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Title: A treatise of the cohabitacyon of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull.

Author: Pietro Martire Vermigli
        Heinrich Bullinger

Translator: Thomas Becon

Release date: July 26, 2007 [eBook #22151]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Louise Hope, Jordan and the Online Distributed
        Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TREATISE OF THE COHABITACYON OF THE FAITHFULL WITH THE VNFAITHFULL. ***




Produced by Louise Hope, Jordan and the Online Distributed
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  A Treatise of the
  Cohabitacyon of the
  faithfull with the
  vnfaithfull.

  Wherunto is added.

  A Sermon made of the confessing of
  Christe and his gospell / and of the
  denyinge of the same.

  Anno M.D.LV.



  Apocal. 18.

  Come awaye from her my poeple / that ye be
    not partakers of her synnes / that ye
      receyue not of her plagues.


  In this furst treatise theys
  thinges ar contayned.

1. The question of Cohabitacion.

2. Christians maye not be present at popishe masses and
supersticions.

3. The masse is a prophanacion of the lordes supper.

4. The dutie of princes is to mayntain pure Religion amonge ther
subiectes / and what inferior Rulars must do when they be
commaunded contrarie by their superiors.

5. A confutacion of the reasons which ar made to proue the
Cohabitacion lawfull.

6. How the Iues ar to be handeled of christians.

7. The papistes ar heretikes.


  Whether the dwellinge together
  and familiar conuersacion of the
  godly withe the godles / the faithfull withe the
  faythles / the professor of Christes
  gospell withe the papiste be
  lawfull or no.

  [[Reasons prouing that it is lawfull.]]

The reasons bi whiche many do persuade them selues / and others
also / that yt ys lawfull / for the faythfull to haue famylier
conuersation / and to dwell together withe the vnfaythfull, are
theise.


  [[1]]

Christe Iesus dyd go vnto the feastes and dyners of publicans
and synners / and was there accompanyed and famyliarlie
conuersaunte with them. In lyke maner beinge bydden of the
phariseis to dyners / he went.


  [[2]]
  [[1. Cor. 7.]]

Also S. Paule dothe byd / that the faythful whiche is ioyned in
mariage withe the vnbeleuer sholde not be separated / yf the
vnbeleuer will dwell withe the faythfull.


  [[3]]
  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

Againe he teacheth / if any of them whiche beleue not byd you to
a feaste / and if ye will go / what soeuer ys sett before you /
that eate / &c. In an other place he likwise sayethe:

  [[1. Cor. 5.]]

I wrote vnto you in an epistle / that ye sholde not companie
withe fornicatours. And I meant not at all of the fornicatours
of this worlde / or of the couetous / or of extorsioners / or of
the Idolatrors / for then muste ye neades haue gone owt of the
worlde. But nowe I haue written unto you / that ye companye not
together. If any that is called a brother / be a fornicatour /
or couetous / or a worshipper of Images / or a rayler / or a
drunkard / or an extorsioner / with him that ys suche / see that
ye eate not.


  [[4]]
  [[Genes. 12.]]

Abraham beinge called to go owt of Chaldee / ys commaunded to
trauayle in those countries / in whiche the people were
altogither vngodlye and wicked Idolatrours / that ys / in the
lande of Canaan / and in Egypte.


  [[5]]
  [[Genes. 13.]]

Lot refused to continewe in the housholde / and familiar
companie of Abraham / and did chose to dwell amonge the
Sodomytes.


  [[6]]
  [[4. Reg. 5.]]

Naaman the Sirian / after that he was healed of his leprosie /
dyd returne to his Idolatrous nation.


  [[7]]
  [[Marc. 5.]]

Christ our Sauior dyd not reteyne with him all those whom he dyd
heale / but commaunded some of them to returne vnto their own
famyliars / countrymen / and kinsfolkes (which yet were wicked /
and infidels) among whom they sholde publishe and declare / what
the lorde hade done for them.


  [[8]]

The Iues both by the ciuile and canon lawes ar not only permitted
to lyue among the christians / but also to haue their synagoges:
and tribute is taken of them.


  [[9]]

Some heretiques haue libertie giuen them by ciuile lawes / to
dwell amonge the faithfull: for the lawes do not apoynte them
all to be punished by deathe. We reade that the Nouations hade
their Churches and congregations / permitted in Constantinople /
in the tyme of Constantine the greate / and Theodosius / whiche
were moste godlie Emperours.


These are the reasons by whiche many do persuade them selues and
others / that yt ys lawfull for the godlie and faythful / to
dwell together and to haue familiar conuersation withe the
wicked and vnfaythfull /

  [[The disposition of the Tretise.]]

To proue that their persuasions are false and vntrulie gathered
of thes places / I muste propounde certayn diuisions: whiche
beinge done / I shall put forthe certayne propositions or
sentences In the prouinge of which to be true / ye shall
playnlye perceyue howe these places alledged / are abused of
them to maynteyne their false opinion.


  [[The furst Diuision]]

Firste / I muste deuide betwene the estates and sortes of men:
Some sortes of men / are Magistrates and rulers: some other be
subiectes and of the comen sorte of people.


  [[The second Diuision]]

The second diuision shalbe of cohabitation or dwelling
together / of which one kinde ye free / that ys / where men be
not compelled to communicate withe wicked superstitions / vngodly
rites and Idolatries.


An other kinde of cohabitation / or dwellinge together there is
which ys not free / and that ys where men are compelled to
communicate withe wicked supersticions / to be presente at
Idolatries / and so to defyle them selues.


  [[The thred diuision.]]

The thirde diuision shalbe of the godlie and faithfull men them
selues / whiche are thus familiarlie conuersaunte withe the
vnbeleuers. Either they are learned stronge and able to confesse
the doctrine of truithe in religion / and to reproue and conuince
the false: orels they ar vnlearned / weake / and vnable to
stande in the confession of the truithe / and reprouinge of
vntruthe.


These three diuisions shall suffice. Nowe will I put forthe
certeyne sentencis and propositions.

The firste sentence and proposition / shalbe of those which in
estate and condicyon are priuate men and subiectes: Of that
cohabitation and dwellinge whiche ys free. And of those men which
are learned and stronge: of all wich I make this proposition.


  [[The furst proposition.]]

Priuate men and subiectes / which ar learned and stronge /
dwellinge in that place where they be free and not compelled to
communicate withe wicked supersticions / they maye be
famyliarlie conuersaunte / dwell and liue together with the
vnbeleuers This maye they do / but yet vnder certeyn conditions /
and obseruinge certeyn rules.


  [[1]]
  [[Rules to bekept.]]

Of which the firste ys this / that they do teache thos
vnbeleuers with whom they do liue and are familiarlie
conuersaunte / and do instructe them in the truithe / trulye
teachinge them and earnestlie callinge them / vnto the knowledge
of the truithe / and faythe in Christe. And this they muste not
leaue of to do so longe as they be dwellinge and familiar with
them. To the end also that they maye do this the better / yt ys
not vnlawfull / but moste conuenient for them to shewe them
selues frendlie / gentill / and louinge unto the vnbeleauers
withe whom they are familiarlie conuersaunte / and dwellinge / So
that theise maye perceyue that the faythfull do loue them: els ys
yt to be feared that they shall do no good withe them. for that
doctrine ys moste redylie receyued of the hearer / which commeth
from him / of whom the hearer ys persuaded / that he ys hys
frende / and that he louithe hym indeede.


  [[2]]

The second thinge that the faythfull must take heede of / and
Rule which they must obserue ys this: That they do lyue an holy
lyfe / and that amonge the vnbeleauers their conuersacion be so
godly / graue / comely / and agreing with their profession /
that in no wise they do gyue any offence through the wickednes
of their lyfe: for yf by their lyfe the vnfaythfull shuld be
offendid / then shuld their mynistery be vnprofitable to the
vnbeleuers / for that by their euell doings they shuld
ouerthrowe what soeuer they labored to builde vpp in wordes.


  [[3]]

The thred thinge that theise men must take heede of / and Rule
which they must obserue is. That they do not communicate / with
the vnfaythfull in their supersticions and idolatries / nor iet
do so mutch as outwardly to seame to allowe them. Thys ys not to
be doone in ony wise / no not in hope therby to wynne the
vnbeleauer from hys supersticion / and Idolatrie:

  [[Ro. 3]]

For this Rule of the holy ghoste doth euer remain certain /
Euell things ar not to be doone / that goode maye comme therof.
This vnchaungeable rule must not be broken.


  [[4]]

The fourth and last thing that theise men must take heede of /
and Rule which they must obserue is this. That they haue not
ther familiar conuersacion with the vnbeleuers for their own
cause / as for their pleasure and recreacion / or for their gayn
and profite / but only in respect of wynnynge them to the
gospell of christe. Neither ys this conuersacion and companie /
contynually to be hadd and kept with the vngodly and
vnbeleuers / but so long as ther is goode hoope of wynninge /
and conuerting them to the gospell of christe. For yf the
vnbeleauers shall shew themselues so obstinate in their euell /
that they giue iuste cause to despaire of ther amendement / then
ar they vtterly to be forsaken / and no conuersacion or companie
is to be hadd with them / farther then the necessitie of lyfe
enforcith either partie. As yff the vnbeleauers shuld be in such
extreme necessitie / that they could not be releaued but at the
hand of the faythfull: or yf theise shuld be in that
necessitie / that they could not otherwise obtain thinges
necessarie but of the vnfaithfull. Also in byinge and selling
thinges necessarie for the lyfe / as garmentes / victuals / and
such like: Agayn in such thinges as cyuile estates / and
condicions do require / as of princes and Rulars to demaunde
lawfull defence / and to obey them in thinges lawfvll: to
fathers / maried folke / masters / and such lyke / to do thos
duties which ar appointed in godds worde. In theise thinges to
vse the vnbeleauers / or to minister vnto them / ys not
vnlawfull.


Thus and in thys manier / yt ys lawfull for a priuate man / which
is lerned / and constant in godds truithe / being in that place
wher no man ys compelled to be partaker of wicked
supersticions / to dwell together / and vse familiar
conuersacion with the vnbeleuers and vnfaythfull / as theise
named Rules and condicions / do appoint and suffer. And so haue
ye this proposicion declared and opened / The same ys confirmed /
by the example of Christ our Sauiour. He dyd resorte to the
dyners / and feastes / where scribes and pharisees / publicanes
and synners were / to thys ende onlie / euen to teache them and
to winne them vnto the Gospell. So saieth hierom.

  [[Hiero in Matt. cap. 9.]]

The lorde dyd go vnto the feastes of synners / that he mighte
haue occasion to teache them and that he mighte gyue spirituall
meates to them which dyd bydde hym: and after speaking how
christe went ofte to feastes / Theare ys (saithe he) no other
thinge reported / but what he dyd / and what he taughte there.
That bothe the humblenes of the lorde in goinge to synners / and
the power of hys doctrine in conuertinge the penitents / mighte
be declared.


After the same maner / the prophetes in the olde tyme were
conuersaunte with the Idolatrous people. So were the Apostles
famyliarlie conuersaunte with the vnbeleuinge Iues / and went
also emongest other vnbeleuing nations and men.

  [[Act. 17.]]

S. Paule when he came to Athens / dyd not thinke skorne so
famyliarlie to behaue him selfe that he went in to the temples
of their Idolls / and verye curiouslie searched the corners of
the same / he dyd viewe their altars / the titles and
inscriptions of ther altars / so that he founde owte that
title / _Ignoto Deo_ which was an altar dedicated vnto the
vnknowen God / wherof he dyd take occacion to make that same hys
sermon in which he preached Christe vnto them euen as yt were
owt of their own bokes.


And thus / I thinke / that this our proposition / (which of yt
owne selfe ys plaine and euident ynoughe) ys sufficientlie
proued. Namelie thys / that a priuate man / learned / and
constaunte in the truithe / beinge in that place where no man ys
compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / maye be
familiarlie conuersante with the vnbeleuers / so longe as in hys
conuersation he doth obserue and kepe / the conditions before
mencioned.

  [[Conuersation vuith men excommunicate.]]

Here I thinke good to adde / as yt were by the waye of
admonicion / that kepinge these rules and conditions / yt ys
lawfull for the godlie to be conuersaunte with them which be
excommunicate / euen to call them in to the waye of godlynes /
and not to communicate with them in any euill or synne.

  [[The secund proposition.]]

Nowe will I put forthe an other proposition or sentence / whiche
shalbe of those persons whych be of a priuate estate and are
subiectes / of that cohabitacion which ys fre wher no man is
compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / and of suche
men as be vnlearned in the knowledge of gods truithe / weake in
faythe / and therfor vnable to make a christian confession of
truithe. Thys collection agreeth with that which I gathered
before / of which I made my former proposition / sauinge that
wheras there / with the priuate estate and free dwellinge

  [[Ignoraunnce in men is intollerable.]]

/ I coupled men that were learned and stronge to confesse the
truithe / heare I do adde in the place of them / men vnlearned /
vnable / and to weake to confesse the truithe. But herin thincke
not that I do alowe suche ignoraunce and vnablenes in men. Suche
ignoraunce in men is sharply to be reproued / for ther is none
so veri an idiote / so simple and vnlearned amonge Christianes /
but he ys bounde in conscience to be able to rendre an accompte
of hys faythe / and also to be somwhat able to teache and
instructe others / yea and to saye somwhat for the truthe / in
all the principall poyntes of the christian faythe / which he
may do yf he be but meanlie instructed in the Catechisme. But
bicause / partlie throughe the peruersnes of the ministers which
do not their office to instructe men / partlie throughe the
negligence of men which do not their dutie in seekinge to be
instructed / suche ignoraunce there is / I admytt therfore into
this my collection those ignoraunte / vnable / and weake men.
And so I make this proposition. Those men which are of a priuate
estate and condition / dwellinge or beinge in a place where they
be not compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions. And
are them selues vnlearned and vnable to confesse and defende the
truithe / maye not vse famyliar conuersation with the
vnbeleuers.


These men ar not in that condition that the learned be / of whom
I dyd speake before / for they cannot teache the vnbeleuers /
yea they be not able to defende the gospell of christe from the
blasphemie of the vnbeleuers / neither can they deliuer them
selues from suche false snares as the vnbeleauers shall laye for
them: Wherfor they must not haue familiar conuersacion with them /
through which they shall thus throwe themselues into perill /
and ieoperdie: Except that they can assure themselues of such
strenghth / that they shall not yealde vnto the wickednes of the
vnbeleuers. Otherwise / if they shall happen to dwell togither
in one place with the vnfaithfull: Lett them take goode heede
that they do lyue an holy lyfe amonge them: And for the rest /
let them so far as the necessitie of lyfe / and ciuile
businesses and affaires shall suffer them / vtterly abstayn from
the companie of the vnbeleauers.


  [[A question.]]

But heere risith a question: Whether that such a weake and
vnlearned man / maye learn ony of the liberall artes / or
philosophie / of such a master as is an vnbeleauer.


Vnto which I answer: that forbicause to lern such artes of an
vnfaithfull master is not of such necessitie as can not be
auoided / therfor the man that ys weake in faithe must not lern
them of hym. Yt is a very daungerus thinge / to vse them which
ar vnbeleauers as Masters and teachers: for often tymes in the
myndes of the hearers ther arisith a gret admiracion and
estimacion of the teacher / and it maye easilye com to pas at the
lenghthe / that they shall thincke and Iudge that theise teachers
ar not deceyued in Religion / bicause they be of an exacte and
perfect knowledge in these liberall sciences / and philosophie.
This (I saye) may happen of it that men ar wont to attribute
mutch vnto their teachers. Yea that it may be so / I will proue
by the contrarie. Origen by teaching the Mathematicalls / and
such sciences / did bring many men to the knowledge of christe.
For furst he dyd begyn to reade among them such sciences with
which they wer delighted / In which he being expert / dyd shew
vnto his hearers suche connynge / that he dyd forthewith gett
amonge them great estimacion / and so the more easili drawe them
vnto the doctrine of christe. Augustine likewise cam to
Millaine / to heere Ambrose / bicause he was counted an
excellent Rhetorician. And so whilst he desirusly herd hym / at
the lenghth by hearinge he was tourned form the sect of the
Manichees / vnto the true catholiques. As therfor by lerning of
these sciences of godly teachers / the vnbeleauers haue beene
conuerted vnto the faithe of christe / euen so / yea mutch more
easilie it maye comme to pas / that they which ar weake and
vnlearned / may vnder vnbeleauinge masters / be drawn from
christe to vngodlynes.

Wherefor seing that this can not be doone without great perill
and daunger / that such a weakling shuld vse an vnfaithfull
Master / I thincke that he shuld abstayn alltogether from suche.


Sum do heere obiect and saye / that S. Paul to the Corinthians
doth appoint no such Rule condicion not exception / as I haue
spoken of / vnto the weake and vnlearned: but he playnly saith.

  [[1 Cor. 10.]]

If ony of them which beleaue not / do bidd you to a feaste / and
yf ye will go / whatsoeuer ys sett before you that eate / &c. In
which wordes he teachith / that it is lefte vnto our own will as
a fre thinge to go / or not to go. I answer / that ye must
marcke well thos wordes of Paule / (and yf ye will go.)

  [[Hovv theise vvordes, and if ye vvill go, ar to be
  vnderstonded.]]

He doth not grant vnto euery mans will thys libertie / and
fredom / but vnto a goode and a right will he gyuith libertie to
go. For yf a man wold go thether to drincke droncken /
glotonusly to fill the belly / or to gyue the tongue to filthie
and vncomly talke / without doubt that man shuld syn / euen for
the wickednes of hys will / and for hys corrupt entent and
purpose. Euen so / yf a man dowbted hys own strenghth /
and dyd certaynly perceyue that he could not profite them that
shuld be there / and yet wold go thether / vndowbtedly with a
safe conscience and with a goode will he could not take that
thing in hande / for he can not direct hys doing to the glorie of
godd / as he ys commaunded to do. Wherefor though Paul expressely
doth not adde that rule / yt folowith not therfor / that yt is
not to be added: yea that yt ys to be added I will proue by
other places of the Scripture. And to thend that we do not herin
depart from Paul / the same thing / and doctrine of will /

  [[1. Cor. 7.]]

he teachith in the .7. chapter of the same epistle: wher he
entreating of gyuyng or not gyuinge a virgine to mariage
saithe / That he doth well which keapith his virgin / and that
purposith it surely in his harte / (addinge this condicion)
hauing no neade / but that he poure ouer his own will: for if he
shuld do otherwise then his daughter either wolde / or then her
necessitie required / then shuld he neither will / nor do well.
Thus to do a goode worcke / or to make an acte prefect / yt
sufficithe not to take heede that it be not euell of nature / or
repugnant vnto gods worde / but vnto this ys also required /
that we do go about the same with an vpright and perfect mynde
and will. S. Paul / therfor / doth not simply permitt this
going / but with certayn circumstances. Which ar / to go with a
goode will to enstruct the vnfaythfull: Agayn to go with an
assured purpose / not to be, and taste of such strenghthe / that
he shall not be ouerthrown. And thus this proposicion remaynith
true / that the man whiche ys weak and vnlearned / must separate
himself from the company and famyliar conuersacion of the
vnbeleauers / so mutch as cyuile and naturall businesses and
affaires will suffer / and as the necessitie of lyfe shall
require (as I saide before). Lykewise all houshold duties and
offices appointed in gods worde must be obserued / els shall he
offend / for as Paule saithe:

  [[1. Timo. 5.]]

He that prouidith not for hys / and especially for them of hys
own howshold / the same hath denied the faithe / and ys wors
then an Infidell. And to proue farther / that this vnlearned and
weake man must abstayn from the familiar companie of the
vnbeleauers / yea thoughe they be most deere vnto hym / that
Rule doth serue / which Christe our Sauiour gyuithe sayinge.

  [[Matt. 5. 18.]]

If thy hande or fote offend the / and hinder the / cut yt of /
and cast it from the / &c. If thyn eye offend the / plucke yt
out / and caste yt from the. We ar not commaunded in this
place / to cut of the outward membres of our bodie / as Origen
(yf it be true that sum do report of hyme) dyd vntruly thincke /
but as the sownd interpretours do write / thos frends and
thinges / which ar most nighe and deere vnto vs / Theise ar they
which must be cut of plucked out / and cast awaye from our
familiaritie and companie / when they do plucke / and separate
vs / from the true waye of saluacion / or be such a hinderaunce
vnto vs as puttinge impedimentes and lettes in our waye / do
hynder vs from walking in gods lawe. Chrisostom entreating this
matier / writithe.

  [[In Ioan. hom. 15.]]

If the membre which ys misioined vnto the bodie must be cut of /
ar not then euell frends mutch nore to be cut of? And agayn / he
saith / If we do cut of that membre which ys rotten / and
incurable from the bodie / for feare les yt shuld corrupt the
other partes therof / (which we do not bicause we do neglect
it / for who yet did euer hate his own fleshe, but to saue the
rest) how mutch more is this to be done to them which ar euell
ioyned vnto us? Which yet we must not do as thoughe we did
despise them / but to prouide that our helthe and saluacion be not
brought in daunger by them, after that we do see that we can not
profite them at all. To this also belongith the lawe which
christe did giue:

  [[Matth. 18.]]

That he which will not heere the brethern admonishing him / And
doth contemne the voice of the churche when it reprouith / and
correctith hym: he is then to be estemed and taken as an
ethnicke / and a publicane.

  [[1. Cor. 5.]]

Which thing Paule puttith in practise when he biddith / that the
Corinthians shuld excommunicat the fornicator / les that a
litill leauen shuld soure the whole lumpe of dowe. To the same
pupose he usith the vearse of the poete Menander.

  [[1. Cor. 15.]]

Euell wordes do corrupt goode maniers. Ther Paul teachith that
the true doctrine of the Resurrection was greatly hindered
amonge the Corinthians / which wer but newly turned vnto
christe / bicause they dyd to lightly gyue eare to the vngodly
argumentes and reasons of philosophers / or rather of
heretiques / which did contend and stryue agaynst that doctrine.
No man can sufficiently consider / how the bewitching of wicked
tales / and talkes / do shake and hurt the tender conscience and
weake faithe / of the foeble and weake brother. Wherfor it is
most necessari and profitable to admonishe them which ar weake /
that they do abstayn / and withdrawe them selues / from the
felowshipp and familiar companye / of the vnbeleauers. The
phisicions / do cowncell when a contagius disease hath enfected
any nigh place / that thei which as yet ar sownd and not
enfected / shuld not comme vnto them that be enfected alreadye
and sicke / bicause that in the bodies of men / and the
temperatures / and disposicions of the same / ther is such a
common passion and suffering / that the infection doth easily go
from them that be infected / vnto the other. And though they
which do not take heede and keape them selues from that
infection / do not presently feale the poyson and force therof /
yeat inasmutch as by lytill and litill the infection / and
poyson receyued doth growe / not long after they ar sure to
feale the force and strenghthe of it. Seing this is so / and
eich man maye worthily and godly take heede to auoide the
diseases of the bodie / mutch more diligent heede is to be taken
of all men / that they do not from ony man or place gett vnto
themselues infecting vices of the minde. Our Nature / and
disposicion through our naturall and birthe syn is now so
corrupt / (as both the holy scripture doth warn vs / and infinite
examples of dayly experience do teache vs) that we neade not to
dowt at all / but that we shall easily receyue the poison / and
infection of other mens synnes / if we do not fle farr from them:
And as with no great labour they will cleaue vnto vs / so after
they be ons crept and roted vnto vs / then hardly and not without
great payn and labor / will they be thrust out agayn.

  [[In Ioemm. hom. 56.]]

Wherefor Chrisostom in the afore named place semith to say well.
If (saithe he speaking of the vnbeleauers and wicked) we coulde
make them better / and not hurt our selues / all thinges wer to
be doone: but when we can not profite them / bicause they be
incurable / and such as will not be amended / and yet we hurt
our selues / they ar vtterly to be cutt of. And to the end that
he might the more strongly confirme his saying / he alledgith
that sayinge of Paul:

  [[1. Cor. 5.]]

Put awaye the euell from among yowe. Which wordes of Paule ar
not to be vnderstonded of the synne / for the greke word is in
the masculyne gendre / +ton pone:ron+ / and therfor he meanith by
it / the wicked man. The same wordes I will now sumwhat bend /
vse / and turn / vnto the profite of you that be weake / and
thus saye vnto yowe. Put awaye your own selues from the euell men
that ar emongst you: for seing ye ar but priuate men / and
vnlearned / and therfor can not put away the euell from among
you / yet your selues ye may ridd / and conuey awaye from being
emongst the wicked / and the euell men.


Morouer it happeneth that whilest the weake and vnlearned do
thus familiarly accompanie the vnbealeuers / They can not chose
but they must heare many subtill reasons and see many other
thinges which do mutch make against the true religion that they
do profes: Which thinges when they se and be not able to
disproue and confute / They do it not: And so they ronne into two
mischeifs. The furst is / That they ar as it wer witnesses of
the blasphemie / and of the reproche that the vnbeleauers do to
the truthe: the seconde / that they maie happ to haue summe
stinge left sticking in their concience / with which they shalbe
longer / more greuusly and daungerusly tormented / then either
they thincke of or do feare. Let vs heere therfor the wise man
which doth saye.

  [[Eccles. 13.]]

Who so touchithe pitche shalbe fyled ther with all / and he that
is familiar with the proude / shall become lyke vnto hym: Take
not a burthen vppon the / aboue thy poure / neither ioyne thow
thi self to hym that is more honorable / and ritche then
thiself. These words of the wiseman / do for two causes belong
to our purpos. Furst / bicause that they do teache / that other
mens synnes ar lyke vnto pitche / which doth stycke vnto the
fingars and garments of them that do touche it. Agayn / that
eich man shuld well trie and consider his own poure and
strenghth. Vppon which cowncell / I do gather two thinges.
Furst / that the infirme and weake must not ioyn themselues in
familiaritie with the wicked / for wickednes will then cleaue
vnto them: Secondly that eich man must so well consider / and
iustly trie his own poure and strenghth / that he doth not
ouermatch himself.


The churche of godd in all ages hath felt by experience that
mutch euell hathe happened through this familiar companie / and
felowshipp keapt betwene the weake in faithe and knowledge / and
the vnbeleauers. In the Primitiue churche forthwith after
christes ascension / because the Iues which wer conuerted vnto
christe did lyue a great while with thos gentils which hadd
receyued the gospel / ther begon a very Iuishnes. For the Iues
did enforce the ceremonies of Moses lawe / myngling them with
the doctryne of the gospell / through which they did infect
many congregacions of the christians so sore / that scarsely and
hardely at lenghth could that euell be roted out: Yea that euell
hath so preuailed / that euen vntill our tymes / in Spayn
namely / and in sum other places also / ther be many which do
not only holde still the ceremonies of Moses lawe with the
profession of christe / but they do thincke them to be necessarie
vnto Saluacion. They emongst the Spaniards which be of this
mynde / ar called Marrani. And vnto this daye the churche of
India is enfected with the same vice. But let the examples of
the holy scripture / I praye you / teache vs euen the same. The
Israelites which wer captyues in Babilon / by the space of 70.
yeares / when they hadd libertie gyuen them furst of Cyrus /
then of Darius / thos two most noble Kinges to return / they did
not all forthewith return / but a great number of them / such
namely as wer weaker in the lord then other / being delighted
with the commodities and pleasures of their houses / feildes and
traffique of merchandize / did abide still amonge the chaldees:
Which men how sharpely they wer reproued of Esdras / Nehemias /
Zacharias / and other prophetes / it dothe playnly appeare in
the scripture to them that liste to seake and knowe it. How the
Israelites wer infected throughe that conuersacion which they
hadd with the Egiptians / it appearith playnly by this / that
whilest they wer in the desert / when as yet the wonderfull
benefites of godd wer euen before ther eyes / they did fall from
the lord their dilyuerer vnto Idolatrie / and vnto that kinde of
Idolatrie / which they wer acquaynted withall in Egipte. Ther
they hadd seene howe the Egiptians worshipped an Oxe /

  [[Exod. 23.]]

they therfor violently trauailed with Aaron when Moses was
absent / that he shuld make them a calf to worshipp: which when
he hadd doone / then began they ioyously to crye: Theise ar the
godds / O. Israell / which brought the out of the lande of
Egypt. Agayn / when by the desert wild and barren places /

  [[Numer. 25.]]

they wer comme to the coastes of the Moabites / and began to
waxe more familiar with them then became the poeple of godd /
through that familiaritie they wer brought to this / that not
only they did committ most vile whordom with thos beastly women /
but also that they sacrificed vnto their most shamefull Idoll /
Baalpeor / and suffred themselues to be coupled vnto his
sacrifices. for which they suffred many miseries and calamities.

  [[Math. 26.]]

Peter likewise / when he camme into that wicked court of the
cheif prest and was ther conuersant emongst thos damsels and
vngodly seruantes / most miserablie did he denie and forsweare
his master christe our Sauiour: which his fault / after he
departed from thence / he did bewaile with abundaunce of teares.
By these histories ye may playnly see / what happenith vnto the
weake through that familiar conuersacion which they haue with
the vnfaithful.

  [[Esaiae 6.]]

Esaye the prophet / when he did se the lorde sitting vppon his
seate of glorie / with his Angels about hym most purely
publishing his prayse / though he semith not to thincke hymself
greatlye gyltie of ony notable cryme or fault / yet cryeth he
out / O wo is me / &c. I dwell amonge a poeple that hath
vncleane lyppes. This man of godd truly did thincke / that he
hadd gotton no small corruption and infection / bicause he hadd
lyued long with an vncleane poeple.


The histories of the heathen do teache vs the same thinge.
Alexander that gret and mightie kinge of Macedonia / who by the
force of armes / and most notable victories / hadd subdued the
greatest parte of the whole worlde / Euen he hymself was
ouercomme with the maniers of the Persians.

