by fayth and he that hath Iesus Christ hath all it foloweth that by him onelye our consciences haue wherein to be so pacified and so well contented and fullye satisfyed that namely we haue wherein to reioyce in our afflictions for as much as we knowe and be assured that they come not to vs at aduenture but bee sente of hym whoe hath reconciled vs vnto hymselfe by Iesus Christe entreating vs in the fame wyse that hee hath done hys owne Sonne and so by lyttle and lyttle to learne vs to hate sinne and despyse the worlde and moreouer by this meanes hee moueth vs to praye and call vnto him more earnestlye and deuoutlye and also chasticeth vs in trying and prouing our fayth and in fine maketh vs a shewe or a marke for all the world to looke at to declare how great is hys vertue and power in those which he hath armed and strengthened with his holye sririte Of the Church The fyft poynt 1. That there hath alvvaies beene and euer shall be a Church out of the vvhich there is no saluation ALl those thinges whereof we haue spoken to bee established and performed by the goodnesse of God be in vayne if there were not certaine people which felt and tasted of the fruict and commoditie hereof But for as much as Iesus Christ hath an eternall kingdome he can neuer be without subiectes it was meete then from the beginning of the world that there should be a church that is to saye a Congregation and assemble of people such as it hath pleased God to chuse by his grace y e which haue acknowledged and serued the true God according to his wyll by the meanes of Iesus Christ onely attayned by faith as it hath bene amply declared And wee must confesse moreouer by the same meanes that his Church and assemblye shal last for euer what soeuer assaults that all the Deuyls in hell can inuent or prepare against them Finallye it must be confessed necessarilye that wythout Iesus Christe there is no saluation And whosoeuer dieth not being a member of this congregation and assembly is excluded and locked out from Iesus Christe and from his saluation For the vertue to saue whiche is in Iesus Christ appertayneth not but to those whiche acknowledge him for their God and onely sauiour 2. There can be but one true church AS there is but one God â–ª one faith and one onelye Mediatour betwene God man euen Iesus Christe heade of his Churche So lykewise there can be but one Churche 3. VVherefore vve call the Churche catholyke FOr as much as God hath spred forth his Gospell that is to saye the preaching of saluation whiche is the Scepter of his kyngdome thorowe the vniuersall worlde and hath chosen of all nations such as séemed good to him For this cause there ought to bée confessed one catholike Church that is to saye a vniuersal Church Not that it comprehendeth al men generally for the greatest parte be not of it but because the faithfull be dispersed ouer all the earth according as the Lord hath chosen them not beyng restrayned to any certaine place tyme nor nation 4. In vvhat thyng lyeth the communion of sainctes BEcause the churche hath but one onely Lord soueraigne prince all the faithful in what place soeuer they be dispersed be conioyned knyt together as y e burgesies or inhabitants of one communaltie being all partakers of y â— same pryuiledges that is to say of the goods and treasures of Iesus Christ who for this cause is called their head as they be called the members of hym for that hee only by his vertue vniting and ioyning them to himselfe doeth quicken them iustifie them and sanctifye them wherfore none maye lawefully vse thys title head of the Churche but hee onely And beholde this is it that we call the communion or communaltye of sayntes For in the scripture this worde Sainte is attributed to all faithfull lyuing yet in this worlde for as much as they haue attained to Iesus Christ by fayth their onely righteousnes and sanctification 5. The churche hath but one heade that is to saye Iesus Christe to vvhome there needeth no lieu tenaunt IEsus Christ head of this Churche for the reason which we haue sayde wyll haue no companyon as the wyse woman in the scripture to the whiche the Church is compared hath but one Husbande and one body hath but one heade He hath no néede of any Successor for he is God lyuing eternallie nor any Vycar or Lieuetenaunt for wée haue all hys wyll by wrytinge And moreouer being God hée is euer present hym selfe in the myddest of hys Churche by his infinite power neuer departing from it as he him selfe hath promised â–ª which neyther Vycar nor Lieuetenaunt can doo And in déede the blindest man in the world may see whether those men hée toumbled and fallen beadlonge which woulde robbe or deprâ—ue Iesus Christe of this preheminence where as in déede they haue scarce one lyttle â—â—rner of the worlde to