Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The. ix. Question.

Whether they do beleeue, that without the Churche of Rome there be no saluation or remis∣sion of sinnes? and whether they doo also beleeue that all

those which separate thēselues willingly from that church, are to be condemned as Heretikes, and Schismatikes?

The Answere.

LEt vs make some diffe∣rence* 1.1 betwéene these questiōs: whether there be any saluation or re∣mission of sinnes with∣out y^e churche of Rome? Or again: whether there be any salua∣tion or remission of sinnes without the Christian church? For thus truely we suppose & say, that there is no more sal∣uation to be looked for, without the chri∣stian church, than there was health to be loked for in the floud without y^e arke of Noe. For our sauiour Chryst Jesus, the remissiō of sinnes, and al other good gifts of God, y^t are declared vnto vs by the preaching of the gospel, & are writ∣ten in our herts by the holy ghost, vnto eternall lyfe, are only to be founde in the communion or felowship of saincts. For without the Churche there are

many erroures in this world, as of the Gentiles, Jewes, Mahomets, & diuers other Heresies, yea the lawes and su∣perstitious constitutions and Ceremo∣nies of the Popes, which all are vn∣knowne and repugnant to the churche of Christe. Wherfore, we say that sal∣uation* 1.2 and remission of sinnes, may very well be had withoute the churche of Rome. For the faithfull which be∣léeue Christes woorde, and féele the po∣wer of faith and redemption of Christ, and in the meane while beholde what is done in the church of Rome, wherein Heauen, remission of sinnes, and all o∣ther holy things are set out to sale, and are bidde to be redéemed with oure vn∣righteous riches, as by the shamefull mart of their indulgences it appeareth: doe not long abide in suche a churche, nor studie not to be pertakers of these knackes: but flée with a quiet and faith∣full harte, without money, to the onely grace of God, bicause Esaie in hys. 55. Chapter, sheweth that euen for thys cause, the Lorde speaketh vnto, and re∣proueth men, for that they come not to

him, but lay oute their money for those things, which profitte nothing to theyr saluation. Let therefore euery man I beséeche you, reade the fiue and fiftie chapter of this Prophet. And how suche buying and selling in the churche, dis∣pleaseth bothe Christe, yea and Peter, (of whome the churche of Rome dothe so busily, but yet without cause bragge) Christe himselfe declareth by his ex∣ample, in that he draue twise out of the Temple the buyers and sellers, yea e∣uen with whippes: Iohn. 2. Matth. 21. In the Actes of the Apostles also it is wrytten: That when Simon Magus sawe the holy Ghoste was giuen of the Apostles by laying on of their handes, he broughte money vnto them, saying: Geeue mee also this povver, that on vvhome so euer I lay mine hande, hee may receiue the holy Ghost: but Peter answered him: Let thy siluer perishe togyther vvith thee (or as some doe in∣terprete it: Let thy mony be vvith thee into perdition) vvhich thinkest the gift of God may begotten vvith mony. For thou hast neyther parte nor felovvship

in this doctrine: for thy hart is not right before God. Act. 8.

And bicause God, héere by Peter, cursseth all those which are not of an vprighte harte, and pronounceth them to haue no parte or fellowshippe wyth Goddes electe, which make marchan∣dise of his grace and other giftes, a∣mongste whome, saluation and the re∣mission of sinnes are the cheefest: And for that the churche of Rome cannot cléere hir selfe of this fault: therfore the faithfull séeke not saluation or remissi∣ons of sinnes in her, but flée from her vnto Christe our Lorde, and of him by true faithe, they craue saluation and re∣mission of their sinnes.

But the defenders and preachers of* 1.3 this pontifical church, do obiect against all these (as by the same to bring vs in∣to an infamie amongste the people) and say: if saluation and remission of sinnes be not obtained in the church of Rome onlye, then should none of oure forefa∣thers be saued, sith they acknowledged none other but the Churche of Rome? Truely we haue a good hope of oure

forefathers touchyng their saluation, but yet not for that they liued in the Romishe churche, and were subiect vn∣to the tirannie thereof: but bicause they kept and helde truely and sincerely the chéefe summe and argument of the do∣ctrine of Christes churche, to witte the xij. Articles of our Christian faithe, the x. Commaundementes of God, and that holy Prayer geuen vs by Christe, commonly called the Lordes Prayer: which Principles of Doctrine, togither with Baptisme, are not found or inuē∣ted by the Romish church, but procéede from the holy Apostolike doctrine, and haue remained cōtinually in y^e church, euen vnto this time, God by his merci∣full prouidence so gouerning the mat∣ter, that amongst so many lawes, De∣crées and Ceremonies of the church of Rome, yet these chefe principles might be preserued pure, and vntouched. Yea also God so gaue hys grace vnto the godly, that in most extréeme necessitie, and in the very houre of death, they for the moste parte haue despised and con∣temned all the superstitions of the Ro∣mishe

