MarginaliaThe corrupt doctrine of the Popes Church examined and detected.Thus hauing discoursed sufficiently somuch as concerneth the maner of lyfe, title, iurisdiction, and gouernement of the Popes sea (in all which pointes is to be sene how this later Church of Rome hath receded from the true auncient Church of Rome) now remaineth, accordyng to my promise, and order prefixed, consequently to procede the fourth and last poynt, which is of doctrine: wherin consisteth the chiefest matter that maketh with vs and agaynst them, in such sort as (their doctrine standing as it doth) neither they are to be reputed for Catholickes beyng altered so far frō them: nor we otherwise then heretickes if we should now ioyne with these. For the more triall wherof, let vs examine the doctrine and rites of the sayd Church of Rome now vsed, and compare þ^e same with the teachyng of the auncient Catholickes, MarginaliaThe false image of the Popes Church.to the entent that such simple soules as haue bene hetherto, and yet be seduced by the false visour & image of that pretensed & bastardly Church, in seyng what lyeth within it, may be warned by tyme, either to eschue the perill, if they liste to be instructed: or if not, to blame none but them selues for theyr owne wilfull destruction. And albeit I could here charge this newfāgled Church of þ^e pope w^t vij. or viij. haynous crimes, as blasphemy, Idolatrie, heresie, superstition, absurditie, vanitie, crueltie, and contrarietie (as which neither agreeth with the old learnyng of their forelders, nor yet with thē selues in sondry pointes) yet after a more temperate sort to passe this matter with them, these ij. thinges I will and dare boldly affirme, MarginaliaNo cōfort nor saluation in the Popes doctrine now taught.that in this doctrine of the Pope now taught in the Church of Rome, is neither any consolation of conscience, nor saluation of mans soule. For seyng there is no life nor soule health but onely in Christ, nor any promise of saluation or comfort made, but onely that which is annexed to our fayth onely in þ^e sonne of God, what assuraunce then can there be of perfect peace, life, or saluatiō, where that which onely maketh all, is least made of, and other thynges which maketh least, are most estemed? MarginaliaThe scope and summe of þ^e Popes doctrine, whether it tendeth.For to say þ^e simple truth, what els is the whole course and body of þ^e Popes law now set forth, but a doctrine of lawes, a heape of ceremonies, a teaching of traditions, a meditation of merites, a fundation of new Religions: all which conferre not one iote to the iustification of our soules before the terrible iudgement of God?

And therfore (as it may be truely sayd) this doctrine of the Pope to be voyde of all true comfort and saluation: so likewise it semeth that these which addict them selues so deuoutly to the Popes learnyng, MarginaliaPapistes neuer lightly afflicted in conscience depely.were neuer earnestly afflicted in conscience, neuer humbled in spirite nor broken in hart, neuer entred into any serious feelyng of Gods iudgement, nor euer felt the strength of the law and of death. For if they had, they should soone haue sene their own weakenes, and bene driuen to Christ: then should they haue sene what a horrible thyng it is to appeare before God the father, or once to thinke of him (as Luther sayth) without Christ. And on the cōtrary side, then should they know what a glory, what a kyngdome, what libertie and life it were to be in Christ Iesus by faith, holding their inheritaunce, not with the bondsonne of Agar, but with þ^e free sonne of Sara: by promise and not by the law: by grace, and not by workes: by gift, and not by deseruing, that God onely might be praysed and not man.

MarginaliaThe right fayth of the olde Romanes.And thus were the old Romanes first taught by S. Paul writyng to the Romanes. The same did Cornelius the RomaneMarginaliaCornelius, a Romane first baptised of all the gentles., and first that was Baptised of all the gentles, learne of S. Peter when he receaued the holy Ghost, not by þ^e dedes of the law, but onely by hearyng the fayth of Iesus preached. And in the same doctrine the sayd Church of the Romanes many yeares continued, so long as they were in afflictiō. And in the same doctrine, the Byshop of Rome, with his Romanes now also should still remaine, if they were such aunciēt Catholickes as they pretend, and would folow the oldmother Church of Rome, & hold the first liquor wherewith they were first seasoned. MarginaliaThe church of Rome hath lost the liquor wherewith it was first seasoned.But the sweete verdor and sent of that liquor and pleasaūt must is now cleane put out through other vnsauery infusions of the popes thrustyng in, so that almost no tast nor peece remaineth of all that primitiue doctrine which S. Paul and other Apostles first planted amōgest the Gentles. And what maruell of the Romanes now in so long tract of tyme haue lost their first sappe, MarginaliaThe Galatheans almost gon from fayth in S. Pauls time.seyng the Church of þ^e Galathians then in the very tyme of S. Paule their scholemaster, he beyng amongest them, had not so soone turned his backe a litle, but they were all turned almost from the doctrine of fayth, and had much a do to be recouered agayne.