gouerne in comparyson of the whole worlde 9. The commuâ—ion of the Saintes letteth nor hindâ—râ—â—h not the diuersity of offyces amonge the faythfull IEsus Christe gouerneth his Churche so by his holye spirite that notwithstandyng he vseth men as instrumentes for to plant and to water as S. Paule speaketh moreouer be distributeth his giftes and graces diuerlly howe when and to whome seemeth good vnto him for the entertainment gouernment of all the bodye of the church in the whiche he wylleth all thynges to be done by good order and pollicy It is not Gods pleasure nor wyll that we should accept all the members of y â— church equal in their charges and offices and by this meanes brynge a confusion into the house of God But contrariwyse one of the principall differences that we haue with oure aduersaries is we require that the ecclesiasticall pollicie be established and set vp agayne according to the woorde of God with the aduyse and counsell of the auncient fathers whiche haue left vs theyr Canons for testimonies of the conduction and gouernement which they held in theyr tyme yet notwithstanding all thinges to be ruled by the worde of God â–ª and consider dilligentlye what thinges are expedient to be reteyned or to be altered for the edifycation of the Church For in matter of policye euerye man knoweth well that all thynges bee not conuenient in all tymes nor in al places marke I saye this is it that wee haue alwayes required and we yet earnestly require it But seing the negligence of manye and the small hope that we haue to bee prouided for in a generall or common consent force hath constrained certrine princes Lordes hauing knowen and seene the common disorders to prouide and sette orders in theyr owne countreyes as we doe sée Now they doe not well that fyll the eares of
buylding not beyng restrayned to any certayne Church or place as they haue dreamed of Saint Peter who by this meanes they haue made bishop in stéede of Apostle But being sent to preach thorowe out y ◠worlde according as the spirit of the Lord conducted lead them as the historie of the Actes of the Apostles declared And not as these falle legendes full not onely of folyes and lyes but also of blasphemies wherwith Sathan hath stuffed and fylled the church the Euangelystes were as coadiutors of the Apostles whome they followed as we sée of Sylas of Timothe and of S. Luke and others which ordinarelye accompanyed Saint Paule and were sent foorth and appointed by him as the necessity of the churches dyd requyre The Prophetes were restrained more to certaine places who had syngular giftes for to expound the secreetes of the scriptures and sometymes they had the gyfte to vnderstande and reueale thinges to come for to approue and confyrme by those myracles the doctrine of the Apostles in these first beginnings of the Church Then remaineth nowe to declare of the pastors and doctours whose office is necessarie and perpetuall in the Church of God in such measure as it pleaseth God We shall speake of those here particularly 15 Of the offyce of pastours and doctours THe charge and offyce of those in generall and namelie of pastors is to be diligent take he de to their doctrine vnder the which also we comprehend the sacraments to praier vnder the which also we vnderstand the blessing of mariages of the faithfull accordyng to the auncient custome of the Church although often tymes the deacons haue supplied that office of the administration of the sacramentes and also that which concerneth mariages al the which things Iesus Christe dyd vnderstande by byndinge and lowsynge shutting and opening and by the keyes of the kingdome of heauen which is a matter verye euyll vnderstoode as yet much worse practised For asmuch then as Heauen is proposed and set open to vs as a perpetuall dwellyng place and there is none other waye to go nor other gate to enter in then Iesus Christe And for so muche as the onelye meanes to haue Iesus Christe is fayth the which is created and preserued in vs by the holy Ghost thorow the preaching of the Gospell and the Sacramentes as it hath bene sayde heretofore Behold then wherfore it is sayd that the pastours or doctours to whome this worde and administration of sacramentes is committed haue the keye of the kingdome of heauen Because that by theyr preachings the worlde may be brought to eternall life hauing in their mouthes the word of reconciliation and trueth Moreouer because that our sinnes hold vs bound And the preaching of the Gospell annexed with the Sacramentes declareth to vs the delyuerance from sinne from death and from the deuyll For this cause it is sayde that the Ministers haue power to loose and to bynde with the authoritye of God But here must be noted the poynts that foloweth 26 The difference betweene