The Holy Ghost brought no new doctrine.

John xiv.

Mark xvi.

were mindful of all that the Lord had commanded them
afore. For the Holy Ghost did not endue them with a new
doctrine but it that the Lord had taught them out of the
law and the prophets, the same did he bring to their
remembrance, and elucidate all things, and printed them
more clearly in their hearts. For so saith the Lord in the
gospel: "The Comforter, even the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance that I have said
unto you."
Therefore so long as the Lord was with them,
and told them all the matter of his passion, they were sorry,
and could not bear away all that he said unto them; but
after that he was taken up from the earth into heaven, he
sent the Holy Ghost, even him, whom the prophets also had
before, and that led them into all christian verity.

So when they were endued with the Holy Ghost, they began, according to the Lord's commandment, to preach in all the world the foresaid matter of salvation, purchased and obtained only by Christ, and gotten by true faith. For he had said: "Go your way into all the world, and preach the gospel unto all creatures: whoso believeth and is baptized, shall be saved," &c. And therewith comprehendeth he both the points which the apostles used and practised, even the preaching of the faith in Jesus Christ, and of the ministration of the sacraments. And how the apostles' doctrine was, it is manifest out of the Acts of the Apostles. But shortly and in a sum, they preached amendment of life and remission of sins through Jesus Christ: that is to say, how that the whole generation of man lay in the dominion of the devil and in the bonds of sin, cursed and damned; but God had mercy on us all, and sent his Son into this world to die, and with his death to restore us unto life, and to wash us with his blood, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. All this declared they out of the law and the prophets, and proved that Jesus Christ whom they preached is the blessed Seed promised unto the fathers. Whoso is desirous to have a perfect example of this declaration, he findeth two sermons of the famous apostles Peter and Paul, the one in the Acts of the Apostles, the second chapter, the other in the thirteenth chapter. There doth the holy apostle open the mystery of our holy faith, very

excellently declaring it from the time of Abraham unto David, and from him unto John the Baptist. Thereupon sheweth he, how Christ suffered, died, was buried, and rose again from death. All this confirmeth he with the scriptures of the prophets. At the last, he concludeth the sermon after this manner: "Be it known unto you, therefore, ye men and Acts xiii. brethren, that through Jesus is preached unto you forgiveness of sins, and that by him all they that believe are justified from all things, from the which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

To this agreeth now also the sermon of Peter: yea, all the scriptures of the apostles do finally accord to the same effect. Hereout also bring they the doctrine of repentance and amendment of life, the rebuking of sin, consolations, exhortations, and drawing to all manner of good works that follow out of faith.

Matt. xxviii.

of the Lord.

The special sacraments which the Lord did chiefly institute and command the apostles to practise in the Church, are holy Baptism, and the blessed Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning the first, he saith thus: "To me is Baptism. given all power in heaven and in earth; therefore go your way and teach all people, and baptize them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and teach them to keep all that I have commanded you." The other The supper did he institute at the last supper. For thus it is written in the holy gospel: "When they were eating, he took bread, Matt. xxvi. and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave them, saying, Take, eat; this is my body which shall be given for you this do in remembrance of me. So took he also the cup when they had supped, and said, Drink ye all out of this: this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for the remission of sins." With such sacraments through outward visible forms, for our infirmities' sake, pleased it the Lord to shew and set before our eyes his heavenly and invisible grace; not that we should continue still hanging in the visible thing, but that we should lift up our minds, and with a true belief to hold fast, to print sure in our minds, to worship, and to enjoy the things that faith sheweth us by the outward sacraments. With these outward sacraments also hath it pleased him to open, declare, and shew unto us his grace and lovingkindness; namely, how that he giveth unto us himself and all his riches; cleanseth

us, feedeth, and moisteneth our souls with his flesh and blood; that he is at one with us, and we with him, so that we use and practise the sacraments with a true faith. For the outward enjoying of the sacraments of itself alone doth not reconcile us with God; but if they be used with faith, then, as St Peter saith, Acts xv., through faith doth God purify The fruit of the hearts. With the sacraments pleased it him to leave

the sacra

ments.

did not overcharge the people with ceremonies.

behind him a remembrance of his gifts and benefits, to the intent that we should never forget them, but praise and thank him therefore. Moreover with visible sacraments was it his will to gather us together, and to mark us in his church and people, and to put us in remembrance of our duty, how we are one body together, and ought to apply ourselves to all righteousness. All which things are found at length in the scriptures of the apostles.

