Marginalia1554. May.of God, and by the testimonie of the good and most auncient fathers in Christes Church, this our fayth and euery peece therof, which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely, that our good brethrē and sisterne in the Lord may know it: and to seale vp the same, we are ready through Gods helpe and grace to geue our lyues to the halter or fier, or otherwise as God shall appoynt, humbly requiryng, and in the bowelles of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, besechyng all that feare God, Marginaliaexhortatiō to obedience.to behaue them selues as obediēt subiectes to the Queenes highnes and the superiour powers, which are ordeined of God vnder her, rather after our example to giue their heades to the blocke, then in any point to rebell or once to mutter agaynst þ^e Lordes annoynted: we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary, into whose hart we besech the Lord of mercy plentifully to power the wisedome and grace of hys holy spirite, now and for euer. Amen.

MarginaliaThe confession and fayth of the prisoned preachers.First, we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the olde Testament, and all the bookes of the new Testament, to be the very true word of God, and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost, and are therfore to be heard accordyngly, as the iudge in all controuersies and matters of Religion.

MarginaliaThe Catholicke Church.Secondly, we confesse and beleue the Catholicke Church, which is the spouse of Christ, as a most obedient and louyng wyfe, to embrace and folow the doctrine of these bookes in all matters of Religiō, and therfore is she to be heard accordyngly: so that those which will not heare this Church, thus folowyng and obeying the worde of her husband, we accompt as heretickes & schismatickes, accordyng to this saying: If hee wil not heare the Church, let him be vnto thee as a Heathē.

MarginaliaThe Crede.Thirdly, we beleue and confesse all the Articles of fayth and doctrine, set forth in the Symbole of the Apostles, which we commonly call the Crede, & in the Simboles of the Councels of Nice, kept An. dom. 324: of Constantinople kept An. dom. 384: of Ephesus kept An. dom. 432: of Calcedon, kept An. dom. 454: of Toletum, the first and fourth. Also the Symboles of Athanasius, Irenæus, Tertullian and of Damasus, which was about the yeare of our Lord. 376: we confesse & beleue (we say) the doctrine of these Symboles generally and particularly: so that who soeuer doth otherwise, we hold the same to erre from the truth.

MarginaliaIustificatiō by fayth onely in Christ.Fourthly, we beleue and confesse concerning iustification, that as it commeth onely from Gods mercy through Christ, so it is perceiued & had of none which be of yeares of discretion, otherwise then by fayth onely: MarginaliaWhat fayth is.which fayth is not an opinion, but a certaine perswasion wrought by the holy ghost in the mynde & hart of man, wherethrough as the mynde is illumined, so the hart is soupled to submit it selfe to the wyll of God vnfainedly, MarginaliaRighteousnes in mā: righteousnes without man.and so sheweth forth an inherent ryghteousnes, which is to be discerned in the article of iustification, from the righteousnes which God endueth vs withall in iustifying vs, although inseperably they goe together. MarginaliaThe doctrine of free iustification defended for no curiositie, but for quiet of conscience.And this we do not for curiositie or contention sake, but for cōscience sake, that it might be quiet, which it can neuer be, if we confound without distinction, forgeuenes of sinnes, and Christes Iustice imputed to vs, wyth regeneration and inherent righteousnes. By this we disalowe Papisticall doctrine of free wyll, of workes of supererogation, of merites, of the necessitie of auricular confession, and satsifaction to Godwardes.

MarginaliaSeruice in the vulgar tounge.Fiftly, we confesse and beleue concerning the exteriour seruice of God, that it ought to bee accordyng to the word of God, and therefore in the congregation all thynges publike ought to be done in such a tounge as may be most to edifie, and not in Latin, where the people vnderstand not the same.

MarginaliaInuocation to God alone.Sixtly, we confesse and beleue that God onely by Christ Iesus is to be prayed vnto and called vpon, and therefore we disalow inuocation or prayer to Saintes departed thys lyfe.

Seuenthly, we confesse and beleue, that as a man departeth this lyfe, so shall he be iudged in the last day generally, and in the meane season is entred eyther into the state of the blessed for euer, or damned for euer, and therefore is eyther past all helpe, or els needes no helpe of any in this lyfe. MarginaliaPurgatory and Masses suffragatory, denyed.By reason wherof we affirme Purgatory, Masses of Scala cœli, Trentals, and such Suffrages as the popish church doth obtrude as necessary, to be the doctrine of Antichrist.

MarginaliaTwo Sacramentes.Eightly, we confesse and beleue the Sacramentes of Christ, which be Baptisme and the Lordes Supper, that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ, concernyng the substantiall partes of them: and that they be no longer Sacramentes, then they be had in vse, and vsed to the ende for the which they were instituted.

MarginaliaThe Supper to be ministred in both kindes.And here we playnly confesse that the mutilation of the Lordes Supper, & the subtraction of the one kinde from the lay people, is Antichristian.

MarginaliaAgainst Trāsubstantiation.And so is the doctrine of Transubstantiation of þ^e sacramentall bread and wyne after the wordes of consecration, as they be called.

MarginaliaAgaynst Adoration of the Sacrament.Item, the adoration of the Sacrament, with honour due vnto God: the reseruation & carying about of the same.

MarginaliaThe Masse to be no propitiatory sacrifice.Item, the Masse to be a propittatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead, or a worke that pleaseth God.

All these we confesse and beleue to bee Antichristes doctrine: MarginaliaInhibition of Priestes mariage Antichristian.as is the inhibition in Mariage as vnlawfull to any state. And we doubt not by Gods grace, but we shall be able to proue all our confessions here to be most true by the veritie of Gods word, & consent of þ^e Catholicke church, which followeth & hath followed þ^e gouernance of Gods spirite, and the iudgement of hys word.

And this through the Lordes helpe we wyll doe, eyther in disputation by word before the Queenes hyghnes & her Counsail, either before þ^e Parlament houses, of whom we doubt not but to bee indifferently heard, eyther wyth our pennes, whensoeuer we shall be therto by them that haue authority required and commaūded. In the meane season, as obedient Subiectes wee shall behaue our selues towardes all that be in authority, & not cease to pray to God for them, that he would gouerne them all, generally and particularly wyth the spirite of wysedome and grace. MarginaliaExhortation agaynst rebellion.And so we hartely desire, and humbly pray all men to do, in no point consenting to any kinde of rebellion or sedition agaynst our Soueraigne Lady the Queenes highnes: but where they can not obey, but they must disobey God, there to submit them selues wyth all patience and humilitie to suffer as the wyll and pleasures of the higher powers shall adiudge: as we are ready through the goodnes of the Lord to suffer whatsoeuer they shall adiudge vs vnto, rather then we wyll consent to any doctrine contrary to this which we here confesse, vnlesse we shall be iustly conuinced thereof, eyther by writing or by word, before such Iudges as þ^e Queenes highnes & her Coūsell, or þ^e Parlament houses shal appoynt: For the Vniuersities & Clergy haue condemned our causes already by the bigger,MarginaliaThe bigger part agaynst the better. but not by the better part, without al disputation of the same: MarginaliaAppeale from the Vniuersitie Doctours as not indifferent iudges.and therefore most iustly wee may, and do appeale from them to bee our Iudges in this behalfe, except it may be in writing, that to al men the matter may appare. The Lorde of mercy endue vs all with the spirite of hys truth and grace of perseuerance therein vnto the ende. Amen.

The. 8. of May, Anno Dom. 1554.