Back in the mid 70’s my wife and I lived in Haiti. It was an experience that we will never forget. Haiti was and still is a very dark country. Let me explain what I mean. Haiti was politically dark. At that time there was a dictatorship in control of the country. If you disagreed with the “powers that be” you may disappear, never to be heard from again.

It was dark for human rights as well. Women had little or no rights. I remember an incident that happened in front of the house we were living in. A man on horseback, with a whip in his hand was whipping a woman he had on a rope. He would whip her. She would squeal and run ahead, and he would jerk her back and whip her again. Further, human life was cheap. I remember seeing a woman trying to cross the road and being hit by a taxi. She flew ten yards or so and another car ran over her. A policeman observed this. He called over a helper. They went and dragged the lady to the side of the road. I heard him saying in French, “stupid woman.”

It was a dark country financially speaking. The average annual income for a Hatian was $71.

It was a dark country morally speaking. Young prostitutes would wander the highways and byways with little or no clothing on and would boldly come up to men offering their sexual services and quoting their price.

It was a dark country spiritually as well. The common people were in bondage to superstitions and fear. I never did get used to hearing the Voodoo drums and hearing the screams of the demon possessed devotees. The witchdoctors held mesmerizing power over the people, and they would not go against his directive for fear of their lives. It was common for these repressed people to pay the witchdoctor nearly a year’s wages to buy a fetish to bury in their gardens to insure that they would have good crops that year.

Haiti was, and still is, for all practical purposes, in the dark ages. This experience takes me back to the period in history called “The Dark Ages.” It was a time much like my experience in Haiti, except worse. For roughly a 1000 year period when the Pope and Roman Catholicism Dominated the world. It was a time when the Holy Bible was kept from the people. Superstition, fear, intrigue, and mystery shrouded true Christianity, obscureing it from the people.

But, in 1516 a young German Augustinian monk named Martin Luther (1483–1546) began teaching that men and women are justified, or made right with God, by trusting only in Christ. This doctrine of justification by faith was based on Luther’s reading of Romans 1:17, which became the banner of the Reformation. Then on October 31^st, 1517 the darkness of superstition and ignorance was fractured and the light of Scriptural truth began to shine in. It was on that day that a young Augustinian Monk, Martin Luther, nailed his now famous 95 Theses, or objections to the teachings and practices of the Church of Rome, to the Castle church door in Wittenberg. In response, Luther’s writings were declared heretical, and ordered to be burned. However, once the darkness was fractured and the light of the Scriptures began to rush in. Reformation truths began to rise like the Sun on a crisp clear morning, causing the darkness to flee.

In this message we will look at the Five Scriptural Pillars That The Reformation Was Built On…

Sola Scriptura

Solus Christus

Sola Gratia

Sola Fide

Soli Deo Gloria

Let’s briefly look at each of these five pillars.

• Sola Scriptura – The Scripture Alone

Sola (solus, soli) is the Latin word that means “alone.” Therefore Sola Scriptura means the Scripture Alone. For hundreds of years the people had been taught that Canon Law, the traditions of “the Church” (of Rome), and the words of the pope and priests, were equal with, and even superior to the Holy Bible. They taught that the common man cannot understand and should not study the Bible for himself. However, the Reformers understood that the Scriptures superseded all traditions of men. Our Lord Jesus said the Pharisees made “the word of God of none effect through your tradition…” (Mark 7:13).

The Church of Rome was emphatic that their traditions and laws were equal to the Scriptures. They ignored Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

Peter wrote, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Peter 1:24-25

Martin Luther and the other Reformers returned to the Bible truth that the Scripture alone is the final authority, not the Pope, not the “Church.” Luther made this clear in his trial before the ecclesiastical court in Worms. He said, “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.  Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.  God help me, Amen.”

Before I move on, let me share an observation in our day. Many once solid churches, which would still claim they hold to the Scripture alone authoritative, have separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice their church is guided by culture. One preacher put it this way – “Therapeutic techniques, marketing strategies, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more sway about…how the church functions and what it offers, than does the Word of God.” The truth is, biblical authority has been abandoned in practice, and churches are adapting their “faith” to meet the felt needs of the people. We need to get back to the truth of Sola Scriptura. Next…

• Solus Christus – Christ Alone

How can a person have access to God? Is it through the priests, departed saints, holy angels or the Virgin Mary as the Church of Rome alleges? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Christ alone is set forth in Scripture as the only mediator. The Bible says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:5 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Only through Christ can we have acceptance with God. He is the only way of access into God’s presence and the only channel by which blessings are bestowed. ‘Solus Christus — By Christ Alone.

• Sola Gratia

Generally speaking saving grace is the free, unmerited favor of God. Specifically, grace is the unmerited eternal salvation of God, which comes freely to the believing sinner as a gift through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is receiving the opposite of what we deserve. It is the free forgiveness of sin and the offer of free imputed righteousness, which was purchased by Jesus Christ. Salvation by grace means salvation is not attained or maintained by human works; rather, it is the free gift from God offered to sinners deserving of nothing but punishment, through faith in Christ’s blood. This is the Gospel of the grace of Christ.

Salvation is entirely of grace. This means it is exclusively a divine work, absolutely sovereign and free, in which sinners play no part and make no contribution. Paul promotes this Bible truth in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I must remind you that God is not obliged to save anyone. No one merits or deserves salvation. Grace, and grace alone, is the cause of salvation. If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. Romans 11:6

By grace, God chooses people to eternal life, redeems them through Jesus Christ, calls them by the Holy Spirit, justifies them by faith, adopts them into His family, and preserves them unto eternal life (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 11:5; Galatians 1:15; Titus 3:7; Ephesians 1:5-6; 2:7; Romans 5:21).

But, the scheme of salvation taught by the Church of Rome is totally contrary to the Bible teaching that salvation is by grace alone. Rome teaches the doctrine of merit, that good works do truly deserve eternal life; and whosoever believes differently is accursed. The Roman Church taught and teaches the idea that a righteous person may accumulate a surplus store of good works, over and above what is required (called, works of supererogation). These extra merits, form a treasury or fund, and can be dispensed by the Pope to less holy Roman Catholics who can then enjoy the benefits earned by others (the doctrine of indulgences)!

But the Reformers declared the truth of the Bible that — [God] hath saved us…not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace (2 Timothy 1:9). This is Reformation doctrine, Sola Gratia. It is explained quite well by Augustus Toplady. He said —

“The way to Heaven lies not over a toll-bridge, but over a free-bridge; even the unmerited grace of God in Christ Jesus. Grace finds us beggars but leaves us debtors.” The next pillar of Reformation truth is…

• Sola Fide –Faith

“How can a person be right with God?” The Bible and the Roman Church give us conflicting answers! The Bible says, A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28).

Let’s begin by defining the term justification. Justification means, “to declare righteous.” Justification is God’s declaration that those who trust Jesus Christ are perfectly righteous before Him. It is a legal concept, as when a judge gives a verdict. God is the great Judge. It is His law we have broken. Before I am saved, God declares that I am a condemned sinner. After I come to Christ, God declares that I am righteous because of what Christ did for me on Calvary. Justification is being brought into a new spiritual position before God (Romans 5:1-2).

The doctrine of ‘justification by faith alone’ is the central truth of Christianity and the real test of a church’s fidelity to the Gospel. When God justifies sinners, He declares them to be exempt from punishment and entitled to reward solely on the ground of what Christ has done for them (Romans 3:24; 5:9). Faith is simply the sinner’s personal reliance on Christ as Savior (Ephesians 1:13).

God justifies us when, in our desperation, we flee to Christ and place our entire confidence in His substitutionary life and death. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16).

Dr. Isaac Watts, the great hymn writer and preacher put it this way –

No more, my God, I boast no more

Of all the duties I have done:

I quit the hopes I held before,

To trust the merits of Thy Son.

The best obedience of my hands

Dares not appear before Thy throne;

But faith can answer Thy demands,

By pleading what my Lord hath done.

The Roman Catholic Church denies the doctrine of justification by faith. According to Roman dogma, “The instrumental cause [of justification] is the sacrament of baptism,” and, “through the observance of the commandments of God and of the Church, faith co-operating with good works…” enables people to be – “further justifled!” (From: The Decrees of the Council of Trent.)

The Reformers raised their voices in united protest against such perversion of biblical Truth. Luther’s declared:

“I, Martin Luther, an unworthy preacher of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, thus profess and thus believe; that this article, that faith alone, without works, can justify before God, shall never be overthrown … This is the true Gospel… This is the doctrine I shall teach; and this the Holy Spirit and the Church of the faithful has delivered. In this will I abide. Amen.”

‘Soli Deo Gloria’ – Glory To God Alone

As Jonah of old declared, “Salvation is of the LORD.” Jonah 2:9 The Apostle Paul wrote “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” 2 Timothy 1:9

God alone is responsible for our Salvation and therefore we should lift high the voice of adoring praise and thanksgiving, so that all the glory is given to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire plan of salvation as the Apostle Paul teaches is, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Hence the doxology: Unto him be gloiy in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.” Ephesians 3.21.

The Reformers rejected the Romanist doctrine that exalts the Pope, the priests and, by its doctrine of salvation by works, believers themselves. They rightly saw it as a man-centred religion, very far removed from the religion of the New Testament. The Truth rediscovered in the Reformation brought the glory back to God.

William Tyndale, the English Reformer, Bible translator and martyr, wrote in his Prologue to the Epistle to the Romans:

“We see that God only, Who, according to the Scripture, worketh all in all things, worketh a man’s justifying, salvation, and health… God’s mercy in promising, and Truth in fulfilling His promises, saveth us, and not we ourselves; and therefore is all laud, praise, and glory to be given unto God for His mercy and Truth, and not unto us for our merits and deservings.”

In the history of the English Bible, the Geneva Bible of 1560 stands alone in innovation and impact. It is a Bible of “firsts.” To name just some of its innovations, the Geneva Bible is the first English Bible to use contemporary verse divisions, the first to use italicized words where English required more than a literal Greek rendering, and the first English Bible translated completely from the Biblical languages.

