[In preparing the following letter for the press, the text of Coverdale has been collated with that of an edition printed at Rouen, 1553, and the variations of the latter, when the sense is in any way affected, are given in the notes, distinguished by the initial R. The title-page of the foreign edition is as follows:] Whether Chri stian faith maye be kepte secret in III Regum XVIII. Howe long halte ye on bothe the Matthew VI Chapter. No man can serve two masters: one, and love the other, or els he shal lean to the one, and dispise Luke XVI Chapi. That which is high among men From Roane. Anno. M.D.Liii. the iii. of October. I Bear not a straunge yoke with the unbelevers. For what feloship hath Deu. vil. righteousnes with unrighteousnes? What company hath light with darknes? How Matt. viii. agreeth Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the belever with the infidel? How 1 Cor. iii. vi. accordeth the temple of God with images? Ye are the temple of the living God, as saith God: I wil dwel in them, and walke in them, and wyl be their God, and Lev. xxvi. thei shal be my people. Wherefore come from amonge theim, and seperate youre selves (saith the Lorde) and touch no unclene thing: so will I receive you, and be Ezek. xxxvii. your father, and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters, saith the almightie Lord. Esai. lii. LETTER XXV. A Letter sent to the christian congregation, wherein he proveth that true faith cannot be kept secret in the heart without confession thereof openly to the world when occasion serveth. ST PAUL, in the tenth chapter to the Romans, annexeth the faith of Christ in the heart with the confession of the mouth; so that the one (it seemeth by him) can be no more without the other than fire can be without heat, saying these words: "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth he confesseth unto salvation 2." Wherein he declareth that, even as the cause of our acceptation3 through Christ is the confidence and faith of the heart in the promises of God; so is the confession outwardly of the same faith by the mouth the fruit that all christian faithful hearts bring forth through the same gift of God. And where as this effect of confession of faith is not, there wanteth also the cause of confession, which is true faith: for as the tree is known by her fruits, so is faith by her effects. And as the want of fruit is a demonstration that the tree is unprofitable, so the want of true confession of faith is a token that the faith is dead. The end of the unprofitable tree is cut- Matt. x. [The,' omitted in R.] [The heart believeth to justice: the confession of the mouth is [ The text seems to refer rather to Luke xiii. 6. This reference is omitted in R.] 1 Pet. iii. Matt. x. ting down and casting into the fire: the end of the fruitless faith is death and casting to eternal damnation. Wherefore St Peter requireth us to make answer to every man that demandeth of us of such hope as is in us with gentleness and reverence: which is a very testimony that we sanctify God in our hearts, as it is before expressed1 in the same chapter. For the greatest honour that man can give to God is to confess2 in the time of trouble truly and faithfully his holy word and faith. Wherefore it is the duty of every Christian to pray and study to have a thorough knowledge of his faith in Christ; and3, as the glory of God shall require, and1 the cause of his religion, to be ready to make answer for the same (howsoever the world, fear, displeasure, friendship, or other lets, shall move us to the contrary) upon pain, saith Christ in the tenth of Matthew", that I will deny him before my Father which is in heaven. But how hard a thing it is to confess Christ in the days of trouble, not only the scripture, but also daily experience in good men and women, doth declare. True confession is warded on every side with many dangers on the right hand and on the left hand, now with fair means, then with foul threatenings, fearful and dangerous; as it is said by Christ our Saviours, "They shall betray you to the judges; and of them ye shall be beaten and judged to death." Of the other side shall pull us back the love of wife, children, brother, sister, kin, friends 10, and the love unto ourselves. But he that is overcome by any of these means hath his11 judgment he is not meet for me, saith Christ. These things be impossible unto men; yet to christian men in Christ possible, and so necessary, that Christianity and true religion cannot be in him that is afeard to confess Christ and his gospel in the time of persecution. The wisdom of the world doth say, "Although I accomplish the desire of my friends, and to the sight of the world am present [1 Expressed,' omitted in R.] [2 And answer-to,' R.] [3 3 And that,' R.] [4 