MarginaliaHorrible abuse of excommunication in the Popes Church.commeth in the enorme and horrible abuse of excommunication, suspension, and interdictiō in cases friuolous, or worldly, and for such, as for whiche the ciuill magistrate will not commit any Citizen to the stockes, the Popes censure will not sticke to commit a Christian to the deuill: not to speake of their other vsurped dealynges and doyngs in matters, that belong to the ciuile sword, and be to them impertinent. MarginaliaThe Popes gouernyng in matters to them not perteinyng.As in punishyng whordome and adultery, in administratiō and probates of testaments, in bearyng ciuile office, as Popes to be Senators of Rome, and Emperor also sede vacante. Cardinals to beCapitaines in warre, and rulers of regions: Byshops to be presidents or Chauncelors: priests to be stewards in great mēs houses, or masters of mynts, or Clerkes of the market, or gardiners to Gentlemē. &c. All which here I ouerpasse referryng them to the deeper consideration of such as haue more leasure to marke the order of their doings, and so to iudge of the same with indifferencie, accordyng to the rule of truth, touched with Gods worde, and publique examples of the auncient Church of Christ in the primitiue tyme.

MarginaliaThe corrupt doctrine of the Popes Churche examined and detected.Thus hauyng discoursed sufficiently somuch as cōcerneth the maner of life, title, iurisdiction, and gouernement of the Popes sea (in all whiche pointes is to be seene how this later Church of Rome hath receded from the true auncient Church of Rome) now remaineth, accordyng to my promise, and order prefixed, cōsequently to proceede the fourth and last point, which is of doctrine: wherin consisteth the chiefest matter that maketh with vs and agaynst them, in such sorte as (their doctrine standyng 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 the same with the teachyng of the aunciēt 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 and image of this pretensed and bastardly church,perceauyng 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 their owne wilfull destruction. And albeit I could here charge this newfangled Churche of the Pope with vij. or viij. haynous crimes, as blasphemy, Idolatrie, heresie, superstition, absurditie, vanitie, crueltie, and contrarietie (as whiche neither agreeth with the old learnyng of their forelders, nor yet with themselues in sondry pointes) yet after a more tēperate sort to passe this matter with thē, these ij. thynges I will and dare boldly affirme, MarginaliaNo comfort 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 cōsolation of conscience, nor saluation of mās soule. For seyng there is no life nor soule health but onely in Christ, nor any promise of saluation or comfort made, but onely by fayth onely in þ^e sonne of God, what assuraunce then can there be of perfect peace, life, or saluation, where that which onely maketh all, is least made of, and other thynges whiche maketh least, are most estemed? MarginaliaThe scope and summe of the Popes doctrine, whether it tendeth.For to say the simple truth, what els is the whole course & body of the popes law now set forth, but a doctrine of lawes, a heape of ceremonies, a teachyng of traditions, a meditation of merites, a foundation of new Religions: all whiche conferre not one iote to the iustificatiō of our soules before the terrible iudgement of God?

And therfore (as it may be truly sayd) this doctrine of the Pope to be voyde of all true comfort and saluation: so likewise it seemeth that these whiche addict them selues so deuoutly to the popes learnyng, MarginaliaPapistes neuer lightly afflicted in conscience deepely.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 seene their owne weakenes, and be driuen to Christ: then should they haue seene 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 contrary side, thē should they know what a glory, what a kyngdome, what libertie and life it were to be in Christ Iesus by fayth, holding their inheritaunce, not with the bondsonne of Agar, but with the free sonne of Sara: by promise and not by the law: by grace, and not by workes: by gift, and not by deseruyng, that God onely might be praysed and not man.

MarginaliaThe right fayth of the old Romanes.And thus were the old Romanes first taught by S. Paule writyng to the Romanes. The same did Cornelius the Romane,MarginaliaCornelius, a Romane first Baptised of all the Genitles.and first that was Baptised of all the Gentiles, learne of S. Peter when he receaued the holy Ghost, not by the deedes of the law, but onely by hearyng the fayth of Iesus preached. And in the same doctrine þ^e sayd Church of the Romanes many yeares continued, so long as theywere in affliction. And in the same doctrine, the Byshop of Rome, with his Romanes now also should still remaine, if they were such auncient Catholickes as they pretend, and would folow the old mother Church of Rome, and 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 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. Paule and other Apostles first planted amongest the Gentiles. And what maruell of the Romanes now in so long tract of tyme haue lost their first sappe, MarginaliaThe Galathians almost gone frō fayth in S. Paules tyme.seyng the Church of the Galathians then in the very time of S. Paul their scholemaster, he being amongest thē, 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 and fallyng from fayth, S. Paule expresly foretelleth vs in hys letters both tothe Thessalonians, and also to Timothe, where he sheweth: that a defectiō shall come, and that certaine shall depart from the fayth, attendyng to spirites of errour &c. 1. Timo. 4. Marginalia1. Timo. 4.And to know what errours these shall be, the circumstaunce playnely leadeth vs to vnderstand in the same place, where the sayd Apostle, speaketh of marked consciences, forbiddyng men to marry, and to eate meates ordeined of God to be takē with thankes geuyng, for mans sustenaunce, most euidently as with his finger, poynteth out vnto vs the church of Rome, which not in these pointes onely, but also in all other conditions, almost is vtterly reuolted from the pure originall sinceritie of that doctrine whiche Saint Paule planted in the Church of the Romanes, and of all other Gentiles.

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

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 brief sūme of S. Pauls doctrine deliuered to the Gētiles.1. FIrst, the doctrine of S. Paule ascribeth all our iustification freely and meerly to fayth onely in Christ as to the onely meanes and cause immediate, wherby the merites of Christes Passion be 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 & not by merites.2. Secondly, the same doctrine of S. Paule cuttyng of and excludyng all glory of mans deseruyng, stayeth us onely vpon Gods promise and vpon grace, not mans merites: vpon mercy, not mans labouryng or runnyng: vpon election and callyng, not mans willyng &c.

MarginaliaAll fleshe cōcluded vnder sinne.3. Thirdly, the same doctrine casting downe the strength of man and his integra naturalia (as the scholes doe 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 Gospell, declaryng the vse and end of them to be diuers: the one to kill, the other to quicken: the one to condēne, 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 Gospell: so it maketh no lesse difference betwene Iusticia Dei, and Iusticia propria, that is, the righteousnes of God and the righteousnes of man, abhorryng the one, that is, his owne righteousnes commyng by the law and workes: & 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 constitutions of men what soeuer, especially from bynding of conscience, callyng them beggarly elementes of this world.

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

MarginaliaAll men cōdemned by one: All men saued by one.8. Furthermore, as the same doctrine of S. Paule defineth all men to be transgressours by disobedience of one Adam, though they neuer touched the Aple, commyng of hys stocke by nature: so doth it proue all men to be iustified by the obedience of one, though they did not his obedience, beyng likewise borne of him by spirituall regeneration & fayth.

MarginaliaOriginall sinne, originall iustice.9. And therfore as all men commyng of Adam be condemned originally, before they grow vp to commit any sinne agaynst the law, so all men be saued originally beyng regenerated by fayth in Christ, before they begyn to do any good worke of charitie or any other good deede.

10. Item, the doctrine of S. Paule perpendyng the hygh glory of a Christen mās state in Christ Iesus by fayth, first setteth hym in a perfect peace with almighty God. Rom. 5. MarginaliaRom. 5.Secondly exempteth him from all condemnation. Rom. 8.