 5. Here is taken away the obiection which might arise by the difference which seemeth to be in the three times before the law vnder the lawe and vnder the
he doth shew that all Israel in Abraham and Sarah their father and mother had vtterly perished with the rest of the world thorow this originall corruption had not God called them endewed them with faith and giuen them the couenant And as a childe new borne whose nauell is vncut and walloweth in his bloud and cast out in contempt hath no cleannesse in him nor power to prepare himselfe vnto cleannesse must needes haue all from the hand of them that take pittie on him So was Abraham void of all good knowledge and wil vnto godlinesse vntil God purified his heart by faith And as this was found in Abraham so he learned and beleeued the same obseruing the like in others whom God had not called as he had him for when a Gen. 12.10 cap. by famine hee was faine to go into Aegypt and afterward into Gerar his wife Sarah being a faire woman hee feared to acknowledge her to be his wife because he knew that the people being without grace and faith could not but encline to lust after her as the sequell did plainely declare and hee sheweth a reason b vers 11. Surely the feare of God is not in this place and they will slay mee for my wiues sake Where by the want of the feare of God putting the effect for the cause he vnderstandeth that they were voide of the grace of God of and in themselues so corrupt with this naturall deprauation that hee could not looke for any good but euill to come from them euen as Christ saith c Mat. 12.33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or els make the tree euill and his fruit euill d Apolog. of England cap. 19. diuis 1 And this is also the faith of the Church of England for wee say That euerie person is borne in sin that no bodie is able truely to say his heart is cleane c. e Articles of religion Artic. 9. 10. Of free will originall sinne The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he can not turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes to faith and calling vpon God wherefore we haue no power to do good workes pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preuenting vs that wee may haue a good will and working in vs when wee haue that good will and f Artic. 13. of workes before iustification works before the grace of Christ haue the nature of sinne Which is altogether agreeing in sence and meaning with that which is before shewed of the fathers time and of Abraham therefore let vs now heare Moses and the prophetes Moses saith g Deut. 9.5.6 O Israel thou enterest not to inherit their land for thy righteousnesse or for thy vpright heart for thou art a stiffe necked people And againe h Cap. 29.2.3.4 Ye haue seene all that the Lord did before your eyes in the lande of Egipt vnto Pharaoh c. Yet the Lord hath not giuen your an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vntill this day Where it appeareth plainly that Moses taught them that without Gods gift they could not vnderstand nor obey but were rebelles against God and stiffe necked And the prophetes declare the verie same i Psal 51.5 Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceyued mee k Prouerb 20.9 Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from sinne By which is manifest that this originall corruption descending from Adam maketh the heart so corrupt that it can not prepare it selfe to any cleannes of righteousnes but of it selfe runneth headlong to all euill Therefore because that in this respect the heart in the faithfull is made as it were new the Lord saith by the Prophet a Ezech. 36.26 A new heart will I giue you a new spirit will I put within you Yet is the new testament more euident for it saith b Ioh. 3.3 Except a man be borne again he can not see the kingdome of God c Eph. 2.1.2 ye were in times past that is before our calling and regeneration dead in sinnes and trespasses c. walking in the lust of the flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh of the minde d Tit. 3.3 and were by nature the children of wrath we were vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another Then which what can be more said the minde the will the affections wordes and deedes bee all ill euen as a deade man that hath no mouing but must be new borne before he can haue any sight is not such an one vniuersally corrupt voide of knowledge and free will vnto any godlinesse and vnable to doe workes pleasing vnto God yea and therefore the Apostle is bolde to say that it is e Philip. 2.13 God which worketh in vs the will and the deed of his good pleasure Then you see that the fathers Moses the prophets Christ his Apostles doe all agree in the same doctrine of the estate of man after his fall before his calling in Christ and that it is the same which we professe in England The fourth article entereth into the consideration how we are deliuered from this corrupt and damnable estate 4 There is one onely way of righteousnesse saluation which is by faith in Iesus Christ THis is verie apparant in the storie of Abraham when God saith that all the families of the earth should be blessed in his seed Where by blessed is vnderstood the deliuerance from the corruption and damnation which came by Adam This seede is Christ when hee saith all families or that sheweth that whosoeuer in the world shall bee saued must bee saued by Christ And there is no other seede or faith by which one man can be saued therfore he receiued the couenant as is before declared for Iewes and gentils that men might not looke for righteousnes or saluation in any other thing but only in by faith in Iesus Christ And so saith Moses as the blessed Apostle interpreteth it f Rom. 10.6 Deut. 30.11.12 The righteousnesse which is of faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead but what saith it The word is neere euē in thy mouth in thine heart this is the word of faith which we preach For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt belieue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued Where thou seest by Moses docttrine that we must not seek righteousnes or saluation any where els but in the faith of Christ which the prophets expresse thus a Esai 28.16 Thus saith the Lord God Behold I