And vppon whom of right / as vppon a conquered poeple / he shuld
haue laied lawes / to haue brought them to that seuere kinde of
lyfe which the Macedonians vsed / euen he as a man conquered and
ouercomme of ther maniers / suffered hymself to be so shamefully
misused / that he did take vnto hym their kinde of araye / their
lowse delicacie / their pompe and pride / and set. furthe hymself
to be worshipped of them as godd. And so being corrupted he did
allow that fall from the maniers of the grecians / through which
he did sustayn great reproche amonge the wise / and mutche
hatred amonge his souldiours / and that not vnworthilie. Besids
this / we must knowe / that if these men do without ony Rule or
godly end keape such companye / and be familiarly conuersant
with the vnbeleauers / except that in theise the fruite of their
conuercion do quickly appeare / and of the other also it be by
all meanes ernestly sought / both in the reprouing of their
vnbeleif / and in alluring them to the truithe / It doth happen
that ther conuercion is hindred by such companie and
familiaritie. For whilest the vnbeleuers do se that the
faithfull do lyue so frendly / and familiarly with them / they
do iudge forthewith that their supersticion / and vnbeleif / is
not so wicked a thinge / nor yet a thinge so to be abhorred and
condenned / as it is reported / yea thus maye they be brought to
imagin / that they maye be saued though they do perseuere / and
contynue in their vnbeleif. For if it wer otherwise (shall they
thincke) theise goode and godly men / wold not be thus familiar
and frendly with vs.


I do omitt to speake of this / that many other of the brethern
ther ar / which by the example of this conuersacion / do
persuade themselues that they maye do euen the self same
thinge / and so do beare with the wicked / and do wincke at
their euell / bicause that they haue seen other men do so before
them And thus it commith to pas / that by the example of sum
men / this euell spreadith it self abroade so that in the end /
our faith and Religion / is euen layed forth for the wicked and
vngodly / to mocke / and contempn.


Often tymes also that thing happenith / which we reade to haue
happened in Pauls tyme / amonge the Corinthians /

  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

that the brethern by this conuersacion / ar brought to be
partakers of the wickednesses / vile custumes / and Idolatries
of the vnfaithfull: Which familiar conuersacion / dothe not only
couple them with the vnfaithfull / but it is a meane to make
them Idolatrours: for thauoiding of which / Paule cryeth out in
the same place:

  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

fle Idolatrie. I do likewise passe ouer with silence / that wher
our weake and vnlearned brethern / do thus ioyne themselues in
familiar conuersacion with the vnfaithfull / it can not be but
betwene them and the vnfaithfull / sumtyme ther will happen
communicacion of Religion: And then though it happ so that
through want of learninge / our weaklinges do not slyppe and
foile them selues / Yeat bicause they can not dissolue / and
answer vnto the arguments / and subtile reasons of the
aduersaries aptly / ther arisith then contentius stryfes betwen
them / and not only this / but euel speakings / reproches / and
hatreds / which thinges ar so farr from edifying / that they do
altogether hynder and lett it: furthermor in these conflictes it
happenith / that our weaklinges at lenghth are putt to silence /
so that they neither speake to confes the truithe / nor to
reproue that whiche is fals: Now consider heere what a libertie
these men do lose: which christian libertie is in free boldenes
in speakinge / to reproue that which is fals / as to confes
godd / and his truithe. This libertie of free speaking and
confessing / no christen man ought so to gyue ouer / but that he
in all his talke shuld and might vse it.


But in this companie of vnbeleauers / these weaklinges do not /
yea darre not vse it / les they in ther sayings / shuld be
snatched vpp / and put to shame. Yet truly no men / nor ony
companye of men shuld cause a christian to caste awaye this
fredom and libertie.


  [[2 Cor. 6.]]

For our purpose also makith that sayinge of S. Paul. Set your
selues at large / for what felowshipp hath righteousnes with
vnrighteousnes? Or what companie hathe light with darcknes? Or
what concorde hath christe withe Beliall? Either what parte hath
he that beleauith / with an Infidell? Or how agreith the temple
of godd / with Images? These wordes ar so playn that they neede
not to be expownded: In which / this conuersacion of which we
now do entreate / is most simplye / and playnly forbidden. The
figures and ceremonies of Moses lawe ar taken awaye / but yet
the thinge figured / which is as I might saye / the strenghth /
the pythe / and foundacion of them / doth remayn.

  [[Numer. 15.]]

Which thinge being true / I maye then aske this question. The
lorde commaunded that the Iues shuld make gardes in the
quartiers of their garments / and to put vppon the garde /
a ribande of yelow silcke / &c. My question now is. Whi the
lorde did commaunde / that the Iues shuld differ from the
gentils / not in circumcision only / but euen in their garments
also? Euen for this cause verily / that they shuld be taught
euen by their gardes also / that they wer gods peculiar people /
and that they shulde separate themselues from the gentils / that
they shuld not be conuersaunt with them / neither shuld they
ioyne themselues in familiaritie withe them / farther then the
necessitie of either of the lyues did require. The Iuishe gardes
we do reiect / but this which is ment by the gardes we both do
and must retayne. In many places the lorde commaunded the Iues
also that they shuld not return into Egypte / and that they
shuld not aske healpe of the Egiptians / nor of the Assirians:
Which he did partly to this end / that through such familiaritie
as then must haue beene betwene them and their healpers / the
Israelites shuld not be infected withe their vices. The booke of
the Iudges / doth playnly inough teache vs this will and
pleasure of godd.

  [[Iudic. 2.]]

For the Israelites did synne greuusly in this / that they did
put to tribute thos Idolatrus nacions / ouer whom the lorde hadd
gyuen them uictorie / and did couenant with them / that they
shuld dwell amonge them in peace / which thinge godd hadd diuers
tymes expressly forbidden them to do / commaunding that they
shuld vtterly destroye the inhabitantes of that lande: This he
did partli bicause / that through this they shuld not be brought
by the Cananites / into the daunger of Idolatrie. Now the cause
being such with these weake / and vnlearned men / of whom I now
do speake / they must likewise take goode heade to obserue that
rule / which the lorde appointed vnto the Israelites. It
appearith playnly / that this commandement of god was kept longe
tyme amonge the Iues: for they did not vse ony familiaritie /
nor keape companie withe the Samaritans which did not truly
worshipe the lyuynge godd / no not in christes tyme /

  [[Ioan. 4.]]

as it appearith by the talke that he hadd with the woman at the
well. Morouer as the goode fathers in olde tyme / did esteme it
as their singular ioye / when they might be familiarly
conuersant with the godly / so how mutch they sorowed When they
could not be so conuersant with the people of godd / and in
godds house / Dauid is witnes: Who when he fledd from the face
of Saul his persequtour / did mourn / and in the psalmes with
most heauie complaintes / doth lament / that he was compelled to
be conuersant amonge straungers / such as did not knowe the
lyuyng godd / and to be as it wer an exile from godd / and his
people. So shuld the companie hadd with the vnfaithfull / be
heauy and bitter to the faithfull.


  [[Daniel 1.]]


Daniell and his thre felows / might haue lyued / vppon the
Kinges table / and haue eaten most fyne and delicate meates /
but they did rather chose to lyue together with potage / and
water / and vtterly to forsake thos pleasures / and delicacies /
then they wold defile them selues with the meates of the
vnbeleauers. Moses also / as it is writon in the epistle to the
hebrues /

  [[Hebr. 11.]]

might if he wold haue beene taken for the Sonne of Pharaos
daughter / and so to haue beene in greate hoope of obtaynynge
the kingdome of Egipte: but all this sett a parte / he did chose
rather / forsaking all theise thinges / to go vnto his
brethern / which wer in miserable bondage / seruinge and
laboring in claye / and bricke: Which thing to do / as it was a
greate triall of his faithe / so the doinge of it doth commend /
and sett furth his faithe / and shew what loue he hadd to be
conuersant with the people of godd. They which do not folowe
these examples / do shew how litell they do regarde the glorie
of godd / and the communion and felowship of sayntes / which they
will not gayne nor redeame with losse / no thoughe it be of
neuer so litill: And in this preferring of their own gayne
welthe and commoditie / aboue the glorie of godd / and the
felowlie communion of the godlye / they do most wickedly.

  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

Do we (saithe Paule to the corinthians) prouoke the lorde? Ar we
stronger then he? Theise weake brethern / which do not trie their
own strenghth to fele their weaknes so / that they might seeke
the encreace of strenghth in them selues / but being weake
indeede / both dare and do thus desperatlie committ themselues
vnto this familiar conuersacion with the vnfaithfull / they do
tempt godd / and do after a sort prouoke hym / as thoughe they
wolde becomme stronger than he.


Many more reasons might I bringe to proue this proposicion true.
That a priuate man / being in a place wher he is not compelled
to communicate with the supersticions of the vnfaithfull / and is
vnlearned vnable / and to weake to confesse the truithe / must
not ioyne in familiaritie / nor be familiarly dwelling and
conuersant together with the vnfaithfull. But bicause I do
suppose that it is sufficiently proued by the reasons which I
haue alledged / I will now prepare myself to an other
proposicion.


The thred proposicion shalbe / of Priuate men and subiectes /
which ar lerned and stronge / and of them also which ar weake
and vnlearned / of that dwelling which is not fre / wher as men
ar compelled by lawes / and Tyrannye to communicate and to be
partakers with the wicked in their supersticions and Idolatries:
And of theise I make this proposicion / and sentence.

  [[The thred proposicion.]]

Priuate men and subiectes be they learned or vnlearned / stronge
or weake / which ar dwelling and abyding in that place wher men
ar compelled to communicate / and be partakers withe
Idolatrors / and to be present at vnlawfull supersticions and
Idolatries / defiling themselues with vncleane Religion / maye not
dwell together nor be familiarly conuersaunt / they may not
ioyne in societie with suche Idolatrors: I saye / that this
cohabitacion / and familiar dwelling together is vnlawfull /
vngodlye / and not to be kept in ony wise: But in this case a
faithfull man must either flye / or dye for the truithe / that
he be not compelled to defile himself with Idolatrie. Ther is
truly but one truithe / and that same must be holden with a pure
conscience / neither must it be forsaken for the pleasure of ony
man.

  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

S. Paul saith to the Corinthians: flye ye Idolatrie. Then do men
flye Idolatrie / when either they do depart from the place wher
Idolatrie is committed / or when abiding still in the same
place / they do gyue their lyues and suffer deathe bicause they
will not committ Idolatrie nor allowe it with ther presence. Paul
therfor teachith by this sayinge / that in no wise the faithfull
shuld come at the Idolatries of the vnfaithfull / but flye from
them: which sentence is so playn to the vnderstondinge of the
most symple / that it neadith no exposicion at all. The lawe and
the prophetes / the olde Testament and the newe / ar full of
such sentences / and commaundementes / which do forbidd straunge
worshippinge of godd and Idolatrie.

  [[2. Mach. 7.]]

Call to your mynde the historie of the Machabees / which I do
not recite as thoughe I wold gyue to that booke ony lyke
autoritie with the Canonicall scriptures, but bicause the
historie is rehersed not only ther / but also in Iosephus / and
the examples of them ar profitable for vs / therfor I do alledge
them. That godly Mother hadd rather haue the whole fruite of her
bodie to be miserablie destroyed / then ons to taste of swynes
fleshe.


  [[Gen. 2.]]

Swynes fleshe / and Adams apple / of their very nature ar not so
to be abhorred / for eiche of them is a goode creature of godd.
But forsomutche as vnto them godd hathe ioyned his worde to
forbid the tasting of them / therfor euen as Adam could not eate
the forbidden apple / so could not they eate swynes fleashe
without committing of greate synne: which rather then they wolde
do / the poore babes offer themselues to the deathe / and the
godly mother doth most stronglye therto encorage them and most
constauntly abide the same herself.


In the church of christe ther haue beene innumerable martirs /
as Eusebius / and others do write / which haue most constantly
abidden deathe / bicause they wold not depart from the Religion
of christe / nor file themselues with Idolatrie: They wold not
put one grayne of franckinsence vppon the altars of the Idols /
nor throwe one floure / nor ons bowe the knee before them / but
suffered rather deathe.

  [[Matth. 10.]]
  [[Luc. 12.]]

They hadd this alwais before ther eyes: Feare not hym that
killethe the bodie / &c. And that he speakith of killing the
bodie / is likewise to be vnderstonded of taking awaye of goodes
and ritches: But he is to be feared / which after that he hath
taken awaye bothe lyfe and goodes / can throwe the soule into
euerlastinge fire / feare hym.


S. Paule to persuade the Corinthians that they shuld abstayn
from meates offered vnto Idols / vsith theise reasons:

  [[1. Cor. 3.]]

Bicause they wer the Temple of godd. They wer the membres of
christe / and therfor they might not become the membres of an
Idoll. Bicause they wer partakers of the lords table of which
they could not be partakers and of the table of Deuels also. And
the same thing that Paule said vnto the Corinthians / do I also
saye vnto these our brethern of whom I do entreate.


  [[Daniel. 3.]]

Daniel his thre felows did gyue themselues / to be thrown in to
the burnynge fornace / rather then they wold worshipp the kinges
golden Image. But theise thinges must now be applied vnto theise
most vnhappie Daies / in whiche / wher poperie rulith / the
godly which do dwel togither with the vngodlie / the professours
of christes gospell / I meane / With the papistes / ar compelled
to be at ther Masses / and most vile and filthie Idolatries and
supersticions: vnto them doth this proposicion reatche / and of
them therfor I do playnly affirme / and saye this /

  [[It is not lawfull to be present at the popyshe Masse and
  supersticions]]

That it is not lawfull for them to be present at the popishe
Masses / at popishe superstitions and jdolatries. It is to well
knowne / that many fondlye do flatter / and indeede deceyue them
selues / imagining that it is lawfull for them to be present at
this popish pelf. Againste whom with all ther clokes I vse this
sayinge of Paule / flye ye Idolatrie. But here they resiste and
saye / that this sayinge and suche other as before I haue
alledged / are to be vnderstanded of the sacryfices done vnto
Idoles / and false goddes / and not of such supersticions as are
nowe growen and vsed in papistrie / As of masses / and such
like / for in the sacrifices of the gentils what so euer is
done / yt is done vnto Idolles / But here in the masse that
whiche ys done is done as a worshippe vnto god / for the name of
godd is caled on: It hathe the begynynge of Christes ordinaunce
and institution, although that some nowghtie men abuse it:
wherfore / seinge theis do thus differ from the other / theis
can not by these sentences / and like reason be forbidden to
them / as Idolatrie was to the Corinthians: This they saye. But
theis men shuld considre and wel vnderstande / that theris no
owtwarde worcke wiche is to be estemed as a worshippe and
seruice of godd / but only that which is apoynted and ordeyned
by godds worde so to be / which ordinaunce in the worde if it
wante / it is vtterlie nothinge ells but mans inuention what so
euer it be: for worshippings of god and goddes seruice are they
not / but only when they haue godds worde to beare and warraunte
them. God can not be truly worshipped with out faithe, for if
faithe be not in the worshippe that is done vnto god / that
worshippe the lorde dothe abhorre / as the Prophet Esaie dothe
witnes. Incense is an abhominable thinge vnto me / I maye not
awaie with your newe moones. &c. I hate your holie dayes / &c.
Thus dothe god reiect the seruice apointed in his worde /
because it was done without faithe. If the seruice and worshippe
of God taughte in his worde maie be done with out faithe / and
therfore displease god / mutch moore these worshippinges which
haue not their ordinaunce in godds worde ar done withe out
faithe / therfor do displease godd: for faithe hathe no place at
all where goddes worde is not: now these inuentions of men be
they neuer so glorious to the eye / they be not ordeyned in
godds worde / they can not therfor be doone in faythe / they can
not please god /

  [[uuhat so euer is not of faith is synne. Ro. 14.]]

yea god dothe abhorre them / and accompte them as an
abhomination / because they be not so done / in faithe I meane
In faithe they be not done / because they are not taughte in
godds worde / for where ther is no worde of god there is no
faithe / and where no faithe is / there is no worshippe of
godd / but a filthie hypocrisie / and stinking abhomination.
Nowe let the papistes shewe that ther masse is a worshippe of
god / taughte in his worde / whiche we saie plainlie that they
can not do / let them do it therfore if they can / and when they
haue do yt / then will we saye with them: But vntill they haue
done it / their masse shall remaine a filthie and stinkinge
abhomination before the lorde / and suche a thinge as the lorde
dothe deteste and abhorre. If so be that we will do honour and
worshippe vnto men / we are accustomed principallie to obserue
with what thing they are moste delighted / which thinge after
that we haue perceiued / we do it / and then do we thinke to
haue bestowed our labour wel when we haue done it: God is
delighted onlie with that seruice which he hathe set forthe in
his worde / wherfore he that will do godd acceptable seruice /
muste do that which his worde teachethe / and in suche wise as
it techethe / els as the lorde by the Prophet Esaie sayeth / he
dothe detest and abhorre their sacrifices.

  [[Isay. 1.]]

And to proue that the masse with all such popishe baggadge is
verye Idolatrie / I neade not to bring mani reasons / for this
one thing dothe easelie teache it. There is no true god that
wilbe worshipped with this popishe seruice: for the true liuinge
god hathe in his worde plainlie apointed the maner howe he wilbe
worshipped / in wich word this masse / and their popishe pelf is
not taughte / but they ar cleane contrarie and repugnaunte vnto
it: wherfore when the wicked papistes do their popish seruice
vnto a god (they saye) it is plaine that they do not worshippe
that true lyuinge godd / whom the holy scripture teachith vs to
knowe and worship / but sum such other godd as they haue fayned
in their fantesie to be their god / such a one as is delighted
with these their seruices: But seinge that in verye dede there
is no suche true god at all / as they do Imagine / the god then
whom they serue is but a newe god / fantasied and inuented in
their owne myndes: wherfore by righte their god maye and must be
called / an horribe Idoll / their masse likewise with all
popishe seruice done vnto him / abhominable Idolatrie / And they
which do such popishe seruice vile Idolatrors. But wher as they
saye that those thinges wich be done and spoken in the masse
hadde their begynnynge of the ordinaunce of Christe, and that by
the wikednes of men they are corrupted: This sainge helpethe not
at all / for in these thinges / it is not the begynnynge that is
to be consydered only / or that can make them good onlie /
seinge they are swarued from the truithe / but nowe their
nature / and vse vs to be tried / whether they do agree with the
verie worde of god or no.

  [[numer. 21.]]

what thinge hade a more pure begynynge euen by goddes
commaundement then the brasen serpent? It was erected god both
willinge and commandinge it. It was sett forthe with miracles /
for whosoeuer dyd beholde it he was deliuered from the bytinge
of deathlie serpentes /

  [[4 Reg. 18.]]

But this not withstondinge when men dyd worshippe the same
serpent and offered incense vnto it / the godlie dyd so abhorre
it / that Ezechias that most holy kynge not regardinge at all
the begynnynge of yt / dyd breake it in peces / and vtterlie
destroyed the worshippinge of yt / Therfore it is not sufficient
to consider the begynnynge of a thinge / but howe the ordre and
vse of yt dothe agree wyth the firste institution and
ordinaunce. This acte of Ezechias is praised in the scripture.
And wolde to god that we hade now an Ezechias wich wold so
handle the masse. ffurthermoore our men wolde haue this thinge
to be consydered in them / that thoughe they go to the masse /
yet they haue no mynde to decline and departe frome god / but
that they worshipp hym ther: vnto this I answer / that the
Israelites when they dyd compell Aaron to make them a calfe to
worshippe / they hade not indede that mynde that they wolde fall
from the true lyuynge god / so that they wolde no more confesse
that he deliuered them out of Egypte / but this only was their
mynde they wolde not reteyne that worship of the inuisible god
which was deliuered them in worde / but they wolde worshippe the
true God vnder some signe / and visible form and shape / whiche
sholde represent vnto them the liuinge God their deliuerer: And
that shape or forme they moste desyred to haue / wich they hade
seene the Egyptians vse to represente vnto them their god: They
vsed the form or shape of an oxe / the very same forme wolde the
Israelytes nowe haue: And as the very heathen men mighte haue
sayde that they worshipped the one only true liuinge god the
Author and maker of all thinges / whose maiestie was shewed /
figured / and set forthe vnto them by those diuers signes / and
formes / which they dyd worshippe: As that the signe of Minerua
dyd set forthe his wisdom: the signe of Mars his mighte and
power: the signe of Iupiter his Iustice and goodnes: So wolde
the Israelites haue their god and deliuerer set forthe vnto them
in the shape of a Calfe / not that they mynded to turne awaye
from him / or to denye him (as they thoughte) but because they
wolde worshippe him as it pleased their fantesie. But we muste
not apoynte the manier and ordre of godds seruice after our
mynde and iudgment / or as they commonlye saye / after the goode
intent of men: for this doinge in the Israelites god did not
like / but for yt he punyshed them grevouslye: Nether dyd Moses
alowe it / for he knewe that god wolde not so be worshipped.
This cloke therfore must haue no place in this matier. but we
muste see whether god will haue suche worshippe and seruice /
whether goddes worde teachethe yt / whether it be clothed with
the worde of truithe / which if it haue not / then dost thou not
worship the true god with that worshippe which pleaseth him.
Ieroboam thought mutch after this sorte /

  [[3. Reg. 12.]]

for his mynde was not to drawe the people awaye from the
worshippe of the god Iehouah / but he feared les if they sholde
customablie go to the temple at Hierusalem / the people wolde
fall from his kingdom and ioyne themseues agayne to the house and
stocke of Dauid: wherfore he sekinge his owne profite / sayde /
that it was not nedefull that they sholde go vp vnto the
temple / and to the Arke of the couenaunte when they wolde
worship the true god: for the same god which was represented
vnto them by the Arke of wodde and the temple / mighte euen aswell
be represented vnto them by these newe signes and golden calues:
There is no chaunge but euen of the forme and owtwarde shape: for
as at Hierusalem by the Arke / so here by the calues the liuinge
god sholde be represented: And what makethe yt matter what the
signe be / so the worshippe be all oone: Therfore the same
worshipp that ells they sholde do at Hierusalem / they mighte
more commodiusli do yt in bethel / and dan. So that he dothe
nothynge ells / but establishe this owtwarde worke / in wich he
wolde haue them worship the true god: but he hade no warraunte in
godds worde for it / and that beinge absent / ther is nothinge
in his acte remayninge but mans worcke / supersticion / and
Idolatrie: so is it iudged. And therfor none of his subiectes
shuld haue herckned to hym. So now / when Tiraunts / Kinges /
Queenes / Bisshopps / and such other as ar the soudiours of
Antichriste / the Pope I meane / do compel and constrayn men
vnto such vile and vngodly supersticions as the popishe brood
haue and do sett upp, althoughe they do pretend a goode well
willing mynde vnto their poeple and countrith (as thei saye) and
that all shalbe for their wealthe: And thoughe they do also
saye / that theise thinges ar of an auncient begynnynge and
contynuance: Yet indeed they ar but popishe Idolatrours / and to
Idolatrie do they trayn men. Therfor their subiectes must not
herken vnto them neither obey them herin / But do rather as
S. Paule teachith.

  [[Ephes. 5.]]

Haue no felowshipp with their vnfruitfull works / but rather
reproue them. He callith theim their worckes, for gods worckes
they can not be called / bicause they do differ / and swarue from
his worde: with them (saithe he) haue no felowshipp What then is
to be doon in that case? We must (Paule saith) reproue theim.
And that so oft as neede shall require / to reproue theim with
greate libertie and boldenes: So farr must we be from
dissemblinge with them / that we must (he saithe) reproue them.
If thou be a preacher / preache against them: If thow be noone /
yet speake against them / reproue them / and condemn them. But
our men do saye / That it wer very perillus to do thus: for then
(saye they) shall we be burned / or hanged / we shall loose our
goodes / londes / and promocions / I heare you well. And do yowe
on the other part consider this as well / that ther is not one
of vs all which hath receiued christendome vnder such a
couuenaunt and condicion / that with it he shuld haue and holde
in safetie his lyfe / his ritches / and dignities without
perseqution: it is saide vnto vs / and in this case as a lawe
layed vppon vs all /

  [[Math. 16.]]

that Except we do renownce and vtterly forsake all our thinges
and take vpp our crosses and folow christe / we can not be his
disciples / and except we do lose our lyues we shall not saue
them.

This verily / this must we determyn with our selues / this must
we appoint our selues vnto / to do and abide this must we caste
our acompt / To this euery christian must be so readie and
bent / that he shuld not doubt / no not deliberate or take
aduise of this matier.

  [[Ciprian.]]

That example of Cyprian is to be sett before our eyes: When he
was brought vnto the place wher he shuld suffer deathe / The
magistrate being very desirus indede to deliuer hym from
deathe / sayde vnto hym. Now I do gyue the space to deliberate
and aduise thi self well / whether thow wilt thus Wrechedly
dye / or obey / and be let go free. To whom this godly man
answered. In so holy a thinge / ther is no deliberacion or
aduise to be taken. This readines must euery christian haue in
this case to beare the crosse and to followe Christe as Christes
disciple. Trulye they whiche be not this wise mynded / but to
saue their lyues and goodes do defile them selues with masses /
and wicked supersticions / art greuouslye punished for it euen
presentlie:

  [[a greuus punishement.]]

firste their owne conscience dothe miserably torment them.
Secondlie the light of goddes truithe which was opened vnto
their mynde is by lytell and lytell put owt. Then the loue of
the truithe and the hate of falshode waxeth colde in them.
fourthly their mynde becommith nomore displeased or vnquieted
for the euill that they do / but they begynne to please them
selues in this their euill and dissemblinge / yea and do go
aboute to persuade others vnto the same. Laste of all they begyn
to hate them which do not harcken to their aduise and counsell /
which is to do as they do / yea and they stirre vp againste them
sharpe perseqution / for so moche as in them lyethe. This hathe
bene the moste vnhappie ende of many. But this is not the end of
all their miserie / as ye may well perceyue / if ye do consider
what is appointed to be their perpetuall porcion / which shalbe
payed them full truly in the laste daye. Let them therfore
beware of this bottomles pytt which feare to breake their
neckes. But some there are which in this their dissemblinge are
wonte to defende them selues after this sorte: we do not theis
thinges (saye they) with our hartes / we do only thus behaue our
selues in bodie / and in outward behauiour. To whom I do answer:
god he is the lorde of harte and bodie / as he requireth the
worshippe of the harte / euen as iustlie and seuerlie dothe he
commaunde the owtwarde worshippe of the bodye: for these
owtwarde doinges are a kinde of confession / and therfore as men
owght to be sounde and vprighte in the beleif of harte / so
owght they to be in owtwarde confessinge and expressinge of their
godlynes and religion. The doinges of men be as it were a tongue:
The tongue dothe confes the thinge that lyeth in the harte by
wordes: so doinges do giue a confession therof in dede: As he
therfore which denyethe with tongue is a denyer of Christe / so
he that in owtwarde worckes and doinges denyeth Christ / is
iustlie called a deniar. Of whom Christe doth saye.

  [[mat. 10.]]

he that denyeth me before men / him will I denye before my
father which is in heauen: wherfore as the tongue owghte not in
the confession of godlines and religion to differ from the
mynde / so muste not the owtwarde doinges of the body disagree
from the same. And vnto these men this also I saye / with
paule /

  [[Rom. 10.]]

that the belefe of the harte doth iustifie / but the mouthe and
owtwarde doinges do make the confession vnto saluation / And
therfore Christe dothe saie /

  [[mar. 8.]]

he that is ashamed of me before men / of him will I also be
ashamed before my father which is in heauen. Morouer I wold it
wer well knowen vnto these men / that it is no true faythe which
doth not breake forthe in workinge that worke which dothe agree
with faithe. As is writen of Christe / who verylie soughte the
glorye of his father / The zeale of thy house hathe eaten me /
This zeale dyd not lye in Christes brest only / but it brake
forthe into wordes / as it apeareth by his sermons / and into
deedes also / as yt apeareth ther / wher he withe a whippe dyd
dryue the byars and sellers owt of the temple:

This is a zeale / which only deseruyth the name of a christian
zeale. And euen the same I saye of faythe. What zeale then / what
faithe / what studie or care for faithe is it / that these men
do bragge of / that they haue shutt vp so close in their brestes
that it breaketh not forthe into wordes and dedes? As This true
christian zeale / and their dissemblinge can not be together in
oone man / euen so true and lyuely faith can not lurcke in such
a dissemblinge breste. ffurthermore / there are two kindes of
worshippe due vnto god / an inwarde / and an outwarde
worshippe / The inwarde worshippe is of the mynde / that is when
we beleue goddes truithe / and do thinke of god true and worthye
thinges / The owtwarde worshippe is of the bodye / which is
declared by those owtwarde signes that do belonge to the true
worshippe of god / In lyke maner there are two kindes of
Idolatries / one is inwarde / which is the Idolatrie of the
mynde / that is when a man dothe not thinke well / nor beleue
trulye on the true lyuing godd / but dothe fayne vnto him selfe
throughe false doctrine / either a straunge god in his owne
mynde / or straunge worshippinge of god: An other is outwarde
wich is Idolatrie of the bodie / and that is when we do bestowe
the worshippe wich is only due vnto god vppon creatures / And
when we do owtwardlye worshippe god other wise then he wilbe
worshipped.

Truly Theise dissemblers do not giue to god this worshipp of
mynde and bodie which is due vnto him / but the Idolatrie of
mynd and bodie they do commytt / bothe because they owtwardlie
do ioyne with papistes in their Idolatrie / and because in their
mynde they do persuade them selues that it is lawfull for them
so to do. We thinke / (saye they) as you thinke / and in our
hartes we do reteyne the truithe / and so our mynde is pure. But
your bodyes ye do giue ouer to the deuill and to Idolls.

  [[1. Cor. 6.]]

Thy bodye / sayeth Paule / is a membre of Christe / why doest
thow make yt the membre of an harlot? here they will saye
againste me / that Paule spake this of whordome / I graunte
that: But the prophettes do teache vs that the moste vile and
horrible whordome is Idolatrie. Hieremie / Ezechiel / and the
other prophettes do speake so against the Iues and their
Churche / that they name it to be euen like an harlot which
hathe opened her legges vnd[er] euerye tree that hade any
bowghes to Idolls and vngodlye Idolatries. Wherfore if thow maye
not make thy bodye the membre of an harlot, thow muste not make
yt the membre of an Idoll. This collation betuene whordome and
Idolatrie is playne and true / taughte by the prophettes and
Paule. Morouer howe vayne this ther excuse is / that sayinge
dothe sufficyentlie declare / in which the lorde pronounceth.

  [[3. Reg. 19.]]

