Certayne letters, translated into English, being first written in Latine. Two, by the reverend and learned Mr. Francis Iunius, divinitie reader at Leyden in Holland. The other, by the exiled English Church, abiding for the present at Amsterdam in Holland. Together with the confession of faith prefixed: where vpon the said letters were first written

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Certayne letters, translated into English, being first written in Latine. Two, by the reverend and learned Mr. Francis Iunius, divinitie reader at Leyden in Holland. The other, by the exiled English Church, abiding for the present at Amsterdam in Holland. Together with the confession of faith prefixed: where vpon the said letters were first written
Author
Junius, Franciscus, 1545-1602.
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[Amsterdam] :: Printed,
in the yeare. 1602.
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Brownists -- Controversial literature.
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20920.0001.001
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"Certayne letters, translated into English, being first written in Latine. Two, by the reverend and learned Mr. Francis Iunius, divinitie reader at Leyden in Holland. The other, by the exiled English Church, abiding for the present at Amsterdam in Holland. Together with the confession of faith prefixed: where vpon the said letters were first written." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20920.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 28, 2025.

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The Confession of fayth of certayne English people / living in exile / in the Low countreyes. Together vvith the Preface to the Reader Which we wish of all may be read and considered.

2. Cor. 4/13.

We beleev: therefore have we spoken.

Harmony of Confess. in the preface set before it, in the Name of the French and Belgick Churches.

The Prelates and Priests do alvvay cry out, that vve are He∣reticks, Schismaticks, and Sectaryes. Hovvbeit let thē knovv, that the crime of Heresy is not to be imputed to thē, vvhose faith doth vvholy rely vpon most sure grounds of the Scrip∣ture: That they are not Schismaticks, vvho entierly cleave to the true Church of God, such as the Prophets and Apost∣les do describe vnto vs: Nor they to be counted Sec∣taryes, vvho embrace the truth of God vvhich is one and alvvayes like it self.

Page [unnumbered]

To the reverend and learned men, the Students of holy Scripture, in the Chri∣stian Vniversities of Leyden in Holland, of Sanctandrewes in Scot∣land▪ of Heidelbergh, Geneva, and the other like famous scholes of learning in the Low countreyes, Scot∣land, Germany, and France.

The English exiles in the Low countreys, wish grace and peace in Iesus Christ.

THis true confession of our faith, in our judgment wholy agreable to the sacred Scripture, we do here exhibit vnto all to be discus∣sed: and vnto you (reverend Sirs) we dedicate it for two causes. First, for that we know you are able in respect of your singular knowledge in the Scriptures, and hope you are willing in respect of your syncere piety, to convince our errours by the light of Gods word, if in any thing we be out of the way. Secondly, that this testimony of Christian faith, if you also fynd it agree with the word of truth, may by you be appro∣ved, eyther in silence or by writing, as you shall think best.

It may be, we shalbe thought very bold, that being despised of all, yet doubted not to sollicite you so many and so great learned men. But this we did, partly at the request of others to whom we would not deny it: partly with desier to have the truth through your help better defen∣ded and further spread abroad: partly cōstreyned by our exile and other calamityes almost infinite: partly also moved with love of our native coūtrey, and of these wherein now we live, and others else where: wish∣ing that all may walk with a right foot to the truth of the Gospell, and praying daily vnto God, that the great work of restoring Religion and the Church decayed, which he hath happily begun in these latter ty∣mes, by our Gracious Soveraigne and the other Princes of these coun∣treyes and ages (his servants) he would fully accomplish, to the glory of his name and eternall salvation in Christ of his elect in all places of the earth.

As for the causes which moved vs to publish this Confession of faith, and to forsake the Church of England as now it stādeth, we have truly and as briefly as we could related them in the Preface to the Rea∣der, hereafter following: and therefore thought here to omit the repe∣tition of them. The Lord Iesus alway preserve you and your Vniver∣sityes to the praise of his name, the ornamēt of good learning, the pro∣pagation and maintenance of his pure Religion. From Amsterdam in the low countreyes. The yeare of the last patience of the saints, 1598.

