The olde fayth an euident probacion out of the holy scripture, that the christen fayth (whiche is the right, true, old and vndoubted fayth) hath endured sens the beginnyng of the worlde. Herein hast thou also a short summe of the whole Byble, and a probacion, that al vertuous men haue pleased God, and wer saued through the Christen fayth. 1547. Myles Couerdale.

An euident declaration oute of the holy scrypture, that the Chrysten fayth hath endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde, and that thorowe it only all wertuous men pleased God, and were saued.

I Suppose playnly* 1.1 that many symple Chry∣sten men wyll not a lytle wonder at thys myne in∣terpryse, they are so per∣suaded, and thynke, the Chrysten fayth dyd fyrste begynne vnder Tyberius the Emperour: for asmuche as out of the Gospell of Luke it is certayne, that in the fyftenth yeare of Tiberius, Johan the Baptyst beganne to preache the gospell, and all hystories saye wyth one accorde, that in the .xviii. yeare of Tiberius, Jesus Chryst dyd suffer,

Now it is true, that all the prophecyes were then fyrste fulfyl••ed, and the true sal∣uacyon perfourmed: yee frome that tyme forthe were all the gloryous treasures of Chryst so rychely declared and poured out amonge all people, as they neuer were a∣fore. Not wythstandynge the same salua∣cion in Chryste Jesu was promysed longe

afore, and so opened to the holy olde fa∣thers, that they haue had no lesse syght of Chryst Jesus in the sprete thē we: and put theyr truste in hym, aswell as we: thoughe amonge vs it be cleare and opon, or per∣fourmed and fulfylled, that amonge them was some what darker, and therfore lo∣ked for wyth hartes desyre, as a thyng for to come. Moreouer it is not I that fyrste brynge forth thys meanynge concernynge the antiquite or oldnesse of oure Chrysten fayth. For the holy byshop Eusebius Ce∣sarien̄, whyche lyued aboue .xi. hundreth•• yeare agoo, (and lykewyse manye othe•• Chrysten, doctours hath a so taughte and wrytten the same more clearly before me. For Eusebius in the fyrst boke de ecclesia¦stica* 1.2 historia, sayeth planely: All they that in theyr estate ar noted accordyng to their genera••yons, to reken backwarde from▪ Abraham vnto the fyrst man, though they had not the name of Chrysten men. (For at Antioche certayne yeares ofter the ascē¦sion of Chryste, was that name geuen to* 1.3 the faithfull. Act▪ xi. Yet as pertaynyng to relygyon and substaunce, they were all Chrysten.

For yf thys word Chrysten be asmuch to saye, as one that putteth hys truste in Chryst and thorow hys doctryne fastened vnto fayth, vnto the grace and ryghteous, nesse of God, doth cleaue wyth all diligēce to gods doctryne, and exercyseth hym selfe in euery thyng that is vertuous. Then ve∣rely those holy men whome we speake of

fyrste, were euen the same that Chrysten men boaste them selues now to be. All the∣se are the wordes of the for sayd olde chri∣sten doctours. But to the intente that no man shall thynke, howe that we buylde v∣pon men, and vpon a straunge foundacy∣on. Therfore wyll we fyrste declare oure mynde oute of the scrypture, and alledge some what more for the better vnderstan∣dynge of the matter.

¶ Of the goodnesse of god and wickednesse of man.

GOd whych hath euer bene suffyciēt to all perfection, & nedeth nothynge of the creatures to hys perfectnesse onely of hys own kynde and natu∣re whyche is good (that is to saye, of hys owne grace and mercye, yee euen bycause he woulde do good) created man for hym selfe. But before he created hym, he proui∣ded first for hym wonderfully, and forny∣shed* 1.4 hym wyth vnoutspeakeable ryches hys goodnesse. For whan he deuysed the creacyon of man, and the tyme was nowe come, whych his godly wysdome and pro∣uydence had ordeyned, he fyrste of all ap∣poynted a wonderfull lodgynge for man and garnyshed the same yet muche more wonderfully. At the begynnynge (whan the goodly and cleare lyghte was made) the Lord prepared the instrumentes which he afterwarde sundred one from another, and ordeyned euery one to some purpose.

Ouer the depe, that is / ouer the water•• erth (whiche yet was in the water) made he a firmament / and spred out the heauen aboue as a pauilion. Afterward out of the water he called and brought forth the erth (asmoch as serued for the habitation of men) and appoynted the water his boū∣des and markes / whiche it maye not ouer passe. And these thre thinges / the water / the erth and the firmamēt (that is to saye / the ayre and clearnesse aboue vs vnto the heyght of heauē) are the essensial and sub∣stantiall parcels of the world / and se••ue∣as an house for the habitacion of men: Neuertheles as yet all this was but rough and vnfynyshed / and nothing garnished at all: Therfore dyd the wyse and faithful master put forth his hand wyder / to per∣fourme and pleasaūrly to garnyshe that wonderfull worke: yee not onely to gar∣nyshe it / but also to make it frutefull and profitable for man ▪ whiche was the gest and in habitour for to come.

And first in asmoch as man shuld inha∣bite* 1.5 the erth / he garnished it afore hand, and clothed it with a goodly grene gar∣ment, that is, with a substaunce, whiche he deckte first with floures and al mane•• of herbes: which not onely are pleasaunt to loke vpon, and wonderfully bewtified of a pleasaunt taist and goodly coloure, but also profitable for food and al maner of medicine. To the same also dyd he fyrst adde sondrye trees and plantes. Then wa¦tred he the erth with fayre springes, riuers

and rennynge waters. And the grounde made he not lyke on euery syde, but in ma∣ny places sette it vp pleasauntly. And her∣of haue we the walleyes, playnes, moun∣taynes, and hylles: whych thynges all haue theyr due operacyon, frute and pleasaunt∣nesse.

After thys also beganne he to garnyshe the heauen and fyrmament, and set therein the Sonne and Moone, the planetes and Starres: whyche thynges all are goodlyer and more wonderfull, then mennes tonge* 1.6 can expresse. As for theyr offyce, & the cause why they are set in the heauen. It is to ge∣ue vs lyght, and (wyth theyr vp and down goynge, or mocyon) to declare the tymes, yeares, monethes, & dayes, deuydynge the dayes and nyghtes asunder.

Thyrdly, he sayed hys hande lykewise in* 1.7 the water, in the whyche he hath wrought no lesse wonders, then in heauen and vpō earth. For in the water (and specially in the see) do the wonderfull workes of God appeare in the fysshes and meruels of the See, yf a man consider the nature and dis∣position of them. And in the ayre also hath* 1.8 he created and ordeyned greate tokens of hys goodnesse, power and wysdome, euen the foules that pleasauntly (accordynge to dyuerse commodities) do synge vnto man, and refreshe hym.

At the last endewed he the erth yet more* 1.9 rychelye, and fylled it wyth all kynde of profytable and Goodly beastes, and sun¦dred one from another pleasauntly.

Whan the Lorde nowe had prepared thys goodly and ryche pleasure, then fyrste after all these he made man, that he myght be Lord of all these thynges. Hym also en∣dewed* 1.10 he aboue all other creatures, and created hym after hys owne ymage. He made hym of body and soule, whych shuld haue endured for euer, yf he had not fal∣len into synne. Nowe hath he afrayle bo∣dye, and an immortall euerlastynge soule. But the fyrst man made he altogether par¦fecte and wythout blemyshe, so that vere∣lye he was called the ymage of God not wythoute cause. The Lorde also was not suffysed in garnyshynge the erathe golye, but fyrst also buylded vpon the erth, a spe∣cyall garden of pleasure, euen a paradyse: and therin he set man hys deare beloued creature. And for asmuche as he beyng so* 1.11 litary and alone, coulde not conueniently dwell wythout a make, he appoynted him first to plante and kepe the gardē of plea∣sure, and prouyded for hym a wyfe, euen out of the bones of hys owne bodye, that she myght be the mans helpe. Thus wolde the goodnesse of God fynyshe and make man perfecte, to the intent that he shoulde lacke nothynge, whyche serued to a ryght wholsome, and perfecte lyfe.

Therefore was it equall, that man whyche was endewed wyth reasō and hye vnderstandynge, shulde shewe thankeful∣nesse and obedyence vnto God, for suche hye gyftes. Yee God hym selfe (whyche is not only good, but also ryghteous) requy∣reth

the same of hym, and that by the mea∣nes of the cōmaundement. That he mighte eate of all the trees of the garden of plea∣sure: Onely he shulde eschue the frute of knowinge good and euyll. And thys com∣maundement* 1.12 was not greuous nor vnrea∣sonable, Onely it requyreth o••edyence and loue of God the maker, vnto whome one∣ly the treature (euen man) shoulde haue res¦pecte, and loke for all good at hys hande, and not to take the fourme of good and e∣uell oute of hym selfe, but onely to holde that for euyll and forbydden, whych God inhybyteth as euell: and to compte that as good and ryghteous, whych God alo∣weth or forbyddeth not. For a representa∣cion, visible token, and Sacrament, God shewed hym a ryghte vysible and frutefull tree in the garden of pleasure, and forbad hym wyth earneste threatenynge, that in what houre so euer he dyd eate of the sa∣me tree, he shuld dye an euerlastyng death. But vntruly dealth mā wyth hys faithfull* 1.13 god, transgressed hys commaundemente, and gaue more credence to the persuasyon of the woman and of the serpente, then to the true worde of God: whyche was no∣thyng els, but euen as much as to take the fourme of good and euell out of them s••l∣ues or els where rather then of God, and not to cleue and be obedyente onely vnto hym as to suche one as wysheth good vn∣to euery man For man beynge dysceaued thorowe the woman and the serpente dyd beleue, that God was not indyfferent and

that he had wythdrawen from hym some of hys godly wysdome. And for asmuch as the mynde nowe was departed from God thorowe infydelyte, and loked not for all good at hys hande, therfore toke the hande the noysome apple, and the mouth dyd eat the forbydden meate. And thus thoughte he to helpe hym selfe to Goddes maiestye, by another meanes, rather then by God, and so to repayre hys necessyte whyche he thought he had. And so wyth infydelyte, vnfaythfulnesse, disobedyēce and vnthank fulnesse, he wroughte lyfe, and dyed the deathe: that is, he offended agaynste God, and fell in to the punishment of euerlastin∣ge dampnacyon: Yee he made hym selfe bonde vnto the Deuyll, whome he was so dyligent to beleue, to folowe, and to serue: Contrarywyse he forsoke God, and so ca∣me he vtterly in to the bondage of the De∣uell and darknesse. And thus haue we now the goodnesse and faythfulnesse of God. Agayne, the wyckednesse & great vnfayth∣fulnesse of man.

¶ The fyrste and ryght foundation of our holy Christen fayth.

HEre now had the iust god occasion* 1.14 and ryght to expell man, to destroy hym to dampne hym, and to leaue hym vtterly to the deuel: And the same also dyd hys ryghteousnes & true the requyre. For he had sayde: In what daye so euer thou eatest of the fruyte, thou shalt

dye the deeth. Contrary wyse, the good∣nesse and mercye of God requyred, not vt∣terly to suppresse man, a poore and naked creature. In the meane ••eason was there* 1.15 founde awaye, wherby the ryghteousnesse and trueth of god shulde be satysfied, and in the whyche the mercy of god shulde spe∣cyally be exercysed and declare it selfe: that is to say, Chryste Jesus, whyche is geuen vs by the manyfeste grace of god, was of∣fered for our synnes, satysfied and recom∣penced the ryghteousnesse of God, and so delyuered vs out of the bondes of the De∣uell. For he dyed for vs all, in asmuche as god sayd: In what day so euer thou eatest thereof, thou shalte dye the deathe. Ther∣fore dyed Christ for vs all, that throw hys death we myght lyue, and be taken out of the kyngdome of darknesse, and be sette in the kyngdome of the deare beloued sonne of God.

Thys deuyse of gods wysdome (whych no doubte was determynate from euerla∣styng) was also directly opened vnto Adā after the fall, in maner folowynge: Whan man had eaten of the frute of the forbyd∣den tree, immedyatlye hys eyes were ope∣ned: in so much that he was ashamed, whā he sawe that he was naked▪ Hytherto had he lyued in innocencye, therefore beganne he now to couer hym selfe, but wyth sym∣ple clotynge, whych they trusted not muche to lyke as it is a •• vnprofytable, that man of hym selfe wyll couer hys synn wythal)* 1.16 sauynge that they sled from the Lord, and

hyd them selues from hym. But the Lord folowed vppon the fugytiue, put hym in mynde of hys decaye, mysery and the lyfe that he was fallen from, and sayde: Adam ••here art thou? Or knowest thou, what misery thou art fallen into from great fe∣licite? Nowe shuld man haue knowleged hys faute, but he shewed hym selfe styfnec∣ked▪ And the Lorde moueth hym styll, to se y•• he wyll knowlege hys synne, and sayd: ••ho tolde the that thou art naked? Yee to helpe hym in the matter and to make hym confesse hys synne, he sayeth moreo∣uer▪ Hast thou not eaten of the tree of the which I ••orbade the •••••• thou shuldest not eate? But man was lothe to knowleg his synne, and layed it first ••••on the woman hys companion▪ and the same dyd he with so froward and vnaduised wordes that a* 1.17 man maye easely see, that secretly in hys hart he wyckedly and vnreasonably layed the faulte vpon God. For he sayd not one¦ly: The woman gaue me of the tre to eate but added proudly thereto: The woman whyche thou gauest me. &c. As though he shuld say: Thou thy selfe art in the fault: If thou haddest not geuen me the woman* 1.18 I had not ben disceaued. And yet the righ∣teous God gaue not hym the woman to discea••e hym, but to be an helpe to hym. Wherfore appeareth it here agayne, that the synne of mā was the more wylfull and greuous. Yet for al thys dyd the gracious* 1.19 God proceade further, and woulde proue whether he myght fynde anye knowledge

of the synne wyth the woman, the begyn∣nynge and occasyon of the synne. But no∣thyng at all coulde he fynde. The one per∣sone was as the other, and they hoth had no power. Therfore lyke as Adam put all the fault to the woman, euen so ••ay•••• ••he woman all the faulte vppon the serpente, that is, vppon the deuell. Whyche nature* 1.20 doth yet, to thys daye ••leue in man. But what man (whych hath well cōsydr••d ••his forsayde matter by hymselfe) wold•• no•• saye, or durst thy••ke, that any parte of the promes, of ryghteousnes and saluation of man were to be ascribed to hys owne po∣wer and deseruyng. For asmuche as it is so manyfest, how vnable a•••• ••••st•• man is of hym selfe, whych doth nothynge but he peth synne vpon synne, and dysoh••d••ence vpon disobedience. Agayn, who is so blin∣de, but he seyeth, that all saluacion is to be ascr••bed to the onely mer•• grace and mer∣cy of god. For now foloweth it fyrst, how god handled in thys matter.

Now whan all the complynt was ma∣de vpon the serpent, the Lorde asketh and* 1.21 examineth the Serpente nothyn••e at all, for the dede was opē, nether was the ser∣pent created of God to speake, and wyth the deuyll was there no trueth. Therfore doth the Lorde ryghteously curse ••h•• ser∣pent the deuell. Unto the bode••y s••rpēt al∣so whom the deuell vsed as an instrumēt) he geueth a sore curse and sayeth▪ Uppon thy bely shalt thou go, and erth shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy lyfe. When thys

was done, it was ordeyned now first for man, that / accordinge to the righteous∣nes and trueth of God he shulde be puni¦shed also with the curse and with eter∣nall death but for the causes expressed in the begynnyng of this chapter, the curse was directed vnto Christ: who also, with cleare wordes was promised, and so was lyfe in hym promised lykewise.

Therfore sayeth not the Lord now: and cursed be thou mā, because thou hast done* 1.22 agaynst my commaundement, but: And I will put enemyte betwene the and the woman, betwene thy sede and hir sede: the s••me shall treade the on the heade & thou shalt treade hym on the ele.

Which is thus moche to saye: Thou hast vsed the woman to the distruction of mē so that from hens forth they bring deth▪ and by kynde & nature are damned whan they are borne. Therfore will I also vse* 1.23 the woman, but to saluatiō: for of the wo¦man shall a sede or chyld be borne, which shall breake thy beade, power and kyng∣dome, synne damnation and death: howe∣••eit in hys manhode he shalbe troden downe and bytten. That is: Whan with his transgression hath deserued eternall death, to that after the rigoure of my iu∣stice (he shuld perishe and belonge to the ••euell for euer: neuertheles I will haue mercy vpon h••m, and receaue hym to gra∣ce agayne▪ but to the intent that my trueth and righteousnesse maye be satisfyed▪ I wyll cause my sonne to take the very na∣ture

of man vpon hym. Then will I that he take vpon hym selfe the curse and dam¦nacion / and dye / and with his innocent death to take awaye that noysome death∣and curse / and so to set the generation of man out of death▪ in to lyfe / out of the do¦minion of the deuell in to his owne kyng¦dome / out of darckneesse into light Thus ••••e right foundation or ground of our ho¦ly* 1.24 fayth continueth fast and vnmoued: in somoche as all the generation of man is whole and clensed from synne / and dely∣uered from the curse / from the deuell and euerlastinge damnation / onely thorowe the mercy and mere grace of God by Je∣sus Christ

As touching this / Paul sayde whan he* 1.25 wrote to the Romaynes in the ighte chap¦ter. God ••eet hys sonne in the simylitu¦de of synfull fleshe / and thorowe synne (that is to saye / thorow the synne offring and willyng death of Christ / he condem∣ned synne in the fleshe * And in the fyrste* 1.26 Epistle to the Corinthians the first chap∣ter the same P. sayeth: Christ Jesus is ap¦poynted of god to be oure wisdome / and righteousnesse / and sayntifieng & redemp¦cion: that as it written / who so glorieth & reioyseth / let hym glory and reioyse in the Lorde.

But for asmoche as this is the ferst pro¦mes* 1.27 and the first sure Euangelion▪ I wil now speake of euery worde in especiall. First, God calleth his sone our lord Je, sus, the sede of the womā. A sede, because

of the very nature of man, and because that our Lorde sh••lde not take vpon hym a phantasticall, but a very true bodye.

But to these wordes ther is added: Of the woman: For our Lord was not con∣ceaued and borne of mās s••de, but of the holy goost out of the virgyn Mary. Ther¦fore can not this sentence be vnderstonde of Eue, but of the virgyn Mary. Nowe where as she is called a woman it is done because of the kynred For euen the daugh¦ters also and maydens are rekened in the womens kynred, and yet contynue vnde∣fyled virgins. God also hath spoken here distinctly, and sayde not: I will put ene∣myte betwene the and this woman, but betwene the and (haischah (the woman vn¦derstand some speciall woman, no doubte euen suche one as he afterwarde set forth clearly by Esaye: sayeng Beholde, a vir¦gy••* 1.28 shall conceaue and beare a sonne. &c

And this worde ▪ sede (was alwaye after∣warde in euery renewynge of this promes concernynge Christ Jesu amonge all the patriarkes and prophetes rehearsed (vsed and expressed, vntyll the tyme of Dauid, Of whome the Lord afterwarde was cal¦led a floure, the rote spr••w••ing or blosso∣me of Dauid, The holy apostle Paul ex¦poundeth this worde (sede clearly and pla¦nely, and sayeth it is Christ Gal. iii. More ou••r it serueth to the prayse of the Lordes* 1.29 mother, that▪ God sayeth: I wyll put ene¦mytie betwene the woman and the. For he meaneth the difference of both their na

••urs. The deuell is proude sotle wicked false and vntrue: but the mother of Christ is lowlye, symple, vertuous, faythfull and vpright, ••haist and cleane. And the same pure vyrgin and gratious mother hath borne vnto vs hym, that trode downe the serpentes heade. The heade of the serpent is the power and kyngdome of the deuell euensynne, the curse and damnation. All thys hath that blessed sede broken for hys faythfull. All which thynges the holy apo¦stle Paul also hath taught with these wor¦des. The Lorde is become partaker of* 1.30 our flesh & bloude, that he thorow death, mighte take awaye the power from hym, which had the lordshippe ouer death, that is to saye, the deuell, and to delyuer them whiche throwe fear e of death, were all their lyfe tyme in bondage. For he toke not vpon hym the aungels but the sede of Abraham toke he vpon hym. &c. * And to the same meanyng doth thys also serue that foloweth. And thou shalt treade him on the hele. The hele is the lowest parte* 1.31 in man, and here it singnifieth the mooste inferiour thinge in Christ, euen his fleshe. Thys hath the olde serpent the deuell per¦secuted and troden downe by hys mēbres Cayphas, Annas, Herode, and Po••te••s P••late. For Peter sayeth, Christe hath suffred for vs in the flesh. The godhead* 1.32 is impussible and the soule immortall.

