use at the receiving of Baptism, the Supper of the Lord, and Wedlock, is added. XX. *The Supplication that the Nobles and Commons of Osterick made unto King Ferdinand. Translated by M. C. XXI. The Testimony and Report, which Eccius gave and sent in to the Council of those Princes, which name themselves Catholic. 1542. Prefaces, Letters, &c. Some other works have been attributed to Coverdale; but the evidence is not sufficient to warrant our ascribing them absolutely to him. Those works which have as yet escaped the researches of the Editor are marked with an asterisk. In conclusion, the Editor begs to express his thanks to those persons who have allowed their scarce copies of Coverdale to be transcribed for the press; of which due acknowledgement will be made in the proper place. November, 1844. THE OLD FAITH. 66 [This work is a translation of a Treatise of Bullinger, of which the title is: Antiquissima Fides et vera Religio: Christianam fidem mox a primis mundi exordiis usque ad hæc tempora durasse, eamque veram et indubitatam esse, Heinrychi Bullingeri Apodixis, sive clara et evidens demonstratio, e Germanico in Latinam linguam traducta per Diethelmum Cellarium Tigurinum. In hoc Enchiridio, candide lector, habebis brevissimam historiam, cum temporum supputatione, sacrosanctæ nostræ fidei, deque illius præcipuis et operibus et professoribus habebis hujus item incrementa et defectus ac calamitates jam inde a prima mundi origine ad hæc usque tempora. Brevissima ergo periocha est utriusque Testamenti, et probatio, quod per solam fidem in Christum veram omnes pii Deo et placuerint et salutem fuerint consecuti." Copies of this work of Bullinger are contained in the Bodleian library at Oxford, and in the library of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth. It does not appear certain in what year this work of Bishop Coverdale first appeared. An edition of it appears to have been published in 1541, and another in 1547. Another edition was also published in 1624, under the following title: "Look from Adam, and behold the Protestants' faith and religion, evidently proved out of the holy Scriptures against all Atheists, Papists, loose libertines, and carnal Gospellers: and that the faith, which they profess, hath continued from the beginning of the world, and so is the true and ancient faith. Herein hast thou a short sum of the whole bible, &c." The present edition is printed from a copy of the edition of 1547, which was formerly in the possession of Mr Brand, and afterwards of the late Sir Francis Freeling, Bart., and which now belongs to John Matthew Gutch, Esq., of Claines, Worcestershire, who obligingly granted the use of it to the Parker Society.] MYLES COVERDALE TO ALL CHRISTIAN READERS, WISHETH GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE JESUS CHRIST. mary good LIKE as the almighty eternal God, three in persons and one in substance, of his tender mercy and love, not only created man at the beginning after his own similitude and likeness, but also, when he was lost, most graciously redeemed him and brought him out of bondage; even so, when man, neither regarding his wonderful creation nor his most dear redemption, The accusto gropeth in darkness, in vice, and blindness, lieth in the devil's ness of God. prison, and goeth in the way of damnation, God alway setteth up his light before him, sendeth the message of his word unto him, sheweth him what case he is in, giveth him warning, openeth the prison door, calleth him out of the devil's service, telleth him what danger it is to be his bondman or servant unto sin: this doth God alway, afore he punish and plague the world. This, I say, hath been the property of God since the beginning, as the stories and prophecies of all the holy bible do testify. And though we had no writing of God's acts in times past, yet hath he practised this same his wonderful work of mercy upon us. So that like as we must needs confess, that we are created of God and redeemed by his only mercy in his dear Son Jesus Christ; so can we not God hath deny, but we have heard his holy message, had no less less kindness preachings and warnings of dangers to come, than other have had afore our days: yet even the same merciful God, that sent Noe to preach righteous unto the wicked world, and converted the Ninevites by his word in the ministration of shewed no to us than he did to the old world. |