However, the Geneva Bible is more than just a novelty in English Bible history. It is a Bible of profound impact. Some consider the Geneva Bible of 1560 to be “the most influential of the many English translations of the Scriptures.” It was the most influential Bible of the 16^th and 17^th centuries in England, Scotland, and New England, and its theology and innovation are still impacting us today. The Geneva Bible’s influence has been estimated as “incalculable.”

Not only was the Geneva Bible innovative and influential, it has a remarkable history. The Geneva Bible, named after the city where it was first published, was a product of vicious persecution of the English reformers. Its marginal notes edified the people and infuriated a King. The Geneva Bible was the Bible of the English Puritans and of the English speaking Protestants, and was brought to America by the Pilgrims.

The purpose of this paper is to review three aspects of the history of this landmark Bible; its report, rule, and role. The “report” of the Geneva Bible will describe its historical context and the Bible itself. The “rule” of the Geneva Bible will look at its popularity. The “role” of the Geneva Bible will examine its influence.

A range of historical reference materials and the Geneva Bible itself will be used to review the Geneva Bible from these three perspectives. While the different editions will be mentioned in the paper, the focus will be on the first edition of the whole Geneva Bible of 1560.

Geneva Bible: Historical Report

The Historical Stage

The historical context of the Geneva Bible was the reformation and a time of persecution in England. William Tyndale’s New Testament, the first New Testament printed in the English language, was published in 1526. The Bible in the language of the people and available to the people was a death threat to the corrupt Roman Catholic Church’s power and income.

The Roman Catholic Church sold the forgiveness of sins (indulgences) and the release of loved ones from “purgatory.” Salvation was through works and donations. The necessity of an intervening priesthood between the people and God was (and still is) a central doctrine of the Church. The penalty of having a Tyndale New Testament was death by burning. Tyndale was hunted for 11 years and martyred in 1536.

Miles Coverdale (1438-1569) and John Rogers (c. 1500-1555), former assistants to Tyndale, continued Tyndale’s work. In 1535, Coverdale printed the first complete Bible in the English language (Coverdale Bible). Coverdale’s translation was basically Tyndale’s. In 1537, John Rogers printed a new version of the English Bible, under the pseudonym “Thomas Matthew” (Matthew’s Bible). The Matthew’s Bible was a combination of the Tyndale and Coverdale Old Testaments and the 1535 revision of the Tyndale New Testament.

Tyndale’s last words before his death, as reported in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, was a prayer: “Lord! open the King of England’s eyes.” In 1538, two years later, Tyndale’s prayer was answered. Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s vice regent for ecclesiastical affairs, and Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, wanted an English Bible in the pulpit in all of the churches in England and an injunction to do so was issued to the clergy.

Miles Coverdale led a team to revise the Matthew’s Bible and eliminate the marginal notes, which became known as the Great Bible of 1539. It was so named because of its large size. By May 1540, the Great Bible was in each of the 8,500 parish churches in England and was authorized by King Henry VIII.

Henry VIII died in 1547 and was succeeded by his 10 year old son, King Edward VI. Edward died in 1553, opening the door for the bloody reign of his half-sister.

The Bible of Intended Victims

Mary I, the daughter of Henry VIII, became Queen of England in 1553. Known as “Bloody Mary”, she was brutally determined to turn England back to Roman Catholicism. During her reign, the English Bibles placed in churches were burned, public reading of the Bible was forbidden, and the works of the reformers, such as Tyndale, Rogers, Coverdale and Cranmer, were forbidden. Even quotes from the Bible on church walls were banned.

Persecution was not limited to banning the English Bible. Mary persecuted any person who agreed with the reformers’ views or who attempted to circulate Scripture in English. John Rogers, who produced the Matthew’s Bible, was the first British reformer to be burned at the stake in 1555. Thomas Cranmer suffered the same fate later that same year. Almost three hundred people were burned to death during Mary’s regime, and many more were imprisoned and tortured.

Geneva a Refuge

Protestants by the hundreds fled England for the Continent during this time, known as the Marian exile. Geneva in Switzerland was a refuge for many. Geneva was a republic at the time controlled by John Calvin and Theodore Beza. Protestant theology prevailed in the city and John Calvin offered protection. Geneva was also a center for biblical textual scholarship at that time. For example, Robert Estienne’s Greek New Testament of 1551 and at least 22 editions of French Bibles were published in Geneva in the 1550’s.

The theological climate and scholarship made Geneva a natural for the English church leaders to study the text of the Bible. Moreover, a Bible was needed that could help educate the Protestants during their exile and that was appropriate for their worship. A group of exiled scholars who were part of the English church in Geneva began the creation of an English version of the Bible to meet their needs. That Bible became known as the Geneva Bible.

The Translation Begins: Geneva New Testament of 1557

The Geneva Bible was completed in two stages. The New Testament was published first on June 10, 1557. The identity of the Geneva Bible translators is not known for certain. They did not name themselves anywhere in the Bible.

However, most scholars agree that William Whittingham was primarily responsible for the New Testament. Whittingham was skilled in Hebrew and Greek as well as other languages and a leader in the English church at Geneva. Whittingham was related to John Calvin by marriage.

Whittingham used the Tyndale New Testament as his basic English text, most likely Jugge’s 1552 edition. The Greek texts were probably Estienne’s Greek New Testament of 1551 and Beza’s Greek New Testament of 1556. Hence, what is now called the Textus Receptus was the Greek New Testament used for the Geneva Bible.

The Geneva New Testament of 1557 Described

The Geneva New Testament of 1557 was a small, octavo edition in easier to read Roman type, rather than black letter (Gothic). It included numbered verses and explanatory and textual notes. Italics were used for interpolated words.

The preface of the New Testament contained a sixteen page letter from John Calvin regarding “Christ is the end of the Lawe.” The preface also indicated the 1557 Geneva New Testament was “conferred diligently with the Greke, and the best approved translations” and included “diversities of readings and moste proffitable annotations of all harde places.”

• Letter to the “Simple Lambs” and “Arguments”

A letter to the reader was also included in the 1557 Geneva New Testament which indicated the translation was primarily directed to the “simple lambs” in the Church of Christ. The city of Geneva was also praised as a “store of heavenly learning.” With the spelling modernized, it reads:

In the Church of Christ there are three kinds of men: some are malicious despisers of the Word and graces of God, who turn all things into poison, and a further hardening of their hearts. Others do not openly resist and contemn [condemn] the Gospel, because they are struck as it were in a trance with the majesty thereof, yet either they quarrel and cavel, or else deride and mock at whatsoever is done for the advancement of the same. The third sort are simple lambs which partly are already in the fold of Christ, and so willingly hear their Shepard’s voice, and partly wandering astray by ignorance tarry the time till the Shepherd find them and bring them unto His flock. To this kind of people in this translation I chiefly had respect, as moved unto zeal, counseled by the godly, and drawn by occasion, both of the place where God hath appointed us to dwell, and also to the store of heavenly learning and judgment which so abounded in the city of Geneva, that justly it may be called the patron and mirror of true religion and godliness.

At the beginning of the four Gospels was a summary of their teaching called an “argument.” Summaries were also included at the beginning of Acts, the Epistles (except 2 and 3 John), and Revelation.

Other Interim Translations

Not always mentioned in the history of the Geneva Bible is that a translation of the Psalms into English was also published in Geneva in 1557. Anthony Gilby was probably the editor and translator, given his expertise in Hebrew. The Psalms included numbered verses and roman type. In 1559, the English translators with “moste joyful mindes and great diligence,” published another edition of the Psalms in Geneva in honor of Elizabeth I when she was crowned Queen of England.

The Translation Completed: The Geneva Bible of 1560

The whole Geneva Bible was completed in 1560. The New Testament of 1557 was also revised for the Geneva Bible of 1560, probably by Whittingham. Whittingham is considered by most scholars as the general editor of the complete Geneva Bible.

Whittingham and others apparently remained in Geneva to finish the translation even after it was safe to return to England. Queen Mary died in November, 1558. Mary was succeeded by Elizabeth I and England was no longer dangerous for the reformers. Many of the exiles at Geneva did return to England at that time, but Whittingham and others stayed in Geneva a year and a half longer to complete the Geneva Bible.

A long list of men are cited as associated with Whittingham in the translation, including Miles Coverdale, Christopher Goodman, Anthony Gilby, Thomas Sampson, William Cole, John Knox, William Kethe, Rowland Hall, John Pullain, John Bodley, John Baron, and William Williams.

The revised New Testament continued to follow Tyndale’s text, but gave more attention to Beza’s Latin text of 1556 than the 1557 version. The Great Bible was a significant basis for the Old Testament, and to a lesser degree the Coverdale and Matthew Bibles.

However, the Geneva Bible translators also translated from the original Hebrew. Tyndale had translated Genesis through 2 Chronicles and the book of Jonah from the original Hebrew into English before he died. The English reformers translated the remainder of the Old Testament directly from the Hebrew (Masoretic) text into English for the first time in the Geneva Bible of 1560.

Scholars vary on exactly what all of the sources were for the 1560 Geneva Bible. Westcott indicated the sources were the original text, the Great Bible, the Latin version of the Old Testament by Leo Juda, the Greek Latin Testament of Beza 1556 and 1559, and the French Bible version of Pierre Robert Olivetan revised in Geneva in 1558. Another scholar indicates the 1553 rather than the 1558 French Bible of Olivetan was used as well as Estienne’s own Bible published in Geneva in 1557 and the Hebrew-Latin Bible of Sebastian Muster of 1534-1535.