bishops, and haue wholely com∣mitted them selues to the grace of god, and to the death of Christe, and haue so remained, euen vnto deathe in the con∣fession of the Articles of the Faithe, and making their petitions onely by the Lords prayer. For although in al ages, men haue bene oppressed with the er∣rors and superstitions of the Bishops, yet hath God euen in the very houre of deathe, moste mercifully vouchsafed to bestowe his grace, as we may sée by the théefe on the crosse, and therefore he did not reiect them bicause of the vnhappie state of the papacie. Furthermore, in al ages there hathe euer bene some godly men, which neuer liked wel of the citie of Rome, the Pope, their Priestes, nor manner of life: but haue maruellously complained from time to time, of theyr greuous burthens. Yea furthermore in euery age, and chefely in the extréemest tyrannie, and most pride of the Romish churche, God hath euer stirred vp lear∣ned mē, which haue instructed the god∣ly, and preached oute of the woorde of God the true saluation in Christe, and

haue reuealed the Hipocrisie of those which were called the spiritualtie. And althoughe the moste parte of those god∣ly menne were put to deathe, euen as Christe, the Prophetes, and Apostles did foreshewe, yet their Doctrine hathe continued to the comforte of the electe: so as thereby God hathe in all times, yea euen in the middest of moste wic∣ked Papistrie, had his electe. So euen then, as likewise nowe, it happened as it did in the time of Elyas: For when he thoughte him selfe onely to be lefte alone of all the faithfull, and that the churche was quite ouerthrowne: God answered vnto him, saying: I haue se¦uen thousand men vvhich neuer bovv∣ed* 1.4 their knees vnto Baal. It is therefore withoute all doubte, that Christe hathe his electe at all times, who neuer bo∣wed their knées vnto papistrie, neither yet heereafter will: yea and that bicause in the Reuelation of Jesus Christe vn∣to John, it was shewed that after ma∣nye and gréeuous daungers, whiche shoulde happen to the Churche, there was sealed many thousandes, yea an

infinite number of menne, to whome these troubles should be nothing hurt∣full.

But althoughe many of oure fore∣fathers, did more earnestly cleane vn∣to the Papisticall Doctrine, than was méete for their saluation to be done, as I haue saide alreadie, bycause there was Prophesied a greate myserable departure from the Faithe: yet héere∣by it followeth not, that the Churche of Rome shoulde be the onely Catho∣licke Churche, no more than it shoulde followe that the Churche of Jerobo∣am shoulde be the true Churche of God, bicause the greatest number of the Israelites did a long time cleaue vnto it.

Yea euen in this time there were a greate number in Israell, which were not foorth with condemned, bicause the kingdome was wickedly gouerned by Jeroboam.

For God hath his electe in all ages, for whose sakes chéefely he sendeth his Prophettes to detecte the erroures, and teache the truthe.

Furthermore we thinke, they may* 1.5 lawfully be counted for Schismatikes and Heretikes, which with a sette pur∣pose followe their owne minde, and se∣parate them selues wickedly, and per∣uersly from the holy catholike churche of Christe. To separate him selfe, or to be a Schismatike, or to holde an Here∣sie, we take to be all one thing. For in the Germane tong, an Heretike is cal∣led Kaetzer, deriued from the Hebrew woorde Kazar▪ which signifieth to cutte or to separate. And therfore in the Ger∣mane tong we call a torne clothe or fleshe that is cutte into péeces Zerkaet∣zeret, that is seperate, cutte or torne. Wherefore this woorde Schismatike, which is also an Heretike, signifieth an author of Schismes, factions and dis∣cordes, and not one that defileth hym selfe with lust, contrary to nature, and is to be punished with fire. And al∣thoughe the Germanes doe name him, that defileth him selfe with luste, con∣trary to nature Katzer▪ bicause he hath violated and broken the league and or∣der instituted by god, wherof the scrip∣ture

