Two Epistles, Letter 2
The Epiſtle of Iohn Caluyne.
THe man to whom ye gaue commyſſion / requyred vsus to wryte your aouyſe / how ye myght kepe you from ſtayninge your ſelfe amonge ſo many ſpottes of ſuperſticions / as in the ſtede of the pure & true ſeruyce of god hauehave gotten place in the church ther with you. As for me I ſuppoſe it ſhalbe ſufficient / to declare you my mynde brefely. Alſo / not hydyng from you what other men do thynke in the meane ſeaſon / conſyderinge that ther is ſome variaū ce in this behalfe. The ſame that other men wolde ether deny or wyncke at / ſtonde I at no dowbte to affyrme / namelye / that I vtterlie do not ſubſcribe vntounto ther opinyon: So that at the leaſt by this my ſymple confeſſyon / ye maye vnderſtonde / that it ſhalbe farre from all feydnedneſſe what ſo euer I will ſaye. But this one thinge wyll I hartelye praye you that in hearynge me ſpeake of variaunte / ye wyll not be ſore offendyd / as though ye myght hauehave no thynge of vsus / but that is wrappyd with controuerſyes. For as ye ſhall heare / ther is very litle varyaunce betwene vsus. They pondrynge how daungerous a thynge it is to ſnare mens conſcyences in relygion / dare not condē ne owght no vnlawfull / that maye by eny meane be excuſyde. More ouer whan they conſyder how many greuouſe wayes they be oppreſſid on eueryevery ſyde / wich ſyue in that captiuite of Babylon / they muſt nedes fauer them in ſome thynges / leaſt that yf they ſhoulde be to importune apon them / it myght vtterlye dyſcomfort ſuch as elles hauehave a good zeale / and be indewed with a ryght feare of God. But I contrarie wyſe do holde / that it cannot be to ſtraightlye kepte / which the Lorde hath bounde by his worde / and that the godlye oughte not to flatter them ſelues in euell thynges / leſt they be careleſſe in remaynyng therin. Neuertheleſſe I do not denye / but that both the ſame theire reaſons are very good: they alſo graunt me gladlye myne obiection. But it comyth to paſſe (I can not tell howe) that whyle they are to feruent vponupon ther conſyderacyons me thynke they are to mercyfull. They alſo iudge me to cruell whyle I remytte nothynge. Verely ther is nothyng that I am more loth to do / then to ſwerue / (how lytle ſo euer it be) from the mynde of ſuche men as the whole church hath worthelye in high eſtimacyon / and whome I alſo pryuatelye hauehave in reuerence with all my hart. Onelye of ther goodnes let them graunte me this to receaue nothyng againſt the iudgement of my conſcience. Firſt with out any contrauerſye / we all agre in this / that a Chryſten mā is bounde not only to worſhyppe god ſpirituallye in his hart / but alſo to teſtefye the ſame outwardlye. For as the Lord hath conſecratyd our ſowle to gether with the body vntounto hym ſelffe / ſo ſhowlde his glorye appeare in both / as S. Paul ſayth: They do but fable therfore that aftyrme it to be ſufficyent / yf a man kepe the purenes of relygion inwardlye: and that God regardyth not owtward thinges / ſo that the mynde remayne whole. And yet not withſtondyng / we do not requyre of eueryevery one / an open confeſſyon of his fayth / But that a godly man neuertheleſſe endeuoure him ſelfe / to profeſſe that worſhippe of the only God & Chriſt which is commendyd vntounto vsus in hys worde. Agayne / we hauehave not appoynted this profeſſyon with certayne lymites / ſaue only that eueryevery man (accordyng to the meaſure of his vnderſtonding facultye / & as occaſion is offryd hym) do in any wyſe applye hym ſelfe to ſanctifye the name of god. Wherfore in this matter / we muſt hādle more with exortacions / then with determinable rulers. For as the faythfull nether may nor owght to be conſtraynyd to any certayne rule / ſo do they fauoure them ſelues to much / yf but in parte onelyonly & that ſlenderlye they vſe the worſhippe of God / ād folow not ſtyll vponupon it continuallye & with diligēt laboure as long as they lyue. Let eueryevery mā therfore be dyligent & conſtāt inforcyng hym ſelfe & let him not leue of / tyll he hauehave ſpecially perſwadid hym ſelffe in this / that he omitte no occaſyon of glorifieng god.