will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make hast b Malack 4.2 Vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnesse arise and health shall bee vnder his winges c. The gospell more plainely sheweth that where Christ is not knowen c Math. 4.16 the people sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and that hee d Luc. 1.78.79 is the day spring from on high giuing light to them that sitte in darkenesse and in the shadow of death e 2. Tim. 1.10 And that hee bringeth life and immortalitie to light by the gospell And that God is so farre from allowing that any man should bee able in any other meane to attaine vnto righteousnes or saluation thus he speaketh expressely that there is no f Act. 4.11 Saluation in any other for among men is giuen no name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Now what confesseth the Church of England in this regarde Namely that g Artic. 18. they are to bee had accursed abhorred that presume to say that euery man shall be saued by law or sect that he professeth c. For holy Scripture doth set out vnto vs onely the name of Iesus Christ whereby men must be saued So that heere you see the faith of Abraham Moses the prophets Apostles determine one way of mans restoring vnto righteousnes and saluation and the verie same is the faith of the church of England The fift article of Iesus Christ the onely author ef our saluation What we ought to know and beleeue of him 5. Iesus Christ in regarde of his person is perfect God and perfect man in one person and in regarde of his office mediator betweene God and man of the couenant of mercie IN this article we embrace two things First what Christ is in himselfe where wee vnderstand not that God alone or man alone is Christ but God and man is one Christ By God we vnderstand the onely and euerlasting begotten son of God the second person in the trinitie by man we vnderstande that hee came of the seed of Abraham and Dauid and a very naturall man borne of the virgin Marie hauing bodie and soule and all faculties and qualities of mind and bodie as we haue onely sin excepted and that the two natures in Christ are not confounded nor seperated but vnited distinct as the body soul of a man hauing their seueral natures properties make but one thing which is a mā So the godhead of Christ assuming the manhood chāgeth not it selfe nor the nature of man assumed but God man vnited in one person make one Iesus Christ and Sauior who by his incarnation and obedience suffering death resurrection assention sitting at the right hand of God and lastly by his iudgement hath and will saue all the elect of God declare make manifest the iust condemnation of the wicked reprobate And these are the works of his office of mediatorship which office of mediator we thus vnderstand that where all mankind being dead in sin there whole nature corrupted vnder the wrath of God and damnation of bodie and soule had in himselfe as is before declared nothing sound being vnable to doe any thing that could please God for his restoring vnto righteousnes and saluation Christ by the will of his father and of his free loue came into the world and became a man that where man had sinned by man might come deliuerance from sinne But because we men were wicked void of strēgth he was also God that he might be able perfectly to saue vs And so being God and man he was a fit mediator to make peace that where by sinnes we were enemies to God he being righteous suffering for vs payd the ransome for our sins and as God being the son of God was apt to reconcile vs vnto his father being beloued of his father his doing and suffering set vs free from the curse of the law the wrath of God and brought vs so far into Gods fauor that by him we are made righteous adopted children to his father and heires vnder hope of his euerlasting kingdom in al things in and through faith in him our harts being purified God is wel pleased with vs. In which office he is a priest and a king In his priestly office first as a prophet he bringeth vnto vs the oracles and word of God and secondly performing perfect obedience he offereth himselfe an immaculate lambe a pure and vndefiled sacrifice for our sins and continually maketh intercession for vs As he is King he hath all power in his hands he is Lord and head of his church and ruleth it by his word and spirit and sitteth and raigneth at the right hand of the glorie of God til all his enemies which are the enemies of his church be destroied and al things being restored hee will deliuer vp his kingdome into the hands of his father that God may be all in all This person and office of Christ being thus briefely but faithfully described See we now whether it be not that ancient faith which was taught Abraham First for the godhead of Christ a Gen. 18. he appeared vnto Abraham in the plaine of Mamre where one of the three angels is called Iehouah which is proper vnto God onely And againe b Cap. 22. when he offered vp his son Isaack an angel called to him from heauen saying Now I know thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onley sonne this must needs bee vnderstood of the son of God for the father is no where entituled by the name of an angel but the son is c Esai 63.9 els where called The angel of Gods presence and by special name d Dan. 10.21 Michael our prince which is by interpretation who like God which fitly declareth his godhead for so is it said in the Psalmes e Psal 89.8 O Lord God of hosts who is like vnto thee a mighty God and thy truth is about thee Secondly the manhood of Christ to bee assumed by Christ in the fulnes of times was taught Abraham when God preached the Gospel to him saying In thy seed which argueth the incarnation of the sonne of God that he should be made man of the seed of Abraham as it is expounded by the holie ghost saying f Heb. 2.16.17 He in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Wherefore in all thinges it became him to be like his brethren c. that is to say seeing he came to saue man whom he would make his brethren by adoption it became him to take the seed of Abraham that he might be a verie true and naturall man his office is directly taught in that All the families of the earth by him should bee made blessed that is deliuered out of that cursed estate of original