Pastors and Doctours THe fyrst dyfference betwéene Pastours and doctours consysteth in this that the doctours ought to expounde the scriptures symplie truly ▪ for to haue the true vnderstanding and sence and also to examine the Cathacuminie that is to saye those which be yet learning the principles of Christian religion As Origen dyd in the Church of Alexandria But the pastors office extendeth yet further which is to minister true doctrine by preaching for the necessitye of the Church to teach to reproue to comfort and exhort accordyng as is requisite publikely and particularly making common prayers and also watchinge daye and nyght ouer theyr flocke whiche they be charged with to feede publykely◠and particularlye with the worde of lyfe 27 The pastours and doctours bee but instrumentes by the which God conducteth the ministerie of his worde THe second is that neither of them dyrectly doo eyther bynde or lose nor open nor shut the kingdome of heauen for it appertaineth to god only which hath made our harts to chaūge them and to drawe them it is hée onelye that geueth remission of sinnes ▪ to saue and dampne bodye and soule But for as muche as hée is serued with men to declare his worde and mynister his Sacramentes who be as troonckes or conduites thorow whom he destilleth and powreth his grace into the hartes of his electe so it appeareth that this is the cause that so excellent tyttles and testymonies haue bene attrybuted to the faithfull ministers of the Gospell Christe him selfe sayth He that despiseth you despiseth me hauing respect to him that worketh in them and by them As for the ministers being considered a parte by them selues it must come to this which Saint Paule sayde he that planteth he that watereth is nothing but God which geueth the encrease ther must also be a respect that the Ministers of God ve not despised and on the contrary not to extol them into Gods place nor set them in his steede as men do often times Yea euen those which be nothynge lesse then the Ministers of God how shall we do then Let vs follow S. Paule who in speaking of Pastors and doctors saide let euery one so estéeme of vs as the ministers of Iesus Christ and distributers of the secretes of God 28 The marckes and tokens of false doctours and pastours THe thyrde poynte lyeth in thys which S. Paule ioyneth in y ◠same text the whiche is required also on the Ministers parte that euerie of them be found faithfull Now we accoumpt not them for faithfull and so by consequent worthye of the honour due to the ministers nor yet to be accepted as ministers which haue not receyued y e office and charge of the Lord that is to say those which haue bene thruste in without consent as is appoynted by the Church And namely when the Lord geueth this grace in the worlde that there is a Churche erected excepte God doth stur vp some one or two extraordinaryly as he hath alwayes done when it séemeth good to him For howe shall they preache sayth Saynt Paule if they bée not sente And to saye trueth what earthly Prince is there that woulde allowe those thinges within his Realme which bee done without his commaundement Wherefore we doo exhort all faithfull to take dillygent heede and beware of those whiche contempne the ordynarie meanes of a lawfull and godly election which importeth a true and free examination of manners learning and doctrine without ambition or wicked meanes whensoeuer it shal please God to erect his order in any place of the world For when this order by gods iust iudgemēt cānot be kept it wilbe folly to hope for any reformation confirmed by them who be the very enemies of the Church Also all extraordinarie vocations ought to be suspected and
degrées Concerning publike offences S. Paul wylleth that they should be reproued publikely for to redresse the slaunder and also practysed it him selfe in reprouing S. Peter If the most easiest meanes can profite it sufficeth if not they must procéede frō degrée to degrée vntyl they come to the last remedy w t such discretion that principally the honour of God may be kept that all maye be done to the edification of the body of the Churche As for offences which concerne the ecclesiasticall order there be aūcient canons ordayned from degrée to degrée yet neuertheles the rygour ought to bee moderated and out of them to chose those which bee most connenient for to edifie 41 vvhat excommunication is what the right vse thereof is THe ecclesiasticall corrections hath to degrées the firste is admonition Sometime easye and sometime sharpe according as the offēce of the case requyreth The second and last degrée is that we call excommunication wherin must be noted the poynt folowing First what is excommunication We cal excōmunication a sentence wherby the ecclesiasticall Seniors after