Woe to the World Because of Offenses, Text 2 – Prayer 3
¶ An Anſwere to a queſtion, that was mouyd, whi the godly men wold not weare a ſurples.
ALthoughe we muſte nedes confeſſe,Anſwere. that we hauehave to much conſentyd heretofore with the Papiſte in robbing and bereuinge God of his glory & honor, yet may we not now in the lyght of Gods truthe contynew a partaker with you in the adulteracion of Chriſtes ſacramentes, cōtrary to our conſciences & knowledge, wherein we iudge our ſealues onlye, not preiudiſynge other mens doinge, whō we leaue to God, before whō they ether ſtand or falle. For oure partes we muſt render accompte, not obſtinatly bent againſt any thing yt ſhalbe approuyd by Gods worde.
We are perſuadyd,Maior. that we may not vſe any thinge repugnant to Chriſtian lyberte, nor mayntayne an opinion of holynes wher none is, whiche were Ipocriſy, nor conſent to Idolatri, which were denyall of the truthe, or diſcorage the godly, incoragynge the wyckyd, nor diſtroying ye Churche of Chriſt, which are bownde to edifye, nor conſent vntounto confuſion, wher God requiryth order, nor ſhew diſobedience, wher God requiryth to obeye.
Minor.But in vſynge of a ſurples, we ſhulde do that which is repugnaunt to Chriſtian lybertie, maintaine an opinion of holines, where none is, ſhew conſent to Idolatry, deny the truthe, dyſcorage the godly, and incorage the wyckyd or vngodly, conſent to confuſion and ſhew diſobedience, wher God commandithe to obeye.
CōcluſionWe may not with good conſcience, as we are perſuadyd weare a ſurples.
The Maior is prouyd by Saynt Paule Gal. 5. who commandyth to Chriſtian libertie, by the example of Chriſt Matt. 15. who wold not hauehave his diſciples to maintayne an opinion of holynes,note the example of good men. whiche the Iewes had in waſſhyng of handes: by the doctryne of Pawle. 2. Cor. 6. who wyll hauehave no agremēt with the temple of God and the Idoles: by the example of Danyel. 6. who openid his wyndowe towardes Ieruſalem, leſt he myght ſeame to denye his profeſſion or conſent with ye wyckyd: by the example of Paule Gal. 2. who reprouyd Peter for the diſcoragyng of the godly gentiles, and incoraging of the froward Iewes: by the doctryne of the ſame Apoſtell. 2. Cor. 13. where he teachith that Mynyſters hauehave power to edifye, not to deſtroye: by the example of Patriarkes, and Prophetes, which in the worſhipping of God, wear by no meanes confowndyd withe the Idolators: by the doctryne of Peter and Iohn actes, which affyrmithe to be more ryght to obey God, then men. But for more euident profe herof, we may let you ſe ſome practiſes of auncient Fathers. Tertulian in his boke De corona militis, lykythe them vntounto dom̄e Idolls, ſuche as do vſe any thinge accordynge to the ornament of Idolles: and further, yf to leane apon an Idoll, is ſtrange from the fayth,faſtyng is good, yet the godly wold not vſe it that day, as the herytyk dyd. what ſhall ſeame apon the habyte of an Idoll. Auguſtyne ad Caſulanum, warnythe not to faſte on the Sondaye, leaſt therby conſente might be ſhewyd to the wyckyd Maniches. They that weare any thinge after the maner of Idoles, and yf it be ſtrange from fayth to leane apon an Idoll, what is it to weare the habyt of an Idoll. The fourth Counſell of Toletane Canon. 5. for auoydynge of conſent with Herytyckes, decreed that once dyppynge ſhulde be vſyd in Baptyſme. A Papiſt of our tyme affyrmith that the Apoſtels to auoyde conſent to Iudaiſme, abolyſſhed the Sabothe daye, and ſanctyfyed the daye of the Lorde. The great Clarke Orygen, as Epiphanius wrytith in his. 2. boke.Beware of decemblyng. 