it were one sheepfold wherof Christ alone is sheapheard And therefore the Church of the fathers before the law the Church of the Iewes vnder the law and of the gentiles vnder the gospell are not three Churches but one in one felowship with God by one Sauiour Iesus Christ as it is written a Ephes 1 1â— That in the dispensation of the fulnes of times he might gather in one all things both which are in heauen and which are in earth euen in Christ Then must it needs follow that distance and difference of time place nation or language doth not disanul this vnitie so long as it may be said a Act. 15.9 God put no difference between them and vs after that by faith he had purified their hearts By vniuersalitie we vnderstand that the Church is not tied vnto any one place person nation or language citie or countrie but as Saint Peter saith b Act. 10.31 In euerie nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him How be it in the dispensation of times there is some difference for it pleased God for the wickednesse of the nations for a time to place his holy oracles couenantes in that one nation of the Iewes vntill these last daies when Christ came and tooke away the partition wall and opened the kingdome of heauen for all people to enter in and to bee made one church with the Iewes Yet although the sinnes of the gentils did shut them out for a season God so disposed it that the time of the fathers and Moses the prophets do witnesse that now in the end of the worlde they should bee admitted into the same fellowship and no nation barred from being of the Church of God The last point in the nature of the church is the chiefest without which they cannot be the church for it is Christ c 1. Pet. 3.18 that bringeth vs to God And as S. Paul saith d Ephe. 2.18 we both that is Iews gentils haue an entrance to the father by one spirit Therefore this is the true proper and onely being nature of the church That e Gal. 3.26 we are all the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ haue f 1. Ioh. 1.3 fellowship one with an other in the fellowship which we haue with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ Now this faith and fellowship doth appeare to the world by our profession that is commonly seene and discerned in all constituted churches by these two marks Gods word and sacraments And this thou mayest directly learne in the story of Abraham first for the nature of the church where God preached the gospell to him there he describeth what it should be First the vniuersalitie when he saith all nations or families of the earth secondly the vnitie wheÌ„ he propoundeth theÌ„ vnited in one seed in one the same happines And lastly seeing that this seed is Christ and this happines is the blessed estate wee haue in the fellowship with God in whose presence as the g Psal 16. â—â— psalme saith is the fulnes of ioy It must needs follow that God herein taught Abraham that this should be the nature of his church To bee in his fauour by fath in Iesus Christ This verie thing in all these three respectes was further shewed him h Gen. 17. in the change of his name addition of circumcision as is plainely expounded by S. Paul in the fourth to the Romanes Then as touching the marks Abraham professed the true and liuing God faith in Iesus Christ which is testified i Gen. 18. 12. 15. by teaching his familie the way of the Lord that is the word of God sacraments by his altar circumcision sacrifices so was Abrahams house knowen to be the visible church of God as it is written k Gen. 20.22 1 Cor. 14.25 God is with thee in all that thou doest And verily such is the church of England which hauing bin taught of God as Abraham was doth also beleeue concerning the Church of God in the verie same maner For we say that l Apolog. part We beleeue that there is one Church of God and that the same is not shut vp as in times past among the Iewes into some one corner or kingdome but that it is catholike and vniuersall dispersed through out the whole world So that there is now no nation which may truely complaine that they be shut out and may not bee one of the church people of God and that this Church is the kingdome the bodie and the spouse of Christ and that Christ alone is the prince of this kingdome and that Christ alone is the head of this bodie and that Christ alone is the bridegroome of this spouse And againe a Artic. 19. of the church The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure worde of God is preached and the sacraments bee duely ministred according to Christes ordinance c. Which our beliefe if you marke it nothing differeth from that of Abrahams time and is further confirmed by Moses Moses tought Israel this vnitie and fellowship of faith in one Church when hee gaue them b 1. Cor. 10.1.2 all one spirituall Manna and made them all drinke of the spirituall rocke which followed them which rocke was Christ and he taught them that there should be an vniuersalitie namely that the gentils should bee of the church as well as they together with them where he saith c Deut. 32.43 Sing ye gentils with his people Which the d Rom. 15.10 Apostle doth interprete to meane the calling ingrafting of all nations into the same fellowship of the Church The markes are cleare in his time For they had the preaching of e Deut. 4. vers 6. Gods word and nothing els and the administration of such sacraments as God did ordaine for that time as the f Exod. 12. passeouer and other sacrifices therefore Moses taught constituted no other church then is before described But the Prophets open this matter more fully in many places but I wil onely recite that where God saith concerning Christ g Esai 49.6 It is a small thing that thou shouldest be my seruant to raise vp the tribes of Iacob to restore the desolations of Israel I wil also giue thee for a light that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the world Where is plaine to be seene the vniuersalitie of the Church in that all nations are restored in and by Christ as well as the Iewes the vnitie and felowship with God is plaine in that one Christ saueth Iewes and gentils Wherefore in anohter place it is said h Zachar. 13.1 In that day there shal be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Hierusalem for sinne and for vncleanesse i Cap. 14.8