The Geneva Bible of 1560 Described

The 1560 Geneva Bible was a compact, quarto edition (6 ½ by 9 ¾ inches). It was printed with Roman type. The text was in two columns on each page with notes on the inside and outside of the page. The margin notes occasionally ran to the bottom of the page. There are notes on every page of the Geneva Bible, except for the Apocrypha. Like the other Bibles of its time, the Geneva Bible included the Apocrypha between the Old and New Testament, and so was comprised of 80 books. The printer was Rowland Hall.

• Title Page and Table of Contents

The frontispiece (title page) to the Geneva Bible of 1560 is shown on the next page. Of note is that the Geneva Bible was translated “according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diver langages.” It also indicates the Bible has “moste profitable annotations upon all the hard places.” There are three Scripture quotations on the title page. The verses speak comfort to believers in the perilous times of the Geneva Bible translation:

“Feare ye not, stand stil, and beholde the salvacion of the Lord, which he wiil shewe to you this day. Exod. 14, 13.”

“Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth them out of all, Psal. 34,19.”

“The Lord shal fight for you: therefore holde you your peace, Exod 14, vers.14.”

A list of the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament books follows the title page. An oddity of the Geneva Bible of 1560 is that the Apocryphal “Prayer of Manesseh” is placed after 2 Chronicles and before Ezra. In later Geneva Bible editions, it is indicated in the Table of Contents as “apocryphe,” but the “Prayer of Manesseh” continued to be placed after 2 Chronicles among the canonical books.

Frontispiece to the Geneva Bible, 1560

After the list of books in the 1560 Geneva Bible, is a dedication to Queen Elizabeth, from “your humble subjects of the English Churche at Geneva.” The dedication is almost four pages long and includes Scripture references and notes in the margin.

The dedication in the margin notes warns of “the enemies which labour to stay religion,” and the letter lists the enemies as “Papistes,” “worldings,” and “ambicious prelates.” The letter indicates God’s Word is needed for the reforming of religion and that without it “we can not discerne between justice, and injurie, protection and oppression, wisdome and foolishnes, knollage and ignorance, good and evil.”

The dedication closes with a prayer that “you [Queen Elizabeth] may be able to builde up the ruines of God’s house to his glorie, the discharge of your conscience, and to the comfort of all them that love the comming of Christ Jesus our Lord.” The dedication is dated, “From Geneva. 10. April 1560.”

• Letter to the Brethren: “Beloved in the Lord”

After the royal dedication is a letter to the reader. The letter is addressed “to our beloved in the Lord, the brethren of England, Scotland, Ireland, &c.” The letter explains the translators felt the Bible needed to be “reformed” in light of new knowledge and that they worked day and night for over two years on the translation.

The various features of the version to help the reader are listed in the letter. For example, the Geneva Bible included annotations, variant readings, restoration of some of the original Hebrew names, verse numbers, interpolated words in italics, and 26 woodcuts and 5 maps. Arguments, or summaries, were at the beginning of each book and chapter. A notable word or sentence that was the “chief point” was at the top of every page (except the Apocrypha) to help with memorization and understanding.

As with the dedication to Queen Elizabeth, the dedication to the reader concludes with a prayer, asking that the reader would:

willingly receyve the worde of God, earnestly studie it and in all your life practise it, that you may now appeare in dede to be the people of God, not walking any more according to this worlde, but in the frutes of the Spirit, that God in us may be fully glorified through Christ Jesus our Lord, who lyveth and reigneth for ever. Amen. 10.April. 1560.” From Geneva

• Other “Helps”

After the New Testament, is a dictionary of about 950 proper names, mostly from the Old Testament, and their meanings. The reader is encouraged to choose their children’s names from this list as a “godly advertisement” rather than names that are the “signes and badges of idolatrie and heathenish impietie.”

About 40 pages of Bible study tools come after the Dictionary of Proper Names. There is an alphabetical concordance of the “principal things” in the Bible, followed by a chronology chart from Adam to Christ. The Geneva Bible of 1560 concludes with a listing of Paul’s activities from his conversion to his death by beheading by Nero, indicated as covering 36 years.

What Was New

The 1560 Geneva Bible was a pioneer in many respects. The Bible of today was divided into chapters in the thirteenth century, but the division into verses belongs to the period of the printed Bible. The Geneva Bible was the first English Bible to use both modern chapter and verse divisions for the whole Bible. The New Testament verses in the Geneva Bible followed the verse divisions of Estienne’s 1551 Greek New Testament. Each verse was a new paragraph.

The 1560 Geneva Bible was the first Bible to depart from the black letter (gothic) type, and go to the easier to read Roman type. This was a daring move, as evidenced by the King James Bible of 1611 using the black letter type over fifty years later.

The format was also a first. Previous English Bibles were huge and expensive folios, suited only for church use. The Geneva Bible, in contrast, was typically published as a small quarto edition, that was both convenient for household use and priced within the people’s reach.

The Geneva Bible pioneered the use of italics for words that are not in the original language, but helpful for the English vernacular. This was not only innovative, but the use of italics for the interpolated words is a testimony to the integrity of the translators.

The totality of the “helps” of the 1560 Geneva Bible was also unique to English Bibles of the time. Other Bibles had notes, but the Geneva Bible had a host of aids to the reader. Not only were scholarly margin notes included, but as previously described, the Geneva Bible contained maps, name dictionaries, a concordance, and chronological charts.

The Geneva Bible was a first in several ways not generally known. The 1560 Geneva Bible was the first translation done by a committee of scholars versus by an individual. It was the first Bible completely translated from the original Hebrew and Greek.

The Geneva Bible was ahead of it’s time in the use of some readings, using the more modern word “love” for example in 1 Corinthians 13 versus the word “charity” in the King James Version. (Some words are more obscure than that of the KJV, though.) The Book of Hebrews is also indicated as from an anonymous author, while the tradition of the time attributed it to Paul.

Finally, the Geneva Bible was a “one and only” Bible in one respect. The 1557 New Testament was the only English translation published during the reign of “Bloody Mary.”

Other Names

The Geneva Bible of 1560 was also known as the “Breeches Bible” because of the use of the word “breeches” in Genesis 3:7: “and they sewed fig tre leaves together, and made them selves breeches.” While the earlier Wycliffe Bible versions and the translation of the Pentateuch contained in Voragine’s Golden Legend had also used the word “breeches,” the “Breeches Bible” name became affixed to the Geneva Bible. The Geneva Bible also eventually became known as the “Pilgrim’s Bible” because it was the Bible the Pilgrims brought on the Mayflower to the New World in 1620.

Other Editions

The two other most significant editions of the Geneva Bible are the 1587 Tomson New Testament edition and the use of the notes of Franciscus Junius on Revelation from 1599 on. Also of note are the Geneva Bible editions of 1568-1570, which contain Calvin’s Catechism, and later editions which included Calvinistic doctrine as catechism.

Lawrence Tomson brought out a New Testament in 1576, based on Beza’s Greek and Latin New Testaments, and using Beza’s Latin New Testament notes. Tomson’s New Testament, including the margin notes, replaced the Geneva 1560 New Testament in a 1587 quarto edition of the Geneva Bible. While there were some changes in the biblical text, the major difference in the Tomson New Testament was in the margin notes. Some readers continued to prefer the Geneva Bible 1560 New Testament version. This resulted in some Geneva Bibles having the 1560 New Testament and notes and others having Tomson’s New Testament and notes, from 1587 on.

From 1599 on, Franciscus Junius’ notes on Revelation were inserted in all Tomson editions of the Geneva Bible instead of the original notes. Junius’ commentary reflected a great abhorrence to the Roman Catholic Church.

The 1568-1570 Geneva Bible editions included Calvin’s Catechism of 373 questions and answers. Many editions of the Geneva Bible published between 1579 and 1615 included twenty-three questions and answers that were clearly Calvinistic, covering “the doctrine of Predestination, the use of God’s word and Sacraments.”

The last edition of the Geneva Bible was printed in Amsterdam in 1644.

Geneva Bible: Historical Rule

Having “reported” the 1560 Geneva Bible, in terms of its historical context and a description of the Bible itself, this next section will examine the “rule” of the Geneva Bible. The “rule” of the Geneva Bible will examine its popularity. How popular was the Geneva Bible and why was it popular?

Instant and Enduring Success

The Geneva Bible is said to have “immediately won, and retained, widespread popularity.” It was the “household Bible” of English-speaking Protestants for three generations. In contrast to Great Bibles and Bishops’ Bibles “read out in the churches,” Geneva Bibles “were read by the firesides.” These citations of the popularity of the Geneva Bible are helpful, but is there an objective way to evaluate the popularity of the Geneva Bible?

One factual way to evaluate just how popular the Geneva Bible was is to look at the number of editions it had relative to other Bibles of its time. The chart below compares the Geneva and other English Bibles published from 1560 to 1611 (the year when the King James Version was published.) The Geneva Bible had over 120 editions in this time frame, about six times the number of editions of the next most published Bible, the Bishops’ Bible.

In the approximately 40 years from 1575 to 1618, at least one new edition of the Geneva Bible was published each year. Even after the King James Version of 1611 appeared, over 60 editions of the Geneva Bible were published (including New Testament only editions).

Another fact attesting to the popularity of the Geneva Bible is its use in the Soldiers’ Pocket Bible, printed for Cromwell’s soldiers in 1643. The Soldiers’ Pocket Bible contains 122 texts, with all but one from the Geneva Bible.

In Scotland, the Geneva Bible was immediately embraced by the people and remained popular for a long time. The Geneva Bible from its introduction was the Bible appointed to be read in churches in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was reformed in 1560, the year the Geneva Bible was published, and was the natural choice of Scottish reformer John Knox. John Knox had been an exile in Geneva and may have participated in the translation. Long after the King James Version of 1611, the Geneva Bible continued to be used in some areas of Scotland.

