let vs gyue glorie to our only Sauiour Christe / and not gyue it awaye vnto other / But let vs frely confes hym only / and alone / in mouth / and deedes / to be our saluacion iustice sanctificacion absolution or rather perfectiõ / the peace of our soules / and lyfe euerlasting. But the lord doth sett denying against confessinge. Ther are diuers kinds of denyinge / which beinge but lightly rehersed it shall again appeare what is the sowndness and simplicitie of confessinge. Furst Christe and Godds worde is denyed / when our redeamer Christe / and the worde of lyfe is opẽly blasphemed in playne wordes / whẽ he is not acknowledged to be the only Sauiour / ãd when the due dignitie and auctoritie of the scriptures is not adscribed vnto them. Then by silence also is Christe and Christes worde denyed / namely whẽ vppõ occasion offered we do not deffende the glorie of the name of Godd and of the truythe known againste the ennemis of Godd and sclaunderers of the worde of Godd. A. Neuter. For in this case it is lawfull for no man to be a / neuter / as they call it. In the most auncient lawes of Solon which were at Athens grauen in postes of woode / the which also ons made by hym the Athenienses ordeygned vnder great religiõ and punishmẽt that they shuld contynue for euer: one lawe Aristotle doth report to be writon in this sence. That if throughe discorde the poeple shuld be deuided into too partes / and eich partie shuld take armour / then he which did not ioyne himself to the one partie / but
slipp asyde separated from the common euell of the cytie / he shall lose howse / countrithe / and goodes / and be an exile and a banished mã. Mutch les is it lawfull for them which haue professed the name of Christe / and are signed with holy baptisme / in that fierce fight betwene Christe and Antichriste to slippe a syde / and to ioyne himself vnto neither partye. That same newtralitie doth seame truly to be wisdõ to many childrẽ of this worlde / but indeede it is folyshnes / yea it is a very denying of Christ / by which they do exclude themselues out of that heauenly countrithe / they spoile thẽselues of all spirituall riches / and make themselues exiles and banished men. Math. 26. For Christe and his truithe is denyed either by dissemblinge: as when Peter was charged by the mayde that he was one of the nũber of the disciples / ãd he answered I wote not what thow sayest. He knew verily what she sayed / but being bewitched with a certayne feare / he fayned that he knewe not the thĩg which he did know very well. Euen so truly at this daye many do saye that they are more simple then that they can vnderstond the dissension in religion and gyue answer of all controuersies: But they do vnderstond so mutch as sufficith: yet for the ieoperdies which be at hand / or for sum vayne feare / they do fayne that they do not vnderstonde. Neither wer it necessarie for euery one to answer to all darcke or hard thĩges / which thing they which are well exercised can not do / it sufficith to confesse thos thinges which be opẽ and playne. Ther is also a coloured denyinge
whẽ we playyng the foxes with foxes do cõfes verely sumwhat of our religion / yetwe do so enwrapp it with such darcke wordes and doutfull sentẽces / that vnto thẽ which are most subtill and conning in quidities / it shall not playnly appeare what we do thincke. But the cõfessiõ shuld be simple / and playne. Glorie is to be gyuẽ to Godd. In making of it Godd / and not Man were to be considered. Man maye be deceyued / but no man cã deceyue Godd. And also we are commaunde to render vnto God his glorie franckly before men. But I do not see how thow haste glorified Godd before men / when thow dost so temper thy confession that it sumwhat sauerith indeede of the truithe of the gospell / and yet they which be superstitius shall not see their supersticions vtterly reiecrted / nor their errors condemned by thy confession / but maye iudge that thou dost yet holde on their syde. Agayn many do confes Christe in wordes and his gospell frely / and openly inoughe / but euẽ they themselues do forthwith defile and ouerthrow this Christiã and gospellike cõfession with vngospellike deedes. I do speake nothing heere of thos synnes and wickednesses by which they do vnhallow the doctrine of our Sauiour / but of thos supersticius ceremonies and wicked cõgregacions with which they do cõmunicate / by which communiõ or partakinge indeede they do denye that which they did cõfes before. For he which doth cõfes by mouthe that they which do depart out of this lyfe in true faithe do not (throughe the mediacion of Christe) comme