good Reader what I say and be not partiall And first of all they seeme to be neerest the truth in that which I haue placed for the first article the faith and doctrine of the trinitie and in words speake verie distinctly both in Canons decrees decretals and also in other writings So that some notable learned men hold them sound in this matter and others goe further that by this and one or two more they would draw them into the holie communion of Saints But if in these they are as Ioab onely in words and that their hands strike through this doctrine so that in the harts of men this doctrine cannot liue because they are taught and beleeue and doo such things as ouerthrow the same then are they not to bee helde and reputed sound in this article And first touching the the vnitie in the godhead whosoeuer giueth that to any other thing which is natural and essentiall vnto god he maketh that other thing to be god so consequently if the sea of Rome do so to any creature they make mo gods then one But that they ascribe to creatures that which is proper essential to God may be seen in three things First in the virgin Marie the Saints first they a Hone in laud. beat vir Mar. ad vsum Rom. cal her the Queen of heauen Mater gratiae mater misericordiae mother of grace and mother of mercie domina angelorum lady or mistres ouer the angels princeps mundi regina prince and Queen of the world they say vnto her Virgo singularis inter omnes malis nos culpis solutos mites fac castos c. O virgin singuler amōg al make vs being freed from al faults gentle chast giue vs a pure life prepare vs a safe way that seeing Christ we may alway reioice together vnto her Io. theuangelist they pray Vobis duobus ego miserimus peccator c. vnto you two I a most miserable sinner comēd this day my body my soul that at al houres momēts you wold vouchsafe to be my sure keepers deuout intercessors vnto god vnto Peter they say b Miscate Roman S. Aug. S. Pet. ad vincent Alleluia Solue iubente deo terrarū Petro catenus c. loose O Peter by Gods cūmand the chains of the earth who openest the heauenly kingdoms to the blessed of Frances the minorite they say c Lib. confor mit Franc. ad vitam xli lib. 1. sunct 4. lib. 2. funct 3. cordiū vidit arcana he saw the secrets of the harts al things created were obediēt vnto him they which hold the leading of blessed Frāces cannot be ruled by the darknes of error by the light infused grāted him of god men are so enlightned that the cōscience of one man is naked to an other Now if it be properly apertaining to theuerlasting being al sufficiēcy of god as his word teacheth to be gouernor of the world Lord of angels father of mercie and grace to make a man gentil chast and pure in life to be euery moment keeper of bodie and soule to open heauen to know the harts to whom all creatures are obedient Then it followeth that seeing by their custome of praier and otherwise they giue these things to the virgin Marie and to Saints they vnderhand ouerthrow the doctrine of one God and make many Gods And when they make a Test Rein. Reuel cap. 2. ver 22. Compendium cor terta D. Ioh. Bunder tit 23. Arti. 11. Non visit quis dinum Iob vt scabie careat Saints patrons of countries as Peter Paul ouer Rome and healers of disseases as Iob to cure the scabbe what other thing do they but as the heathen did make seuerall Gods for seuerall offices Secondly this making of many Gods may be seene in the Pope For of him they say b Gratian. decret pars 2. caus 17. quest 4. cap. Si quis nemini Greg. decretal lib. 1. de translat Episc tit 7. cap. 3. Gloss 16. De iudicio summi pontificis disputare non licet it is not lawful to dispute of the iudgement of the hiest Bishop c Non homo sed Deus seperat quos R.P. not man but God seperateth whom the Bishop of Rome seperateth c. which is declared by the glose that hereof he is said Habere celeste arbitrium ideo etiam naturam rerum immutat c. to haue an heauenly iudgement and therefore also he changeth the nature of things applying the substantial of one thing vnto an other he can make of nothing somthing and the sentence which is nothing he maketh somthing in those things he wil his will is to him in steed of reason neither is there any man that can say vnto him why dost thou so for he can dispense aboue law he can make iustice of iniustice by correcting the lawes and changing them and he hath the fulnes of power But I will not load the reader with that which here might bee alleaged onely I desire him to consider whether the Pope doo not herein arrogate the power and maiestie of God For what can be said more of God then that we may not dispute of his iudgement that hee hath the heauenlie iudgement power to giue sentence to change the nature of things to make nothing somthing to make iniustice iustice to dispence with law and to haue such fulnes of power that his wil is lawe and reason and no man can say why dost thou so is such a thing the gift of God to any man doo they not make the Pope another God or els a fourth person in the Trinitie The third thing is the sacrament wherin this blasphemie of making pluralitie of gods is also to be seene For when they say Cstrists bodie in the sacrament consecrated at one time in a thousand places or if it should happen ouer all the world that then in all those places is one the same Christs bodie that realie trulie and wholy yet the scripture teacheth he is truly really wholie at the right hand of his father in heauen let wise learned men consider wheather this be not to make a new God of the manhood or body of Christ to giue that to his manhood which belongeth to his Godhead of which it is said * Psal 139.7 He is in the heauens he is in hell and he is in the vtmost part of the sea Againe when they say of the priest in consecrating when they speake best that he maketh the bodie and blood of Christ do they not giue vnto him more then the power of a creature And yet being not content with this they feare not to adde and to say a Sermon discip ser 111. Sacerdos est altior regibus faelicior angelis creator creatoris The preest is hier then kings happier then angels and creator of his creator Tel me if this be not to make the priest