1. Tome, caryed palme withe thos that offeryd to the Image Serapis, allthoughe he proteſtyd openly, that he dyd offer vntounto Chriſt, and not vntounto Serapis, yet was he excomunycatyd, and caſt out of the Church by the Marters and Confeſſors whiche then were at Athens. The Chriſtian ſowdiars which by Iulian ſultelte were browght to offer incens,Beware of deceytfull practyſes. as it is wryten Hiſtoria Tripartita lib. 6. chap. 30. when they perceuyd theyr faute, whiche vnwares they had commytted in conſentyng to Idolatri, they rane forthe into the ſtreats profeſſede theyr relygion, teſtifyed them ſealues to be Chriſtians, affyrmyng that theyr handes only had cōſentyd vntounto Paganiſme,the nature of true Chriſtian. and that theyr hartes dyd nothyng agre thervnto, and whereas theyr handes had offendyd vnadvyſydlye, they wyſhyd to beſtowe theyr whole bodyes to be tormentyd for Chriſt, althoughe wyth tormentes and paynes moſte creuell and horyble. I truſt we nede not to laboure any further for the profe. By the vſe of the ſurples men are iniciat in to ye Popes clergye, as it aperith by ye Pontifycall, De clerico faciendo. Yf ye Galathians by circumciſion rather loſte theyr lyberte in Chriſt, then profytyd any thynge, by iniciatinge them ſealues in to Iudaiſme. How maye you retayne the lyberte in Chriſt, and profyt in his religion by wearinge the Popes lyuerye, we can not perceaue? But by the vſe of the ſurples, is mayntaynyd an Ipocritycall opinion of holynes, ye Pontificall termithe it Habitum ſancte religionis, the habyt of an holy religion. Durand lib. 3. De rationale diuinorum, ſaythe, That it is Veſtis linea, the lyuyne garment, in which they that ſerue about the ſeruices of the alter and holy thinges, ought to vſe apon theyr clothes, a ſurples, it is for the whitnes of it, or it ſignifieth the puryte or chaſtete, accordinge to that ſayinge: Let your garments, that is, your workes, be white at all tymes, that is cleane:Marke what lying ſignes is in the ſurples inuentyd by Papiſtes. but for his name, it figurith the mortificacion of the fleſhe. It is callyd a Surples, becauſe that in the olde tyme they dyd weare it apon ſkynny coates, made of the ſkynnes of the deade, whiche is vſyd to this daye in certayne Churches, repreſentynge that Adame, after he had ſynnyd,with what good conſcience can the godly weare yt, iudge good Brother. was clothed with ſuche garments. Thyrdly, it notith Innocenci, and therfore it is put on before all other holye veſtures, becauſe that they that are deputyd to worſhippynge, ought to excell in lyfe and in all vertues, accordyng to the ſayinge of the pſalme: Innocencies do ryghtly cleue vntounto me. Fourthely, for the bredthe of it, it betokenythe Charite, wherefore they are worne apon prophane and cōmon veſtures, it is to be markyd that charite coueryth the multitude of ſynnes. Fyftlye, for the faſſyon of it, in that is it made lyke a Croſſe, or Iewes gallows, it fygurythe the paſſion of the Lord, and they yt weare, that ought to be crewcyfyed with the vices and concupiſcences. In mayntayninge this opinion of holynes, with all other inuēcions, which by lyinge ſeignes, which they hauehave had to it, we knowe not howe to auoyde conſent vntounto that Idolatri, which Durant and the Papiſte mayntayne and profeſſe, & to deny the Popes cerimonies, the doctryne whiche we reache, howe ſhuld it not dyſcorage the godly, and incorage the ſuperſticious in theyr errors? we can not edefye the Church of Chriſt apparentlye, ſhewinge our ſealues to be on of the Popes clergye. Seing S. Paull Theſſ. 3. willythe to auoyde all apparens of euyll, and to be ſhufflyd in a ſurples, whiche the Popes clergye wear, were rather a confuſion then an order, whiche they them ſealues wolde be lothe to ſuffer, if they might get agayne the keys into theyr handes, they wolde crye withe open mowthe, as theyr pontificall teache them, & plucke the ſurples of our backes by the autoryte of almyghtie God the Father, the Sonne,The ſurples is an holy garmēt of the Papiſtes. and the Holy ghoſte. ſaying, and we take from the all our clerkly habyt, and we put on ye apparell of religion, and depoſe, degrade, and ſpoyle the of all orders clerkely benefice, and clerkelye lyuinge,Marke the follye of Papiſtes. and we reſtore the to the ſeruitude and ignominie of the ſecular habyte. Is it not a diſorder, that Chriſtians ſhoulde ſhewe them ſelues ſlaues to the Popes order? were it not better to ſerue God in commun attyre, then to pleaſe the Pope by diſquiſinge our