I haue lefte me seuen thowsand in Israell / of which neuer man
bowed his knees vnto baal / nor kissed hym with his mouthe. He
sayeth not / which thinke well in their mynde / which do beleue
well / but he sheweth the signe of owtwarde worshippinge / that
is to bowe the knee / and kisse. which doth teache that ther is
required vnto the true worshipp of godd / not a pure mynde
only / but the owtwarde sygne / token / and doinge of
worshippe / and seruice. The lorde our god is not content with
halfes / he will not part stakes with the dyuel.

  [[Esay. 45.]]

All knees (saith the lorde) shall bowe vnto me. God will not
parte so / that he shall haue the mynde / and the dyuell the
bodye. All is myne / saythe the lorde / and I will haue all or
none / I will haue bothe the obedience of the harte and the
bowinge of the knee: Which worship by these thy dissemblinges
thou takest from god / and so thou dost robbe him of his honor /
and bestowe it vpon Idolles / euen popishe masses. But thou
saiste / I despise the Masse / and all Idolatrous poperie in my
harte: why then doest thou prostitute thy body vnto yt? My mynde
ys pure thou saiest: yee / but god will haue mynde and bodye
pure. If this thy reason and excuse were of any force / then
mighte the Corinthians haue sayde to Paule / why doest thou so
reproue vs? we also by the grace of god do knowe that there is
no Idoll. A true opinion we kepe in our mynde of godd his
truithe / let god be content with that / and in the meane tyme
our bodies shall serue for our commodyties.

  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

But paule telleth them plainlye that they do communicate with
deuills. The meates offered to Idolls of their owne nature were
pure / yet when the corinthians do eate them with the Idolatrors
in ther Idolatrie / then they become (saith paule) partakers of
the table of deuilles: when ye then be present at a Masse /
which is an Impure thinge / and do ther as the papistes do /
mutch more iustly is it sayed of you / that then ye ar partakers
of thos deulishe dragges which ar in the Masse. Again our men do
obiecte and saye: It is not we that haue corrupted theis
thinges / we wolde be gladde to haue them pure and incorrupte:
ther impuritie must not be adscribed vnto vs. I answer: An other
mans synne shall not indeede be imputed vnto the / for eche man
shall beare his owne synne: but yet this thinge I do reproue in
the / that thou dost communicate with wickednes: This is thy
synne / here thou art defyled. and for this shalt thou be
iudged. Paule sayde vnto the corinthians:

  [[1. Cor. 10.]]

Ar not they which do eate of the sacrifice / partakers of the
temple? what saye I then? that the Image is any thinge? or that
it which is offered Images is any thinge? Naie. but this I
saie / that the thinges which the gentills do offer / they offer
to deuels and not to god. I wolde not that ye sholde haue
fellowshippe with the deuills: ye can not drincke of the cuppe
of the lorde / and of the cuppe of Deuels / ye can not be
partakers of the table of the lorde and of the table of deuels.
Thoughe corrupcion of meates offred vnto Idols is not to be
imputed to all them that be partakres of them / (which wer not
indeede corrupt of them selues (as I saide), but when they wer
offred vnto Idols that made them corrupte) yeat the veraye
communicating and eating of them with Idolatrors is a fault
iustly layed to their charge / from which they shuld haue keapte
themselues aswell for the honor that they do owe vnto godd / as
for the conscience which they ought to haue to edyfie other men.
If it wer not so / whi did paule thus rebuke the Corinthians?
Yea whi wolde not our holy martirs of the primitiue churche
communicat and be partakers in the Sacrifices of the heathen? The
martirs might haue saide / we knowe that an Idoll is nothing /
and to offer vp sence to them is but an owtward thing / we do it
but in bodie / our spret and harte is pure / and that we do /
against our will we do it &c. They veryly did know no suche
excuse / but they considered that godd required this / that they
shuld outwardly confes hym / and reproue / and fle from
Idolatrie: And therfor aswell for their duties sake towarde
godd / as bicause they wold not offend the brethern by their
example / they did gyue their lyfe in the quarell without making
ony such blinde excuses.

These men do saye further that the Masse is not to be lickened
iustly vnto the Idolatrie of the heathen / for that was directly
forbidden of godd / so is not the Masse / saye they: for thoughe
it hathe sumwhat swarued aside / yeat is it the Institucion of
christe. But to the contrarie I do saye / that the Masse is so
farr swarued from the ordinaunce of christe / that it hathe
nothing agreing with christis Institucion / yea and that it is
most directly repugnant vnto it / A very Idoll / wherin
massemungers do committe very vile Idolatrie. And this will I
proue by diuers reasons. ffurst of all. The Supper of the
Lorde / as it was delyuered of christe shold be a publique and a
common worcke and action: for Christe our Sauiour made it with
his Apostles. But nowe in the Masse / ther commithe forthe one
sacrificing preste / disguised with straunge araye / and he doth
all thinges alone / the rest stonde still loking / heeringe /
and holding their peace. If paule did worthely and Iustly saye /
when the Corinthians did not tarie and loke one for an other /
that they did not then eate the Lordes supper / then ther is not
the Lordes supper eaten / wher one tarieth not for an other so
that they maye eate all together: And how shall we then saye /
that the Masse is the Lordes supper / wher one only sacryficing
prest doth eate and drincke vpp all alone? surly it can not be
so called: for to be, and not to be the Lords supper / ar
contrarie / Paule saith / it is not the Lords supper / wherfor
call your Masse by what name ye will / the Lords supper it is
not / for paule is to be beleaued before all massinge
marchauntes.

They saye morouer that in their Masse / they do offer vpp the
sonne of godd vnto the eternall father for the synnes of the
quicke and the deade: And this they do call the principall point
of their masse. But in the Laste Supper of the Lorde that
Scacrifice and oblacion was not made / but vppon the crosse / as
the scripture witnessith. And as for this their offerenge /
ffurst / paul doth denie it in most playn words in the epistle
to the hebrues /

  [[Heb. 9. 10.]]

wher he sayeth that all oblacions for synne wer consummate and
finished / and all thinges made perfect by that one only
oblacion / which christe Iesus our Sauiour in his own parson
made of hymself vppon the crosse. The worde of godd teachithe /
that christe was but ons only to be sacrificed and offered /
And that Sacrifice no more to be made: for if it wer often to
be made / then the furst was not perfect / But the furst was
perfect / Therfor ther must be no repeating of it. The papistes
do saye / that they dayly offer christe for to take awaye
synne / and that this Sacrifice must be dayly repeted of them /
The scripture denieth this playnly: And thus ye do se that heere
is a playne contradiction.


Again The supper of the Lorde was not instituted to the end that
such a sacrifice for synne (as they fayne) shuld be made of it /
but that in the vse of it the communicantes shuld be put in
mynde / and made partakers of that only propiciatorie sacrifice
which christe offered ons only for all euer vppon the crosse.
And therfor ther Masse / in which they wold worcke such
marueyles / and the Lordes supper ar vtterly vnlyke. But here
they will reply and saye.


The fathers do speake thus of this Sacrifice / We graunte
indeede / that the fathers do often tymes speake so as thoughe
that the lorde wer offered in this administracion of the
Sacrament / or sacrificed: But they vsed this worde / Sacrifice,
improperly / for by that kinde of speaking they did
onderstonde / the offringes of praise / and sacrifices of
thanckes made and gyuen for christes sacrifice done vppon the
crosse / This they called to sacrifice. Our sacrificing prests
ar not content with this / for they will haue their own worcke
to be an vnwonted worcke / belonging to them alone / which
neither the scriptures / nor the fathers do teache: ffor to
offer this Sacrifice of whiche the fathers do speake /
partayneth not to the preist alone / but to the whole poeple
that stondith by / and doth communicate / And so it is a common
oblacion and sacrifice of all / not of the preiste more then of
the poeple / but this only that the preist both in wordes and
action / doth go before the poeple.

  [[de Ciuitate dei. lib. 10. cap. 6.]]

Augustine doth saye / that the churche is offered in that
offeringe which it doth offer. For all which do communicate /
they do offer them selues vnto godd / and do testifie that their
will is / to abide in christe.

The papistes do holde also that the breade is turned into the
substaunce of christes bodie / and that ther remaynith nothing
but the qualitie and accidence of breade as whitenes / &c. for
the substaunce / saye they / is christes bodie. But the scripture
saith that christe in his laste supper did gyue breade vnto his
disciples /

  [[1. Cor. 11.]]

and paule callith it breade also / yeat in the Masse the
papistes saye that it is otherwise.

The vse of the breade and wyne by christis institucion is only /
that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke therof in the
remembrance of christe / But the papistes in their Masse do most
shamefully abuse them both. For wheare as the worde of godd
saythe:

  [[Deutron 6]]
  [[math. 4.]]

Thow shalt worshipp the Lorde thy godd and hym only shalt thow
serue / They in ther masse do lyfte vpp the breade and wyne /
and euen in the rowme of godd they sett them furthe to be adored
and worshipped of the poeple: now how farr this differrith from
the vse of christes supper eich man may se. Yea what can be more
vile and filthie Idolatrie / then to adore and worshipp a peace
of brede and cupp of wyne / as godd? Be not offended that I do
vse theise bare names. I do confes / that whosoeuer acording to
the Lordes Institucion doth communicate with the congregacion and
dothe eate the breade and drinke of the cupp of the Lorde /
beholding the deathe of christe with Lyuely faithe / the same
man is in sprete and after his manier / made partaker of the body
and bludd of the lorde. Contrari wise if thow do not vse the
breade and wyne acordinge to the ordinaunce of christe / but
gase vppon them / then ar they nothinge els to the / but breade
and wyne: But if in a popishe Masse / or in the popishe hanging /
heauing / carying / or handelinge of them / thow do worshipp
them / then ar they vnto the a false Idoll / and thow indeede a
filthie Idolatror. If therfor thow wilt be partaker of the body
and bludd of christe in the holy supper / then eate the breade
and drincke the cupp as the lorde hathe instituted. Godd wold
haue the poeple in the vse of the holy Supper to ascend vppwarde
into heauen in mynde and affection / that they might ther cleaue
fast vnto christe. And therfor the true ministers of the churche
do labour to the vttermost of their poure / thus to lifte vpp
the poeples mynde into heauen / that they shuld not seeke
christe in the worlde / that they shuld not thinck ony fleshly
or earthely thinge of hym: Theise men clean contrarie in the
order of their Sacrament and Masse do miserably detayn the
poeple in the earthe / bynding and holding them to the visible
signes.


  [[1. Cor. 14]]

The apostle commaundith that thinges shuld not be doone in the
congregacion in a straunge tongue / except ther wer an
Interpretour / that the thing being vnderstonded of all / the
hearers might saye / Amen / and that the edifyinge of them shuld
be sought. Now theise men in their masse do all in the Laten
tongue / which is to the common poeple vnknown / and they do
defend this theyr doing euen against the worde of godd. But it
is most certayn that christe our sauiour in his administration /
and after him all his apostles and disciples which wer hebrues /
vsed theyr vulgare hebrue tongue / the Grecians also their greke
tonge. And euen vnto this daye the Sclauonians in their churches
vse their vulgare and commen speache.


Those wordes of our greate and singuler consolation / in wich
the partakinge of Christes bodye and bloude is promised / the
papistes in their Masse speake secretlie / they whisper them so
that euen they which knowe the Latine tonge can neither heare them
nor vnderstande them. And so do they rumble them vp to their
owne selues as thoughe the people were vnworthie to heare them:
But christ in his super spake them openlie. And so the greke
churche and the Churche of India / do yet speake them with an
audible voice And the auncient manier was / as Ambrose and
Augustine among other of the fathers do testifie that the people
dyd answer vnto those words. Amen. But as I suppose the papistes
do thus murmure and speake these words in secrete / bicause they
wolde not haue their Lies knowen / for they do saye / Take ye
and eate / and this so often as ye do / do yt in the remembraunce
of me. But who taketh / or to whom do they giue? The wordes be
spoken to the people: And yet they them selues do eate and drike
vp all alone / and do distribute vnto no man ells. Is not this to
make a lie? To lie alwaies is taken to be an euill thinge / but
before god to lie / is a moste shamles and wiked thinge: who
dothe eate (o ye lyyng papistes) or who doth drinke wyth you? If
ye do distribute at any tyme to ony other ye do yt not when ye
your selues receyue / but ye chose for them an other time / yea
and another kinde also / for to them ye do minister but the
breade onlye. Thus ye se that all theise thinges which these
massers do in their masse / ar contrarye to the institution of
Christe. Ther masse then and Christes supper ar not lyke.


The papistes saye that by their Action (I meane ther handeling
of ther breade and wyne) they do applie vnto others the profitt
of Christs bloudie sacrifice and passion. Of a Sacrament they saye
that they make sacrifices to profit the quicke and the Deade.
and this do they in ther masse. But the scripture teacheth / that
there is but one only propiciatorie sacrifice / able and
auaylable to take awaie synnes / whiche Christe Iesus offered in
his owne fleshe vpon the Crosse. And that euerie man muste
applie vnto him selfe by liuelie faythe the benefite of that
same sacrifice of christe / as the scripture teacheth likewise /
that eche man is iustified by his own faithe, and that eche man
in his owne righteousnes or vnrighteousnes / doth liue / or die.
It teachithe also that christe did institute the sacrament only
to this end that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke it in
the rememberaunce of that same his Sacrifice. And that eiche one
in the drincking therof shuld apply vnto himself by faithe / the
fruite of that Sacrifice. Now compare the doctrine of the
scriptures and of the papistes in this pointe together / and
thou shalt se that their Masse is contrarie to christes
Institucion. But as they haue / so still will they saye:


That aswell the liuing as the deade be helped by this their acte
applied at their pleasure. If they wolde saie that thei profyt
others by praier / that were tollerable. But they go further and
saie / that ther verye massinge worcke it selfe / hathe so moche
vertue / power and strenghthe in it / that it shall profit not
only all kyndes of men / but all such creatures and beastes for
whom they do say ther masse / bicause in it they do applye the
benefite of christes passion: but ye must vnderstond when they be
payed for ther labor. This is an horrible error in no wise to be
suffered / for as I sayed / ther is but one only sacrifice
propiciatorie to take awaye synne / which one sacrifice eiche
one of vs must applie vnto our selues by liuelie faythe / And
this applyinge faithe is the only gifte of god: But on this
grounde buylde they their purgatorie and mutch other such pelf /
by which they do pycke mens purses. They saye ther Masses also
in the honor of this / or of that saincte. And of what saintes?
suche verylie whose histories are not certaynlie knowen / and
are of none authoritie / yea many of them are no better then
poetes fables / of whom not vnworthelie we doubte whether they be
sainctes or no: But be it that they were true sainctes / yet
this their doinge is moste contrarie to christes ordinance / for
Christe did institute his supper to this ende that it sholde be
vsed in the remembrance of his deathe and not of other mens /
weare they neuer so holye.


In their masse they haue also diuers and sundrie rytes and
customs / clothes / signes / gestures / tornes / remouinges / and
blissinges / of and with the breade and wine / but christe vsed
none of all theis in his supper: And what they do meane by these
thinges the poeple doth not knowe / neither can the priestes
them selues for the most part tell what is ment by them: for if
ye aske the meaninge of them / either can they saye nothinge at
all / or if they do saie owghte / they do not saye all one
thinge / but thinges that be moste contrarie / wherby a man maie
iudge that there is no truithe at all in their wordes. But here
they do saie. Thinkest thou that the foolishe vnlearned people
in the olde Lawe dyd vnderstand all the legall ceremonies? no it
was not requisite / no more is yt nowe: To this I answer /
Althoughe that all the poeple dyd not knowe what was mente by
them in the olde lawe / It sufficed yet that they hade the worde
of god for them / Nowe do yee shewe vnto vs the worde of god for
theise your signes and it shall suffice vs.

Agayne the godly and lerned preistes could shew what was ment by
the rites and ceremonies of the lawe / and that by the word of
godd: but ye can do neyther of theis: for ye haue enuented theis
toyes in your own braynes: signes ye do call them but ye do not
know what thinges they do signifie. And therfor as in rites your
Masse doth differ from christes supper / so when ye saye your
pleasure of your rites / ye ar not to be beleaued: for faith
hath no place where goddes worde doth not shew it selfe. I saide
that massemungers in their masse do committ Idolatrie. Their
bready god hanged vp in a pix / and their Images / vnto which
they turne them selues and do make their moste vncleane seruice
and sacrifice do proue this true: Neither do they accompte it
sufficient to behold theis their Idols when they saye their
Masses / but also they so offer vnto them / they cense them /
they bowe the knee vnto them: let them nowe denye whilest they
will that they do not worship the breade / nor the Images / yet
this worship they do them / This kinde of worship (I saye) which
is giuen customabilie vnto god alone / as the lawe of god
teacheth. But seing they giue this vnto these Idols / are they
not Idolatrors? yes truly. And howe then dare ony christian be
present there / to vncouer the heade to bowe the kne to offer
and do such like thinges with them?


They saye that ther Masse is christes Institution / And our men
(of whom I now haue spoken) do saye that the Masse hath sum
affinitie with christes institucion of the holy supper.


But I saye that the olde heathens myghte wyth more coloure of
truithe / excuse and defende their sacrifices by that maner /
then these men maye do their masse. ffor verylye the sacrifices
of the heathen haue lesse departed from the maner which the
fathers vsed in sacrificinge before the lawe giuen / which also
the lorde approued in the lawe / then these massers do frome the
supper which Christe / and the Apostle paule hathe prescribed.
In bothe their sacrifices was the inuocation of god / a Temple /
an Aultar / slayne sacrifices / sacrificinge priestes / sleynge
of beastes / sheddinge of bloude / salte / wine / oyle / mele /
an holy feaste / holy garmentes / washinge / censinge / fyer /
singinge / prophecies / and suche other thinges / all which to
repeate it were to longe: let our Massers (if they can) shewe so
many thinges which Christe did in the holye supper: Which thinge
if they can not do / then let them cease to boaste that their
Masse is the institution of Christ and the Apostles / from which
it differethe so farre that if the Apostles and fathers of the
primatyue churche were nowe here to beholde this masse / they
sholde not knowe it to be the lords supper / but wolde surlie
marueyle at suche a monstruous mahometrie.

I omytte also that in and with their Masse they haue many
Anniuersaries yearemyndes / diriges done for the deade: But The
Lord did not institute ony of them. If they saye that Cyprian
and others of the fathers do speake of suche Annyuersaries:
I answer that those of which the fathers do make mencyon / were
nothinge els but thanckfull remembraunces of the Martirs departed /
in which they did gyue thancks to godd for them. They also in
their Masses do call vppon the saintes and holy men departed /
which is a thing most contrarie to true godlynes / and vtterly
vnknown and vnpracticed in the administracion of the Lordes
supper.

And to be shorte all their thinges which they do in their
Masses / they do choppe and chaunge / they bye and sell and sett
them furthe to most vile and filthie gayne. Wherfor / my most
Louing Brethern take ye diligent heede / les whilest ye pretend
to worshipp godd in your going to Masses / and to entreate hym
to be mercifull vnto yow / ye do not most mightyly kindle his
wrathe against you by hearinge of theise Masses: which as ye
playnly do se / ar nothing els but a shamfull deuise sett vpp to
deface the deathe of christe / a pestilent practise fownde out
to ouerthrowe the true vse of the Lordes supper / and an
Idolatrie inuented to infect the poeple and to make them
Idolatrors. whearby eich man may easily iudge / how great a
synne it is / to be partaker of a Masse.


But notwithstondinge all this which is spoken / yeat theise men
whiche thincke that they maye dissemble at the Masse / cease not
to saye / That thoughe the Masse be not the Lords supper / but
an Idolatrie / yet is not the presence at it so earnestly to be
forbidden / seing that such thinges haue been graunted vnto the
Infirmities of men: If a man do aske them wheare:

  [[Naman.]]

They do bringe forth the Example of Naaman the Syrian / and by
it they will neades haue it made Lawfull vnto them to
communicate with wicked supersticions.

  [[4. Reg. 5.]]

for he prayed Heliseus / saye they / that he might be suffred to
kneele in the temple of Rymmon that Idoll / when the kinge did
worshipp / and leane vppon his arme. whom the prophet answered /
goo in peace. And that / saye they / which was permitted vnto
Naaman / whi do ye forbyd vnto vs? ffurst theise men shuld weye
with them selues / whether that we only haue redde this Example
of Naaman / or not. So we thincke that the holy Apostles and
Martirs of the olde churche which wer occupied nighte and daye
in the holy scriptures / did not consider this acte and Example?
Truly they wer not ignorant of the historie / yet did they neuer
knowe this vnderstandinge of it: for if they did / whi then
wolde they not folow this example / especially when they might
therby haue saued their lyues?


But these holy and godly learned men did see that thinge in this
historie / which our men do not consider / namely this / that
Naaman now newly conuerted to the faithe was a smoking flaxe which
was not to be putt out / a weake and shaken reade which was not
to be brosed in peices / and that as yet he was very weake / for
he was not yet prepared and readye to denye and forsake hymself
and all that was his for goddes sake. He thought that it might
comme to pas that he shuld together with the knowledge of the
Lyuing godd / easili holde and keape still his old place /
office / and dignitie / if he coulde happen to haue that / which
he desired of the prophet: And when he did well perceyue that
this was his infirmitie and synne / it trobled himso that
therfor he desired the prayers and helpe of Heliseus: he desired
hym / that if he shuld happen to fall into this euill / yeat
that he might be fauored / that he mighte finde mercie / and that
Heliseus wold praye that the Lorde wolde forgyue hym. Who doth
at ony tyme aske forgyuenes for that which he accomptithe
Lawfull? forgyuenes is asked for synnes only / Naaman therfor
acknowledged this his acte to be a synne: And if I so fall (quod
he) then praye the Lorde to forgyue me. This place therfor doth
make most against our men / and euen the same wayes which they
go about to excuse their facte / by the same it is most playnly
proued to be synne. Let them aknowledge therfor in their doinge
that thinge / which Naaman the Sirian did. And let them begg the
mercie of godd / and the prayers of godly men / that the same
thing which they haue euell doone / and do / maye be pardoned
them. Neither did Eliseus / as our men do thincke / graunte
Naaman licence or libertie to do so as he hadd sayde / but only
he saide vnto hym / goo in peace: which manier of speaking was a
kind of takinge leaue vsed in that age. And as for any other
thinge ther can none be gathered out of thos wordes / onles it
be this that he promised to do that which Naaman required: goo
thy wayes (saithe he) I will do as thow desirest / I shall praye
for the. The prophet doth not reiect hym / if he shuld fall into
this euell. As we do not vtterly reiect nor shutt theise men from
grace which thus do fall: Yeat must we sharply reproue their
doinges that they may acknowledge their fault and synne / and
vnfaynedly lament and repent the same. And we ought also hartily
to praye that they may be raysed vpp agayn. They do obiect also
certayn wordes out of the Epistle of Ieremie / which is entitled
Baruch. The wordes ar theise.

  [[Bar. 6.]]

Now shall ye see in Babilon godds of golde / of syluer / of
wodde / and of stone / borne vppon mens shulders to caste out a
fearefulnes before the heathen / But loke that ye do not as the
other: be not afrayed let not the feare of them ouercome yowe.
Therfor when ye do see the multitude of poeple worshipping them
behinde and before / saye yee in your hartes / O Lord / it is
thow that oughtest only to be worshipped / Of theise wordes our
men do gather / that it is sufficient for them when they ar
present at Idolatries / Masses / and popishe supersticions / to
saye in ther harte / O Lord it is thow that oughtest only to be
worshipped. In answer to these men: furst I saye / that this
booke entitle Baruch is none of the Canonicall scriptures: And
therfor no man is bownd to the doctrine of it. But admit the
booke wer of sufficient auctoritie / Then theise men must
vnderstonde / that the prophet doth not gyue the Iues leaue to
comme vnto the temples of Idols / that ther they might be
present at vngodly Idolatrie / bowe ther knee / and so make vpp
the matier / with sayinge in their hart to the true and lyuyng
godd / O Lord / it is thow that oughtest only to be worshipped.
But he gyuith the Iues instruction against Images which wer
caried about / and Idolatries which wer vsed in those places wher
they were exiles: ffor the Maneir of the Babilonians was / not
only to haue Images in ther temples / but also to haue them sett
abroode and caried openly vppon mens shulders. As it is not
vnlike that the Image of Nabugodonosor, which beinge dedicated
in the feilde of dura, was caried aboute the whole Region with
Musicall Instrumentes and songes / at the sownde of which
whersoeuer the Image was seene / commaundement was gyuen vnto all
men that they shuld worshipp it: which Daniels felows wolde not
do. Of theise thinges I saye / that epistle entreatithe /
playnlye to warne the godly / that they shuld not adore / nor
worshipp thos Idols thoughe that the heathenishe poeple did so
bothe before them / and behind them / but when they did see this
Idolatrie / detesting it / they shuld then saye / O lord / it is
thou to whome worshipp doth only belonge: he saied not / bowe the
knee with them / and saye in your hartes / o lord / it is thou
&c. but when ye do see these Idols and Idolatrye / say so. These
seyngs and suddayn meetings in the cytie streetes and fieldes /
could not be auoyded / and therfor the godly were to be
enstructed and admonished / how they shuld behaue them selues in
that case.


But our men / as they are veraye bolde to abuse the scripture
for their purpose / go on further and aske / how it happened
that Daniel was not throwen into the fierie fornace with his
felowes?

  [[Daniel. 3.]]

seing lyke punishement was appointed vnto all men which did not
worshippe. They will of necessitie haue it graunted them
therfor / that Daniel did dissemble / (as they now do) and that
therfor nothing was done vnto hym: And that thinge which Daniel
dyd / they thincke that they maye do. I aunswer our men thus /
that they do not reason well to saye / He was not punished /
therfor he was ther and worshipped / they do out more in the
consequent / then is in the antecedent / and so to reason is to
make a subtill cauillacion / taking that to be a cause which is
no cause. For there might be many other causes / wherfor Daniel
was not likewise punished: happilie the Image and he did not
meete together: or yf he did meete it / men did not mark what he
did: or els though men marcked that he did not worshipp / yet he
was not accused: or yf he were accused / yet through the
singular fauour which the King did beare vnto him he was
delyuered from punishment. It must not then forthewith folowe /
that Daniel for feare of death did present himself before that
Idoll / and did dissemble his Religion / doing there as other
Idolatrors did: this we must not iudge of Daniel /

  [[Daniel. 6.]]

seing in the lyke quarell / he was not afrayde to be thrown vnto
the lyons. Now seing there may be many other causes why he was
not caste into the fire with his felowes / why do these men
chose vnto them selues this one cause? and that such a one / as
is sclaunderous vnto that holy man / of which in the holy
scriptures / there is not so much as a suspicion contayned. Yet
they do thinke that they do not vnaptly saye for themselues /
and defend their cause / when they do alledge that out of the
Actes of the Apostles:

  [[Actor. 21.]]

where mencion is made howe that Paule / through the councell of
the Elders of the churche of Hierusalem / did take on hym a vowe
with other foure men / and did purifye hymself after the maner
and custumme of the Iues. Yf (saye they) suche an Apostle dyd
take thys lybertye to vse in Iurie the ceremonies which were now
abrogated / euen we also maye vse / and comme vnto the rites /
and ceremonies now vsed in our countrithe. For the better
vnderstonding of this matter we must first well consider what the
somme of Paules preachinge was:

  [[Rom. 3.]]

We do suppose (saith he) that a man is iustified by faith /
without the workes of the Lawe.

  [[Gal. 3.]]

And as many as are vnder the deedes of the Lawe are subiect to
the curs.

  [[Abac. 2.]]

Agayne the Iuste man shall lyue by his faithe.

  [[Rom. 1.]]

This is the somme of Paules doctrine / wherby it doth appeare /
that Paule did not vtterly condenne the obseruing of the
ceremonies of the Law / but only when it was done with this
minde / as thoughe that Iustification did not comme therby. And
the same his meaning he vtterith most playnly to the
Galathians / where he saithe.

  [[Gal. 5.]]

As many of ye as are circumcised / ye are fallen from the grace
of Christe: for Christe shall not profite you at all: ye are
gone quite from Christe / as many as are Iustified by the Lawe /
As yf he wold saye / These thinges of theyr owne nature do not
alienate and separate vs from Christe / but only when they be
done with this mynde and purpose / to be Iustified by them: Take
awaye this opinion / and this euell hurtefull purpose being
remoued / then Paule commendeth these worckes / and all other
ciuyle ordinaunces commaunded / and appoynted to that Nacion: he
condenneth them not / but so farre as they wer iustly and not
supersticiously vsed / he did leaue them in theyr place /

  [[Gal. 3.]]

and did not hinder the obseruacion of them. As he dyd also
write / that in the Lord / there was neither Iue nor gentill /
neyther nonde nor fre.

  [[Gal. 6.]]

And that in Christe Iesus / neyther circumcision auaileth any
thing at all / nor vncircumcision / but the obseruing of the
commaundements of God / or a new creature.

  [[1. Cor. 7.]]

And againe yf any be called being circumcised / let him not adde
vncircumcision. If anye be called vncircumcised / let hym not be
circumcised. Let euery man abyde in the same estate / in which he
is called. All these indifferent thinges / might somtyme be well
obserued / somtyme be as well left vndone / as most serued for
edifying in godd. Of which vse and obseruacion of them

  [[1. Cor. 9.]]

Paule doth speake / when of him self he saieth: I am made all
vnto all men / that I might wynne manye: Vnto the Iues / I am
made as a Iue / to them which are without the lawe / as though I
were without a lawe. This sentence he hath also confirmed by
examples:

  [[Actor. 16.]]

For when he was required to circumcise Timothie / because that
the custumme which was yet in force might be kept / he did it:
But when they wolde enforce him to the ouerthrowing of the
christian libertie / that he shulde likewise circumcise Titus /

  [[Gal. 2.]]

In no wyse wolde he gyue place vnto them / no not for the space
of one houre / and because (saith he) false brethren came in /
to espie out / or to betray our libertie. S. Paule did obserue
these thinges then / when it might be done without an euell
mynd / when no hurte shuld ensue of it: The cause and end why
Paule did it / was to auoide the offendinge of the beleauing
Iues / les yf he did it not / they shuld therby be alienated and
turned awaye from Christes gospell / which they had newly
receyued. But we must not compare these ceremonies of the old
lawe with the Inuencions of men / they can not be iustly
compared with Massing: They were plainly taught in Goddes
worde / but these masses and popishe Idolatries are thrust vnto
vs by the subtiltie of the deuell / and craftye deceyuing of men.
They were thinges indifferent / and as such thinges might be well
vsed. But these are thinges vtterly euell and can not be well
vsed. They after Christes ascenscion into heauen wer not
forbidden / and therfor might be obserued / so long as the
Temple and common welth of Israel did continue and the citie was
vndestroyed / and vntill the full reuelinge and preachinge of
the gospell was had / vntill by it the churche of Christe /
which was to be gathered of the Iues and gentils / were well /
and fully vnited and knitt together.