as they confesse not found in holy scriptures cannot bee good if the first part of their rule be true Secondly if it be of the nature of the scripture as we haue proued to containe all things necessarie to saluation and some of these as their dreadfull sacrifice of the masse rites in baptisme confirmation purgatorie prayers for the dead c. are by popish doctrine necessarie to saluation and yet are not to be found in holy scriptures then it followeth that they are contrarie to the law of God when they stand vp to shew themselues auaileable to saluation because they falsely accuse the scripture not to containe all thinges necssarie to saluation yea they accuse the scripture of a lie when it saith c 2. Tim. 3.15.16.17 They are able to make thee wise vnto saluation and that the man of God may bee perfect and absolute vnto euerie good worke But what can bee more contrarie to the law of God then to make his inspired word written to tell a lie Here then by their owne rule fall downe their traditions forged vpon Christ and his Apostles and presumed by their Church and if the scripture bee true there can and ought to bee no such thing and therefore of necessitie by their owne doctrine these are but deuises of men traditions not good Now for the second part of this first braunch of their rule where they say that the naughtie traditions are verie neere occasions of sinne These traditions breake that rule also For beside that they are all sinne in that God neuer commaunded them and come vnder that checke d Math. 15.2 In vaine they worship mee teaching for doctrines mans precepts they can neuer denie by any good reason but that by these traditions they giue occasions of sinne many waies As in Baptisme men cannot discerne the true worke of Baptisme for the multitude of ceremonies vnto which are giuen the verie power and operation of Baptisme by the sacrifice of the masse relickes images and praying to Saintes they are ledde vnto sinne being directly against that commandement which saith a Math. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And their vowes of chastitie and single life giue occasion of all filthinesse buggery and murder and sodomitrie But if in these traditions there be a direct and particular contradiction to holy scripture then where is their foundation as for example the holy scripture saith b Heb. 18. There remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne they say the sacrifice of the masse is for the quicke and the dead the holy scripture saith it is c 1. Tim. 4.1 a doctrine of deuils to forbidde meates and mariage These traditions make priesthoode vowes and holding the childe at Baptisme to hinder marrige and that Lent and ember daies must not see any flesh and that for conscience sake The scripture saith thou d Precep 2. Exod. 20. shalt make no image nor worshippe them and they say thou mayest and oughtest to worship them And there are a great many more as is before apparant to bee seene whereof I thought good to giue the reader a taste that hee might the better remember what hath beene before written For the second part of the rule to knowe a naughtie tradition to be of men and not of God they say it is naught if it bee derogatorie to the glorie of Christ I pray you looke vpon all and euerie of these traditions and you shall find that they are set forth for merite and remission of sinnes for satisfaction and iustification All which as is before proued are the glorie of Christ because there is e Act. 4.12 no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby a man may bee saued These being newe names challenging that which belongeth to him cause men to giue his glorie vnto others And therefore by this rule seeing they derogate from the glorie of Christ they are no good traditions but meere inuentions of men not sufferable in the Church of God Lastly they are friuolous and burdenous c. which is the third part of their rule to know traditions to be of man do but looke vpon the number If f Gratians decrees one booke can shew vs 3090. decrees whereof most of them be of these traditions and that there be besides these in decretall and extrauagants I cannot tell how many thousand more then how can they auoid the name of burden And as for their profite if wee may iudge by holy scriptures which teacheth that g Heb. 1.3 Christ by himselfe purgeth our sins What profit can there be in any or all of these except we may say that Christ hath not purged our sinnes But their owne conscience telleth them there is no need of them As for example when they can h Manipul curat cap. 8. de annex bapt say of all the rites of tradition in Baptisme that they are not of the essence of Baptisme because that without them Baptisme may bee well giuen in case of necessitie which hauing as great a warrant as any of the rest wee may verily conclude that they are all but friuolous and superfluous ouerspreading outslippes of mens deuises What shall we then determine of this goodly popish trash but that they cannot be ancient autentical after Gods word seeing they cannot agree to their owne rules whereby they would proue them to be of God Therefore that is most blasphemous that they call the worde of God as it is in the holy bookes dead incke in comparison of their tradition vnlesse it be warranted by tradition and vnderstood in the sence of the mastership of their church Wee are then come thus farre that poperie is a tradition not written with dead incke in Gods holy bookes but some other kinde of doctrine which by their owne rules cannot bee found worthy the name of a good tradition and therefore a meere deuise of mans foolishnesse that is to say verie fables much displeasing and abhominable in the holy eyes of almightie God 4 Now let vs looke into the particulers Heere come the a Antididagma printed at Louan 1544. reuerend Canons of Colen who in the generall ioyning with this great clearke Peresius in many things crie with him Traditum est or traditum tenemus that is it is a tradition or wee hold it a tradition And this they doe where they are to shewe their originall and in deede it is an easie matter to maintayne any foolish or wicked thing by such a deuise yet are these learned men of Colon content to tell vs one or two originalles First b Pag. 70. they say It is true that Christ gaue the Sacrament to his Apostles vnder both kindes of breade and wine and that the church obserued that order a long time after therefore they teach vs that to keep the cup from the common people is but new learning So also they c Pag. 143. say their holy daies reckning by name 22.