Reasons for the Geneva Bible’s Success

Four major factors have been identified as possibly explaining the popular success of the Geneva Bible of 1560:

1. The marginal notes.
2. It was printed in more legible type and in a smaller, easier to handle size.
3. It was the first use of verse division for the entire English Bible.
4. The Old Testament followed the Hebrew more than previous Bibles

While all of these factors (and more) played a role in the success of the 1560 Geneva Bible, the margin notes were probably the single greatest factor in the Geneva Bible’s popularity and will be examined in detail first. Specifically, the nature of the notes and how they relate to the Geneva Bible’s popularity will be looked at.

The superior translation of the Old Testament as a factor in the Geneva Bible’s success will be covered second. The question to be addressed is: In what respects was the translation superior?

After the margin notes and Old Testament translation, the role of the timing of the Geneva Bible’s introduction relative to its success will be looked at briefly. The Geneva Bible’s print type, Bible size, and verse divisions have already been covered and do not require fuller explanation.

The Geneva Bible Notes

There are different kinds of margin notes in the Geneva Bible. The marginal notes contain both annotations and application. Ample Scripture cross-references are also included in the margins.

The dedication to the reader in the 1560 Geneva Bible explains the notes as “brief annotations upon all the hard places, aswel for the understanding of suche wordes as are obscure, and for the declaration of the text, as for the application of the same as may moste apperteine to Gods glorie and the edification of his Churche.”

Examples of annotations, applications, Calvinism, and anti-Catholicism in the notes will be looked at in turn.

• Geneva Bible Notes: Annotations

The annotations (explanatory comments) are often simply factual. For example, the “newe cloth” in Matthew 9:16 is explained as “or, rawe and undressed” in the margin. The “firmamente” that God called heaven in Genesis 1:8 is explained in the margin as “the region of the ayre, and all that is above us.”

Facts that provide deeper understanding are also in the Geneva Bible notes. For instance, the note on the dove and the olive leaf in Genesis 8:11, explains that the dove’s olive leaf “was the sign that the waters were muche diminished, for the olives growe not on the hie mountaines.”

Basic Christian doctrine is generally clearly, and sometimes even poetically, stated in the 1560 Geneva Bible. For example, the doctrine of creation ex nihilo is stated in the margin note of Genesis 1:1 as: “First of all, and before that any creature was, God made heaven and earth of nothing.”

For comparison, the notes on two other popular study Bibles of today were compared on this doctrine. The NIV Study Bible touches on creation ex nihilo in the note on Genesis 1:3 by stating, “Merely by speaking, God brought all things into being.” This is hardly as clear as the Geneva Bible’s “God made heaven and earth of nothing.”

The MacArthur Study Bible does better, specifically referencing ex nihilo in the Genesis 1:1-2:3 summary notes and stating, “context demands in no uncertain terms that this was a creation without preexisting material,” followed by a list of other supporting Scripture references. Nevertheless, the Geneva Bible’s “God made heaven and earth of nothing” seems much plainer than “a creation without preexisting material.”

The annotations of the 1560 Geneva Bible also identify the secular authors quoted in the New Testament. Paul’s statement to the Athenians about what their own poets have said in Acts 17:28, is attributed “as Aratus & others” in the note. Another illustration is the margin note regarding one of the “Cretian prophets” stating Cretians are always liars, evil beasts and slow bellies in Titus 1:12 as from being recited from “Epimenides the Philosopher, or Poet.”

Variant readings are occasionally given in the annotations in both the Old and New Testaments. A puzzling feature of the 1560 Geneva Bibles is that a number of the alternative readings are found in Codex Bezae (oldest known bi-lingual, Greek and Latin, New Testament manuscript from about either A.D. 450 or A. D. 550).

For example, the margin note for Acts 19:9 indicates that Paul preached at Ephesus “from five a clocke unto ten,” which is the Greek translation of Codex Bezae. Since Theodore Beza did not get this codex until 1562, the source of the variant readings is problematic. One hypothesis is that Whittingham and the other translators got information about the Codex Bezae readings from the margins of Estienne’s Greek New Testament of 1550.

An admirable quality of the translators as reflected in their annotations is that unknown Hebrew words are stated as such. An example is the Hebrew names of certain animals in Leviticus 11. These unknown animal names are simply transliterated from the Hebrew and noted in the margin as “not now proprely knowen.”

In summary, the clarity and scholarship of the explanatory notes very likely contributed to the Geneva Bible’s popularity.

• Geneva Bible Notes: Applications

Along side the explanatory notes in the Geneva Bible, are many devout applications, which no doubt played a role in the Bible’s success. A typical example is the margin note for the straight and wide gate of Matthew 7:13, which states: “we must overcome and mortifie our affections, if we wil be true disciples of Christ.” Peter’s claim at the Lord’s Supper that he would never be offended, even though everyone else would (Matthew 26:33), has the note: “This declareth, what danger it is to trust to muche to our owne strength.”

• Calvinism in the Notes

Calvinistic doctrine is found in the 1560 Geneva Bible notes, as would be expected. An example of a Calvinistic note is that on Romans 9:15: “As the onelie wil and purpose of God is the chief cause of election, and reprobacion: so his fre mercie in Christ is an inferiour cause of salvation, and the hardening of the heart an inferiour cause of damnacion.” Calvinist doctrine likely helped the Geneva Bible’s popularity, standing in contrast to Roman Catholicism’s false teachings on salvation and church authority.

How many of the notes of the 1560 Geneva Bible are Calvinistic is a matter of debate today. To what extent the Geneva Bible notes are Calvinistic without Scriptural support also remains unsettled among scholars.

F.F. Bruce’s view is that the notes overall are “unashamedly Calvinistic in doctrine, and therefore offensive to readers who find Calvinism offensive.” H. W. Hoare goes so far as to call the literary character of the Geneva Bible a “Calvinist manifesto.”

However, it’s been estimated that of the approximately 250 explanatory notes to Romans, not more than ten of them are unmistakably Calvinistic in doctrine. David Daniell, in The Bible in English, posits that the English political establishment of the early 1600’s and later writers, purposely called the Geneva Bible notes “Calvinist” in a blanket fashion, in order to nullify their impact. Daniell writes:

So the Bible is not just to be ‘read in churches,’ as the title-page of KJV has it. … The later vilification of marginal notes, especially by the politicians controlling King James in the early 1600s, was from fear of the working of this sovereign God in places outside the fence of what was narrowly understood as the only apostolic Christianity. The notes they knew were in the Geneva Bibles: they had to be wiped out. Writers in later ages, looking for a term of abuse, called them ‘Calvinist.’

The Thomson New Testament notes (Beza’s notes) that replaced the New Testament notes in the 1560 Geneva Bible in many editions from 1587 and forward were more strongly Calvinistic. As with the 1560 edition notes, whether they are unjustly Calvinistic is arguable.

• Anti-Catholicism in the Notes?

The notes in the Geneva Bible are often said to be “anti-Roman” and “anti-papal.” The Geneva Bible notes did expose the errors of the Roman Catholic Church, such as its system of sacraments. Anti-Catholic notes would certainly have enhanced the Geneva Bible’s popularity; it was the time of the reformation.

The question is: how extensive and how untrue are the anti-Catholic notes? Answering those questions is beyond the scope of this paper. A few comments follow.

The general consensus among scholars is that directly anti-Catholic notes are not that extensive in the 1560 Geneva Bible. Most agree that the notes are explicitly anti-Papal in the 1560 version to a great extent only in Revelation. For example, the beast from the bottomless pit in Rev. 11:7 is explained as “the Pope, which hath his power out of hell and cometh thence.” The comment on Revelation 17:4 identifies the scarlet clad woman who rides the beast as “the Antichrist, that is, the Pope with the whole bodie of his filthie creatures.”

How untrue some of the anti-papal notes are is unresolved. While the Geneva Bible Revelation 17:4 note is anti-papal, it is not without Biblical support. In fact, it’s interesting to note that Dave Hunt in his 1994 book, A Woman Rides the Beast, also relates the woman in Revelation 17 to the Roman Catholic Church.

Not surprisingly, the Geneva Bible was never authorized for use in the Roman Catholic Church in England.

• Still Famous

The Geneva Bible’s notes are still famous, partly because they infuriated James I. James became King of England following Elizabeth’s death in 1603. When a resolution was made at the Hampton Court Conference in 1604 for a new translation of the whole bible, James was quick to approve it.

James indicated some of the Geneva Bible notes were “very partial, untrue, seditious, and savouring too much of dangerous and traitorous conceits.” He gave two examples. One was the note on Exodus 1:17 that indicated the Hebrew midwives were right to disobey the Egyptian king’s command to kill all of the male babies. The other was the note on 2 Chronicles 15:16 which said that King Asa’s mother should have been killed rather than just removed from power for her idolatry. It is supposed that these notes irritated James because, in his mind, they encouraged civil disobedience and put his deceased mother, Mary Queen of Scots, in a bad light. The Geneva Bible notes therefore were a reason both for the Bible’s success and for its downfall.

The Old Testament Translation: “A Conspicuous Advance”

Having examined the nature of the Geneva Bible notes, the next factor to be looked at in the Geneva Bible’s popularity is the quality of the Old Testament translation. H. W. Hoare, a scholar from the early 1900’s describes the translation as, “… terse, and vigorous in style; literal, and yet boldly idiomatic, the Genevan version was at once a conspicuous advance on all the Biblical labours that had preceded it, and an edition which could fairly claim to be well abreast of the soundest, contemporary scholarship.”

One reason the Old Testament translation of the 1560 Geneva Bible was “a conspicuous advance” is that it was more in accordance with the original Hebrew. As previously mentioned, the Geneva Bible was the first English Bible translated from the Hebrew from Ezra through the end of the Old Testament (except for Jonah), resulting in a superior translation for these books.

Evidence of the scholarship is that spelling and accentuation of names in the Old Testament were done in line with the original Hebrew in the Geneva Bible. For example, Eve is spelled Heváh and Abel is spelled Hábel.

As Hoare stated, the translation was “literal, yet boldly idiomatic.” Compare, for example, the Geneva Bibles rendering of Judges 15: 8 “He smote them hippe and thigh” to that of Coverdale: “both upon the shulders and loynes.”

