Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

An other letter wrytten to the Christian con∣gregation, by Robert Samuel, wherein he decla∣reth the confession of his faith.

The beliefe of the hert iustifieth, and the knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe. Rom. 10.

Feare not the curse of mē, be not afraid of their blasphemies and reuilings, for wormes and mothes shal eat them vp like cloth and woolle, but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer, and my sauing health from generation to generation Esay 51.

* 1.1COnsidering with my selfe these pearillous times, pearishing daies▪ and the vnconstante and miserable state of man, the de∣cay of our faith, the sinister reporte and false sclaunder of Gods most holy word, these vrgent causes in conscience do constraine me to confesse and acknowledge my faith and meaning in Chri∣stes holy Religion, as S. Peter teacheth me, saying: be readye al∣wayes to geue an aunswere to euerye man that asketh you a rea∣son of the hope that is in you, and that with meekenes and feare, hauing a good conscience, that when they backbite you as euill doers▪ they may be ashamed, for asmuche as they haue falsly accu∣sed your good conuersation in Christ.

As touching my doctrine, for that little talent that God hath geuen mee, God I take to recorde, mine owne conscience and mine auditorie knoweth, that I neither in doctrine nor maners, willingly taughte any other thinge then I receiued of the holye Patriarckes, Prophetes, Christe and hys Apostles. For it were not onely sinne, but also the verye parte of a cursed miscreant, to denye, to be lye, or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine, or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the de∣fence of the same, seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude: and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD, then all thys transitorye worlde, or their owne mortall liues.* 1.2 And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes, Prophetes, Christe and his Apostles to be suffi∣cient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee, and all the holy Church, of our dueties towardes God, the Magistrates, and our neighbours

Firste, and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting, that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence, and infinite substaunce. which is both called, and is in dede God euerlasting, vnbodilye, vnpartible, vnmeasurable in power, wisedome, and goodnesse, the maker and preseruer of all thinges,* 1.3 as well visible as inuisible: and yet there be three distincte persones, all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge, and all of one power, coequall, consubstantiall, coeternell, the Father, the Sonne, and the holye Ghoste.

I beleeue in God the Father Almightie &c.* 1.4 As touching God the Father of heauen, I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture tea∣cheth mee to beleeue. The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie, first cause of our saluation, which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe: whych hathe cho∣sen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde, that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym: who hath pre∣destinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption,* 1.5 thorough Christe Iesu. In hym, as it is sayde, we liue, wee mooue and haue oure being: he nourisheth, feedeth, and geueth meate to euery creature.

And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde.* 1.6 I beleue that the woorde, that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Tri∣nitie, did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Vir∣gine Marie: So that there be in hym two natures, a Diuine na∣ture, and an humaine nature, in the vnitie of parson inseparable,* 1.7 conioyned and knitte in one Christe, truely God and truely man, the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God,* 1.8 wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly, and wherein man, as it were in a glasse, may beholde what he ought to doe, that he maye please God the Father.

Borne of the Virgine Marie: truelye sufferinge his Passion, crucified, deade and buryed, to the entent to bring vs againe in∣to fauoure wyth God the Father almightie, and to be a sacrifice, hoste and oblation, not onely for originall sinne, but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde. For all the woorkes, merites, deseruings, doinges,* 1.9 and obedience of man to∣wards God, althoughe they be done by the spirite of God, in the grace of God, yet being thus done, be of no validitie, worthine, nor merite before God, except God for his mercy and grace, ac∣coumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus.

The same Christ went downe to the helles, and truely rose a∣gaine the thirde day, and ascended into the heauēs, that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures: and from thence shall come. &c.

I beleue in the holy Ghost, coequall with God the Father and the Sonne, and proceeding from them bothe: by whose vertue, strength and operation, the true Catholicke Church, which is the Communion and societie of Saintes, is guided in all truthe & ve∣ritie, & kept frō al errors & fals doctrine, the deuill, & all power of sinne. Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the preci∣ous bloude, and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe:* 1.10 whiche hathe also her signe and mark, that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ, and no strangers. This church also is the house of God, the congregation of the liuing God, the piller of truth, the liuely body of Christe, a Church both in name and in deede.