As for the apostles, they ministered the sacraments diligently, purely, and simply, and so, without any addition, distributed them unto the people of God. Touching baptism,

there are many ensamples in the Acts of the Apostles. The

any

supper of Jesus Christ had the Corinthians somewhat altered: 1 Corinth. xi. and when Paul pointed them again to the true ordinance and right use, he taketh the simple words and institution of Jesu Christ without any more addition, and layeth those before them, commandeth them to follow the same, and holdeth him therewith well content. And thus did the holy apostles gather together all heathen and people, through the preaching of the gospel and ministration of the sacraments in The apostles the church, whose head is Christ, in whom they are builded and preserved. Moreover they did not lade them sore with ceremonies. For in the Acts of the Apostles, the second chapter, where as a perfect shape of a right christian congregation is described, we have first the sending of the apostles, among whom Peter did first preach the gospel, that is to say, repentance and forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesu. Then baptized he them that were become the people of God. Afterward followeth it, that they which were become Christian, continued in the doctrine of the apostles, in prayer, in breaking of the bread, and in the fellowship. Here are the right substantial points of the Christian Church sufficiently expressed; the doctrine of amendment of life and remission of sins, baptism, the continuing and increasing in Christ's doc

trine, prayer, the holy supper of the Lord, and the fellowship, that is, love, kindness, and works of mercy.

would not

weak.

Now whereas Acts xv. it is ordained that the heathen The apostles should eat no blood nor strangled, it endured but for a time, offend the and their meaning was thereby to avoid offending of the weak. Otherwise have the apostles everywhere, especially Paul, very earnestly exhorted men, to continue by the doctrine that was shewed and delivered them, and to be at a point in themselves to avoid such learning as was new and brought up by men, because they lead men far from the truth, as we find, Col. ii. Philip. iii. 1 Tim. iv. and vi. and Tit. i. And thus it is manifest, that the apostles taught all nations no new nor strange thing, but even the same that they had received of the Lord.

CHAPTER XII.

A CONCLUSION, THAT THIS FAITH IS THE RIGHT TRUE OLD
FAITH, WHICH ALWAY SHALL STAND SURE.

THIS holy undefiled faith, which the Lord planted and set up in all nations by the apostles, immediately after the apostles' decease, was sore attempted by sundry unclean persons, which brought up false customs and misbelievers, and made perilous sects. Besides this also was it sore persecuted with the sword of tyrants. But in all such dangers the truth overcame and had the victory. For though the citizens of the devil's city, according to the disposition of their patriarch Cain, did murther, and although false prophets brought evil counsel, yet the city of God triumpheth, and the blood of innocent Abel and his brethren speaketh yet. But after that the persecution was somewhat ceased, and the persecutors sore and horribly punished for their bloodshedding, (the heresies also being well brought down by faithful shepherds,) in the same rest also was our holy faith not a little hurt. For rest put away fear, brought idle felicity, voluptuousness, and fleshly seeking of riches and dominion; and so through covetousness and ambition, there

[COVERDALE.]

6

Christ's

religion.

venience

followed.

was poured great poison into the church, whereby religion.

The decay of sore decayed. For while the ministers of the word laboured more after riches, than to perform their office and charge, and to edify the church, they were pleased with superstitiousness instead of true religion. Of this then followed it farther, that the singleness of faith was forgotten, new laws made, the old rites and customs either perverted, or else utterly overthrown and abused; whereby men came far from the doctrine and christian ceremonies, from the way of truth into error foolishly, and partly into ceremonies of idolatry. What incon- Hereof cometh it, that we have now the abomination of the pope's power of pardons, of masses for the dead and quick, of merits, power and intercession of saints in heaven, of worshipping their bones upon earth, of idols, and vain ornaments, pomp and pride of the church, of hired singing and praying in the temple, and of the whole swarm of idle religious. All which things, with other more like fondness, are nothing but new alterations, pervertings, and contrary to all old ordinances, having no ground in God's word, and are clean against God, though many hard-necked people are yet in a fury and brawl for such things, and will make all the world believe that this their foolishness, alteration, and perverting of God's ordinance, is the old faith. And yet wote they or will not know, that their babbling hath very little ground, and that they, if they considered the matter as it is, are very naked and miserable.

Note.

And though this papistical religion hath endured, prevailed, and triumphed certain hundred years, yet hath God alway sent his faithful servants, and had a little holy flock of his own, like as afore time in the days of the Judges, of the kings of Judah and Israel, and in the captivity of Babylon, though it was almost at the worst afore and at the coming of Christ. Like as it is also with us, the nigher the second coming of Christ, the worse is it in the world. Nevertheless, as I said afore, God alway set forth his word, and The pope and doth yet. Contrariwise, the pope with his multitude, and strive against Machomet with his, as it seemeth and becometh very antichrists, have hitherto undertaken to suppress the old religion, and to set up his own ordinance, unknown to our fathers of old time, to bring it into possession, and under the name of God and his holy church, to spread it upon all Christendom.

Mahomet

Christ.