But one thynge we affirme preciſelye / that they which receyue ſuch vſages as are notable in manifeſt vngodlynes / do ſwarue from that profeſſyon of fayth which all Chriſten men owe vntounto ther Lord. For ſeynge that the Lord hath inſtituted ceremonyes / wherby we may be exerſyſed towerd the ſincere worſhippinge of hym / verely lyke as in practiſynge the ſame / we teſtefie our ſelues to be the worſhippers of the lyuing God / euen ſo in vſyng ſuch other as hauehave the apperaunce either of idolatrye or ſuperſticion / we both diſhonoure the name of God / & defile our ſelues.iij. Regū. xij. For they finally remaine vndefiled / that nether bowe ther knee vntounto Baal / nether kyſſe his hād / ner ſweare with ther tonge by another name / then by the name of the lyuyng God. In theſe thinges we do not varye. But whan we come to diſcerne vngodly vſages frō ſuch as be good & accordynge to relygion / ther we ſome what varye: Wherin yet I graunt them this / that ſome vſages therbe which either came vp of a lytle ſuperſticyon / or els are degenerate into ſome ſuperſticyon from ther good origenall / the obſeruinge wherof were not to be reprehended / yf it lacked ſuperſticyon. As for enſample: They that fyrſt lighted candels at the table of the Lorde / ſwarued ſome what from the pureneſſe of the goſpell / bryngynge in a ceremony which yet beinge good / was at the cōmyng of Chryſt abrogate with other perſels of the Ieweſdome / yet the ſame affliction of comlineſſe / (as fonde as it is) whan it proceadeth not to vngodlyneſſe / ther is no of fence of God in obſeruynge it. Other thynges were well inſtitute / which thorow abuſe are ſwarued from ther trueth / which I permytte the godly alſo to obſerue / ſo that the abuſe be not fallen to manifeſt ydolatrye. Neuertheleſſe as conſeruing thē both / it were verelye to be deſyred / that they were either wholye abolyſhed / or els playnlie that they were refourmyde. But becauſe that lyeth not in a pryuate mans hande / let hym not refuſe to folowe the cuſtome receaued in his church / which cuſtome by right he had rather were taken awaye / or els reformyde: let hym not refuſe it / I ſaye / yf he be brought to it hy neceſſyte: but as long as he may with out offence / let him refrayne from it / that by his rare vſyng therof / he may declare / that he doth not greatly alowe it.
Here now am I conſtrayned to diſſente from certayne lerned men / whom I els eſteme as fathers / becauſe that amonge this ſorte they reken the hygh maſſe and certayne other ſuch ceremonyes: for they eſteme it to proceade of the ſupper of the Lorde / though it be dyuerſely ſtayned & polluted. And yet do they not denye / but that the opynyons which are of it be wycked and agaynſt God ſuch as a godly hert ought to abhorre. Neuertheles they iudge that a pryuate man is to be excuſed / whiche whyle he may not hauehave the ſupper of the Lorde purely mynyſtred / doth not refuſe it / torne and rent as it is. But I can not be brought to eſteme it for the ſupper / though the authoures therof do coloure the name of it neuer ſo much.iij. Reg. xij. c For Hieroboam alſo wolde that the calfes which he ſet vp / ſhulde ſheme to be inſtrumentes of the Iewes religion: And the ſame verely was done contrary to the Lordes commaundement / ſo that it was no more lawfull to offer there / then to do ſacryfyces vntounto the ydolls of the heythen. Conſideryng therfore that I eſteme the maſſe for a very abhomynacyō / which after no other wyſe is deckte with the name of the holy ſupper / then as an angell of ſathan tranſfygureth hym ſelf into an angell of light / I can not ſe vnderunder wat pretence a godly man beinge illumynate with Goddes worde / may hauehave it in reuerence as a pure ceremonye of God.lj. Corin. xi. v For ouer and beſydes that it is manyfeſt / that Chriſt with the holy mynyſtracyon of his ſupper is there had in deryſyon: a deuoute conſcience will not preſume to applye vntounto it / the promyſes that were geuen vntounto the ſupper. Nether auayleth the excuſe whych ſome men brynge in / that a godly man and ſuch one as feareth God / commeth not ſaue only to be partaker of the prayers and Sacramē tes wyth the faythful / but abhorreth from all the vngodly actes which ther are executed / and in the ſecrete affection of his hart doth hate the thinges that he opē ly can not improue. For he onlye auoydeth ydolatrye / that refrayneth from the ſacrifices of ydolles.
The maſſe verely is an ydoll ſet vp in the temple of God: when thou therfore art at it / thou ſtondeſt before the ſymple / and geueſt very euyll enſample / for they thynke / thou worſhyppeſt whatſoeuer abhomynacyon is in the maſſe.i. Cor. x. … I wyll ſtond no longer in this matter / whan Paul to the Corinthians doth ſuffycyently declare / that he is a partaker of the cuppe of deuells / which although he do it without conſcience of ſuperſtycyō / only by outwarde enſample / medleth with prophane vſages: and moreouer that he is gyltye of bloude / becauſe he confirmeth the erroure of the ignoraūt by his enſample.
