Two Epistles, Letter 1
Here folowyth the Epyſtle of Henry Sullengers.
IT is ſhewed vsus worſhipfull brother Hermā ne / by the excelēt & ryght godly man mayſter Iohn Beckſtayne / that ther goeth abrode a certayne epyſtle from one to a nother amonge the congregaciōs of lowe dowchlande / wherin it is playnely taught to be lefull for Chriſten men to goe to hyghe maſſe as they call it. And that becauſe of this epyſtle ſome be greatlye trobled in conſcyence / & other ſome coniecture all the myniſters of the congregacions of highe dowchland to be of the ſame iudgement. Wherfore we of the church of Tigurye thowght it good to purge the old & true fayth & lernynge whych we hold / from this vnhappye ſuſpicion / openly confeſſing vntounto you (a miniſter by the grace of God / in the congregacions of lowe Germanye / both of good lernynge & conuerſacyon) that we nether be our ſelues of that mynde / nor yet alowe that ſentence. As for thynges which be callyd meane & indifferent / we beleue a chriſten mā may vſe them in all tymes & places without ſcrupuloſyte of conſcience / ſo that all thynge be done diſcreatlye / & accordyng to charite. That is to ſaye / to the glorye of God & the edifyeng of our neyghboures / & the hole congregation. But the popes maſſe / be it hygh or lowe / ymages / & other lyke / which be expreſſelye againſt the worde of God / & the pure fayth / we reckē not amō ge indifferent thynges: an indifferent thynge is that which is nether good nor euell / for whether thou do it or do it not / thou ſhalt nether be ryghtwiſe nor vnrightwiſe therfore. For thus doth Iherome hym ſelfe diffiue it / in a epyſtle to ſaynct Auguſtyne. Now what man hauyng his right vnderſtondinge can ſaye the high maſſe / & the vſe of ymages in churches not to be euell? or who can lyghtlye graunt it to be good? The lawe of God doth euedentlye condemne one & other / all ſtraunge worſhippynge & ceremonies / or goddes ſeruyce (/ that is to ſaye) ſuch as are not inſtitute of God / or ſuch as are inuentide by mā with out the worde of God. But what is the high maſſe / els ſaue a ryte or ceremonye ſet vp by mā beſyde the worde of God? For as for Chriſtes ſupper what it is / … after what faſſyon chriſt commandyd it to be celebrate we be not ignoraūt.Libro. ij… epiſt. iij This is alſo to well knowne that they wich kepe the high maſſe / do condēpne the ſupper of the lorde / and the maner therof as barbarouſe / rude and hereticall / when as not withſtondyng the holy marter ſaynct Ciprian ſayth that in the ſupper we owght nether to folowe or receyue any other thing / then what the Lord him ſelfe hath deliuered vntounto vsus.iiij. Reg. ij. c And agayne it is falſe and counterfayte ſayth he / it is wycked ād diſhonoryth God / what ſo euer is inſtitutid by the made brayne of man / yf that goddes ordinaunce be broken therbye.iij. Regū xviij. v Beſydes this Helias the holy Prophet of God which we beleue was conuayed into heauen in a fyrye charete dyd not he forbyd to cuple goddes & mames ordinaunce to gether other to mingle the one with the other. Yf the Lorde (ſayth he) be God folowe hym how long wyll you halt on both ſydes?Sophon. l. v In lyke māner Sophonias alſo I wyll diſtroye ſayth he / thoſe perſones that ſwere by the Lorde and by Malchom. Verelye yf the onlye ſacrifice of Chriſt once offryde for the ſynnes of the worlde / maketh the beleuers perfecte: what nede they in ther high maſſes / daylye to offer the bodye and blude of Chriſte for the ſynnes of the quycke & deade.Iohn. v. Marke xvi. v If they which departe in fayth paſſe from death vntounto lyf? If they whych dye in vnbeleue / eſcape not dampnacyon to what intente I praye you ſacrifyce they for the deade?Ioh. iiij. If the Lord muſt be worſhipped in ſpyrite and truth / why wynke thes perſones at the doctryne and facte of them whych byd men to worſhyp him in breade? Therfore may we crie wyth Elyas / how longe halt ye on both ſydes? If the ſacryfyce of Chriſt be abſolute or ſufficyent: thynke ſtedfaſtlye that by that only ſacryfice you be made perfecte for euermore. But yf ther be ſacryfice made daylye in the maſſe. Then beleue that you be clenſyd thorowe daylye ſacryfices. Thes