Of this defection & fallyng from fayth, S. Paul expresly foretelleth vs in hys letters both to þ^e Thessaloniās, & also to Timothe, where he sheweth: that a defection shall come, and that certeine shall depart from þ^e fayth, attendyng to spirites of errour &c. 1. Timot. 4. Marginalia1. Timot. 4.And to know what errours these shall be, the circumstaunce playnely ledeth vs to vnderstand in the same place, where the sayd Apostle, speakyng of marked cōsciences, forbyddyng men to mary, and to eate meates ordeined of God to be taken with thankes geuyng, for mans sustenaunce, most euidently as with his finger, poynteth out vnto vs the Church of Rome, which not in these poyntes onely, but also in all other conditions, almost is vtterly reuolted from the pure originall sinceritie of that doctrine which S. Paule planted in the Church of the Romanes, and of all other Gentiles.

¶ The summe of S. Paules doctrine deliuered to the Gentles.  

Commentary     Close

St. Paul's doctrine

Foxe concluded the preliminary material on the 'Title': 'Jurisdiction': 'Life'; and 'Doctrine' of the church with this extended and carefully-worked passage which summarized, with ample glosses to the Pauline epistles, what one might regard as the emerging protestant orthodoxy on the main issues of faith, the law, the sacraments, civil and ecclesiastical authority, etc. He followed it with a further 'brief recapitulation of S. Paules doctrine reduced in to v. principall braunches'. Both these sections would have been very easily compiled using the glosses of the Geneva Bible. On the basis of these two sections, it was relatively easy for Foxe to prepare the 'summary collection of the errours, heresies and absurdities conteined in the Popes doctrine' which followed

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Mark Greengrass and Matthew Phillpott
University of Sheffield

MarginaliaA briefe summe of S Pauls doctrine deliuered to the Gentiles.1. FIrst, the doctrine of S. Paule ascribeth all our iustification freely & merely to fayth onely in Christ as to the onely meanes and cause immediate, wherby the merites of Christes Passion bee applyed vnto vs, without any other respect of worke or workes of the law, what soeuer: and in this doctrine the Church of the Romanes was first planted.

MarginaliaSaluation by mercy onely and not by merites.2. Secondly, the same doctrine of S. Paule cuttyng of and excludyng all glory of mās deseruyng, stayeth onely vpon Gods promise and vppon grace, not mans merites: vpon mercy, not mans labouryng or runnyng: vpon election and callyng, not mans willyng &c.

MarginaliaAll flesh concluded vnder sinne.3. Thirdly, the same doctrine castyng downe the strength of man & his integra naturalia (as the scholes do terme them) concludeth all flesh vnder sinne, and maketh the same destitute of the glory of God.

MarginaliaDifference betwene the law and the Gospell.4. Item, it maketh manifest difference betwene the law and the Gospel, declaryng the vse and end of them to be diuers: the one to kill, the other to quicken: the one to condemne, the other to iustifie: the one to haue an end and a tyme, the other to be perpetuall &c.

MarginaliaIusticia Dei. Iusticia propria.5. Item, the same doctrine of S. Paule, as it sheweth a difference betwene the law and the Gospel: so it maketh no lesse difference betwene Iusticia Dei, and Iusticia propria, that is, the righteousnes of God and the righteousnes of mā, abhorryng þ^e one, that is, his own righteousnes commyng by the law & workes: and embracyng the other, which God imputeth freely and graciously to vs for Christ his sonnes sake, in whom we beleue.

MarginaliaThe righteousnes of God, and the righteousnes of man how they differ in scripture.6. Item, it wypeth away all mens traditions, and cōstitutions of men what soeuer, especially from bynding of conscience, callyng them beggarly elementes of this world.

MarginaliaA true christian knoweth nothing but Christ crucified.7. Likewise it reiecteth and wypeth away all curious subtilities, & superfluous speculations, & knoweth nothyng els but Christ onely crucified, which is onely the obiect wherunto our fayth looketh.

MarginaliaAll men condemned by one: all men saued by one.8. Furthermore, as the same doctrine of S. Paul defineth all men to be transgressors by disobedience of one Adam, though they neuer touched the Aple, commyng of his stocke by nature: so doth it proue all men to be