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The preface to the Christian Reader.

IT may seeme strange vnto thee (Christian Reader) that any off the Englysh nation should for the truth of the Gospell be forced to forsake their natyve contrye / and lyve in exile / especially in these dayes / when the Gospell seemeth to have free passage / and florish in that land. And for this cause have our exile bene hardly thought of by many / and evil spoken of by some who know not (as it seemeth) eyther the trewe estate of the Church of England or causes of our forsaking and separating from the same / but hearing this sect (as they call it) to be every where spoken against have (with out at all further search) accoun∣ted and divulged vs as heretickes / or Schismatickes at the least.* 1.1 Yea some (and such as worst might) have sought the increase of our afflictions / even here also yf they could, which thinge they have / both secretly and openly attempted. This hath Sathan added vnto all our former sorrowes / envying that we should have rest in any part of the b 1.2 inhabyted world / and therfor ceaseth not to make warre with the remnant of the womans seed / which keepe the commaundemēts of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ. But the Lord that c 1.3 brought his former Israell out off Egypt / and when they walked aboute from nation to natiō / from one Kingdome to an other people / suffered no man to do them wronge / but repro∣ved kinges for their sakes: the same Lord yet lyveth to maynteyne the right off his afflicted servantes / whome he hath severed / and dayly gathereth out off the world / to d 1.4 be vnto himselff a chosen generatiō / a royall priesthood a peculiar peo∣ple and Israell off God: He e 1.5 is our hope and strength and helpe in trobles ready to be found / he will hyde vs vnder his winges / and vnder his feathers we shall be sure vntyll these myseries be over past. And though we could for our partes well have borne this rebuke off Christ in silence / and left our cause to him who iudgeth iustly all the children off men: yet for the manyfestation and clearing of the truth off God from reproche off men / and for the bringing off others togither with our selves to the same knouwledge and fellowship off the Gospell / we have thought it needfull and our duty to make knowen vnto the world / our vnfeyghned fayth in God / and loyall obedience towardes our Prince / and all Governours set over vs in the Lord / together with the reasons off our leaving the ministery worship and Church off England. Which are not (as they pretend) for some fewe faultes and corruptions remayning / such as we acknowledge man be found in the per∣fectest Church on earth: Neyther count we it lawfull for any member to forsake the fellowship off the Church for blemyshes and imperfections / which every one according to his calling should studeously seeke to cure / and to exspect and further it vntyll eyther there followe redresse or the disease be growen incureable / and the f 1.6 candlestick be moved out off the place. But we having through Gods mercy learned to discerne betwixt gap 1.7 the true worship off God / and the Antichristian lei∣tourgie / the true ministerie off Christ and Antichristian priesthood and prelacy / the ordinances off Christes testament and popysh cannons: have also learned to leave h 1.8 the evill and choose the good to forsake Babell the land off our captyvitie / and get vs vnto Sion the mount of the Lordes holynes / and place where his ho∣nour dwelleth.

But first we desyre thee / good Reader to vnderstand / and mynde that we have not in any dislyke of the civill estate and politicke goverment in that common wealth / which we much lyke and love seperated our selves from that Churche: Neyther have we shaken of our alleageance and dutyfull obedyence to our So∣veraigne Prince Elezabeth her honorable Consellers and other Magistrates set over vs but have alwayes and still do reverence love and obey them every one in the Lord / opposing our selves against al enemyes forreigne or domesticall: against

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all invasions / insurrections / treasons or conspiracies by whome soever intended against her Majestie and the State / and are ready to advēture our lyves in their defence / iff need require. Neiter have our greatest adversaryes ever bene able to attaint vs of the least disloyalty in this regarde. And though now we be exiled / yet do we dayly pray and will for the preservation peace and prosperity off her Majestie and all her domynions

And wheras we have bene accused off intrusion into the Magistrates office / as goeing about our selves to reforme the abuses in that land / it is a mere malicious calumnie / which our adversaries have forged out of their owne hart.* 1.9 We have al∣wayes both by word and practise shewed the contrary / neyther ever attempted or purposed any such thinge: but have indevored thus onely to reforme our sel∣ves and our lyves according to the rule off Gods word / by absteyning from all e∣vyll and keeping the commandements off Iesus: leaving the suppressing and ca∣sting out off those remnants of Idolatry / vnto the Magistrates / to whome it be∣longeth.