I beleue the remission of sinnes, by the only meanes and me∣rites of Christes death & passion:* 1.11 who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer, for all them that be sanctified.

I beleue the resurrection of the body, whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death, the soules ioyned againe to the bodies, the good to euerlasting life,* 1.12 the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt. And nothing may more certainly stablish & con∣firme our faith, that we shall rise againe immortal both in body & soule, thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour, and first fruites of the deade. Nowe that Christe our head is risen, we beynge hys body and members, must follow our head. Death, hell, and sinne, cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him. For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father, nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe, no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ, be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection,* 1.13 Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body, his woundes being handled and felte, spea∣king and teaching, eating and drinking▪ &c. Wee looke (sayeth S. Paul) for Iesus Christ our Sauiour, which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies, & conform them to his glorious body by the same power

and vertue, wherwith he is able to subdue all things: euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde, is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte, yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour, forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption,* 1.14 and riseth in incorrup∣tion: it is sowen in dishonour, and riseth in honour.

Thus I verely know, and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies,* 1.15 and to haue life eternall by Christ, and for Christes sake. Verely, verely, I say vnto you (sayth Christ,) he that heareth my woorde, and beleeueth on him that sent me, hath euerlasting life,* 1.16 and shall not come into damnation, but is escaped frō death to life. It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes, and is risen a∣gaine, neuer more to die: it is he that swallowed vp death, & hath cast it vnder his feete for euer. What now can death do vnto vs? Verelye nothing els,* 1.17 but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies, that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne, that eternall life from a body of death, and so send our soules oute of this miserable, wretched and sorrowfull lyfe, combred with all calamities, vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall.

* 1.18As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Chri∣stes Churche, which be in number two, the Sacrament of Bap∣tisme, and the Supper of the Lord, I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them, confirmations or seales of Gods promises, whiche haue added to them a promise of grace,* 1.19 and therfore they are cal∣led visible signes of inuisible grace.

The Sacrament of Baptisme is a marke of Christes Church, a seale and confirmation of our acception into the grace & fauour of God for Christes sake. For his innocencie, his righteousnesse, his holinesse, his iustice, is ours, geuen vs of God, and our sinnes and vnrighteousnesse, by his obedience and abasing of him selfe to the death of the crosse, are his, whereof Baptisme is the signe, seale, and confirmation.

Baptisme is also a signe of repentaunce, to testifie that we be borne to the waues of pearils, and chaunges of life, to the intent that we should die continually as lōg as we liue from sinne, and rise againe like new men vnto righteousnesse. Rom. 6.

The other Sacrament which is the supper and holy Maundie of our Sauiour Christ,* 1.20 whereby the church of Christ is knowen, I beleeue to be a remembraunce of Christes death and passion, a seale and confirmation of his moste precious bodye geuen vnto death, euen to the vile death of the crosse, wherewith wee are re∣deemed and deliuered from sinne, death, hell, and damnation, It is a visible woorde, because it worketh the same thing in the eyes, which the worde worketh in the eares. For like as the worde is a meane to the eares, whereby the holy Ghost mooueth the heart to beleue, Romanes 10. so this sacrament is a meane to the eyes, whereby the holy Ghost moueth the hart to beleue:* 1.21 it preacheth peace betweene God and man: it exhorteth to mutuall loue and all godly life, and teacheth to contemne the world for the life to come, when as Christ shall appeare, which now is in heauen, and no where els as concerning his humane body.* 1.22