it is not of the willer nor of the runner but that we be saued it is of God which hath mercie Tenthly to confesse that pardon is geuen to them that aske according to the grace and mercie of God not according to their merites seeing the Apostle sayth that repentance it selfe is the gift of God where he saith of certaine men least God should giue them repentance which catholike faith is contrary to the new religion of Rome in those things First for the preparation vnto grace and workes of condignitie for they say then grace were no grace Secondly for the concurrence of free will to worke with the grace of God so to merite for they giue all to Gods grace and all pardon and saluation to Gods free mercie Loe here christian reader thou seest that the papists can tell vs of the particuler originall of the most part of their trumperie that the old christian churches in their counsels determinations were protestants touching the authoritie of Bishops and prouinces touching mariage eating of flesh priuate masse and receiuing the communion touching the holie scriptures and the reading of them touching weomens Baptisme and appeales to Rome and touching the grace of God freewill and merite therefore the heresie of the church of Rome being gathered since those primatiue times must needs be of a new generation lately sprong vp and come abroad into the worlde 5 And that thou maist yet further see Poperie hath lost the life breath of christianitie how they haue lost the verie life and breath of all religion and so are cleane fallen away from being any member in Christs church and to haue no part in the communion of Saints as in any sort to be called Gods visible people I wil shew thee fiue other points which are fundamentall and so farre of the foundation of christian religion that without them no man can be a mēber visible nor inuisible of the catholike church wherein thou shalt see that the protestant was the ancient true primatiue christian church of God Fiue fundamental points of christianity rased by poperie the papist a verie apostata comming in deed of a contrarie race euen of the very stocke of antechrist The first is of adoring God only the second of the condition of the couenant with God on our behalfe the third of the seales of the couenant the fourth of the writings of the couenant the fift of the soueraigntie and headship of Christ ouer his church And that these are foundamental consider with me that in the * 2. Idolatrie first they breake the spiritual wedlocke with God which giue his worship and honor to idols and images as thou mayst see God in a Cap. 16. Ezechiel complaining and saying Thou hast taken thy faire Iewels of my gold and of my siluer which I had giuen thee and madest to thy self images of men and diddest commit whooredom with thē c. * Merits of workes 2. In the second when they ioine workes and the fulfilling of the commandements with faith for they shut themselues from the righteousnes in the couenant whereby they should reioice with God as the Apostle saith b Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioice but not with God yea they abrogate the grace of God and make Christ die in vaine as the same Apostle teacheth saying c Gal. 2.21 I doo not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without a cause * 3. Sacramēts In the third they annihilate and ouerthrow Christs institution in the seales of the couenant by their transubstantiation and vnbloudie sacrifice adored and make but a fanatical body of Christ and an imaginatie manhood where as Christ saith d 1. Cor. 11.24.25.26 Doe this in remembrance of me and Saint Paul expoundeth it saying As often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lords death till he come For if he bee contained in heauen as Saint Peter e Act. 3. 21. saith till the restoring of al things and that this sacrament is to remember and shewe his death till hee come what is it but a newe institution when they say it is turned into his person and adore him as present and what can that bodie or manhood which is in heauen bee in the sacrament really and corporally any otherwise but in fansie and imagination seeing in the same till he come to iudgement he is in heauen In the * 4. Scriptures fourth they blot out the writinges of the couenant when as Christ a Mat. 15. sayth They make the lawe of God of none effect by their traditions while they equall their own deuises with the written word of God make it in sufficient to saluation and set the church which shoulde bee ruled by it and obedient to it to be aboue it the people aboue the lawe and the ladie vnder the handmaide * 5. Supremacy Lastlie they commit treason against the person of Christ when they set the pope in his place without his assignement that a mortall man shoulde bee head of the vniuersall Church and bodie of Christ For Christ onely is called b Eph. 1.22.28 1. Cor. 3.11 The head in all thinges ouer his Church and the foundation thereof excluding all other Nowe then seeing that there can bee no foundation of Christianitie nor Church of God where the couenant is broken by spirituall whooredome and where there is no reioicing with God and the grace of God and Christ death is made vaine and where the seales of Gods letters patentes and his glorious image which is Christ is defaced and his holie writinges blotted and abased and man aduanced in the chaire of the son of God and office of Christ it must needes followe that they being guiltie in these thinges there cannot bee any part of the visible Church of Christ amongest them I thinke it therefore good to take some more paines in these fiue points that thou maist see howe that in the first primatiue ages the Catholike truth was to be founde amonge the Christian protestants and that the popishe heresie in these pointes came vppe afterwardes to bee openlie seene and closelie grewe vnder them Consider therefore good Christian reader what I say and the Lord giue thee the spirit of true discretion and wisedome in all that thou readest First in the question of adoring God the papist thinke they doo not commit fornication because they haue a fine shift to say they doe not adore the image as to account it their God to put their trust in it but onely reuerence it as a representation of God by bowing before it kissing it praying before it c. they adore him which the image representeth And they thinke themselues verie wel discharged from idolatry seeing their images are not dedicated vnto diuels and false Gods but vnto the true God Christ and his Saints