And further we testifye by these presents vnto all men / and desyre them to take knowledge herof that we have not forsaken any one poynt of the true ancient ca∣tholicke and apostolicke fayth professed in our land: but hold the same groundes of Christian religion with them still / agreeing lykewise herein / with the Dutch / Scottysh / Germane / French / Heldetian / and all other Christian reformed Chur∣ches round about vs / whose confessions publyshed / we call to witnes our agre∣ment with them in matters of greatest moment / being cōferred with these articles of our fayth following.* 1.10 The thinges then onely against which we contend / and which we mislyke in the Englysh parish assemblyes / are many reliques of that man off Synne (whome they pretend to have abandoned) yet reteyned among them / and with a high hand maynteyned / vpholden / and imposed. The parti∣ciers wherof being almost infinite) cannot well off vs besett downe / and would be tedious and yrksome to thee (good Reader:) But the principall heades we wil truely relate / and that so briefely as in so large and confuse a subject we can.

First in the planting and constituting of their Churche (at the begining of our Queene Elizabets reigne) they receved at once into the body of that Churche / as members / the whole land / which generally then stood for the most part professed Papistes who had revolted from the profession / which they made in the dayes of king Edward off happy memorye / and shed much blood off many Christian Martyrs in Queene Maryes dayes. This people yet standinge in this fearfull sinfull state / in idolatry / blyndnes superstitiō and all manner wickednes / without any professed repentance / and without the meanes theroff / namely the preaching off the word goeing before / were by force and aucthority of lawe onely compelled / and together receved into the bosome / and body of the Churche / their seed bapti∣sed themselves receved and compelled to the Lords supper / had this ministery and servyce (which now then use) inioyned and set over them / and eversynce they and their seed remayne in this estate / being all but one body comonly called the Church of England▪ Here are none exempted or excluded / be they never soo propha∣ne or wretched no athiest / adulterer / thiefe / or murderer / no lyer / periured / witche or coniurer and c. all are one fellowship one body / one Churche. Now let the law off God be looked into / and there wilbe found / that such persones i 1.11 are not fit stones for the lordes spiritual howse / no meete members for Christes glorious body. k 1.12 None of yeres may be receved into the Churche without free professed fayth re∣pētance and submission vnto the Gospell of Christ and his heavenly ordynances: Neyther may any contynew l 1.13 there longer then they bring forth the fruytes off fayth walking as becometh the Gospell of Christ. Christ m 1.14 Iesus hath called and severed his servants out of and from the world. How then should this confused

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and mixed people be esteemed the orderly gathered true planted and right consti∣tuted Church of God.

Secondly as they have reteyned the whole rout of the popysh multitude with∣out any distinction / for members of their Churche: so have they set over them (as reason was) the same popysh Clergie and Prelacy / which they receved from the Romysh Apostasie and this day is to be found in the popysh Churches:* 1.15 to wit / Archbs, Primats, Bbs, Metropolitanes, Suffraganes, Archdeacōs, Deanes, Chauncellors, Commissaries, and the rest of that rable / which rule and governe these assemblyes according to the popysh cannons / rites / and customes. These have the power and aucthoritie in their hādes to set forth iniunctions / to make and depose ministers▪ to excomunicate both priest and people which they do very exquisitly if they yeld not vnto them their due homage and obedience. These have both Ecclesiasticall and civill aucthoritie / to reigne as Princes in the Churche and lyve as Lordes in the common wealth / to punysh imprison / and persecute evē to death all that dare but once mutter against their vnlaufull proceedinges. Of these prelates tyranny cruelty and vnlawfull aurthoritie the better sort both of preachers and people have cryed out / and longe tyme sued vnto the Prince and parliamēt to have them removed out of the Churche / as being the lymmes of Antichrist.* 1.16 But not prevay∣ling they are now content (for avoyding of the crosse of Christ / to submitt them sel∣ves and their soules to this Antichristian Hierarchie / and beare the sinfull yoke and burthen of their traditions / and to receve and carry aboute the dreadfull and detestable marke of the beast vpon them.