lawfull knowledge of the cause dooth declare in the name and authoritie of God and his holy word that such or such one or many be iustlye excluded and seperated from y e company or communion of the Saynts that is to say y e Church of God by consequent delyuered to sathan for asmuch as without the Church there is no saluation yet not to continue for euer but so long as they continue vnreformed and vntil that they haue satisfied for the slander or offence geuen Secondly it must be vnderstande that such a power is not groūded vpon man for man hath no manner of power ouer the soule but by the authoritye of God who vseth them in the Churche as organes and instrumentes by whome hee speaketh therefore it is not to be doubted but such sentences be ratified and confyrmed in heauen For as muche as Iesus Christ hath so sayde and promised to all his church in the person of hys xii Apostles vnder the name of keies of the kingdome of heauen and to bynde and vnbinde as also S. Paule practised the lyke with the Churche of Corinthe and others Yet neuertheles the Churche ought after lawful satisfactiō to receyue him again which hath bene cast out that is to saye if afterward be shall satisfy to the Church make amends for the publyke offence according to the ordinaunce of the Church sufficient proofes had of true amendment as farre foorth as man may iudge And there is no doubte but such absolutary sentence is ratifyed and confirmed in heauen Thirdly it is to be noted diligently that such authoritie neuer pertayneth to one man alone except God worketh at any tyme extraordinarilye but to the whole ecclesiasticall senate Fourthly this is not geuen to al those whiche call them selues of the Churche but to the true ecclesiastical senate lawfullye and cannonicallye elected as wee haue sayde for to gouerne the affayres of the Church The fift poynt is y ◠the very true ecclesiasticall senate cannot nor may not vse it at their wyls as we see al men be subiect to many infirmities But this power is lymitted appointed by the worde of God And for this cause Iesus Christ and his Apostles despised the excommunications of the Scrybes Pharisees And according to y e same Irene a most auncient Bishop of Lyons reproued verye sharplye the temerious excommunication which Victor Bishoppe of Rome made about the yeere of God a hundred nynetie and eight which declareth very well what was the primatiue or first be gynninge of the Byshoppes of Rome where as then they walked in vpryght conscience And there were other Bysshops y ◠vnderstoode their office and one of the causes that the prouincial and nationall counsels were ordained and holden for was to heare and decide the causes of those whiche complayned of theyr pastors Also it appeareth sufficiently thorowout the whole ecclesiasticall hystorye howe the Byshoppes in these cases ought to helpe one another to edyfye without ambition Beside this the Metropolitans ought to be content thēseues with their lymites and ought to doo nothyng without the deuise of theyr brethrē in their Iurisdiction But ambition hath so wrought that of longe tyme the Bishops of the principall townes and aboue all hée of Rome hath drawn all to themselues witnesseth the falsehood of Boniface whiche was discouered and reuealed at the Counsell of Carthage where as was S. Augustine where it was ordayned that those of the Clergie of Affrica which appealed ouer the sea to Rome should be deposed from theyr office For the sixt poynt it is to bee noted to what end excommunication was ordayned of God First that the church of God shoulde he as pure as might be possyble and that there myght be no occasion to think that it should be a refuge or den of the wicked Secondly for feare that the infected shoulde not defyle those whiche were whole Thirdly if it were possible y ◠the synner might bée brought home to the flocke againe It followeth then that this punishment must be applyed and vsed for to edifie as may be expedient and that there be good héede taken least they confounde the sinner by too much heauynes and sorowr when he geueth a sgyne of repentaunce but ther to mitigate the punishment when néede shall require ▪ 42 Of the ciuill and Christiā magistrate and to what ende his office tendeth IT resteth nowe to speake of Magistrates which bee in their estate the pryncipall members of the Churche ordained of God yea namely aboue al others in their estate To these appertayneth the doing execution of ciuyll and temporall affayres so as their subiectes maye lyue in peace By reason whereof the taxes and subsidies are due vnto them and to them appertayneth to vse the swoord which God hath geuen thē for the preseruation aswell of the countreyes which be committed to them as also for the defence and mayntenaunce of good lawes and