which deliuereth by the bloud of Christ because he is blessed whose sinne is remitted pardoned Hierome n 390. ioyneth close vnto him and o Vpon Rom. 4. saith God iustifieth by faith onely the wicked man when he conuerteth and not workes which hee hath not And againe vpon p Vpon Gal. 3. these wordes Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse he saith so also vnto you onely faith is sufficient vnto righteousnesse And a little after Because that in the law c. because no man keepeth it therefore it is said that by faith onely the beleeuers are iustified S. Augustin a Anno 400. homil 6. Vpon these words loue your enemies standeth vp as it were with him and protesteth No man is made iust but of a sinner as wee haue often song blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen hee said not blessed are they which not committed sinne but blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen them For if thou aske who hath not committed thou shalt find no man Whereby then shall any man be blessed vnlesse he bee pardoned that he hath done and couered that hee hath committed And a little after Thinke not that by thy merites thou art made such an one because the grace of God hath made thee such an one The Milenitane councell doeth b Anno 420. close vp this faith when it will haue nothing giuen to mans will or workes but ascribeth all to the mercie grace of God as is shewed but a little before c Anno 450. sermo 30. Petrus Chrysologus expoūdeth this matter by the cause where he saith Non veni vocare iustos I came not to call the righteous but sinners he putteth not backe the iust but because that without Christ no man is counted iust in the earth I came not to call the righteous but sinners in so saying hee putteth not backe the righteous but because hee findeth all men sinners harken to the Psalmist The Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men that hee might see if there were any that vnderstood or sought after God all haue gone out of the way c. Let vs bee brethren let vs be sinners by our owne confession that by the pardon of Christ we may not be sinners Theophilact commeth d Anno 760. some pretie while after and yeeldeth to this veritie saying vpon e Vpon 3. vers 11. these wordes And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God c. he hath therefore shewed that men are made accursed by the law and are vnder the curse but the blessinges are heaped vp by faith Now he doth plainely shew that verie faith yea euen alone hath in it selfe the vertue of iustifying c. The ordinarie glosse vpon the bible ioyned with Lyra being of f Lyra wrote about 1320. later and more corrupted time by euidence of truth is drawne to the same confession g Vpon Rom. 3 4. saying Workes follow him that is iustified but do not go before him that is to bee iustified but by onely faith without workes going before a man is made iust And againe Vnto him who hath not time to worke if he beleeue onely faith is sufficient to righteousnesse Bernard h Bernardus Clarenallensis liued in Anno 1120. liuing some good time before this finding the same truth in Gods booke giueth like witnesse i Vpon Cantic sermon 22. saying Quisquis propeccatis compunctus esurit c. Whosoeuer being pricked for his sinnes doth hunger and thirst for righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee who dost iustifie the wicked being iustified onely by faith he shall haue peace with God Here the Christian reader may see that protestantes flourished in the primitiue church and that the ages after did not want witnesses of this truth Now if I be asked how the opinion of righteousnesse by workes came into the Christian societie and corrupted it I desire the reader to cast his eies vpon the matter it selfe consider with me that the way of saluation is Christ only he is made ours by faith for vnlesse wee learne beleeue in Christ we can not be saued The deuill therfore by all meanes hath laboured to keepe men from the knowledge of Christ first he drew away the wise learned of al nations many ages together that they thought themselues happie by their wisdome vertue lawes works with other deuises but knew not the true God and the righteousnes saluation which is by Christ yet God hauing an eye to his elect whom he called maugre the malice of sathan this was otherwise in the church of God And God called and taught Abraham a Gal. 3.8 the gospel namely that men should be righteous by faith onely Here the Deuil hath a new worke and in processe of time vnder colour of the righteousnes of the law he caused the church of the Iewes to fall from God by forsaking faith and seeking to bee iust by their workes for as Saint Paul witnesseth Rom. 9.31 Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse could not attaine vnto the law of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the law Heere God resisted Sathan and opened the way of life vnto all nations For in the fulnesse of time when the promise of the gospell vnto Abraham of iustifying the gentiles through faith was now to be accomplished God sent forth his sonne to be the light of the world and he his Apostles preached repentance to all nations and taught them righteousnesse saluation by faith in Christ onely And then as S. Paul also teacheth c Vers 30. The gentils which followed not righteousnesse attained vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnesse which is of faith Here the Deuil bestirreth himselfe and first euen in the Apostles time hee raiseth vp the Iewes who being d Act. 21.20 zealous for Moses fight eagerly for the law e Gal. 3.1.2.3 and that the workes of Gods commandements be ioyned vnto faith f 1. Thess 2.14 15.16 or to bee aduanced aboue faith Against which Saint Paule laboureth and writeth to the Romains and Galathians most strongly proouing that onely faith in Iesus Christ doth iustifie that God had so decreed it by his word c Act. 15. and the Apostles by a counsell determine that the Gentils are free from the law of Moses Afterward the diuel prepared diuers heretikes to this battaile who in diuers sortes assayled this faith some fighting against the person of Christ as Simon Magus and Arius and their followers some stroue for their owne perfection and righteousnes as Ebion Pelagious Donatus Cathari and such like Against all which God stirred vp learned valiant and faithful men who defended and maintained the faith by the sword of the spirit and kept it found many yeres so that the heretickes preuailed not But in this verie time