But by this treadynge downe of the lord hath God troden dowen the kyngdome of the deuell. That is to saye, by his death

hath he destroyed death, and brought lyfe agayne to al them that beleue. Her of com∣meth it that Chryst sayeth hym selfe. Johā xii▪ Nowe is the iudgement of the worlde* 1.33 nowe shall the prynce of thys worlde be thrust out. And I whā I am lyfte vp (that is to saye cru••yfied) from the earthe, wyll drawe all thynges to me.

At the last sayth the Lorde, that he wyl put enemytie betwene the serpente and the womans sede. Thys maye we se in the de∣uell and hys membres and actes, how they are contrary to Chryste and hys membres and dedes. But how strong so euer the ser∣pent is, yet shall he be troden downe tho∣row Chryst and hys faythfull▪ Herof com∣meth it that Paul spake so comfortable to the Romaynes. Roma. xvi. The God of* 1.34 peace shall shortly treade downe the deuell vnder youre fete. And here wythall is the dewty also of the faytfull in Chryst short∣ly comprehended. For as touchynge them that saye: It is ynoughe then, and is all* 1.35 well, whan I knowlege that I am a syn∣ner, and saued thorow the blessed sede, one¦ly?* 1.36 To them it is here answered and clear¦ly geuē to vnderstande, that all they whych put theyr trust in the blessed s••de, take vpon them the kynde of the sede, and hate the kynde of the serpent, that is to saye, synne and blasphemy, and fight alway more and more agaynste the worlde and the Deuyll as longe as they lyue, yee and occupie them selues moost faythfully about that whych is gods wyll. And here to nowe serueth it

that foloweth after. For whan the Lorde had taken awaye the euerlastynge death, he layed vppon man a tempo••all punyshe∣ment, correction & discipline, in the whych he shulde be exercised as longe as he lyued vpon earth. And vpon the womā he layed combre sorow and payne, whan she shulde beare and bringe forth chyldren. Subiec∣tion also and seruyce wyth feare & obediē¦te, which she oweth to the mā. To man, he enioyneth laboure for the Lord cursed the erth, and sayde. Wyth sorowe shalt thou* 1.37 get thy lyuynge all the dayes of thy lyfe: Yee in the sweate of thy face shalte thou eate thy breade. Moreouer he layed tem∣porall death vpon them bothe and sayeth: Earth thou arte, and to earth shalte thou* 1.38 returne. Of the fyrste doth Paull speake also .i. Timo. ii. The woman shalbe saued* 1.39 by bearynge of chyldren, yf she contynue in fayth and loue, and in holynesse or clen∣nesse and nurtoure Of the seconde spea∣keth the same Paul lykewyse to the Ephe¦sians and Tessalonians Let noman vn∣dermyne or dysceaue h••s brother in occu∣p••enge:* 1.40 and who so hath vsed falshed and dysceate let hym do it nomore, but let hym rather labour wyth hys handes some ho∣nest thyng, that he maye haue to distribu∣te vnto such as haue nede. And as touchin¦ge death▪ Paull also sayeth to the Hebru∣es* 1.41 in the .ix. Chapter. Howe that it is op∣poynted vnto men, ones to dye, and that euen to Chryste Jesus was offred vp and dyed ones for all,

Of Adam ¶ Of the fyrst faith full Christen, Adam and Eue.

ANd hytherto I trust we haue had in the first promes of God, the foū¦dation* 1.42 and the whole summe of oure holy christen faith: Namely, that the whole generation of mā was but lost thorow hys owne fault and wicked∣nesse, and fallen into death & damnacion, so that there remayneth nothyng in man but it is displeasaunt to God: Herof com∣meth it that ther is nothynge to be ascry∣bed vnto the power and deseruyng of mā, saue synne and malediction. But God of hys abundaunt mercy had compassion on vs, and of very grace promysed he lyfe vn∣to vs agayne in hys sonne our lord Jesu, whome he wolde to become man, and to suffre death in hys fleshe, that therby he might treade downe the deuell, death syn∣ne and hell. Item he wolde put enemyte betwene the womans sede and the serpēt, That is, he wolde endewe vs (which are the sede, that is to saye, the chyldren of Adam yf we beleue) with another hert and power, that we mighte become enemyes vnto the deuels workes, resiste his sugge¦stion, and holde our selues fast by the bles∣sed sede, labouryng and suffrynge what so euer God enioyneth vs to worke & suf∣fre. Who is it now, which seyth not here in, all that is written in the hole scriptu∣re, of beleue, of loue and innocencye: that is to saye, of a Christen lyfe and fayth?

Who so is disposed / let hym loke vpon the thirde / fourth / and seconde chapter of Paul to the Romaynes / the first & second to the Ephesians: let hym compare those chapters towarde this summe / & he shall fynde it none otherwyse.

For asmoche then as Adam & Eue had fayth in God / and stode so towarde God that they knowledged thē selues to be syn∣ners / & trusted to be saued onely thorowe the blessed sede / geuyng them selues ouer willingly in to the disciplyne & nurtoure / trauayll & trouble of thys tyme / No man can saye contrary / but it foloweth / that oure first elders were Christen. Neuerthe¦les we will declare the same yet more cler¦ly / by Moyses wordes folowynge And* 1.43 Adam called hys wyfe Heua / because she shulde be the mother of all lyuyng. For* 1.44 assoone as he was now strēgthed thorow the promes of God / and beleued that he and hys posterite (whiche ••is were chyldrē of wrath / of the deuel / and of death (shuld lyue thorow the blessed sede, he turned his wyfes name, and called her Heua, for the remembraunce of the matter, and practi∣syng of hys fayth: for he beleued, that she now lyuyge in the power of the blessed sede shuld bringe forth, not onely quycke men temporally as pertaynynge to thys naturall lyfe (lyke as we call other crea∣tures lyuynge (but lyuyng, that, is to saye chyldren of saluation For Adam had loste eternall lyfe from hym selfe, and from vs hys posterite: but the same is genen vnto

vs agayn thorow Jesus Christ our Lord. Adam for asmuche as he beleued, chaun∣ged hys wyues name, lyke as we fynde that for great weyghty causes the names of certayne places, cytyes and men, were chaūged: Thus was Jacob called Israell Symon, Peter: Luthz, Be••ell. Eue had nowe a name of lyfe, for Ha••ah in Hebrue is as muche to saye, as lyfe. Afore was she called Ischa, that is to saye, Woman, be∣cause she was taken fromout of the mā, whych in the Hebrue is talled Ischa. Gen. ii. And thus is it manifest, what faith Adā had, wherby we maye well suppose, that Eue had none other faythe

But god vsed hys mercy and louynge* 1.45 kyndnesse yet furthermore, euē in the myd∣des of all correction: for whan he woulde nowe expell man oute of Paradyse in to misery, he doth vnto hym in euery condy∣cion, euen as a faythfull father, whych for some mysdede putteth hys sonne awaye from hym. Notwythstādyng leaueth hym not vtterly comfortles, but prouideth him a garment, & comforteth hym wyth frēdly wordes, and then fyrste sendeth hym a∣waye from hym Euen thus doth God the father of heauē also. For fyrst he clotheth Adam and Eue agaynst the frost and tem¦pest of wether, in asmuche as (by the mea∣nes of synne) the wether, the erth, the ayre, and all creatures, were nomore so subie∣cte, tame and obedient vnto man, as they were afore the fall. Therfore euen now at thys presente tyme what soeuer inconue∣nience

& harme is in the good creatures of God, it commeth by the meanes of oure synnes. Afterwarde doth the Lorde com∣forte the myserable wretched man wyth verye louynge wordes after thys maner: Beholde. Adam is become lyke one of vs,* 1.46 or: lo, Adam shalbe as one of vs, and it shall happē vnto hym as to one of vs, and he shall know good and euyll. Thys doth God speake, whyche is one in substaunce, and thre in personnes: he Prophecyt••he here vnto Adam, that he shall knowe or haue experience of good and euyll. That is to say, that vpon erth he must fele pros∣perite and aduersite, misery and trouble, sower and swete, and muste suffer necessi∣te, payne and afflyction. Yet in all thys, must he be constant & pacient, for asmuch as nothynge shall happen vnto hym, saue* 1.47 euen the same that shall happen to one of thē. And he meaneth the sonne our Lorde Jesu Christ the second personne in the ho∣ly Trinite. With thys hys passyon & tho∣row the same doth he comforte Adam. As though he wolde saye: let the payne sorow and trouble whych thou must suffer vpon erth, not vexe the, and considre that one of vs also shall take vpon him the kynde and nature of man, and that the serpent (as it is sayde afore) shall treade hym on the hele that is to saye, he shall dye, he shalbe op∣prest, and haue muche asslyction & trouble, all the dayes of hys lyfe. In the same mea¦nyng also dyd the holy Apostle Peter say: Chryst suffred for our sakes, and gaue vs

an ensample, that we shulde folowe hym, and go in hys fotesteppes* 1.48

Out of all this is it easy to vnderstan∣de, what fayth and knowlege Adam had* 1.49 of our lord Christ. Namely, that he knew in hym very godheade and manhede, and that he saw in fayth hys passiō and crosse afarre of, Moreouer, that the passion of Christ ones do••e for al, breaketh the king¦dome of the Deuell, and bryngeth lyfe a∣gayne to suche as faythfully beleue. Se∣condly, that it is to our lyuynge, an en∣sample, at the which we ought to lerne pa¦cience in aduersite, and dayly to dye from all euyll. And here to now serue all doctri∣nes of pacience, of bearyng of the crosse, of despisyng the worlde, & mortifienge or putting of the olde Adam, which thyng is conteyned and wyth many & godly wor∣des handled thorow out the prophetes and apostles. As for Adam, and Eue, they la∣cked none of these thynges, thoughe they had not the matter in wryttyng. For God spake it all to them hym selfe, and wrote it in theyr hartes. Morouer our fyrste el∣ders had no church, rytes nor ceremonies, saue onely the bodely offryng, a represen∣tacion of the sacrificyng of Christe, and exercises or tokens of thankfulnesse. For how shulde Cain & Abel els haue knowne any thyng of sacrifice, yf they had not re∣ceaued the same at the custome of their fa¦ther? Who wyth hys wyfe Eua the mo∣ther of vs all, was saued by none other worke or merite of mā, but onely thorow

and in the blessed sede of oure Lorde Jesu Christe.

¶ That the holye Patriarkes also were Chrysten▪ and saued by Chryste.

SUche faith in christ Jesu as we now haue spoken of, dyd the holy father Adam (no doute) teache hys chyldrē: that they also myghte plante in to theyr chyldren the promes of god, his mer∣cy and deuyce concernynge the Messias or Sauioure, that was for to come. And truly Abell had suche a notable fayth in god, that the holy Apostle Paul wrote of hym after thys maner. Thorowe faythe* 1.50 dyd Abell offre a greater sacrifice thē dyd Cain & therby opteyned he wytnesse that he was ryghteous. For god bare recorde to hys gyftes. In asmuche then as it can not be denyed, but that all they whych are iust & ryghteous, he made ryghteous tho∣row the blessed sede. And Abell was iusti∣fyed. It foloweth that he was made rygh∣teous thorow fayth in Jesus Chryste. In* 1.51 that he dyd sacrifice, it is a token & frute of a hart that was thankfull and feared God. It was no suche interpryse, that he wolde clense and make hym selfe accepte vnto God thorow that outward sacrifice For certayne it is, that no outward obla∣cion purifieth man wythin. But the grace of god graunted vnto vs thorowe Jesus

Christ / purifieth vs a right. And the out, warde sacrifices of the olde fathers, besy¦de that they were tokens of thankfulnesse prayse and magnifyenge of God, as it is sayde afore were figures of the onely per¦petuall sacrifice of our sauiour Christe And in this behalfe they were euē asmo∣che as sacramentes of thinges to come. Thus also and in lyke vnderstondynge haue oure first fathers done sacrifice, as hereafter it shall folow more largely

Nowe lyke as in Abel there is set forth vnto vs an ensample of Gods sede & of a regenerate true faithfull. Christen man, So is Cain a sede of the serpent a chylde of the deuell which despysed the inspira∣cion* 1.52 of God and harkened to the disceat¦full serpent, And in these two brethren we maye se what God meaned, whā he sayd:

I wyll put enemyte betwene the sede of the woman and thy sede. As though he wolde saye: There shalbe two maner of people the one shall cleue vnto Christ the blessed sede, the other shall cleue vnto the deuell. And these two generaciōs shall in no wyse a gree, but be at variavnce in fayth and religion. I will endew my sede that they shall cleue onely vnto me, feare me honour and worshippe me seke all sal¦uacion in me thorow the blessed sede, lyue vertuous••y, honestly & soberly. Then shal the serpent tempte their ••ede with ypoc••y¦sye, not to loue me ner serue me right, not to holde of me as they shulde, not to trust in me, but to loue the worde & to folowe

the lustes and tentacions therof: All thys fynde we here in these two brethren, in whome begynneth the firste difference of true and false beleuers. For Abel was sim¦ple, godly, and of a constant faith in God And in asmoche as he toke God for his re¦fuge, he broughte hym giftes of hys b••ste substaunce, no doubte because he had first geuen ouer hys soule and all hys power vnto God, at whome alone he soughte all good without any ypocrisye. He was also innocent▪ veriuous and frendly, and folo∣wed not hys owne tentacions. And for thys faithes sake dyd hys sacrifice please God: but Caines pleased hym not for hys hert was not right with God: he was a dissembler, gredye & vnfaithfull personne which set hys hert and mynde vpon erth∣lye thynges, allwaye despysinge. Gods worde, and folowyng his owne tentacion Whiche thynge was euydēt in thys, that he hauynge no cause (onely of a wilfull hert and thorow the tentacion of the ser∣pent / murthured his own brother: Wher¦by he hath opteyned to be the ar••hfather of all murthurers / whiche persecute and murthur the sede of god (that is to saye / the true beleuers (onely for their faithes sake▪. Thus became abel the firste martyr and instrumente of god and yf Christ in* 1.53 the holy church. For these two brethren ha¦ue set forth before vs / the wole battayl & stryfe / which the worlde / the cytye of the deuel•• / the chyldren & cytesyns of the cur∣s••d cytye (wherin the serpent is heade and

master and hath the dominion) shal make agaynst the cytie and cytesyns in whome Christe is the heade, vnto the ende of the worlde. The fre men of the cytie of God and of Christe, do ••leue onely vnto God,* 1.54 serue hym with all theyr hart, buylde only vpon Christe. The cytesyns of the serpent despyse god, & yet make they theyr boaste of God, to whome also they offer and do seruice, but not as they ought to do. Now whā they perceyue that theyr fayth is not ryghte, and that theyr ypocrysie is spyed and myslyked, then fall they to murthu∣rynge: to the whych god is an enemy, and forbyddeth it wyth hys worde. For Cain also exhorted he from hys purpose & sayd Thou nedeste not to arme the because of thy brother, for thou haste none occasyon to be angry wyth hym. For yf thou doeste ryght, thou shalte fynde it, and haue ioye therof, but yf thou doest not ryght, then is thy mysfortune, synne and trespace opon and thou shalte shame & destroye thy selfe. Thy brother goeth on wythout faulte, he shall do the no hurt nor harme: he shall al∣so not be Lorde ouer the, nor myny she thy ••yght. Yea he shall haue respecte vnto the, and thou shalt haue dominion ouer hym, and so kepe thy byrth right, & styll remayn the fyrste borne, although hys sacrifice be acceptable vnto me, and not thyne. Ceasse therfore from thy wicked purpose and of∣fende not agaynst thy brother.

But Cain dyd as al vngodly do. For he went forth, and s••ue hys innocent brother

And afterwarde whan the Lorde wolde haue brought hym in to the knowlege of hys great synne, and pardon hym, he des∣pised the voyce of the Lord with crakyng and facynge. For the which cause the lord was wrothe with hym, and cursed hym. Then dispayred he first, and went forth &* 1.55 became yet more wicked, dealt altogether vngodly, set first his mynde vpon earthly thynges, thought to exalte hys name vpon erth and buylded the fyrst cytye, whiche he called Hanoch: he begat sonnes & daugh∣ters, but litle feare of God was before their eyes, in so moche that the scripture sayeth: Adam lay•• with his wyfe aga••••e and she bare a sonne, whome she called Seth. For God (sayde she) hath geuen me another sede for Abel, whome Cain ••lew, Seth also had a sonne, and he called hym Ends. And than beganne men to call vpon the name of the Lord, Out of the whiche wordes it is easie to vnderstonde, that as touchynge holy, Adam, he helde no more of Cain, then as thoughe he neuer hadde chylde. For Adam feared God: Cain with hys progenye despysed God, and became the serpentes generacion. Wherfore whan Adam had gotten another sonne, he was of a good hope, that in Abels steade God had geuen hym another sonne, whiche shulde do right, and of whome the ro••e of the blessed sede shulde sprede oute after∣warde. For the which cause also he called hym Seth, which by vs is called a pl••••••••, meanynge, that God had set hym & plāted

hym as a braunche, out of the which Mes¦sias shulde be borne. For ••s for Cain, he douted of hym. And from the same Seth▪ proceadeth the generation of the ryghte∣ous vntyll Noe, and from hym to Abrahā and so vnto Dauid, and from thēce forth vnto Christ. This Seth repayred our ho∣ly* 1.56 fayth▪ which receyued great hurt at the death of Abell. Thys dyd Seth (I say) for asmuche as he beynge taught inwardlye of god & by mouth or outwardly of Adam lerned hys chyldren and theyr sede, to put theyr truste in God, and comforte them selues in the blessed sede, and to cleaue vn∣to the same. For it is wryten manifestly: And than beganne men to call vppon the* 1.57 ••ame of the Lorde. Tyll thys tyme was Adam wyth Heue hys wyfe onely a true frende and seruer to god. The generation of Cain was now well spred abrode, and come to two hundreth and fyftye yeares & aboue, but the more parte lyued wythoute the feare of God, vnrepentaunt and vn∣godly. Wherfore in asmuche as the gene∣ration of Seth now increased, & the feare of God and right beleue was among thē, the scripture sayeth well: And than began∣ne men to call vpon the name of the lorde And by thys callynge vppon, dothe the* 1.58 Scripture meane the true ryghte beleue and Gods seruice, that he mooste aloweth Of the progenie therefore of ryghteous Seth sprange the seruauntes of god, and presidentes of our Chrysten fayth. As for the cursed generation of Cain and of the

vngodly, it was destroyed and drowned wyth the floude.

To the holy genealogie of the true be∣leuers, pertayneth the Patriarke Enoch* 1.59 of whome it is wrytten, that he walked before god, that is, he ordred hys lyfe and conuersation altogyther after the wyll of God, beynge constante and vpryghte (no doute) in all that, whych God hadde spo∣ken vnto Adam. Therfore became he also an ensample of the immortalite of the sou¦le and resurrection of the bodye, and that all goddes seruauntes shalbe saued after thys lyfe. For thus sayeth the scripture. And in asmuche as he aplyed hym selfe to* 1.60 walke after god, god toke hym away and he was nomore sene. The holye Apostle Paule also in the, xi, chapter to the Hebre∣es speakethe very excellently of Enochs fayth, so that no man may doute, but that he had respecte to the blessed sede, & plea∣sed god thorow Christ.