punishment of the euyll and wicked doers Secondlye the duetye and offyce of the magistrates is not to regarde simplye the peace and concorde of subiectes but principallye for thys ende that the peace and concorde maye tende to the honour and glorie of God that all men maye lyue not onelye in a certayne ciuyll honestye but also with pyetie and true worshyppe of God ▪ as wytnesseth Saynte Paule For thys cause especiallye it appertayneth to the Magistrate that the Lawes whiche hée vseth and executeth maye bée conformable to the wyll of God and pryncipallye to geue order that the relygyon bee perfecte and holye and that all the Churche bee ordered accordynge to the woorde of God forbyddyng and punyshynge as the case requyreth All those which trouble the Churche or concerning the discipline thereof Also Dauid discribed the estate of a faithfull Prince
they came For beholde their owne proper wordes in the booke which they dyd offer to Pope Paule the thyrde in the yeare 1538. Intituled Concilium delectorum Cardinalium mendicantium ordines tollendos censemus omnes that is to saye We are of that opinion that all the orders of Mendicantes or beggyng Fryars ought to bée abolished Although a certayne Fryar of late dayes bathe Imprynted a Booke of the Counselles and hath put in Conuentuales ordines that is to saye the orders Couentuels It maye be thought hee dyd it to saue his owne order But what néede is it to enter into these puddelles Trulye they must needes be vtterlye blynde which seeke not onelye Christianitie but also the perfection of Christianity in such an hell But for this time to the ende we may declare what tytle they haue to meddle with preaching or with any manner of Ecclesiasticall charge or office I wyll desire them of fowre thinges The fyrste is if euer they haue bene compted but among those which they cal the Laitie euer since the Church was reformed let them declare The seconde let them deny and they can during the time namely of Gregory the fyrst that to be of the Cleargie and a Moonke were thinges intollerable except he renounced the Moonkerie But during suche tyme all Ecclesiastycall affayres of theirs were interdited The thyrde they deny that they bée subiectes to the Bishop within their Diocesse by the generall counsell of Chalcedon one of the whiche they themselues compare to the fowre Euangelists And if they alleadge their Priueledge of exemption let them shewe that the holye ghost doth euer deny or gainsay himself or that the Pope can abolysh the decrées of a generall counsell ratified and approued so many tymes and so autentike The fowrth let them declare if there be any idle monke that is to say which doth not his good wyll to get his liuing which is not an Apostata and periured by the contents and rules of his owne order These points answered it wyl be time to consyder what order they ought to keepe in their goodly Hierarchy 15 The Papists be manifestly culpable of rebellion against the magistrate THe impudentie of those whiche burden vs to be rebelles against kings Princes or other Magistrates is to much and to extréeme For concerning our doctrine it is cleane contrary as we haue declared in the sixt poynt And for experience wee make Iudges with our Princes and Lords all the whole world yea euen our cruell persecutours But if there be Anabaptists lybertines which do â—owe abroade the contrarie to defame the verity of the gospell be we in y e fault It is we onely that at this day do stryue inueigh against them more firmly and lyuely then all the rest of the world But what neede is it in this case to attrybute it to the Anabaptistes For there be no people in all the worlde lesse subiectes to kings and princes then those which burden vs falsely and against the truth For who is he that abaseth bringeth down kinges and Emperours vnder his féete And namely is there euer so vilaine a Moonke or so wicked a Priest in y e world that is not exempt from the iurisdiction of the secular magistrat as they cal him Let those here answer vs in stéede to accuse vs For consider what we saye and maintaine for asmuch as Iesus Christe himself hath practised although he were exempt being the sonne of God and the Apostle expresly coÌ„mauÌ„d that euery person shalbe subiect to the superior powers with a threate that hee whiche resysteth them resisteth God Also S. Peter hath ordained declared largely as foreseeing that which those should doo which falsely woulde be called his successours From whence think ye doth come their exemptions which they cal ecclesiastical these their temporall iurisdictions which haue destroyed the Church Those which now a dayes mayntayne thinke that in such things consisteth the prehemineÌ„ce of the Church be they not the same of whom s Iude hath spoken which folow y e flesh