  [[Aug. Epistol. 19. ad Hieron.]]

Neyther wer those ceremonies / as Augustine saith / suddenly and
without honor to be buried and throwen awaye. But these masses /
and such popish supersticions / which are farsed full with
Idolatrie / alwayes haue beene / are / and shalbe forbidden.
Those thinges might therfor be keapt and obserued for a tyme /
so that men did not vse them with that mynde (as I sayed) to be
iustified by them. Wherfor yf thow wilt consider the matier it
self / that is / the nature of the acte / Paule can neither be
therin reprehended / nor yet can these dissemblige Massehaunters
vse his well doinge as a defence for their euell doinge: but
much les can this be done / yf thou wilt searche out the mynde /
councell / and entent of Paules doinge. Bothe these thinges
these mayntayners of massehaunting do want. For furst they are
occupied in a thing which is contrary / and repugnant to Godds
worde / as it is already declared. Secondly / in thys their
dissimulacion they do only seke themselues / for to thend that
they maye retayne their riches / dignitie / and estimacion by
falling to poperye they offend the weake and drawe them by their
example from Christe to Antichrist / wheras Paule did herin
obserue thinges commaunded in Goddes worde / and then to this
ende only / les the beleauing Iues shuld fall backe from Christ /
and that he might the more easily drawe others / which yet
beleaued not / to the gospell of Christe. Furthermore these men
do saye / that they by their dissimulacion will auoide offence.
For (saye they) yf we shuld so vtterly forsake the Masse as ye
wolde haue vs / we shulde be taken as wicked men and euell doers /
and so shall we geue great offence in out countrithes. I graunte
that these men do seke to auoyd offence / but what offence? euen
the offence of the world. They will not offend / but whom?
Tyrauntes / and such as ar the very limmes of antichrist. And why?
les they shuld procure against themselues theyr wrath / poure /
and tyrannie. But this is that offence / which Criste sayeth
shuld not be auoided:

  [[Mat. 15.]]

Let them alone (saith he of the Phariseis) They are blinde and
the leaders of the blinde. Heere we must consider which be euell
offences / and such as are to be auoyded indeed. Euen those I
say / which are an Impediment to the setting forth of the
gospell / which do offend and hinder men / be they simple / or
wicked / that they do not embrace pure doctryne / and turne vnto
Christe. Now beholde / I pray the / by comming to the Masse /
what offence thou doest gyue? The Idolatrous and supersticious
people / ar they not offended by this thy doing? Yeas verely.
For when they do se the haunte their masses / they say / these
gospellers do comme to our masses / which they wold not do yf our
masses wer so euell as thei call them: wherfor we may perseuere
and continue in our old purpose. And on the other parte / the
weaker brethren / which are but newly turned / and not farr
entered into the knowledge of Christ / when they do se these
better lerned professors / enseyng bearers / and chief men in
the scole of Christ comme to the masse / they are taught to do
the lyke: and wher before they wer perswaded not to comme at
masses / now they thincke that they were then deceyued / and
that it is but a fonde precise scrupulositie so to abstayn from
masses: and it cometh to pas / that where they shuld go forwarde
in the waye of truth / now they do go backe. Thus both the
wicked and the godly / are offended by thy example: It is playne
therfor that vnder the cloked colour of auoyding of offence /
these men do fall into the very offence gyuing. They say morouer:
It is nedefull to condiscende vnto the weake: for there are many
which are not persuaded that the masse is naught / and therfor
are neyther ready to forsake their countrie / nor to dye in the
quarell / whiche men yf they shulde perceyue that we did not
come to masse / they wold not gyue then any ear or credite vnto
vs in the other matiers and chief pointes of religion: wherfore
we must gyue and yealde somwhat vnto their infirmitie / as Paule
doth teache the Romayns. This they saye.

  [[Rom. 14.]]

But what will Paule / I praye you / that we shuld yealde to the
weake? This verily / fyrst that we shuld not please our selues:
Agayne / that we shuld not so lyue after our own mynde / that we
shulde contemne their saluacion. We do graunte therfor that som
thinge is to be gyuen vnto the infirmitie of the weake brother /
but euen with Paule / we will not suffer that to be done / but
in thinges indifferent. But those thinges which of them selues ar
euell and forbidden of Godd / must not be done in respect of any
man.

  [[Rom. 3.]]

For that same Rule doth stonde certayn which gyueth leaue to no
man to do euell that goode maye comme theron. To abstayn / or not
to abstayn from meates / was then a thing indifferent. In such
thinges they which be stronger must beare with the Infirmitie of
the weaker: but meate eating and Massehauntinge are not lyke /
for this is no thing indifferent / but manifestly euell / as it
is sufficiently proued / and therfor it is not to be done in
respect of bearing with any man that is weake. But are the weake
alwayes to be borne with all in thinges indifferent? no truly /
we must not alwayes yealde to the weake but only whylest they be
taughte: And when they do vnderstonde the thing that is taught
them / and yet do wauer and doubt of a wilful scrupulositie /
their infirmitie is no longer to be norished nor born with all:
For we must not so beare with them / that out libertie shal be
in subiection to their frowardnes / nor that therby we do hurte
others by our example.


Agayn they obiect and saye: Yf we shuld do as ye wold haue vs to
do / then must we eyther flye out of our countrithe / or els
forthwith shall we suffer death and so the congregations shalbe
left vtterly desolate / ther shall be none lefte to teache and
norishe those afflicted membres which shall remayne in our
churche: Better it is / that by our bearing and dissemblinge /
ther do remayne yet sum leight / then that by doing as ye wold
haue vs all together shuld be putt out.

  [[1. Cor. 15.]]

If sum do remayne ther / it wil brust forthe at lengthe / and a
litill leauen will soure the whole lumpe of dowe. &c. Truly for
all this goodly clooke / it is easily perceyued that through
this dissembling the edifying of the churche is hindered and not
furthered. These men pretende with Athlas to beare vp heauen withe
their shulders / but they do ouerthrow altogether: Godd doth se
more then we / in the thinges which shall happen to the churche:
We must obeye hym in seruyng hym and his churche with the
confession of truthe. The issue / and succes / let vs committ vnto
hym to whom the churche doth belonge: And let vs do that
wherunto we ar called. The churche shall be destroyed then / thow
sayest: Let God care for that / he will well prouide for that /
let vs not doubt. Wel maye theise men be answered / as the lorde
answered Peter / when he called hym / sayinge:

  [[Ioan. 21.]]

folowe me: Peter made a staye at it and asked hym what Iohn
shuld do. If I will (saith Christ) haue hym to tarye / what is
that to the? do thow folowe me. So if thow aske in this case /
what shall then be done with the churche? I aunswer / what is
that to the? Do thow the thinge wher vnto thow art called.
Besids this often tymes the doctrine of the gospell is more sett
furth / and better receyued / when it is mayntayned by deathe /
and fleinge / then when by words only it is propownded and
taught: for then men are taught by deedes / as before they wer
by wordes: Haste thow confessed the gospell in wordes? This then
remayneth for the to do: die / or flye for the gospell so shalt
thou confesse the same indede. And Let vs not feare the desolation
of the churche / for wher one of our brethern dyeth / or flyeth
for the doctrine / in his rowm shall rise vp a great sorte. But
if we stand and continue in dissemblinge / then is the light of
the truithe put owt / nether is there any confession made indede.


They bringe in also the examples of Zacharie / Iohn the
Baptist / the virgin Marie / and Ioseph / which in the corupted
and infected tymes when they lyued dyd comme vnto the seruice of
God in the Temple of the Iues / The same thing maye be permitted
to them (they thincke) and that yt is as lawfull for them to
partake and vse the ceremonies in the popish churche be they
neuer so corrupt. True it is that ther were many wicked
doctrines and euill opinions at that tyme emongest the scribes
and pharisees. But yet the estate of them was far otherwise / then
it is in our tyme: They hade corrupted the doctrine of the law
and of iustification. They were couetous / That thing which they
dyd / Was done with out fayth / and therfor abhominable before
God / yet the rite and maner of sacrificing apointed by Goddes
lawe was not chaunged / for the same beastes were offered which
the lawe dyd commaunde / the same daies were obserued / and
ceremonies / and therfore it was lawfull to vse them inasmoche as
they hade the worde of Godd for them. And eiche man that so vsed
them receyued according to the measure of his faithe. For the
corrupte doctrines / sentences and manieres of the priestes /
Bishoppes and scribes / dyd not hurte at all the prophettes and
godlie men which wer them selues cleare from them / of a contrarie
mynde to them / in all thinges thinking according to Godds
worde / yea dyd also reproue and sharplie rebuke those thinges:
which thing Augustine dothe witnesse as he is allegded. 23. q.
4. ca. Recedite. and in many other places there. Let our
sacrificinge priestes do the same vnto vs at this daie. Let them
celebrate the lordes supper and vse other ceremonies / so as by
Godds worde they be apointed / then we will not draw backe at
all / but vse them / thoughe they them selues thincke corruptlie /
and liue more wickedlie / we shall bewaile / we shall
admonishe / we shall reproue / we shall accuse them / and they
shall beare their owne synne. Their synne shall not hurte vs /
nether will we absteyne frome the sacramentes for their
nowghtines / but vse them. In which doinge we shall not communicate
with their wickednes / for we shall vse the rite and ceremonie
as the lorde commaunded / and instituted. And this thing ment
Christ when he saide.

  [[Matth. 23.]]

The scribes and pharisees do syt in Moses chaire / what they byd
yow do / that do / but as they do / see that ye do not. So
Christe commaunded the leper whom he hade clensed to go vnto the
priest.

  [[Luc. 2.]]

The blessed virgin likwise she might well after the birthe of
our sauiour Christ offer the payre of Turtles or too yonge
pigeons / because it was so commaunded in the lawe. By this
example our men can not heare masse / because it is a thinge
contrary to godds worde: But let these papists giue vnto vs the
sacramentes / as Christe dyd institute them / and we shall vse
them / and yet neuerthelesse reproue their wickednes. Nowe our
men beinge thus at all pointes answered / and ouercommed / do
flye to this atlenghth. Thoughe saye they it be a synne to go to
Masse and suche popishe pelfe yet it is but a light synne / and
not se seuerely to be reproued. What (say they) we do many
thinges which we shuld not fo. but God forgyuithe them. &c. To
the last I aunswer: The goodnes of Godd which doth forgyue
synnes vnto them that be truly penitent / doth not diminishe at
all the gretnes of the synne. Wherfor I will aunswer only / to
that they saye / that it is but a light synne. Which thinge
whilest they do saye / they do not thincke this with
themselues / that all synnes haue their proper wieght and
burthen. For doinges and the nature of thinges done ar not to be
considered simplie of themselues, but they ar to be weyed by
godds worde and laws / by which they ar forbidden: By it / wicked
actes and the doinge of them ar to be iudged: And seing that the
poure of the lawe and worde of god is all one in all
commaundmentes / by it / the weighte / burthen and greatnes of
synne committed / is to be weyed considered and iudged.

  [[Iacob. 2.]]

S. Iames therfor in this cause doth saye. He that hathe obserued
the whole lawe / and dothe offend in one / is made giltye of
all. Which sayinge truly is harde and sharpe / but most true /
and teachith all men that they shuld not extenuate synne. But
this place of Iames / is not to be vnderstonded / as thoughe that
all synnes wer equall and like.

  [[August. Epist. 29. ad Hiero.]]

That doth Augustine truly and playnly denye: He saith that the
Stoickes do go about to proue it / when they saye / that all
vertues are conioyned and knitt together / so that he which hathe
one of them hath all / and he that wantith one wantith all. For
wisdome (saye they) is not fearefull / nott intemperate / nut
vniuste / therfor it hath ioyned with it the vertues which be
contrarie vnto these vices: And likewise iustice / strenghthe /
temperaunce and other vertues are not vnwise / but are ioyned
with wisdome / wheruppon they do conclude / that all vertues are
conioyned and knitt together. Theise thinges / saith Augustine /

  [[Iaco. 3.]]

do not agre with the holy scriptures / which do witnes.

  [[1. Ioan. 1.]]

That in many thinges we do all offend / and If we saye that we
haue no synne / we do deceyue our selues and ther is no truithe
in vs. Wherfor seing that we synne in many thinges / and in
synnynge we can not haue that vertue which is contrarie to that
synne which we do committ / and yet it may be that he which
fallith in one synne / many be constaunt in other vertues / the
opinion of theis philosophers is fals. As for example: Be it /
that one be of an hastye nature / or do exceade measure in
eatinge / and yet he gyuith euery man his own / and will gyue
his life in Godds cause: though this man be fearce / and
intemperate / yet is he called a iust man / and a stronge man.
S. Augustine doth also putt awaye the similitude of the
stoicks / whiche is. That the man doth die in the waters / if
they be but half a handfull ouer, his heade / aswell as he ouer
whos heade they are / ten / or twentie cubites. This is no apte
similitude / saith he / therfor let vs take an other more fitte
for our purpose / of light namely and darcknes. Certaynly when
one is in darcknes / the more he dothe departe and go out of it
and drawith nighe vnto light / he begynnith the better to see
sumwhat / and so though that yet he be compassed with darcknes /
yet is he sumwhat partaker of the lighte. But he that wull knowe
more of this matier / let hym reade that Epistle of Augustyne:
Wher he prouith playnly / that all synnes ar not like / as the
Stoicks did thincke: Now to return to our place / which we did
rehearce. He that offendith in one / is giltie of all. Ther is
no obseruacion of Godds Lawe to be receued with an exception /
as thoughe we might chose one parte of it to obserue / and
separate or sett asyde the other parte at our will and pleasure
to neglecte it. The commaundementes of the lawe ar conioyned of
the lorde and knitt together / and so gyuen vnto vs: We must not
now disseuer / and separate them as we lust / but without
exception we must obserue the whole lawe. We must consider and
loke vppon the Auctoritie of the lawe gyuer / which is Godd / It
is of force aswel in one commaundement / as in the rest. This
doth Iames seame to meane / when he saith:

  [[Iacob. 2.]]

He that hath sayde / Thow shalt not committ adulterie / the same
hath sayde / Thow shalt not kill. As if he shuld saye / he is no
les contraried in any one of theise commaundementes / then in an
other. And therfor (to adde this by the waye) let them wel
consider what they do which do profes to receyue the gospell /
and yet they do refuse ecclesiasticall disciplyne: Wheras the
lorde / which hath reuealede and opened the gospell vnto vs by
Christe / doth appoint discipline to be a parte therof. Theise
men do synne against the whole lawe. The papistes do also synne
herin / which do preache their parted righteousnes / as
meritorius of congruitie. But to returne / this is also
manifest / that he that synnith in one / is therfore giltie in
all / for that as now by lust and tentacion / he is caried into
sum one transgression / and so dothe synne / euen in like manier
shuld he offend in an other euill / if he wer assaulted in the
same sorte / and whith that same violence of tentacion. And
Augustine in the place before alledged. doth saye. That therfore
he is made giltie of all / bicause he synneth against charitie /
vppon which the obseruacion of the whole lawe is grownded. To be
short therfor / when we do thus fall into synne / we must not
lightly tryfle it of and excuse it / sayinge that it is but
light / and small: for synne is not to be considered of the
matier / and manier of the action only / but of the force
poure / and dignitie of Godds worde which doth forbidd it. And
yet les I shuld seeme to be to rigorus and strayte in this
matier of massehauntinge / let ther be hadd a consideracion / or
difference of the matier / and doinge.

And truly I can not see / how this kinde of synne and doinge can
be iudged to be light / or small / seing that it is a
transgression committed against the furst table of the lawe / in
which the worship due vntto Godd is commaunded which worshipp
being sownde and safe in a man other vices and synnes ar the more
easily corrected: And agayn this being corrupted / all other
actes are most vnacceptable vnto Godd. Whordom by Godds lawe is
to be punyshed by deathe / yet is it a synne but against the
.ii. table. And what shal we thincke then of spirituall
whordome? how seuerely doth Godd iudge it? how sharply ought it
to be punished? If therfor thow dost consider the commandement
which thou breakest / it is of God: If the matier / it is
aganist the furst table and therfore thys synne is the more
heynus and weightie. Besids this / our men do counte this Masse
hauntinge a fault to be either contemned / or not so depely to
be considered in theim bicause they do not synne with mynde will
and affection / but as it wer compelled and of necessite. But I
aske them / what manier a violence and compulsion this is
throughe which that necessite commithe of which they make their
excuse? Truly they can not saye that it is ony other / then
bicause they wolde not ronne into the daunger of the losse of
their Goodes / their estimacion and lyfe.

  [[Aristote. Ethi. lib. 3.]]

This is then no absolute necessite but such a one as risith of
ther own corrupt affection and will, wich prouith that their
action is voluntarie. As Aristotle in his Ethicks doth saye of
the losse which shippmen do suffer in a tempest / which do cast
out of their ship al their Goodes when they be in daunger of
shipp wracke: They seame truly to be compelled to do it / and
yet willingly they do it / and therfor they are sayed .To do.
bicause that withe deliberacion and aduise / they do determin /
both with iudgement and will / rather to abide the losse of their
goddes / then of their lyfe. Which thinge as the mariners do
wisely determyne / so our men do folishly / which for the loue
that they beare to their lyfe / bodie and goodes do not chose to
abide the losse of them all / in refusing to come to these
detestable masses / to gayn therby lyfe / and saluacion euer
lastinge. And so do they committ doble synne. Furst they synne
willingly. Then they do prefer earthly thinges before heauenly /
outward thinges before inward / the bodie before the soule /
their Goodes before God: Which is not done but of such / as ar
the very children of the world. Of affection verily / though they
do saye nay / they do that which they do / but of that
inordinate affection which they do beare to their riches.
Wherfor this is no iust excuse which they make. For as well
might the Corinthians / euen by the very same reason / haue
sayde to Paule. If we do comme vnto these feastes wher the
meates offered vnto Idols are eaten / we do it not with that
mynde as thoughe we allowed such sacrifices / but we ar
compelled therunto / for if we shuld auoide theise solemne
feastes / we shuld be taken as sedicius men / euell citizens /
vncourteous / we shuld loose our frends / and most profitable
healp and defence / Yea and paraduenture our goodes and
countrith, Paule hearith noone of all these thinges / but doth
sharply reproue them / as in the furst epistle which he wrote
vnto them it doth appeare.

  [[Exod. 32.]]

Aaron also by the same reason might haue excused the making of
the golden calf / and sayed / I did it not with my mynde / I was
compelled / and if I hadd not folowed the mynde of the poeple /
they wold haue stoned me. &c. But Moses / who did well perceyue
that this was not of an absolute necessite / but did rise of
such a corrupt grownd and matier as neither righteousnes doth
suffer to be receyued / neither Godd doth admitt / he condemnith
the act / and doth sharply reproue Aaron for it. Thise men ought
also to thincke this: That the masse is as it wer the signe and
sure marke / the pleadg / and seale / by which the papists do
knowe who be theirs / from others. For whether a man gyuith
almos / whether he prayeth / whether he lyueth a chaste lyfe /
and so forth / they passe not at all: This only they do
regarde / whether he hearith Masses: which thing if they perceyue
that he doth / for the which they thinke that man to be ther own /
and on the other parte / to abhorr the Masse and not to heare
it / is euen the begynninge of fallinge from ther kyngdom / and
from Antichriste. Wherfor we may call Massehearinge / The
publique profession of poperie / the badge of the most vile and
filthie Idolatrie which is vsed in our age. In this therfor / in
which papistes put so mutch confidence / that they make therof
the very marcke wherby the godly are known from their men / no
Christian must dissemble. For if he do / then doth he publiquely
professe hymself to be a papist / which is euen to denie
Christes gospell: And this to do / is so greate a synne / as no
man can extenuate by ony blind cloke or reason. But thow wilt
saye: Ther be greate daungers / of which I am in present
ieoperdie / and I shall also sett mi self forthe to other most
heauy daungiers / except I be partaker and do communicate with
papists in the Masse / and such popishe Idolatrie. I grant that
ther are daungers / such is theyr Tyrannie. But remember thou /
That Godd hath forseene all theise daungers before / and also
hath shewed that they shuld comme / of which though he wer not
ignorante / yet did not his wisdom chaunge his lawe to haue them
auoyded: He commaunded / and doth / that Idolatrie shall not be
committed but that men shuld flye from it / which commaundement he
wyll haue kept what soeuer perill dothe comme theron. Wherfor let
vs cast our care vppon hym which hath gyuen vs this
commaundement / for he which doth know righte well / that theise
euels are ioyned with the obseruinge of his commaundementes / he
will care for them which for rightuisnes shalbe persequuted.
Truly the violence / and nature of persequution and daungiers is
not such / that it can chaunge Godds lawe: neither that he will
haue his lawes chaunged for them. Let persequutions be howsoeuer
they be / yet Godds lawe remaynith vnmoueable. Let vs not seeke
then to deuide and part ourselues / and our seruice / betwen
Godd and the deuell / as thoughe we wold gyue our mynde and
affection vnto Godd: and in poperie and supersticious Idolatries
to gyue our bodyes doinges / and outward actions vnto the deuell.

  [[1. Cor. 6.]]

Our mynde is Godds seate / our bodie is his Temple.

  [[Mat. 22.]]

Gyue therfore to Godd / that which belongith vnto hym. Thincke
what thow lust of doing and dissemblinge for thy commoditie:
Yeat this Rule / and certayn Canon of the holy ghost must now
either rule the /

  [[Roma. 3.]]

or herafter in Godds iudgement confownde the. Euell thinges are
not to be done that Goode shuld come theron.


Now seing that we haue sufficiently spoken of priuate men and
subiectes / in and through all the partes and membres of our
distictions and diuisions / it remaynithe that we shuld entreate
of Princes: for so at the begynning we ordered our diuision.


  [[Of Rulers and Princes.]]

Of Rulers and princes / I make this diuision / Some there are
which be chiefe princes / suche as do not depend and hange on
other / of whom the Ciuilians do saie / that they haue a mere
Rule. Other are vnder Rulars and such as be of lesse authoritie
then they / which do depende and hange on the higher princes /
either by the right (as they saie) of fee / or ells because they
are their officers / and mynisters / that is to saye (as they be
commonlye termed) their deputies / lieutenauntes and executours
of their office. I will firste speake of the higher / absolute /
and mere Rulers: And of them

  [[A question]]

I will both aske and answere this question: Whether it be lawfull
for them to suffer and permite in their dominions the free and
familiar conuersation and dwellinge togither of the vnfaithfull
with the faith full:

  [[The answer]]

I thinke that it is lawfull / but yet so that they muste take
hede of certeyn thinges / and obserue ans kepe certeyn Rules and
conditions.


The firste is / that they do not enforce nor compell their
faithfull subiectes to ioyne with the vnbeleauers in their
assembles / nor in such vnholy kyndes of worshipp of Godd as are
contrary to Godds worde: for then shold they not be Godds
ministers / as they are taughte to be in the epistle to the
Romains /

  [[Rom. 13.]]

but rather the ministers of the deuill / of Antichriste / and of
their furie. Then sholde they be a feare vnto them that do
well / and not to them that do euill / neither sholde they
promote the worke of God / but the tyranye of Antichriste.


The seconde is / they muste not graunte nor suffer / the
vnfaithfull to vse their supersticions and wicked Idolatries
which are contrarie vnto Godds worde. For it is not sufficient /
that they do not compell the godly to wicked supersticion and
Idolatrie / but also they muste forbidde the same to the wicked
Idolatrours: For not doinge of this Salomon is greatlie accused:

  [[3. Reg. 11.]]

Indeed he did not compelle the Iues to worshipp Idolles / but
yet did he permit and suffer his wyues and concubines, wich were
straungiers, to haue their Chapells amonge the Iues / in which
they worshipped Astaroth / Chamos and such idolls / For which
cause the lorde was so angrie wyth him / that as he suffered his
true worshippe to be parted and diuided / as he suffered seruice
to be done partlie to God and partlie to Idolles. Euen so was his
kingdom diuided / parte of it came vnto his sonne / and parte to
Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat. And agayn for doing of this / Achaz /
and other wicked kinges wer reproued of the prophetes. Magistrates
are apointed to be the defenders / and executours of the first
table of the lawe as well as of the seconde: with what obseruation
then of iustice can a magistrate graunte or suffer Idolatrie to be
vsed? It is writon that he hathe the sworde to punishe euill
thinges and vices. If it be his part to punishe theues / and not
to permitt them / the same must he do to Idolatrours. Or ells we
must saie that Idolatrie is no such synne and vice as theft is /
or that with other vices it is not to be punished. And that
theis princes maye do this the better / they muste them selues
take hede that they be cleare from these Idolatries and
supersticions. Augustine writing againste the donatistes dothe in
manye places notablie intreate and handle this sentence of the
psalme.

  [[Psal. 2.]]

And nowe ye kinges be wise be warned ye that iudge the earthe.
Serue the lorde wyth feare. &c. It is reason and semyng faithe he
that kinges sholde serue the lorde / neither is it spoken of
kinges in respecte that they are men / for so are they bounde to
obserue commen lawes euen as other men are / but as kinges they be
admonished to vse their power giuen them of God / and their sword
to defende the catholike truithe / and to represse the wicked
which do oppugne the church and truithe of Christ: wherfore it is
not lawfull for princes to graunt vnto the wicked and vnbeleuers
their euill and vngodlie Godds seruice and Idolatries / but they
muste maynteyn to their power / those holy rites and ordinaunces
of godds seruice which do agree with the worde of God / and
forbid those which are contrarie to yt. I do not saie that they
must be to curius in ceremonies / as many are / which wolde that
in any wise all rites and ceremonies sholde be throughli and in all
places of oone sorte / and manier: But this theis princes shold
prouide / that the ceremonies vsed in ther churches sholde not
be contrarie to godds worde / yea and that they sholde most
neerely agre therwith / and shuld make for godly edyfyinge and
decent and comelye ordre in the churche: But of their liknes / and
that in all places the rites / and ceremonies shold be of one
forme / I do not thinke it a thing worthie the labor. For what
matter maketh it if some men do receyue the sacrament stonding /
other sittinge / other kneling. And if in some places whilest
the bretheren do communicat / a place of the scripture be redd /
or some psalmes be song of the people / or other songes of
thankes geuing. Nether is it any great matter / when a corps is
caried to the buriall / whether that men do followe the hearce
holding their peace / or singing of psalmes / or suche other
thinges as maye edifie them that do stande by. These thinges are
to be lefte so free that in the churches suche maie be vsed / as
shall seme most meete for the edyfyinge of the people. Yea I
suppose that this varietye and chaunge in rytes / and
ceremonies / dothe not a lytell profyte and helpe to bring in a
true opinion of ceremonies / and to haue it kepte also: that is /
that men shuld beleue that all those ceremonies which the holie
scripure doth not apoint / are not necessarie vnto saluacion /
but maye be chaunged accordinge to the estate of tyme / and as
shall serue for edifying / as they shall think Godd which haue in
their hand the orderinge the churche. That moste worthie commen
wealthe of the venetians / which haue vnder their dominions /
many Cities and places in Grece / they do in eche of them permit
and suffer the rytes / and ceremonies / bothe of the Greke
churche / and of the Latin churche / for those wise men do
thincke / that the dyuersytie in outward ceremonies which are
not taught in Godds worde is not hurtefull. I do not alledg this
to allowe all such ceremonies as they do permitt in thos
places / but only to shew that they thincke it not a matter of
necessite to haue all one forme of ceremonies: The verie same
thinge before them did Augustine iudge as in his epistles to
Ianuarius / and Cassulanus it dothe apeare.


The thirde thinge is / that the princes and rulers which do
suffer these vnfaithfull men to dwell in their dominions sholde
prouide that they mighte be taughte the truithe: and in this
behalfe they muste not neglect them: for as the princes do
declare their gentilnes in suffering them to dwell in their
dominions so this their pacience muste be directed to the glorie
of God: And howe can that be soughte in theis vnbeleauers / if
they be suffered to abyde in their noughtie opinion without
teachinge: Surely by thys meanes in processe of tyme they be
made no whit the better / but a greate deale worse then they
were before.


The fourth is / that these princes take Godd hede / that by this
dwellinge and conuersation which they do graunte vnto the
vnfaithfull / they do not infecte the poeple committed to their
cure and chardge with their scabbe of vnbelefe and errour.
Charytie is to be shewed vnto straungiers indede / but yet not
so that they muste hurte the poeple among whom they lyue. And
this shal the princes remedie very wel / if that they do not
always beare with the corrupt blindnes of the vnbeleauers /
but after sufficient teachinge do compell them to embrace true
religion. I say that when they haue prouided that these
vnfaithfull haue bene taught a good whyle and truly instructed /
they must then enforce and compell them vnto those holye and
pure rytes and worshippinges of Godd which are commaunded in the
scriptures: for princes and rulers must not alwayes / nor yet to
longe suffer theyr cytyzens and subiectes / to lyue without
exercise of godlynes and vertue. The ende of policall
gouernemente is / that the subiecte both sholde lyue in
felycytie / and also in the practyse of godlynes / because that
godlines and the true worshipp of God is the chefest of all
vertues.