Moreouer, the enemyte betwene the chil¦dren of god and of man (that is the yssue of the serpent) grew euer more and more: so that on the one syde the multitude of god increased, & on the other syde the mul∣titude of the deuyll. Jet at the last, the mul∣titude of the wycked was greatest▪

For whan the chyldren of god wyth helde not them selues from the chyldren of the worlde▪ but toke wyues and husbandes amonge them, they begat roughe people, which had no fayth at all, and lyued only after theyr owne luste and tentatiō, forgat

God vtterly, and regarded not the hun∣dreth & twentye yeares which God gaue them to amende. Therfore was God con∣strayned,* 1.61 so to punishe the vnfaithfull worlde ones, that all posterities vnto the ende of the worlde myght haue a terrible ensaple of the iust wrath of God: where∣by they myght lerne, how vngodlynesse & vnrighteousnesse displeaseth God. Thus the Lorde brought the floude vpon all the erth, oaerthrew all that stode vp, and de∣stroyed euery thynge that had lyfe, whan the worlde had stonde now a thousande, sire hundreth and sixe and fyftye yeare, For so many yeares fynde we in the fi••th and seuenth of Genesis, where it is writ∣ten, that Noe was▪ 600. yeare olde, whan the floude came vpon erth. Now yf we re¦ken the yeares of the olde fathers in the fifth chapter vntyll Adam, we shal fynde the forsayde summe. And thus the yssne of the serpent had an ende, and all vngodly and vn righteous lyuynge was myghtely supprest and destroyed of God,

And in thys horrible destruction of the vngodly, was faithfull Noe saued (he beynge the eight (and preserwed in the Arke thorow the grace and mercy of God Here oure holy true Christē faith had the victory and triumphed. For Noe was of oure fayth, euen of the sede of God, & put hys trust in the blessed sede oure Lorde Je¦sus. Yee the Arke or shyppe of Noe was a figure of Christ, as we maye easely vn∣derstande by the wordes of saynt Peter.

i. Petri. iii. Seynge then that Noe was preserued thorowe the Arke, it foloweth that he was saued by Jesus Christe, ther∣fore is it manifeste, that he fyrste beleued* 1.62 in Christ. Noe also was he, with whome God first renued the couenaūt made with Adam. For it is but ••one couenaunt onely euen the foresayde promesse & ende made by God vnto Adam. Howe beit the same couenaunte was afterwarde at certayne tymes renewed by reason of certayne oc∣casions. Here myght Noe haue thoughte that all the worlde and all men shuld vt∣terley haue bene vndone, for as moche as the Lorde sayde: I am determyned to de∣stroye all flesh. Therfore immediatly he addeth moreouer and sayeth: But with the will I set vp my couenaunt, that is to saye, what soeuer pertayneth to my co∣uenaunt, and what I haue promysed Adā already, the same wyll I surely and con∣stantly make good: and thoughe I nowe destroye the worlde, yet wyll I perfourme my trueth thorow the. For I wyll preserue the alyue, that the blessed sede promysed afore, maye here after be borne of the in hys generation. To thys dyd Noe trust, &* 1.63 was preserued of God thorow Christ. Mo¦reouer whan he was come out of the Ar∣ke, he dyd sacryfice, and therby declared the thankfulnesse of hys hert and beleue, how that he knew that he had all good of hod, which shuld also geue him a sede, that with sacrificinge of him self shuld recōcyle pacifie god. For thus saieth the scripture

Noe buylded an altare vnto the Lorde,* 1.64 and toke of all maner of cleane beastes & foules, and offred brent sacrifice vnto the Lorde: and the Lorde smelled the swete sa∣uou••e, and sayde in hys herte: I wyll no∣more curse the erth for mans sake. &c. So sayeth Paul ••n the fifth to the Ephesians Walke ye in loue, lyke as Christe hath lo∣ued* 1.65 vs, and gaue hym selfe for vs an of frynge and sacrifice of a swete sauour vn∣to God. Wherby euery man maye lerne and se, that the swete smel of the outward sacrifice of Noe, dyd not chefely pacifye God, and was pleasaunt: but rather that thorow the bodely sacrifice, was figured the sacrifice of Christ, and for hys sake was he mercifull vnto the worlde. For* 1.66 ouer Christ he sayd at Jordan whā Christ was baptysed: Thys is my deare belo∣ued sonne, in whome I am pacified or re∣concyled.

Besydes thys, the Lord gaue vnto Noe* 1.67 certayne lawes, but none other then euen soche as he had geuen to hys fore fathers and written in their hertes. The first per¦tayneth to mariage and bringynge vp of chyldren, in the whiche is comprehended all, that is written concernyng nurtour, clenlynesse and temperaunce, of care and bryngynge vp of chyldren in the feare of God, vertue, obedience and lerninge. The seconde forbybddeth violence and diseate, namely, that no man shall eate bloude. For it is a figuratyue precepte, commaun∣dynge, that no man get hys lyuynge by

murthur, by oppressyng the poore, by vsu∣ry, by extorcion, by falshode and disceate. Moreouer all thynges lyuynge were sub¦dued vnto hym, and all meates were per∣mitted hym. In conclusion, what soeuer concerned to loue God and their neygh∣boure, the same is here renewed vnto Noe and his chyldren, and requyred of them.

Of Noe came afterwarde all people, yea amonge hys thre sonnes Japhet Sem* 1.68 and Cham he had both the sede of God & of the froward serpent, that is, soche as had respecte vnto God, and them also that regarded the deuell. Of Cham came the Egipcians, Assyrians, Babylonians, by and frome whome sprange ydolatrye, of∣fryng to ymages, and frome whome false religion came vp first, and was brought in amonge other nacions by the helpe of the olde serpent, as amonge the Grekes, Romaynes, and other people.

By this is it good to vnderstande, that our holy Christen faith is elder then anye other. For here maye we se clearly, that af¦ter a thousand and certayne hundreth yea¦res (almoost in the eight hundreth or nyne* 1.69 hundreth yeare) came vp the first begyn∣nynge of the Heithens beleue & offrynge to ymages, and yet came it of wicked cur¦sed men. For cursed Cham was the begyn¦nynge of the Egipciās, and Nimroth the vngodly extorcioner and tyraūte was the first founder of the kingdome of Babilon, which kyngdome with the buyldinge of a mightie tower, set forth his pryde. Neuer∣thelesse

the hande of God declared it selfe immedyatly, as it is red in the eleuenthe chapter of Genesis. Summa, in the gene∣ration of Cham had the serpent great po∣wer: howebeit in the posterite of Japhet also (of whome the Almaynes come) and in the posterite of Sem, he had hys ys••ue lykewyse.

Of the progenie of Sem were borne Abrahā, Isaat, and Jacob. Gene. xi. And as it is sayd afore, the syncere fayth was somewhat darkyned in Caldea: therfore dyd God call Abraham out from the ydo∣latrie, and renewed wyth hym the old true Christen fayth begonne wyth Adam, and sayde. Genesis .xii. Get the out of thy coū∣tre* 1.70 and from thy kynred, in to a lāde that I wyll shewe the, and I wyll blesse the, and make a greate nacyon of the. And in the shall all the nacion of the earth be bles∣sed. Item in the. xxii Chapter speakethe God yet more clearly and sayeth: In thy sede shall all the nacyons of the earthe be blessed. Thys dothe Paull declare in the iii. to the Galathiaus, and sayeth. In thy sede whyche is Christe. Therfore was the same now an other renewyng of the pro∣messe of Christe the blessed sede. For fyrst whā he promised vnto Adam, afterwarde was the promes renewed wyth Noe, and now wyth Abraham. And al thys now is but one promes, one sauioure, and one fayth. Abrahā also beleued in Jesus christ* 1.71 and was saued by fayth. For Jesus christ sayeth hym selfe in the eyghte Charter of

Johan. Abraham sawe my daye, and re∣ioysed. What is now the daye of Chryste but the clearnesse of y^e holy gospell? This lyght had he not bodely, but sawe it wyth the eyes of fayth, and the same made hym ioyfull and saued hym. For Chryste is the true ioye of troubled consciences. Thus became Abraham the father of all fayth∣full beleuers. Roma. iiii. And yf we beleue and do as Abrahā dyd, then are we Abra∣hams chyldren, and shall rest wyth him in hys bosome, euē in the kyngdome of God Luke .xiii. xvi. xix. Mat. viii. Paull also to the Galathians in the .iii. chapter sayeth: Yf ye be Chrystes, then are ye Abrahams sede, and heyres accordynge to the promes Out of thys fayth in Christ, dyd Abrahā Christē workes, For with a good wyl left* 1.72 he hys own natyue countre, all ydols and all ymages: all mysfortune honger & mise∣rye toke he paciently: he was not harde agagynst Loth hys neuye, but ioparde his body and lyfe for the oppressed: he was liberall, mercyfull, & harberous: he prayed feruēty vnto God for the poore synners: he suffred oppresion violence & wronge, and for Gods sake also he thought to sa∣crifice and offre vp hys own moost dear∣ly beloued sonne Isaac. Summa, there is no reasonable good Christen worke, but thou seyst it in y^e lyfe of Abrahā. Therfore to vs also for an ensample of oure fayth and conuer••acion, he is set forthe of the Lorde hym selfe and hys apostles thorow out the new Testament.

Here also is it manifest, that our holy* 1.73 faith is elder then the Jewish faith. For the Jewes do boaste them selues of the Circumcision, and because they are called Jewes and Israel, and that the lawe the presthode and the gods seruyce was geuen vnto them And yet Gene xv. and .xvii. and Roma. iiii. is it euydent, that Abrahā was gods frende and iustified or made righte∣ous, or euer he was circūcysed. For whan he was circuncysed, he was. 99. yeare old Gene. xvii. Nowe was the promes made vnto hym many yeares afore. The scrip∣ture also sayeth planely: Abraham bele∣ued God, & the same was coūted vnto him for righteousnesse. Genesi. xv. So was it many yeares after, or euer Israel & Juda was borne, of whome they haue taken their name The lawe also was geuen. 430 yeares after the promes, as Paull made* 1.74 the rekenynge. Gala. iii. It foloweth ther∣fore that oure christen fayth is. 2048. yea∣res elder then the Circūcision, and. 2449. yeare elder then the lawe, the presthode & ceremonies of the Jewes. For from Adam vnto the floud, were. 1656. yeares. And frō the floude vntill the departynge of Abra∣ham out of Caldea. 363. yeares. From that tyme are rekened. 430. yeares vntyll the departynge of Israel out of Egipte. And on the. 50. daye after the departinge, was the lawe geuen vnto Israel vpon mounte Sina, Exo. 19. 20. And after certayn dayes was the presthode & ceremonies appoyn∣ted them. Where as God then made a co∣uenaunt

with Abrahā, whan he ordeyned the circuncision, It serueth more to the cō∣firmacion of oure holy christen faith, then to the mayntenaunce of the Jewish cere∣monyes.

Isaac and Jacob were Abraham chyl∣dren,* 1.75 not onely after the flesh, but also af∣ter the sprete. For they had the fayth of their father and graundfather Abraham, put their trust onely in god thorow Jesus Christ, and lyued a sober & vertuos lyfe. Of thys doth the scripture beare them re∣corde thorow out: Jea Jacob, whome the Lorde also called otherwyse Israell (of whome afterward all the people of God receaued the name Israel) had many vy∣sions of the Lorde Christ as with the lad∣der* 1.76 that stode vpon the erth, the toppe rea∣chynge to heauē, on the which the angels of god wente vp and downe. For here∣with* 1.77 was represented vnto hym the Lord Jesus, whiche is the waye vnto heauē, the trueth and lyfe, without whome no man commeth vnto the father. Upon the vision of Jacob sayeth he also hym selfe. Joh. i. Uerely Isaye vnto you: hēce forth shall ye se the heauen open, and the aungels of god goynge vp and downe vpon the sonne of man. And so constant was Jacob in re∣membryng the same, that afterward at the commaundement of the Lorde, he set vp in the same place an altare, no dout (as it is sayde afore) for a figure of the crosse and sacrifice of Christ. and there ho¦noured he and worshipped the Lorde, he

commaunded all hys people also, that they shulde forsake straunge goddes, and geue him the ydols that they had brought with them out of Mesopotamia, & he buryed them vnder an Oke that stode besyde Si∣chem, Gene. xxxv. And whan he wolde now dye, he prophecied very clearly of the lord Christe, how he shulde be borne out of the kynred of Juda, and that he shuld be born the same tyme that the kyngdome shulde be taken from Juda. Whiche thyng also came to pas in Herodes tyme. For in the xxxii. yeare of the raygne of Herode, was Christe borne at Bethleē in Jewry. Wher of the wordes of Jacob are these: The sceptre shall not be taken awaye from Ju∣da, ner a ruler from hys fete, tyll Schilo come (that is to saye, the sauioure, and he in whome all nations shalbe blessed) and the people shall fall vnto hym. This sted* 1.78 fast fayth of Jacob dyd Joseph folow also which mortified hys owne flesh, declared patience in aduersite & preson, and exercy∣sed great iustice and equyte in hys gouer∣naunce. He was a figure of oure Lord Je∣sus Christe, who also beynge folde of hys owne vnto the Heythen, preserued hys bre∣thren alyue. So that from the begynnyng of the worlde vntyll the death of Joseph, the righte Christen fayth endured. 2300. yea res. And thus all holy patriarkes before the lawe, were saued, not thorowe the la∣we, ner by their owne strength and deser∣uynge, but▪ thorowe the blessed sede oure Lorde Jesus Christ,

The lawe of Moses. ¶ The lawe of God geuen by Moses, leadeth vnto Christ, and maketh mention of all hys doynges.

THe Israelites after the death of Jo¦seph vntyll their departyng & dely∣uerannce out of Egipte, were in the lande .c. xl. yeares. And lyke as afore in the tyme of Noe the dwellynge among the wicked became occasion of fallynge vn to the righteous, Euen so now dyd the Is∣raelites lerne ydolatrye and all vnhappy∣nesse of the Egiptians. For the whiche cau¦se also they were sore opprest a longe sea∣son, howbeit there remayned yet many ex∣cellent men, whiche kepte styll the olde faith and hated the abhominations of the Egip¦tians. For of Moses (which was born .c. vi. yeare after the death of Joseph) sa••••th Paul: Moses thorow saith whan he gr••w vp and was great, refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter: and chose ra¦ther to suffre aduersite with the people of God, then to en••oye the pleasures of synne for a season, and estemed the rebuke of Cri∣ste* 1.79 greater ryches, then the treasures of E∣gypte, for he had respecte to the rewarde, Hebre xi. Now can no man desyre to suf∣fre with Christe, except he haue know lege of Christes sufferynge. Therfore Moses in the myddes of all persecution had know lege of Christe, & the fayth in Christe. So is there no doute, but moo vertuous peo∣ple had thys true fayth, whiche were all oppressed and vexed in Egypte, lyke as

afterwarde the right faithfwll beleuers were somwhat more persecuted: as amōg the Heythen in the tymeof the Judges and kynges of Juda and Israel: vnder kynge Antiochus: vnder the Emperous. Nero: Traianus / Domitianus / Maximian{us} / Ju¦lianus and other. As for the vnbeleuers / they in suche myserable tymeys receaued the reward of theyr vnthankfulnesse, dis∣obedience, ydolatrie, and blasphemye.

But whan the appoynted tyme came whych god had forsene and opened vnto Abraham. Gene. xv. he brought the people of Israell by Moses out of Egypt, wyth and thorowe great wonders and tokens. By the whych he fyrst declared hys power then hys louyng kyndnesse and mercy to∣warde hys owne, and hys terrible iustice and vengeaunce agaynste hys enemyes: Wherby all the worlde myghte knowe, that there was none other iust & true god saue the God of Israell, in whose hande onely consiste all thynges, whyche also of hys mere mercy preserueth hys owne, and wyth ryght indgement rewardeth hys ene¦myes. Specially thys is mooste wonder∣full, that in thys great busynesse & worke he hath so myghtely set forth the redemp∣tion perfourmed by oure Lorde Jesus Chryste, yea and expressed it to be a very myghty redemption. For the same nyght (whan they shulde departe awaye and be* 1.80 dyspatched in the mornyng) the Lord com∣maunded them to kyll a lambe, and wyth the bloud therof to sprinkle the dores and

postes of the house. So whan the aungell that in the same night slew the fyrst borne of the Egyptians, sawe the bloude, he shuld do no harme, and sley no man ther∣in. Exo, xii. Now te stifyeth Paul .i. Cor. v that Christ Jesus is our Ester lambe and passeouer▪ So sayeth S. Johā. Beholde, the lambe of God, whyche taketh awaye the synne of the worlde. Therefore were not the Israelytes spared because of the bloud of beastes, but for the bloudes sake of the blessed sede that was promysed for to come. And thus the whole delyueraūce out of Egypt was a figure of the true re∣demption, by the whych we are delyuered from the power of the deuell & from euer∣lastynge death thorow Jesus Christe, and brought into the lande of promes, euen to eternall ioye and saluation, whyche God promysed vnto our fathers Adā, Noe, A∣braham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Now whan the Lorde had caried hys people out of Egipt, and brought thē tho∣row the reed see drye shode, and had drow¦ned Pharao wyth all hys people, he com∣maunded hys folke to prepare and clense thē selues at moūt Sina. For he wold bin¦de hymselfe vnto them, receaue them as hys owne people, and gaue them hys law* 1.81 and ordynaūce. Which thing he also dyd and appoynted hys law himselfe, spake it wyth hys owne mouth, and wrote it with hys owne fyngers in two tables of stone. In the one & fyrst table he ordeyned foure commaundementes, concernynge the wor

shippe and loue of God: Namely, that we* 1.82 shulde take hym onely for the true & right God, and none els besyde or excepte hym: That we shuld worship and honoure hym onely, and in no wyse to haue anye other God, cōforte nor hope. Item that we shuld in no wyse make any ymage or picture of any thinges, and nether to worshippe them nor serue them. Morouer, that we shulde not take the name of god in vayne, or light¦ly. And that we shuld halow the Sabbath daye. In the other table ordeyned he sixe commaundementes concerninge man. And lyke as the soure first are comprehended in these wordes: Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hert. &c. Euen so are the sixe conteyned in these wo••des folo∣wynge: Thou shalt loue thy neyghboure* 1.83 as thy selfe. The commaundementes are these: Thou shalt honoure father & mother Thou shalt not kyll. Thou shalt not brea∣wedloke.* 1.84 Thou shalt not ••••eale. Thou shalt beare no false witnesse. Thou shalt not lust In all these commaundementes is compre∣hended all that serueth for a godly lyfe, and that any where is written of God of true seruynge of God, and of right vertue to∣warde thys worlde.

Who so now doth well pondre these ten chapters or commaundementes, & com¦pareth* 1.85 them to the doynges and workes of the holy Patriarkes and olde fathers whiche had no lawe in writtynge, He shall fynde, that the Lorde now with thys hys written law beganne no new thing, nether

oughte that was not afore in the worlde, but rather renewed the olde: and the lawe that he hytherto had wryttē in the hartes of holy men, now whā the people had got¦ten them stony hartes, he wrote the same in tables of stone. For that we oughte to worshyppe and serue God onely, and ha∣ue none other goddes, the same dyd the ho¦ly fathers so beleue & kepe, that all theyr cōuersacion & doyng beareth recorde ther∣of. Cōternyng ymages or ydols, it is euy∣dēt, that Jacob buryed the ydols of Me∣sopotamia vnder an Oke besyde Sichem Genesis .xxxv. We may perceyue also by the dothes of Abrahā, Jsaac and Jacob, how the name of god was had in reueren∣ce among thē of olde, & not takē in vayne. The Sabboth dyd not the Lorde ordeyne here first, but on the seuēth day of the cre∣atiō. Gen. i. The same dyd the fathers ke∣pe a ryght no doute. John̄. vii. Where as Cham had not hys father Noe in reuerē∣ce he was cursed for it. Gene. i••. Aduoutry dyd the Heythē rulers forbyd vnder paine of death, as we may se. Gen. xxvi. Wher∣by it is casye to vnderstande, how the bles¦sed frendes of God kepte holy wedlock. Howe contrary the holy men were vnto theft and dysceate, it apeareth in the par∣ting of Abraham and Loth, Gen. xiii. And in Jacobs faithfulnesse & handlyng wyth Laban hys father in law. Gene. xxix. xxx. xxxi Lyenge & false dealynge was so farre from the holy Fathers, that for kepynge theyr credence and trueth, they opteyned

very great commendacion. Notwithston∣dynge they were tempted with euell as all men be, but they resisted the wicked lu∣stes. For manifest is the chaist acte of Jo∣seph, which wolde not touch hys maisters* 1.86 wyfe, nor desyre her. Wherfore in these commaundementes is nothynge written or requyred, that was not also requyred of the fathers afore the lawe, & perfourmed thorow true fayth in Christe. The Lorde therfore beganne no new thyng with his people, whan he delyuered them the tables of the law: Onely he wolde brynge in to a shorte summe and set in wrytynge, all the lawe that the feathers had (but not to∣gether ner comprehended in a summe) to the intent that they shuld the lesse be for∣gotten of the people, which thorow their dwellynge in Egipte amonge ydolaters & false beleuers, were brought in to sore of∣fence and slaunder. Thys must now be rec¦tified agayne after thys maner. As for all the lawes and ordinances, whiche after∣ward were added vnto these two tables, they were not ioyned ther vnto as princi∣pall lawes, but as by lawes, for the decla∣racion and better vnderstondynge of the ten chapters or commaundementes. For the perfecte summe of all lawes, the very righte rule of godlynesse, of god seruyce, of righteousnesse, of good and euell con∣uersacion, is comprehended already in the two tables.