Yet do I beleeue assuredly that his very body is present in his moste holy Supper at the contemplation of oure spirituall eyes,* 1.23 and so verely eaten with the mouth of our faith. For as soone as I heare these most comfortable and heauenly woordes spoken and pronoūced by the mouth of the Minister. This is my body which is geuen for you, when I heare (I say) this heauenly harmonie of Gods vnfallible promises and truthe: I looke not vppon, neyther doe I beholde breade and wine: for I take and beleue the wordes simply and plainly,* 1.24 euen as Christe spake them. For hearing these wordes, my senses be rapt and vtterly excluded: for faith whole∣ly taketh place, and not flesh nor the carnall imaginations of our grosse, fleshly, and vnreuerent eating after the maner of our bo∣dily foode whiche profiteth nothinge at all, as Christe witnesseth, Iohn 6 but with a sorrowfull and wounded conscience, an hun∣gry and thirsty soule, a pure and faithfull mind do fully embrace, beholde and feede, and looke vppon that most glorious body of Christ in heauen, at the right hande of God the father, very God and very man, which was crucified and slaine, and his bloud shed for our sinnes, there nowe making intercession, offering and ge∣uing his holy body for me,* 1.25 for my body, for my raunsome, for my full price and satisfaction, who is my Christ and all that euer hee hath: and by this spirituall and faithfull eating of this liuelye and heauenlye breade,* 1.26 I feele the moste sweete s••ppe and taste of the fruites, benefites, and vnspeakeable ioyes of Christes deathe and passion fullye disgested into the bowelles of my soule. For my minde is quieted from all worldly aduersities, tormoylinges, and trouble: my conscience is pacified from sinne, deathe, hell, and damnation: my soule is full, and hathe euen enough, and will no more: for all things are but losse, vile dounge and drosse, vayne vanitie, for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesu my Lord and Sauiour.

Thus nowe is Christes flesh my very meate in deede, and hys bloud my very drinke in deede,* 1.27 & I am become flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones. Nowe I liue, yet not I, but Christe liueth in me:* 1.28 yea I dwell in him, and he in mee: for thorough faithe in Christe, and for Christes sake we are one, that is, of one consente, minde▪ and fellowshippe with the Father, the Sonne and the hol Ghost. Iohn 17. Thus am I assured and fullye perswaded, and on this rocke haue I builded by Gods grace, my dwelling and re∣sting place for body and soule, life and death. And thus I commit my cause vnto Christe the righteous and iust iudge, who will an other day iudge these debates and controuersies: whome I hum∣bly beseeche to cast his tender and mercifull eyes vppon the af∣flicted and ruinous Churches, and shortly to reduce them into a godly and perpetuall concorde. Amen.

Thus do I beleeue, and this is my faith and my vnderstanding in Christ my Sauiour, and his true and holy religion. And thys whosoeuer is ashamed to doe among this adulterous and sinne∣full generation, of hym shall the sonne of man be ashamed,* 1.29 when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels.

Robert Samuel.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Tim. ••. An other letter of 〈…〉〈…〉 3.
• * 1.2

  Marke. 8.
• * 1.3

  One God.
• * 1.4

  Three persons▪
• * 1.5

  Ephes. 1.
• * 1.6

  Actes 17. Psalm. 176.
• * 1.7

  The 2. Article.
• * 1.8

  Heb. 1.
• * 1.9

  No merites of saluation but onely in Christ. Esay. 48.43. Gene. 1.22. Esay 53. Actes. 10. Math. 8.
• * 1.10

  The Catholick Church is the communion of Saintes.
• * 1.11

  Iohn. 10.8. Galath. 1. 1. Tim. 3.
• * 1.12

  Remission of sinnes onely by the merites of Christ appre∣hended by fayth.
• * 1.13

  Confirmation of our resurrec∣tion. Iohn. 10. Iohn 1· Phil. 3.
• * 1.14

  Iohn. 12. 1. Cor. 15.
• * 1.15

  Iohn. 5.
• * 1.16

  Rom 10. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 13.
• * 1.17

  The ••••ing of death pluckt out.
• * 1.18

  Hi•• confession touching the Sa••ramentes.
• * 1.19

  Sacramentes are confirmations of Go••s grace and acceptation. ••he Sacrament o•• Baptisme.
• * 1.20

  The Sacrament of the Lordes Supper.
• * 1.21

  Gods word to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gods word to the eye.
• * 1.22

  Actes. 1.3.
• * 1.23

  Christes body present in the Sacrament to our spirituall eyes.
• * 1.24

  How the body of Christ is spi∣ritually to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Rom. 8. Heb. 9.
• * 1.25

  Rom 5.
• * 1.26

  Phil. 3.
• * 1.27

  Iohn. 6.
• * 1.28

  Ephe. 5. Gala. 2
• * 1.29

  Marke. ••.