And his religion attempt,' R.] [5 'Whatsoever should say to the contrary,' R.] [6 'In the tenth of Matth.' omitted in R. In margin Mark viii, at the mass, and with my body do as other men do, or as I may do; yet my heart is clean contrary to their belief, and I do detest such idolatry, and believe that the thing that I am present at is mere idolatry and abomination." Here be fair words for an evil purpose, and pretensed excuse for a just condemnation before God. For if it be true that12 ye know the thing which 12 ye resort unto to be the dishonour of God, why do ye honour it with your presence? If ye know it to be evil, why refrain ye not from it? If your conscience say it is idolatry, why serveth your body such things as your faith abhorreth? If in your heart you know but one God, why with your exterior 13 presence serve ye the thing that ye know is not God? If your faith see idolatry, why doth your silence confess and allow 14 the same? Two men in one God loveth not. If the inward man know the truth, why doth the outward man confess a falsehood? If your spirit 15 be persuaded that the mass is idolatry, why do ye with your bodily presence use it as a God, and give godly honour to it1? Do ye not perceive that it is written "7, Esay xxix 18. Matt. xy18., "These 19 people honour me with their 20 mouth, but their hearts be far from me?" The cause why God was offended with these 21 people was, that outwardly they confessed him and served him 22, but their hearts were far from him inwardly. Wherefore 23, ye may see what it is to bear two faces in one hood; outwardly to serve God, and inwardly to serve the devil. Now mark of this place, if it be so horrible and damnable a thing to be false in the heart, which none knoweth but God, and is worthy also of damnation; what is to be judged of the outward and manifest use of idolatry, which not only God, but also every good man, knoweth and abhorreth? There is no colour 24 nor cloked hypocrisy that God can away with. If the heart think not as the tongue speaketh, [12 That,'-' which,' omitted in R.] [13 External,' R.] [14 Profess,' R.] [15 The spirit,' R.] [16 'Why doth the corporal presence use it as God in doing godly honour, &c.' R.] [17 What is written,' R.] [18 The references in margin, also Ezech. xxxiii. R.] L1 Cor. iii. Matt. vi. R.] 1 Cor. vi. (Apoc. iii. R. & x. R.] 2 or else the tongue speak otherwise than the heart thinketh, both be abominable before God. Read ye' the third and the sixth chapters of the first Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians, where as St Paul saith: "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? If your body be the temple of the Holy Ghost, what agreement hath it with idolatry ?" Can one body at one time be the temple of the Holy Ghost, and be present at such idolatry as God abhorreth and detesteth? Can a man serve two masters? If he do, he loveth (as Christ saith) the one, and hateth the other. As God requireth of a faithful man a pure heart, even so requireth he that his external profession in all things be according thereunto3; for both body and soul be debtors unto God, and he redeemed them both. The word of God saith unto us," Glorify and bear God in your bodies." If we be present at such idolatry as God forbiddeth, and our own knowledge in conscience is assured to be evil, do we glorify God in our bodies? No5, doubtless; we dishonour him, and make our bodies the servants of idolatry, not only to God's dishonour, but also to the great danger both of body and soul. For this is a true saying of St Augustine, "He that doth against his conscience buildeth to hell-fire"." It is not enough for a christian man to say, I know the mass is naught; but to obey civil laws and orders I will do outwardly as other mens do, yet in my heart abhor it, and never think it to be good. Doubtless these two minds, the spirit to think well and the body to do evil, in this respect be both naught, and God will spue the whole man out of his mouth, as he did the minister of the congregation of Lao 1 Cor. viii. dicea. Apoc. iii. The eighth chapter and the tenth of the first to the Corinthians 10 in this matter and in this time be [1 'Ye,' omitted in R.] [2Bodies be the temples,' R.] [3 The word of God saith unto us, Glorify and bear God in your bodies, even as God requireth that our external profession-be correspondent unto it' R.; omitting the quotation as it stands in the text.] [4 Assureth,' R.] [5 'Nay,' R.] [6 The editor has been unable to discover the exact saying here attributed to St Augustine; but for a similar sentiment see August. de Contrit. Cord. Op. Tom. Ix. col. 840. B. Basil. 1569.] [7 'Law,' R.] [s 'Men,' omitted in R.] [9 'I abhor,' R.] [10 Look in the margin; for in this time the places be very much expedient, &c. R.] |