But some man will obiecte against me / and say / yf so be that
the vnfaithfull be not yet persuaded / they shall then embrace
truthe against theyr conscience / which thinge yf the prince
compell them to do / then he compelleth them to synne. Here must
we make a difference betwene the thinge that of it selfe is
synne / and that which is so by chaunce / by some fortune / or
some other thinge that happeneth / per accidens, as the
Logicians do saye: for when the Magistrate / in the matter which
now we haue in hand / dothe propounde vnto these his subiectes /
the thing that is right / goode / iuste / and commaunded of God /
prouidinge to haue them taughte therin / and they will not be
taughte / yf then he enforceth them owtwardlye to vse none other
order in religion then is commaunded of Godd / and to forsake
all other / he doth that which is iuste and appertayninge to his
office. But that synne is entermingled in this matter / truly it
is not throughe the faulte of the prince / but it is of the
vnbeleif of these men / of whiche the prince can not be iustly
accused / when he hath diligently done his part / that they shold
be well instructed. Morouer them which do obiecte this consider
/ that by the same reason that they accuse these princes we may
accuse God: for he doth propounde his lawe / which is moste
perfyte to be obserued of all men. Shuld men saye? we are weake
/ our nature is corrupte and infected / neither can we do these
thinges as thou dost commaunde them / And why dost thou then
enforce this lawe vpon vs? If we do contrarie to that which thou
doest commaunde / verely we synne / and yf we go not about to do
it we synne / we shall synne also yf we go aboute to do that
which thou commaundest / for we want of perfection / neyther do
we obey as we sholde do: wherfore do what we will / we shall not
auoyde synne: vnto this the Lorde wolde aunswer. The thinges
that I do propounde to be obserued of you are iuste and perfect
/ no man can accuse them of wickednes / But in that ye are weake
and do fall / and faile in fulfilling of my lawe / the faulte
muste not be layed vnto me / for it is of your own malice and
corruption / and not through my faulte / for the which I maye not
withdrawe my holy commaundements / Yet thus I haue prouided helpe
for you / Beleue in my only dearly beloued sonne / and loke
what so euer ye wante / wherin soeuer ye do fayle / and not
fulfyll my commaundementes / it shall not be imputed / nor laid
to your chardge vnto euerlasyinge deathe: yea your endeuoyrs and
your doinges / although they be not fully perfect and absolute /
yet will I accepte them well / they shall please me / and I will
allowe them. Euen so shall the good prince and Magistrate saye:
The thinges which are conteyned in Goddes worde / suche thinges
as are comlye and do edifie / do I require of you / yf your
mynde and conscience do go agaynst them / ye can not impute it
vnto me / I haue laboured and done my parte that ye sholde not
be ignoraunt / and miserablie perish in ignoraunce. I haue caused
you to be sufficiently instructed / and nowe will I procede
exhorting / admonishinge / and demaundinge of you obedience in
these thinges: do you reade the holye scriptures / heare the
teachers and pastours / and pray the Lorde to open the eyes of
your harte and mynde. Thus in aunswering to this obiection I shew
what a goode prince in this case may and must do. That thinge
also is not to be passed ouer of which Augustyne maketh mencion
/ that he hymselfe was somtyme of this opinion / that nothing
sholde be violentlye done agaynst heretiques / but that they
shold only be taughte / But his mynde altered after that he was
admonished by some wyse Bishoppes / howe certeyn cities / which
somtyme were altogether corrupted with the errour of the
Donatistes / were compelled by the violence of the lawes of good
Emperours to receyue the catholike faith / and these at length
were so syncerelie tourned vnto the truthe / that they dyd gyue
to God moste hartye thanckes for that violent enforcement /
sayinge that nowe thoughe they might safelye / yet by no meanes
wolde they retorne any more to suche pernicious and hurtfull
opinions. The prince therfore / after that he hath gyuen them
sufficient instruction / yf he shall enforce these men vnto the
embracing of such rites and ceremonies as are good and godlye
indede / he shall do no hurte at all but muche good. I do meane
that this sholde be practysed only vpon suche as be cityzens /
and naturall borne subiectes / or suche as beinge straungers
borne / do as denizens dwell in theyr domininions / and so by
priuiledge haue the benefite of theyr countrithe: Otherwyse yf
they be but straungiers which do passe through their countrithe /
or such as do come either to bye or to sell marchaundize / there
is no suche violence to be shewed towardes them. And yet this
thing they must take heade of euen in them / that they do not
seduce their people and subiectes which are of a good iudgement /
that they do not infect them with vice and errour. The
Israelites / as I thincke / ar in this pointe to be folowed.
They did admitt no straunger to be as a Iue / or proselyte /
neyther did they gyue vnto any the libertie of their countrith /
except he did fyrst circumcise himself / admitt Moses lawe / did
communicate / and became partaker with them in theyr Sacrifices /
submitting himself to their discipline: Which thinge / seing it
was well and diligently obserued of them / why shuld not our
princes do euen the same? That they shuld suffer no Citezen /
nor subiect / eyther naturall / or straunger born / but that they
shuld compell and enforce hym / to receyue such religion / and
obserue such rites and ceremonies / agreing with Godds worde /
as they by common autoritie haue establyshed. Now will I speake
of those princes and Rulers / which ar vnder these chief Rulers.
Whome I do deuide into two sortes. Eyther they are such as haue
Iurisdiction / poure / and auctoritie / which commeth to them by
discent from theyr Auncetours / or els committed vnto them of
Emperours / Kinges / and common welthes: Eyther els they haue no
Iurisdiction nor Rule ouer others / neyther by discent from
theyr auncetours / nor by commission from other higher princes /
but only are taken and estemed as men of worshipp / for the
auncientnes of their house and blud / or for their riches. This
last sorte do not differ at all in a maner from priuate men / of
whom I haue spoken before / for these are mere subiectes as they
are. Therfor (I do suppose) that the former Rules / appointed
vnto priuate men and subiectes are to be committed vnto them / to
be obserued of them / in such maner as I haue before declared.
But of this other sorte of Princes and Rulers / of which some by
right of inheritaunce / some by vertue of office committed vnto
them / are Rulars and gouernours of countrithes / cities and
places. Of these I do saye and pronounce this / That in matters
which do belong to Godd and true Religion / they ought to do no
other things / but those / which I haue already shewed that the
muste do / which are meere / absolute / and the hygher princes
and Rulars. For it is not lawfull for them / no not at the
commaundement of theyr hygher Princes and Lordes / to compell
those subiectes ouer whom they haue rule / to recyue wicked
Religion and supersticion / neyther to permitt the vnfaithfull
in the places where they do beare Rule / to haue theyr vngodly
Idolatries and supersticions. This must thei not do / no thoughe
they were (I saye) therunto commaunded by theyr hygher princes
and Lordes / of whom / and vnder whome / they haue theyr
auctoritie. But yf thou wilt saye / that they must obey theyr
hygher poures / I will graunt that / but (as the sayinge is)
_vs[que] ad Aras_, that is vntill they do come to matters of
Religion / and vntill they do commaunde in Religion thinges
contrarie to Goddes worde and truthe. For when they shall
commaunde that which is against Godd / and is hurtefull to the
conscience of man / these magistrates must not obey them. For
these vnder Rulars are called into a parte of the cure and
charge of the goode gouernemente of the countrie / by the force
of theyr dignitie and office:

They must not therfor putt those thinges in execution / whiche
are agaynst Godd / and are hurtefull to theur countrye: Yea they
ought both to persuade by reason / and to defende by poure the
contrary.

The Lacedemonians / when they whiche hadd ouercomme them / did
demaunde of them such thinges as were against the ciuile lawes
and libertie of their citie / They answered / If ye do commaunde
vs to do thinges which ar more weightie and greuous then death /
we wyll rather dye then do them: Thus ought these vnder Rulars
answer theyr higher Lordes / when they do commaunde them to do
thinges which are to the defacing of Godds glorie and truth / and
to the wounding and vnquieting of the consciences of the
subiectes / whiche thinges are more weyghtie and greuous then
death indeede. In Cyuile thinges they may gyue place to the
vniust commaundementes and decrees of theyr hygher Lordes / but
that ought they not to do in the cause of Godd / and pure
Religion. The Machabees at such tyme as the Iues were vnder the
rule of the Macedonians (Antiochus / Demetrius / and Alexander /
I meane) which princes did leade the people awaye from the true
worship of God / and from the seruice taught in hys worde /
wolde not obeye them. But that house and tribe of the prestes
called _Asmonei_, whiche in dignitie were nexte vnto the house
and stocke of the Kinges / and bare the chief Rule nexte vnto
it / les that the true worshippe of Godd commaunded and taught
in the lawe / and which hadd bene retayned and vsed in theyr
countrye / shulde be thus leafte and forsaken / they did Rebell
against thos kinges as the hostorie doth witnes. But if this
historie for the insufficiencie of the auctoritie of the bocke
(which yet is a true historie / as Iosephus also doth witnes)
will not suffice to proue this matier: Then let vs consider what
Ioiada the bishopp did in the dayes of Athalia:

  [[4. Reg. 11.]]

She hadd by violence obtayned the kingdomme / and so was she the
supreame ordinarie poure: But yet he sturred vpp a commotion
agaynst her / And he brought the Sonne of Asa / Kinge Ioas /
I meane (who was saued by hym from her bluddy sworde) into the
kingdome: For he knew that by Goddes worde the kingdome was
gyuen to the house of Iuda / He perceyued also that she went
about to haue all good Religion / and true godlynes / vtterly
ouerthrowen. Therfor as she had vniustly shedd innocent bludd /
euen so he most iustlye commaunded that she shuld be slayne.

  [[4. Reg. 18.]]

Kinge Ezechias also / was in subiection to the King of the
Assyrians / for Achaz his father hadd submitted hym selfe vnto
hym / and did not only paye hym tribute / but also for his
pleasure did chaunge Godds Religion: for when he wente to Damasco
to meete this Kinge / he commaunded that an altar shuld be made
at Hierusalem / after the patrone and fashion of that which he
hadd seene at Damasco. This Kinge Achaz his sonne / godly
Ezechias / perceyuinge that these thinges whiche his father hadd
done / were repugnant and contrarye vnto Godds worde / hurtefull
also to the consciences of his subiects / he (I say) did fall
away from the Kinge of the Assyrians / which yet was now his
superior and hygher poure. Indeede he soughte fyrst to pacifie
hym with gyftes / which thing when he coulde not do / then to
the vttermost of hys poure he dyd defende hym self / and his
people agaynst hym. Neuertheles in this matter sedicion muste be
auoyded so much as may be / and these princes must not vnder the
colour and cloke of Religion / seeke theyr own gayne and honor:
but here only let them resiste / that nothing be done contrary to
Godds worde / and not for those thinges which are done to hinder
theyr ambicion. Of this corrupt affection yf thei be cleare /
and only for Religions sake do resiste the wicked proceadinges
of theyr hygher princes and Lordes / let them not thincke that
they do herin anye vnrighteousnes at all. But yf one will
obiecte and saye: Thys maye not be / for all men are commaunded
to obeye the hygher poures. I answer /

  [[Rom. 13.]]

It is true indeede that the holy scriptures do commaunde / that
euerye soule shulde obeye the hygher poures / but so farr as by
Godds word it is lawfull to obey / and no further. For the holy
scriptures do likewyse say / that the Rular is not any feare to
them that doth good / but to them that do euell. Wherfor seying
these princes / in this case by theyr endeuour and laboure / do
promote that which is goode / they do well and not euell: and so
ought they for this doinge to be without fear of the hygher
poure / because that herin they do not resiste agaynst them /
with that Resistaunce which is forbidden. Wilt thou (saith he)
be without feare of the poure? do well then / and so shalt thou
be praysed of the same: If these princes and rulars do defende
godlynes and religion / they do good / then by the iudgement of
Goddes worde they are without feare of the poure / and do
deserue prayse of theyr hygher poures and lords. But yf thou do
euell (saith Paule) then feare the poure / for he beareth not
the sworde for nought / but is the minister of Godd to take
vengeaunce on them which do euell. Thus doth this place arme the
myndes and consciences of these inferior princes of whom I
speake / that they shulde note feare theyr hygher poures / when
for the defence of Goddes religion / they do resiste and not
obeye theyr wicked commaundementes. Yf any will now thus saye
agaynst me. He that hath the kinglye and supreame auctoritie /
vnto whom by othe I do owe obedience / commaundeth these
thinges / and therfore I must obey. I answer that thou arte not
bound herin to keape any such othe or promis. For when he
commaundeth those thinges whiche are agaynste God / he dothe not
the office of Goddes minister / to him then therin thou dost owe
neyther faith nor obedience. Agayne yf thou wilt aske / By what
righte may these vnder rulars and inferiour magistrates / thus
sett them selues agaynst the hygher princes / which haue the
verye supreame right and poure to defende pure and godlye
Religion / and the true faithe. I aunswere. That the electours
of the Empire / and the Princes of Germanie / and the fre
cityes / do it by the Imperiall poure and righte / whiche is
committed vnto them: And that the Magistrates and Rulars whiche
are in kingdoms / they do and darre do it / by the Kinglye poure
and right lykewyse committed vnto them. For Emperours and
Kinges / and such hygher poures / haue therfor chosen and taked
these vnder Rulars and officers / as it were into a parte of
theyr Rule / to be theyr helpers / in administringe and ordering
theyr businesses and charge / to the ende that Iustice might
florishe so muche the more. And euen so from the begynninge
poure and Rule was gyuen vnto these / that they shulde rule the
common wealthe / for that part therof / whiche was committed
vnto them / iustlye / vprightlye / and godlye. Wherof the
Emprour in the Code doth saye / that yf he shulde commaunde anye
thinge agaynste righte / he wolde not that any suche decree of
his shulde auayle in iudgementes. The very same thinge is to be
sayde / where a kinge or suche which do retayne the supreame
auctoritie / do commaunde or determyne anye thynge againste
right. Not vnworthy is Traianus the Emperour therfore
commended / who when he delyuered the sworde to a Rular in his
Empire / sayde: If I do commaunde Iuste thinges / vse this for
me / but yf I do require vniust things / vse it against me. But
on the contrary part / Gregorie the great / Byshopp of Rome /
can not in this behalfe be praysed / but dispraysed / and
accused: Who seinge that the lawe whiche Mauritius the Emperour
had made was vniuste / which was / That no man entangled with
the matters of the common wealth / or which was appointed to the
warrs / might be made a priest or a monck / he wrote to the
Emperour / That after that he hadd seene hys lawe / he was
wonderfullye afrayed and astonied / And therfor he desireth hym
to diminshe somwhat of the rigour of the lawe or els to chaunge
it altogether: But yet he added / That as touchinge hymself /
after that he hath now done his office in admonishing hym / now
for the obedience which he doth owe vnto him / he wolde publishe
his lawe / as he hadd commaunded. Thys acte surely can not / but
be reproued in this Busshopp. Agayn here thou wilt happily saye.
What yf the hygher Prince wil not allowe me to do myne office /
or doth reuoke this parte of myne office? Truly no man can take
that from thyne office / which God hath commaunded the to do in
it. No man can discharge the of that dutye / wherewith God
chargeth the in thyne office / do thou the dutye that longeth to
it. Many there are which do thincke / that when this dealinge
and doinge of the inferior magistrate agaynste the hygher Rulars
is thus straitly required / That Godds Religion is not to be
promoted after this manier by them / but rather / that they do
sufficientlye the thinge which belongeth vnto them / yf they do
forsake theyr office / and gyue ouer their Rule and auctoritie.
So do not I thincke / Thy dignitie and office is not so lightly
to be gyuen ouer. Thou dost gyue ouer thyne office / because
thou wilt not strayne thy self therin to promote the glorie of
Godd: And this is to depart and fall from thy vocacion: which
thou oughtest not to do / especially when thou dost playnly see /
that thy roume and place / shalbe bestowed vpon those / which ar
wicked and both do / and will oppresse the kingdom of God. These
men must abyde therfor in theyr offices / so long as they be not
putt out of them by the higher poures / and strongly must they
defend the glorie of God in them.


Now when I on this maner do entreate of these thinges / I do not
make or shewe an easye waye to sturre vp sedicions. But this
onlye I do seke / and care for /

  [[Matt. 22.]]

That those thinges which do belonge vnto Godd / shuld be gyuen
vnto Godd: and those thinges which are belonging vnto Cesar /
shulde be gyuen vnto Cesar. If the worldly substaunce and ritches
of men were required and asked by the hygher poures / I wold
councell to gyue them. But in those thinges which do belonge vnto
the worshipp of Godd / I say / that thei must not yealde to the
wicked requestes of theyr hygher Rulars and lordes: here is no
place to be gyuen to them / but in our owne ciuile matters we
must yealde / yf to yealde in them be not agaynst Goddes lawe.

  [[3. Reg 21.]]

In which case Naboth is to be excused / which wolde not graunte
hys vyneyard to the Kinge: He dyd it not of couetousnes / or of
to great a desyre which he dyd beare to the thinges of the
world / but because he dyd knowe that in gyuing awaye of his
vineyarde so / Goddes lawe shulde be broken / by which he hadd
appointed / that the feeldes and possessions amonge the people
of Israell /

  [[Num. 33.]]

shuld remayn in theyr tribes and kindreds / as they were iustly
distributed at the beginning. This lawe of God wolde Kinge Achab
haue broken / and therto required he the consent of Naboth /
which he with a good and a safe conscience could not do / and
therfor wold not. But halas / sorow it is to behold / how that
there are many Dukes / Earles / and such princes / from whome yf
an Emperour or a Kinge wold take their dominions / landes /
lordshipps and inheritaunce / they wold leaue nothing vndone /
yea they wold do all that they could do / to defend their own /
and do resiste their vnrighteous doinge: But when the kingdom of
God is assaulted by tyrauntes, and the gospell and bequest of
the bludd of Christe taken violently and wretchedly away from
them / and from the children of Godd which are committed to theyr
tuition and defence / they will do nothing at all. Yea when they
are required of theyr hygher poures / as ministers of theyr
furie / to destroye and ouerthrow the gospell / then they
neyther sturre nor speake anye thing at all / but do as they are
bidden. In theyr own cause they can fight / and rebell / but in
Goddes cause / they are as it were no princes nor Rulers. Wherby
we can not thincke any other thing of them / then this / That
they do not at the hart esteme the gospell of Christe.


  [[A confutation of the places alledged.]]

Nowe this is remayning / that I sholde answer vnto those reasons
which were put forthe at the begynning to proue that the
dwelling together of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull is
lawfull / and confute them. Firste / the example of Christ is
set against vs / which dyd eate and drinke familiarlye with
scribes / pharisees / publicanes / and synners. We muste
remembre that Christe was not only stronge / but the chiefe
heade of all them shich be stronge. He coulde so profyte them
which were euell / that theyr euill shuld not hurte him / and
therfore might vse familiaritie with the wicked. Euen so there
is no cause to the contrarie / but that they whiche be learned
and constante in the truthe / suche as can profit the
vnfaithfull by their conuersation and familiar being with them /
and not be hurt by it them selues (as we haue admonished before)
may be conuersaunt with the vnbeleauers and wicked.


The seconde place is /

  [[1. Cor. 7.]]

Paule wolde not that the faithfull maried vnto an vnbeleuer
sholde departe / yf the vnbeleuer will dwell together with the
other. This I do also acknowledge / as befor I haue said: for
vnto them / al necessary businesses / especially those which are
ordeyned of God / are to be done. And yet in that place which is
here alledged / Paule is not so to be vnderstanded without
exception / as these men do iudge: for yf the vnbeleuing maried
parson / shold continually moue the faithfull to Idolatrie / or
sholde not cease to blaspheme Christ / and prouoke the other to
commit like blasphemie / so long as thei did liue together / this
ioynt life in mariadge were not to be continued: for this were
not to dwell together / but to conspire together against Christ:
Paule therfor speaketh of suche cohabitacion as is laufull
without suche soliciting or mouinge to euell and blasphemye.


An other sentence of Paule is broughte which he writeth to the
Corinthians /

  [[1. Cor. 5.]]

where he teacheth that all couetous parsons / euill speakers /
dronckardes / whoremungars / and such lyke are not to be
auoided / for then sholde they haue gone out of the worlde.

But he wold / that we sholde kepe our selues from them / which
being called brethren / are infected with these vices. As
concerninge this place / we must consider the mynde and purpose
of Paule. Firste he dyd perceyue that for the necessitie of lyfe
it coulde not be that the faithfull shulde auoyde the companie
of all which at that tyme were vnbeleuers / for the greater part
of men at that ceason was without Christ / and they beinge
auoided of our men / coulde not therby haue bene made the
better / But into them which before were bretheren / bothe sorowe
and shame was dryuen / when they dyd see that they wer now
shonned of the godlye / to whome as they were before righte
deare / so with them they were familiar. And by this meanes the
church was not euill reported / neither for clokinge of euill
among themselues / nor for to seuere separatinge themselues from
them which were not yet conuerted: seing that they lyued with
the vnbeleuers / partly for the necessitie of lyfe / partlye to
turne them to the gospell of Christ: wherfore this sentence doth
make nothing at all agaynst those thinges which we haue alreadye
spoken.


Moche lesse maketh that for them which they do bringe in /

  [[Gene. 12.]]

that Abraham did becomme a straungier among the heathen and
Idolatours: first that which Abraham dyd / euen by the callinge
and commaundmente of God he dyd it. Againe he was of suche
knowledge and constancie in the truithe that he coulde be
conuersaunte whith the vnbeleauers with out hurtinge of him
selfe / and wyth moche profyting of them. For he caryed aboute
with him the name of god and his holy and true worship / whither
so euer he went. And the very same thing / maie we answer of Lot.


  [[5]]
  [[Gene. 13.]]

For if Lot went to Sodome / with a Good mynde to teache them true
faithe and godlie life / he owght not to be accused therfore /
for it was well done / yea it was the prouidence of God towards
the Sodomyts / that they mighte be better taughte / and ernestly
caled vnto repentance. So dothe God admonishe before he
destroieth. So Abraham was sent amonge the Cananites. On this
sorte to go amonge the wicked / and vnbeleuers is lawfull and
laudable. But if Lot went to Sodom only because the pleasaunte
commodytie of the place pleased him / he dyd not wel. Neither
indede dyd his going thither happen luckelie / for he was led
awaye captiue / so that he was in nede to be rescued again by
Abraham.

  [[Gene. 14.]]

And likewise when God burned the Cytie / he was compelled euen
against his will to forsake it.


Of Naaman I shall not nede to speake nowe /

  [[6]]

for of him I haue spoken inough before.

  [[7]]

I suppose lykewise that the cause is open and plaine inoughe /
wherfore manye of them which were healed of Christe were sent
from him to their own countrie / and kindred / to publishe and
declare and amonge them / what hade happened vnto them. This nowe
remayneth / that I sholde peculiarlie speake of the Iues / and
heretikes. For these too kindes of men do in all places this daye
liue amonge / and do dwell togither wyth the Christians.


  [[Of the Iues]]

As concerninge the Iues / there be certayn reasons why they are
to be borne withall and suffered. Of which Augustine / amonge
others / doth make mencion in many places. Furste / they aboue
all other sortes and nations of men hadde the promise made vnto
them. Neither are they all yet vtterly to be despayred of / for
the roote remaynethe into the which they maye be ingrafted
agayne / and nowe and then some of them / thoughe not many in
Nombre / do come vnto Christe. Paule saithe to the Romains /

  [[Rom. 11.]]

that partly blindnes is happened is Israel / as if he wolde
saie / not vpon all / not for euer. And afterwarde he saieth /
when the fulnes of the gentyles ys comme / then all Israell
shalbe saued: vnto that ende therfore the lorde saueth / and
preseruith them vnto this daye. And that thou sholdest not
thincke that this place is to be vnderstanded allegorically of
the spirituall Israel / Paule teacheth it as a mysterie / and
dothe recite the prophecie of Esaie /

  [[Esa. 59.]]

in which it is sayd: That then all the iniquite of Iacob shal be
taken awaie. Besids this they are called ennemies / but yet
beloued for the fathers.

  [[Quest. Euang. lib. 2. quest. 33.]]

And Augustine expoundinge the historie of the prodigall sonne /
saieth / that he dothe represent the gentiles /

  [[Luc 15.]]

for as he went into a farre countrie / so the gentyles dyd
departe so farre frome God / that they worshipped Idolls as by a
publike order and custome commenlye receyued: But the elder
sonne / by whom the people of the Iues is signified / went not
farre awaie / but was in the felde / not in his fathers house
verylie / which is the church / but in the fielde / for the Iues
are occupied / and conuersaunte aboute the letter of the
scriptures / they vnderstande them whith an earthly and fleshy
mynde: And therfore it is sayde / that he was in the felde: At
the begynning he wente not into the house / but at the last he
shall entre / and be called also:

  [[Lib. de fide rerum inuisib. cap. 6.]]

And alwaies Augustine bringith this sentence to persuade men to
suffer the Iues / which is writen in the 58. psal.

  [[Psal. 59]]

as he nombred the Psalmes. Sley them not / lest my poeple do
forget / but scater them abroade. &c. The sonne of God praieth
the father / that the Iues mighte not be vtterlie slayne and
destroyed but scatered abroad throughe the worlde. Other
countries and nacyons / being subdued of the Romaynes receyued
their lawes and rytes / and so became Romains / but the Iues
although that they also were ouercomme of the Romaines / yet
were they neuer made Romains / neither in ordinaunces / lawes / nor
religion. They do kepe their own lawe (so farre as they can) euen
vnto this daye: They wander aboute dispersed and scattered
abrode / neither do they forget the lawe of Godd / the haue it /
not to obserue it indeede / but only they do reade yt / and they
do also reteyne certeyn signes / as Circumcision and other
ordinaunces / by which they are knowen from others. But they offer
no sacrifices / for to sacrifice was lawfull only at Hierusalem.
And thus it semeth that the lorde hathe sett vppon them a
signe / as he dyd vppon Cain / which slewe his brother Abell.


Neither is this their dispersion amonge all the nacions of the
worlde vnprofitable for vs. They are braunches broken of / and we
are grafted in their place / which thinge whilest we do
beholde / we must acknowledg the iustice of God towards them /
and his grace towards vs: And we muste take hede / that we be
not lykwise cutt of through vnbelefe / for the which they were
broken awaie. Ther is another commoditie besydes this that
commith of this their dispersion which is / that they do kepe our
bokes / the holy byble I do meane. These they do carye aboute
with them / they reade them / and thoughe they beleue not /
because they are blinded / yet do they confesse that these
wrytinges are true. And so though they be our enemies in their
mynde / yet the bokes which they haue and do reuerence / are our
witnesses. wherfore I can not maruayle ynoughe at those men which
do persequute and hate the tonge of the Hebrewes / and the
Hebrewe bibels / and do burne them / when as Augustine in his
boke / _De doctrina Christiana_, dothe bidde /

  [[Lib. 2. ca. 11.]]

that we sholde go to the truithe of the Hebrue tonge / if we do
doubte in any place of our translations. The selfe same thinge
dothe Hierome teache in manye places. But they saie that these
bokes are corrupted of the Iues. Heare I thinke good to answer
with Hierome. Either saithe he they dyd this before the comminge
of Christe / and the preachinge of the Apostles / or after: if
before / it is maruell that when Christ / the Apostles / and
Paule / dyd reproue moste shanfull faultes in the Iues / that
they wolde haue kepte in silence so greate and haynous a
sacriledge as this: surelie if it hade bene so / they wolde haue
reproued yt. But if it was done after Christes ascension / they
wolde then chieflie haue corrupted those places which do make
mencion of Christ / and those which Christe / and his Apostiles
did alledge. But those remayne safe and vncorrupte / the same
sense and meaninge of them is in their bible in which they were
recyted of Christe / and his Apostles (for aboute the wordes
they were not so curious) wherfore it is not lyke / that they
haue corrupted any other places at all in the holy bokes of the
scripture. Yea if a man dothe iustly beholde them / he shall see
that they haue many moo testimonies and sentences for vs / more
plaine / I saye / then our commen translation hathe / as in the
.2. Psal. kisse the sonne / where ours hathe / laie holde of
knowledg. In like maner the whole .53. of Esaie / which dothe
moste plainlie prophecie of Christ / remaynith vncorrupt. The
bokes therfore are not corrupted. Yea they coulde not haue
corrupted those bokes thoughe they wolde / but it shuld be
easyly espied: for ther be of them many moste awncient in wryten
hande / which haue bene kepte moste diligentlie of Christians.
But let vs retourne to the profyt that Augustine speaketh of.
Many mighte thinke / that those thinges which are spoken of the
olde people were vayne and fayned / and likwise those thinges
which we do tell owte of the prophettes / excepte they dyd see
the Iues themselues yet liuinge / and remayninge / with their
bokes / which do beare witnesse to the thinges that we do
speake: wherfore though the Iues be blinded in mynde / and in
harte are our enemyes / yet euen them and their bokes we haue
moste plaine witnesses of out faithe. Aske then of the prophettes
whom Christ dothe alledge / they graunte them to be true. Aske
them of the vnderstandinge of them / in yt they are ignoraunte /
because they are blinded. And amonge all other witnessinges /
that witnesse which is gyuen of a mans enemie is of greatest
weight / and makith most for him: Of suche witnesses truly the
lorde hathe prouided good stoore for his churche. For we haue
not only the bokes of the Hebrues to make for vs / but also the
verses or rydles of the Sibylles / which were of an heathen
poeple. It is not to be thought / that our elders fayned thos
verses: for Sibylles bokes were euen commune / in all mens
hands / in the tyme of Eusebius the bishoppe of Cesarea / of
Lactantius / and of Augustine. All which do vse / and alledg
them. But if they hade alledged false and counterfett verses /
the heathen men which then excelled in knowledge / and were very
many also in numbre / they wolde haue reproued theym as vayn men
and lyars. If then men wyll gyue this vnto the verses of the
Sibylles that they be vncorrupte / moche more is it to be giuen
to the bokes of the Hebrues. Thus hath it pleased the lorde to
defende and arme his churche / yea euen with the testimonies of
his aduersaires. Wherfor let the Iues be suffred amonge the
Christians / both for the promis which they haue of the saluacion
to comme to their stocke / and also for the commodities which
they do carie with them / such as I haue rehearsed. And for this
cause / they be not only by lawes suffered / but also they haue
their Synagoges graunted vnto them: As in the Nouellis
Constitutionibus of Iustinian / and in the Decrees / it doth
appere: But this is permitted vnder such condicion that they
shuld not haue moo Synagoges then they hadd before / nor
greater: Yet maye they repaire them that fall into decaye: This
was graunted to them / bicause that in their congregacions / ther
is no impiete / nor wickednes committed: They do but reade only
the bookes of the holy scripture / and do publiquely praye. In
which thinge yet the Magistrates and Bushopps / do euell / which
do not diligently serche / take heede / and prouide / that they
do nothinge els in their congregations indeede / then that I
haue spoken of: for they shuld by al meanes take heede / that in
their publique and common prayers / exhortations and readinges
they do not speake euell of Christe our lorde and Godd. Which
thynge seing they do not / both the Magistrates and the Bushopps
are in greate fault. Vnto Turcks this ought not to be graunted /
that they shuld gather them selues together in congregations to
do their Godd seruice / bicause that in the same they reade
neither the old Testament / nor the newe / but only their own
blasphemus and filthie Alcorane. Morouer the Iues shuld be
forbidden the practise of their exchaunges / and their vsuries.
For not without mutch dishonesti and shame / do they afflicte
many poore Christians therwith. But Christian Princes and Rulars
do take tributes / and gret taxes for these gaynes of vsurie and
shamefull couetusnes of the Iues / so farr ar they from
forbidding them these wicked practises. Agayne Christian princes
do not prouide to haue the Iues which do dwell vnder their
dominions taught in Goddes truithe: which indeede is an euill
negligence in them: for truly they ought to compell the Iues to
comme vnto the godly sermons of the Christians / and that often
tymes. Els if they be left in this point neglected / they do
waxe dayly wors and wors / and lytill yea no hope at all is ther
to be hadd of their conuercion. Theise princes are likewise
bownd to take heade that the Iues do not corrupt the Christians /
which ar vnder their Rule / that they do not seduce them and
bringe them into Iuishnes. Neither shuld the weaker sort of
Christians haue ony familiaritie with them / but only such
Christians as be learned / and constant in the truithe. And that
for such causes / as I haue alledged before. Last of all it is
meete and conuenient / that they shuld be known from the
Christians by their araye / or som suche outwarde signe / les
ony man at vnwares shuld be conuersaunt with them / as though
they wer Christians. And thus mutch of the Iues shall suffice.
Now will I entreate of Heretikes.