But here might some men make obiec∣cion* 1.87 and saye: Yf all trueth be conteyned

in these ten commaundementes, how hap∣peneth it that by no token there is menciō made of the blessed sede promised vn to the fathers? Hitherto is it declared and pro∣mysed vnto the holy fathers, that they shal be saued thorow the blessed sede out of the very grace of God, and for none of their owne deseruinges: but now are written lawes which commaunde and forbyd vs, as though we thorow oure owne workes and deseruinge (as namely yf we kepe the∣se commaundementes) shulde be saued and accepte vnto God. Where is nowe Christ Where is the faith of the Patriarkes? He¦re is nothinge heard of faith, but moche, yee onely of workes?

Answere. This obiection hath discea¦ued* 1.88 many, that they haue had no right opi¦nion and faith of the grace of God & oure righteous making. Therfore wyl we now geue no answere out of our selues, but set forth holy Paul, & let hym answere, that the answere maye be the more sure, & the better estemed. Paul in the .iii. chapter to the Galathians wryteth after this maner Deare brethren, I will speake after the ma¦ner of men, whan a mans testament is con¦firmed, no man doth lightely regarde or despyse it, ner addeth oughte therto. Now were the promises made vnto Abraham and to hys sede, He sayeth not: In the se∣des, as in many, but as in one: And in thy sede, which is Christ. All these are Pauls wordes, and the meanyng of them is: For asmoche as the testamentes or wor

kes of men, are of suche reputacion in the worlde, that whan they are made, ordey∣ned and confyrmed, no man darre adde oughte to them, or mynyshe any thyng frō them, but euery man muste let them be as they are of them selues: It is muche more reason that gods Testamēt or bequest re∣mayne* 1.89 styll, and that nothyng be added to it, or taken from it. Now dyd God make a testament or bequest wyth Abrahā and promised hym therin, that he woulde geue hym a sede, in whom he & hys childrē shuld be saued. And the same saluatiō dyd he ex∣presly appoynte in one, and not in many. Wherfore we must adde nothynge vnto gods bequest, seyng he hath promysed vs saluation in Christ only, and not in many (that is to saye, in no creature, not in our owne power and workes of the law) ne∣ther must we thinke, that the law was af∣terwarde added to the intent as thoughe Chryste were not able to saue vs, or as though we myghte opteyne saluation by oure owne workes oute of the lawe. For thus foloweth it in Paull word to word: Thys testamēt, I saye) whych afore was confyrmed to Christward, is not dysanul∣led or made of none effecte by the Lawe (whyche was geuen beyonde foure hun∣dreth yeares ther after). For yf the enheri∣taunce be gotten by the Lawe, then is it not geuen by the promes. But God gaue it frely vnto Abraham by promes. These are Pauls wordes, out of the which euery man maye vnderstande, that to the gene∣racion

of man, saluacyon is geuen onely* 1.90 o•• the grace of God thorowe the promes, and thorow no deseruyng at all. And that the law of the promes (that is to saye, the bequest and Testamēt of god) is nothing mynyshed, but that the summe remayneth wythout blemishe, namely, that saluacion is geuen vs frely.

But here myght one aske: Seyng that* 1.91 the saluation is clearly ynough expressed afore the law, and is ascribed onely vnto the grace of God, why woulde God then adde the lawe? why was he not contente wyth the Testament alone? Therfore fo∣loweth* 1.92 it nowe in Paull. Why then ser∣ueth the lawe? It was added bycause of transgression, tyll the sede came that was promised. These are Pauls wordes why∣che are thus to be vnderstande. The lawe was not geuen because of the promes to make it of none effecte, and to teache that men are saued by workes, and not tho∣row the grace and free lyberalyte of God: but it was geuen because of transgression that is to saye, because that the people of God in Egypte hadde transgressed the* 1.93 waye and truethe of theyr Fathers, and knewe nomore what was synne, ryghte or vnryghte, wherein stode saluacion or dampnation: for they were corrupte tho∣rowe the longe dwellynge amonge the Ydolaters of Egypte. Therfore dyd God ordeyne them the Lawe, oute of the why∣che they myghte lerne the wyll of God, what Synne, ryghte or vnryghte is,

and to know them selues, to go in to them selues, and to consydre, how that the holy workes wyche God requyreth, are not in theyr owne power, for the whych cause all the worlde haue greate nede of a media∣toure. And thus the lawe was geuen to furthur the promes, namely that we tho∣rowe the lawe myghte be led onely vnto Chryste. For thus folowethe it in Pauls wordes. And it was geuen of Aungels by the hande of the mediatoure. A mediatour is not a Mediatour of one onely, but god is one. Is the lawe then agaynste the pro∣myses of God? God forbyd. Howbeit yf there had bene geuen a law whych coulde haue geuen lyfe, then no doute ryghteous∣nes shulde come of the law. But the scrip∣ture hath shutte vp all vnder synne, that the promise shoulde come by the faythe on Jesus Chryste, geuen vnto them that be∣leue. Before fayth came (that is to say, Je¦sus Christ in whome we beloue) we were kepte and shutte vp vnder the lawe, vnto the fayth whyche shulde afterwarde be de∣clared. Thus was the lawe oure scolema∣ster vnto Chryst, that we myght be made ryghteous by fayth. &c. By these wordes of Paul may euery man vnderstande now for what cause the lawe was geuen, and howe it is not contrary to the promes of the foresayd sede, but rather bryngeth vs from oure selues and from all creatures only vnto Jesus Christ. The law therfore confyrmeth the fyrste promes concernyng, the blessed sede, & teacheth that we opteyne

all saluacion in hym onely. Howbeit it is* 1.94 also a rule of oure lyfe, enfourmynge vs what we ought to do, and what we ought to leaue vndone. Yet on oure syde is all vnfruteful, where faith is not. But where faith is, it ceasseth not thorowe loue to wor¦ke good accordynge to the law: all honou∣re, and prayse beynge referred vnto God, to men nothyng but vnperfectnesse.

God also amonge hys people wrought many thynges, wherby he set the cause of Jesus Christe clearly a fore the eyes of the people, as it is expressed afore by the lande of the Passeouer. Lykewyse is it where as Moses hanged vp as serpent in the wil∣dernesse, that al they whiche were stonge and poysoned of serpentes, shuld beholde the brasen serpent hangynge, & not dye, but be saued alyue. Where as doutlesse the out¦ward beholdynge of the brasen serpent, sa∣ued not them that were poysoned: but it was God, whiche wolde so declare, that hys sonne shulde be hanged vpon a crosse, to the intent that euery one whiche were poysoned and defyled by the olde serpente and synne, shulde beleue in the sonne of god, and lyue in hym. For so is it written, Sapien. xvi. They had a token of health* 1.95 accordinge to the commaundemente. For who so conuerted, was not made whole by the outwarde thynge whiche he sawe, but (by the) whiche art the restorer of health & Sauiour of all. And yet saieth Christ mo∣re clearly. Joh. iii. And lyke as Moses set vp the serpent in the wildernesse euē so must

the sonne of man belifte vp, that whosoe∣uer beleueth in hym, shulde not perishe, but haue eternall lyfe.

And as touchyng thys, the holy Apostle Paul bringeth in another sentence .i. Cor. x. and sayeth: Brethren, I wolde not haue you ignoraunt of thys, that oure fathers were all vnder the cloude, and all passed thorow the see, and were all baptised vn∣der* 1.96 Moses in the cloude and in the see, and dyd all eate one spirituall meate, & dronke of one spirituall drynke. But they dranke all of the spirituall rocke, that folowed thē which rocke was Christ.

Besydes thys, yf we considre the decla∣ratiō of the lawes of the first table (which teacheth how we shall behaue oure selues right towarde God, to loue, worshyppe & honoure hym, to serue hym and to cleue onely vnto hym) we shall fynde in the same fyrst table, the whole cause of Christ. For all that afterward was ordeyned and ap∣poynted concernynge the tabernacle, the presthode and the oblations, parteyneth to the summe of the first table, for asmoche* 1.97 as the scripture and the mouthe of God calleth it hys lawe, precepte, commaunde∣ment, vse and statute, ordinaunce and ser∣uyce, And yf thou aske: howe can god whi∣che is a sprete, be serued without, warde▪ visible, and fleshly thynges, as the foresay∣de ceremonyes of the Jewes are? I an∣swere: Suche outwarde rytes of the peo∣ple* 1.98 of God were sacramentes and tokens of heauenly inuisible good thynges, and∣were

not the heauenly ryches them selues. Wherfore, they nether serued ner plea∣sed God, that vsed and dyd soche seruyce without fayth and lyftinge vp of the myn¦de. But they that put their trust in God cleuynge onely vnto hym, and lyftinge vp their hertes hygher, and remayned not in the vysible thynge, those pleased god. Whe¦re* 1.99 as they had but one altare and one pla∣ce appoynted where they shuld do sacrifice It signified the crosse of oure Lorde Jesus Christe, and that he shulde be offred vp but ones (and that in one place) for the syn ne of the worlde. Therfore where as the hye prest also euery yeare wente in to the inwarde tabernacle with bloude, It sig∣nified, that oure Lorde Jesus shulde come in to thys worlde, and shed hys bloud ones for all, to forgeue and clense our synnes▪ and so to ascende vnto heauen, Yee all obletions and all sheddinges of bloud in the sacrifices of the olde fathers, signified the death of oure Lorde Jesus Christe. No* 1.100 thynge was clensed amonge them with out bloud, whiche signifieth, that all the pour∣gynge of oure vnclennesse is done by the bloude of Jesus Christe. And all the yrest∣hode whiche was ordeyned for to teache, to praye and make intercession, to offre and do sacrifice, represented the office of oure Lorde Christe: Whiche came in to thys worlde, to teach vs the trueth & righ∣teousnes: Then to offre hymselfe to the fa∣ther for our synnes, and after the sacrifice done, to ryse vp agayn frōdeath, to ascēde

vnto heauē there to seyt at the ryght hāde of god, and euē there as a true hye bisshop¦pe, to appeare alwaye in the presence of god and to praye for vs. Thys is the summe of the rytes and ceremonies of the olde fa∣thers, the vnderstondynge of the figures, and the sprete of the lettre: wher of holy Paull hath written moche in the moost ex∣cellent epistle to the Hebrues.

Out of all thys is it easye to vnderstōd,* 1.101 howe that these rytes & ceremonies of the fathers, were sacramentes, and geuen to the people of god, Not that they with the lettre and outwarde visyble, and corporall thynge shulde sufficiently serue God whiche is a sprete, but that they shuld lift vp their myndes aboue the same to the spirituall thynges, pondrynge the mercy of God: out of the whiche he beynge moued, is become gracious vnto vs. And whan he might ha∣ue damned vs for oure synnes and mysde∣des, he spared vs for hys sonnes sake, who¦me he gaue vnto death, and hys innocent death hath he accepted for our synnes. So∣che a faithfull consideration (whiche is the true beleue) pleaseth god, and with soche a fayth is god serued, and soche a fayth wol¦de the Lorde haue taught andplanted in, wyth the ••oresayde rytes and Ceremonies Therfore all they that pleased god among the olde fathers, pleased hym not for the letters sake, but by reason of the sprete.

Wha•• the sacrifice also and ceremonye was executed after the ordinaunce of god

in the congregation, the beloued frendes of God had not onely respecte vnto the outewarde thynge, but muche rather be∣helde they Chryst with the eyes of fayth &* 1.102 thought thus. Beholde, the wyll of God hathe ordeyned to do sacrifice for synne, now are we all synners and detters vnto god, in so much that he hath power & right ouer vs, that lyke as the beeste whyche is now slayne and offred, dyeth, & hath hys bloud shed. Euen so myght God now al∣so kyll vs all, and coudemne vs for euer, Neuerthelesse he hath takē vs to his mer∣cy and promysed vs a sede, whiche shulde thus dye on the crosse, and clense vs wyth hys bloud, & wyth hys deth restore vs vn∣to lyfe. Whyche thynge no doute shall as surely come to passe, as thys beest is slay∣ne & offred now a ore our eyes. And lyke as the bloude is sprenkled ouer the people for the bodely clēsyng. So shall the bloud of Christ be sprenkled vpon oure soules, &c. And out of suche thoughte and fayth∣full consyderacion of the sacrifices, grewe repentaunce and sorow for theyr synnes, a gladnesse, prayse, comforte and thankes geuynge vnto God the mercyfull father. And to thys do serue certayne Psalmes, whyche were made concernynge the sacri∣fices. To thys also serue all the rebukyn∣ges of the holy Prophetes, and the refu∣singes of the oblations. For the exteriour pompe and shewe of the offrynges, wyth∣out fayth in God and the blessed sede, is nothyng worth, yea it is rather abhomi∣nacion

vnto god, as thou seyst in the first* 1.103 chapter of Esaye. Thou w••••t aske: Might not god haue taught and shewed his peo∣ple the cause of Jesu Christ and of true be¦leue, none other waye, then thorowe and wyth suche cost pompe and glory of sacri¦fices & other gorgiousnesse of the churche? I answere. Yf the people had not fallē to* 1.104 more wyckednesse in Egypt thorow their dwellynge amonge the ydolaters, but had constantly and stedfastly remained, as dyd theyr fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob then myghte they well haue contynued by the olde shorte symple fourme as it was amonge the holy fathers. But nowe had they sene in Egypte an outwarde costlye gods seruice, wyth temples, altures, sacri∣fices, pre••••hode, holy daves, ornamētes. &c. Lykewyse the ydolatrye increaced dayly in all the worlde, so that nowe there was vtterly no people, whyche had not theyr owne outwarde ceremonies▪ wherewyth they serued God. To the intente then that God myghte re••••••ne hys people wythin the compasse of fayth in one God, and in the blessed sede promysed afore: to the in∣tente also that they shoulde shewe no out∣ward▪ seruyce to any other goddes, or ta∣ke vpon them to serue God after the ma∣ner* 1.105 of the Egipciās or after other Heithē, he appoynted an outwarde gods seruice, and cōmaunded to do the same vnto hym, and els to none, and in the same pleased it hym to set forth all the cause of the for∣sayde sede, tyll he came and perfourmed

all thynges indede, that they hadde fygu∣rally in theyr sacrifices Morouer, god (ac¦cordyng •••• hys wysdome (of hys speciall mercy and good herte, that he hath vnto mans generation wolde wyth these out∣warde tokēs tender oure weaknesse: whi∣che of spirituall heauenly thynges hathe better vnderstandynge, whan they are shewed vnto it by corporall vysible thyn∣ges. God therfore thorow suche corporall* 1.106 representations, laboured to shewe vnto that grosse and fleshly people, the heuenly cause of hys sonne. Neuer••theles the cor∣porall visible thynges were geuen for no longer, but vntyll the tyme of the fulfyl∣lynge. But now that C••r••st hath appea∣red and fulfylled and perfourmed all that was wrytē and figured of hym in the law and the prophetes, the figure ceasseth▪ and the outewarde Sacramentes of Moses lawe▪ are of no more value, to be exercised and vsed. Thus muche ••••sayde of the cere¦monyes.

Where as besyde the ceremonies there* 1.107 is muche wryten also in the lawe concer∣nynge cyuyle policye, ordynaunce, iudge∣ment, to lyue peaceable and well in cytye and lande. Of biyng and sellyng, of warre and peace, of enherytaunce and proper∣tyes, of lawes matrimonyall: of punyshe∣ment of the wycked: of the iudgement and connsaill: of leadynge and borowynge. &c. It is no newes at all, and serueth altoge∣ther for the declaratiō of the fyre ••ōmaun¦dementes of the seconde table and is com∣prehended

in the wordes of Paul, Roma xiii. Loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe▪ And in the wordes of Christe. That thou woldest not haue done vnto the, doo not thou to another. Math. vii. Suche lawes and rules to lyue in peace, in a cyuyle or∣dre and vertue, haue also the good holy fa¦thers had frō the begynnyng of the world wrytten in theyr hartes by God hym sel∣se. Nowe hathe God also caused all to be comprehended in wryttynge by Moses to the intente that the World myghte ha∣ue all more clearlye and perfectly, and that no man myghte excuse hym selfe of ignoraunce.

☞ The originall of the holy scripture and fayth thereof.

THys mater which I haue hyther∣to treated vpon, haue I not feyned of my selfe, but taken it out of the mouthe and worde of God. For god styred vp Moses to wryte and leaue behynde hym all the matter, for our ler∣nyng and knowlege. Thys dyd now Mo¦ses wyth great faythfulnesse, & cōprehen∣ded* 1.108 all in foure bokes. The fyrste is called the boke of the creation, from the be gyn∣nynge of the worlde vnto hys tyme, of the creacion of the worlde, begynnynge of all nacions, and of the Patriarkes and olde ryghteous seruaūtes of god of theyr faith and conuersacion, of the promises & wor∣kes

••e god. The same wrote he as he was inspired of the holy goost, and as he had receaued of olde fathers, and somwhat as he founde in the bokes of the Egipcians. For Moses was excellently well lerned in all wysdome of the Egipcians, as Ste¦uen doth wytnesse of hym, Act. vii. The o∣ther thre bokes wrote he of hys owne ty∣me, accordynge as he hym selfe was pre∣sent, sawe and knewe. And specially the se¦conde koke concernynge the departynge* 1.109 out of Egipt, how the people of god were oppressed in Egipte, howe the Egypcians were punyshed, how Israell was delyue∣red, receaued the lawe, and set vp a taber∣nacle wyth a gorgious seruynge of God. In the thyrde boke whych is called Leuiti¦cus* 1.110 are wrytten the spirituall lawes, na∣mely suche as concerneth the preestes and the presthode, theyr office, lyuynge, know∣lege, sacrifices, solempne feaste dayes, ry∣tes, ceremonies, and suche lyke. In the fourth whyche is called. Numeri, he wry∣teth at length, how they went thorow the* 1.111 wyldernesse, and came to Jordane, wyth a rehearsal of theyr ordre and nombre, of theyr murmurynge also and punyshment, and of certayne victories, wyth a remem∣braunce of certayne lawes and statutes. Besyde all thys he made yet an Enchiri∣dion,* 1.112 and summe of all the Actes of hys tyme and of the lawe of God, whyche is called Deuteronomium: the same cōmaun¦ded he to be layd in the Arke at the moc ō of God, and that it shulde be red vnto all

the people, as it is mencioned. Deut. xxxi. And in these fyue bokes geuen vs of God* 1.113 by Moses, is the whole grounde of oure holy faythe. For all the Prophetes after∣warde grounded them selues vpon the sa∣me, and wrote therout, lyke as afterwarde our Lorde Jesus and the Apostles poynte vnto Moses. Nether dyd euer any ryghte wyse man of vnderstandyng and that fea¦red God, doute any thynge or blaspheme suche scriptures. And from suche true ser∣uauntes of God, haue we hytherto recea∣ued our matters in wrytinge.

Thus much haue I sayd concernynge* 1.114 the lawe, howe it is no newe thynge, but euen the onely wyll of god, but now com∣pre hended in wryrtynge. Moreouer that all the law poynteth vnto Christ, and that all men of ryght vnderstandynge whyche lyued vnder the law, were Christen. For manifest is it that Paull sayde. Roma. x. Christ is the ende of the lawe, to iustifie e∣uery one that beleueth. And Galathia. iii. Or euer faith (that is to saye, Christ) came we were kepte and shut vp vnder the law vnto the fayth whyche shulde afterwarde be declared. Thus was the law our scole∣master vnto Christ that we might be ma∣de ryghteous by faith. All thys I suppose wyll be new and starunge in many hertes neuertheles I truste that all they whyche haue vnderstandyng, do se and knowlege that thys is the true, olde, ryght and godly Dyuinite and Theologye, whyche ascry∣beth all honoure vnto god the father tho∣row

oure Lorde Jesu Christe in the holye goost. To whome be glory and prayse for euer.

Amen.

¶ All vertuous kynges and the people of Israell, trusted vnto Christ, and not to the lawe.