Thirdly / The inferiour ministery of that Churche / consisteth of Priests / Par∣sons / Vicars / Curats / hired preachers / or Lecturers, with Clarkes, Sextons, &c. all which have receved their offices callings and aucthoritie from their orenamed Lordes the Prelats, to whome they have sworne their canonicall obedience / and promysed to performe it with all reverence and submyssion. * 1.17 Their office is to read over the servyce booke and Bps. Decrees, thereby to worship God / to marry / to bury / to church women / to visit the sicke / give him the Sacrament / and forgyve him all his sinnes: and if their lyvinges or benefices (as they are called) amount to a certeyne summe of money in the Queenes booke / then must they preach / or get some other to preach for them fower sermons in a yere in their parish / where also must be noted that the most part of these Priestes are utterlye vnlearned / and cannot preache at all: wherby it cometh to passe that most of the people are as blynde as they were in the darke dayes of popery. These ministers generally / as∣wel preachers as other / lyve in feare and servitude vnder their foresaid Lords the Bbs. for as without their lycence wrytten and sealed they cannot preach / so vpon their displeasure and for not obeying their injunctions / they are many tymes sus∣pēded degraded / and if they will not be ruled / put in prison: so that sundry of them have bene suspended and imprisoned for preaching against the Prelats, not subscri∣bing to their devised articles and booke of comon prayer not wearing the square capp and surplus / not reading the service booke / and be tyed to the same / not co∣ming to the Bishops courtes / visitations / inquisitions / and c. tyll now of late be∣ing wearyed with these trobles / they give place to their tyranny / and are content to conforme themselves / and yelde their canonicall obedience according to their oathe / keeping now silence / yea going back / bearing and bolstering the thinges / which heretofore by word and wryting they stoode against so longe as there was any hope that the Queene and Counsell would have harkened vnto them / and put these adversary Prelats out of the Churche.

Fourthly / for the administration / which is by lawe imposed vpon all both Clergie and Laitie, (for so they distinguish them) they have gathered their service booke verbatim out of the masse boo•••• / turning out of latine into englysh the Suf∣fragies,