testifieth, that whē all liuing crea∣tures wer brought before Adam, there was not one found like vnto him, with whom he might haue companie and be coupled: wherfore God framed the wo∣man out of the side of man, and ordai∣ned that they shuld be ioyned together in marriage, and so to be made one bo∣die. But y^e Latines deriue these words, heresie and Heretickes, from this word Election or chusing. For God hathe moste diligently and plainly prescribed by his Prophetes and Apostles in hys holy woorde, what we ought to beléeue and to doe, and therfore sayth: yee shall* 1.6 do vvhat so euer I commaund yee, nei∣ther shalt thou adde any thing thereun∣to, nor take any thing therefrom. Ney∣ther shall ye do euery man, vvhatsoeuer seemeth good in your ovvne eyes, but vvhat I command you, that shal ye doe. Whosoeuer therefore is disobedient, & deuiseth and chuseth such things, which God by his word hath not cōmaunded, and héereby separateth himselfe frō the word of God & the true folowers ther∣of, & applieth vnto him selfe a peculiare

way and order, alluring also others to folowe the same, and is arrogant, obsti∣nate, contentious, and disobedient, and thoughe he be diuers and sundry times admonished, doth yet neuerthelesse per∣seuere and abide therin, such a one doth the fathers call an hereticke. For the Latines interprete this woorde heresie by the name of sectes: and these woords sectes and sectaries are vsually recey∣ued in common spéeche. But bycause they are deriued from the Latine tong, many simple people doe not perfectly vnderstande them. These woords sectes and sectaries, are deriued from the woorde which signifieth to cut: as when an whole péece of wood is hewen or cut into diuers partes: or when those which were first of one minde, doe nowe disa∣grée, and are deuided into sundry opini∣ons, so as almost euery one hath a seue∣rall opinion with him selfe: and so these partes being thus separated, are called sectes: euen as amongste the Philoso∣phers were sundry sectes, as of the Epi∣cures, Stoickes and Peripatetickes, a∣mongst whome eche secte had his pecu∣liar

or proper opinion. Yet notwithstā∣ding, the fathers doe make some diffe∣rence betwéene these words heresie and schisme, of which difference there is no néede héer to speake, sauing only to note that euery schisme is not heresie. For when the Apostles begā first to preach and builde the churche, that is to say, to bring a peculiare people bothe of the Jewes and Gentiles vnto Christe, and that they might seeke al things in him, their Doctrine was called heresie, as plainly appeareth. Acts. 24. And bicause the Doctrine of the Apostles did differ much frō the doctrine which héeretofore had bene taught amongste the Jewes, they called it heresie, supposing it to be a defection or separation from y^t which they iudged to be the true faith.

Wherfore, whersoeuer any discord,* 1.7 schisme, or heresie is begonne, it muste néedes followe, that there was first an vnitie, which is nowe deuided by the Heretickes: wherupon wée must per∣fectly know what that vnitie is, which the Heretickes so deuyde, by meanes whereof they take thys theyr name.

〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉true church of Christ, which putteth hir trust only in god the father, through our lord Jesus Christ his son, by the power of the holy ghost. Yea also y^e sacramēts of▪ Christ, Baptisme, & the Supper of the Lord, serue to this purpose, by which y^e godly binde them selues to God, & mu∣tually knit thē selues together in loue. And this therfore is that whole summe* 1.8 or vnitie, which being separated, ma∣keth heretickes. And we haue exāples héereof, in the auncient people of God, to whō God gaue in cōmaundement, that they should loue him with al their hart, with all their soule, with all their strength, and therfore he included them into one churche, gaue them one lawe, made one couenaunt with them, insti∣tuted amongste them, one Tabernacle or Temple, one arke of couenaunt, one altare, Sacrifice and Priesthoode. Yea their sacramentes, that is to say Circū∣cision and the Passeouer, serue also to this vnitie, teaching them y^t they were all one people, vnder one God, & in one faithe. And therefore he forbad them to worship or serue strāge gods, that is to

say, to haue in steade of God, or of a sa∣uior, any thing whatsoeuer besides him selfe, who is the true and liuing God. He also forbad them to hearken after strange religions, or to worship him or offer Sacrifices vnto him, in any other place but in y^t only, yea and after y^t sort, which himself had ordained. But Jero∣boam king of Israel, did first manifest∣ly, cōtrary to the ordinances of god: For first he separated the vnitie of y^e church into diuers parts, and brought. x. tribes frō the only temple, altars, priesthoode, sacrifice, & brue them frō the appoynted & written seruice of God, built two tē∣ples after his owne minde, in which he placed idols, built altars, & chose priests after his own wil: wherof we mai read in the first of Kings, in chap. 12. & 13. And this was the chefest heretike or deuider of gods church▪ for the which oftētimes he was moste sharpely reproued by the word of God. Then after this mā came King Achab, who besides this, added héerunto the worshipping of Baal, and so ledde the people yet further from the true & right way: wherfore God rooted

out bothe them, and all their posteritie.