thynges can not ſtonde nor agre to gether. More ouer no man nede to blinde hym ſelfe with thes wordes / high maſſe / and lowe maſſe: In the hyghe maſſe are the ſelffe and ſame abhominacyons whych are in the loweſte. In both of them / is the inſtitucyon and ordynaunte of Chryſt peruerted / in both of them is he worſhipped in the broade / in both of them are ydolles ſerued / in both / ſpecially in the ſeruyce of ſaynctes is helpe aſke de at creatures. In both of them is the wicked cānon the greateſt portyon of the maſſe. Ther is nothyng in it of old antiquite: nothyng of the apoſtolique ſimplycite. Furthermore we muſt alſo marke in ſpecially / in this matter / how the ſcripture requyreth of vsus no cloked / but an open confeſſion. Now by ceremonyes and the vſe of ceremonyes we do chefelye confeſſe whath fayth we be of. He that beynge requyryd ſtondyth by at the Turkes and gentyles ſeruyce / grauntyth hym ſelfe to be a pertaker or fauerere of the ſuperſticion of the Turkes and gentyles. He that is preſent at the maſſe when▪ he is requyryd / doth openlye teſtifye / that he doth acknowledge the maſſe / and the maſſes relygyon to be the true ſeruyce of God. Therfore bi his preſence / he eſtablyſſeth all the erroures of the maſſe. He that wyll not be preſent at maſſe / hym take the aduerſaryes for a cō tēner of ther ſeruyce / & all the whole papiſtrye. Wherfore by what reaſon that we knowe that the open confeſſion of Chriſt is requyryd of eueryevery one of vsus / how lytle of reputacyon ſo euen he be: By the ſame beleue we alſo / that they be vtterlye forbydden to hauehave any parte wyth the maſſe. Nether is it ſufficient for vsus to beleue in the herte and ſecretlye to confeſſe God. The ſyncerefull & playne confeſſion of the tonge muſt goe wyth all. We hauehave of Orygene / that ther was a certayne ſecte called Helcheſaytes / which tawght thys hereſy that yf in perſecucyon any man ſhowld denye / (I vſe Euſebius wordes in his eccleſiaſticall hiſtorie / the .vi. boke the .xxviij. chap.) the ſame were in no taute / becauſe he that hath a ſtedfaſt hart to God / alltough he denye with his mouth for neceſſyte / yet in his harte he abydyth in the fayth. But I purpoſe not to dyſpute now this queſtyon at large. I hauehave notyd ſome what concernynge this matter long agoo / in my commentaryes vponupon the .viij.ix. & .x. chapters of the fyrſt epyſtle to the Corynthians: & vponupon the epiſtle to the Hebrwes / agayne in the booke de origine erroris / which I laſt ouerlokyd & enlargyd. And thys much hauehave I wrytten to the intent you may perceyue that we be playnelye / not of ther iudgement / which put afflicted perſones in conforte to goo to maſſe / we beleue & do teach rather that the truth ſhould be playnlye confeſſyd / & that all erroure owght to be ſpoken agaynſt / abhorryd & ſhunnyd / & that we owght to dye / rather then to hauehave any thyng adoe wyth that wycked ſeruyce. We knowe that throwgh much pacyence we muſt ſaue owr ſoules: we knowe that it behouyth vsus thorow many tribulacions to enter into the kingdome of heauen. But yf we may after ſuch a ſorte accordyng as the world goyth / ſemble & diſſemble / chope & chaū ge at oure pleaſure in matters of religion / ſuerlye the moſt holy marters of god were ioles / that wold hauehave nothing to do with ceremonyes which were playne wycked. But ther vpryghtnes &, ſtedfaſtnes was acceptable vntounto the Lorde / wherfore he alſo wyll not be dyſpleaſyd at ther holy pertynacite / which had rather ſuffer al maner of extremite then once to make or medle with the wycked ſeruyce of the papyſtes. Thes thinges may you be bolde to ſaye of vsus a foore good men & ſuch as be in troble for the truthe / prayeng them to comend vsus wyth ther prayers vntounto god. More of this matter ſhall mayſter Iohn Becſtayne declare you. For be herde myne other bretherne in the myniſtracion of goddes worde diſpute of this ſame thynge. Both Leo Iuda / Caſper Megander / Eraſmus Fabricis / Conradus Pellicanus / Theodorus Bybliander / & the reſte / which all wyſhe you good / fare you well brother in the Lord. LoueLove me / and remember me with your prayets vntounto Chriſt.
At Tigurye. 18. Februa 1541