AFter that the law was geuen, and the gods seruice set vp, Moses the seruaunt of God dyed, beynge an hundreth and twentye yeare olde: and at the commaundement and commis∣sion of God, he lefte gods people to be ru¦led and gyded by the faythfull val••aunt•• Josue, whyche also was a figure of oure Lorde Jesu. For lyke as it was not Mo∣ses, but Josue that brought the people in* 1.115 to the lande of promes. Euen so are we brought in to the eternall reste, not by the workes of the lawe, nor thorow our own deseruing, but by the grace thorow Jesus Christ: lyke as it is also wyth many wor∣des expressed of holy Paul Heb, iiii. This Josue no doute, dyd kepe, maynteine and defende gods fayth and religion, with the sprete and vnderstandynge thereof, and taught other to keye the same▪ lyke as he thoro••e gods inspiration receaued it of the fathers by Moses. Whyche thynge thoughe it be euydent in many poyntes, yet is it manyfeste specially by thys, that he wolde not suffre the chyldren of Rub••n and G••d and the halfe tribe of Man••sse

to set vp and haue another auture, beside the onely autare that the lord had appoin¦ted them. For here in (as it is mencioned afore) was figured the vertue and perfect¦nesse of the onely crosse, death, and sacri∣ficyng of Jesu Christe. Therefore wolde not Josue, that any thynge shulde be set check mate wyth the cross and oblacion of Jesu Christ, but that all honour of clē∣synge and forgeuenesse of synnes shulde be ascribed onely vnto hym.

Where as Josue now and other iud∣ges, rulers, princes and kynges of Israell after hym vsed sore & great warre, stroke many horrible battayles, destroyed muche lande and people, and shed mens bloude without measure, he dyd it as a chefe head and as an instrument and vessell of God, at the commaundemente of God, whyche wolde so punyshe the ydolatrye, the great synne & blasphemy of the vngodly, whych he had longe suffred, and exhorted them to amendement, but for all hys pacient aby∣dynge they woulde not conuerte. Those now dyd he rote out thorowe the swerde of hys beloued fr••ndes: somtyme delyue∣red he hys people wyth the swerde of the ryghteous, and saued them from the hāde of theyr enemyes. For because of the syn∣nes of hys people, he gaue them ouer som∣tyme in to the hande of theyr enemies, to nurtoure and correcte them wyth the rod: then fell the people of God, & ••••ede before theyr enemies, and were subdued and op∣prest of the vngodly, tyll they knowledged

their synnes, called vpon god and amen∣ded, puttynge their truste in good onely, thorowe the blessed sede, worshyppynge hym onely, callynge vpon hym, and honou∣rynge hym accordynge to hys worde, ca∣stynge a waye straunge god seruyce and ydols, that shamefull, blasphemous and vn godly lyuynge. Then sente he them hys hel¦pe, and delyuered them in hys power, by the ministration of hys appoynted captay¦nes. And soche warrynge, delyuerynge and punyshinge was no fleshly vnfaithfull wor¦ke, whome no man oughte to folowe, as some beynge wrapped with the vnstedfast sprete of the Manichees and Ana bapti∣stes,* 1.116 do meane. For Paul expresseth clear∣ly: And what shall I saye of Gedeon Ba∣rach, Samson, and Jephthae, Dauid and Samuel, and the Prophetes? whiche tho∣row faith subdued kyngdomes, wrought righteousnesse, opteyned the promyses, stop¦ped the mouthes of Lyons, quenched the violence of fyre, escaped the edge of the swerde, of weake were made stronge, be∣came valeaunt in batayll, turned to flyght the armyes of the aleauntes. Hebre. xi.

All which workes the holy Apostle pray∣seth and commendeth as excellent workes of faith. Therfore are they no workes of the flesh, n••ther is it now contrary to the holy faith, yf Christen rulers delyuer their innocent people (whome God hath sub∣dued vnto them) from wrongfull violence, and defende their libertye, righteousnesse, house and lande, or punyshe the shamefull

blasphemers, ydolaters, and persecuters of the holy fayth, and not suffre them to haue all their malycious wyll.

Neuertheles thys must be done by them, to whome god hath committed the swerde* 1.117 For thus sayeth the Lorde: Who so ta∣keth the swerde, shall perishe thorow the swerde. Matthe .xxvi. But specially in the battayls of gods people and of the vn∣faytfull it commeth to pas, and is expresly, set before our eyes, that god sayde to the serpent at the begynnyng: Genesi. iii.

I wyll put enemyte betwene thy sede and the womans sede. For the righteous are the sede of Christe, the vnrighteous and vnfaytfull are the sede of the deuell. Bet∣wene these now se we greate discorde: but specially thys, that the faythfull do al∣waye treade the serpente on the headde, though they them selues also be bytten in the hele. For the right faythfull beleuers afore the birth of christe in the tyme of the promes, had no lesse trouble and persecu∣tion, not onely because of synne, but also for righteousnes and faythes sake, then the faythfull after Chrystes byrth in the ty∣me of grace and perfectnes. Therfore ha∣ue they small knowlege of the doinges of the faythful, which saye, that the people of olde were a victoryous people, and go∣uerued corporally, but that the people after Christes comminge are borne to suffre, and* 1.118 to no victory or gouernaunce. Neuer∣theles in these wonderfull tymes (in the whiche gods people hadde now victory,

and anone were subdued and oppressed) the true fayth continued vpright and vn∣blemished from Josue forth thorowe out all the iudges, vntyll the tyme and raigne of Dauid.

Dauid also was a man that suffred* 1.119 moch thorow dyuerse and long trouble, thorow miserable distresse and vexacion, and thorow sore persecution, without ce••s∣synge, beynge proued, tryed and prouoked, afore he was kynge: Wherof the bokes of Samuel and the more parte of the Psal∣mes beareth recorde. But after that he was promoted vnto the kyngdome, by God (whiche sayde: I haue founde a man af∣ter* 1.120 myne owne hert) he auaunced, set forth and magnified the true fayth righte dely∣gently. Here also to the honoure of oure Lorde Jesu Christe, wyll I shortly and by the waye declare, what knowlege and faith thys noble kynge and prophete had of our Lord Jesu. Thys wyll I do with the decla¦racion of the .c. xi. Psalme, whose wordes are these:

The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde: Syt thou at my ryght hande, tyll I make thyn* 1.121 enemyes thy foote stole. In the fyrste verse Dauid knowlegeth the personnes in the holy Trinite, the godheade also and the eternall kyngdome of Christe. Thus lykewyse dyd our Lorde Jesus Christ vn∣derstonde and alledge thys verse in the Gospell. Mathe .xxii. knowledgynge two of the personnes in the one onely godhead For he sayeth: The Lorde sayde vnto my

Lorde. Now is it certayne and vndenya∣ble, that he which speaketh, & he to whom∣ought is spoken, are not one, but two per∣sonnes. Yet is ther but one Lorde and god, and they both (the father that speaketh, and the sonne to whome is spoken) are the Lord, therfore are they one, of one substaun¦ce and beynge, they very true god.

Nether is the sonne lesse then the father, There can also none be a father, except he haue a sonne or a chylde. Now is the euer lastyng father God, therfore is the sonne also euerlastynge. There is also but one onely euerlastinge without begynnynge. Both the father and the sonne are eternal without begynnynge, therfore are they one onely true God with the holy gooste. Ly∣ke as Johan also sayeth: In the begyn∣nynge (that is to saye, from euerlastinge) was the worde, and the worde was with God, and the worde was god. And imme¦diatly therafter sayeth he, that the worde is Jesus Christe our Lorde. For it folo∣weth.* 1.122 The worde became fleshe. Therfore doth Dauid also call the sonne of god spe∣cially hys Lorde, sayenge: The Lorde say∣de vnto my Lorde. And therfore calleth he Christe hys Lorde, because he confes∣seth and beleueth, that he is hys very natu∣rall Lorde and god, as Thomas also dyd knowlege: My lord and my god. Joh. xx. Afterwarde calleth he hym hys Lorde, be∣cause that after the nature of man, he shul∣de be borne out of hys loynes. For tho∣row out all the scripture is our Lorde, Je∣sus

called the sōne of Dauid. And thus bothe Dauid knowlege two natures in Christ, the nature of God and the nature of man.

That the kyngdome of Christ shall last for euer, and that the kynde and nature of man shalbe exalted aboue all heauens (a•• Paul saieth. h••b ii.) Dauid testifieth wit•• these wordes Syt thou at my ryghte hā¦de, tyl I make thyne enemies thy fo••e stole For Marke sayeth in the .xvi. Chapter The Lorde was taken vp in to heauē an•• sytteth at the ryght hand of God▪ Of thi•• also fynde we. i. Cor. xv. Now he must •••• des be very God in dede, whyche rey••∣nethe for euer, and to whome all enem••¦es muste be subdued, y••a cast vtterly vn∣der hys fete. Nowe foloweth the second•• verse.

The Lorde shall sende thy myghtye staf out of Syon: thou shal•• be Lord, eue•• in the myddes amonge thyne enemyes.

Here speketh he of the preaching of the holy Gospell, and how the worlde shulde be conuerted vnto Christe, and Chryste to reygne in the myddes of the worlde. In the fyrste verse is spoken of the eternall kyngdome, that he is very God, lyuynge and reignynge for euer, not onely in thys tyme, but also after thys tyme eternally. Bu here speaketh he specially of the kyng¦dome,* 1.123 where as he reygneth here benethe thorow the Gospell. For the staf, the scep∣ter, the rodde of Chryste is the holy Gos∣pell, euen the power of god, whych saueth

all that beleue. Roma i. Whyche maketh Christes enemies frendes, and smyteth them downe that wyll not cōuerte: so that Chryste hath dominion and victory euen in the myddes amonge hys enemies. It is he, that wyth the spirite of hys mouthe slayeth the Antichristes. Thys hys worde also and preachynges of the Gospell, ca∣me forth fyrst from Syon or Hierusalem as Esaye, Micheas. & Luke doth testifye.* 1.124 Now foloweth the thyrd verse.

In the day of thy battayll (or armye) shall thy p••ople be well wyllynge: the dew of thy byrth is, vnto the in an holy maie∣stye, oute of the wombe of the cleare mor∣nynge.

Here with doth Dauid describe the glo∣rious and victorious fayth of the christē. For whan the Gospell is preached, there* 1.125 aryseth a conflicte betwene faith and infi¦delite, betwene the sede of Christ and the serpent, betwene ydolatrye and true god∣lynesse. And the vnbeleuers persecute the Lorde Christe in hys membres, that is to saye the faythfull: but they are well con∣tēt vtterly to geue ouer body, honour and goodes, theyr bloud and lyfe for gods tru¦thes sake. For the martyrs and they in the prymitiue Churche, beynge gathered to∣gether of the Apostles, and after the Apo∣stles tyme, haue thus kepte trueth & fayth towarde the Lorde Christ, and were wyl∣lynge to dye ••or knowlegynge hym. After¦ward describeth he also in the foresayde verse, the pure and holy Conception and

byrth of our Lord Jesu Chryst. And thys* 1.126 doth he wyth a goodly similitude, & sayeth Thy byrth shalbe holy and very excellent not vncleane as the byrthe of other men. For lyke as the dew out of the cleare hea∣uen & out of the fayre mornynge, is borne as it wereout of a mothers wombe. Euē so also shalt thou be borne holy and cleane of an vndefyled virgin. Wherof thou fin¦dest more instruction Luke i.

The Lorde hath swome, and it shall not repēt him thou art prest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech.

In thys fourth verse descr••beth he the office of Jesu Christ, how that he is ordey¦ned* 1.127 of God to be one onely preist for euer whych shuld offer vp hym selfe for the syn¦ne of the world, and alway appeare in the syght of God the father, and to praye for vs. All thys doth holy Paull declare at large to the Hebreues in the .v. vii. viii. ix. and. x, chap. And specially in thys verse is grounded all that is red thorowe out the scripture, of the merites of Christ, of the forgeuyng of sinnes, of righteous making of beynge mediatoure, and that he alone is the onely saluation, aduocate, satisfa∣ction and ryghteousnesse of the faythfull.

The Lorde is at thy ryght hand: he in the tyme of hys wrath shall wounde euen kynges.

Thys fyfth verse teacheth, howe God wyll ener more and more stand on hys sō∣nes* 1.128 syde, further hys cause, and brynge downe and destroye those kynges princes

and Lordes, that wyl not amende and be∣leue in Christ, but wyll rather prouoke his wrathe, then ••elyre hys grace. Whyche thynge Herodes, Nero, Domicianus, Maximinus and Julianus haue proued. Yet foloweth the syxte verse declarynge the fyfth.

He shall iudge amonge the Heythen, and fyll all full of deed bodyes, and smyte the heade on the wyde grounde.

Christ is also preached vnto the Heithē and reigneth among thē: but many wyth∣stande Chryste, and them dothe he iudge. And lyke as a kynge ouercommeth hys e∣nemyes wyth a battayle, and couereth the whole playne wyth deed bodyes, visiteth also and smyteth the head of the warre, & the head cycie of the enemies. Euē so doth* 1.129 Christ to his enemies, and destroieth their power and kyngdome. All whych thynges we haue sene in the olde vnchristē empyre of Rome, and in many other potentates and powers. But specially he breaketh the head of the olde serpent, accordyng to the promes. Gene. iii. And at the laste shall he come to iudge the quycke and deed, and de∣stroye hys enemyes for euer.

Out of the broke in the way shall he drynke, therfore shall he also lyfte vp the heade.

Fynally and in the seuenth verse, he de∣scribeth the passion of Christ and his glo∣ry. In the waye (sayeth he) that is, in hys lyfe whyle he is in thys miserie. He shall drynke oute of the broke, that is, he shall

suffer & be ouercome. For to drynke out of* 1.130 the cuppe is asmuche as to suffer. But to drynke oute of the broke, is to be altoge∣ther full of trouble, to be vexed and ••ormē¦ted wythoute victory, and vtterly to be o∣uerwhelmed wyth a broke & strong strea∣me of troubles. Thus was it hys mynde to declare the passion of Christ. After the passiō foloweth the glory wyth the resur∣rection and ascensiō. Paul Philip. ii. spea¦keth of both, and sayeth. Chryste humbled hymselfe, and became obediēt vnto death euen the deathe of the Crosse. Wherfore God hath exalted hym, and geuen hym a name, whyche is aboue all names. &c. Thus muche be spoben of thys Psalme and of Dauids vnderstandyng, ••hych he had of Christ Jesu and of the christē faith

Upon thys I maruayll, yf (after so eui∣dente testimonies) there be yet any man, whych perceaueth not that Dauids faith and vnderstandyng of Christe, was euen one fayth and vnderstandynge, wyth the fayth that we knowlege and say. I beleue in one God father alymightye &c, As it is in the xii articles of the Chrysten faythe. For the holy trinite in one godheade doth he knowlege, not onely here, but also in* 1.131 the .xxxiii. Psalme sayenge Thorowe the worde of God were the heauēs made, and all theyr power thorow the sprete of hys mouth. For certayne it is, that there is but one onely God, maker of heauen and of erth: but here is the trinite called Lord or God, worde and sprete. Nether is there

any thynge in the Articles of the beleue concernynge the Godhead and manhode of Christ, of hys concepcion, byrth, passiō, crosse and death, of the resurrection, ascē∣sion and iudgement, but ti is clearly com∣prehended here in thys Psalme. The arti∣cles of the holy churche, of forgeuynge of sinnes the, resurrectiō of the fleshe, and an euerlastynge lyfe, are conteyned in thys Psalme, and are treated vpon yet more clearly, and wyth many moo wordes very substantially in other Psalmes of Dauid Therfore had he our holy fayth, & know∣leged* 1.132 the same, was saued therein, and of all holy mē was called the father of christ wyth hye commendation, bycause of the promes that was made vnto hym. More∣ouer all the holy Prophetes folowynge, had respecte vnto Dauid, as to another Moses, and toke many thinges out of his wryttynges. For there is scace any other, that so clearly wrote of the cause of christ as thys prophet Dauid, and therfore hath he honoure and prayse aboue other in Is∣rael, Of whome thou readest also▪ Eccle. xlvii. Such fayth and confidence in God thorow Jesus Christ, had Dauid oute of the holy goost, and out of the doctrine of hys Prophetes Samuel, Nathan & Gad, and of other hys preistes, whych also had the same of God, and of the holy fathers, specially of Moses. And no doute, he desi∣red the honoure of God and of hys sōne, not to kepe it onelye hym selfe, but also muche rather to requyre it of all hys peo∣ple

Wherfore no doute he set vp and fur∣thured thys hys fayth and religion amōg all hys men of warre, kynstolke, in al hys courte, Edominion, before the whole con∣gregation, and in all hys kyngdome: so•• diligently, ernestly, and feruently, that af∣terwarde certayne hundreth yeares, they whych beleued ryghte & lyued well, were praysed for walkyug in the wayes of Da¦uid theyr father. They also that dyd euell and set: not forth the true fayth, of them is it wryten. They walked not in the wayes of Dauid theyr father. Of thys hast thou* 1.133 many ensamples in the bokes of the kyn∣ges, and in the Cronicles. Many thynges also were forgeuen the kynges and all the people of Juda, for Dauids sake, that is, for the promes sake mode vnto Dauyd, euen for Jesus Christes sake, whom Eze∣chiel calleth Dauid. In the. iii boke of the kynges the, xv. chapter, it is wryttē thus: The hert of Abia was not ryght toward* 1.134 hys Lord God as was the hart of Dauid hys father. And for Dauyds sake dyd the Lorde geue hym a lyghte at Hierusalem, so that at Hierusalē he set vp hys sonne, and preserued him. For Dauid did it that was ryght in the syght of the Lord and al the dayes of lyfe hys dydde not he shrenke from any thyng that he cōmaunded him, excepte in the matter of Urias the H••••hite Thus readeste thou also of Ezechias. iii. Regum. xviii. In the iiii. boke of the kyn∣ges the .xxv. chapter: sayeth: he Prophete: Afore Josias was there no Kynge, that

was lyke hym, whych turned hym selfe so vnto the Lord wyth all hys hart, wyth all hys soule, and wyth all hys power, accor∣dynge to all the lawe of Moses. And af∣terwarde came there none lyke hym. But in the seconde boke of the Cronycles the xx••iiii. Chapter stondeth the declaracion of the foresayde place after thys maner. Josyas reygned at Hierusalem xxxi. yea∣re, and dyd that whych pleased the Lord and walked in the wayes of hys Father Dauyd, and declined nether to the ryght hande nor to the lyfte. For in the eyghte yeare of hys reygne whyle he was yet but yonge (euen syxtene yeare olde) he begane to seke the god of hys father Dauid.

Thus muche be spoken concernynge this, that Israel and all the vertuous kin¦ges of Juda, trusted vnto Chrste, and not to the lawe of Moses. Who so desyreth the nomber of the yeares, he fyndeth .iii. Regum. vi. euen. 480, yeares, from the de∣partynge out of Egipte vntyl the fourthe yeare of the reygne of Salomon. And from that tyme vntyl the captiuite of Babilon, are rekened. 419. yeares, or there aboutes. Altogether ma∣ke. 899 yea∣res.

☞ All holy Prophetes do poynte vnto Christ, and preache salua∣cion onely in hym.

SOmwhat yet wyll we nowe declare farther co••ernynge the tymes of the kynges of Juda and Israell, whych in a maner were euen as the tymes of the Judges of Israell. For lyke as in the fyrst yeares of Josue, god gaue great victory and honoure, and afterwarde ••est and peace. Euen so were the Israelytes very victorious and tryumphant vnder Dauid, & had great reste and peace vnder Salomon But lyke as after the death of* 1.135 Josue the honour of Israel decreaced and the departynge away from God folowed wyth one persecutiō vpō another (though in the meane tyme they had peace and de∣lyuerers, as Othoniel, Ehud, Barack, Ge¦deō. Jephthae, Sampson. &c.) Euē so dyd the worshyppe of Israell decreace after Salomons tyme. For the ten ••ryb••s of Israel fell awaye from the house of Da∣uid, only Juda and Ben Jamin helde Sa¦lomons sonne Roboam for theyr kynge: the other made Hieroboam kynge. And so of one kyngdom were made two, the kin∣gdome of Israel, and the kingdom of Ju∣da. The kyngdome of Israell (thorow the persuasiō of Hieroboam) chose them ano∣ther maner of seruynge God. Not that they vtterlye denye and refused the God of theyr fathers, but they serued him after a straung heythenish maner of theyr owne ymagenyng. But afterward they fell the

longer the more and farther in to grosse ydolatrye, so longe, tyll the Lorde suffered them to be roted out and cary••d away by the kynge of the Assprians, and scatred abrode among all the Heythen. The kyng¦dome and the kynges of Juda were som∣what better, howbeit they had some also whych excelled the kynges of Israell and of the Heythen in vngodlynesse. For they lykewyse went forth so longe in vnrygh∣teousnesse, tyll Nabugodonosor the kyng roted them oute, and caryed them awaye vnto Babilon. But afore, we se that there was a wonderfull combraunce in the ey∣uyll police and in the religion Sometyme was all ryghteousnesse and true relygion opprest, and violence and ydolatrye vsed. Somtyme gat ryghteousnes vp againe, & the ryght true fayth had y^• victory all vn∣ryght and ydolatrye beynge put downe. Thys came to pas also in Israell vnder Helyas and kyng Jehu. Yet was the ydo∣latrie* 1.136 and wronge rather punysshed▪ then any amendement folowynge. Lyke as it came also to pas after the byrth of Christ that there were vertuous kynges & Em∣perours, whych (accordyng to the prophe ••ye of Esaye in the .xlix. Chapter) dyd all ryghte ousnesse set vp the fayth of Christ and put downe all yd latrye. Agayne, there came other that s••t vp all vnryghte∣ousnesse & ydolatrye, persecuted the trueth and at the laste receyued theyr reward cō∣uenīet. So wayghtie a matter is it to ha∣ue good or euell rulers.

