Marginalia1. Ioan. 2.sus. 1. Timot. 2. and he is the propitiation for our sinnes. 1. Iohn 2. ¶ The 18. Principle. 18. Who soeuer seeketh in the law to be iustified, is fallen from grace. ¶ The 19. Principle. Marginalia2. Cor. 1.19. In Christ be all the promises of God, Est et Amen. 2. Cor. 1. ¶ The 20. Principle. MarginaliaRom. 13.20. Let euery soule be subiect to superiour powers, gyuyng to Cæsar that which is Cæsars, and to God that which is Gods. Rom. 13.

These principles and infallible rules of the Scripture, as no man can deny, so if they be graunted, the doctrine then of the Popes Church must nedes be foūd not to be Catholicke, but rather full of errours and heresies, as in the sequele folowyng remaineth more expressely and particularly by the grace of Christ, to be conuinced.

Here foloweth a Summary collection of the errours, heresies, and absurdities conteined in the Popes doctrine, contrary to the rules of Gods word, and the first institution of the Church of Rome.  

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Summary of Roman Catholic heresies

The Foxe Project was not able to complete the commentary on this section of text by the date by which this online edition was compiled (23 September 2008).

MarginaliaThe errours, heresies, and absurdities in þ^e Popes doctrine.FIrst, as touchyng the onely meanes and instrumētall cause, of our iustification, whereby the merites of Christes Passion be applied to vs and made ours, ye heard before, how S. Paule onely ascribeth þ^e same to fayth: as appeareth by all hys letters, especially to the Romanes. Where he excludyng all kynd of workes, ascribeth all our saluation, iustification, rightuousnes, reconciliation, and peace with God, onely to fayth in Christ. Contrary to which doctrine the Pope and hys Church hath set vp diuers and sondry other meanes of their owne diuising, MarginaliaThe meanes of appleyng Christes merites vnto vs by the Popes doctrine.wherby the merites of Christes Passion (they say) are applyed to vs and made ours, to the puttyng away of sinnes, and for our iustification, as hope, charitie, sacrifice of the Masse, auricular confession, satisfaction, merites of Saintes, and holy orders, the popes pardons &c. So that Christes sacrifice, stripes, and sufferyng, by this teachyng doth not heale vs, nor is beneficiall to vs, though we beleue neuer so well, vnles we adde also these workes, and merites aboue recited. Which if it be true, then is it false that Esay the Prophet doth promise: chap. 53. In hys strypes all we are made hole &c. MarginaliaThe takyng away of this Article of fayth onely to iustifie, is the roote of great inconueniēce in Christes Church.This errour and heresie of the Church of Rome, though it seeme at first sight to the natural reason of man to be but of smal importaunce, yet if it be earnestly considered, it is in very deede the most pernicious heresie that euer almost crept into the Church: vppon the which, as the onely fundacion, all, or the most part of all the errours, absurdities, and inconueniences of the popes Church are grounded. For this beyng once admitted, that a man is not iustified by hys fayth in Christ alone, but that other meanes must be sought by our owne workyng and merites to apply the merites of Christes Passion vnto vs, then is there neither any certeinety left of our saluation, nor end in settyng vp new meanes & merites of our owne deuising, for remission of sinnes. MarginaliaNo heresie to bee compared to þ^e heresie of þ^e Papistes.Neither hath there bene any heresie that either hath rebelled more presumptuously agaynst þ^e high Maiestie of God þ^e father, nor more perniciously hath iniured the soules of þ^e simple, then this doctrine.

MarginaliaThe 1. inconueniēce.First of all it subuerteth the will and Testament of God. For where almyghty God of mercy hath gyuen vs hys sonne to dye for vs, and with hym hath gyuen out hys full promise, that who soeuer beleue vppon him should be saued by their fayth, MarginaliaNo conditiō limited of God to mā for saluation but one.and assigneth none other condition either of law or any workes, but onely of fayth, to be the meanes betwene his sonne & vs: these men take vpon them to alter this Testamēt that God hath set, and adioyne other conditions, which the Lord in hys word neuer appoynted nor knew. To whom the wordes of Hierome may be well applyed, vpon the Epistle to the Galat. speakyng of such. MarginaliaHierony. in Epist. ad Gal. cap. 1.Qui de Euangelio Christi faciunt hominis Euangelium, vel quod peius est, Diaboli, &c. That is, which make of the Gospell of Christ, the Gospell of men, or rather the Gospell of the deuill. &c.

