Justification of the Religion Now Professed in England, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The ſumme of our Religion profeſſed in England.
TO proue that is here deſired, had beene ſooner done, if the matter had concerned onelyonly ſome particular poynts of our Religion profeſſed in England,; but now the proofe required being general without any limitation and reſtraint, and extending it ſelfe to our whole Religion, it muſt firſt bee ſhewed what Religion we profeſſe; and then ſuch proofe is to bee made of the ſame as is here demanded, both ſummarily, and in ſome principall parts thereof: Firſt, that our Sauiour and his Apoſtles taught the ſame; then that the Martyrs mentioned in ancient Hiſtories gaue teſtimony to the ſame by their death.
For clearing of the former point, it is here to bee vnderſtood;Acts 24.14. Firſt, that Religion is the way and immediate duety whereby men ſerue God: And further, that true Religion and the right way to ſerue God, is that onelyonly which God hath revealed to men. Now God ſpake to the Fathers in old time by the Prophets, declaring his will herein by peece-meale or by ſundry parts, and in ſundry manners; but in theſe laſt dayes (ſaith the Apoſtle) he hath ſpoken to vsus by his Sonne, Heb. 1.1.that is, by Ieſus Chriſt. In which words the nature of the oppoſition of theſe two reuelations of the will of God, declareth that by Ieſus Chriſt his onelyonly Sonne, God hath reuealed his will concerning true Religion, and the right way to worſhippe and ſerue him, not any more by parts, but wholly and fully, nor in any manner that may be after changed, as was the worſhip of the Fathers, but in a manner certaine, vnchangeable, and to remaine for euer.
This Religion our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt firſt taught in his owne ſacred perſon, as it is declared in the hiſtory of the Goſp…ll written by foure witneſſes, two Apoſtles and two Euangeliſts: after by his commandement, his holy Apoſtles preach…d and publiſhed the ſame Religion to all Nations. For the preaching whereof vntounto them while they yet remained at Ieruſalem, Acts. 5.8.according to his promiſe they were baptized with the holy Ghoſt and with fire. By which holy Spirits inſpiration,Acts 2.3, 4. they being clothed with power from aboue, and hauing receiued the miraculous gift to ſpeake with ſtrange languages, and a mighty increaſe of all ſpirituall graces needfull for that ſeruice, ſo ſpake of the great workes of God to the Iewes, that from all parts of the world were come to Ieruſalem, that the ſame day there were added to the Church about 3000. perſons.Acts 2.41. Acts 8.1.After by reaſon of the perſecution that was raiſed againſt thoſe that receiued their doctrine, and other occaſions that God diſpoſed, their doctrine was publiſhed in diuerſe Countries; and at Antioch in Syria ſo preuailed,Acts 11.26. that there firſt the Diſciples were named Chriſtians, of Chriſt whoſe Religion they receiued; of which beginning and proceeding of the Goſpell, to the time of the Apoſtle Pauls impriſonment at Rome, the Euangeliſt Luke hath written the vndoubted certainty in his hiſtory of the Acts of the Apoſtles, which ſtory is inlarged by that was written alſo hereof by ſome of the Apoſtles themſelues in their Epiſtles, and alſo in the Reuelation.
By which ſacred bookes of the new Teſtament, it moſt certainly and manifeſtly appeareth what the religion and doctrine was which our Sauiour Chriſt and his Apoſtles taught, and Chriſtian Churches after profeſſed that continued in their doctrine: And this is ſummarily that moſt holy faith and true Chriſtian religion which is now profeſſed in England, and eſtabliſhed by publique Authority. Thus ſummarily anſwer is made to that is here deſired.