But in these wonderfull alterations,* 1.137 and thorowe out all the tyme of these go∣uernaunces of both the kyngdomes, God alway sente hys seruauntes the holy pro∣phetes, ••o rebuke wronge and ydolatrye, and to teache all ryghteousnesse and true seruyng of God. And fyrst after the tyme of Dauid and Salomon (vnder whome ther was a great multitude of lerned and holy prophetes. For Dauid also and Sa∣lomon were excellently endewed wyth the sprete of wysdome and prophe••ie aboue other mē) these were the chefe, mooste fa∣mous, and oldest prophetes, of whom the byble maketh mencion wyth worshyppe: Semeias, whyche lyued vnder Roboam kyng of Juda, Ah••as the Si••onyte vnd••r Hieroboam, ••zari••s the sonne of Obed, whyche lyued vnder Asa kyng of Juda, & Jehu the sonne of Anany, whom Baasa the kyng of Israel sl••w. Helias the great prophet and Miche as the son of J••mla, lyued vnder Achab and Josaphat.

Now lyke as in the tyme of ••au•• there was a great nombre of lerned men, ••uen so testifieth the seconde boke of the Cro∣nicles in the .xvii. chapter that in the tyme of Josaphat there were many lerned Le∣uites and Prophetes. Helis••us was in the tyme of kyng J••hu, and zacharias the sonne of Jo••ada was vnder Joas, vnder whome also he was stoned. Neuerth••••s we haue no bokes wrytten an•• set forthe by these, Onely we haue the prophecie of Abdia••, whyche wrote his prophecie vn∣der

Achab. Afterward vnder Usia Jothā Achas and Ezec••ias kynges of Juda ly∣ued the moost parte of thē, whose bokes are abrode. For vnder these preached and wrote ••onas, Oseas, Isaias, Johel, Na∣hū, Amos, & Micheas. Afterward vnder kynge Manasses, wrote Abacuk. Under the holy kyng Josias, wrote Sophonias Ba••uch and Hieremye: in whose dayes Israell had suche mystortune, that Hye∣rusalem wyth the temple was destroyed: and the p••ople that remained ouer and pe∣ryshed not, were caried awaye captyue in to Babylon. In the same Captyui••e dyd Ezech••el and Daniell wryte theyr prophe∣cies. And after the captiuite whan Israel was delyuered agayne, and came home to Hyerusalem, then preached and wrote Esdras. Haggeus, zacharias, Malachias and Nehemias. Besyde these Prophrtes no doute there were other moo, of whom no mencyon is made. But these are the thefe, by woome it pleased God to open vnto vs, all that apperteyneth to our sal∣u••••ion. And though we had also the wry∣tynges of the oth••r▪ yet shoulde ••e r••ade no other thynge in them, then we fynde in oure owne Prophetes, for asmuche as these whome we haue, agree so together all in one.

Now whether they be our own prophe¦tes▪* 1.138 whose writīges we haue, or the other whose wrytinges we haue not. Yet haue they all preached the sūme of the doctrine and knowlege the ••ayth, that we spake of

afore, & wrote in one summ••, whych fayth Adam, Noe, Abrahā, Mos••s, and Dauid had. And thys dyd they the more euidētly, because they apply••d thē selues to opē the lawe, and to dryue awaye the mysvnder∣standynge, whyche was rysen vp among and in the people: therfore poynte they e∣uery where frō the letter vnto the sprete, frō y^• outward sacrifice vnto christ Jesus from all ydola••rye vnto the onely God, whyche saueth vs thorow hys mercy only in the blessed sede, & horowe none of oure deseruinges. This dyd Paul se, & therfore sayde he. Roma. iii. Thorowe the workes of the law shall no man be iustified in the syght of god, For thorow the law cōmeth* 1.139 the knowlege of synne. But nowe is the ryghteous••es of God declared wythoute the lawe, for as muche as it is alowed by the ••estimo••y of the law & the Prophetes. The ryghteousnes of God cōmeth by the fay••h of Jesus Christ, vnto al, and vpō al thē that beleue. So sayeth Peter also in th••▪ ••••▪ of the Actes. All the prophetes from Samuell. & thence forth (as many as haue spoken) haue tolde of th••se dayes. And in the. ••▪ chapter. ••••o••hys Jesus Christ geue all the prophetes wi••nes, that whosoeuer beleueth in hym, shall thorowe hys name recyeue forg••uen••sse of synnes.

Who so now is lerned in the wrytyn∣ges of the Prophetes, knoweth well, that there is nothyng red concernyng the Lord in the new Testament, whych the prophe∣tes haue not prophecyed of afore. He that

is then any thynge iustructe in the Pro∣phetes, hathe no doute consydred thys in the new testamēt, that the apostles proue all theyr doctrine of the Lorde Jesu, out of the lawe and the Prophetes. Yea that the Lord hym selfe confyrmeth hys owne do∣ynges wyth the scriptures of the prophe∣tes, and that the Euāgelistes thorow out the holy gospell, set vnto the doctrine and miracles of Christ, these wordes. And this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken dy the prophetes. Neuerthe∣les for theyr sakes that are not yet instru∣cte, I wyll nowe declare the principall ar∣ticles of our Lord Jesu Christ, out of the holy prophetes.

As touchyng the true godheade & man∣hode of oure Lorde Jesu Christ, and that* 1.140 he shulde be borne at Bethleē in the lande of Jewrye, of a pure virgin and maide out of the kynred of Dauid, the Prophetes te∣stifie after thys maner. Esaye in the. v••i. Chapter ••ayeth. Beholde a virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne, and shall call hys name Emanuell, that is to saye. God wyth vs. Micheas saieth in the .v. chapter Though thou Bethleem Ephrata arte to small to be rekened amonge the pryncy∣pall cyties of Juda, yet oute of the shall there come one vnto me, whych shalbe ru∣ler in Israell, whose forth goyng is from euerlastynge. In the nynth Chapter of Esaye it is wrytten. Unto vs is a chylde borne, and to vs is geuen a sonne, vppon whose shulders the kyngdome shall lye,

and he shalbe called after hys own name euen the wondefull counsaill geuer, the myghty one of Israel, the eternall father, the Prince of peace, hys kyngdome shall increace, and of hys peace there shalbe no ende, and he shall reigne vppon the seate of Dauid hys father. In the. xxiii of Hie∣remy it is wrytten thus. Beholde, the ty∣me* 1.141 commeth (sayth the Lorde) that I wyl tay••e vp the ryghteous blossome of Da∣uid: he shall be kyng and reygne, and pros∣pere: iudgemente and ryghteousnesse shall he e••••cute vpon earth. In thys tyme shall Juda be saued, and Israell shall dwell wythoute feare: & thys is the name wher∣wythe he shall be named, euen God oure ryghteousnes.

Concernynge the commynge of John the baptist w••ych was the fore runner of oure Lorde Christ, and prepared the peo∣ple for hym. Hath Malachy wryttē in the thyrde chapter after thys maner. Beholde* 1.142 I wyll sende my messaunger, whych shall prepare the waye before me: and the Lord whome ye longe for, shall shortly come to hys temple, and the messaunger of the co∣uenaunt whome y•• wolde haue. Beholde, he commeth sayeth the Lord zebaoth. And after warde. Beholde, I wyll sende Heli∣as the Prophete afore the commynge of the greate and fearefull Daye of the Lorde.

Of Christes preachynge, of the grace of God, of the forgeuing of synnes of the

wonders also and tokens of the Lorde, speaketh. Esaye in the. l••i. Chapter after* 1.143 thys maner. The spirite of the Lorde god is vpon me, and therfore hath the Lorde anoynted me, to preache the Gospel to the meke harted hath he sente me, to heale the broken harted, to preache delyueraunce to the captyue, to open the pryson to suche as are in bondes, to proclame the yeare of Gods gracyous wyll, and to brynge consolation to all them that are in heuy∣nes. In the .xxxiiii. chapter of Ezechiell it is wrytten thus. Ouer my shepe wyll I* 1.144 rayse vp one onely shepherde, whych shall fede thē, evē Dauid my seruaunt, whych shall fede them, and he shalbe theyr shep∣herde. I the Lorde also wyll be theyr God and Dauid shalbe theyr prince, euen I the Lorde haue spoken it. In the .xxxv. Cha. of Esaye it is wrytten thus. Saye vnto them that are of a feble hart. Be stronge* 1.145 and feare not, beholde, oure god commeth to take vengeaūce, & reward. God cōmeth hym selfe, & wyll delyuer you. Then shall the eyes of the blynde be opened. &c.

Then shall the lame man leape as an hert and the tonge of the Domne shall geue prayse.

Of the kyngdom of Christ, in the which he hym selfe alone is kynge, all the world beynge subiecte vnto hym, declarynge hys dominion and royall maiestye, wrytteth Esaye thus in the seconde Chapter. And it shall come to passe in the last tyme, that the hyll of the house of the Lorde shall be

exalted vpon the hyght of mountaynes aboue all lits•• hylles, and all nacions shall come together vnto hym, the people shall go to him, and saye: Come let vs go vp to the mount of the Lorde, euen to the house of the God of Jacob, that he maye shew vs hys waye, and we wyll walke in hys pathes. For the lawe shall come forth frō Sion, and the worde of God from Hie∣rusalem. In the .vii. of Daniel it is writtē thus: I sawe a / vision in the nyght, and beholde there came one in the cloudes of heauen like the sonne of man, which came to the olde aged, and they brought hym* 1.146 before hys presence. And he gaue hym power, glorie, and the kyngdome, and all people, nacions and tonges must serue him: his power is an euerlastyng power, which shall not be taken from hys, & hys kyngdome shall not perishe. Esaye sayeth in the .ixii. capter: And the Heythen shall se thy righteousnesse, & all kynges thyne honoure, and he shall call the by a newe name (O Syon) and the mou••h of God shall geue the name. And thou shalt be a crowne of glorye in the hand of the Lorde, and a royall crowne of the kyng∣dome in the hand of thy God. And soone after it folowethe: Make ready, make ready the waye, gather vp the stones out of the strete, and hang out the banner vn∣to the people: beholde the Lorde hath cau∣sed it to be proclamed vnto the ende of the worlde Tell the daughter Syon: be∣holde the sauyoure commeth, lo, his trea∣sure

and his rewarde bringeth he with him, & his dedes, go before him. And they that are redemed of the Lord, shalbe called the holy people. zachary sayeth in the .ix. chap. Reioyce O daughter Siō, be glad O daughter Hierusalem: beholde, thy kyng cōmeth vnto the, euen the righ∣teous and sauyoure: meke and symple is he, he rydeth vpon an asse, & vpon a yong colt of the she asse. He shal preach peace vn¦to the Hevthen, his kyngdome also shall reach from the one see to the other, & from the ryuer vnto the vttermost parte of the erthe.

Of the death and passion of Christ speaketh Daniel in the .ix. chapter after* 1.147 this maner. And after two and sixtye wekes shall Christ be slayn & put to death and yet shall they haue no true testimo∣nye, that he is giltye of death. Esaye in the .l. chapter sayeth thus, The Lorde God opened myne eare, and I refused it not, nether wente I bacwarde, I gaue my body to the smiters, and my chekes to the nyppers, and my face haue I not tur∣ned from theyr shamefull intreatinge and spittynge vpon me. The Lorde God also shall help me, therfore shall I not be con∣founded. And therfore haue I hardened my face lyke a flynt stone, and am sure, that I shall not be confounded. In the liii. chapter there is writtē of Christ after this maner, He shall haue nether bew∣tye ner fayrnesse, we shall loke vpon him, but we shall haue no desyre vnto hym.

He is despysed and contēned of mē, a mā of trouble, and one that hath had experi∣ence of infirmyte. He is so despysed, that we shall hyde our faces from him. and ha¦ue hym in no estimation. And yet hath he borne oure vnperfectnesses, and felt oure sorowes. We also thought, that he shul∣de be wounded, smy••ten and punished of God. But he was wounded for our syn∣nes, and slayne for oure wyckednesse sa∣ke. And the punishment wherby we haue peace, is layed vpon him, and thorow his woundes are we made whole. All we haue gone astraye lyke shepe, euery one of vs hath had respecte vnto hys owne waye, and the Lorde hath layed all our synnes vpon hym. Uiolence and wrong was done vnto hym, he hath bene euell. intreated. & yet opened he not his mouth. He shall be led as a beest to be slayen, and as a shepe domme before the sherers, so shall he not open hys mouth. &c. The who¦le chapter descrybeth all the cause of Chri¦ste so clearly, that holy Hierome sayd not in vayne, Esaye is not onely a Prophet, but also an Euangelist, zachary descry∣beth* 1.148 the presthode and sacrificie of Christ and testifieth, that with the same onely oblacion he hath opteyned grace for all synnes, and therfore seuē (that is to saye, all) eyes shall haue respecte vnto him, and shall seke peace & rest of theyr consciences in hym, and shall fynde it. Heare nowe O Josue thou hye prest, thou and thy cō∣panyons, that syt before the, seynge ye

are mē of ensamples. For lo, I wil bring* 1.149 my seruaūt, euē the blossome. For beholde the stone whiche I haue layed before Jo∣sue, wyll I brynge, To the same onely stone shall seuē eyes loke. Beholde, I wyll dyg it vp and dssclose it, sayeth the Lorde zabaoth, and the synne of the erth wyll I take awaye in one daye. And in that daye shall euery man call hys neghboure vnder hys vyne and fyg••tre.

The buryall and resurrection of oure* 1.150 Lord Jesu Christ, hath the prophet Jonas figured very excellently. For thus sayeth oure Lorde Christ hym selfe: Lyke as Jo∣nas was thre dayes and thre nyghtes in the whalles belye, so shall the sonne of man be thre dayes and thre nightes in the hert of the erthe.

Of the ascension of Jesu Christ and sen¦dynge of the holy gooste, hath Joel also* 1.151 written in the .ii. chapter, and it is alled∣ged of S. Peter. Act. ii. Of the callynge & gathering together the Heythen, and of* 1.152 euery thynge pertaynynge, to the holy church, doth Esay wryte in the .xlix. chap. and so forth to the ende of his prophecye.

Thus hast thou, that the prophetes also in their tyme, dyd preach Jesus Christe, & poynted not the people to truste vnto the workes of the law & their own deseruing but vnto christ, of whome they prophecied euery thinge that folowed after. Therfore dyd Peter speake right .i. Pet. i. sayenge:

Ye shall receaue the ende of your fayth: euen the saluacion of your soules. After

which saluacion haue the prophetes en∣quyred* 1.153 and searched, whiche prophecyed of the grace that shulde come vnto you, searchinge whan or what tyme the sprete of Christ (which was in them) shuld signi∣fye: which sprete testified before the pas∣sions that shuld happen vnto Christ, and the glory that shulde folowe after. Unto the which prophetes it was also declared that not vnto them selues onely, but vnto vs they shuld ministre the thynges, which are now shewed vnto you, by them which haue preached vnto you the gospel thorow the holy goost, that was sen••e vnto them from heauen. &c. In the which testimony the holy Apostle Peter had a speciall res∣pecte to the prophecye of Daniel: whiche dyd not onely recorde the passion & glory of Christ, but also poynted to the tyme, in the which Christ shuld come. For lyke as God in the greatest parels, daungers and alteracions, hath alwaye renewed & more clearly expressed hys promes conceruyng the blessed sede: as in the tyme of Noe, whan the worlde was destroyed: in the tyme of Abraham, whan God wolde pre∣pare hym selfe a new people, in the tyme of Moses, whā God receaued his people and caryed them out of Egipte, to bringe them in to the lande of Canaan, in the ty∣me of Dauid, whan all thynges stode so well, and it must nedes be auoyded, leste any man shulde thynke Dauid were the blessed sede, Before the captiuite of Baby¦lon also, and in the tyme of the prophetes

which (as it is sayde afore) preached and wrote, that no man shulde doute in gods promes, as who saye they were geuen vp and cast a waye, though the temple were broken, the cytye brent, & though the peo∣ple (of whome Christ shuld be borne) were led awaye in to captiuite. Euen so nowe also in the captiuite: whan the faythfull might all moost haue thought, that the pro¦mes of God concernynge Messia, were cleane gone, Euen than dyd God shewe hys seruaunt Daniel a more cleare vision of Christ, after thys maner, The people* 1.154 shalbe let go agayne out of captiuite, and shall come home to Hierusalē, buylde the temple and cytie agayne, but with a sore tyme. And after that the cytye is buylded, vnto the tyme of Christe, shall be .lxix. we∣kes, that is c. x••viii. & .iii. yeares. And euen so was it from the. xxx••i. yeare of Darius Histaspis or Artaxerres (in the whiche the cytie was buylded, N••hemie. v.) vntyl the .xlii. yeare of the empire of Augustus, vnder whome Christ was borne. Luce. ii. The aungel also gaue Daniel farther in formacion of Christ, how that hys owne people shulde slaye hym, & fynde no fault in hym, and howe that the sacrifice with the ceremonies shuld ceasse. And a straūg people (saieth he) shall come from farre, & make the temple with the citte an horri∣ble abhominacion▪ yee they shall destroye and breake downe altogether. All whiche thinges were afterward fulfylled in the last wekes, that is, within .c. vii. yeares or there about. For within .c. iii. yeares dyd

Lorde growe to teach & to suffre. For whā he was .xxx. yeare olde, I hō baptised him Afterward within .iii. yeares was he put to death, & so within .xl. yeares folowed the destruction of Hierusalē by Tytus & U••spasian. All the tyme now & yeares frō* 1.155 the captiuite of Babilō to Christes birth are. 626. yeares. For the captiuite of Ba∣bilō endured .lxx. yeares. In the firste yea∣re of Cirus were they delyuered, in the se∣cond yeare beganne they to buylde the tē∣ple, and buylded. 46. yeares, ••••ē vntyll the vi. yeare of Darius. In the. 32. yeare of Darius was the citie fynished: which ma¦keth. 143. yeare: Adde now hereto the. 483 yeares out of Daniel, & thou hast the fore¦said summe euen. 626. yeares.

In the sayd yeares had oure holy fayth sore conflictes, and the sede of the serpent preassed sore vpon the sede of God, as the Babilonians at Babilon, and the Perfi∣ans, whan the people of God was come home agayne Neuertheles the trueth had euer the victory, & was the more clearly te¦stified by Daniel, Haggeus, zachary, Es∣dras, N••h••mias, & Malachy. Afterwarde were they specially opprest bi the vngodly* 1.156 kyng Antioch{us} in the tyme of the Macha bees: Whan as the tymes were euer the longer the more full of parels & aduersite vntyll Aulus Gabinus, Pōpeius & Cras∣sus captaynes of Rome cōquered the lād, & the true olde religion was vtterley gone in so moch that out of the olde serpēt there arose in Israel all maner of sec••es & Sy∣monye, whome oure Lorde Jesus Christ

with his commyng in the world resisted, and called them the serpentes generaci∣on, as the holy Euangelistes testifye. Not* 1.157 witstandyng in the myddes of such mische¦fe in Israell, there were also godly vertu¦ous people, which sought God and hys anoynted (though the erroure was grea∣te) Amonge whom no doute was special∣ly the Prest zacharias the father of Jhon Baptyst Elizabeth his wyfe, and godly Simeon Whan zacharias had knowle∣ge of the Lordes commynge, he sayde with a ioyful hert, Praysed be the Lorde God* 1.158 of Israell, for he hath visited and delyue∣red his people, and set vp the horne of sal¦uacion in the house of Dauid his seruaūt accordynge as he had promised afore by the mouth of holy prophetes. &c. For his wordes are red. Lu, i. Simeon when he sawe the childe Jesus in the temple, and* 1.159 had taken him in hys armes, he sayd.

