Confutation of Unwritten Verities, Preface – Book to the reader
¶The Preface.
WHat Chrystyan harte (dearelye beloued contremen and brethrē / in oure sauyour Chryst) can abstayne from depe sobbes and sorowefull syghinges? What naturall and kinde harted man can forbeare weping / so oftē as he calleth to rememberaunce the Lordes vyneyarde within theEsaie. v. …. realme of Englande (whiche he himselfe had of late so stronglye hedged / walled and fenced rounde aboute / by the princes of most famous memory / Kīges & rulers, oughte to be aiders and not inuaders, helpers and not hurters, defences and not offēces to gods people.King Henry the eighte / and Edwarde the sixte / and planted therin the pure vine of his owne blessed woorde / by Godly preachers his gardeners) to be so sodenly broken down / destroied / wasted and wrooted vp by the rootes / by the wilde bore of the wood / and the beastes of the field / that is / by the RomishePsal, lxxx. Bishoppe and hys bloodye ministers: and now in the same vineiard to see planted / take roote and prosper brambles / bryars / and hēlockes / that is / grosse ignoraūce / naughtie doctrīe… false worshyppe of God / and suche other kindes of moste stinkynge / vile and filthye weedes.Gods vvord is a svvete & pleasaunt grape and comforteth the harte of man to euerlasting saluacion. psa. ciiii. b Oh what a swete and pleasaunt grape of godly doctrine was thē gathered in England / to the great comfort and reioysing of al thē / that louinglye tasted thereof? Then was gods word (for that is the swete and pleasaūt grape / that maketh glad the hart of man) with great freedome preached / earnestly embraced / and with gredy hartes in all places receaued.
Then was Godes great glory maruelously auaunced. Then the onelyonly merytes of Chryste / then trewe repentaunce for oure former synnes / then trust in gods mercy through the death of our sauyoure Christe / with a newe Christian life / was truly published / & preached eueryevery wher. Then was ther the common praier rightlye vsed / and the Sacramēts (Baptisme I meane and the holi Communion) in suche a tounge and language set forthe / that all people myghte vnderstande them. Then were they playnlye ministred without any iuglinge or sorcerie / accordyng to Christes institucyon and the rule of hys holye worde. Whiche worde / at that time / had the pryce & bare the bell awaie throughe oute the whole lande.
With that were all pulpettes filled / Churches garnished / prīters shoppes furnyshed / and eueryevery mans house decked.… … tes of the most parte vvere naked, bare & emptie, as the profe novv, alas to vvell declareth. Sinne is the cause vvh… god taketh his vvorde from ani people. With gods word was eueryevery mās mouth occupied / of that wer al sōges, enterludes / and plaies made. But (alas) so long / till all was playde vnderunder the boorde. But what was the cause of all this? Truly none other thing / but oure owne sinnes and wickednes. For we were talkers onelye and not walkers / lippe gospellers, from the mouth outewarde and no farther. We were euen suche / as the prophet speaketh of / saying:Esai. xxix. thys people honoreth me with their lyppes / but are farre from me with their hartes. We coulde speake of gods word / and talke gloryously therof: but in oure hartes we were full of pryde / malice / enuye / couetousnesse / backebitynge / riosing / harlot hauntinge / no whitte bettered at all / then we were before / vnderunder the Popes kingdom. Nothing was in vsus amended but only our tonges / no nor they neither / if I shall speake ryghtly and as the trueth was in dede. For besydes oure communycacion of scrypture / we vsed detraction of our neighboure / filthy talke / with many proud bragges of our selues. We red not the scryptures / neither harde them for any amendmente of oure owne wicked lyues: but onelyonly to make a bragge and a shewe thereof / to checke and to taunte others / yea and to spye small motes in other mens eies / but nothing desyerous to see the greate beames in oure owne.Math. vii. a. This I saye (to talke and not to walke / to say & not to do) was not onelyonly amongest the vnlerned sort: but also amongeste the greate clarkes and chefe preachers of gods worde.
Whiche thynge (as I iudge) was the only cause / why god / by his iust iudgemente / suffered his electe and chosen vynclarde to be thus troden downe / wroeted vp / and myserably afflicted by thys bloodye Bore of Rome / and the fa…te Bulles of Basan / hys cruel officers.Psalm. xxii. Thys is the cause / why God hath suffered thys greate Antichryste to disgrace the merites of Christes passion / and in place thereof / to sette vp mens merytes / and in steade of hys sufficyent satisfaction vponupon the crosse once for all / to sette vp hys masses satisfactorye for the synnes / both of the quicke and deade.The Pope geueth lies for trueth, poison for norishinge sustenaūce, and ministreth death for life.
This is the cause / that this mōsterous beast hath taught the inuocation of saincts / and the same to be our medyators to God / and satysfyers for oure sinnes. Where as before / in the forenamed vyneyarde / was planted Chryste Iesus the trewe breade / that came downe from heauen / and thatIohn. vi. c, moste pure well of the water of life:Iohn. iiii. b. now / after the wroo…ing of this mō sterous and rauenous Bore / are vp spronge coniured bread / coniured water / to driue awaye euill spirites / and to pourge oure sinnes.