Page 10

Prayers, Letany, Collects, &c. (leaving on some of the grosse pointes ther∣in) keeping still the old fashyon of Psalmes Chapters Pistles / Gospells / versi∣cles respondes / also Te Deum, Beedictus, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis, Our Father, Lord have mercy vpon vs, The Lord be with you, O Lord open tow my lyps, Glory to God on high, Lyft vp your harts, O come let vs rejoyce, Glory be to the Father, Quicunque vult, &c. These doe they read dayly morning and evening all the yere longe in their priestly vestures / Surplus / cope / and c. some they saye / and some they singe having in their Cathedrall Churches / the Organs, Queristers, singing men and boyes as in tymes past in popery. Many popysh errors yet remayne in that booke which their owne preachers have noted / and found fault with▪ There are they prescribed what prayers to read over the dead / over the corne and grasse / some tyme in the yere.* 1.18 By it are they inioyned to keepe their holy dayes to their Lady (as they call her) to all Saincts and Angells / to all Christes Apostells / (ex∣cept Paul and Barnabas) whose eves they are commaunded to fast / as also their Lent and Ember dayes / besydes frydayes / and satardayes through out the whole yere. By this booke are the ministers instructed how to marry with the signe of the Ringe / and c. to baptise in the hallowed Font with signe of the crosse / with Godfathers and Godmothers / asking the childe whether it will forsake the devyll and all his workes / and c. to minister also their other sacrament or com∣munion to the people kneeling / as when in popery they receved their maker / the wordes of Christes institution altered and others in stead of them takē out of the popes portuis / with innumerable such lyke enormyties and fopperies wherewith it swarmeth. And this is all the worship and service which many parishes have contynually / except peradventure some wrytten homelyes which the vnlearned priestes read vnto them. This service must first be read / and hath the preeminen∣ce even on the Lordes dayes before any preaching yra before the Bible it self: He that can read this booke distinctly is fit ynough with them to be priest / yea ma∣ny that have ben Artificers / as Shoemakers / Taylers / Weavers / Porters / and c. and with out any giffes or knowledge at all / save only to read Englysh / have bene and are admytted and to this day maynteyned by the prelats in the mini∣stery. To these Churches ministers and servyce must all the people there come e∣very daye / yea though they have in the next parish a preacher / and in their owne a dumbe vnlearned priest / yet are they all tyed to their owne Church / and minister / and must at the least twise a yere receve the Sacrament at his handes. If they refuse this / or do not ordinaryly come to their parish Churche then are they sum∣moned / excommunicated / and imprisoned / tyll they become obedient. In this bō∣dage are our countrymen there held vnder their Priests and Prelates: and such as by the word of God witnes against and condemne these abhominations / they hate punysh put to death / and persecute out of the land. Who now in whome a∣ny sparke of true light is cannot playnly perceive this their ministery worship and Churche to be false and adulterate? doth Christes eternall testament or deyne and approve of suche popish Lordes and Prelats to reigne over his Churche? are these those Christian Bishops / that is o 1.19 Pastors / Teachers and Elders / which he hath set in his Churche and over his owne people vnto the worldes end? Or can chose preachers which are thus created and deposed by / thus sworne and obediēt vnto / their spirituall lordes / be deemed true teachers of the Gospell of Christ law∣fully called and ordeyned to that ministerye? Is that their Englysh Masse the trewe and p 1.20 spirituall worship of God according to his owne wil? we are taught in the scriptures q 1.21 that there can be no agrement made betwixt Christ and Anti∣christ / betwixt the Lawes of God and mens traditions: that the servants of Ie∣sus may not submytt unto or receve the marke of that beast / neyther drinke of the cup of the whore of Babylons fornycations / or buy any of her wares: but must

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s 1.22contend for the mayntenāce of that faith / which was once gyven vnto the sainc∣tes / keeping their▪ soules and bodyes pure from Antichristian pollutions / tou∣ching t 1.23 no vncle anethinge u 1.24 nor having any fellowship with the vnfruteful wor∣kes of darknes / w 1.25 least by partaking with their sunnes they receve also of their plagues / and dryncke of the wyne of the wrath of God / and be tormented in fyre and brimstone / before the holy Angells and before the lambe for evermore.

If Christ be God let vs follow him: but if the pope be God / what shall wee say? why have we left him / his Church and ministery / his worship and jurisdiction / or what halting and mocking with the Lord is this / to put away the popes per∣son and retayne his prelacy and ministery his Lawes / Traditiōs and Cannons / his worship and service:* 1.26 or at the least to frame vnto our selves a worship mini∣stery and Church after the patterne and mould of the Apostacye of Roome / which what other thing is it / them to make an Image of that first wild beast / and force men to worship it?x 1.27