The beautiful rhythm of Isaiah 40 in English in the King James Version, which is true to the Hebrew, is from the Geneva Bible. Consider, for instance, Isaiah 40:4 in the KJV, which is taken directly from the Geneva Bible: “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.” Other examples of “literal and lyrical” original Old Testament renderings of the Geneva translators used by the KJV are: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Eccl. 12:1) and “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all is vanity” (Eccl. 12:8).

In the Fullness of Time

Timing also played a role in the popularity of the Geneva Bible. The Geneva Bible of 1560 was introduced in England in a highly opportune time relative to the amount of secular literature and the Bible-reading habits of the people.

There was a dearth of literature at that time. The only generally available books, besides the Bible, were the Prayer Book, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, and Calvin’s Institutes. One scholar puts it into interesting perspective, noting: “Shakespeare was not yet born. Spencer was but six years old, and Bacon in his cradle.”

In combination with the absence of secular reading material, Bible-reading habits were becoming entrenched among the large and growing Protestant segment. Thus, in the providence of God, a lack of alternative reading material and good Bible-reading habits, helped fuel the Geneva Bible’s success.

Geneva Bible: Historical Role

Having examined the Geneva Bible’s historical “report” (context and description) and “rule” (popularity), the next and final section will look at the “role” of the Geneva Bible, in terms of its impact. What is the overall historical influence of the Geneva Bible? How important is the Geneva Bible in the chain of the English Bible?

Historical Impact of the Geneva Bible

The Geneva Bible influenced the literature of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. John Stubbs, and other Puritan writers, generally used only the Geneva Bible in their works. The Geneva Bible affected some of England’s greatest writers, including John Bunyan, Shakespeare, and Milton, and so impacted the culture.

From 1596 on, Shakespeare for the most part used the Geneva Bible in his plays. Milton’s Paradise Lost and Samson Agonistes both reveal the influence of the theology of the marginal notes of the Geneva Bible. The Geneva Bible also influenced sermon literature. The English reformers, Puritans, separatists, and even some Bishops, all used the Geneva Bible in their sermons.

The establishment and growth of Protestantism and Calvinistic theology were greatly influenced by the Geneva Bible. The false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church were clearly exposed in the margin notes. Calvinism was not only presented in the margin notes of the Geneva Bible, but also in the catechisms that were included in later editions. Thus, the Geneva Bible affected the ecclesiastical and theological beliefs of England and Scotland, as well as the culture.

The Geneva Bible was the Biblical foundation of what was to become America. The Protestantism of the Geneva Bible notes and the Geneva Bible itself spread to America, and had a lasting influence. The Geneva Bible was probably the Bible of Jamestown. It’s likely that John Rolfe used a Geneva Bible to teach Pocahontas (Matoaka) about Jesus Christ. It was the Geneva Bible that the Pilgrims brought on the Mayflower in 1620. Historians have evidence that the Geneva Bible was used extensively in New England and exclusively by the Plymouth Colony.

The Geneva Bible in the English Bible Chain

The Geneva Bible stimulated both the appearance and the demise of the Bishops’ Bible. Reading the Great Bible in the church became impossible after the publication of the Geneva Bible. The Geneva Bible was too obviously a superior translation. The Bishops’ Bible of 1568 was the church’s answer to the Geneva Bible. However, among other issues, the scholarship of the Bishops’ Bible was not on par with the Geneva Bible, and it was never able to compete with the Geneva Bible.

The 1560 Geneva Bible continued to be an important factor in the English Bible chain over 50 years after it was first published. The Geneva Bible was an important impetus behind the publication of the 1611 King James Bible. As previously stated, King James readily approved a new version that would be without the irritating Geneva Bible notes.

The Geneva Bible not only stimulated the production of the 1611 King James Bible, it influenced the sacred text. The King James Bible text itself was influenced more by the Geneva Bible than any other version. It’s estimated that 19% of the King James Bible finished text is from the Geneva Bible, as shown in the chart below.

King James Bible – Percentage of Material From Earlier Versions

An odd fact testifying to the influence of the Geneva Bible is that the letter from the translators to the reader in the preface of the King James Version of 1611 uses Scripture from the Geneva Bible.

One scholar feels the Geneva Bible was purposely “killed,” more than naturally superseded by the King James Version, implying the Geneva Bible’s influence was stymied. David Daniell asserts the Geneva Bible was “driven out by political and commercial interests from 1611, and forced out of the public view from 1660.”

An obvious influence of the Geneva Bible is the number of its “firsts” that continue to be used almost 450 years later in today’s English Bibles. Our modern verse divisions are a legacy of the Geneva Bible. John 3:16 was first “known” as John 3:16 in English in the Geneva Bible. Italics are still used for interpolated words in some versions, such as the King James and New King James. Committees, rather than one individual, worked on modern translations, such as the NIV and New King James.

Conclusion

Every Bible in the English Bible chain has a story, but the report, rule, and role of the Geneva Bible is truly remarkable. Its historical backdrop of persecution, martyrdom, and exile during the reformation is both sobering and fascinating.

The Geneva Bible was first a Bible of good scholarship. The scholarship of the Geneva Bible was the most advanced of its time. It was translated completely from the Biblical languages. In the Old Testament, the translation retains the literal meaning of the Hebrew, while capturing its poetry.

The Geneva Bible was a Bible of bold innovation. Among it’s most notable innovations are that it was the first English Bible with verse divisions through out, the first with Roman type, the first to use italics for interpolated words, and the first English Bible wholly translated from the original Biblical languages.

The Geneva Bible margin notes played a key role in its rise to popularity and eventually in its demise. The notes are still famous and are still controversial. The notes are either Calvinistic and anti-papal, or simply Biblical, depending on your theology and hermeneutics.

The Geneva Bible notes helped establish Protestantism in England, and eventually in America. The Geneva Bible was not only the Bible of the English reformers, but of the Pilgrims, as well.

The Geneva Bible influenced later versions of the Bible, including the King James Version, and great writers, such as William Shakespeare, John Milton, and John Bunyan. Small in size, the Geneva Bible was great in impact.

While much has been written about the Geneva Bible, there are still opportunities for further research. The richest area to be mined is the marginal notes. The greatest need seems to be an objective, comprehensive, and systematic analysis of the theology of the notes.

While some work has been done on the note’s theology, such as by David Daniell, in The Bible in English, thoroughness is lacking. Systematically studying the theology of the notes could be illuminating in understanding the doctrinal development of Protestantism and contemporary dogmatic theology, such as covenant theology.

Another way the Geneva Bible notes could be mined is to compare them to the notes of popular contemporary study Bibles. A comparison of the notes could reveal areas of Protestant doctrinal drift.

The true nature of the demise of the Geneva Bible would also be an interesting historical analysis. Was it driven out by political and commercial interests or superseded by a better translation? Research on this topic could provide insights into the Bible publishing and marketing practices of our time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berry, Lloyd. “Introduction” in The Geneva Bible: A facsimile of the 1560 edition. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1969.

Bible: Geneva Version 1560. Digital reproduction from Lazarus Ministry Press, 1998.

Brown, David & Noah, William. “Introduction” in 1560 Geneva New Testament with Modern Spelling. Murfreesbory, Tennessee: Avalon, 2005.

Bruce, F.F., The English Bible. Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1961.

Daniell, David. The Bible in English. Great Britain: Yale University Press, 2003.

Eason, Charles, The Genevan Bible. Dublin: Eason & Sons, 1937.

“English Bible History” online article available from http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/index.html.

Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago: Moody, 1989.

Geisler, Norman L. and Nix , Willian E. A General Introduction to the Bible, rev. ed. Chicago: Moody, 1986.

“Geneva Bible” online article available from http://www.hds.harvard.edu/library/exhibitb/1.html

“Geneva Bible” online article available from http://www.answers.com/topic/geneva-bible

Hoare, H. W., The Evolution of the English Bible. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1902,

Hunt, Dave. A Woman Rides the Beast. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1994.

Kenyon, Frederic. Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1895.

Metzger, Bruce. “The Geneva Bible of 1560” in Theology Today – Vol 17, No. 3 Oct. 1960.

There is an ancient Oak Tree, probably 1000 years old, in the town of Addlestone, county of Surry, England that once marked the boundary of Windsor Forest. It is one, perhaps the only remaining tree of a number of trees scattered throughout England called “Gospel Oaks.” This Crouch Oak, as it is called, hearkens back to a time the preaching of the Gospel message was either illegal or unpular in the churches, so the Word of God was preached in the en air. The Gospel Oak of Addlestone has a long, distinguished history of service to our Savior.

To understand what I mean, I have to take you back to the late 1300’s. In that day, it was not uncommon to speak to large crowds in the en. Likewise, in order to be heard, since there were no public address systems or bull horns, a public speaker would look for a tree with branches arranged just right so as to act as a sounding board, projecting the speaker’s voice out to the crowd.

John Wycliffe (1320-1384) was a leading professor at Oxford. They tried to silence him because of his evangelical views. When he would not be silenced, they kicked him out of Oxford. They thought that would silence him. Instead, he began to preach the Gospel anywhere he could. He stped at Addlestone and preached the Gospel to the pele in the area under this Oak Tree. Up until Wycliffe, the pele only had a Latin Bible, which they could neither read nor understand. John Wycliffe and his helpers changed all that. So, it is likely that the pele under that Addlestone Oak heard, for the first time, the message of Salvation from the new Wycliffe English translation. They heard verses like these for the first time.