Thys bloody Bore / besides al mischeues that he hath done to the vineyarde / yet ceaseth he not / with faggotfier / and all other cruell tormentes / to constraine and compel men to worship Images / the worke of mens handes / to knele to them / to reuerēce thē / to bow them / and with all maner of obe…saunce to honour them / cleane contrary to gods commaundemente / who saieth:psal. cxv. Hierm. x. thou walte not make to thy selfe (much lesse then to honoure / reuerence / and worshippe them) any grauen Image / nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue / or in the earth beneth / or in the water vnderunder the earth / thou shalt not bowe down to them / nor worshippe them.Exo. xx. a. But yet these shameles wretches be not abashed to saye / that Images are necessarie / because they be laie mens bokes / teaching them / instructing them / and leading them to the trewe worshippe of god. Oh great blasphemie / Oh sacrilege / Oh spitfull robbery. What is blasphemie / what is sacrilege / what is robberi / if this be none?Gods vvord is sufficiēte to instructe al men in the true vvorship of god, vvithout images. god geueth his worde written to bee eueryevery mans booke / and his pure / euerlastinge and vnderfiled commaundementes / as sufficient instructions for all men / to the trewe worshippe of him. But these earthly wroters (the Pope / I meane / and his prelates) as though they wer wiser then God / will teache men to worship him with Images / althoughe the same be vtterli forbidden by god / through out the whole course of his holy scriptures.priestes th… them selue… vviser the god.
These / and suche other false and fained doctrines / cōtrarie to the scriptures of God / contayned in his holye Bible / are now blowen out / biustered and yelled forth in eueryevery pulpit. EueryEvery streate soundeth of these / yea eueri prynters house is filled with such vngodly baggage / yea and the same are commaunded by publique aucthority (which is much to be lamented) to bee sette forth / and the sincere doctrine of Christes holy worde / cleane put to silence / and vtterlye condemned. Neyther maye any man reason / or once doubte of their doctrine / vnderunder paine of excommunicacion / naye rather vnderunder paine of burning.
And when the… be able (as they are not able at any time in dede) to proue any of these doctrines by the worde of god written / then they flye to their vnwritten verites / that is / to certain things deliuered (as they saie) from the Apostles by worde of mouth without writing.The Pepe maintaineth his doctrine by fyer and fagot, and not by the holie scriptures. Whiche thynges ar to all men vncertaine:A vveake refuge, if thei vvere not obstinate and shamelesse. for no mā knoweth certainly / what they are. But whatsoeuer pleaseth them / and maketh for theire purpose / profite / and Lordly ambicion: that is an vnwrytten verite / not to be gaine saide / or denied. This is their shote anker / bulwarke / and extreme refuge / wherunto to they flie / whensoeuer they are forced / and constrained by gods worde. These they make their foundacion / wherevpon they builde / and mayntaine all their supersticiōs / Idolatries and heresies. Whiche foundacions I truste by gods grace and helpe so to shake / both by the open scriptures / by the full consent of all the moste auncient writers / and by probable reasons / that the building therevpon shal hauehave a fall.
For this is most true / that no vnwritten verite is / or can be necessarie for our saluacion.If vnvvritten verites vver necessarie to saluacion, then gods vvord vvere not sufficiente therevnto. For then sholde the sacred and holy scriptures / written by the Apostles in the spirite of god / and sealed with their bloodes / seme to bee insufficient / and not able to bring v… vntounto saluacion. But what a greate blasphemye that shoulde bee to God and his most holy spirite / all men (I trust) that list to reade the same scryptures / easely shall perceaue. But whē these vnshame fast robbers are put to their shiftes / vrged and forced herein / by the open and manyfeste word written / then hauehave they another startīge hole to crepe out at / cryinge and yelling:…her…. vii. a. yea this is their strong tovvre and bulvvarke of defence: and ieat vveake inough, not being vvalled about vvith gods vvord gods true churche, because it is grounded vponupon the vvorde of grace, can not erre in maters of saluacion. templum domini / templum domini / templū domini &c. the church / the churche / the churche / affirmynge in plaine wordes / that the church can in no wise erre / or be disceaued. And heare they disceaue thēselues / because they make no distinctyon or differēce of the churche. For there are two maner of churches / one true / perfect and holy in the sighte of god / and another false / imperfect and vngodly. Trueth it is / that the true churche of God / beeing grounded / and sette vponupon hys holy worde / (I meane the gospell of grace) can not erre vntounto damnacion. But the other / how shining and glorious so euer it appeare / if it wander abroade / and be not contained within the compasse / and lymets of the worde written / is no true / but a fained and forged churche.The church that vvandereth from gods vvord vvritten, mai & doth erre in matters of faith and saluacion. galathi. i. b. That Church / as it is without the compasse of Gods promises made in trueth / not onelye maye but also doth commonli / yea continuallyer…e and goe astra…e: for they are not c…uppeled to the head Chryste / which is the life / the way & the truth. Paul the Apostle of god / and elect vessell of saluacion / writing to the Galathians / hath these wordes: if we (saith he) or an Aungell from heauen / preach any other gospell vntounto you / then that we hauehave preached / hold him a curse…: and yet the papistes / not fearing the curse of God / …are bee bolde to teache thinges / which Paul neuer knewe / yea thinges cleane contrarye to hys euident and manifest teaching.The papists feare not gods curse. Such grosse Ignoraunce (I would to God it were but Ignoraunce in dede) …s entered into their heades / and such arrogaunt boldnes possesseth their harts / that they are bolde to affirme no churche to be the true churche of god / but that which standeth by ordinary succession of Bishoppes / in such pompeous and glorious sort / as nowe is seen. For if there be (say they) no such outwarde and visible churche / howe shal any man know / whether he be of the churche of Chryst / and in the right belefe / or no… To this I aunswer / that if our faith should be stayed vponupon the outwarde / glisteringe / and pompeous churche / not ruled / nor gouerned by the determinate counsell of God in his worde written: we shoulde neuer be certaine therof / but euer wauering and doubting / which is the gate and readye path way to desperacion / from whiche god defende his chosen flocke. Cursed is he (sayth the scripture) that putteth his trust in man.Ierem. xvii▪ And why?Psal. cxvi▪ … for all men (as the kinglye Prophete Dauid saith) ar lyers in their words / and sinners in their workes.
