Chapter V: Part 5

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.]]