“For God loved so the world, that he gave his one begotten Son, that each man that believeth in him perish not, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“For all men sinned, and have need to the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“For by grace ye be saved by faith, and this not of your; for it is the gift of God, not of works, that no man have glory.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“Jesus saith to him, I am way, truth, and life; no man cometh to the Father but by me.” John 14:6

“For the wages of sin is death; the grace of God is everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Roman 6:23

“For each man, whosoever shall inwardly call the name of the Lord, shall be safe.” Romans 10:13

(Note: The verses are taken from “Wycliffe’s New Testament: A Modern-Spelling Edition…” by Terence P. Nobel; Cyright August 2001)

Wycliffe trained laymen to share the message of the Gospel. He provided them with portions of the Bible and sermon outlines and sent them out over the English countryside to preach to the pele. Did John Wycliffe, his English Bible, and the lay preachers (called Lollards or evangelical men) have an impact on England? One historian, writing ten years after Wycliffe died wrote: “You cannot travel anywhere in England, but every two men you meet, one is a Lollard.”

Our job is to witness to other’s and trust the Lord for the results. It will accomplish that which our Lord pleases. We read in Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

John Knox (1505-1572) was a fiery Scottish Gospel preacher. For his dedication to the Word of God and preaching the Gospel French Catholic soldiers raided his headquarters, the Castle at St. Andrews, Scotland, captured him and made him a galley slave, chaining him to an oar for 19 months. After his release, he went to England for five years and Charles H. Spurgeon writes, John Knox proclaimed the Gospel under the far-spreading boughs of an ancient oak at Addlestone, in Surrey during his sojourn in England.

Knox clearly believed that Justification was by faith and not works. It is evident that he was acquainted with Galatians 2:16 which says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Knox said, “Diverse men have their diverse inions of Justification; yet they alone, in whom the Holy Spirit worketh true Faith are just before God. The substance of Justification is, to cleave fast unto God, by Jesus Christ, and not by our self, nor yet by our works.”

Years later, in the mid 1700’s another preacher made a trip to Addlestone, to preach under the tree. His name was George Whitefield (1714-1770). Once again, this man was called of God to preach the Gospel. Whitefield was one of three men used of God to bring about the Great Awakening, on both sides of the Atlantic. His en air preaching reached as many as 100,000 in one gathering. It is said that he had such a powerful voice that it could be heard one mile away. It was on one of these en air preaching missions that Whitefield preached under the Addlestone Oak to the crowd.

I can almost hear Whitefield saying, “O sinner, will you be able to stand in the day of judgment, if Christ be not your righteousness? No, that alone is the wedding garment in which you must appear. O Christless sinners, I am distressed for you! The desires of my soul are enlarged. O that this may be an accepted time! That the Lord may be your righteousness! For whither would you flee, if death should find you naked? Indeed there is no hiding yourselves from his presence. The pitiful fig-leaves of your own righteousness will not cover your nakedness, when God shall call you to stand before him. Can you bear to hear the Lord Jesus say to you, ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ But thus it must be, if Christ be not your righteousness. O that you would seek the Lord to be your righteousness! Who knows but he may be found of you? For in Jesus Christ there is neither male nor female, bond nor free; even you may be the children of God, if you believe in Jesus.” (Taken from: The Lord Our Righteousness – Sermon by George Whitefield)

That brings me to Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). He was the foremost preacher of the 19^th century. Before our modern “mega-churches”, Spurgeon’s congregation built “The Metrolitan Tabernacle” in 1861 which seated 4,700. In that same year Spurgeon preached at London’s Crystal Palace to a congregation of more than 23,000 without micrhone or any other means of amplification. He used his pularity to advance the preaching of the Gospel. Under his leadership, 200 Baptist Churches were built in outlying towns around London. Addlestone happened to be one of those towns. It was announced that Spurgeon would preach an en air sermon there and the pele gathered abound the Gospel Oak (today called by the town the Spurgeon Tree) to hear him preach the Gospel.

I don’t know what he preached that day, but I do know he preached the Gospel. He may have preached a message similar to How Can I Obtain Faith? “Remember that word of Christ, it is one of the most terrible I know of, “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” To die in a ditch, to die in a prison, to die on the gallows, none of us would desire it; but to die in your sins! O God, it is hell, it is eternal damnation. May the great Lord save you! But to perish forever will be your lot as surely as you live, except you believe in Jesus and that speedily, for soon you will be out of the reach of all hearing. Receive what God teaches…. He hath set forth Christ to be a pritiation for sin, receive him as such: since he has said, “Look unto me and be saved,” they look because God bids them look, and they are saved. To believe in Jesus is a command from God’s own mouth, and is, therefore, to be obeyed, and the more so, because ‘he that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son; and this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

I do know this, as a result of Spurgeon’s preaching, was a Baptist church started in Addleston that still stands today. The six hundred year old Oak of Addlestone faithfully served as a sounding board for the Gospel for at least three faithful Gospel preachers. May we follow the example of those Christians who have gone before us and proclaim the Gospel boldly.

Praise the Lord for all who faithfully proclaim the Gospel, whether they are preachers or parishioners. Why? First of all, it is our job! Second, where the Word of God and the Gospel are preached, and believed, the bondage of sin is broken. But where the Word and the Gospel are suppressed, there is pression, superstition, immorality, idolatry and despair. Note what our Lord said, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Since the dawn of Christianity, witnessing and preaching the Gospel has been used of God to set men free. Paul wrote, “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:15-17

May we follow the example of those Christians who have gone before us and proclaim the Gospel boldly. As Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Philippians 1:27

• The notice below appeared in the 1840 New York Observer

The Book of Jasher In the book of Joshua 10:13, it is said, Is this not written in the book of Jasher? And in 2 Samuel I. 18, 19, it is recorded, Behold it is written in the book of Jasher, the beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places; how are the mighty fallen! In Homes Introduction to the study of the Scriptures there is an account of various writings that claim to be the book of Jasher, and among the rest is one written in Rabbinical Hebrew, said to have been discovered in Jerusalem at its capture by Titus. This book has been translated into English, and has just been published in a beautiful octavo volume of 260 pages.

This volume forms what may at least be termed a literary curiosity. The translator lays no claim for this book as a work of inspiration, but as a monument of history comparatively covered with the ivy of the remotest ages; as a work possessing in its language all the characteristic simplicity of patriarchal times; and as such he conceives it peculiarly calculated to illustrate and confirm the sacred truths handed down to us in the Scriptures.

That the present work is a faithful translation of a veritable Hebrew original we cannot doubt after perusing the testimonies of such men as Professors Nordheimer, Turner, and Bush of this city, who have all examined it, and upon comparison pronounced the English version in general correct; although it will be observed that these gentlemen carefully abstain from uttering any opinion as to the authenticity of the work, or its value as auxiliary in any sense to revelation. There can be no question as to its being the same work with that mentioned by Home as printed at Venice in 1613, and from internal evidence we think it may be dated as far back as any of the kindred fictions of the Talmud, and perhaps to a period coeval with the recently Anglicized Book of Enoch, of which Prof. Stuart has given an elaborate account in the January number of the Biblical Repository. A certain value no doubt attaches to any book faithfully transmitted to us from so remote a period of the past, and if we should find in it no traces whatever of historical verity, we may still be interested or amused to see into what wild extravaganzas a. Rabbinical fancy may run, and with what ingenuity it may graft upon the majestic simplicity and brevity of the sacred narrative a luxuriant offshoot of fables, fictions, allegories, and dreams.

My purpose in writing this overview is to see if Jasher is historical and actually does coincide with the Bible as stated in the “Notes of the Press” and the “Preface.”

Here are some of the things that were said about Jasher back in 1840.

N.Y. Observer: “translator thinks a monument of history”

Albion: “in no instance contradicting the Old Testament text”

Philadelphia Spirit of the Times: It differs but little from the Bible”

In the Preface page VI — “every thing that we have in Jasher we find recorded in the Bible, with this difference, that in Jasher the occurrences of the Bible are amplified and detailed at length” M. M. Noah

Since I am not a Hebrew scholar, I cannot attest to the accuracy of the translation from Hebrew into English. Therefore, I will take the word of the experts. The Bible reference quoting Jasher in 2 Samuel 1:18 is taken from Jasher 56:9. The reference in Joshua 10:13 comes from Jasher 88:64. The book of Jasher also mentions books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and 1 Chronicles.

• Historical Information In Jasher — Jasher May Fill In Some Historical Gaps

The book of Jasher has some areas that seen likely to be historical. Other areas look as if they explain more clearly certain passages in the Bible. Here are some examples.

In Jasher 2:27-31 Lemech kills Cain and then Tubal Cain by accident. Could this explain Genesis 4:23-24 as a lament and not a boast?

Another example is Jasher 4:18 “And their judges and rulers went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their husbands according to their choice, and the sons of men in those days took of the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of the animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw the whole earth was corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals.” This may explain the statement of God in Genesis 6:5 which says, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Consider for a moment what we read in Jasher 5:8-9 “For thus saith the Lord, behold I give you a period of one hundred and twenty years; if you will turn to me and forsake your evil ways, then will I also turn away form the evil which I told you, and it shall not exist, saith the Lord. And Noah and Methuseleh spake all the words of the Lord to the sons of men, day after day, constantly speaking to them.

Jasher says, Noah and Methuseleh preach for 120 years before the flood. But there is more. In Jasher 5:15-16 Noah marries Enochs daughter. “Noah went and took a wife, and he chose Naamah the daughter of Enoch, and whe was five hundred and eighty years old. And Noah was four hundred and ninety years old, when he took Naamah for a wife.”

Could it be possible that Nimrod was Amraphel? Jasher 11:6 says, “Nimrod dwelt in Babel, and he there renewed his reign over the rest of his subjects, and he reigned securely, and the subjects and princes called his name Amraphel, saying that at the tower his princes and men fell through his means.” Genesis 14:1 & 9 identifies Amraphel as the King of Shinar.

Could Shem have been Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18)? Jasher 16:11 certainly points us in that direction. It says, “And Adonizedek King of Jerusalem, the same was Shem, whent out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech.” It is an interesting possibility to consider that Abraham and his descendants traveled back and forth to visit Shem and Eber.

In Jasher 75:1-20 we read that the children of Ephraim, son of Joseph, lose all but 10 men in a war in Gath. It certainly seems possible that this could coincide with 1 Chronicles 7:21-23.