walking after their old filthy lustes contempning powers seignory which also bee audatious pleasers of them selues not hauing any fear or shame to coÌ„temne and dispise rulars powers If they wyl not beleue vs nor experience at the least let them heare what is written S. Chri. expouÌ„ding these words of S. Paul let euery person be subiect to y â— hyer powers this sayth he is ordained to the ecclesiasticals clergy and to Monks and not only to the seculars or laity although y â— were Apostle Euangelist or Prophete or any other whatsoeuer it be For thy obedieÌ„ce subiection doth not alter thy seruice towards God Behold also what S. Bern. hath written by what title saith he is it speaking of the temporal sword that the Pope selleth these thinges It is not according to the ryght vse Apostolicall For Saynt Peter coulde not geue that which he him selfe had not but he hath left to his successours that which he had to wete the care of the Churches Item sayth he your powers are not ouer possessions but ouer the synnes for as muche as ye haue receyued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen not for to be great Lordes but to haue the correction of vices Whiche dygnitie séemeth greatest to you To forgeue sinnes or to distrybute possessions There is no comparison These earthly superiorities haue theyr Iudges which be Kynges of the earth and wherefore vsurpe you the office dignities lymittes of other men Learne sayth he to haue a spade to delue and dresse the Vineyarde of the Lorde and not to beare a Scepter And yet more it is a cleare thing sayth he that all Lordshyppes is forbydden to the Apostles Go then thou which vsurpest the tytle of an Apostle in ruling Lordlike Go where as the authoritie and power is set in the Apostolyke seate Beholde the proper words of Saint Chrisostome and Saynt Bernarde whiche hearde not the blasphemies of Boniface the eyght and other such Monsters And if this sufficeth not let them adde to it the Epistles of saint Gregorie to the Emperor Maurice the aunswere of Pellagius Pope to Chyldebert 25. quest 1. Chapiter Satagendum and lykewise the aunswere of Leo the fowrth 2. q. 1. Chapiter nos si incompetenter By this shall appeare more cleare then the daye from whence theyr tyranny doth come whiche at this daye hath brought vnder them the kingdomes of the earth It serueth them to no purpose to alledge the donations and gyftes of Kynges besydes that whych they haue forged and make men beleeue what they lyst It is certaine that kings maye not nor ought not to chaunge the order whiche is establyshed of God that which hath deuyded and separated these two iurysdictions And also they cannot alledge prescription For there is no prescription against God Besydes that in them there is nothing to be had but most
then it foloweth that they sinned And who shal assure those of the lyke mercye which do as they did I omitte the manifest textes where such good ententes or meaninges be cursed of god consydering where no fayth is ther is nought but sinne and where there is no word of God there is no fayth but a lyinge and deceyuable opinion I would faiâ—â— knowe whether there be any Creditour that would be content and satisfied for his full payment that his dettâ—ur shoulde alledge that he had dreamed that hee had payed him Or if a Mayster had geuen by writinge hys whole mynde and wyll to one of hys seruauntes and had gyuen hym in charge and commaundement neither to ad to it nor to diminish it whether hee woulde bee content with his seruaunt that woulde not vouchesafe to read his remembraunce but trusting in his owne witte woulde doe al thinges after his owne will and mynde And neuerthelesse Christendome is thus led that to reade the Scriptures for to know the will of their Maister is heresye at this daye And if they aledge further that the common people haue no iudgemeÌ„t for to vnderstand y â— they do read howe happeneth it then that they teach not the Scriptures to the people to remedy that For the self same inconueniences haue bene in all ages â–ª And neuertheles the prophetes Iesu Christ nor the Apostles neither spake nor writ but in the commoÌ„ vulgar tonge which was then vnderstanded of all the people where they vsed And when wee saye that hee is not a Christian which knoweth not what he beleueth nor why and wherfore he beleueth it doo we saye that he muste read the scriptures without hearinge them syncerelye expounded of those whiche haue the charge office to doe it No but contrariwise we saye and also practyse it that the Pastours are bounde to feede theyr flockes with the worde of lyfe and that the flocke on their parte muste vnderstande and learne that whiche they teache them to be edified and comforted ther by Also they must take heede and beware of the false Prophets and