is betweene the Sunne and the Moone so much is there betweene the King and the pope h Gratian distinct 34. cap. lector in gl distinct 82. cap. presbit in gl caus 15. quest 6. cap. authoritatem in gl the pope dispenseth against the lawe of nature and against the Apostle i Distinct 96. cap. satis euidenter the Pope can not bee loosed at all nor bound by the seculer power seeing he is called God and it is manifest that God cannot bee iudged of men And they k Decretal Greg. lib. 1. de elect tit 6. cap. 4. arrogate that no counsell should set a law vnto the Romish Church seeing as they say all counsels are both made and receiue strength after the authoritie of the Romish church and in their statutes the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome is particularly excepted Where the wise Christian reader may see a maruellous ouerspreading growth euen the image of Antechrist made equall with God and set farre aboue all power amongst men aduauncing it selfe aboue all that is called God The noysomnesse of which ouer ranck and shadowing braunches keeping the earth bare and the Sunne from shining the papistes themselues found to bee most grieuous and intollerable and therefore they are faine to lop top it and to pare away many vntimely boughes and shaddowing boughes For that I speake nothing of the imperiall English or Frence lawes if you reade the counsels of a Ann. 1413. Constance and of b Anno. 1431. Basill thou shalt find many proynings and cuttinges of this monstrous bryer First three Popes at once as vnprofitable heades chopped of and cast by The papall dignitie made to stoope vnder the generall counsell translations procurations exemptions vnions fruit gathering simony dispensations tenthes and other burdens of the Church excommunications interdictions appeales annuattes possessions reseruations and collaions of benefices with the number and qualitie of Cardinalles partly lopped partly proined partly set in order limited as the wisedome of that erring generation being by much vexation and miserie compelled did thinke for their owne peace and worldly safetie to be most conuenient But all this did but little hinder his monstrous ouerspreading for by and by c Anno 1455. Calixtus the 3. maketh a law that no man appeale from the Pope to the general counsel And d Anno 1470. Paulus the second sprowteth out this new sprig of blasphemie that in the chest of his breast all right and law did rest to ordaine and abolish decrees as he listed About Ann. 1512. And Pope Iulius the second and Leo the 10. in a counsell held at Lateranum vndo al again and set this brier to his climing And that we may plainely see that this is the verie apostasie of which the scripture speaketh f Reade Baleus de act pontif This Iulius being a great warrier and going out of the citie with his armie cast the keye of Peter into the riuer Tiber with these words Because the keye of Saint Peter is no more of worth let the sword of Paul preuaile And this Leo the tenth being put in mind of the gospell of Christ by a certaine Cardinall called Bembus answered according to his place and said How much that fable of Christ hath profited vs and our fellowship it is sufficiently knowen to all ages What Iew what Turke what Heathen what Atheist could euer haue beene more blasphemous But here God ariseth to maintaine his owne cause and by Luther Melancthon and many others hee bloweth and blasteth consumeth and beateth downe the beautie and blossomes of this presuming bramble with the powerfull and pearcing breath of his own mouth which is his gospell contained in the holy scriptures of the old and new testament Wherein wee may see the deuine prouidence of our most wise and gracious God taking the matter into his owne hand in a fitte and necessarie time for now when they began like the tower of Babilon to reach vp vnto heauen then did he confound them make their madnes openly seene to all the worlde whereof Erasmus giueth a verie good aduertisement who liuing himself in the same time affirmeth saying g Annotat. Erasm vpon 1. Pet. 5. Now the common sort of Bishops heareth nothing of their learned flatterers but lordships dominions swordes keyes powers and hereof the statelinesse of some is more then of a king and their crueltie more then tyranicall Now wee flatter the bishop of Rome with great volumes giuing vnto him a power equal to Christ whereby it commeth to passe that the Christian world one day will scarce abide the rule and ruffling and scarce suffice the couetousnesse of him and his Cardinals And this Erasmus although the papistes hold him as their owne a Vpon 1. Tim. 1. complaineth not a little of the ouerspreading of this newe learning For hee sheweth that they spent their whole time in friuolous and vnnecessarie which were more pertaining to learning to bee vnknowen then knowen For the Diuines of those times made great adooe about both friuolous and wicked questions Friuolous as whether the grace wherewith God doth loue and draw vs and wherewith wee loue him againe be the same grace And how it can be that the fier wherewithall the soules of the wicked shal be tormented seeing it is materiall can worke vpon a thing without bodie And wicked questions touching God and touching the Pope touching God whether God can command euerie euill thing euen the hatred of himselfe and forbid euerie good thing euen the loue and worshippe of himselfe Whether hee can in acte bring foorth an infinite thing according to euerie dimension Whether hee could from euerlasting make this worlde better then hee hath made it Whether hee could bring foorth a man who by no meanes could sinne Whether God in any thing from himselfe distinct be one Whether this proposition be possible God the father hateth God the sonne Whether the soule of Christ might bee deceaued and many such like c. Now of the power of the bishop of Rome men dispute hee saith in a maner more busily then of the power of God While they doe enquire of his double power and whether he bee the vniuersall head of the whole Church and whe he be aboue the generall counsell and whether he may abrogate that which is decreed in the Apostles writings Whether he may ordaine any thinge contrarie to the doctrine of the gospell whether he may make a new Article in the creede Whether he haue greater power then Peter or equall Whether he may command the Angels whether he may take away purgatorie as they call it altogether Whether he be a simple man or as God or participate both natures with Christ Whether hee bee more mercifull then Christ was seeing that hee is not read to haue called any man out of the paines of purgatorie Sixe hundred things saith Erasmus of that sort are disputed in great published volumes and that by great diuines