This worde Haeresis, is deriued of the Greke worde / +hairein+,
which signifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For
heretikes do chose out / vnto themselues sum doctrine which is
contrarye to the holy scriptures / and do obstinatly defend the
same. Vnto this euell they are brought / either bicause they do
not know the holy scripture / either bicause that though they do
knowe them yet they do contemne and despise them either els
bicause they do applye themselues to get sum honor or riches by
this meane. Wherfor Augustine saith.

  [[Lib. de vtilit. creden.]]

He is an heretike which either enuentith / or folowith fals and
new opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to gett
himself glorie and autorite. But of Heresie I will make this
definicion.

  [[Vvhat heresie is.]]

Heresie / is a choise and obstinate defence / of certeyn
doctrynes which are contrary vntto Godds worde / springinge /
either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holy
scriptures / to gett therby aduauntag / or honors. There are
foure kyndes of causes in this definicion. The formall cause
is / chosinge and defending of picked doctrynes. The materiall
parte or cause is picked doctryns contrary to Godds worde. For
he that beleauith no doctryne at all / is godles / and not an
Heretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresie
is / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and lust or
couetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtayne
honors / and riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse which
folowith the preachinge of the gospell / and as Paule saith /

  [[Phil. 3.]]

Theyr belly / is their god. Augustine hath also this diuision.

  [[Quest. in Matth. quest. 11.]]

Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise then they
saie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which for
diuersitie in opinion do diuide and separat the church / for
+schizein+, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere /
and continue in that schisme.

  [[Lib. 2. contra Cresco. cap. 7.]]

But in an other place he saith. That Heresie / doth differ from
schisme. For a Schisme / is a stryfe which risith vppon
diuersitie of sentences. Neither can a dyuiding or a schisme be /
onles they which do make it do thinke and holde contrarie
thinges. But Heresie is / an inueterat schisme.

  [[1. Cor. 11.]]

Saint Paule obseruith no such diuersitie / for he vsith theise
too wordes for one thinge. Nowe that ye se what Heresie is /
consider well wether that the papistes be heretikes / or no?
They themselues do stoutly saye that they be none. Yea and sum
other ther are / which dare affirme / that the papistes do
differ from vs only in certayn abuses of ceremonies / and not in
the doctrine of faith. But how farr theise men do err from the
truithe / it shall forthwithe appeare. For I will playnly
proue / that the papists are Heretikes / and do mayntayne
Heresie againste certayn principall doctrines of our faithe.


  [[1]]
  [[The Papistes are heretiques.]]

Furst in the Article of Iustification / the papistes do picke out
vnto themselues this doctrine: That a man is not iustified by
faithe only / but by goode worcks also. which doctrine is
contrary to the holy scriptures. Paule teachith thus.

  [[Rom. 3.]]

We holde that a man is Iustified by faithe / without the deedes
of the Lawe. Agayn he saith.

  [[Gal. 2.]]

We do knowe that a man is not Iustified by the deedes of the
lawe / but by the faithe of Iesu Christe. And Peter / whom Paule
did then withstond / did not speake agaynst this doctrine. Of the
Iues / also he writith thus.

  [[Rom. 10.]]

For being ignorant of Gods righteousnes / and goinge about to
establishe their own righteousnes / they were not obedient to the
righteousnes of God. In which place he settith theise two
righteousnesses / the one / against the other / the righteousnes
of faith / against the righteousnes of worckes / so that the one
excludith the other. The same thinge he doth where speaking of
Iustification he saith.

  [[Rom. 11.]]

If it be of grace / then is it not of worcks / if it be of
worcks / then is it no more grace. To the Philippians he playnly
saith /

  [[Phil. 3.]]

that the worcks which are wrought before Regeneracion / can not
iustifie / for he doth counte them to be but losse and dunge /
which truly he wold not haue done / if they hadd such poure and
vertue / that they could iustifie. This is most playne / that
men before regeneracion are euell / and then must this sentence of
Christes stonde true.

  [[Mat. 7.]]

An euell tree can not bringe forth goode fruite. For how can it
be / that they wich are deade as concerning righteousne / can of
them selues go ony thinge forward vnto their new birhte:

  [[Ephes. 2.]]

And we all wer such / euen deade throughe synne / and the
children of wrathe. The Epistle writon to the Hebrues doth
witnes /

  [[Hebre. 11.]]

That without faith it is impossible to please God: And to the
Romayns Paule saith.

  [[Rom. 14.]]

That what soeuer is not of faith is Synne. This is the doctrine
of the scripture concerning this matier. The papistes (as I
sayde) so teache cleane contrarie doctrine / and do obstinatly
defend it / notwithstonding that they be admonished of their error
by the holy scriptures / by the aunciente fathers / as Hierom /
Augustin / and others / by the godly Councels / as Africanum /
Mileuitanum / Arausicanum / And now also being admonished therof
by vs / yet will they not leaue their errour: Wherfor by the
former definition of Heresie / they are proued heretikes.


An other doctryne also they do hold which is this. That the
worcks which men do after regeneracion / are meritorius of their
own worthines vnto euerlasting lyfe / And that they do fulfill
the lawe of God. Yea they be not content to saye this only / but
they adde. That men can do more goode worcks then the lawe of
Godd requirirth. For (saye they) to lyue a syngle lyfe / to
preache the gospell frely / men are not commaunded by ony expres
commaundement of Godd. This they do teache / and obstinatly
defend. But we do lern out of the holy scriptures / that

  [[Rom. 8.]]

The afflictions of this lyfe / are not worthie of the glorie /
which shalbe shewed vppon vs. He speakith heare of the best kind
of worcks / euen of sufferinge martyrdom. Besides this eiche man
dothe fele him selfe bounde betwene / and giltie of the breaking
of theis two comaundementes.

  [[Deut. 5.]]

Thou shalt loue the lorde thy God whith all thy harte / with all
thy soule / and with all they mighte: lykewise of the same other
commaundemente.

  [[Exod. 20.]]

Thou shalte not luste / Ther is none among mortall men / that dyd
euer fulfill those commaundementes. For the prophet saythe:

  [[Esa. 64.]]

that our rightuousnesses / are as the clothe stayned withe the
floures of a woman. And Christe wolde haue vs all / yea euen the
blessed virgin / and the Apostles themselues to praye /

  [[Mat. 6.]]

forgyue vs our trespasses.

  [[Iacob. 3.]]

Iames addeth / in many thinges we all do synne.

  [[Ioan. 1.]]

Iohn saythe. And if we saie we haue no synne / we do deceyue our
selues.

  [[2]]

This do we learne in the holie scripture / of our continuall
synnynge: they teache not then that we can do any thing more
then we sholde. But here the papistes do seke startinge hooles /
and saie that they which liue a sole life / they which do preach
the gospell frelie / do more then the law commaundeth / as I
sayde: But this is not true / for they which haue the powre to
liue a sole and chaste lyfe / and do know that in this kinde of
lyfe they shall more paynfully and profitably labor in the
preachinge of the gospell of Christe then otherwise. They are
bownde to take it on them and to lyue in it. For if they do yt
not / it is certeyne that they loue not God with all their
harte / bycause they sholde then leaue vndone somewhat that they
mighte do / to the glorie of his name / and wolde not. Like is
to be saide of them / which mighte preache the gospell frelye /
and do se that it shalbe for the increase of the kingdom of
Godd / and do it not. Wherfore seinge the papistes do bothe
thincke and teache otherwise in this matier then the holie
scripture dothe teache / and do defend their errour with an
obstinate mynde they are heretikes.


  [[3]]

They do chose vnto them selues also an other doctrine / which
is / that they which be regenerat / muste alwaies doubte of
their saluation. But Christ / the Apostles / and the whole
scripture / do teache cleane contrarie /

  [[Ioan. 6.]]

he that beleuithe in me (saith Christe) hathe euerlasting life.
If he hath it / howe can he doubte of yt then?

  [[Act. 10.]]

And it is writen in the Actes. To him giue all the Prophetes
witnesse / that all they which beleue throughe his name / shall
receyue remission of synnes.

  [[Rom. 8.]]

And to the Romains / whom he hath called / them also be
iustified / whom he iustified / them he also glorified: But here
the papistes haue this shifte / A man muste not doubte of Gods
promises (they saye) but he muste doubte of the infirmitie of
his fleshe / that he can not do those thinges which are to be
done / to obtayne the promises of Godd.

  [[Rom. 4.]]

Butt we be admonished by Abrahams example / that we sholde not in
beholding of our imbecyllitie / fainte in faith / nor fall from
beleauinge certainly the truithe of the promises: he considered
not the barren wombe of Sara / nor his own old and effoebled
bodie / he stackered not at the promise of God through
vnbelefe / but became stronge in faithe / and dyd giue glory vnto
God / knowinge that he was sufficientlie able to performe those
thinges which he promised. &c.

  [[Rom. 4.]]

Therfor by faithe is the enheritaunce gyuen that it might come of
grace / that the promise mighte be certaine and sure: for if the
certayntie of saluacion did hange on our merytes and worthines of
our worckes / it should alwaies stumble / and be in daungier of
ouerthrowe. Thus the papistes do spoile men of healthfull hope /
and make men doubt / if not despaire / which is not to be done:
for that nature of hope maie not be inuerted which Paule
teacheth

  [[Rom. 5.]]

to be suche / that it dothe not make a man ashamed: if then we
do certaynlye hope and loke for life euerlastinge / we shall not
be deceyued: and seing it is the holye ghoste that bearithe
witnes vnto our spret /

  [[Rom. 8.]]

that we are the children of Godd / surly his witnes we may not
reiect / without committing gret offence.

  [[Exod. 20.]]

I am sayth Godd / The lorde thy Godd / this will he haue them
that be his to beleaue:

  [[Roma. 5.]]

And whosoeuer beleauith this / hath the quiet peace of a
iustified conscience / and knowith hymself to be in safetie / for
Godd is his iustifier / and who shall condenne hym / whom Godd
doth iustifie.

  [[Roma. 8.]]

Against al theise manifest testimonies of the holy scriptures /
theise men do teache their contrary doctrine / and do obstinatly
defend it / wherfor they are heretiques.


Moreouer they do teache that euery man must satisfice for hys
synnes in this lyfe / which if he do not / then must he go to
purgatorie: And that by the poure of the Keyes committed vnto
them / they can turn the euerlastinge punishment in to a
temporall.

  [[Psal. 32.]]

If therfor satisfaction be not made whilest a man is in this
lyfe / he shall do it / when he is goone out this lyfe. But
against this / the holy scriptures do teach.

  [[Rom. 4.]]

Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesses are forgyen / and whos
synnes are couered. What blessednes / I praye you shuld this
be / if they which be reconciled vnto Godd / shuld be bownde to
sustayne such paynes and punishmentes. When a Synner doth repent
(saith Godd by the prophet)

  [[Ezech. 18.]]

The synnes that he hath done / shall not be thought vppon. But
Godd will thincke vppon them / if it be true that either a man
must satisfice / or go to pugatorie / if Godd wil so sharply
punishe them by such paynes as they saye are in purgatorie. It
is writon in the reuelacion.

  [[Apoc. 14.]]

Blessed are the deade which do dye in the lorde / euen so saieth
the spret / that they rest from their labours. They which do dye
in the lorde / that is the beleauers / how do they rest from
their labours / if it be so that they must yeat be vexed in
purgatorie? Christe our Sauiour when he did forgyue synnes
sayed.

  [[Luc. 7.]]

Thy faithe hath made the safe: go thy wayes / synne no more.

  [[Ioan. 5.]]
  [[Luc. 23.]]

To the theif he saied. This daye thow shalt be with me in
paradise.

  [[Phil. 1.]]

Paule desired to be loosed / and to be with Christ. How
chauncith it that there is no mencion made of purgatorie? In the
old lawe / ther wer sacrifices ordeigned / for princes /
prests / for the Nazarites / for the lepars / for gelousie / for
the synne of ignoraunce / and many such lyke. How happened it
that ther was no sacrifice appointed for the dead? The church
truly (as we also do graunte) hath keyes committed vnto it. And
theise are / the preachinge of the gospell /

  [[Mar. 16.]]

that is the forgyuenes of synnes to them which do beleaue in
Christe / and the threateninge of condemnacion / through which
heauen is shutt againste the vnbeleauers. One key is the
promis / an other key is faith / by theise two keys heauen is
opened to the penitent. Theise keyes Christ did delyure when he
sayed: goo in to the whol world / and preach the gospell to euery
creature / he that beleaueth and is baptised / shalbe saued.
Those ministers do occupie these keyes which do preach the
gospell. But here is no mencion made of altering of Goddes
iudgements / nor of turninge of punishmentes. Christe our
sauiour / by that one sacrifice of his bodye / ones offered for
all euer / did worcke perfect saluacion / and made a perfect and
consummate ende of sacrificing for synne: where then is their
enuented satisfaction for synne? Yea who doth not see / that this
theyr doctryne doth withdrawe from Christ / the fulness of that
his satisfaction with which he satisficed for vs? when they do
saye that it is not sufficient / except we do adde ours also.
And this theyr wicked errour they go about to colour / because
the olde fathers vsed often times this worde / satisfaction. But
they will not see / that the fathers ment therby / to satisfice
the churche / when they were receyued publiquely to
repentaunce / and not to satisfice to Godd. Except thow wilt
saye that to satisfice is nothing els / but when one doth make
himself approued vnto an other man. For euen so are we saide to
satisfice to Godd / when as after our conuercion and turning to
his grace / we do lyue godly for his pleasure / to aproue our
selues vnto hym / as his children. Thus satisfactions / are
signes of the forgyuenes of synnes and of true repentaunce. But
(as I sayde) theise men do both thincke / and teache otherwyse /
and do defende obstinatly theyr error / they will not be
satisficed by the word of God / wherfor they are heretikes.


They do teache furthermore / that it is lawfull in the
congregacion to do the holy seruice / in a tongue that is not
vnderstonded. And this they do indeede / and defende theyr
misdoinge / neither being admonished will they amende it.

  [[1. Cor. 14]]

Paule doth forbidde the christians the vse of those tongues in
the congregacions / which euen by miracle were bestowed vpon
them / except they did interpretate and expounde that which they
shuld speake in them. And all Paules reasons are grounded vpon
the edifying of the congregacion / whiche aboue all thinges we
ought to seeke in the holy meetinges and congregacions. But there
shalbe no edificacion at all / when that thing which is spoken /
is not vnderstonded of the people. Paule saith. My brethren yf I
do come vnto you speaking with tongues / what shall I profite
you / excepte I speake to you / eyther by reuelacion / or by
knowledge / or by prophecying / or by doctryne. But these
sacrificers / lyke men that can do mutch more then Paule / they
do come with a straunge tong / which the congregacion
vnderstondeth not / and yet neuertheles they bragge that they do
muche profite the congregacion. Paule will rather speake fyue
wordes / to the enformacion of others / then ten thousand wordes
with tongues: Our sacrificers cleane contrary / will rather
speake a thousand / yea an infinite number of wordes in a
straunge tongue / then a very feawe / the meaning of which maye
be vnderstonded. Paule proueth his sentence and minde / euen by
thinges that haue no lyfe / as by a trompe / and harp / and les
we shulde be one to an other as barbarus / and aliauntes / but
this is of no force / nor auctoritie with the papistes. For our
purpose we haue the example of Godd himself / which dyd speake
vnto the Iuishe people in their naturall tongue. The greke
churche did receyue the doctryne of the gospel of the Apostles
(whiche were Hebrues) in their naturall greke tongue. And as
from the beginninge the Hebrues in theyr congregacions haue vsed
their naturall Hebrue tongue / so haue the Grecians their greke
tongue / and so at the begynning the latin churche vsed their
naturall latine tongue also: Only these heretiques (the papistes
I meane) are delighted with a straunge tongue.

  [[In nouel. Constitu]]

Iustiniane the Emprour determineth / that all thinges shulde be
spoken openlye and plainlye in the Temples / that they mighte
bothe be hearde and vnderstonded / But this the papistes regarde
not. Wherfor seing they can not / nor will not / be moued from
this their opinion / which is so absurde and repugnant to the
holye scriptures / to the order of the catholique churche / to
the lawes of the Emproure / without all doubt they are
heretiques.


They do teache that the sacrament of the Lordes body and bludd /
shuld be ministred in one kinde only / when it is gyuen to the
people. It is most manifest and playne / that Christe our
Sauiour did otherwyse institute it / euen to be mynistred in
bothe kindes to all communicauntes. These sacrificers therfore
in taking awaye of the cupp from the people they do committ most
shamefull sacriledge. We bring in agaynst them the Institucion
of Christe: But that can they not abyde to heare of. Yeat les
they shulde seame to saye nothing / They saye / That the Lord
did delyuer it in bothe kindes vnto prestes onlye / that is to
his Apostles. And yet when they themselues do mynister it vnto
prestes whiche do not saye Masse / they do gyue but the one
kinde only. But they haue nothinge to aunswer vnto Paule

  [[1. Cor. 11.]]

(who writinge to the hole churche of the Corinthians / which
were not prestes only (as the papistes call them) but a
congregacion bothe of men and women) dothe delyuer the holy
supper vnto them in bothe kindes / as he receyued it of the
Lorde / heere haue they nothing to saye. And vnto this madnes
some of these masters do come at lenghth / That they saye that
the holy communion is not to be called the Lordes supper / for
wher is it (saye they) called the supper of the Lorde?

  [[Dotor VVeston.]]

Forsothe Paule / the scoler of the holy ghost / calleth it so.
1. Cor. 11. Yea they aske farther / where the scripture
teacheth / that this holy sacrament shulde be gyuen vnto women /

  [[Lyberall to Women]]

as thoughe they wolde be counted of fauour and of their
liberalitie / to gyue a communion vnto women /

  [[1. Cor. 11.]]

and not because Godd in his worde hath appointed the sacrament of
hys bodye and blud to be delyuered vnto women as well as to men.
In the holy scripture it is writen / Let a man proue hym selfe.
In this worde man is man and woman comprehended. No saith a
Doctor the greke worde is / +ane:r+ which signifieth the mankinde
only:

  [[Maister Latymers answer therfor is true.]]

Thys Doctor lyeth lowdly / for the greke worde / in that place
is +anthro:pos+ / which signifieth bothe man and woman. The
scriptures also do teache /

  [[1 Cor. 10.]]

that the holy communion doth partayne vnto all them / which ar
one breade / and one cupp: wherfor except they wyll exclude
women out of the bodye of Christ / and shew that they be not of
the churche of Christe / how shall / or can this papist /
depryue them of the holy communion? Especially seinge it is
playnly taught / that in Christe there is neyther man / nor
woman / neyther bonde / nor fre / but all are one in Christe.

  [[Gal. 3.]]

But to returne to their sacriledge / in which thei do take away
one parte of the sacrament. Of this thefte the institution of
the Lorde / the Epistle of Paule / the custome and manier of the
primatiue churche / which was to mynister this holy supper in
both kindes / dothe accuse them / which dyd continue euen vntill
the tyme of Thomas Aquinas / and vnto this daye it continueth in
all the Easte church / wherfore seing tht in this thinge also
they are so obstinate / they can be none otherwyse estemed but
as heretykes.


They haue also another most pernicious and hurtefull doctryne /
of the calling vpon the dead sainctes / and worshippe / and
adoration / to be gyuen to theyr Images.

  [[Deut. 6.]]

The holy scripture sayth / Thou shalt worshipp the Lorde thy
God / and hym onlye shalte thou serue. But they denye that they
do worshippe the Images: They maye denye it in wordes / but in
theyr dedes they do testifie cleane contrarye. They fall downe
before them / they praye to them / thei crie and call on them /
they cense them / they light vp candels before them / what do
they more to God hym selfe? They leaue no peculiar thinge vnto
Christe / to aske of him / which they do not aske of some
saincte / They do gyue titles / and names vnto the sainctes /
especiallie to the blessed virgin Marie / which do belonge vnto
Christe alone. Thou quene (saye they) of mercie / our aduocate /
our lyfe / our sweetnes / and our hope. Certaynlie these thinges
do belonge to Christe onlye / vnto him therfore alone shoulde
thei leaue these thinges vntouched / and withowt diminution.
I speake not this / as though I dyd not thinke / that the moste
holie virgin were worthy of singular praises / But euen she her
selfe will not be made equall with Christe. They do furthermore
crie owt of all corners at all their altars vnto their
sainctes / as thoughe they were present euerie where. But this
presence belongithe to god onlie / neither is it communicated to
any creature.

  [[Acto. 4.]]

Again it is writen in the holye scripture: That ther is none
other name vnder heauen / but the name of Christe onlye / wherin
we muste be saued.

  [[1. Ioan. 2.]]

And Iohn doth saie: If we synne / we haue an aduocate wyth the
father / Iesus Christe the rightuous / and he is the
propiciation for our synnes. But theis heretikes make many
aduocates. Esaie confessith and saieth.

  [[Esa. 63.]]

Abraham hathe not knowen vs / And Israel hathe forgotten vs. And
therfore (saith he) these are not to be called vpon / we must
not truste in them / but in God onlye / and that vnto him wee
muste flye. We are commaunded also in moste plain wordes / that
what so euer we aske / we sholde aske it in the name of Iesus
Christe /

  [[Ioan. 16.]]

and not in the name of other sainctes / as theise men do. But
contrary to this true doctryne they do stifflie maynteyne their
wicked error / therfor are they verylye heretikes. Here I do
let passe their masse / in which they make their mishapen Godd
of breade / throughe their art of transubstantiation. They sett
vpp their sacrifice for the quicke and deade / the verie
abhomination and God Maozim: which thinges they do defende wyth
moste peruerse obstinacie. But howe contrarie they are to the
worde of Godd is not nowe again to be repeted / seinge that a
lytell before / in this matter I haue sayde sufficientlie. But if
I wolde spende more tyme here / I mighte reherce many other
doctrines of the papistes in which they do shanfully swarue from
the truithe of Godds worde. And of their errours they will not
chaung any thing at all which prouith them to be obstinate
heretikes. But this that I haue writon is inough / and inough
againe to proue that thei are heritikes. Now let them saie that
we dissent but in ceremonies. But I saie that we dissent in
doctrines. Let the papistes saie that we shold not haue departed
from them / but I saie / they shoulde not then haue departed from
the truithe. Augustine wolde not graunte vnto Cresconius /

  [[Aduersus Crescon. lib. 21.]]

that the controuersie betwene the Catholikes and the
donatistes / was a lighte and small contention / and schisme:
But he saieth that they defended an heresie / and that moste
horrible / euen this that they did rebaptize. And yet baptisme
reiterated dothe nomore differ from the worde of God / then
these errours of the papistes / which I haue repeted.


Wherfore Christian princes / whilest they do suffer them in
their dominions / they owghte no otherwise to suffer them / then
vpon suche condicyons as are aboue rehersed. That is / that they
do compell no man to partake their wicked Idolatries. That they
do not permitt them to haue their rites and supersticious
ceremonies. That they take hede / that they do not corrupte
others which do beleaue truly / and be of good iudgemente. And
last of al / after that they haue bene competentlie taughte / to
enforce them outwardly to embrace sownde / and holye rites / and
ceremonies agreinge with Godds worde. Thou wilte saie happelie /
if it shoulde be so / their condition sholde be more miserable
then the condicion of the Iewes / and Turckes / whom we do not
compell to receyue our Religion. I graunte / but yet this sholde
be iustlie done. And that for theis causes. Firste bycause the
Iewes are not Citizens in our common welthes / but receyued
vnder this condicion / that it is lawfull for them to vse their
owne lawes / so longe as they will: wherfore if they do not
behaue themselues well / or they do not please vs / they be
turned awaie and caste owte / as often tymes they haue beene
handeled. And not without iuste cause / when their conuersation
hathe beene hurtfull. But these papistes are our citizens /
therfore they must be otherwise handeled / and seinge they do
confesse Christe / they are to be enforced to his pure and true
religion. Again the Iues can not do so moche hurte as these
Iebuzites maie / for all men / for the moste parte / do shonne
and deteste the Iue / But these are subtile sorcerers / which
vnder the cloke of the name of Christ / and ciuile
familiaritie / maye deceyue many: furthermore there is a promise
of the saluation of the Iues / to be shewed in the latter age /
The lyke peculiar promise of papistes ther is not. And yet I do
not speake this / as though I dyd condemne the counsell of many
good princes / which haue cast the Iues owt of their countrye /
for good iuste and laufull causes. Their acte I do allowe. But
to returne vnto theise heretiques the papistes / we are bounde
to praie for them / and seinge they do dwell amonge vs / we
muste obserue the aforenamed rules / In vsinge or not vsinge
familiaritie / and being conuersaunte with them / which I dyd
giue / of being conuersaunt with the vnfaithfull and wicked / in
which sorte I do place them. And if any of them do returne to
the truith / and will embrace the true Religion of Christ / they
are not to be rebaptized. For though a Christian ought not to
demaunde baptisme in the popishe churche / yet the baptisme
which they haue hetherto vsed we acknowledge it to be such that
it is not to be reiterated of them whom they do baptise.
Augustine writinge of baptisme /

  [[Contra donat. lib. 5. cap. 23.]]

againste the donatistes / sayeth that when they retorne / the
handes only are to be layde on them: and that les is sholde
apeare / that they were before without fault. Also that the
holye ghost maye by praier be begged to comme vpon them / whose
singular gifte the vnitie of the true churche is. This ceremonie
trulye is laudable / but yet seinge it is not appointed to this
purpose in the holye scripture / it maie be omitted: because we
do se that the cheifest vse of it (as the apostles vsed it) was
in the institution of the ministers of the churche. Suche of
them as haue bene byshopps / and elders / maie be receyued into
their degrees / and offices / if they do returne vnto the
truithe: but this must be done / so as shall seme moste
profitable to the flocke / and churche of the lorde. If they
haue suche giftes as maie serue for the edyfying of the
churche / And if by their ministerie / the truithe of the
gospell and the saluation of the people which was committed vnto
them maye be propmoted more then by the ministerie of other /
and aptelie / and as profitable. They maie be restored to their
place / and degree. The order of which matter is lefte vnto the
iudgement of the churche of God. But if they remayne obstinate
in their euill / and do continue peruerters of the godlye
doinges of the magistrates / and pestilent corruptors of the
people: Then the magistrates maie / and owghte to vse the sworde
againste them: for he bearith the sworde to take vengeaunce on
them that do euill / and therto is he minister of God.

       *       *       *       *       *
           *       *       *       *
       *       *       *       *       *

  A Sermon of the true confessinge
  of Christe / and the truithe of the gospell:
  and of the foule denyinge of the same / made
  in the conuocacion of the clergie at Zurich
  the 28. daye of Ianuarie in the
  yeare of the lorde
  1555.

By H.B.