By whiche wordes it appeareth plaine / that there was neuer man so vertuous / so holy / nor so wel learned / onelyonly the writers of the holi scripturs excepted / but either of Ignoraunce / or of neglygence / there escaped some faultes in his writinges and doinges. Yea the generall counsels themselues also / that they make so much of / hauehave notably erred / as hereafter shalbe declared.The general coū sels hauehave erred and that in no smal trifles. Yea suche hath been the trueth of those seen churches / that one generall counsell hath cōdemned another of heresie. Moreouer / the outwarde seen churche / wherof they bragge not a litel / hath neuer since the beginninge / any space continued in the true doctrine of god. Let vsus beginne at Moses / who was the first law geuer / and we shal see the state of this outwarde churche / which consisteth in the ordinarie succession of Bishoppes / whether it be so as I hauehave said or no. Whē Moses was gone vp to the mounte Sinai / to talke with God / and to receaue the lawe at his handes:Exodus. xxxii. a. did not Aaron / the hiegh Priest and Bishop / with al the people / in the mene space worship the golden Calfe? reade the boke of Iudges / and you shal see how the whole outwarde & visible church fell to Idolatrie and worshippinge of straunge goddes: as Baal / Astaroth / goddes of the Edomites / Moabites / Philistines / and the Sirians. After the reigne of king Dauid / howe many kynges were there (I praye you) in whose tyme false gods were not openly worshipped? All the kynges of Israel serued straunge gods wyth the consent of the Byshoppes / priestes / & the hole people. And in Iuda / there passed not .iii or foure kinges after Dauyd / in whose dayes open Idolatrye was not alowed and practysed / by the consente of the kinges / Bishoppes / hyegh priestes / Scrybes & Pharises. Which of the Prophetes did not the open & visible churche persecute? Where was the visible churche in the tyme of Elias? Were not al / that were knowne and thought to be of the churche / worshyppers of Baal: in somuch that Elias thought there had bene left aliue of gods true churche / but himselfe only? And yet not wythstandynge God had preserued hys churche / knowne but onelyonly to hymselfe / for he knoweth who ar his.2. Tim. 2. Who smote Micheas the true Prophete of God / but the chefe Priest and Bishoppe Zedechias?3. Reg. 22. And he / with foure hūdred Pryestes more of his own minde and religion / disceaued Achab / and promysed him victory ouer the Assirians / although God had made them no such promyse / but rather had pomted the contrarye / as it came to passe.Hiere. 20 Vho commaunded Ieremy to be beaten for his true prophesyeng / but Phashur the Archebishop? Who perswaded wyth the kinge / that Ieremy / the true Prophete of God / was a sedicious felowe / and wente about to discorage the people in Ierusalem that they shoulde not resyste Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon / but the priestes?This and such like, is the rewarde of al true preachers and faithful seruauntes of god. Yea / and when the kynge deliuered him out of prison / who but these holy men of the Churche / procured hym to be caste agayne into a depe doungyō where they would hauehave famyshed hym / if God had not put in the kynges harte to take hym out and deliuer him? These be the fruites and practyses of the vysyble and seene Churche / whyche / if it bee true that the papistes say / cānot erre. But what so euer they saye it forceth not: for we knowe what the spiritualty / as they cal thēselfes / hauehave beē since the beginning / the verye expressed image wherof is set forth and declared in the Machabies / as they that reade the story shal perceaue it wel inough / by Alcinus / Simō / Iason / and Menelaus.1. …. vii. et. ii. Machabeorum. iiii. Now let vsus come to the new testamēt and see what the visible and knowen churche was vnderunder it. Who was the true churche / or how was it knowen to the people in Christes time? The hiegh Priestes / Bishoppes / Scribes / Pharises / and Saduces / whiche appeared outwardly and boasted themselues to bee the churche of god: were in dede / as Christ called thē / ser pētes / the generacions of vipers / hipocrites / children of hell / painted tombes / perse cuters of true religion / and murtherers of the prophetes / yea of himselfe and his Apostles:Math. iii. b. xii. c. xxiii. d. men that shut vp the kingdome of heauen / so that neyther they would enter therein themselues / nor suffer the poore simple / that were desierous to knowe the trueth / to enter: but excommunycated / and thrust them out of the churche / as men caste awaye / as heretikes / and forsaken of God / whosoeuer beleued on Chryste. Who commaunded the Apostles that they should preach no more in Christs name?Act. iiii. d Actes. vii. g. Euse. ecc. his. lib. ii. cap. xxii. Acte. ix. Actes. xxiii. Who caused Steuen to be stoned? And Iames to be throwne of the pinacle? who gaue auctoritie to Paul to bind / and bring before them / al that professed Chryst? Who commaunded him to be buffeted? Who accused him beefore Festus and Agrippa? Who stired the Gentils against hym in al coū tries / where he wente to preache / but the churche? If you wil then nedes Iudge the outwarde visible churche / that sitteth in Moses chayer (though they doe not as the chayre requyreth) to be the true churche of god: I pray you then tel me / who caused Constantinus the Emperor to banyshe Athanasius?Ruffini. lib. i. cap xvii. Who exiled Chrisostome / and many other moe godly and well learned Bishops / & slew a great nōber of godly & wel learned me / but the Priestes / by