Thus seest thow briefely (good Christian Reader) the thinges which we misli∣ke in the Churche of England / and for which we have separated our selves / as God commandeth.y 1.28 To all these / if we were amongst them / s—uld we be forced to submytt our bodyes and soules / or els suffer violence at the handes of the Pre∣lats / and end our lyves by violent death or most miserable imprisonment / as ma∣ny of our bretheren before vs have donne. For so great is the malice and power of those romysh priests / that they persecute vnto death such as speake against them: and such poore Christians as they cast into their noysome prysons / can seldome or never get out (except with shipwracke of cōscience) vntyll they be caryed forth vpon the Bere. Neyther is there any care taken for their reliefe in this case: but being thus cast into pryson / there they are deteyned without any alloweance of meate or money for their mayntenance / be their want and poverty never so great. If they have any thing of their owne / there they are driven to spend it vp: if they have nothing / there they are left by the Prelats to feede on the ayre. And that they maye more readily be sterved / or weakened in the truth / they are comonly shut vp in close prison / their frends and acquayntance being not suffered to come at them: Nay even their wyves and children being kept and debarred from them by the tyranny of these bloddye Prelats and their instruments: whose hard har∣tes and vnnaturall cruelty / if thou didest vnderstand (gentle Reader) as many of vs have felt / and to this daye yet feele it would make thy hart to bleede / conside∣ring their vnmercyfull and barbarous dealing. And how many soules have pe∣rished in their prisons through miserable vsage / how many have ben put to death and how many banyshed / though we could to their eternall infamy relate to all the world / yet wil we not blaze abroad their acts (for we take no delight in laying open their shame) but mourne for them in secret / commytting our cause to God that judgeth justly / knowing that he z 1.29 that maketh inquisition for blood remem∣breth it / and will not forget the complaint of the poore. And thou (Christian Reader) voutch safe to remember vnto God in thy prayers such as yet remayne in bandes and pryson amongest them for the testymony of Iesus / enduring a hard fight of afflictions / and having the sentence of death in themselves are lyke (if the Lord send not vnexspected delyverance) there to end their dayes.* 1.30

Concerning our selves who through the mercy of God have found a place of rest in this land / for which benefyt we are alwayes and every where humbly thanckfull: we desyre (Christian Reader) thy charitable and Christian opinion of / and holy prayers vnto God for vs / whose kingdome we seeke / whose ordinances we desyre to establysh and obey: protesting with good consciences / that it is the truth of his Gospell only for which we stryve against those cursed reliques of An∣tichristian apostasie: vnto which we dare in no wise submytt our selves / no not for

Page 12

a moment. For if it be not lawfull for Christians at this daye to receyue the cere∣monye of Moses Lawe together with the Gospell as the Passeover / Circumci∣sion / the Priesthood / Sacrifices / and c.* 1.31 which yet were once commaunded by God himself:* 1.32 how can we thincke it tollerable to observe the odious ceremonyes of Antichrist or submytt our selves to his lawes / Priesthood / Hierarchie and tradi∣tions / which the Lord never allowed / and which never entred in to his hart: yea which he hath so severely for bydden / with fearefull judgements threatned vnto all hat shall so do. But because we have bene very grievously slādred in our owne nation / and the bruit thereoff hath followed vs vnto this land / wherby we have bene hardly deemed of by many without cause / we have bene forced at length to publysh this briefe but true confession of our fayth / for the cleering of our selves from sclander / and satisfying of many who desyred to knowe the thinges we hold. Wherein if in any thinge we erre (as who is so perfit that he erreth not) we reade (good reader) thy Christian brotherly censure and information / promysing alwayes (through the grace of God) to yeild vnto the truth when it shall be fur∣ther shewed vs / and leave our errors when by the light of his word they shalbe reproved. In lyke manner it shall be thy part and duty to acknowledge and sub∣mytt vnto the truth / by whome soever it is professed / looking allwayes rather to the preciousnes of the treasure it self then to the basenes of the vessells which con∣teyne it / or the infirmities of those that witnes the same / in whose mortall bodyes thow shalt see nothing but the markes and dyeing of our lord Ihesus Christ.* 1.33 But hold not thy fayth in respect of mens persons / neyther be thow moved at the evyl reports wich have bene raised of vs:* 1.34 Here hast thow the trewe summe of our Christian fayth / try all thinges by the true light of Gods word: and if thou shalt reape and profit by these our labours / gyve God the glory / and remember vs vnto him in thy prayers. Farewell in Christ Iesus. 1596.

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