Our lorde Iesus Christ hath forsayed that ther shuld be
persequutions / and cheifly in the later tymes / through which
sum shuld be despolied of their goodes / sum also thrown out of
their dwellinges / and other shuld be shut vpp in prison / agayn
that other shuld be fried in the fire and put to other
punishmentes / and executed with infamus deathes / And that for
the lord Christe himself / and for the doctrine / and confession
of the truith of the gospell. The same lord did then also
forsaye / that not a few shuld fall from the truithe known. All
which thinges truly we haue herd and seene fulfilled / not in
this tyme only / but in tymes long passed. For ther are sum
which at this daye do openly / and that without shame / curs and
bydd adew to the truith of the gospell / which with demas do
embrace this present worlde. There are other / and not afew /
which do themselues also denie the truith known / and yet wyll
not be accompted to be forsakers of it. Thy do stayne themselues
with dyuers glosses and colours that they might not be known of
the godly and more simple sorte of men. One faynith that he doth
not go out of Egipt and Babilon / bicause he may wynne many vnto
Christe: when as in the meane tyume he doth both withdrawe
himself from Christ / and doth confirme manye that be weaker men
in the filthes of babilon so that they do not at ony tyme
thincke ernestly of true repentaunce. Other do fantisie that
ther is no neade openly to confes religion / but that the inward
beleif of the hart doth suffice: And if it be of vrgent necessite
to confes ony thinge openly / yet that the confession sufficith
which is made amonge the brithern which are well known and
companions in Religion: Neither that the confession amonge the
aduersaires is straitly required / which shall put them in
daunger of lyfe. And therfore thou shalt finde sum men of
exercise which can conningly dispute of papisticall ceremonies
and make meruailus interpretacions of theim / laboring by all
meanes to proue that the godly by the partaking of them neither
are defiled / nor yet that the religion of the gospell is denied.
Thus wittye and subtill doth that trembling feare / and gret
desire of this world make them. Truly when the tyme serued that
they might lyue without daunger in rest and quiet at ease / they
then wold neuer haue thought / no not so mutch as dreamed ony of
this matier / Yea of theis thinges they wold haue ben loth but
euen to haue spoken / as thinges playne contrary to simplicitie /
and true religion. But now when the lord hath sent amonge them
the fire of persequution or rather of probation / and they do se
that either they must flye out of their countrie / or that they
must put ther lyfe in extreme ieoperdie / and yet haue no will
to leaue either ease or their riches / or to committ themselues
to daungers / they turn themselues into all formes / and craftyly
creping backe by clokinge and dissemblinge they do seeke wayes /
by which they may slypp awaie out of the conflict. Which when it
happenith as they wold haue it / then without all doubt / ther
lyues / their substaunce / and goode estimacion do vtterly
perishe. For this cause I thincke that I can not entreate a more
profitable mater and more meete and necessarie for this our
world /

  [[The argument and matter.]]

then of the true confessing of Christe and the truithe of the
gospell / and of the foule denyinge of the same. This matier
truly is copius / and most ample / wherthrough I doubt nothing at
all but sum of you be all redy made afraide with the largenes of
it / which do consider the end of the sermon by the begynning /
and of the mater it self: But I will at this present touche but
certayn pointes of this matier hauing consideracion of the tyme /
and especially of you / reuerend fathers and beloued Brethern in
Christ. The lord gyue me grace bomitting thinges not necessarie /
to prosequute only all thos thinges which be necessarie. Thos
shameles men / which affirme (without doubt against their own
conscience)

  [[The cloke of them that deny true religion.]]

that ther is no neade at all of the outward and daungerus
confession among the aduersaries of the religion of the
gospell / they do wrast the ordinaunces of Godd to make a cloke
for their malice. And they saye / that Godd will not haue holy
mariages broken / or that the honor due vnto parents shuld be
vndoone / that Godd will not haue the gouernment of polities or
howsholds disturbed / and to be short that he will not haue a
mans death and destruction. For what encrease shall happen to
the glorie of God by the vnrecouerable miserie of me and my
houshold? what profyt shuld come of my chaynes / or of my
pouertie vnto my neighburr? And who is it that knowith not that
all thinges which we do are to be referred to the glorie of
Godd / and to the profit of our neighburr? Yea and if I be
burned / or cast into exile for the confession of the gospell /
do I not take miself awaie from myne by deathe / before my tyme?
Do I not throw all myn with me into extreme pouertie and
beggerie? And then after all by goodes be loste I am compelled to
be burdenus vnto others. The towardlynes of my Sonnes shalbe
brought in daunger. The chastitie or my wyfe and doughters
shalbe brought into hazarde. For they being pressed with most
hard necessitie shall learne by euell artes to gett necessaries
for their lyfe. And who will thincke that Godd doth allowe theise
thinges? who doth so mutche commend the faith of mariage / the
godly bringing vp of children / and an howshold wel ordered /
that Paule his apostle fearith not to saye,

  [[1. Timo. 5.]]

That if ony prouide not for his and specially for theim of his
houshold / the same hathe denied the faith / and is worse than an
infidell. Wherfor les I shuld be constrayned to confession / and
so denie the faithe / I retayne faith in my harte / and by
holding my peace I do dissemble for a tyme / I do not vtterly
denye nor throw awaye all Religion. All theise thinges (I say)
they do most wickedly wraste against their naturall and godlye
sense / to defend their desires / and to retayne their wordly
commodities.


  [[Confession is necessarie]]

But against all theis we do sett the sentence of our lord and
Sauiour Iesus Christe / which is neither darcke nor doutfull /
that by it all the subtilties of theise mene maye at ones be
confuted / and vanishe awaye. In the gospell of Mathewe he
confirming the mynds of his disciples against the thretts and
terrors of this wicked world / among other thinges /

  [[Matth. 10.]]

Are not (sayth he) two lytle sparowes solde for a farthinge. And
one of them shall not lyghte on the grownd withe out your
father: yea euen all the heares of your heade are nombred. feare
ye not therfor: ye are if more value then many sparowes. Euery
one therfor that shall knowledge me before men hym wyll I
knowledge also before my father which is in heauen. But
whosoeuer shall denye me before men / hym wyll I also denye
before my father which is in heauen: the same lord in the
gospell of Marcke /

  [[Marc. 8.]]

Whosoeuer (saythe he) shall lose hys lyfe for my sake and the
gospell He same shall saue it. For what shall it profyte a man /
if he wynne al the worlde and lose his owne soule? or what shall
a man gyue to redeme hys soule wythall agayn? Whosoeuer therfor
shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes / in this aduowtrus and
synfull generation: of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed
when he commith in the glorie of his father withe the holy
angels. Theis wordes of the lorde are playne / and spoken without
ony darcknes. The lord requirith of eiche one of vs that symple
and open confession which we make before men / and that such men
as are synnars and adulterars / the emenies / I saye / of Godd /
and of all true religion. for such men do the prophets also call
fornicatours and adulterars. He requirith / I saye / that we
shuld confes hym and his worde / That is / that we shuld simply
confes that he is Christ / and that we shuld not denye ony thing
of his worde either by out wordes or deedes.

  [[Examples of true confession, Mat. 16.]]

We read that Peter did confes Christ the lorde sincerely and
with a true confession when he answered vnto the lorde / which
asked and sayed. But whom saye ye that I am / he answered. Thow
art Christe the sonne of the lyuinge Godd.

  [[Ioan. 6.]]

Agayn when many did fall from the lorde for that sermon in which
he declared in the Synagoge of the Capernaites / that he only
was the foade of lyfe / and for that cause the lorde saide to
his disciples: Wyll ye also go awaye? Peter answered / and
confessing the lorde with a notable confession he said / lorde to
whom shall we go? Thow hast the wordes of eternal lyfe / And we
beleue and are sure / that thow art Christe the sonne of the
lyuinge Godd. Such like confession absolute and true doth the
blessed apostle and Euangelist Iohn commend vnto vs sayinge.

  [[1. Ioan. 4.]]

Dearly beloued / beleue not euery sprit / but proue the
sprites / whether they are of Godd or not. For many false
prophetes are gone out into the worlde. Hereby shall ye know the
spirite of Godd: Euery sprite that confessith that Iesu Christe
is comme in the flesh / is of Godd. And euery sprite which
confessith not that Iesu Christe is come in the fleshe is not of
Godd. And this is that spirite of Antichriste / of whome ye haue
herde / howe that he shuld comme and euen now alreadi is he in
the worlde. Furthermor this true and catholike confession / doth
so attribute all out whole lyfe and saluacion vnto the lorde
Christe / that it doeth take the same from al other meanes and
thinges with which mans doctrine hathe ony part: wherfor it is
not sufficient only to haue confirmed the part affirmatiue (as
they call it) except thow do also expres the negatiue / and dost
so ascribe vnto Christe our lorde all the thinges of our lyfe
and saluacion / that all men may vnderstond that thow dost clyme
to him al the partes of our saluacion / and that thow dost not
gyue ony part therof to ony other. For we do fynd that the lord
Iesus did teache such a confession / and that his apostles made
the lyke. For when the lorde in the gospell of Iohn speaking
plainly inough hadd sayed.

  [[Ioan. 10.]]

I am the dore / by me if any man entre in / he shall be safe and
shall go in and oute / and finde pasture. A thefe commith not but
for to steale / kyll / and to destroye: I am come that they
might haue lyfe / and that they might haue it more abundantly:
I am the goode shepeherd / a goode shepeherd gyueth his lyfe for
the shepe. Yet was he not content with theis though thy be most
playne wordes / but he ioyned also a Negatiue / with a most
pitthie asseueracion / saying: Verely verely I saye vnto yowe he
that enterith not in by the dore into the shepefolde / but
clymbeth vp some other waye / the same is a theife and a
murtherer. He likewise saith playnly in the same chapter /
A goode shepeherd goeth before his shepe / and the shepe folowe
hym bicause they knowe his voice. Yea forthewith he addith this
also / A straunger will they not folowe / but wil flie from him /
for they know not the voice of straungers. Agayn in an other
place /

  [[Ioan. 14.]]

I am the waye (saithe he) the truthe and the lyfe: Yet he not
being content wyth this so playn a doctryne doth adde agayne the
exclusyue and saithe / No man commith to the father but by me.
Wherfor Peter thought it not inoughe that he sayde in that full
senate of Hierusalem / That Christe is that Rocke which doth by
his dethe and resurrection establishe and preserue the
beleauers /

  [[Act. 4.]]

onles moreouer he had Vindicated to Christ alone all thinges
that concerne saluacion / and taken the same awaye from others /
saying. Neither is there saluacion in ony other: For among men
vnder heauen ther is gyuen none other name wherin we must be
saued. After which manier likewise saint Paul doth proue that

  [[Roma. 3.]]

faith in Christ through grace doth iustifie / neither doth he
saye this only /

  [[Ephe. 2.]]

but he doth also remoue all that which might seeme to gyue
iustice vnto men / the lawe I meane and worckes / sayinge. We
knowe that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe /

  [[Gala. 2.]]

but by the faith of Iesus Christe. And we haue beleued on Iesus
Christ that we might be iustified by the faythe of Christe / and
not by the dedes of the lawe / bicause that by the dedes of the
lawe no fleshe shalbe iustified. And in an other place the same
Paule: Behold (saith he) I Paul saye vnto yowe /

  [[Gala 5.]]

that if ye be circumcised / Christe shall profite yow nothing at
all. I testifie agayn to euery man which is circumcised / that
he is bownd to keape the whole lawe. Christe is become but in
vayn to yowe / as many of yow as are iustified by the lawe are
fallen from grace / we loke for and hope in the spirite to be
iustified thorow faithe. Theis cleare examples of Christ and the
apostles / and doctrine of the sincere and sounde confession of
Christe do suffice to yow reuerend and godly hearers. Out of
which we do gather / that their confessions are neither full /
nor sincere / which do confes that indeede Christe is thier
saluacion and rightuisnes / their preist and sacrifice / their
aduocate and mediator /

  [[Imperfaite confessions.]]

yet so that it notwithstonding they do gyue the very same / and
communicate them to synneful men / to thinges also and meanes
which are in no place instituted nor approued of Godd. And no
les corrupt is their confession also / which do confes wyth the
mouthe that Godd alone is to be adored and worshipped / that
Christe is the only preiste and true aduocate with the father /
but yet in their deedes they do denye that same confession of
their mouthe / bowinge their knees to Images / worshippinge
creatures / callinge vppon their patrons and fayned saynts of
heauen.

  [[The hole doctryne of Christe is to be confessed.]]

But the Apostles did not only confes Christe himself / but also
all Christes doctrine / all Christes wordes / the whole gospell
(I saye) of saluacion: of which Christe is the only Marcke. And
therfor when the preistes and senators of Hierusalem did forbidd
the apostles that they shuld nomore preache the gospell / they
answered hartily and playnly: whether it be right in the sight of
Godd to herken vnto yow more then vnto Godd / iudge ye.

  [[Act. 4.]]

For we can not but speke that which we haue seene and herde. And
when they were shutt vp in prison for free preching of the
gospell / and wer in daunger of their lyues / they are delyuered
of the angell / of whom by the commaundement of Godd they do
heare.

  [[Act. 5.]]

Go and stande and speake in the temple to the poeple all the
wordes of this lyfe. Therfor all thos thinges which are contayned
in the holy gospell / and holy scriptures / must be confessed of
them which are faithfull indeede: for all thos are the wordds of
Godd / and the wordds of saluacion / And all thos do sauer of
Christe and do bringe vnto Christe.

  [[Ioan. 1.]]

In whom only it hath pleased God the father that all fulnes
shuld dwell / in whom (as Paule doth witnes)

  [[Colos. 1. 2.]]

we are made perfite so that we want nothinge / as agayn the
lorde himself doth testifie:

  [[Ioan. 4. 5. 7.]]

he that eateth or drincketh me shall not be hungry or thrustie
for euer / but he shall haue in hym self the healthefull waters
of euerlastinge lyfe. Yf we do knowe / beleaue / and vnderstonde
theise thinges let vs gyue glorie to our only Sauiour Christe /
and not gyue it awaye vnto other / But let vs frely confes hym
only / and alone / in mouth / and deedes / to be our saluacion
iustice sanctificacion absolution or rather perfection / the
peace of our soules / and lyfe euerlasting. But the lord doth
sett denying against confessinge. Ther are diuers kinds of
denyinge / which beinge but lightly rehersed it shall again
appeare what is the sowndness and simplicitie of confessinge.
Furst Christe and Godds worde is denyed / when our redeamer
Christe / and the worde of lyfe is openly blasphemed in playne
wordes / when he is not acknowledged to be the only Sauiour / and
when the due dignitie and auctoritie of the scriptures is not
adscribed vnto them. Then by silence also is Christe and
Christes worde denyed / namely when vppon occasion offered we do
not deffende the glorie of the name of Godd and of the truythe
known againste the ennemis of Godd and sclaunderers of the worde
of Godd.

  [[A. Neuter.]]

For in this case it is lawfull for no man to be a / neuter / as
they call it. In the most auncient lawes of Solon which were at
Athens grauen in postes of woode / the which also ons made by
hym the Athenienses ordeygned vnder great religion and punishment
that they shuld contynue for euer: one lawe Aristotle doth
report to be writon in this sence. That if throughe discorde the
poeple shuld be deuided into too partes / and eich partie shuld
take armour / then he which did not ioyne himself to the one
partie / but slipp asyde separated from the common euell of the
cytie / he shall lose howse / countrithe / and goodes / and be
an exile and a banished man. Mutch les is it lawfull for them
which haue professed the name of Christe / and are signed with
holy baptisme / in that fierce fight betwene Christe and
Antichriste to slippe a syde / and to ioyne himself vnto neither
partye. That same newtralitie doth seame truly to be wisdom to
many children of this worlde / but indeede it is folyshnes / yea
it is a very denying of Christ / by which they do exclude
themselues out of that heauenly countrithe / they spoile
themselues of all spirituall riches / and make themselues exiles
and banished men.

  [[Math. 26.]]

For Christe and his truithe is denyed either by dissemblinge: as
when Peter was charged by the mayde that he was one of the number
of the disciples / and he answered I wote not what thow sayest.
He knew verily what she sayed / but being bewitched with a
certayne feare / he fayned that he knewe not the thing which he
did know very well. Euen so truly at this daye many do saye that
they are more simple then that they can vnderstond the
dissension in religion and gyue answer of all controuersies: But
they do vnderstond so mutch as sufficith: yet for the ieoperdies
which be at hand / or for sum vayne feare / they do fayne that
they do not vnderstonde. Neither wer it necessarie for euery one
to answer to all darcke or hard thinges / which thing they which
are well exercised can not do / it sufficith to confesse thos
thinges which be open and playne. Ther is also a coloured
denyinge when we playyng the foxes with foxes do confes verely
sumwhat of our religion / yetwe do so enwrapp it with such
darcke wordes and doutfull sentences / that vnto them which are
most subtill and conning in quidities / it shall not playnly
appeare what we do thincke. But the confession shuld be simple /
and playne.

  [[Glorie is to be gyuen to Godd.]]

In making of it Godd / and not Man were to be considered. Man
maye be deceyued / but no man can deceyue Godd. And also we are
commaunde to render vnto God his glorie franckly before men. But
I do not see how thow haste glorified Godd before men / when
thow dost so temper thy confession that it sumwhat sauerith
indeede of the truithe of the gospell / and yet they which be
superstitius shall not see their supersticions vtterly
reiecrted / nor their errors condemned by thy confession / but
maye iudge that thou dost yet holde on their syde. Agayn many do
confes Christe in wordes and his gospell frely / and openly
inoughe / but euen they themselues do forthwith defile and
ouerthrow this Christian and gospellike confession with
vngospellike deedes. I do speake nothing heere of thos synnes
and wickednesses by which they do vnhallow the doctrine of our
Sauiour / but of thos supersticius ceremonies and wicked
congregacions with which they do communicate / by which communion
or partakinge indeede they do denye that which they did confes
before. For he which doth confes by mouthe that they which do
depart out of this lyfe in true faithe do not (throughe the
mediacion of Christe) comme into Iudgment / but do strayte waye
passe from the bodily deathe vnto lyfe euerlasting / euen as the
doctrine of the gospell doth enstruct vs / and we do playnly
confes in the articles of the apostles Crede / this namely that
we do beleaue the forgyuenes of synnes / the rising again of the
fleshe / and lyfe euerlasting: And yet so sone as ony of their
elders or familiars do depart out of this worlde / they go
strait to sacrificing prestes / and do demande of them churche
assemblees / supplicacions / dirges / weake myndes / trentalles /
to be short / yearemynds / and prayers and sacrifices expiatorie
for the deade / to whom he doth ioyne hymself / and doth obserue
thos rites / hath he not playnly denyed in deede that which he
hadd confessed in worde? He that doth confes that Christe was
ons only offered for the synnes of the whole world / and that he
is not therfore to be offerred any moore / And that the holy
Supper is a remembraunce of this only and euerlasting sacrifice /
and not the sacrifice it self / and yet neuertheles doth go vnto
ther gods seruice / which do stoutly asseuere that they do offer
vp Christ in substaunce for the synnes of the lyuing and the
deade: doth he not by going to and communicatinge with this
seruice / denye that which by speaking and professing he hadd
confessed? Theis truly are wayes of denyinge / which they do not
fully vnderstonde which are almost persuaded / that Religion is
but a playe / and as it were a slipper fitte for euery foote.
Theis men do knowe how to rule all religions vnder a certayn
colour of holy concord / but indeede for earthly commoditie /
that among whom soeuer they do lyue like vnto a Cameleon they do
take vnto themselues their coloure and ceremonies / being mutch
more changeable than Protheus / of whom it is but folly to
beleaue / that they do passe for ony religion at all. But let vs
passe ouer theise vnstable changelinges / and establishe our
mynds / that they be not lewse nor waueringe / but being knytte
vpp and confirmed in the lorde / they maye haue sum suretie and
stablenes of the sure and stable worde of Godde / which we may
both in mowthe and deedes confes / and in which we may finally
reste. That maruailus and heauenly and therwith thonderinge
prophet Helias /

  [[3. Reg. 18.]]

howe longe (saithe he) halte ye betwene two opinions. If the
lorde be Godde folowe hym: but if Baal be he / then go after
hym. Euen so truly our lorde hymself doth saye in the gospell /
that no man can serue two masters. Let vs therfor forsake all
other Godds and religions / and cleaue only to our Godde / which
is the father of our lorde Iesus Christ / and let vs sticke
faste in the only Christen religion / which is delyuered vnto vs
in the holy scriptures. For it is euerlasting and most certayne.

  [[It sufficith not to confes Christe amonge the brethern.
  Mat. 10.]]

But if it be sufficient to confes Christe and his gospell amonge
our felows and brethern in religion / wherto I praye you will
theis our men refer thos wordes which do go before this place of
confession in the gospell? Behold I send you forthe as shepe
amonge wolues. &c. They shall delyuer yow vp to the cowncelles
and shall scourge yow for me. &c. But when they delyuer yow vpp
take ye no thought how or what ye shall answer: for it shalbe
gyuen yow / euen in that same houre / whal ye shall speake. &c.
Feare ye not them which kyll the bodye / but are not able to kyll
the soule. He which doth denye that all theis sayinges must be
vnderstond of persequutors / he saithe that darcknes is lighte.
Yea and in Marc he doth playnly saye.

  [[Marc. 8.]]

Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes in this
aduoutrus and synefull generacion / of hym also shall the sonne
of man be ashamed. He requirith therfor a confession of the
truithe not only in the companye of the godly / but also in the
companye of the vngodly and persequutours / howsoeuer it be
ioyned with the ieoperdie of lyfe and of all the substaunce. The
lord speaking in the boke of the reuelacion with the church of
pergamos /

  [[Apocal. 2.]]

I knowe (saith he) where thow dwellest / euen where Sathans seate
is / and thow keapest my name / and haste not denyed my faythe:
And in thos dayes in which Antipas was a faythfull witnes of
myn / which was slayne amonge yow where Sathan dwellithe. In which
wordes truly the confession made in persequution is allowed /
made I saye in that place / wher Sathan did beare rule / wher
euen very then Antypas thaty notable Martir of Christe was slayn
for confessinge of religion. Otherwise when all thinges are
quiet it is not so harde a thing to confes the name of Godde.
For if so be that the lord will not haue vs be in ieoperdie of
bodie goodes and lyfe / if it seme to be euill and a synne for a
man / as it wer to procure deathe to hymself by the confessinge
of truithe / wherfor dothe the lorde (I praye yow) exhorte thos
his disciples / that they shuld not feare them which do kill the
bodie / and can not kill the soule? Whi doth he by playne wordes
saye / as it wer prouoking vs to martirdome?

  [[Marc. 8.]]

Whosoeuer will folow me / let hym forsake hymselfe / and take vp
his crosse / and folowe me. For whosoeuer will saue his lyfe
shal lose it. But whosoeuer shall lose his lyfe for my sake /
and the gospelles the same shall saue it. He addith forthwithe
wordes which do make for the contempt of thos thinges / for
which theis men do thincke that in religion silence maye be kept
and dissimulacion vsed / sainge. What shall it profite a man / yf
he wynne al the worlde / and lose his owne sowle. Therwith also
doth he adde through what thinge we do lose our soules / that is
through Shame. For he saithe. Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed
of me and of my wordes / in this aduowtrus and synefull
generacion / of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when
he commithe in the glorie of his father withe the holy Angelles.
Therfor Paule that chosen vesell of Christe / and a most
faithfull teacher of the churche / who gyueth euell councell to
no man / neither leadith he ony man from the true waye / it is
(saith he) a true sayinge:

  [[2. Tim. 2.]]

for if we be deade with hym / we shall also lyue with hym: if we
be pacient / we shal also raigne with hym. If we denye hym / he
shall also denye vs. The same Paul to the Hebrues /

  [[Heb. 10.]]

Call to rememberaunce (saithe he) the dayes that are passed / in
the which after ye hadd receyued light / ye endured a great
fighte of aduersities / partely while all men wondered and gased
ay yowe for the shame and tribulacion that was done vnto yow /
partely while ye became companions of them which so passed theyr
tyme. For ye became partakers also of the afflictions which
happened thorow my bondes / and toke in worthe the spoyling of
your goodes / and that with gladnes / Knowing in your selues /
how that ye haue in heauen a better and an enduring substaunce.
Caste not awaye therfor your confidence / which hath a greate
recompense of rewarde. For ye haue neade of pacience / that
after ye haue doone the will of God / ye might receyue the
promise. For yet a very litill while / and he that shall comme /
will comme / and wyll not tarye. But the iuste shall lyue by
faithe. And if he withdrawe hymself my soule shall haue no
pleasure in hym. It is not we that withdrawe ourselues vnto
damnacion / but we partayne vnto fayth / to the wynning of the
soule. This truly is a sownde and wholsome doctrine / to cleaue
faste vnto this / is to pleas Godd / and to glorifie hym / adde
also to promote the saluacion of the brethern.

  [[The deathe and persequution of the sainctes doth glorifie
  Godd.]]

Therfor whils theise men do replie / what shuld come to the
encrease of glorie of Godd / or what commoditie shuld comme to
Christe of thos my labors and daungers which I shuld sustayne
for religion? wittingly and willingly they do disproue the
doctrine of the apostle / which doth playnly witnes / not in
theis places only which we haue alledged / but in many others
also / that both Godd is glorified by our sufferinges and
calamities which we do sustayne for religions sake / and also
that the weake brethern are therby edified / of whom it is
certayne that by dissemblinge and denyinge of Religion they be
offended / confirmed in ther errours / and indeede destroyed.
For that most excellent prophete Dauid /

  [[Psal. 116.]]

Righte deere (saithe he) in the fighte of the lorde / is the
dathe of his sainctes. And sainct Peter saith Dearly beloued /

  [[1. Pet. 4.]]

maruayle not that ye are proued by fyre / which thynge is to
trye yow as though sum straunge thinge happened vnto yow / but
reioyce / in as mutch as ye are partakers of Christes passions /
that when his glorie appearith / ye maye be mery and gladd. If
ye be rayled vpon / for the name of Christe / happie are ye /
for the glorie and the sprite of Godd restith vpon you. On ther
parte he is euill spoken of / but on your parte he is
glorified / and so furthe. And sainct Paule dothe pronounce that
it is a most greuus synne of ony man do offend the weake by his
euell example. Thy brother doth perish (saithe he) for whom
Christe died. When ye synne so against the brethern / and wounde
thier weake conscience / ye synne againste Christ. Again we are
saied in the scriptures to haue saued hym whom we haue by sounde
doctrine and our goode example / either reteyned in the waye of
the lorde / or haue brought hym backe that went astraye. But if a
greater regarde vs to be had of wife / children and houshold then
of pure religion / so that for that regard / religion seeme
either to be dissembled or denyed: Yf it be euill for religions
sake to dissente from them that be of kindred and alliannce /
yea and for religion to depart from a lawfull wyfe / and in
sum / for faithe to disagree with all frendes and familiars /
shall we saye that the lorde did teach euill / which sayed in
the gospell?

  [[Mat. 10.]]

Thincke not that I am come to sende peace vnto the earthe.
I came not to send paeace but a swearde. For I am come to sett a
man at variance against his father / and the doughter against
her mother / and the doughter in lawe against her mother in
lawe. And a mannes foes shalbe they that are of his own
housholde. For from hence forthe ther shalbe fyue in one howse
deuyded / thre against two / and two against thre.

  [[Luc. 12.]]

The father shalbe deuided against the sonne / and the sonne
against the father. This not spoken as though that dissension in
itself did pleas Godd the autor of all peace / but bicause he
will haue that peace which stondithe vppon euell and wicked
thinges broken / and haue vs all conioyned in that which is holy
and goode. And therfore we do not allowe when mariages
frendshippes and leagues are broken without necessitie / and
vnder an vntrue pretence of religion. Agayn we do dissalowe thos
which are kept againste the commaundement of Godd with playne
hurte of true religion / and open denyinge of the faithe. All
persons must bende themselues to peace and concorde so far as
they maye / with retayninge of sowndnes in religion: But when it
can not be retayned / let none thincke that to keape peace with
them he must committ Idolatrie.

  [[1. Cor. 7.]]

And therfor the Apostle of Christ saith: If any brother haue a
wyfe / whiche beleauith not / if she be content to dwell with
hym / let hym not putt her awaye. &c. But if the vnbeleauinge do
departe let hym depart. A brother or a Syster is not in
subiection to such. But Godd hathe called vs in peace. Euen so
truly it is an vnnatural thinge not to norishe the children / or
to neglect the aged parentes / or to forsake frendes and
familiars. Godds worde doth euery wheare commaunde that we shuld
do reuerence and dutie to them to whom by the lawe of Godd / and
man / we owe it. In which sense we do willingly admitte that
sayinge of the Apostle. That he which doth not prouide for them
which be of his howshold / both denieth the faith / and is wors
then an infidele. We do acknowledg that they are deuels and not
men whosoeuer they be / which do wickedly disturbe wel ordered
policies / and howsholdes. But yet in all theis we do also
acknowledge this / and we se it taughte in the whole scripture as
for an vndoubted truithe / that the lord Godd is better then all
theise / that the couenant and bonde of religion doth excede all
other bondes in the world. And that the lord doth both so will
and commaunde / that we shuld esteame him aboue all thinges / and
loue hym aboue al thinges / and that when he speakith we all
shuld holde our peace / that there we shuld not thincke at all
of coloured expositions and excuses / but only of symple and
playne obedience / such / as we reade that Abraham shewed vnto
Godd / whom Godd

  [[Gen. 12.]]
  [[Heb. 11.]]
  [[Gen. 22.]]
  [[Heb. 11.]]

commaunding hym / did go out of his countrie into a straunge
lande / and when he did not refuse to sacrifice vnto the lorde
his only Sonne / withough suspicion of crueltie. Truly in the
hold gospell the lord dothe saye.

  [[Luc. 14.]]

If a man come to me / and hate not his father / and mother / and
wyfe / and children / and brethern / and systers / yea and his
own lyfe also / he can not be my disciple. And whosoeuer doth
not beare his crosse and comme after me / can not be my
disciple. They truly which haue beene content to beare this ioke
of the lords / haue neither lost themselues / yea thoughe they
haue beene slayne of persequatours / nor yet their familie /
which they dyd leaue in trobles and penurie of thinges. For by
teachinge of experience and witnessing of histories / we haue
lerned / that Godd by such miracles as haue beene done at the
graues of martirs hathe witnessed / that they which wer killed /
wer not loste but saued, that they wer not deade but lyuing.
Furthermore we can not say nay but that Godd hathe blessed the
families of such slayne martirs / and that he hath moued the
hartes of goode men which haue receyued thos abiects and
miserable persons into their custodie / so that they wanted
nothinge. Besids this the godly do knowe that in this world they
must honger / and that they must be exercised with diuers
aduersities / that they may be made like vnto the image of
Christ who was himself in all pointes tempted for vs /

  [[Heb. 4.]]

lyke as we are / but yet without synne. But now this remaynith
as yet to be discussed / which theis men do take as for an
oracle / and most euident truithe.

  [[Wether it sufficith to kepe faith in the harte, and not
  confesse it with mouthe.]]

That it is sufficient if a man do keape the true faithe in his
harte / and that ther is no farther neade of outward
confession / through which thow shuldest be drowned in the deape
of afflictions. Yf it doth suffice to beleaue in harte / and the
confession with the mowthe seme not necessarie / wherfor I praye
you Hath the lorde sayed? Euery one which confessithe me before
Men. &c. Beholde he saythe before Men. But faith which stickith
still in the harte is not brought forth before men. Yea it is
not to be called a confession / when faith doth lurcke in the
hart. For Confession doth properly bringe forth that which dyd
lye hidden wythin. The Apostle therfor taking from vs all doubt
in this controuersie.

  [[Rom. 10.]]