ſelues in ſuperſticious ſurpleſſis? were it not better to obey God, who wyllyth vsus to ſerue hym in ſpret, and in truthe, then to obey men, followyng the deuyſe of Pope Sylueſter, the faſſyon of the Iewes, and practyſe of the Papiſtes: where it not better, by leauynge of a Surples to folow Chriſt in breakynge mens tradicions, thē by the vſe therof to be a companion of Popes & Phariſes? Yf this do not ſeame ſufficient to proue the Minor at this tyme, it ſhalbe more at large dyſcourſyd hereafter. Concernyng ye Quenes Maieſtes commandement, herein we acknowledge our ſealues bownde to obey in all thynges lawfullye commaundyd, ſo can not we be perſuadyd to vſe that in the minyſteri, which our conſciences teacheth vsus to be repleniſhed with Idolatrous Ipocriſye, & alſo the example of other men which dothe were it, ought nothing at all to moue vsus to were a ſurples in the minyſterie, no more then to conſent with them in perſecutyng thoſe men whom they terme ſedicious ſciſmatyckes for leauyng them of. Thus as ye ſe, ſhortlye dere Brethren, we leue the ſurples, as the Popes badge to the ſhauen Clergye, and you as Gods choſen to the protection of the almyghtie whyſſhynge, that God may geue vsus grace aswell inwardelye as outwardlye, to ſeke for ſyncerite, and to wayght with all pacience the good wyll & pleaſure of the almyghtye, who wyll & can healpe when pleaſith hym. Fare ye well in the Lorde Ieſus.
¶ A Godly Prayer.
OH Lord God and heauenly Father, which art a iuſt Iudge to puniſhe all them, that do contynewe to offende the, as thou art a Father moſt pytyfull to receaue to mercy all thoſe, whiche geue ouer themſelues to pleaſe the, ſhewe me thy grace and fauour, ſo that I may be truly touchid withe inward diſpleaſure of my ſynnes, and that in the place of flattering my ſelf to ſlepe in ſynne, I may be ſo caſt downe in hart, that the rather I may truly with mouthe confeſſe moſt humbly to geue the, the honour, glory, and prayſe, dew vntounto thy holy name, and that as thou of thy greate mercy doſte inſtruct vsus therevnto by thy holy word, ſo (for thy names ſake) make that ye ſame may ſo lighten and cleare our conſcience, that in dew examination of all our hole lyffe, we may truly learne to be angry & diſpleaſid with all our former, and corrupte lyuing. Oh that it may pleaſe the to drawe nere vntounto vsus, in addreſſyng and guydyng our footſteppes in the true and perfect way of obedyence to thy holy lawes and cōmaundementes. Send thy holye Angel to nitche his tentes round about vsus, that … his infernall army, neuer preuayle againſt vsus, but allways with ſtrong faith we may thorough Ieſus Chriſt withſtand all his crafty engins and ſnares, knowynge vndoubtedly that thou neuer forſakeſt them that put their truſt in the. Oh let vsus not be led by the infirmytie of our vntowarde fleſhe, but ſtrenghten vsus by the vertue of the holy ſpiryte. Suffer vsus not to lye vnderunder thy heuy wrathe & vengeaunce throughe Ipocryſye, but rather touche vsus ſo inwardly, that we may without ceaſyng, ſyghe, and grone vntounto the, by true and vnfayned repentaunce. And althoughe we be not allwayes ſo wel diſpoſyd to aſke & praye, as we ought to do, yet (good Lord) for thy names ſake, ſtretche out thy mightie hande, that by the gratious workyng of thy holy Spirite, our myndes and hartes may be drawen from all erthly and corruptible thinges, ſo that our prayers may procede of an erneſt and inward affection, ſo that we neuer preſume to cōme beſore yt with a dobell hart, knowing that whoſoeuer aſkethe and prayeth for anye thing of the, not aſking in faith, can not obteyne. Increace our faithe therfore (oh mercyfull Father) that we preſently may ly…ely … the benefit of remiſſion and pardon or all our ſynnes, thoroughe the merytes and death of Chriſt Ieſus our Sauiour, and ſo work in vsus foreuer hereafter to lyue in thy feare, and to ſtand in awe of thy diſpleaſure, that thou mayſt contynew our mercyfull Father world without end. God graunt yt.
End of the text · Martin Bucer, Woe to the World Because of Offenses (1566)