seducīg the Empris Eudoria?Socratis. Lib. 6. cap. 18. who put out the eyes of Constantyne the forth Emperour & caused him to be slain / because he pulled the Images out of the church / being worshipped cō trari to gods holi wil & cōmaūdemēt / but his owne mother / by the counsel of the Pope & the Byshoppes / being then taken for the Churche?Marke well the fruites of this outwarde churche: and by them ye shal knowe what they be. Who deposed Henry the fourth Emperour / causing hys owne sonne to rebell against him? Who deposed Childeri…us the french kyng / assoiling his subiects from theyr obedyence to hym & made Pipine kynge in hys steade / but the Pope and hys Churche men? Let vsus come to oure own realme and speake of thinges done in our own memory. Who procured kyng Henry the eyghte in the beginning of his reigne to war agaynst the frenche kinge / where beesides the murther cōmytted / adultery was lerned / theft & sacrilege practised / lying / swearing / yea and for sweringe with all other kindes of vyces vsed / whych be the very fruites of war / but the cleargy? For the pope / thē being in warre with the French king / to make his part good & the stronger / procured the Bishops of the church of Englād / beyng the Popes deare darlynges / & chefe of the kinges counsel / to entytle the kyng to his right of the realme & crown of Fraūce: & to encourage the young kyng thereto / the Pope accursed the kyng of Fraūce & al his aiders & succurrers. Then free pardons flue abroade as thycke / as butter flyes in sommer:the Pope maketh him selfe equall to God, yea rather aboue him in this his promise. but so free / that the realme therby and the sayd warres was robbed of a grate deale of our treasure / and in maner halfe vndone. There was ful remission a pena & culpa / preached at paules crosse / & almost in eueri sermō / through al England: promisīg that whoso euer died in the Popes quarel / his soule should be in heauen before his bones wer colde. After whē the same kinge Henrye had iustlye / by the aucthoryte of GODES worde / and the ful consent both of the parliament / and conuocacion / abolyshed the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome: then the Pope enterdyted the whole Realme / and sent Cardinal Poole from prince to prince / to excite and moue them (if he coulde hauehave broughte it to passe) to make open warre against the king and the realm / as it appeareth in a Sermō preached by Tonstall nowe Bishoppe of Durham / and set out in prynte openly.This is one of the practises of prelates.
Which sermon & al other tel truthes / openinge the abuses and tirannye of the Bishop of Rome / are now put to silence. Who were the workers of all these mischeues? who these .iii. yeres paste / hath persecuted / prisoned / and burned so many learned and Godlye men / onelyonly for their true faythes sake grounded vponupon gods most holy worde (men worthy to bee cōpared with the olde martirs of the primitiue church / as well for the constancye of theyr fayth / as also for pacience and charity shewed at their deathes) but the churche / as they call thēselues?The spiritual man neuer persecuteth the carnal man, but forgeueth him. who / by their cruel tiranny / hath enforced so many notable members of Christ / (leauinge wife / children / kinsfolke / Landes and goodes) either to flye into straunge realmes / or els from town to town / from Citie to Citie: onelye beecause they woulde not drynke of the venemous cuppe of the whore of Babylon?Hier. ad Gala. iiii. who hath wrought al these wickednesses / but onelye the mitered prelates and their popishe priestes? If we shal alow thē for the true church of god / that appeare to bee the visible and outwarde churche / consistyng of the ordinarye succession of Bishops: then shal we make Christ / whiche is an innocent lambe without spot / and in whom is founde no gile / to bee the head of vngodly and disobediēt members.Exo. xii. i. Pet. ii. d Which thing is as impossyble / as to make god / which is onli good / and nothynge but goodnesse it selfe / to bee the aucthor / originall / and cause of al euill. For Chryste / as he is pure / holy and perfyte: euen so must his churche and members be / to whom he (as the head) is adioyned and coupled.Eph. 1. d. Collos. 1. But if we alow the Pope / hys Cardinales / Bishops / Priestes / Mōkes / Chanō … / Friers / and the whole rable of the clergye / to be thys perfect church of god / whose doinges are cleane contrarye (for the most parte) to the wyll / and commaundement of Chryst / lefte and expressed in his woorde wrytten: then make we him a synner / and his word of none effecte. For as swete agreeth wyth sower / blacke with white / darknes with light / and euil with good: euen so this outward / seene and vysyble churche / consisting of the ordinari succession of Bishops / agreeth wyth Christe. But there they wyll aske me / how shal a man know whether he be in the right faith / but by this church? To this Christe shal make aunswere himselfe / sayeng in the gospel of Iohn / my shepe heare my voice / and shal not heare a straunger.Iohn. 10. And where (I pray you) hath Christe left any voyce to be heard or folowed / but in hys woorde writtē? Search the scriptures / saith he:Iohn. 5. for they beare witnes of me. Wher he biddeth you not search vnwritten verities / such as the outward / sene and pompeous church shall of theyr own heades showe you / but the written verities / contained in the holye scriptures / whiche are profytable to teache / to improue / to amende / and to instructe in righteousnesse / that the man of god may be perfet / and prepared vntounto all good workes.2. Tim. 3.