into Iudgment / but do strayte waye passe from the bodily deathe vnto lyfe euerlasting / euen as the doctrine of the gospell doth enstruct vs / and we do playnly confes in the articles of the apostles Crede / this namely that we do beleaue the forgyuenes of synnes / the rising again of the fleshe / and lyfe euerlasting: And yet so sone as ony of their elders or familiars do depart out of this worlde / they go strait to sacrificing prestes / ãd do demãde of them churche assemblees / supplicacions / dirges / weake myndes / trẽtalles / to be short / yearemynds / ãd prayers and sacrifices expiatorie for the deade / to whom he doth ioyne hymself / and doth obserue thos rites / hath he not playnly denyed in deede that which he hadd confessed in worde? He that doth confes that Christe was ons only offered for the synnes of the whole world / ãd that he is not therfore to be offerred any moore / And that the holy Supper is a remembraũce of this only and euerlasting sacrifice / and not the sacrifice it self / and yet neuertheles doth go vnto ther gods seruice / which do stoutly asseuere that they do offer vp Christ in substaũce for the synnes of the lyuing ãd the deade: doth he not by goĩg to and cõmunicatinge with this seruice / denye that which by speaking and professing he hadd cõfessed? Theis truly are wayes of denyinge / which they do not fully vnderstonde which are almost persuaded / that Religiõ is but a playe / and as it were a slipper fitte for euery foote. Theis mẽ do knowe how to rule all religiõs vnder a certayn colour of holy concord /
but indeede for earthly cõmoditie / that among whõ soeuer they do lyue like vnto a Cameleon they do take vnto themselues their coloure and ceremonies / being mutch more changeable than Protheus / of whom it is but folly to beleaue / that they do passe for ony religiõ at all. But let vs passe ouer theise vnstable chãgelinges / and establishe our mynds / that they be not lewse nor waueringe / but being knytte vpp and cõfirmed in the lorde / they maye haue sum suretie and stablenes of the sure and stable worde of Godde / which we may both in mowthe and deedes confes / and in which we may finally reste. That maruailus and heauenly and therwith thõderinge prophet Helias / 3. Reg. 18. howe longe (saithe he) halte ye betwene two opinions. If the lorde be Godde folowe hym: but if Baal be he / then go after hym. Euen so truly our lorde hymself doth saye in the gospell / that no man can serue two masters. Let vs therfor forsake all other Godds and religions / and cleaue only to our Godde / which is the father of our lorde Iesus Christ / and let vs sticke faste in the only Christen religiõ / which is delyuered vnto vs in the holy scriptures. For it is euerlasting and most certayne. It sufficith not to confes Christe amonge the brethern. Mat. 10. But if it be sufficient to confes Christe and his gospell amonge our felows and brethern in religion / wherto I praye you will theis our men refer thos wordes which do go before this place of confession in the gospell? Behold I send you forthe as shepe amõge wolues. &c. They shall delyuer yow vp to the cowncelles and shall scourge yow for me. &c. But
whẽ they delyuer yow vpp take ye no thought how or what ye shall answer: for it shalbe gyuẽ yow / euẽ in that same houre / whal ye shall speake. &c. Feare ye not thẽ which kyll the bodye / but are not able to kyll the soule. He which doth denye that all theis sayinges must be vnderstond of persequutors / he saithe that darcknes is lighte. Yea and in Marc he doth playnly saye. Marc. 8. Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes in this aduoutrus and synefull generacion / of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed. He requirith therfor a confession of the truithe not only in the companye of the godly / but also in the companye of the vngodly and persequutours / howsoeuer it be ioyned with the ieoperdie of lyfe and of all the substaunce. The lord speaking in the boke of the reuelacion with the church of pergamos / Apocal. 2. I knowe (saith he) where thow dwellest / euẽ where Sathans seate is / and thow keapest my name / and haste not denyed my faythe: And in thos dayes in which Antipas was a faythfull witnes of myn / which was slayne amõge yow where Sathã dwellithe. In which wordes truly the confession made in persequution is allowed / made I saye in that place / wher Sathan did beare rule / wher euen very then Antypas thaty notable Martir of Christe was slayn for confessinge of religion. Otherwise when all thinges are quiet it is not so harde a thing to confes the name of Godde. For if so be that the lord will not haue vs be ĩ ieoperdie of bodie goodes and lyfe / if it seme to be euill and a synne for a man /
as it wer to procure deathe to hymself by the confessinge of truithe / wherfor dothe the lorde (I praye yow) exhorte thos his disciples / that they shuld not feare them which do kill the bodie / and can not kill the soule? Whi doth he by playne wordes saye / as it wer prouoking vs to martirdome? Marc. 8. Whosoeuer will folow me / let hym forsake hymselfe / and take vp his crosse / and folowe me. For whosoeuer will saue his lyfe shal lose it. But whosoeuer shall lose his lyfe for my sake / and the gospelles the same shall saue it. He addith forthwithe wordes which do make for the contempt of thos thinges / for which theis men do thincke that in religion silence maye be kept and dissimulacion vsed / sainge. What shall it profite a mã / yf he wynne al the worlde / and lose his owne sowle. Therwith also doth he adde through what thinge we do lose our soules / that is through Shame. For he saithe. Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes / in this aduowtrus and synefull generacion / of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commithe in the glorie of his father withe the holy Angelles. Therfor Paule that chosen vesell of Christe / and a most faithfull teacher of the churche / who gyueth euell councell to no mã / neither leadith he ony man from the true waye / it is (saith he) a true sayinge: 2. Tim. 2. for if we be deade with hym / we shall also lyue with hym: if we be pacient / we shal also raigne with hym. If we denye hym / he shall also denye vs. The same Paul to the Hebrues / Heb. 10. Call to remẽberaunce (saithe he) the dayes that are