The worde (sayth he) is nyghe the / euen in thy mouthe / and in
thy harte. This same is the worde of faythe / whiche we preache.
For if thow knowledg with thy mouth that Iesus is the lorde /
and beleaue in thy harte that God raysed hym vpp from deathe
thow shalt be safe. For to beleaue with the harte iustifieth /
and to knowledge with the mowthe maketh a man safe. what canst
thow desire to be more playnly and euidently spoken in this
matier? Thow dost clearely heare that thow takest awaye
saluacion if thow dost cut of the confession of the mouthe from
the beleif of the hart. Yea and the beleif of the harte is that
nature that it can not lye hydd / but must of necessite breake
forth to be confessed with the mouthe. Yf the confession of the
mouthe neadith not / neyther then shall ther neade ony
preachinge of the truithe. But the Apostles / bushopps and
faithfull martirs of Christ / when they preached euen amonge the
wicked / haue most bitterly condemned Idolatrie / and all
doctrine and worshipp which doth not agre with the holy
gospell / and affirmed that the gospell only dothe teache the
true worshipp of Godd. By that confession of mouthe they did
glorifie Godd / they did disanull Iudaisme and paganisme / and
did erecte many holy congregracions throughe the worlde / which
by holdinge their peace and keapinge the true faith within their
harte they shuld neuer haue edified. Wherof euery man seith that
the confession of the mouthe is allwayes necessarie / and that
it is required of euery one of vs. The notable examples also of
the excellent seruauntes of Godd contayned in the scriptures do
teache the same.

  [[1. Reg. 19.]]

That same gret prophet of Godd Helias was ones of that mynde
that he only of all the true worshippers of Godd was lefte alyue
vppon the earthe. But he hearith euen of the lord hymself / which
sayeth / I haue lefte me seuen thousand in Israel / of which
neuer man bowed his knee vnto Baal nor Kyssed hym with his
mouthe. Heere is nothinge spoken of the secret faithe of the
harte / but of the outward fruites of true faithe. For theis wer
outward thinges / to bowe the knees vnto Baal / and to kisse his
Image with their mouth. It is saied that they did not theis
thinges / and therfor are they taken for true and veray
worshippers of Godd. The lorde / if he hadd thoughte that which
theise our men do thincke / he might haue made mencion of the
faithe of the harte without the outward confession / especially
seing thos tymes wer so daungerous that Helias himself did flie
into the wildernes. But the lord doth praise in his faithfull
the outwarde confession / which was made in worcke / rather then
in wordes. Wherfor we must shew forthe the faith of the harte
both by deedes and wordes / after the exeample of theise seuen
thowsande confessors whom God doth praise. We must not goo vnto
vnholy assemblees / we must not bowe our knees nor vncouer our
heades before Idolls / we must not kisse thos thinges / which
are contrarie to the gospell.


  [[Dan. 3.]]

Yf ony other in the whole world / thos the princes (of whom
mencion is made in Daniell) might haue coloured ther Idolatrie /
but they chose rather to submitt themselues to cruel
punishment / then to bowe their knee before that Image which the
kinge did sett vpp to be worshipped. Their men of ours wold haue
sayed. It shalbe better to kepe faithe in the harte for the
profitinge of many / then rashly to poore it furthe to the hurte
of an infinite number. For so longe as we are safe / the
miserable captiues shall receyue gret and many benefites: Yea
and also we priuely may promote the truithe in the princes
courte. But by this same vnceasonable confession / confusion of
all thinges shall euen at ons ouerwhelme all theise thinges. And
with out doubt they wold haue added that the Image which the
kyng hadd sett vp was not altogether to be deputed among prophane
thinges / forbicause that the true God had shewed the kinge a
vision or an Image / which did conteyn great misteries of the
kingdome of Godd / after the forme of which Image /
Nabugodonozor hadd caused this Image to be made and graued /
which Image the faithfull for the cause might beholde and
reuerence as the worke of Godd. But thos valieant / and glorious
Martirs do make mention of no suche thinge /

  [[Dan. 3.]]

and though they did knowe the kinges mynd well inough in this
matier / yet they do playnly saye to the kinge. Be this known
vnto the (o kynge) that we wil not serue they goddes / nor do
reuerence vnto that Image which thow hast sett vpp. Neither did
they only vse this libertie of speache before the kyng / but
willingly they offered ther bodies to all daungers / yea euen to
most fearfull fires.

  [[Dan. 6.]]

Daniel also did not thincke that Godd was religiusly inough
worshipped and serued with the inwarde faithe of the harte /
except he had added the outward confession also. For when thos
hethen princes did laye snares for hym / of which he was not
ignorant / and therfor might peaceably haue prayed to the lorde
within his walles at home / yet wold he not dissemble in this
matier. For what doth the scripture saye? This / that when
Daniel perceyued what the kinge hadd commaunded / he wente into
his howse / and the windows of his wall towardes Hierusalen stode
open. There kneled he down vpon his knees thre times a daye / he
made his petition and praised his Godd / and so opened he his
confession to Godd. This same most holy prophet of Godd mighte
seme to be beside hymself thus willingly to procure euill to
hymself / and as it wer without neade to prouoke the enemies of
Religion against hym: but the scripture doth not settfurth vnto
vs ony error / no vnconsideratnes or rashe boldnes in this
matier / but doth teache vs playnly to yelde vnto Godd
confession in deedes and in wordes. Vnto theis examples of the
holy scripture we will now adde other thinges which do agre with
them (for thos thinges which do diagre from the scriptures we
passe litill or nothing at all / what autoritie so euer they
haue amonge men)

  [[Ecclesiast. hist. lib. 6. cap. 28.]]

This we will do out of the Ecclesiasticall historie. Eusebius
entreating of such things as Origen did / makith mencion that
Origen did mightily oppugn a new heresie which did springe vpp
in his tyme / it was called the heresie of Helchesaites / and at
lenghth he did happily extinguishe it. He shewith that they among
many other things did holde this heresie / that if a man did
denie in persequution he synned not at all / forbicause that he
which is stable and confirmed in his harte / although he doth
denie with the mouthe for necessitie / yet as touching the harte
he abidith in faithe. By which wordes truly euery man may
perceyue that the same pestilent errour is brought agayn as it
wer out of hell / in our age / and se that he ought cheifly to
beware of it as of an heresie condemned. The same Eusebius in
the viij. booke doth sett furth notable examples of many martirs
of Christe which did frely confes the truith / out of whom I
will recite vnto your godlynes theise few thinges / wich without
doubt will be acceptable vnto all. They whos mynd (saithe he)
was more readie and their faithe more stronge / suffered
torments. Sum wer beaten with whippes / other were tormented with
iron houes / sum other wer burned with fierye plates / of whom
many indeed being weried did gyue ouer. But other did abide
paciently euen to the end. Sum of the persequutours them selues
verely / as thoughe they hadd vsed pitie / did bringe many of
our men to the wicked sacrifices / and made a noise as though
thay hadd sacrificed / when indeede they hadd not sacrificed. Of
sum other when they hadd not so mutch as come nighe the vncleane
sacrifices / they did crye out / that they had already
sacrificed and did now depart. Which wer only faultie (I praye
you marcke theise wordes) in this / that they did with silence
beare the fault which was obiected against them. Sum being taken
vpp half alyue were thrown awaye as thoughe they hadd beene
deade. Sum beinge drawn out by the feate / were accompted amonge
them which hadd sacrificed. Other cryed out that they were
Christians / and dyd glorie in the confessinge of that
healthfull name. Many also with a greater confidence did
testifie that they neither hadd / neither wold sacrifice euer.
Whos mouthes and eyes the tormentours did forthewith beate / to
cause them to holde ther peace / and they wer with violence
thrust forthe as though they hadd done the thinge. For so the
enemies of godlynes did mutch esteame it / if at least wise they
did but seeme to bring to pas that which they wolde. Many other
thinges like vnto this / might I add / partly out of the
Tripartita historia / partly out of Eutropius. But theis are
sufficient: And theis do plainly and euidently inough proue /
that the lord doth require of true Christians / a true and playne
confession of the mouthe / yea euen in the gretest daungers and
furies of the persequutors and therfor that theise tenderlinges
do most manifestly err / which do thincke otherwise / only to
saue their filthie paunche.


  [[Of ceremonies.]]

It remaynith now right Reuerend fathers / and most deare
brethern in Christe that I shuld breifly touche also theis mens
reasoninges of popishe Ceremonies / which I said at the
begynning they do wittyly handle to persuade themselues / and
others / that no man by the partakinge of them doth either
defile himself / or by it denie the religion of the gospell. And
surly it is well known that the name of Ceremonies not being
narowly weyed / hath bewitched the eyes of many / not only in
this but in other controuersies of religion. It is therfor to be
known that Ceremonies are nothinge els but holy rites. And of
Ceremonies sum are called diuine which are instituted (I saye)
of Godd himself / sum other are called humayne / such as are
inuented by mans will.

  [[Diuine ceremonies.]]

But of the dyuine or ceremonies of God / sum belonged to the
olde poeple / of which the writinges of the prophetes and
apostles do beare witnes that they wer abrogate in Christe. Sum
do belonge to the new poeple that is to Christians / which were
delyuered vnto them of Christe by the Apostles / and thos truly
very fewe / as of holy assemblees / of sacramentes / and certayn
ecclesiasticall obseruacions / which are declared in the writinges
of the Apostles.

  [[Humaine ceremonies.]]

Of ceremonies enuented by man ther is almost neither measure nor
end. For they wer enuented and established at dyuerse tymes / and
that by diuers and sundry autors / and they were so delyuered
and instituted of them / that they do not only not consent with
the holy scriptures but they be contrary to them / insomutch that
they do deface and corrupt the ordinaunces which Godd hath
instituted / and do put them out of place. Of this kinde is that
churche deckinge and dressinge / in which Images haue the cheif
place. Of the same sorte also is Massinge / straunge apparell /
synging / and feastes appointed to saintes which be in heauen /
and other innumerable of this sorte. All which truly the
papistes do adorne with the title of ceremonies / which when the
simple and such as haue litill knowledge do heare / they do
Imagine sum holy thinge as thoughe that all theis thinges were
sent down out of heauen from the lord Godd hymself to be kept.
But heere we do admonishe men that they must stey sumwhat / and
must sumwhat more diligently make difference betwene
ceremonies / and must more narowly loke / whether that theis
ceremonies (of which we do contend) be of Godd or of man. Euery
man knowith that none in defiled by such ceremonies as are of
Godd. And he which denieth that a man is defiled by humayn
ceremonies / he seith nothing at all. For though I do not again
vrge that which I saied euen nowe / that thos humayn ceremonies
are contrary to Goddes worde / and do defile Godds ordinaunces /
corrupt them and hyde them / can that be obscure or vnknown to
ony man which our lord Iesus Christe doth playnly with expressed
wordes bringe out of Esaye?

  [[Mat. 15.]]

They do serue me in vaine / teachinge the doctrines and
preceptes of men.

  [[Tit. 1.]]

Again that which Paule doth affirme that they be commaundements
of men that tourn awaye the truthe? And that the holy Martir of
Christe propownced?

  [[Cypriani epist. lib. 1. epist. 8.]]

It is adulterus / it is wicked / it is sacrilegus / whatsoeuer
is instituted by mans furie to violate the ordinance of Godd.
And for this cause the godly will not call theis ordinances ony
longer / ceremonies / simply / but rather mans institutions / and
supersticions / which are reiected and forbidden of Godd.
Wherfor howsoeuer theis men do beautifully set furth and adorn
theise thinges / yet shall they neuer bringe this to passe /
that the goddly will beleaue that it is lawful for them to
communicate with supersticions / and such institucions as are
forbidden of God: Neither will the godly beleaue but that theis
thinges are forbidden / except the papistes shall proue by playne
testimonies of the scripture that they are so instituted of Godd
as they do vse them. Which thinge when it can not be proued of
them / nor yet at all of ony other of the papistes / sum of our
false gospellers do turn them selues hither / that they saye that
Paule also did vse forbidden ceremonies /

  [[Paul circumcised Timothee.]]

and that the prophetes of Godd did reproue the sacrifices /
which they neuertheles did partake without synne. And if we do
graunte them this altogether / how can they (I praye yow) helpe
or sett furth their cause? We reade that Paule vsed ceremonies
instituted of Godd / circumcision and sacrifices / but theis men
do contend for ceremonies instituted by men. Paul did ons
circumcise his Timothie /

  [[Actu. 16. 18. 21.]]

and did ons ore twis take on him a vowe / and that for certayn
and weightie causes. But theise men couet to waxe old in their
supersticions / and haue no lawfull causes to do so / except
thow wilt call that lawfull which commith of the affections of the
fleshe. Without doubt Paule wold not haue one ore two of his
actes to be sett against his whole doctrine. But whi do they not
rather folow Paule in that /

  [[Gal. 2.]]

when he refused to circumcise Titus? seing like causes are
ministred vnto them by thos which go about to spoile them of
their libertie / and bring them into bondage.

  [[Hovv the prophetes reproued Sacrifices and vver also
  partakers of them.]]

We do saye that ther were two sortes of the Sacrifices among the
old poeple of Israel. Sum of them are redd to be instituted of
Godd / which the poeple sum tyme abused / or els did not vse
them with true faithe / which thing the prophetes did reproue /
and not the Sacrifices themselues / of which they did partake
religiusly and without synne: Euen as we reade that Paule did
worthely partake the supper of the lorde / although he doth
reproue the abuse of the supper in the Corinthinians. Other
sacrifices ther were enuented by man / such were the sacrifices
of Baal / and of Ieroboam / and thos which were done in the
hilles. Theis truly the prophetes did reproue / but it is not
redde that they did communicate with the same. This example
therfor is of force against them which will excuse themselues by
the example of the prophetes / in that they do partake such
sacrifices as are instituted of man.


  [[Hovv sum do thincke that they may be at Masses, and hovv thei
  vnderstond the masse.]]

Forthewith then they saye / what is it to me though papistes do
abuse the Masse? In their abuse I do call to mynd the true vse /
and I comme vnto it with an other mynde and vnderstondinge then
they do saye it. For when I see the breade and cupp / I do not
thincke vppon the transubstanciation which the pope hath fayned /
but on the sacrament of Christe. And therfor when I am at masse
I do not regarde what ceremonies be ther / ore what the minister
is / but I do remember the very institution of Christe and I do
spitiually receyue that / wich he doth saye that he doth
corporally offer and receyue / for the lyuinge and the deade.
and seinge I know that the vertue of the sacrament is not of les
force for the varietie of ceremonies / ore the vnworthines of
the ministers / I do suppose that I / which do well vse an euell
thinge / am neither defiled / nor yet that by this my spirituall
communicating I do denie the gospell. By theise wordes a man wold
iudge theis men to be madd / except he do consider that it is
not they which do thus speake / but feare / and desire / which
are affections playnly most trobled. They do simply acknowledge
that papistes do abuse the supper of the lorde / but yet (they
saye) that they themselues do wel vse their abuse / forbicause
they do come enstructed with an other meaninge then the papistes
do it / not to heare a popishe masse which the papistes saye /
but to receyue the supper of the lorde / the self same which
they in their masse do thincke abhominable. I do not know whether
ther can be ony greter absurditie spoken. Thow maiste saye that
theis men haue learned an arte which hetherto no man coulde
attayne / to robb a naked man of clothes / to wringe water out
of a pumeise stone / and to bidde a man to get fishe in the
aire / that is / at a table wher no meate is sett furth at all /
to fare delicatly and to be filled. But go to / let them frely
profes before them with whom they do thus communicate / that they
be of that mynd which they speake of / that is / that in cumminge
to Masse they will not comme to Masse / but that in it they will
vnderstond and consider breade / yea and that they will sett
before their myndes the supper of the lorde / that they wil not
confes the popishe transubstantiation / but that they do here in
acknowledge Christes Sacrament / and that they do well receyue
that spiritually in the Masse / which the prest doth offer / and
receyue bodily for the lyuing and the deade / which thinge he
beleauith not. Will not all they forthewithe crye out / that
ther holy Masse is vnhalowed / and that they which thinke so are
heretikes / and that they which do communicate with them are
excommunicated? Truly they wold so behaue themselues / that
euery man might vnderstond / that ther is a grete difference
betwene the Masse and the supper of the lorde / and that they do
embrace the Masse / but the supper of the lord they do all wayes
hate and reiect. With such a kinde of men yet do theis men
communicate / which wold thincke it a hurtefull and damnable
thinge / if they shuld admitte vnto their diuine seruice / the
companions of the religion of the gospell with their faithe. For
they do take the approuinge of their doctrine / to be the
condemnynge of the religion of the gospell: And they do take the
communion in the Masse to be a certayn confession and
approbation of their religion. Who is it then which doth not
se / that theis men do receyue no part of the lordes supper at
all in the masse / but also that by comminge to the masse they
do deny the supper of the lorde and the whole faithe of the
gospell? Theis men saye that they passe nothing what the
ceremonies be / what the ministers / for that the vertue of the
Sacrament is not the wors for them. But the cheif question heer is
not of the worthines of the ceremonies or ministers / but of the
true vse and institucion of the supper of the lorde / and
whither that the Masse as it is this daye vsed (I do not now
speake ony thinge at all of that which was vsed aboue a thowsand
yeares passed) wer so instituted of Christe / and be indeede the
very supper of the lorde? Yf the Masse be that misticall supper
of the lorde / it must needes be allowed of the lorde / and thow
(if so be thow dost come to it in faithe) canst not but receyue
therof the foode of lyfe / forsomutch as the vnworthnes of the
mynister doth not hinder the. But if the Masse be not the supper
of the lorde / if the supper of the lord be defaced corrupted
and troden vnder fote by the Masse / truly thow shalt receyue no
fruite therof / but shalt rather purchase to thy self greate
gilte of synne / for that the gaye glosse of the ceremonies or
ony worthines of the ministers shall not helpe the at all. Euen
Ieroboam himself wold haue beene counted to haue sacrificed to
the Godd of Israel: but yet bicause he did not sacrifice after
the same manier which God had commaunded / but rather after that
sorte which he himself hadd inuented amd instituted / godd did
not accept his sacrifices / and thos did synne against godd and
against true religion / yea and against the lawfull Sacrifices of
godd / as many as did communicate with the sacrifices of Ieroboam.
For both that Ieroboam synned / and that he did leade Israel to
synne / the scripture doth repeate very ofte / to beate in to the
heade of the whole worlde / that simple obedience doth pleas the
lorde / in which we keape his ordinaunces after that manier only
which he hath instituted / addynge nothinge / dyminishing
nothing / and chaunging nothing in them.


I will not now reason how that the Masse doth agre nothing at
all with the lordes supper / for this is euen to the eyes of all
men often tymes shewed in many bookes of most lerned and godly
seruantes of Godd. Yea euen children which are but instructed in
the principles of faith / do know that Christe did institute a
comon partaking / ore communion / in which all the faithfull which
are one bodie in Christe are knitt together into one bodie / and
that the Masse is a dissipacion of vnitie and a priuate deuowring
of one lurching sacrificer. They knowe that Christ commaunded:
Take / eate / diuide it amonge you / and drincke ye all of this.
And that the Masse doth sett furth theis thinges to be gazed
vppon / to be worshipped / to be caried about / and to be shutt
vpp / to be handeled and also receyued of preistes only: They
know that Christe sayd: Do this in the rememberaunce of me. And
that the priestes do saye Masse in the rememberaunce of sayntes /
that they do sacrifice for the synnes of the quicke and the
deade / and to be short that they do say masse for euery
thinge / for filthie lucres sake.


Ther were in the tyme of the Apostles certayn witty disputars
which reasoned that it was lawful for Christians to eate meates
offered vnto Idols. Meates offered to Idolls / were sacrifices
vsed in the temples of Idolls / to be offered vnto Idols.
Therfor thos faithfull men did contend / that it was lauful
indifferently to communicate with the holy seruice of the
Christians / and also to sytte down in the Idols feaste. They
did add plausible expositions / that an Idoll was nothinge /
bycause Godd was not represented by the Idoll / that ther is but
one Godd / the same our true and euerlastinge Godd: Wherof it
folowed that the Idoll was nothinge / that is to say a thinge of
no valure or a very vanitie / that it could hurt no bodie / and
that the very meate offered vnto the Idoll was a thinge of
nothinge / that it did defile no man. But Paule with many wordes
doth confute that folery. 1. Cor. cap. 8. 9. and 10. In this
tenth chapter amonge other thinges he gatherith of the nature of
the supper of the lord that a man maye not bothe be partaker of
the supper of the lorde and of the table of Idols / and saith:
Ye can not drincke of the cup of the lorde / and of the cup of
deuils. Ye can not be partakers of the lordes table / and of the
table of deuiles. Either do we prouoke the lorde? Are we stronger
then he? Also the Apostles of Christe and elders of the churche
of Hierusalem in that same greate and notable councell of
Hierusalem / which of all that euer were was most holy and of
most auctoritie / did playnly forbidd the Gentils / which were
conuerted to Christe / thos meates offered to Idols. Yea and the
lord Iesus hymself in the boke of the Reuelacion doth greuusly
accuse and condemne them which do eate meate offered vnto Idols.
This may ye se in the epistles of the churche of Pergamos and
Thiatira.

  [[Apocal. 2.]]

In the furst he saithe: But I haue a few thinges againste the /
bicause thow hast there them that maintaine the doctrine of
Balaam which taughte in balacke to put occacion of synne before
the children of Israel / that they shuld eate of meates dedicate
vnto Idolls and committ fornication / and so furth. I thincke
here neadith not many wordes to shew wherfor I haue alledged
thies sayinges of meates offered vnto Idolls: for all the godly
do plainly see / that by like reason all diuine seruice that is
vnholy / or contrary to Godds worde / with what colour so euer
they be stayned / are forbidden and condemned. They see that all
such expositions are put awaye / by which theise fearefull men /
and such as do loue the worlde and worldly pompe to mutch / do
leade themselues away from the right tracke / that they shuld not
sincerely confes Christe.


  [[The Conclusion and adhortation to fre confession.]]

All they which be godly do both see and perceyue that they which
do desire to lyue euerlastingly haue neade to make a simple
cleare and playne confession / they see that Christes name must
be confessed / and that no man must communicate with
Antichriste / how great so euer daungers do hange ouer them /
and how gret so euer the aduauntages be which are offered vnto
them. They see that they must treade down the feare and desire
of the fleshe. The most holy Apostle of Christe writith of
Moses.

  [[Heb. 11.]]

By faith Moses when he was greate / refused to be called the
sonne of Pharaos daughter / and chose rather to suffer
aduersitie with the people of Godd / then to enioye the
pleasures of synne for a ceason / and esteamed the rebuke of
Christ greater riches / then the treasures of Egypt. For he hadd
respect vnto the rewarde. Whos example (most goodely indeede)
that we may folowe / we must alwais haue before our eyes and (as
I iudge) we must neuer lett slypp out of our myndes thos most
holy most true and healthefull wordes of our lord Christe /
which I see neade often tymes to be repeated and inculcate:

  [[Mat. 10.]]

Euery one that shall knowledge me before men / hym wyll I
knowledge also before my father which is in heauen. But
whosoeuer shall denie me before men / hym will I also denie
before my father which is in heauen.

  [[Luc. 9.]]

For who so is ashamed of me and my wordes / of hym shall the
sonne of man be ashamed when he commith in his maiestie / and in
the maiestie of his father / and of the holy Aungels. And
therfor ther are in all places of the scripture most large
promises sett furthe to them which do fely confes Christe / and
deny Antichriste with a goode corage. Iohn in the boke of the
Reuelacion /

  [[Apocal. 6.]]

I sawe (saithe he) the sowles of them which wer filled for the
name of Iesu and the word of God. And wher as in this furst
place he hadd writon / them which wer filled / he added.

  [[Apoc. 13. 19. 20.]]

And as many as worshipped not the image of the beast / nor did
take the marcke in their foreheade / or in their hande / all
which / whom he did se in the very same place / he couplith
together and saythe. And they lyued and reigned with Christe. He
saith that they lyued and reigned with Christe / not only they
which were filled / but they which abiding in the constauntnes
and confession of true faithe / did not worshipp the image of
the beaste / nor receyued ony markes of it. The blessed Apostle
Paule doth proue that we do receyue more in the rewarde of
sufferinge / then it is that we do heere suffer in the affliction
it self /

  [[Rom. 8.]]

saying: for I suppose that the afflictions of this lyfe / are not
worthie of the glorie which shal be shewed vpon vs. Who is it then
that will not labor with all his poure to come vnto so greate an
excellencie / that he may become the frend of Godd / and
forthwith ioye with Christ? that after famin and banishement or
tormentes and punishementes / which are but earthely / he may
attayn vnto heauenly rewardes? Yf it be a glorius thinge for
worldly souldiours to returne in to ther countrie triumphing after
they haue vanquished their enemie / how mutch more worthi a thing
is it for vs / after our fleshe the world and deuell beinge
ouercomme / to go again with triumphe into paradise? And to offer
vnto Godd a gifte most acceptable / faith incorrupte / the sownd
vertue of mynd / and sincere confession of faithe / a notable
praise of deuotion. To comme in his companye when he commith to
take vengeaunce of his enemies / To stond by his syde when he
shall sytte down to iudge / to be made the felow heire of
Christe / to be made equall with the angels / to reioyce in the
possession of the heauenly kingdom with the patriarches / with
thapostles / with the prophetes / and all confessours and
martirs. What persequution can vanquishe theis thoughtes / which
are not uain / but of force / and of poure / in the holy ghoste?
what tormentes can ouercome them? The mynd ons grownded in theis
godly meditacions doth endure stronge and stable / and that mynd
abydeth immutable against all the terrors of the deuell / and
the threttes of the world / and of Antichriste / that mynd I say
which the certayn and sure faith of thinges to come doth
strenghthen. The eyes be shutt vpp in theis persequutions of the
earthe / but heauen is open. Antichriste threatneth / but the
lord Christe defendith. The world is taken from him that is
killed / but paradise is gyuen to him being therunto restored.
Temporall lyfe is taken awaye / but the euerlastinge lyfe is
repayred. What a dignitie (o brethern) is it / how great a
safetie / for a man to depart myrily from hens / to depart so
through oppressions and trobles? It is a glorius thinge to shutt
vpp the eyes in a moment / with which men and the world wer
seene / and forthewith to open the same to se Godd and Christe.
But that we maye behold theis thinges in mynde and thought /
that we may (I saye) night and daye meditate theis thinges / and
sincely confes the holy name of Christ / and escape and treade
down all thinges which are contrary to pure confession / we must
diligentlly praye vnto that same our heauenly father through
Iesus Christe our lorde.

       *       *       *       *       *
           *       *       *       *
       *       *       *       *       *

Errors and Inconsistencies

Frequent Variant Spellings:
  lenghth, poeple, satisficed; pix (pyx)
Spacing in terms such as "whatsoeuer", "whosoeuer" is variable

Errors involving overline/tilde are shown here in {braces}.

Corrected Errors:
  3 to maynteyne their false opinion [falfe]
  4.v Rule which they must obserue is this [obseru{n}e]
  "  conuerting them to the gospell of christe [the{m} gospell]
  22.v As is writen of Christe [it writen]
  27 that thinges shuld not be doone [not not]
  31 whearby eich man may easily iudge [indge]
  34.v They were thinges indifferent
    [_body text has "thin-" with "ges" only in catchword_]
  38.v But let these papists giue [ginue]
  41.v for the which they thinke that man to be ther own [whith]
    [_spelling "whith" is a variant of "with" in this text_]
  57 +hairein+ [+aireim+, printed without breathing]
  58.v and do obstinatly defend it [a{n}nd]
  60.v [Sidenote: Luc. 23.] [Lnc.]
  67 and beloued Brethern in Christ [in in]
  72 depart out of this lyfe in true faithe do not
    [faithe-do _at line break_]

Unchanged Text, with possible correction in brackets:
  8 or to make an acte prefect [perfect]
  13 our weaklinges do not slyppe and foile them selues [soile]
  15.v and be partakers withe Idolatrors [Idolators]
  24.v thos deulishe dragges which ar in the Masse [drugges]
  37 it wil brust forthe at lengthe [burst]
    [_spelling "length(e)" is also unusual for this text_]
  40.v it is aganist the furst table [against]
  62.v [Sidenote: Dotor VVeston.] [Doctor]

Pre-existing Corrections:
  In most cases it is impossible to tell whether these corrections
  were made by the printer or by a later reader. Unless otherwise noted,
  text in brackets represents conjectural words or letters, blacked out.

  9.v The phisicions / do cowncell [that] when a contagius disease
  17.v the begynynge of Christes ordinaunce and institution,
    [_comma may be hand-written_]
  38 vse the rite and ceremonie as the lord[r]e commaunded
  38.v wicked actes and the do[y]inge of them
  45 the corrupt blindnes of the vnbel[ea]uers
    [_letter "e" printed above "a"_]
  54 [Psal. 59]
    [_printed text reads "95." with initial "9" crossed out and
    following "9" added by hand, overwriting period_]
  55 Augustine speaketh of. Many might[h]e
  59 to [to] the glorie of his name
  66.v By H.B.
    [_name "Henry Bullinger" hand-written, possibly by librarian_]
  75.v to keape peace with them [wit] he must
  80.v ther is [[is]] almost neither measure nor end.
    [_two-letter word could be "is", but there is no dot_]

Reconstructions and printing problems:
  Unless otherwise noted, text in brackets is reconstructed from
  visible parts of letters. Single letters are invisible.

  3 [Sidenote: The furst Diui[s]ion]
  9.v our naturall and [birthe] syn
  12 thincke hymself greatlye gyltie of ony notable [cryme] or fault
  12 being corrupted he did [allow]
    [_word fits visible text, but is spelled "allowe" elsewhere_]
  32 when they ar present at Idolatries /
    [_page ends at mid-line, with sentence continued on next page_]
  48.v for his plea[s]ure did chaunge Godds Religion
  62.v [Sidenote: Lyberall [t]o Women]
  79 if a man did denie in persequut[ion he] synned not

Page numbering
  The printed book numbered folios (leaves); the back (left, verso)
  side of each page was blank.
  13: misprinted as 15
  22-32: misprinted in sequence as 23-33, with correct 33 duplicated
  27: misprinted as 82 (for "28" in incorrect sequence)
  53: misprinted as 93

Misplaced u/v:
  The printed book ordinarily used "v" initially, "u" later in the
  word. Sidenotes used "vv" for "w". Exceptions are listed:

   2.v But nowe I haue written unto you
   4   frendlie / gentill / and louinge unto the vnbeleauers
   5   and to obey them in thinges lawfvll
   5.v [Sidenote: Conuersation vuith men excommunicate.]
   9   euell ioyned vnto us?
   "   To the same pupose he usith the vearse of the poete Menander.
  14   the lorde hadd gyuen them uictorie
  20.v as the popishe brood haue and do sett upp,
  86   which are not uain








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