If thou therefore bee desyerous to knowe whether thou be in the righte fayth or no / seke it not at mās mouth:Psa. 116. c Goddes word only certifyeth a man whether his fayth be good or no. for all men bee lyers. Seke it not (I saye) at a proude / gloryous / and waue ringe sorte of Bishoppes / & priestes: but at gods owne mouth / whyche is his holy worde written / whiche can neither lye / disceaue / nor be disceaued. As … (I say) seke / and knocke by dylygent study / & earnest prayer vntounto god / who hath promised to geue to al thē / that aske faithfulli of him the certaīti of good faith in their cōsciēce / taught & confirmed by the holye scryptures of the olde and newe testament. And here I forbid no man as though they shold not aske and learne of the learned: for that is good and necessarye / yea and alowed by gods trueth / but thys would I hauehave all men to dooe / to vse discretion / and wysdome in this matter:Trie eueryevery spirite but alow none further then thei agree with the written scriptures. and to knowe whether they be lerned / godli minded / and able to instruct by the scriptures or no. And yet if thei be / beleue them no further / then they can shewe their doctryne and exhortacion to bee agreable wyth the true worde of god written. For that is the very touche stone / whiche must / yea and also wyl / trye all doctryne or learnyng whatsoeuer it be / whether it be good or euill / true or false.Goddes word trieth all thynges whether they be good or badde. And let not men of small learninge be to curious in askyng or mouing darke and doubtful questions / whiche brede contenciō rather then godly edyfieng but lette them be contente with the plaine and open places of the scriptures. Let thē rather be earnest to obserue the commaundementes of faythe and louelove / whiche are plainly set forth in Gods boke / then to trouble themselues / and busy their heades wyth darke places: for that is a thyng that hath done / and also doth displease god very greatly. Yea I thinke surely / that these heauy plagues / where wyth god most iustly punisheth now this realme of Englande (whyche I beseche hym of hys infinite mercy eyther to take cleane awaye / or els to mitigate them for his electe sake) commeth not so much for the simple / innocente / and vnlearned sorte / whych beeyng begiled throughe theyr simplicite / by the craft and subtyltie of the wilie papystes / doe stil cō tinue in supersticion and Idolatrye: but rather for the curious sort / which preache straunge & farre fetched doctrynes / nothyng so muche to edyfieng as to contencyous brawlynge. Yea I would to god there were not a greate nomber of them / that were and are counted learned / whiche preache and defende doctrines / whiche themselues know to be vntrue / & cōtrary to the euidēt scriptures. Wolde god ther wer not many hūdreds of great gospellers sometimes / that had not subscribed with their own hāds & confirmed by their opē & publique sermōs, the cōtrary of that / which they once builded in Chryst. And some of such (I know) in perswading priuatlye with their olde frēds, & acquaītaūce / hauehave cōfessed no lesse / but that they hauehave done cōtrary to the truth / & the good perswatiō of their own cōsciēce:Their cō sciences shal therfore cnodēne thē for so doing, if they repent not in tyme. & yet the same mē coūsell their frēdes for vnitie & peace sake (as thei terme it) but rather ther maisai for feare of losse of goods & life to obey wicked supersticiōs / naughtie rites and dānable lawes. But what peace / or what vnitie is that / that is a gaynst god & his Christ? And what profiteth it a mā to winne al the world & lose his own soule? For he that loueth his own life more thē me (saith christ) is not worthy of me.Math. 16 For these mēs sakes therfore / that is to saye / the stubburne papistes / that leade the worlde in blindnes / cōtrary to their own cō sciēces:the witte and vertue of delicate gospellers is in their tongues. & specialli for delicat gospelers sakes / whose wit & vertue is in their toūgs / hot disputers / busi talkers / taū ters & fault fīders with others / rather thē mēders of thēselfes: for these two sorts sakes chefly (I say) god heapeth these great plages / that is persecuciō of his word / dearth / daūger of war / & people of straūge naciōs / likely to subdue & vtterli distroy that our realme / except thei repēt / & amēd their liues in time / & becōe not ōli forgetful of their former euils: but also diligēt workers & true folowers of the word / that thei hauehave so lightlye cōdēned / and refused. Which if thei do not / let thē be suer / that al the plages which ar written in the boke of god / & al the blood of hys sainctes / which hath been shed frō iust Abel vntounto this presēt time / shalbe poured vpō thē.Math. 23. But howsoeuer these mē do / let vsus (deare brethrē) whose harts god of his goodnes hath more mercyfulli touched / repēt & amēd our former liues / & ceasse frō al deade workes / lest we be partakers of the same plagues with them. But thankes be vntounto our god / that hath so gentlye ordered vsus / for thys we know / that god suffereth not hys people longe to folowe theyr owne mynder: but shortly punisheth them / whiche is a token of his greate louinge kindnesse towarde them.ii. Mach. vi. b. For this grace hauehave we of God more thē other people (as it is wrytten) that he suffereth not vsus longe to synne vnpunished like other nacions / that whē the daye of iudgemente commeth / he maye punyshe them in the fulnesse of their sinnes.
If we synne he correcteth vsus / but he neuer wythdraweth hys mercye from vsus / and thoughe he punishe vsus wyth aduersitye / yet doeth he neuer forsake his people.Ebru. xii For whō (as Paul sayth) the Lorde loueth / him he chasteneth: yea and he scourgeth eueryevery sōne / whom he receaueth. But to leue this digressyon and come to oure purpose agayne: I wyll brefelye shewe you / what the outward face of the church and religion hath bene in al ages / euen such as hath pleased the mightie kīgs Emperours / and rulers of the world When Ieroboam set vp golden Calues at Bethel and Da… / the Pryestes and Leuites consented thereto / and all Israel worshipped them contrary to gods commaundemente.…. Para. 13 When Iesabel had perswaded with her husband about murther / he fulfilled her minde and slewe all the Prophetes of God that he could come by / only Elyas remained / that was knowen to bee the true Churche / whereas the Pryestes of Baal were .iiii. M▪ and fi…tie in …ō ber.The wil of a womā must be folowed, or els al the … is in the fier…. 3 Re. 19. c 3. Re. 18. 4 Re. 18. 4. Re. 21. Ezechias destroyed the …rasen serpente, and restored the true religion & worshippe of … Manasses / hys sonne, sette vp Idolatrie / maintayned wicked religion / and slewe them / that were good.