These are some of the possible historic events listed in Jasher

Below are some other tidbits mentioned in Jasher seem historically plausible.

Jasher 6:17 there were about 700,000 men outside of the ark before the flood.

Jasher 28:26-29 Leah and Rachel were twins.

Jasher 48:42-48 70 steps (representing languages of the world) to the throne.

Jasher 49:13-18 The Angel of the Lord teaches Joseph all languages of man.

Jasher 79:43-57 Pharoah looks in Egyptian chronicles but cant find name of Jehovah. Moses tells of the Lord-God of Gods-the Creator. Pharoah declares his own godship.

• Questionable Teachings In Jasher

There problematic statements in Jasher. For example

Jasher 3:23– An angel of the Lord calls Enoch from heaven and wished to make him reign over sons of God as he had reigned over sons of men upon Earth.

Jasher 3:38 — Mentions snow before the flood. This doesnt seem possible because there wasnt any rain yet according to Genesis 2:5-6 and 7:4.

Jasher 22:46, 47 & 54 — Sounds exactly like Job 1:6-8 with Satan talking to God.

Jahser 8 Records the birth of Abram. In the account there is a star from the East seen by wise men and conjurors, which sounds similar to the birth of Christ.

Jasher 43:40-46 A wolf speaks to Jacob. Biblically the only animal that speaks is Balaams ass (Numbers 22:28-30.)

Jasher 44:62-68 This passage is bizarre. God has an 11 month old baby talk and tell of his mothers (Potiphars wife) advances toward Joseph.

Then there are the wars of Jacob and his sons Chapters 34, 35, and 37-40. And also the wars of Zepho (of Chittim) and Angeas, King of Africa (which is Dinhabah) chapters 61:23-25, 62:25-27, 63:10-35, and 64. I am putting these into the questionable category (although they could be somewhat possible) because they are not in the Bible and this overview is based biblical based evaluation of Jasher.

• Contradictions To The Bible In Jasher

There are also many contradictions to the Bible in the book of Jasher. Here are just a few

Jasher 13:5 says that Abram went to the land of Canaan at the age of 50 then back to Haran and back to Canaan at age 75, Genesis 12:4 states that Abram was 75 when he departed Haran.

Jasher 18:9 states that one of the angels tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son, but Gen. 17:16 says that God told Abraham.

Jasher 22:44-45 says the Lord got the idea of presenting Isaac as an offering from Isaacs boast to Ishmael. We know, of course, that God is sovereign and as it says in Gen. 22:1-2 & 12 that the Lord was testing Abraham.

Genesis 28:5 states that Isaac sent Jacob to Padan-aram unto Laban but Jasher 29:11 says that he fled to the house of Eber and hid there for 14 years.

Jasher 47:9 says Isaac dies, according to the chronology of Jasher, Joseph was in Egypt but in Gen. 35:29 Isaac died before Joseph had his dreams.

Simeon could not be bound in Jasher 51:37 but in Genesis. 42:24 Simeon is bound before their eyes.

• More Contradictions

Jasher 51:26-32 — The brothers tell Joseph (whom they dont recognize) that they are looking for their brother (him). Genesis 42:6-14.

Jahser 78:12-13 — Pharaoh proclaims no more straw but same amount of bricks (before Moses goes to Pharaoh.) Exodus 5:1,7-8 says it happened after Moses confronts Pharaoh.

Jasher 80:1 “and at the end of two years the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh” while Exodus 7:14-15 says, “The Lord said unto Moses get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning.

Jasher 80:2-51 lists these Plagues;

1. Waters into blood (v. 3) / Exodus 7:20

2. Frogs (v. 6) / Exodus 8:6

3. Lice (v. 10) / Exodus 8:17

4. The Lord sent all kinds of beasts into Egypt and destroyed all Egypt ( v.13) / Not in Exodus

5. Fiery serpents, scorpions, mice, weazles, toads (v. 14) / Not in Exodus

6. Flies, hornets, fleas, bugs, gnats (v. 15) / Exodus 8:24

7. All reptiles and winged animals came and grieved the Egyptians (v.16) / Not in Exodus

8. God ordered the Sulanuth from the sea, she had long arms, 10 cubits in length and she went upon the roofs and uncovered the raftering and flooring and stretched forth her arm and removed locks and bolts and opened the houses of Egypt. (v. 19-21) / Not in Exodus

9. Pestilence (v.24) / Exodus 9:3

10. Burning inflammation (v. 27) / Not in Exodus

11. Boils (v. 28) / Exodus 9:10

12. Hail and fire (v. 30-31) / Exodus 9:23

13. Locusts (v. 33) / Exodus 10:13

14. Darkness (v.36) / Exodus 10:22

15. First born killed (v. 43) / Exodus 12:29

• Wholly Unbiblical Portions of Jasher

There are also many areas that are completely unbiblical.

In Jasher 42:30-41, Rachel talks to Joseph from the grave. This is of course necromancy and is an abomination unto the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:11-12).

According to 53:18-22 Benjamin used a “map (or chart) of stars” to find Joseph. Deuteronomy 18:10 forbids this. It is an abomination to be “an observer of times” (astrologer).

Judah threatens Joseph 54:1-68 with annulations but Genesis 44:14-34 is a plea for Benjamins release.

Chapter 71 of Jasher states that Moses was 18 years old when he left Egypt. (Could this be Rabbinical tradition?) He didnt go to Midian but to Cush and becomes king (72:34-36) and is king over Cush for forty years (73:2), then he goes to Midian where Reuel puts him in prison for 10 years because Reuel thinks Moses is wanted by the Cushites. In the book of Acts (7:23-30) Stephen, inspired by the Holy Spirit, stated the Moses was in Egypt for 40 Years before going to Midian for another 40 years.

Jasher 81:3-4 claims that the Israelites sojourned in Egypt for 210 years whereas the Scripture says in Exodus 12:40-41 it was 430 years.

Jasher 81:40-41says that all but Pharaoh perished in the Red Sea. Pharaoh thanks the Lord and the Lord sends an angel who casts him upon the land of Ninevah where Pharaoh reigned for a long time. Scripture (Exodus 14:23 & 28) states that all perished.

Jasher 32:1-40 — Esau comes to harm Jacob but angels of the Lord scare Esau, v.55 Esau fears Jacob. Genesis 33:3 Jacob bows seven times to Esau.

Jasher 43:35 — Isaac went from Hebron to comfort Jacob, his son, because Joseph is dead (sold). Gen. 35:27-29 Isaac died before Joseph even dreamed his dreams.

Jasher 81:38 — “And the Waters of the sea were divided into twelve parts.” Exodus 14:22 “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.”

• From The Authors Imagination?

There are the areas that seem to come from the imagination of the writer, such as Jasher 7:24-30; This passage says the skins that God made for Adam and his wife went to Enoch after their death, then to Methuselah, then to Noah, then Ham stole them and gave them to Cush. They were then passed to Nimrod who became strong when he put on the “magic” garments. Jasher 27:1-11 says that Esau kills Nimrod and takes Adams skins.

Jasher 36:30-35 — 120 terrible animals from the wilderness came to the asses of Anan. Their shape was from the middle downward of the children of man, and from their middle upward some the likeness of bears, some keephas with tails behind them from between their shoulders reaching down to earth.

Jasher 61:15 — Zepho kills beast, half man and half animal, “from the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle downward it resembled an animal.”

Jasher 67:8-52 — Balaam, Job, and Reuel in Egypt at the same time. Reuel takes Josephs stick and returns to Midian.

Jasher 70:1-33 — At age 3 Moses puts Pharaoh’s crown on his head.

Jasher 73 — King Moses of Cush raises storks to devour serpents that guard city.

Jasher 77:26-51– Moses beholds the sapphire stick (67:41) in the garden of Reuel with the name of Lord God on stick. (Adam took stick from Eden then it came to Noah, then to Shem, then to Abraham to Isaac, Jacob took it then in Egypt and he gave it to Joseph. After Joseph died Reuel took it and planted it.)

It is obvious that “The Book Of Jasher” is certainly not inspired by the Lord. I heartily disagree with the those in the introduction of the volume that claim “they find nothing in Jasher that contradicts the Bible. Therefore, I can only conclude that while Jasher is an interesting book to read, the reader must be very discerning as to the truth of all or any of the writings in Jasher.

(If you are interested in a copy of the Book of Jasher, they are available from Dr. David Browns Antiquarian Books and Reprints. Call (414) 768-9754 or

Introduction
The Truth About St. Patrick
Authentic Information About Patrick
From Birth To Age 16
From Slavery To Salvation
His Call To Missions & Return to Ireland
Is Jesus Christ your personal Savior?

Introduction

What nationality do you think of when you hear the name O’Donahue? Irish of course. I have a good part of Irish blood running though my veins. Why? My maternal grandmother was an O’Donahue. Her parents were directly from Ireland and like more than a million others they fled starvation about the time of the Irish potato famine which began in 1845.

Now, when most Americans think of the Irish, they think of St. Patrick’s Day. Yearly, on March 17th many people wear green, particularly green shamrocks, think of leprechauns with pots of gold at the end of a rainbow, drink green beer, smile at the thought of the old Irish saint chasing the snakes out of the emerald Isle and then the Catholics go to a special mass in St. Patrick’s honor.

The Truth About St. Patrick

But, there’s a BIG problem with all of this. None of it’s true, except it is perhaps true that the one called Patrick (actually Patricus) died on March 17th sometime between 465 and 493 A.D.(the year is disputed). Actually his real name was Maewyn Succat. It is believe that he took the Latin name Patricius (Patrick) when he began his missionary work. He was not Irish but was a “free born” son of an area Roman-British decurio. A decurio was an area magistrate, a nobleman who was the leader of ten others, such as the head of a municipal council. Further, Maewyn (we’ll call him Patrick from here on out), would have had nothing to do with leprechan’s. These fairies have their origins in the bloody occult religion of the Druids, whom Patrick preached against. As for green beer, that is a the modern invention of perverse capitalists looking for a “pot of gold” in the pockets of the drunkards they serve. Oh, I must not forget. There were never any snakes or other reptiles in Ireland, just as their were never any kangaroos in America (until they were imported).

