17. One Mediatour betwene God and man Christ Iesus. Marginalia1. Timot. 2.
1. Iohn. 2.1. Timot. 2. & he is the propitiatiō 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, & to God that whiche 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 needes be founde 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 conteyned in the Popes doctrine, contrary to the rules of Gods worde, and the first institution of the Churche 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 the Popes doctrine.FIrst, as touchyng the onely meanes and instrumentall cause, of our iustificatiō, whereby the merites of Christes Passion be applied to vs & made ours, ye heard before, how S. Paule onely ascribeth the same to fayth: as appeareth by all his letters, especially to the Romanes. Where he excludyng all kynde of workes, ascribeth all our saluation, iustification, rightuousnes, reconciliation, and peace with God, onely to fayth in Christ. Contrary to whiche doctrine the Pope and his Churche hath set vp diuers and sondry other meanes of their own diuising, MarginaliaThe meanes of appleyng Christes merites vnto vs by the Popes doctrine.wherby þ^e 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 his stripes all we are made hole &c. MarginaliaThe takyng away of this Article of fayth onely to iustifie, is the roote of great inconuenience in Christes Church.This errour and heresie of the Church of Rome, though it seeme at first sight to the naturall reason of man to be but of small importaūce, yet if it be earnestly considered, it is in very deede the most pernicious heresie that euer almost crept into the Churche: vpon the which, as the onely foūdation, 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 his fayth in Christ alone, but that other meanes must be sought by our owne workyng & merites to apply the merites of Christes Passion vnto vs, thē is there neither any certeinty left of our saluation, nor ende in settyng vp new meanes and merites of our owne deuising, for remission of sinnes. MarginaliaNo heresie to be compared to the heresie of the Papistes.Neither hath there bene any heresie that either hath rebelled more presumptuously agaynst the high Maiestie of God the father, nor more perniciously hath iniured the soules of the simple, then this doctrine.

MarginaliaThe first inconuenience.First of all it subuerteth the will & Testament of God. For where almighty God of mercy hath giuen vs his sonne to dye for vs, and with him hath giuen out his full promise, that whosoeuer beleue vpon hym should be saued by their fayth, MarginaliaNo conditiō limited of God to man 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 and vs: these men take vpon them to alter this Testament that God hath set, and adioyne other conditions, which the Lord in his word neuer appointed 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 Gospel of Christ, the Gospell of men, or rather the Gospell of the deuill. &c.

MarginaliaThe 2. incōuenience.Secondly, where as the Christian reader in the Gospell, readyng of the great grace and sweete promises of God giuen to mankynd in Christ his sonne, might therby take much cōfort of soule, and be at rest and peace with the Lord his God: MarginaliaWhat hurt commeth to the Churche, by taking away the Article of Iustification.commeth in the pestiferous doctrine of these heretickes, wherewith they obscure this free grace of God, choke the sweete 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 enemyes to Gods grace: so are they no lesse iniurious to Christen men, whom they leaue in a doubtfull distrust of Gods fauour and of their saluation, cōtrary to the word and will of God, and right institution of the Apostolicke doctrine. And wheras our new scholemen of late, to mainteine the sayd 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. MarginaliaObiection of the Papistes aunswered.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 incerteintie of their saluatiō. MarginaliaThe Papistes do teach the mercy of God to be vncerteineTo 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. Now as touchyng mercy, so long as it remayneth secrete in the Princes will, and not knowen to his 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 remaineth no more doubtfull, but ought firmely to be beleued of euery true faythful subiect. And therfore S. Paule, to establish our hartes in this assuraunce, and to aunswere to this doubt, in his Epistle to the Romanes doth teach vs, saying: MarginaliaSaluation standeth sure and certaine by Gods promise.And therfore of fayth, that after grace the promise might be firme and sure to the whole seede of Abrahā &c. Rom. 4. meanyng hereby, MarginaliaThe place of S. Paule. Rom. 4. expounded.that workes haue nothyng to do in this case of Iustifiyng, and noteth the reason why. For then our saluation should stand in a doubtfull waueryng, because in workyng we are neuer certeine whether our desertes be perfect and sufficient in Gods iudgement, or no. And therfore (sayth S. Paule) to the intent 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 mā is iustified by fayth without workes: so agayne it breaketh an other principle aboue rehearsed. For this rule beyng graunted that nothyng is to be added to Gods worde, nor taken from it: MarginaliaThe 4. principle 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 (sayth he) in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued, & thy whole house. &c. Act. 16. these Iusticiaries do adde therto diuers and sondry other cōditions besides, and such as the word also precisely excludeth, as hope, charitie, the sacrifice of their Masse, the worke of the Priest Ex opere operato, auricular confession, satisfactiō, 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 ofRome is now fallen: where this kynde of doctrine is not onely suffered, but also publikely professed, which speakyng agaynst faith, thus blasphemously dare say: Fides illa qua quis firmiter credit, & certo statuit propter Christum sibi remissa esse peccata, seseq; possessurū vitam æternam, non fides est, sed temeritas: non spiritus sancti persuasio, sed humanæ audaciæ præsumptio. MarginaliaEx Lindano in Epitome doctrinæ EuangelicæThat is: that fayth, wherewith a man firmely beleueth and certeinely assureth him selfe, that for Christes sake his sinnes be forgiuen him, and that he shall possesse eternall life, is not faith, but rashnes: not the persuasion of the holy Ghost, but presumption of a mans boldnes.

MarginaliaThe first errour of the Papistes touching good workes.AS touchyng the doctrine of good workes and the law, what the teachyng of S. Paule was to the Romanes, ye heard before. Who although he excluded good workes frō the office of Iustifiyng, yet excluded he them not frō the practise and conuersation of Christen lyfe, but most earnestly called vpō all faithfull beleuers in Christ, to walke worthy their vocation, to lay downe their old conuersation, to giue their mēbers seruauntes of rightuousnes, to offer their bodyes vp to God a liuely sacrifice &c. The like example of whose teachyng, if the Churches now reformed do not folow, let their Sermōs, their preachinges, writynges, exhortynges, and liues also beare record. Who although they can not say with Christ: which of you can blame me of sinne: yet they may say to the aduersaries, who soeuer of you is without fault, cast the first stone of reproch agaynst vs. Wherfore Hosius, Pighius, with their fellowes, do them open wrong, MarginaliaHosius in 2. tom. confessionis Cap. 1.and slaŬderously belye them in comparyng them in this behalfe to Ætius, Eunomius, and other heretickes cal-