Iosias restored ryghte religion: but Iehoas and Iehoathim / hys sonnes forsoke it / and al their Priestes and subiectes with them commytted Idolatry.4. Re. 23. 4. Re. 24. And generally / what relygyon so euer the kinge woulde hauehave / that was stablyshed for his time:As princes wold, so all thinges were done. so that (as Salomon saith of the Iudges) so maī we saye of the Cleargy…: whatsoeuer saith the prince / that sayeth the priest. But lette vsus once agayne come to the new testament. Did not the head rulers of the churche / with the aucthoritie of Herode and Pilate / condemne Chryst and his doctrine as erronious and sedicious:Math. 26 Math. 27 & al the people folowed and cried Crucifige? Did not all the Emperours before Constantine / beeing seduced by their Byshoppes and priestes / condemne Chrystian religion as hereticall / sedicious / & trayterous / & for the same murthered many thou sandes of martirs? When Constantyne was christened / the was the true religion first set forth and openly preached by publique aucthoritie: and yet in the space betwene Chryste and this Godlye Emperoure / God was not wythoute hys churche / though it wer not knowē / sene and so accepted of the worlde. In thys Prynces tyme / and by his aucthorite / was kept the firste and best general coūsel of Nice: where was set forth our common Crede / containing shortly the chefe and most necessary articles of our belief. Thys cō stantinus sonne Constantius / fauoryng the errour of the Arriās / in the counsell of Arimine / decreed that Chryste was not GOD / but man onelyonly.Theodoriti. lib. 2 cap. 18.
And then to call Chryste the sonne of God / was by the vtwarde knowē churche and by a general counsel / condemned for an haynous heresie. From that tyme forth whē Panim prynces reygned / Idolatrye and worshippynge of false gods was the publike doctrī When heretiques reigned and bare the rule heresye was openly preached for gods trueth.The priestes for the most part wer double faced, turne tippettes and flatteres▪ When the Emperoures were Catholike / then was the true doctrin of the gospel opēli preached. And generally / suche as was the faith of the Emperoures / kynges / or other rulers such did the priests preach. And if anibi the autorite of gods word preched thē contrary, or withstode their corrupt teachynges / straight way he was either deposed from his offyce / condēned for an heretique / bani…ed / brent / or put to some other cruel death After all these spronge vp the Pope / that triple crowned monster & greate Antichrist / whiche toke vponupon hym authoritie / not onelyonly ouer the Cleargy / but also clymed aboue kinges and Emperours / deposing thē at his pleasure / and setled him selfe in the tēple of god / that is / in the conseyences of men / exrolling himselfe aboue God / dispensīg wyth godes lawes / and geuynge men leaue to breake them / and to regarde more his decrees / thē the euerlastynge commaundementes of god. And so it came to passe in tyme / that to eat flesh on the frydaye / or fasting dai / was coū ted greater sinne thē brōkenes / adultery or periurie. And whi / because his lawes were diligentlyer and more strayghtly loked to / and the offenders thereof sorer punished / then Goddes lawes. Sence this Antichrist of Rome (I saye) was stablished in his full power / what soeuer pleased hym / that was takē for gods law / and that was decreed vponupon by generall counsel / confirmed / and ratified by whole heapes of clearkes. To speake agaynste that was / and also now is / detestable heresy / and so heinous a cryme against the holy gost (if it wer true that they say) that it can not be forgeuen / eyther in thys worlde / or in the world to come. He that speaketh agaynste any of hys decrees / must vtterly be cōdemned for an heritike / accursed of god / and damned into hell for euer without redēption:These be the Popes thunder bolts wherewith he feareth the people, and maketh them to incline to his waies. except he recant / abiure / and de / ny the trueth / and set forth error and false doctrine / and promise wyth a solemne Oth / that he shal neuer preach teache / nor defende the trueth hereafter. Nowe let vsus come to oure dayes. When king Henry the .viii. was (as he oughte to bee by gods lawe) made supreme head / as wel of the Cleargye as of the Laite: he / by the consent of the parliament and cōuocacion / set forth in printe a godly boke of religion / not much varieng from that / which was enacted in his sonnes tyme Edwarde the sixt.