Againe, after that the blessed Apo∣stles* 1.9 had preached Christe, and all sal∣uation of man to be contained in him, and on this foundation haue builded the churche in this worlde, lefte their wry∣tings and the bookes of the Prophetes, (wherin is contained the fulnesse of all good doctrine) vnto the same: they fore∣shewed in their wrytings, that there should come suche which would deuide or tear their doctrine, faith, and church: And in shorte space after, suche entred into the churche, and haue daily encrea∣sed: Of whome some denyed the Tri∣nitie, some the deuine, and some the hu∣mane nature of Christe: Other some of them did extenuate or take away the corruption of manne, or as some call it, Originall sinne, and some did attri∣bute righteousnesse and saluation of man, to mannes owne power, and frée wil, to the workes of the lawe, and me∣rites of men, and that cleane contrary, to the frée grace of God. And eache of these most lamentably, haue torne and rent the holy scriptures and the church,

to the ende they might establishe some peculiar opinions, and by those crooked sleightes to seduce the foolish, and leade them from the onely way and Aposto∣like churche, to their vtter destruction: which sleightes and péeuishe opinions, they either haue deuised of their owne braynes, or else receiued them frō other traditions without the warrant of the holy Scriptures: and hauing thus re∣ceiued them, they moste obstinately de∣fende and teach them. And therfore the auncient fathers haue righte worthely counted and estéemed them for Schis∣matikes* 1.10 and Heretikes. Wherfore if any nowe in these our dayes doo rayse vppe, or renue any of the aforenamed Heresies of sedicious opinions, or de∣uise any thing of them selues, contrary to the Scriptures, or doo otherwyse rent and deuide asunder the scriptures and the holy christian Church, and at∣tribute that vnto them selues, whereof they haue spoyled Chryst: and béeyng neuerthelesse better instructed oute of the worde of God, wil not reuoke their foresayde errours, but preache vnto

them selues an other God, an other Gospell, an other Chryst, renting the hearts of the faythfull, teaching them not to loue one god with al their harts, but other Gods also, not to pray vnto God onely, but to other creatures, to serue them, worship them, & pray vnto them. Agayn, they teach not al saluatiō and health to be in Chryst alone, but to be in other creatures also: & that christ is not in the holy scriptures so called, a pastor, head, chéefe bishop, aduocate, and intercessor, sacrifice for sinnes, the righ∣teousnesse, & redemption of the faithful, as thoughe these were so proper vnto him, that to this end none other things might be ioyned to him. Furthermore if they vse y^e Sacraments for any other purpose than for the conseruation and increase of the vnitie of the Church: If (I say) either euen wée our selues, or any other doo the things wherof I haue spoken, they are vndoubtedly to be sus∣pected of Heresie, as the authors of sectes and discordes in faythe and the true Churche of Chryste. Wherefore ••ithe wée giue our whole diligence, la∣bour

and studie, that the Auncient and Primatiue puritie and vnitie of the fayth and christian Apostolike Church may be restored, and that Chryst may obteine that reuerence in the heartes of the faythfull which is due vnto him, and wée in this lyfe may lyue holily, and in the lyfe to come eternally in him: I hope that no good and godly man can then slaunder or condemne vs for Heretikes, bycause we haue for∣saken, (not the aunciente Churche of Rome in those things whiche shée had common with the vniuersall Aposto∣like Church) but this latter Romishe Churche, yea and that onely in those thinges whiche to moste shamefull abuse and offence, shee hathe deuysed and ordayned, not by the authoritie of Goddes woorde, but of hir owne brayne: yea and moreouer, bycause shee is fraughte with all horrible filthi∣nesse, and that our Lorde commaun∣deth vs to go out of hir. Rom. 16. 2. Cor 6 Apoc. 18. &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Out of the chri¦stian Churche there is no sal∣uation.
• * 1.2

  There maye be saluation without the Churche of Rome.
• * 1.3

  Of the faythe and saluatiō of our fore∣fathers.
• * 1.4

  3. Reg 19.
• * 1.5

  What is to breede Scis∣mes or He∣resies.
• * 1.6

  Deut. 4. 1••.
• * 1.7

  Where in the vnitie of Chri∣stes Churche doth consist.
• * 1.8

  An example of the breach of vnitie in the Churche and faythe.
• * 1.9

  The first Here∣tickes & Scis∣maticks in the Churche.
• * 1.10

  whither they be Heretycks which in our age doe peache the Gospell.