Where as it is alledgyd / that there with you the churche is / whoſe communyon is not vtterlye to be excluded / that argumēt alſo is eaſelye dyſſolued. For the church is taken ſondrye wayes. Therfore according to the dyuerſe eſtimacyon therof / we muſt prudentlye dyſcerne / after what ſorte the church of yours is to be reputed. As for me verelye / I beleue that the catholyke churche is ſcattered abrode in all ſuche places as are kepte vnderunder / thorowe the tyrannye of the Pope.Rom. xi. v For ſeing that the Apoſtle doth teſtyfye / that God can not repent hym of hys callynge / as he gathereth of the Iewes that they ſhall neuer departe wholy frō the grace of God / whych are ones receyued into the inuyolable couenaunte. Euen ſo may we reaſon now / that amōge all nacyons to whom ſo euer the Lorde hath apoynted the eternall couenaunt of the Goſpell / the powre therof remayneth ſtyll: yea they hauehave Baptyme alſo a ſcale of the couenaunt / which can not be without effect: For how greatly ſo euer the multytude ſelfe hauehave ſwarued vntounto ydolatrye / yet thorowe the vnthankfulnes and vnfaythfulnes of man / can not the wyll of the Lorde be hyndred / but it muſt forth / wherfore we conclude that the Lorde hath allwaye had & yet hath his electe / whoſe ſaluacyon is ſcalyd with ſuch a ſeale of baptyme / as is nether vayne nor wythout any vndoubted ſtrength. And becauſe Baptyme is a ſacrament of the church / the Lorde wold that the callyng vpō his name and ſome apperaunce of the mynyſtracyon ſhould ſtyll remayne there. But as concernynge the very proper bewtye of the church ſuch as is expreſſed vntounto vsus in the ſcrypture / that do not I knowledge to be the congregacyons of the papyſtrye. The church is it whome Chryſt commaunded to obeye and harken vntounto: but whye? euen becauſe it is the pyller and ſtablyſhement of the truth. As for thoſe they are the neſtes of errours and hereſyes / which by all meanes go aboute to ouer throw the word of God / & ſet vp ydolatry in the ſtead of Goddes true worſhype: yea all kynd of abhomynaciō in the place of true godlyneſſe. Finally I iudge her to be ſuche a ſhape of the church / as was amōge the Iſraelytes / after that Hieroboam had ſet vp a temple & the calues / contrary to the worde of the Lorde.iij. Reg. xij. … For wyckedly all thinges were peruertyd amonge thē / yet for the honour of Circumciſion the Lorde vouchſaued to graunt the people the name of a church / and therfore by Ezechiel he called them his chylderne that came of them. But wold not the Prophetes therfore hauehave graū ted / that any man might hauehave worſhypped in Bethel / vnderunder that pretence becauſe the churche was there.Amos …. … Thus ye ſe now how farre we agree / & how great dyuerſyte is betwene vsus. This do certayne & godly men requyre of a Chriſten man as well as I: fyrſt that he ſerue God with the inwarde purenes of his hart / & then with owtwarde exercyſes of godlynes to teſtifye the worſhype of the ſprete: This profeſſion do we thynke to conſiſte in two partes / in the confeſſion of the tōge / and in holy obſeruaunces. In declarynge your fayth we can preſcrybe you no meaſure / but that accordinge to your vocacyō / ye ſeke all occaſyons / that the name of God may be ſanctyfyed by you. But ſpecyally ye muſt labour to hauehave your houſholde well taught in religion. For the Lorde in makyng you ruler ouer your chyldren and ſeruaūtes hath not onelyonly put you in truſt with them that ye ſhould gouerne them in ther duties of cyuilite / but alſo to brynge them vp in godlyneſſe. Touching the ſecōd parte we thinke thus / that al ſuch ceremonies as do conteyne ether manyfeſte ydolatrye or open vngodlyneſſe / are contrary to the profeſſion of that religiō / which a godly man is bounde vntounto: wherfore the worſhipping of ymages & ſellyng of Maſſes (that a man ſhould bye thē with monye) and ſuch other lyke thinges / we playnly diſalow. And in this are not godly & lerned men agaynſt me / that it is alſo a Chriſten mans dutye to eſchue thoſe ceremonyes / whiche ſprange of erroure and couetuouſneſſe / & ſayntes holy dayes / wher ther is nothinge that reſembleth or is lyke the holy antiquite of the church: but many thinges are ther