MarginaliaThe 2. inconuenience.Secondly, where as the simple Christian readyng in the Gospell, of the great grace and sweet promises of God giuen to mākynd in Christ hys sonne, might therby take much comfort of soule, and be at rest and peace with the Lord his God: MarginaliaWhat hurt cōmeth to the Church, by takyng away the Article of Iustification.commeth in the pestiferous doctrine of these heretickes, wherewith they obscure this free grace of God, choke the sweet comfortes of man in the holy ghost, and oppresse Christen libertie, and bryng our spirituall freedome agayne into bondage.

MarginaliaThe 3. incōuenience.Thirdly, as in this their impious doctrine they shew them selues manifest enemies to Gods grace: so are they no lesse iniurious to Christen men, whom they leaue in a doubtfull distrust of Gods fauour and theyr saluation, contrary to the word and will of God, and right institution of þ^e Apostolicke doctrine. And wheras our new scholemen of late, to mainteine þ^e said wicked poynt of doctrine, do obiect vnto vs that we rather leaue mens consciences vncerteine, for so much as, if lyfe (say they) were not a due reward, it were vncerteine. And now for somuch as due debt is certaine, and mercy or fauour is vncerteine, therefore (say they) we leauyng mens consciences to the mercy of God, do leaue them in a doubtfull incerteine of their saluation. MarginaliaObiection of the Papistes aunswered.To this I aunswere, that due debt, if it be proued by the law duely deserued, it must be certeine. But if the law shall proue it vnperfect or vnsufficiently due, then is it not certeine, neither can there be any thyng duely claymed. MarginaliaThe Papistes do teach þ^e mercy of God to be vncerteineNow as touchyng mercy, so long as it remayneth secret in the Princes wil, and not knowē to hys subiectes, so long it is vncertaine. MarginaliaMercy of God made certaine by his owne promises.But when this mercy shalbe openly published by proclamation, ratified by promise, confirmed by will and Testament, established in bloud, and sealed with Sacramentes, then this mercy remayneth no more doubtfull, but ought firmely to be beleued of euery true faithful subiect. And therfore S. Paule, to establish our hartes in this assuraūce, and to aunswere to this doubt, in hys Epistle to þ^e Romanes doth teach vs, saying: MarginaliaSaluatiō standeth sure & certaine by Gods promise.And therfore of fayth, that after grace the promise might be firme and sure to the whole sede of Abraham &c. Rom. 4. meanyng hereby, MarginaliaThe place of S. Paule. Rom. 4. expounded.that workes haue nothyng to do in this case of Iustifiyng, & noteth the reason why. For then our saluation should stand in a doubtful waueryng, because in workyng we are neuer certein whether our desertes be perfect and sufficient in Gods iudgemēt, or no. And therfore (sayth S. Paule) to the entent our saluation should be out of all doubt, and certeine, it standeth not of workes in deseruyng, but of fayth in apprehendyng, and of Gods free grace in promising.

MarginaliaThe 4. inconuenience.Fourthly, as in this their sinister doctrine they breake this principle of Christian Religion, which sayth that a man is iustified by fayth without workes: so agayne it breaketh an other principle aboue rehearsed. For this rule beyng graunted that nothyng is to bee added to Gods word, nor taken from it: MarginaliaThe 4. rrinciple aboue recited broken.then haue these men done wickedly in addyng (as they do) to Gods word. For where the word of God limiteth to our iustification no condition but fayth: Beleue (saith he) in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued, and thy whole house. &c. Act. 16. these Iusticiaries do adde therto diuers & sondry other cōditions besides, and such as the word also precisely excludeth, as hope, charitie, þ^e sacrifice of theyr Masse, the worke of the Priest Ex opere operato, auricular confession, satisfaction, meritorius deedes. &c. And thus much concernyng the doctrine of fayth and iustification. Wherby it may appeare to what horrible blyndnes and blasphemy, the Church of Rome is now fallen: where this kynd of doctrine is not onely suffered, but also publikely professed, which speakyng agaynst fayth, thus blasphemously dare say: Fides illa