But when he toke displeasure with certayne Bishoppes as they terme them) of the newe learnynge beecause they would not geue their consente in the parliament / that the king shoulde hauehave al Abbye landes to his own vse:It was a smal matter at that tyme to be displesed with such mē, and so much the more for that thei withstod priuate commodite. but onelyonly suche landes / as were geuen by his Aunceters / kinges of England / and that the residue of those landes shoulde hauehave beene bestowed to Augmente the nomber of learned men in the vniuersites: to the foundinge also, of Grammer scholes in euerye shire of Englande / where children (moste apt to learninge) shoulde hauehave beene broughte vp frely / and without great rooste to their frendes / and kyns / folke…: to the foundyng of hospitales where pore and impotent people shold hauehave beene sufficientlye prouided for / with phisicions and surgeons / which shold hauehave ministred both phisik and surgērye frely / not onelyonly to them / but also to all other poore folke wythin this Realme: and also in eueryevery shyre town / & other market townes / where should be thought most mete and fitte to set vp diuers occupacions (most profitable for the common wealth) wher al valiant and sturdy beggers shoulde hauehave been set to worke / and if they refused to labor / then to force them ther to by whipping / stocking / and hūger: and the residue of the Abbye landes aboue these / should hauehave bene reserued in the Common treasuries / to ayde the kynge in his warres or other affaires of his Realme / and thereby to hauehave fauored and eased the more hys subiectes / intares / subsidies / fiftenes / & lones / & such other lyke thīgs:Priuate commodite, and Popishe sutte Itie ouercāe good publike policie and brought in tirannye. king Hēry / as I sayd before) vponupon the displeasure takē / & by the incitaciō of the old popish bishops / shortli after (by consēt of the same / or the most part of thē / that were makers of the first boke of religion) set forth by opē parliamēt & cōuocacion the .vi. articles▪ as well agreinge with the former parlyament… and the worde of god / as blacke wyth white / light with darkenes / Chryste wyth Belial / or with Antichrist. But after / when he was pacified wyth these foresayd Byshoppes / cōsydering that they spake agaynste the kynges profit not of malice / but of good conscience and zeale to gods glory and the common welth / he mitigated the .vi. articles / and from that tyme foorth / more and more / restored true religion / and I doubt not but if he had liued he would hauehave brought all thinges to a better state / then he lefte it. But Edwarde the …irte his sonne, succedynge in his sa…d fathers place / by the aduice of his vncle the duke of Somersette / the lordes of his counsell / Byshoppes and the Cleargy: …et furth such a boke of religion / as (withoute boast or dysprayse of other be it spokē) was neuer a better sette forth since the Apostles tyme.
Now / after that god had plaged this realme wyth the most greuous plage that euer came to it / in takyng awaye from it so godly a king as he was / yea such an one as hath not beē read of / of his age / in any realme / both for witte / learning / sobernes and godlynesse:Thei are al periured, so many as gaue their consent to the bringing in of the Byshop of rome. The Byshoppes, I warrāte you were none of those: for they can not erre. these are wauer̄ig redes, ct perfecte wether cockes, that turne with eueryevery winde. in his steade he hath set vp Quene Marye / who in worte tyme hath pulled down / that was not builded in manye yeares / and brought in the bishoppe of Rome (before iustly and by law of parliament abolyshed) with opē periurie of so many / as gaue their voyces and consent to the same. For they had all made a solemne oth beefore / neuer to receaue his vniust vsurped power into the realme agayne.
Hath he not (beyng seduced by the periured prelates) reuoked and made of none effecte / so many godly lawes enacted by parlyament / that is / by the consent of the lordes both spirituall & temporal the Cleargy and common house: yea and by them / that wer the thefe of king Henry her fathers priuye counsel / and setters one of him in the abolishing of the Bishoppe of Rome / …uen op…n preachers / and wryters / against the Popes tiranny / with so pithy reasons and strong argumentes: as neither they themselues / nor any other after them, shall bee able at any tyme rightly to assoyle and answere? Yet these men were chefe of counsell / and procurers of the Quene / and first workers in the parliamente to aluer the lordes and commons / to receaue the Bishoppe of Rome againe for the supreme head of thys realme, contrari to Goddes lawe / the lawes of thys realme / and their own solemne othes.By their dedes ye shall knowe thē, what they be. And not only thys / but they hauehave taken away the acts of mortmaine / and premunire / and diuerse other statutes that did bridle the vnsatiable coueteousnes and licencious libertye of the Popishe Priestes / and restored the Alle ex officio. Which thing if it shold long cōtinew in this state that it is in / the great tresure of this realme shold come into the Cleargies hands / and a great part therof should fly to Rome for. Bishope…ickes / Benefites / Appellacyons / pardons / dispensacions and such other baggage. But (say the Papystes) when scriptures be harde and doutful / and seme to be contrarye one to another by mistaking and wrōg vnderstanding / wherof diuerse heresies doe arise: how shal a man knowe the trueth in such diuersitie of opinions both partyes grounding thēselues vponupon the scriptures / but onelye by the churche / which (as they saye) cannot er…e? Sainct Augustine shal make answere herein for me / sayinge on thys wise:In his .3. boke of Christiā doctryne cap 28. darke places are to be expounded by more playne places / for that is the surest way of declaring the scriptures to expound one scripture by another.In hys …. boke of Christiā do…trine. cap 9. And agayne he sayth that in things openly contained in the scriptures / are founde all thinges that concerne faith good stuing & charite.In his … ▪ boke of m…es and forgeuenes of sinnes tom. 7. cap. v…i. And if any thig cannot be tried by the certaine & ciēcare places of the Scriptures / let mās presūptiō (saith he) stay it self / not leaning to either part: for this I am suere of / that if it were requisite to be knowen vponupon paine of damnacion / their shold not lacke most playne and cleare aucthorites of the same in the scriptures. But in seking of the scriptures / let vsus seke no farther then is left in writīg by god our sauiour / lest in desyerynge to much / we …ese al. Sainct Chrisostōe also sayeth: it is not possible / that he / which with earnest studye / and feruēt desier / applyeth him to the scriptures of god / shold euer be neglected of god / but althoughe we lacke a master to teache vsus:VponUpon Genesis. cap 14. hom. 35. yet the Lorde hymselfe / enteryng oure hartes from aboue / shall geue lyght into our minds / and poure his bright beames into our reasō and vnderstandyng / and open the thynges that be hidde / and teache vsus those thinges wherof we be ignoraunt. Therefore (sayth the same Chrysostome) if thou wilt enter into the trueth of the scriptures / now aske by prayers / now knocke by good workes / and searche the olde auncient wryters / and aske diuerse priestes / to knowe whiche bee the true keye kepers / and whiche areIn his vnperfecte worke cap. 23. the false. For al thinges (sayeth he) are plaine / and manifeste in the diuyne scriptures / what soeuer thynges are nedeful therto be opened. But if these aucthors will not satisfye them / then let them vse sainct Iames coūsell / saying:Iacob. 1. … he that lacketh wysedome / let him aske it of god / which geueth to al men indifferentlye / and casteth no man in the teth / and it shalbe geuen hym. For God is not parciall / nor regardeth anye more a Pope then a Potter / a Cardinal then a Carter / a Byshoppe thē a Boucher / a Priest then a Pedler / except his faith and life be agreable to gods wil.