prophane and impure. For the worde of God is ther ſhamefully and miſerably peruerted: and prayers ther be which are either fonde and vnſauerye / or els full of blaſphemyes. VnderUnder the ſame kynde do we comprehende pardons / brotherheades or fraternites / holy water and ſuch lyke / whoſe begynnyng hath not bene alowable / and the abuſe (yea the very vſe of thē) doth playnely robbe God of his honoure. Now hauehave we to ſpeake of ſuch as do perteyne nye to the kepyng of the communyon of Chriſten felaſhippe / concernyng the which my conſciēce will not ſuffer me to be of lyke opinion with thoſe ryght vertuous and excellēt men. For they iudge that men owght not to forſake the cō munion of a congregacyon / wherin the couenaunte of the Lorde remayneth / & wher his name is called vpō. Ther counſayle is therfore / that men (ſpecially on the ſondayes) do perticipate with thē in prayers / becauſe that then comonly the people aſſemble for this intent / to call vponupon God: And the prayers whych are made / be the more pure / becauſe they are of the old church: They conſayle men alſo to be preſent at the Maſſe as at the Lordes ſupper / which how wonderfullye ſo euer it be defyled / deformed / rent aſ…nder on eueryevery ſyde / corrupt and poluted with wicked opinions / yet by meanes of the certaynte of Godes promes / it remayneth the ſupper for the faythfull. Neuertheles in the meane ſeaſon they inioyne two thinges / that as oft as a Chriſten man goeth to the Maſſe / whyle he him ſelfe may not reforme the abhominacions that ther appeare / he re…uyre of God by his prayers a reformacion therof: And that then to his poure / as occaſion requyreth / he doth his diligēce that he ſeme not to conſent vntounto ydolatrye / nor to ſuch rytes or vſages as do robbe God of his honoure / but that he maye be perceaued to ſeke God and his pure worſhepe / and vtterly to refuſe all ſuch thinges as are contrary to his Goſpell. A certayne godly and lerned man addeth more ouer / how that he wyſſheth that the ſame perſone who ſoeuer he be / ſhould communicate at the table / wherby he may the better teſtyfye / that he ſeketh ther the ſupper of the Lorde. But I wolde wyſhe verely with all my hart / that the ſeruaūt of Chriſt ſhould reuelently take what ſo euer he ſeith ther apperteynynge to his Lorde / ſo that he defyle hym ſelfe with any vncleaneſſe. Notwithſtanding becauſe I ſe no waye wherby the filthyneſſes of ſathan might be ſeperatyd from the holy ceremonyes of oure Lorde and ſauyoure Ieſu Chriſt. I can in no wyſe ſuffer the outwarde exercyſes of religion to be had in ſuch pryce that the temple which is dedicate vntounto god / ſhoulde be ſtayned with ydolatrie. Wherfore yf ye can ther vſe the thynges apperteynyng vntounto Chriſt / ſo that ye Ioyne your ſelfe to no wycked and vngodlye ceremonies I wyll gladly graunt it you. Els I can in no wyſe be brought to geue you leaue for to do that which in my iudgemēt is clerlye agaynſt the profeſſion of a Chriſten mā How then (wyll ye ſaye) muſt I not then other chaunge my dwellynge / or els diſpayre? That do not I ſo preſyſelye requyre. Neuertheleſſe my deſyre is / that ye daylye call your ſelfe vntounto an accomptes / and caſt with your ſelfe earneſtlye how farre from rendrynge vntounto god the worſhyppe that ye owe hym. And this may ye bem one the myſerye of your captyuite vntounto hym which only can amende it / and in treate hym bi your continuall prayers / that he wyll reſtore lybertye vntounto his people / and renue his holy cyte / wherin pure and ſincere ſacrifyces of prayſe or thākes geuynge may be offrid vp vntounto hym. For it is no ſmall ſcourge of the lorde / that ye are cōſtrayned to ſerue ſtraunge goddes. Therfore muſt ye nether mynyſhe it with vayne conſolacions ner fauoure your ſelfe in ſo greate infyrmyte. Wherfore ſe that ye hauehave allwayſe in mynde / what miſerable caſe ye ſtande in. That ye may with the more earneſt deſyre go aboute to be rydde of it. Such an humble mynde wyll not the lorde for ſake / but eyther make ſome waye of fynall delyueraūce or els ſocoure you thorow his mercye. Fare well. The Lorde bleſſe you and your howſolde.
Amen. Laus Deo.
End of the text · Henrich Bullinger, Two Epistles (1544)