Now Lord let me dye in peace, according to thy worde. For myne eyes haue sene thy sauyoure, whom thou hast prepared befo¦re the face of all people, that he myght be a lighte to geue light vnto the Heythen, and the glorye of thy people Israel. Luc. i lo, thus the hertes of all righteous in the olde Tessament from Adam vnto Christ, (euen. 3974. yeares) haue stande onely vpon Christ, in him was their comforte, vpon hym they trusted, it was he whom they longed for, and in Christ Jesu were they saued. Therfore hath oure Christen fayth endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde

and is, and continueth styll the onely true olde, vndoubted & fast grounded faith.

¶ Of the tyme of the greace of Christ, and how that he him selfe testifieth, that the saluacion of all the worlde stondeth onely in hym.

HIther to haue I set for the tyme of the promyses, in the whyche God (thorowe the promysed ••de oure Lorde Jesus Christe) con∣forted, clensed, and preserued all hys ser∣uauntes and deare frendes. There haue we lerned & sene that the Christen fayth, which hath endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde, is the eldest, vndoubted, right and true faith, which all holy Pa∣triarkes had, & in the which they serued God, and pleased him, as Adam, Seth, Enoch and Noe, Item Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, Lykewyse the excellente & highlye endewed propheet yee the father & fore∣goer of all prophetes, euen greate Moses his brother Aarō, the holy Prest Eleazar and Phinees, The excellent dukes also & Judges, Josue, Gedeon; and other moo, Euen so lykewyse the kynges, Dauid, Ezechias, Josaphat, & Josias, The dear••i beloued of God and excellent prophetes, Samuel, Helias, Isaias, Daniel, zacha∣rias, and all the other. This holy fayth also had all ryghteous and such as were

of godly vnderstondinge in all the con∣gregacions of Israel frō the begynning: In this were saued all they that frō the be¦ginning were preserued & ordeyned to sal∣uaciō:* 1.160 wherfore what soeuer they can al∣ledge agaynst this faith (whether it be cō¦cerning holymē, olde age. multitudes, ler∣ned men, generall counsayls cōuocations or perliamētes, fathers actes, statutes, to¦kens and wonders) It is all nothinge worth, and is not to be reputed in com∣parison of oure holy faith, as euery one that hath vnderstonding, maye se in this treatise afore. And though my purpose be now fynished, euen declared out of the scripture, that the Christen faith hath en∣dured sens the begynning of the worlde. Yet wyl I adde a shorte instructiō concer¦nynge the tyme of grace, & perfourminge of all promises, and I wyll declare, that God now also thorow the appearinge of his sonne, wolde bringe in to the worlde and set forth, none other religion, none other faith, nether anye other saluacion, then euen the same which was showed to the olde fathers, Sauynge that now all thinges are more euydent, more clerly prac¦tised accomplished, fulfilled and perfour∣med, for the whych cause also all figures, sacrifices and ceremonies do ceasse. For* 1.161 in Christ is all perfection. Yet shall we not therfore cast awaye the olde Testa∣ment (as some ignoraunt, vnlerned and foolysh people do) but haue it in greater reputacion, for asmuch as we know now

thorowe Christ, what euery thinge signi∣fieth, & wherfore euery thinge was thus & thus ordeyned, vsed, & spokē, Now shall euery man fyrst haue a corage to reade the lawe and the prophetes, whā he seyth wher vpon euery thyng goeth. And thus also at the begynnyng dyd the holy apo∣stles preach Christ vnto the Jewes out of the lawe and the prophetes, as it is oft tymes mencioned in the actes of the Apo∣stles. And our Lord him selfe, whā he wēt with the two disciples towarde Emaus,* 1.162 & preached so vnto the, that theyr hertes brent within them, he begāne at Moses, & wente thorow all the prophetes, and ope¦ned vnto thē the old scriptures, & shewed them, that so it behoued Christ to fu••••re, and to entre in to his glorie. Thys is the cause also that the scriptures of the new Testament, hang all together and referre them selues to the scriptures of the olde Testament, so that these can not be right vnderstōd without the other, nomore thē* 1.163 the glose without the text. The text is the lawe and the prophetes, the expositiō are the Euangelistes & Apostles, Now wyll we se, what the worke of grace of the new Testament is.

In the .xlii. yeare of the empyre of Au∣gustus, after the begynning of the world 3974. yeares was Jesus christ the blessed & promised sede, borne of the vndefyled virgin and mayde Mary, at Bethleem in the lande of Jewrye. And though he as a very man was wrapped to clothes, and

layed in the cryb, yet apeareth the angell of the Lord in greate clearnesse vnto the shepherdes, and sayeth, Feare ye not, be∣holde I bryng you tidinges of great ioy, which shall happen vnto all people. For this daye is borne vnto you the sauyoure euen Christ the lord in the citie of Dauid The first newes and tydinges of the com¦mynge* 1.164 of our Lord Jes{us} Christ, must the angell brynge and geue, to the intent that it mighte be the more accepte of all the worlde. All the holy men from the begyn∣nynge of the worlde, dyd hytherto longe sore after the promysed sede. Therfore saieth the aungell now, that he bringeth them tydinges of great ioye, no doubte to them that were gone, deed, & past, to them also that now lyued, & to them that were to come afterward. The ioye is this, that Jesus Christ the sauiour is borne, euē the promised sede, whiche shulde saue all the world from the power of the deuell, clēse them from synne, and delyuer them from damnacion. Therfore sayeth the aungell moreouer, Which shal happen vnto all people. For vnto Abraham it was sayd, In thy sede shall all nactons of the erth be blessed. The same (sayeth the angell) is borne in the citie of Dauid, euen out of Dauids kynred, out of the whiche the pro¦phetes testified that he shulde be borne, whiche prophetes also for the same cause called him Dauid and the blossome of Da¦uid.* 1.165 And this is now the grace of God, that where as we poore synners belōged

vnto death, and were in the deuels bōdes he sente his sonne to lowse and delyuer vs out of captiue, This is the new Testa∣ment. For Hieremy also testifieth he••of, and sayeth: This is the Testament that I will make I w••ll be their God and they shall, be my people, I wyll be mercifull to their vnrighteousnes and synnes, & wyll thynke vpon them nomore, Hiere xxxi.

This full and perfecte forgeuenesse is not therfore called the newe Testamente, as though their had bene no remission of syn¦nes promes made longe afore vnto the fa¦thers, is now confirmed and renewed and the old figures that represented the same are abrogate. Thus the Lord Jesus alone* 1.166 is set for the for the onely saluacion of all the worlde, so that not onely we, but all they which afore or after hys appearaūce or incarnaciō beleued on him, were saued And at the birth of Christ there cōmeth to the foresaide angell, the whole heauenly hoost which praysed God & sayde: Glory* 1.167 and prayse be vnto God in the height and peace vpon erth, to men a good wyll.

And by this they teach vs what the dew∣tye, thankfulnesse, and knowlege of men is or ought to be in this behalfe, that god hath done so great good forman: Namely* 1.168 howe that they oughte to prayse God, to haue a sure, trust in hym, and to be frēdly and louynge one to another. And the fulfil¦llyge of the lawe is loue from a pure hert, out of a good conscience, and of an vn∣dissembled

or vnfayned fayth. i, Timoth. ••

In the fyftenth yeare of the Empire of T••erius (from the begynnynge of the* 1.169 worlde. 4004. yeares) came the worde of the Lorde to John the sonne of the preyst zachary, in the wyldernesse, and he went and preached vnto the people of Israell. amendement of lyfe and forgeuenesse of synnes in Jesu Christ. To whom he bare recorde, that he was the fulfyllyng of the lawe & the prophetes very God and man the onely and euerlastyng sauiour: whych wyth the sacrifice of hys own body, shuld clense the world from synne, yea he poyn∣ted vnto hym wyth hys fynger, and sayd: Beholde thys is the lambe of God, that* 1.170 takethe awaye the synne of the worlde. And so perfectiye and wholy hangeth he all saluacion onely in Christe Jesus, that* 1.171 he saieth planely. Out of his fulnesse haue all we receyued grace. &c. Joh. i. Item who so beleueth in the son of God, hath euer∣lastynge lyfe: who so beleueth not in the sonne, shall not se lyfe, but the wrathe of God abydeth vppon hym Therfore dyd,* 1.172 he also sende all hys disciples from hym, and cōmaunded them to cleue vnto Christ He maketh no men••ion at all of any cere∣mony••s figures nor oblations, as neces∣sary poyntes to saluacion, but preacheth Christ purely and clearly. Thys is mani∣fest, Johan. i and .iii. Mat. iii. and Luk. iii

The Lorde hym selfe also came vnto John, & was baptised. And whan he had* 1.173 receyued baptime, the heauen opened, and

the holy goost appeared in the fourme of a doue, and there was a voyce heard▪ from heauen saynge. Thys is my beloued son∣ne, in whome I am pacified: to the intent that all the worl••e shuld haue wytnesse of Chryste the true sauyour, not onely now by the a••ngels, and by Johan the holyes•••• man of all, but also from heauen and of God hym selfe: and that we myght be the bolder to committe our selues wholy vnto hym. Whā he had receyued the testymony he wente in to the wyldernesse. And lyke as our disease beganne in paradise by tē∣tation. Euen so at the tentatiō in the wyl∣dernesse beganne the Lord our health: and lyke as the father of vs al dyd eate the for bydden meate. So dyd the Lorde not eate the meate that he myghte haue eaten, but fasted fortye dayes and fourtye nyghtes. Afterwarde came ••e amonge the people, and beganne to preache saluacion, sayng. The tyme is fulfylled, and the kyngdome* 1.174 of God is at hande, repēt, and beleue the Gospell. Here wyth hath he healed all so∣res, dryuē out deuels, & raysed vp the deed testifienge so by hys actes, that he is Lord of all thynges, and the true sauioure. And of them whome he healleth, asketh he no∣thyng: he cōmaundeth them not to buylde hym a temple, nether to geue hym blocke or stocke: he requyreth no bodely thing, but onely▪ stedfast fayth and cōfidence. And to them whom he hath healed, he sayeth: go they waye and synne no more, take hede, that a worse thynge happen not vnto the▪

And herewith all doth he teache, in what* 1.175 thynge the substaunce of true religion lieth, euen in a right true fayth, and in an innocent lyfe, that in oure conuersation we kepe our selues from all filthines: Yee the thynge that some ma•• taketh for gods seruyce, refuseth he, as longe bablynge prayers, vayne glorious fastinge & lyke almes geuynge. He nothynge regardeth mens tradicions, diuersites of sectes, long garmentes, outwarde appearaunce, their clensynge, ne•• all their ypocrisie. He goeth into the temple, ouerthroweth, casteth downe, powreth out euery thynge that is to be solde in the temple: he dryueth the byers and sellers out of the temple with a whippe. For the temple was ordeyned for generall prayer. thankesgeuing and prea∣chynge, and not, for choppinge and chaun gynge, or other suche lyke thynges. These* 1.176 thre poyntes doth he teach vs diligently to obserue: First, that we obteyne remis¦sion of synnes, true righteousnes & euer∣lastinge lyfe, onely thorw hym and by hys passion and death, and els by none other meane. For he is the onely mediatoure, prest, intercessoure, comforter, the onely righteousnesse, satisfacion, raunsome, santifyeng the onely perpetuall sacrifice the suertye of grace and saluacion. Spe∣ciall testimonies hereof hast thou Johan. iii. vi. xiiii and .xvi. Secondly: that we can not serue and pleace God with exterior sa¦crifices or any outward pompe, but with suche workes as proceade of loue & mercy

And thirdly / that all the children of God are bounde to kepe them selues from the workes of darekenesse and to applye them to lyue in righteousnes and in the lighte. And herein also is comprehended all god∣lynes / that is / all right good Christen workes

So whan he had taught all righteous¦nes / and* 1.177 discloysed and ouerthrowen all ypocrisye in religion (he offred vp hym selfe vpon the crosse for the remissyon of all oure synnes. For wyllingly & paciently put he him selfe in to the handes of hys enemy••s and of his betrayer / suffred him selfe to be taken / to be bounde / to be¦led from one iudge to another / to be langhed to scorne / cried out vpon (to be spytted on / and at the last to be adiudged vnto death / to be scourged / & to be crow∣ned with a crown of thorne. He himselfe bare hys owne crosse to the place of exe∣cucion / where he was crucified / & hanged vp betwene the murthurers. Then lyued he in greate payne from the sixte houre vntyll the nyenth. At the last he cried: It is fynished / father in to thy handes com∣mende I my spr••te: thus offred he him self for oure synnes and dyed that we myghte* 1.178 lyue, But soone after folowed the thinges wherby the frute of Christes passyon might be perceaued. For the vayle / which in the temple, se••arated the holy from the moost holy (dyd rent from the toppe tyll the botome: wherby Christ testified (that now with his death all ceremonies & fig••

ratyue thinges were at an ende, and no∣more of value: that the waye to eternall saluation was opened: that all thinges significatyue in the tabernacle (in sacri∣fices, rytes and obseruaunces, were now∣fulfilled and abrogate: that now the bare & onely cross of our Lorde Jesus Christ is al together vnto the faythfull that the hele of the virgines sede is well troden vpon, & his flesh well rente and slayne: but that yet also in the meane reason he hath troden the serpent vpon the head, Ther∣fore dyd the deed also aryse, and appeared vnto certayne at Hierusalem. For the death of Christ is oure life, The erthqua∣ked, the stones harst asunder For the prea¦chinge of the death of the sonne of God, hath altered the whole worlde, and many hard stonye hertes are moued to repen∣taunce faith and good workes But whan the syde of the deed body of Christ was opened with the speare▪ and the rocke (as zachary saieth (was dygged vp▪ there* 1.179 ranne out water and bloude, declarynge manifestly therby, that vnto vs out of the death of Christ, foloweth life and pu∣rifyenge. For water clēseth, in the bloud is the lyfe of man. And with the bloude of Christ is all bloude stanched, and now is Christes bloude onely avaylable, beynge sprenkled thorowe fayth in oure hertes. This oblacion and passion of Christ (the rawnsome for the synne of the whole world) was done in the. xviii yeare of the Empyre of Tiberius, rekenynge

from the begynnyng of the worlde. 4007 yeres, the .xxv. daye of Marche.

So the whole body of Jesu was taken* 1.180 downe from the crosse, and honorably buryed and on the thirde daye after he rose vp agayne: so that his soule came agayne to the body, and his very flesh was raysed vp from death, how be it now nomore mortall and passible, but glorified. For he is the first in the resurrection of the deed, For lyke as by one man came deathe so by one man must come the resurrection of the deed. And lyke as in Adam we all dyed in body and soule, so shall we be all together restored agayne to lyfe in Christ Jesu. This hope vnto lyfe, wolde the Lorde prynte substancially in vs with the resurrection. And therfore after his resur¦rection, he contynued fortye dayes wyth his disciples, that he mightwell instructe them of his resurrection, and that they shuld haue no doulte therin. So whan he had shewed and declared vnto them his very resurrection dyuerse wayse, and had perfourmed all that the father com∣maunded him to fynde, he ascended vp vnto heauē with body and soule fro moūt Oliuere in the sight of his disciples, and is set at the righte hand of God, there to remayne corporally vntyll the last daye, in the which he shall▪ come agayn bodelye, to iudge the quycke & deed: And all suche as haue walked in faith, shall he take to him with body & soule in to heauen, lyke as he himselfe is receaued in to heauen:

And shall with body and soule condemne all them that haue walked in the waye of the olde serpente, and haue not conuer∣ted from vnrighteousnesse to the righte¦ousnesse in Christ. And thus shall salua¦cion be perfectly fynished, and gods chyl¦dren shall lyue eternally with God, tho∣row Jesus Christ. To whome be prayse for euer.

Amen

☞ That also the electe Apostles prea¦ched thys olde fayth, and decla∣red, that all saluacion is▪ onely in Christ

THus thorow Christ Jesus is al ful¦filled that the prophetes prophecied* 1.181 of hym a fore, thus is he become y^• saluacion of all faithfull beleuers, euen the lampe of God, whiche hath bene sacrificed sens the beginninge of the world that is, this is he, whose power and dely∣ueraunce hath clensed all them, that euer put their trust in God thorow the blessed sede. Herein now is the righte true ••alua∣cion, this is the summe of the right & per∣fecte religion. Who so peruerteth thys, from him shall God turne him selfe, who, so addeth oughte vnto this, to hym shall God adde his wrothfull hand: who so ta∣keth ther frō, his lyfe shall God ••••nishe, But blessed are they, which walke in this simplicite & clennesse, & contynue so vnto

the ende euen they that heare gods worde, & do therafter whose onely hope is Jesus Christ. This onely true and euer durynge saluacion wolde he to be shewed and decla¦red to all nacions, whiche came to saue all nacions: but he wold it sholde be declared by the preachinge of the holy gospell, and thorow the ministracion of the hol•• sa∣cramentes: And therfore by his lyfe tyme he dyd chose Apostles, whome he receaued to be witnesses of all hys doctryne & mira¦cles, enfourmyng them diligently, & helde nothyng backe from them. For he sayeth vnto them: Ye are my frendes, yf ye do all that I commaunde you, I wyll hence* 1.182 forth call you no more seruauntes, for a seruant woteth not what hys Lorde doth But I haue called you my frendes, for all that I haue heard of my father haue I ope¦ned vnto you. Joh. ••v. But for asmoche as they yet lacked vnderstondnge & were forgetfull and had euer straunge ymagina¦cions of the kyngdome of Christ, therfore whan he now ascended vnto heauen, he charged them not to departe from Hieru¦salem, but to wayte for the holy gooste: whome he also gaue vnto them vpon the fiftieth daye after his resurrection, that is vpon the tenth daye after his ascension euen the fiftenthe daye of Maye: by the* 1.183 which holy goost they beynge illuminate spake with all maner of langag••••, and were myndfull of all that the Lorde had commaunded them a••o••e, For the holy goost dyd not endew them with a newe

doctryne, but it that the Lord had taught them out of the lawe and the prophetes, the same dyd he bringe to their remem∣braunce and illucidate all thinges, & pryn∣ted them more clearly in ther hertes. For so sayeth the. Lorde in the gospell: The conforter euen the holy gost, whom the* 1.184 father wyll sende in my name, he shall teache you all thinges and bringe all thyn∣ges to youre remembraunce that I haud sayde vnto you, Therfore so longe as the Lorde was with them, and tolde them all the matter of hys passion, they were sorye and coulde not beare awaye all that he sayd vnto them But after that he was taken vp frome the erth in to heauen, he sent the holy goost, euen him, whome the prophetes also had before, & that led them into all Christen veryte.

So whan they were endowed with the holy gooste, they beganne (accordige to the Lordes commaundemente to preach in all the world / the foresayde matter of sal∣uacion purged, and obteyned onely by Christ and gotten by true faith For he had sayde: Go your waye in to all the world and preach the gospell vnto all creatures* 1.185 Who so beleueth and is baptised (shalbe saued &c. And therwith comprendeth he both the poyntes whiche the Apostles vsed and practised (euen the preachyng of the faith in Jesus Christ, and of the mini∣stracion of the sacramentes, And how the Apostles doctryne was it is manifest out of the Actes of the Apostles: But shortly

and in a summe, they preached amende∣ment of lyfe. and remission of synnes tho¦row Jesus Christ: That is to saye, howe that the whole generacion of man laye in the dominion of the deuel and in y^e bondes of synne cursed and damned: but God had mercy on vs all, & sente his soone in to this worlde, to dye, and with hys death to re∣store vs vnto lyfe and to wash vs with his bloude, that who so euer beleueth in hym, shulde not perish, but haue eternall lyfe. All this declared they out of the lawe and the prophetes & proued, that, Jesus Christ whome they preached, is the blessed sede promised vnto the fathers. Who so is de¦syrous to haue a perfecte ensample of this declaracion, he fyndeth two sermons of the famous Apostles Peter and Paul, the one in the Actes of the Apostles the secōde chapter, the other in the. xiii, chap. There doth the holy Apostle open the mistery of our holy faith, very excellently declaringe it from the tyme of Abraham vnto Dauid & from him vnto Jhon the baptist. There vpon sheweth he, how Christ suffred, dyed was buried, and rose agayne from death.* 1.186 All this confirmeth he with the scriptures of the prophetes. At the last he concludeth the sermon after this maner: Be it kowen vnto you therfore ye men and brethren, that thorowe Jesus is preached vnto you forgeuenesse of synnes, and that by hym all they that beleue, are iustified from all thynges, from the which ye coulde not be iustified by the lawe of Moses. To this

now also the sermon of Peter: Yee all the scryptures of the Apostles do fynally ac∣corde to the same effect Hereout also bring they y^e doctrine of repentaunce and amend¦ment of lyfe, the rebuking of synne consla¦cions, exhortacions and drawyng to all maner of good workes that folowe out of faith.