passed / in the which after ye hadd receyued light / ye endured a great fighte of aduersities / partely while all men wondered and gased ay yowe for the shame and tribulacion that was done vnto yow / partely while ye became companions of them which so passed theyr tyme. For ye became partakers also of the afflictions which happened thorow my bondes / ãd toke in worthe the spoyling of your goodes / and that with gladnes / Knowing in your selues / how that ye haue in heauẽ a better ãd an enduring substaunce. Caste not awaye therfor your confidence / which hath a greate recompense of rewarde. For ye haue neade of pacience / that after ye haue doone the will of God / ye might receyue the promise. For yet a very litill while / and he that shall comme / will comme / and wyll not tarye. But the iuste shall lyue by faithe. And if he withdrawe hymself my soule shall haue no pleasure in hym. It is not we that withdrawe ourselues vnto damnaciõ / but we partayne vnto fayth / to the wynning of the soule. This truly is a sownde and wholsome doctrine / to cleaue faste vnto this / is to pleas Godd / and to glorifie hym / adde also to promote the saluacion of the brethern. The deathe ãd persequution of the sainctes doth glorifie Godd. Therfor whils theise men do replie / what shuld come to the encrease of glorie of Godd / or what commoditie shuld comme to Christe of thos my labors and daungers which I shuld sustayne for religion? wittingly and willingly they do disproue the doctrine of the apostle / which doth playnly witnes / not in theis places only which we haue
alledged / but in many others also / that both Godd is glorified by our sufferinges ãd calamities which we do sustayne for religions sake / and also that the weake brethern are therby edified / of whom it is certayne that by dissemblinge and denyinge of Religion they be offended / confirmed in ther errours / and indeede destroyed. For that most excellent prophete Dauid / Psal. 116. Righte deere (saithe he) in the fighte of the lorde / is the dathe of his sainctes. And sainct Peter saith Dearly beloued / 1. Pet. 4. maruayle not that ye are proued by fyre / which thynge is to trye yow as though sum straũge thinge happened vnto yow / but reioyce / in as mutch as ye are partakers of Christes passions / that when his glorie appearith / ye maye be mery and gladd. If ye be rayled vpon / for the name of Christe / happie are ye / for the glorie and the sprite of Godd restith vpon you. On ther parte he is euill spoken of / but on your parte he is glorified / and so furthe. And sainct Paule dothe pronounce that it is a most greuus synne of ony mã do offend the weake by his euell example. Thy brother doth perish (saithe he) for whom Christe died. When ye synne so against the brethern / and wounde thier weake conscience / ye synne againste Christ. Again we are saied in the scriptures to haue saued hym whom we haue by sounde doctrine and our goode example / either reteyned in the waye of the lorde / or haue brought hym backe that wẽt astraye. But if a greater regarde vs to be had of wife / childrẽ and houshold then of pure religion / so that for that
regard / religion seeme either to be dissembled or denyed: Yf it be euill for religions sake to dissente from them that be of kindred and alliannce / yea and for religion to depart from a lawfull wyfe / and in sum / for faithe to disagree with all frẽdes and familiars / shall we saye that the lorde did teach euill / which sayed in the gospell? Mat. 10. Thincke not that I am come to sende peace vnto the earthe. I came not to send paeace but a swearde. For I am come to sett a man at variance against his father / and the doughter against her mother / and the doughter in lawe against her mother in lawe. And a mãnes foes shalbe they that are of his own housholde. For frõ hence forthe ther shalbe fyue in one howse deuyded / thre against two / and two against thre. Luc. 12. The father shalbe deuided against the sonne / and the sonne against the father. This not spokẽ as though that dissension in itself did pleas Godd the autor of all peace / but bicause he will haue that peace which stondithe vppon euell and wicked thinges broken / and haue vs all conioyned in that which is holy and goode. And therfore we do not allowe whẽ mariages frẽdshippes and leagues are broken without necessitie / and vnder an vntrue pretence of religion. Agayn we do dissalowe thos which are kept againste the cõmaundement of Godd with playne hurte of true religion / and open denyinge of the faithe. All persons must bende themselues to peace and concorde so far as they maye / with retayninge of sowndnes in religiõ: But whẽ it can not be retayned / let none thincke that to keape peace with [them] he must