Whether shoulde a man (desieryng to know the trueth / and righte vnderunder standing and worshippinge of God) hauehave resorted in Elias his tyme / whē there was no more of the true outewarde churche / but he alone? To whō should a man hauehave resorted for counsel of the trueth / in the tyme of Ieremy? Of whom shoulde a man hauehave learned the trueth in Christes tyme / whē there was no ordinarye succession of Bishoppes in the trueth? Shoulde they hauehave learned (thinke you) the trueth of God of the head Pryestes / Scribes and Pharisees? Then you knowe / what a learning they shoulde hauehave had / and howe muche Chryste should hauehave profyted thē. How should a man hauehave been satisfied of his saluacion at Annas / Cayphas and the test of the Pharises handes? Euen so no doute would they hauehave taught and enstructed him / that if he had beleued & folowed their sayinges / Christ and he shoulde neuer hauehave mette. And yet those men bare the Image and name of the knowen churche at that time / yea and the same men condemned him of whom our fayth and saluacyon depēdeth / as a sedicious felow / as a traitor to Cesar / as an heretike / and a blasphemer of god. Christ therfore / to teache vsus what we should doe in matters pertaining to his glory and oure own commodite / sendeth his hearers to the scriptures / & not to the church? he saīedal so to the Saduces / ye erre / because ye know not the scriptures / & not because ye beleue not the churche.Math. 22. He also promyseth his elect / that they shal heare his voice and not a straungers voice.Mark. 12. If ye be doubtful therfore in any poynte / resorte to the Scryptures geuen from GOD / Ioan. 10. …and oute of them searche for the thing wherof thou arte ignoraunte / and aboue all thinges be not to rashe in iudgement / neyther truste to muche in thine own witte.
Aske also counsell of suche menne / whom thou knoweste to bee wel learned and exercised in the same Scryptures / and whose conuersacion thou seeste to bee agreable to their wordes: and yet beleue them no farther / then they canne proue theyr doctrines and exhortacyons to aunswere / and agree wyth GODDES mosre holye woorde. Seke / aske / crye / cal / knock / faste / and praye wyth a constaunte fayth / ioynynge therto a Chrystyan / sober and a charitable …iuing: and th… he / that hath the keye of Dauid / who openeth and no man shutteth / shal (accordyng to his promyse) geue vntounto you al that you aske of his father in hys name / and shall sende his holy spirite into your hartes:Apo. 3. b who shall leade you into al trueth / and put you in remembraunce of all those thynges / whyche Christ hath commaunded / nedeful & necessarie for your saluacion.Iohn. 15. What so euer therefore the churche teacheth you out of the canonical bokes of the Bible / beleue that: but if they teache any thing beside that (I meane / which is not agreinge with the same) beleue neyther that / nor them. For then they ar not the Church of Chryst but the Synagog of Satan and Antichriste. For the Churche of God (as Saincte Paul witnesseth) …s builded vponupon the foundacion of the Apostles and Prephetes / not vponupon the Apostles / but vpō the same foundacion / which they laid / that is / Christe Iesus / and his holy… worde.Ephe. 2. d And all such vnwritten veryties / as the Papistes hauehave in theyr mouthes / though they seme neuer so glorious a churche to the face of the world / if they be not agreinge (as they are not in dede) to the verye worde of god / suspect them: yea rather I bidde you vtterly to abhorre and reiecte thē. For their vtwarde and sene churche may and doth (as is before proued) cō monly erre in great and waighty matters. Stande fast therfore to sounde & good doctrine / and wauer not.2. Iohn. epistle. c. And if any man come vntounto you and brynge not this doctrine with him / receyue hym not into your house: bid him not god spede: nor hauehave aught to do with him: but counte hym as an abiecte from god and Christ. But cleaue ye fast to the soūde & certaine doctrine of gods infallible word / writtē in the canonical bokes of the new & olde testament / which is able sufficiently to instructe you to eternal saluaciō / throgh Iesus Christ our lord. To whom with the father / and the holy goste / be al honor and praise for euer & euer. Amen.
The boke to the Reader.
IVdge not before
Thou knowe mine intent /
But reade me throughout /
And then say thy fyll:
As thou in opinion
Art minded and bent /
Vhether it be
either good orill.
I care not for prayse /
Nor slaunder vntrue /
Of man nor of childe /
What euer he be:
Trueth nede not to feare
Who doth it pursue /
With prayse or disprayse
In any degree.
For trueth is not bettered
By prayses at al /
Nor harmed by disprayse
Of any wyght:
But goodnes or hurt
Most surely come shal /
To him that doth iudge
Either wrong or right.
Reade me / then iudge me /
Therfore I thee praye /
Nothyng for my cause
But only thyne own:
For I shall indure
Who soeuer say naye /
When vnwritten truethes
Shalbe ouer throwne.