The speciall sacramentes, whiche the lord dyd chefely institute and commaunde the Apostles to praise in the churche, are holye Baptyme and the blessed supper of* 1.187 oure Lorde Jesus Christ. Concernynge y^• first he saieth. To me is geuen all power in heauen and in erth: therfore go youre waye and teach all people & baptise them in the name of the father, of the sonne, and of the holy goost, and teach them to kepe all that. I haue commaunded you. The other dyd he institute at the last sup∣per. For thus is it written in the holy gos¦pell* 1.188 Whā they were eatynge, he toke bred and whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue them sayeng Take eate this is my bodye whiche shall be geuē for you this do, in the remembraunce of me. So toke he also y^• cuppe whan they had supte, and sayde: Drynke ye all out of this, This is my bloud of y^• new testament, which shall be shed for the, remission of sinnes. With suche sacramētes thorow outward visible stourmes / for our infirmities sake (pleased it the lord to shewe set before oure eyes his heuēly & in visible grace not that we shuld continue still hanginge in the visible thing

but that we shuld lyft vp our myndes and with a true beleue to holde fast, to prynte sure in oure myndes to worshippe, and to enioye the thinges that faith sheweth vs by the outward sacramentes With these outward sacramentes also hath it pleased him to opē. declare and shewe vnto vs his grace and louynge kydnesse Namely how that he geueth vnto vs him self and all his riches, clenseth vs fedeth and moystureth oure soules wyth hys flesh and bloud, that he is at one with vs, and we with him so that we vse and practise the sacramentes with a true faith. For the outward enioy¦eng of the sacramentes of it selfe alone. doth not reconcyle vs wyth God: but yf they be vsed with fayth, than as Saynte Peter saieth Act. xv. (thorow faith doth God, purifye the hertes. With the sacra¦mentes* 1.189 pleased it hym, to leue behynd him a remembraunce of his giftes & benefites, to the intent, that we shuld neuer forget them but prayse and thanke him therfore. Morouer with vysible sacramentes was it his will to gather vs together, and to marke vs in remembraunce of oure dewty how we are one body to gether and ought to applye our selues to all righteousnesse. All which thinges are foude at lenthe in the scriptures of the Apostles.

As for the Apostles, they mynistred the. sacramentes diligently pu••r••ly and, sym∣ply, and so (without anye addicion (distri¦buted

them vnto the people of God. Tou¦ching baptyme, ther are many ensamples in the actes of the Apostles. The supper of Jesus Christ had the Corinthians som¦what altered. And whan Paull poynted them agayne to the true ordinaunce and right vse, he taketh the symple wordes & institucion of Jesu Christ without anye more addicion, and layeth those before them, commaundeth them to folowe the same, and holdeth him therwith well con¦tent .i. Corinth. xi. And thus dyd the holy Apostles gather together all Heythē and people, thorow the preachinge of the gos∣pell and mynistracion of the sacramentes in the church, whose heade is Christ, in whom they are buylded and preserued. Morouer they dyd not layed them sore* 1.190 with any ceremonies. For in the Actes of the Apostles the .ii. chap where as a per∣fecte shappe of a right Christen congre∣gacion is descrybed, we haue fyrst the ••eudinge of the Apostles, amonge whom Peter dyd fyrst preach the gospell: that is to saye, repentaunce and forgeuenesse of synnes in Christ Jesu. Then baptised he thē that were become the people of God. Afterward foloweth it, that they whych were become Christen, contynued in the doctryne of the Apostles, in prayer, in breakinge of the bred, & in the foloshippe: Here are the ryght substanciall poyntes of the Cristen church sufficiently expres∣sed: the doctryne of amendment of lyfe & remission of synnes, baptyme, the con∣tynuynge

and increasyng in Christes doc¦trine, prayer, the holy supper of the Lorde and the feloshyppe, that is loue, kyndnesse and workes of mercy.

Now where as Act. xv. it is ordeyned* 1.191 that the Heythen shoulde eate no bloude nor strangled, it endured but for a tyme, and theyr meanyng was therby to a voy∣de offendynge of the weake. Otherwyse haue the Apostles euery where (specially Paul) very exnestly exhorted men, to con∣tynue by the doctrine that was shewed & delyuered thē, and to be at a poynte in thē selues to auoyde suche lernynge as was new and brought vp by men, because they leade mē farre frō the trueth, as we fynde Collos. ii. Philip. iii. i. Timoth. iiii. vi. and Titum. i. And thus is it manifest, that the apostles taught al natiōs no newer strau∣ge thyng, but euen the same that they had receyued of the Lorde.

☞ A conclusion, that this fayth is the ryght true olde fayth, whyche alway shall stonde sure

THis holy vndefiled faith which the Lorde ••••anted and set vp in all na∣tions by the Apostles, immediatly after the Apostles dysseasse, was ••ore▪ attempted, by sondrye vnclea••e per∣sonnes, whych brought vp false customes and misbeleuers, and made per••ous sectes Besydes thys also was it sore persecuted wyth the swerde of tyrauntes. But in all

such daungers the trueth ouer came and had the victory. For though the cytezins of the deuels cytye (accordinge to the dis∣positiō of theyr patriarke Cain) dyd mur thur, •• all though falfe prophetes brought vp euell counsaill, yet the cytye of God triumpheth, and the bloude of innocent Abell and his brethren, speaketh yet. But after that the persecuciō was somwhath ••rassed, and the persecuters sore and horr••¦bly punished for their bloude sheddinge (the heresies also beinge well brought downe by faythfull shepherdes) In the same rest also was oure holy fayth not a litle hurt. For rest put a waye feare, brought ydle felicite, voluptuousnes and fleshly sekynge of riches and dominyon:* 1.192 and so thorow couetousnes and ambisiō, there was pou••ed great poyson in to the church, wherby religion sore decayed.

For whyle the mynisters of the worde laboured more after riches, then to per∣fourme their office and charge, and to edt ••••e the church, they were pleased with supersticiousnes in steade of true religion Of ••••u••s then folowed it farther, that the singlenesse of fayth was forgotten, newe law••s made, the olde rytes and customes ether peruerted, or els vtterly ouerthrowē and abused: wherby men came farr•• from the doctryne and Christen ceremonies, from the waye of trueth in to er••oure foo* 1.193 ••••••ly, & partly in to ceremonies of ydola∣trye. Here of commeth it, that we ha•••• now the abhomination, of the popes

power, of pardons, of masses for the deed and quycke, of merites, power and inter∣cession of sayntes in heauen, of worshyp∣pinge their bones vpon e••th, of ydols, and vayne ornamentes, pompe & pryde of the church, of hyred syngynge and prayenge in the temple, and of the whole swarme of ydele religious. All whiche thynges with other mo•• like fondnesse, are nothing but new alteracions, peruertinges, and con∣trary to all olde ordinaunces, hauynge no grounde in gods wo••de, and are cleane a∣gaynst God, though many hardnecked people are yet in a furye and braule for such hinges, and wyll make all the world beleue, that thys theyr foolishnes altera∣cion & peruer••••nge of Gods ordinaunce, is the olde fayth. And yet wo••e they or wyll not knowe, that theyr ••abling hath very litle grounde, and that they (yf they considred the matter as it is) are very na¦ked and miserable.

And though this papisticall religiō hath endured, preuayled, & triumphed now cer∣tayne hundreth yeares, yet hath God all waye sent his ••aythfull seruantes, and had a litle holy flock of his owne, like as afore tyme in the day••s of the iudges, oft the kinges of Juda and Israel, and in the captiuite of Babilon, though it was all moost at the worst afore & at the cōminge of Christ. Like as it is also with vs, the nyer the second commynge of Christ, the worse is it in the world. Neuertheles (as I sayde afore) God all waye set forth his

worde and doth yet. Contrary wyse, the,* 1.194 pope with his multitude, and▪ Machomet with his (as it semeth and becometh very Antichristes (haue hitherto vndertaken (to suppresse the olde religion (and to set vp hys owne ordinaunce (vnknowne to oure fathers of olde tyme (to bringe it in to possession and vnder y^• name of God and his holy church / to sprede it vpon all christen∣dome. For out of y^• Actes and statutes of the pope and hys wanton spiritualtye and out of the lawes of Machomet it is mani¦fest (what, the one hath taken in hand and done now more then 600. yeares (and the other vpon a 900 yeares. It is cuident yet also euen now / wherto hys generall coun sayls and perliamentes do extende, But not▪ regardinge how he threnteneth ••nd fa¦ceth / and how he garnisheth hys new and wanton religions with false (but dissem∣blynge titles / boastinge of many hundreth yeares / many generall counsayles / fathers holy men / doctours / vniuersities / closters syngyng / prayeng / fasting almes geuinge* 1.195 de••plynge / and telleth suche lyke: All hys▪ bragginge set a syde let vs cast hys rely∣gion from vs & take vpon vs vnfaynedly the true olde religion / which hath endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde (by the which all holy m••n haue euer loued / wor∣shipped and serued God & knew nothinge vtterly of the Popes religion. And yf we must for thys cau••e be hated and persecu∣ted of the worlde: well / it happened euen so vnto all holy Prophetes before vs ly∣kewyse /

and specially vnto Jesus Christe our Lorde: whiche shall come shortly to iudgement / and vtterly destroye the kyuge dome of Antichrist / whom he now kylleth with the sprete of his mouth. Our posses∣siō is not here vpō earth / the kyngdom of heauen is our natiue countre. From thēce* 1.196 loke we for the sauyoure Jesus Christ our Lorde / which shall rayse vp oute mortall & miserable body / that he maye make it lyke hys excellent and glorified body / ator dinge to the power wherby he. maye subdue all thynges. vnto hym self. To him be▪ honoure and prayse for euer and euer.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The chri∣sten fayth is elder then. 1500 yeares
• * 1.2

  Eusebius
• * 1.3

  Actuū. xi.
• * 1.4

  The fyrst creatiō of heauē and earth.
• * 1.5

  The gar∣nyshynge of heauen and erth.
• * 1.6

  The office •••• the 〈…〉〈…〉 in the firma¦ment.
• * 1.7

  Fyshes.
• * 1.8

  Foules.
• * 1.9

  Beastes.
• * 1.10

  The trea∣tiō of mā.
• * 1.11

  The crea∣ciō of the woman.
• * 1.12

  The re∣queste of the com∣maunde∣ment.
• * 1.13

  The vn∣thankful∣nesse and wicked∣nesse of man.
• * 1.14

  The righ∣teousnes and mercy of god.
• * 1.15

  The way of satisfa∣ctiō before God is Christe.
• * 1.16

  Synne.
• * 1.17

  The fro∣wardnes of man.
• * 1.18

  Why god gaue the womā vn¦to man.
• * 1.19

  Grace.
• * 1.20

  We all are lothe to know∣lege oure selues gyl¦tye.
• * 1.21

  Punyshe¦ment.
• * 1.22

  The pro∣mes. ••ene. iii.
• * 1.23

  The serpē¦tes heade.
• * 1.24

  The sure foundatiō of oure fayth
• * 1.25

  Ro. viii.
• * 1.26

  •• Corin. ••.
• * 1.27

  The gos∣pell of Je∣su Chryst.
• * 1.28

  Esaye. vii
• * 1.29

  A prayse of the vir∣gin Mari
• * 1.30

  Hebre. i••▪
• * 1.31

  Gene. iii. Christes h••oe.
• * 1.32

  i. Pet. iiii.
• * 1.33

  John. xii••i
• * 1.34

  Rom. xvi.
• * 1.35

  Obiection
• * 1.36

  Answere.
• * 1.37

  Gene. iii.
• * 1.38

  Gene. iii.
• * 1.39

  i. Timo. 2
• * 1.40

  i. Tessa. 4. Ephe. iiii.
• * 1.41

  Hebre. ix.
• * 1.42

  The sum¦me of the Christen faith.
• * 1.43

  Gene. iii.
• * 1.44

  Adams fayth.
• * 1.45

  Cōforte helpe & lo∣uing kind¦nes in the myddes of correc∣tion.
• * 1.46

  Gene. iii.
• * 1.47

  Cōforte & paciēce in Christ.
• * 1.48

  i. Pet. ii.
• * 1.49

  Adams fayth
• * 1.50

  Hebre. xi.
• * 1.51

  Sacrifice was a to∣ken o•• thankful∣nesse.
• * 1.52

  Cain the father of wicked∣nesse.
• * 1.53

  Abel the
• * 1.54

  The diffe¦rence of true & fal∣se fayth▪
• * 1.55

  The fyrst de••a•••• of the faith▪
• * 1.56

  The repa¦racion of our fayth
• * 1.57

  Gene. iiii▪
• * 1.58

  Inuoca∣••e nomen domini quid sit.
• * 1.59

  The faith of Enoch
• * 1.60

  Genesi. v.
• * 1.61

  the wrath of God vpon the wycked.
• * 1.62

  The rene¦wynge of the pro∣mes con∣cernynge christ
• * 1.63

  The sacri¦fice of Noe.
• * 1.64

  Gene. viii
• * 1.65

  Ephesi. v
• * 1.66

  Math. iii.
• * 1.67

  The com¦maunde∣mētes ge¦uen vnto Noe.
• * 1.68

  Thorowe Noe was the world replenshed
• * 1.69

  The faith of the hei∣thē is ydo∣latry and worshyp∣pynge of ymages▪ Gene. x••▪
• * 1.70

  Gene. xii.
• * 1.71

  Abrahās fayth.
• * 1.72

  Abrahās Christen workes.
• * 1.73

  The faith of the Je∣wes.
• * 1.74

  How olde the Christ¦sten fayth is.
• * 1.75

  The faith of Isaac & Jacob.
• * 1.76

  Ge. xxviii
• * 1.77

  Jacob sa∣we, that christ one¦ly is the waye to heauen.
• * 1.78

  The faith of Joseph
• * 1.79

  The faith of Moses
• * 1.80

  The Ea∣ster lambe
• * 1.81

  The ge∣nynge of the lawe.
• * 1.82

  The fyrst table.
• * 1.83

  Mat. xxii.
• * 1.84

  The secō∣de table.
• * 1.85

  The lawe written in stone is no newe thyng.
• * 1.86

  The lawe written in stone was fylled a∣fore.
• * 1.87

  Obiectiō.
• * 1.88

  Answere,
• * 1.89

  Gods Te¦stament.
• * 1.90

  Saluatiō
• * 1.91

  Obiectiō.
• * 1.92

  Answere,
• * 1.93

  why the lawe was geuen.
• * 1.94

  The lawe is the rule to lyue by
• * 1.95

  The bra∣sen serpēt
• * 1.96

  Christe is the rock.
• * 1.97

  Question
• * 1.98

  Answere.
• * 1.99

  One al∣tar what it signi∣fied.
• * 1.100

  Note this well
• * 1.101

  Why the ceremoni∣es of the law were geuen.
• * 1.102

  The god∣ly conside¦racion of fathers.
• * 1.103

  Question.
• * 1.104

  Answere.
• * 1.105

  Why god ordeyned such a lōg seruice a∣mong the Jewes.
• * 1.106

  God ren∣dreth oure weaknes.
• * 1.107

  Lawes iu∣diciall.
• * 1.108

  The fyrst boke Mo¦ses.
• * 1.109

  The secō∣de boke of Moses.
• * 1.110

  The third boke.
• * 1.111

  The four∣the oke.
• * 1.112

  The fifth boke.
• * 1.113

  The orige¦nall scrip∣ture of our fayth
• * 1.114

  The lawe written is no newe thynge.
• * 1.115

  Josue was a fi∣gure of Christ.
• * 1.116

  An heresy of the ana baptistes.
• * 1.117

  Rulers must pu∣nishe.
• * 1.118

  An er∣rour.
• * 1.119

  Of kyng Dauid.
• * 1.120

  Act. xiii.
• * 1.121

  The holy Trynyte.
• * 1.122

  The faith of Dauid in Christe
• * 1.123

  The spiri¦tuall king¦dome of Christ.
• * 1.124

  Act. i.
• * 1.125

  A battayll
• * 1.126

  The birth of Christ.
• * 1.127

  The office of, Christ▪
• * 1.128

  Christes cause shal forth,
• * 1.129

  Christe shall de∣stroye his enemies.
• * 1.130

  The pas∣sion of Christ.
• * 1.131

  The arti∣cle of the holy Tri∣nite.
• * 1.132

  Dauid was cal∣led Chri∣stes fa∣ther.
• * 1.133

  The wa∣yes of Da¦uid.
• * 1.134

  Kynge ••bia.
• * 1.135

  The de∣partyng of Israe▪ frō Juda.
• * 1.136

  Kynge Jehu.
• * 1.137

  God al∣waies sen deth hys prophetes
• * 1.138

  The pro∣phetes preached ••he olde ••ayth.
• * 1.139

  The lawe & the pro∣phetes a∣lowe the righteous¦nes of god that com∣meth by fayth.
• * 1.140

  The god∣head and manhode of Christ.
• * 1.141

  The righ∣teous blossome.
• * 1.142

  John bap¦tiste.
• * 1.143

  The office of Christ.
• * 1.144

  Christe is called Da¦uid.
• * 1.145

  The mira¦cles of Christe.
• * 1.146

  The king¦dome of Christ.
• * 1.147

  The deth of Christ.
• * 1.148

  The sacri¦fice of Christe.
• * 1.149

  ••acha. iii.
• * 1.150

  The bury¦all & resur¦rection of Christ.
• * 1.151

  The ascē¦sion.
• * 1.152

  The voca¦tiō of the Heithen.
• * 1.153

  The pro∣phetes so∣ughte sal∣uacion in Christ.
• * 1.154

  A prophe∣cye tolde vnto Da∣niell.
• * 1.155

  The nom¦bre of the yeares.
• * 1.156

  Antioch{us}.
• * 1.157

  God had euer some vertuous men.
• * 1.158

  ••achay.
• * 1.159

  Symeon
• * 1.160

  All gods electe wer saued by Christ.
• * 1.161

  The olde testament is not to be refused
• * 1.162

  Luk. xxiiii
• * 1.163

  The new Testamēt dec are▪ h the olde.
• * 1.164

  Tidinges of Chri∣stes birth
• * 1.165

  The gra∣ce of God
• * 1.166

  Christ the onely sal∣uacion of all the worlde.
• * 1.167

  Luce. ii••.
• * 1.168

  The dew¦ry of vs.
• * 1.169

  John bap¦tist.
• * 1.170

  John. i.
• * 1.171

  John. i.
• * 1.172

  Mat. xi.
• * 1.173

  Math. iii.
• * 1.174

  Math. iii▪
• * 1.175

  The sub∣staūce of true reli∣gion.
• * 1.176

  The spe∣ciall poin¦tes of christes doctryne.
• * 1.177

  The pa∣cient suf∣fringe of Christ.
• * 1.178

  the frute of Chri∣stes death
• * 1.179

  Water & bloude.
• * 1.180

  The buri∣all of Christ.
• * 1.181

  The po∣wer of Christ sa∣ueth all.
• * 1.182

  christ hold nothinge back frō hys apo∣stles.
• * 1.183

  The holy goost bro¦ughte no new doc∣tryne.
• * 1.184

  Joh. xiiii.
• * 1.185

  Mar. xvi.
• * 1.186

  Act, xiii.
• * 1.187

  •• ••. xxviii
• * 1.188

  The sup∣per of the Lorde,
• * 1.189

  The fru∣te of the sacramen¦tes.
• * 1.190

  The Apo¦stles dyd not ouer charge the people with cere¦monies.
• * 1.191

  The Apo∣stles wol∣de not of∣fende the weake.
• * 1.192

  the decay of christes religion.
• * 1.193

  What in cōueniēce▪ folowed.
• * 1.194

  The Po∣pe & Ma∣chomet stry••e a∣gaynste Christe.
• * 1.195

  Let vs do as our ol∣••est fa∣thers ha∣ue done longe be∣fore vs.
• * 1.196

  Philip. iii.