wolfs And certeinly if this Lampe hadd alwayes burned cleare in the Churche of God they whiche at these dayes feare nothinge more then this lighte and whiche woulde take it from the common people to leade them still in their blindnes had not so muche preuailed as they haue For the kingdom of God is not a kyngedome of ignorance but of fayth and consequently of knowledge consyderynge that a man cannot beléeue that whiche hée knoweth not Briefelye for as muche as all Christians bee expresselye warned of Sainct Peter to bée in a readynesse to make aunswere to all those whyche demaunde a reason of theyr hope So it appeareth by this that the duetye of a true Chrystian is to haue ready and with him some briefe resolution and summe of the principall pointes of hys Religion and also some principall reasons whereby hee maye on the one parte confyrme and strengthen himselfe therein and on the other parte repell accordinge to his callinge the enemies of the truth and be ready to communicate his spirituall ryches with all men Wherevppon I beinâ— already of that mynde and besyde the sâ—me beinge required to render a reason of my faythe by a personage to whome nexte vnto God I am moste bounde to obey I haue of late composed and made this Treatyse which I haue intytuled A confession of the faith wherin I haue comprehended after the best order I coulde those thinges whych I haue learned in the Christian Religion by the reading of y e Byble with the conference of the moste faythefull Expositours At the first I made this but for mine own vse and to satisfie him who required of me But since partly by the aduyse of certayne good and learned meÌ„ and also being moued with certayne reasons whiche mee thought were of importance I was easely persuaded to haue it set abroade For fyrste I knowe that among those whiche persecute the Gospell of God in his members there be many that offende thorough ignoraunce whom it is very hard to make vnderstand how muche they be deceyued except before they be put to the reading of the textes of the scripture they haue some brief instruction which may opeÌ„ the matter playn vnto them and accustome them with the maner of speach of the holy ghost for to gather oute the true sence and meaning referre the whole to the right vse and end Moreouer euen amonge those whiche haue some vnderstandinge of gods truth I knowe that there be many verye negligent and slow to read the scriptures because they knowe not the treasures which therin be contained And many also although they read the scripturs diligently as al christians oughâ— principally to doe and can after a sort discerne â—â—e true exposition from y e false yet neuertheles haue not so ready iudgment and such capacitie that they can aptly set agree together those textes which they fynde dispersed in diuerse places of one mater for to comprehend them wâ—ll to their edifyinge and instruction And this is the cause why in the church of Christ so long as it was well gouerned ther was euermore an instruction called a Cathechisme for those that were lately comme to the knowledge of the eternall god But this very woorde Cathechisme declareth that thys Instruction was rather by worde of mouth then otherwyse â–ª And I thinke that from thence dyd procéede the symbole of the Apostles as we call it the exposition wherof was declared by mouth in y â— church After this when it pleased god to erect â—p againe the banner of his Church â—hich had bene long tyme ouerthroâ—en this custome not one y e moste â—audable but also moste necessarye â—as erected vp agayne yea to more eâ—ification then euer it was as me thinâ—eth and as in verye deede experience and time must needes teache the â—ysest sorte of men some thinge For â—hey haue not onely sette forth the anâ—ient maner to cathechise that is to â—ay to instruct by mouth those that are â—ately entred into the church of god y â— â—rncipall poinctes of Christian relyâ—ion orderly and briefely but also too â—uoyde many inconueniences those Cathechismes were sette foorth and writtten for a singular profyte bothe â—â— greate and small And although â—n these beginninges of the restoâ—inge and repayringe of the decayes â—f the Churche the synceritie of docâ—rine and familiar manner of teaâ—hinge was not in all pointes suche as was to bée wyshed yet noâ—â— withstandinge these maners and formâ—s teachinge bée verye meete for to remedy and helpe those inconueniences which I haue spokeÌ„ of heretofore And this I dare well say that ther shal not â—â— found eyther in times past or to come any suche worke published and sette abroade wherby to haue a briefe and perfecte knowledge of the wholle Christian religion as is the Cathechisme of this Church of Geneua â–ª god bee praysed therefore and his faithful serâ—antes labour