A supplication exhibited to the most mightie Prince Philip king of Spain &c. VVherin is contained the summe of our Christian religion, for theprofession whereof the Protestants in the lowe Countries of Flaunders, &c. doe suffer persecution, vvyth the meanes to acquiet and appease the troubles in those partes. There is annexed An epistle written to the ministers of Antwerpe, which are called of the confession of Auspurge, concerning the Supper of our sauiour Iesus Christ. VVritten in French and Latine, by Anthonie Corronus of Siuill, professor of Diuinitie.

Of the comming of Christ & of his gospel.

BVt to retourne to our purpose, and to speake of the wonderfull misterye of

our redemption: After the fulnesse of ••ne was come,* 1.1 in the whiche the proui∣••••nce of God hadde determined to helpe ••ankinde, the whiche was bothe heauy ••aden and oppressed wyth the burthen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sinne, and pressed downe into the bot∣••••mlesse pit of hell, assailed on euery side ••ith the tiranny of the Deuill, and con∣••icted by the sharpe and seuere sentence ••f the lawe. Oure heauenly father sente ••is onely begotten sonne, the euerlasting ••orde, the power and wisedome of the ••ather into the earthe, the whych worde ••hroughe the vertue of his holye spirite, ••y a wonderfull and miraculous means ••ée willed to become man in the wombe ••f the moste holy virgin Mary, that the ••ame Christe whiche had bin tofore eft∣soones promised to the Patriarches and prophets of the olde Testament, the whi∣che also by the faith and hope they had in him, attained euerlasting life, shoulde at the length come into this worlde the ve∣ry true and naturall son of God, and of the virgin, conceiued first in hir wombe, and afterwards brought foorth by hir in∣to

this worlde to be the very son of G•• and verye man, that by this meanes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might take away the sinnes of manki•••• and that by the sacrifice of hys death, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by his obedience, he might make atto••••¦ment betwixt God and man, to the int•• that he shoulde no longer bée accompt•• gods enimie, but be estéemed as his ch•• and become inheritour of hys heauenl•• kingdome, and partaker of his diuine ••••¦ture euerlastingly.

And the whole summe and effecte 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this doctrine concerning the great ben••¦fite of our redemption consisteth speci••••¦ly in two points. For fyrste wée doe a••¦knowlege the wōderful purpose of God heuenly prouidence, in y^t he vouchedsa•• to redéeme vs from the horrible domin•• of the deuil, that by the obedience & by t•••• death of the latter, and the heauenly A¦dam, the rebellion, and disobedience 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the former earthly Adam might be qui•• and discharged, and that the most filthi•• spots and staines, not onely of his misbe¦liefe and incredulitie, but also of all hy¦posteritie, might be spūged with the mos••

precious bloud of that immaculate lābe. Secondarily we are taught by y^e prea∣••ing of the Gospell, howe and by what ••anes we may bée partakers of this so ••eat mercy & reconciliation offered vn∣•• vs by Christ, as also howe thankefull ••e ought to be towardes hym that hath ••uaunced vs to so great an honour. In ••umme, what soeuer our Lord and Saui∣••••r Iesus Christ hath either done or spo∣••en, it tendeth all to the same ende and ••ope.* 1.2 From the which many following ••••eir owne waies, are caried awaye into ••iuers & sundry cōtrary opinions of reli∣••ion. For the Iewes & Turkes, & others ••heir likes, doe not acknowledge Christ ••o be their mediatour. Another sort there ••s, that can not vnderstande by what meanes they might apply the benefite of ••he mediatour to themselues, that is to say, howe to putte on Christ, and arme themselues wyth his righteousnesse and innocencie, without y^e which none can be accepted with God: and herevpon riseth the grounde of the great controuersie be∣twixte vs and the Papists.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohn. 1. Hebr. 1. Luke. 1. Math. 1. Gene. 3.15.17.
• * 1.2

  The origi∣nall of sects & heresies.