Let me see. What have I missed? Oh yes. Green…shamrocks. To be sure, Ireland is the “Emerald Isle” because of its green pastureland. Legend has it that Patrick illustrated the truth of the Holy Trinity by using the three leaf green clover. While there is clear evidence that Patrick did believe in and teach the Trinity, there is no clear evidence that he used the green three-leafed clover to illustrate that Bible truth. Oh yes, there is one more thing. Indeed, perhaps the most important thing of all. Patrick was NOT a Catholic! Here is how Thomas Cahill puts it in his wonderful book “How The Irish Saved Civilization” — “Patrick’s gift to the Irish was his Christianity — the first de-Romanized Christianity in human history, a Christianity without the sociopolitical baggage of the Greco-Roman world… Ireland is unique in religious history for being the only land into which Christianity was introduced without bloodshed.” Cahill is nearly correct, with one exception. To be sure, Patrick was not a Catholic. They claimed him later and made him over in their own image. His name is nowhere to be found in Catholic writing until almost two centuries after he had died. But, the first de-Romanized Christianity in human history was the Christianity of the Apostles and the Apostle Paul which is recorded in the New Testament and which was spread throughout the known world for the first 150 or so years after the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. What missionary Patrick preached to the Irish pagans was the Biblical Christianity of the New Testament. He taught salvation by grace through faith in Christ, not a the spurious works oriented version of salvation propagated by the Roman Church. He taught believers baptism. But, I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the beginning.

Authentic Information About Patrick

Part of the problem you encounter in doing research about Patrick is that there is very little authentic information available. It is almost as difficult as doing research on Nicholas of Myra, dubbed by Catholics as St. Nicholas. This preacher of Asia Minor has been mythologically transformed into today’s Santa Claus.

Concerning authentic information relating to Patrick, we have two authentic documents. The first is his Epistle to the Irish more commonly called The Confession of Patrick which begins, I Patrick, a sinner…” It is his testimony, written later in his life, about his life, his salvation, his beliefs, call to missionary service and a brief accounting of his missionary trials and triumphs. The second authentic document we have is his Letter to Coroticus which is an open letter to British Christians under the rule of cruel king Coroticus. There is one hymn that could have originally been authored by Patrick, but most historians believe there have been measurable additions and changes throughout the years. It is called The Loric or Hymn of Patrick which is also known as The Brestplate (or Shield) of St. Patrick and The Deer’s Cry.

From Birth To Age 16

Patrick was born some time between 385 and 415 A.D. No one knows for sure. But he was a Roman Brit. His father Calpurnius was a civil magistrate, a tax collector as well as a deacon in their local church. His mother’s name was Conchessa. His grandfather, Potitus, was a presbyter, or a pastor. He lived in England during a very turbulent time. For 470 years, the Roman legions had held off the foreign barbarians from pillaging the English countryside. When the last legion sailed from Britain in 400 A.D., immediately Irish warlords and others raided the once peaceful coastal towns. These roving bands of pirates looted, pillaged, raped and captured huge numbers of slaves to sell to the highest bidder back in their homeland.

When Patrick was about 16 years of age a fleet of 50 currachs (longboats) weaved their way toward the shore, where the young Roman Birt and his family lived. “The warriors quickly demolished the village, and as Patricius darted among the burning houses and screaming women, he was caught.”¹ We learn more by reading Patrick’s Confession which says, “I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people, and deservedly so, because we turned away from God, and did not keep His commandments, and did not obey our pastors, who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought over us the wrath of his anger and scattered us among the nations…” Patrick was sold as a slave to Miliucc, a Druid tribal chieftain and put to work herding pigs and or sheep. He lived like an animal himself, with the animals day and night, often in hunger and thirst. He felt helpless and hopeless. He went from an nobleman’s son with all the privileges to a swine herding slave overnight.

From Slavery To Salvation

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Patrick had ignored the Lord up to this point in his life. But things were different now, very different. He began to remember some things that his preacher grandfather had told him. The despair of slavery and the solitude of his occupation compelled him to remember his Christian upbringing and his need of the Lord. He writes in his confession, “I was about sixteen but did not know the true God, but in a strange land, the Lord opened my unbelieving eyes, and I was converted.”² Patrick came to know Christ as his personal Savior and was freed from his slavery to sin. Patrick grew in the Lord. “His devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ brought upon him a nickname, ‘Holy-Boy” from his fellow slaves. Through the years, he learned to pray whether he was working or resting.”³ It is evident by his own testimony he learned to practice 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says, Pray without ceasing. He says this in his Confession: “After I came to Ireland, every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed. The Love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; I used to get up and pray before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me…because the spirit within me was then fervent.”

Patrick remained a slave to Miliucc for six years. Then, one night, when he was 22 years old he testifies, “I head a voice while I was sleeping say, ‘…soon you will go to your own country. See, your ship is ready.” That night he fled. Assured God was leading him, he plunged through the bogs and scaled the mountains that separated him from the sea. In his confession he says he traveled, “perhaps 200 miles.” He goes on, “I went in the strength of God who directed my way to my good, and I feared nothing until I came to that ship.” It is obvious that Patrick believed the truth of Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

At first, the sailors would not allow him to come on the ship, but as he turned to walk to the hut where he was staying he began to pray. He says, “before I had ended my prayer, I heard one of them shouting behind me, ‘come, hurry, we shall take you on in good faith; make friends with us in whatever way you like.’ And so on that day I…hoped they would come to the faith of Jesus Christ because they were pagans.”

Three days later they landed on the coast of Gaul (today called France) but found only devastation. “Goths or Vandals had so decimated the land that no food was to be found in this once furtile area.”⁴ For almost a month they walked searching for food until hunger overcame them. The pagan captain, who had mocked Patrick’s faith finally came to him and said, “You say your God is great and all-powerful? Then pray for us. We are all starving to death, and we may not survive to see another soul.”

Patrick responded, “Be converted from your faith to the Lord my God, to Whom nothing is impossible, that He may send you food in you way, even until you are satisfied; because everywhere there is abundance with Him.”⁵ Patrick believed the truth of Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. Patrick writes in his Confession, “With the help of God, so it came to pass: suddenly a herd of pigs appeared on the road before our eyes, and they killed many of them.” God indeed had provided. After quite some time, Patrick made it back to Britain and his family. He was home at last – free.

His Call To Missions & Return to Ireland

Look at Acts 16:9. This is a passage of scripture that is referred to as Paul’s Macedonian Call. — And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Well, Patrick received his Ireland Call in a similar fashion. Victoricus urged in his dream, “We beseech thee, holy youth, come and live among us once more.”

The Lord made it clear to Patrick that he was calling him back to Ireland to preach the Gospel. The problem was that his family did not want him to go. It was well known that escaped slaves were woven into giant wicker baskets, suspended over fires, and roasted alive in sacrifice to the Druids gods. But Patrick was called of God and in began his missionary work about 430 A.D. He preached the Gospel in Ireland for about 30 years. Cahill says, “Patrick was really a first – the first missionary to barbarians beyond the reach of Roman law.”⁶ One source says, “he planted over 200 churches and had over 100,000 truly saved converts.”⁷ Patrick writes in his confession, “I am greatly a debtor to God, who has bestowed his grace so largely upon me, that multitudes were born again to God through me…Hence, the Irish, who had never had the knowledge of God and worshipped only idols and unclean things, have lately become the people of the Lord, and are called the sons of God.”

Patrick loved the Lord and urged his converts to follow the Great Commission. He wrote – “As the Lord in the Gospel states, exhorts and teaches, saying: Going therefore now, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days ever to the consummation of the world.”

While the Roman empire and occupied lands were going from peace to chaos, the land of Ireland was going from chaos to peace under the ministry of Patrick. Under his ministry, “the Irish slave trade came to a halt, and other forms of violence, such as murder and intertribal warfare, deceased.”⁸

God mightily used Patrick and Patrick gave God the glory. In his confession he states, “I give unwearied thanks to God, who kept me faithful in the days of my temptations, so that today I can confidently offer Him my soul as a living sacrifice – to Christ my Lord, who saved me out of all my troubles.”

Patrick, the missionary to Ireland, was not a Catholic. He was a born-again, blood bought believer who loved the Lord Jesus Christ and preached His Word. He stepped into the presence of the Lord he loved and served on March 17th sometime between 465 and 493 A.D. (the year is disputed).

Is Jesus Christ your personal Savior?

If he is not, read the Bible passages below and call upon Christ to be your personal Savior right now. Patrick did that when he was 16 years old. You can do it today!

• WHO IS GOOD?
  Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
    
• WHO HAS SINNED?
  Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
    
• WHERE SIN CAME FROM?
  Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
    
• GOD’S PRICE ON SIN?
  Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
    
• WHO PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS?
  Romans 5:8 But God commendeth (proved) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    
• HOW CAN I BE SAVED?
  Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shalt not be ashamed.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

• Why not call upon the Lord right now and ask him to Save you from your sins.
  Pray something like this

 Dear Lord Jesus,

I confess that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that you, Lord Jesus Christ, died for my sins and rose again from the dead. I now trust only in you Christ to save me from my sins and take me to Heaven. Come into my life, forgive my sins and save my soul. Thank you for hearing my prayer. AMEN 

End Notes

1. Christian History Magazine; Issue 60; Patrick The Saint; p.10
2. Patrick of Ireland: The Untold Story; by Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.
3. Ibid.
4. Christian History Magazine; Issue 60; Patrick The Saint; p.12
5. The Real Saint Patrick by H. A. Ironside; FBC Press, Corona, NY; p.11
6. How The Irish Saved Civilization; by Thomas Cahill; Doubleday; p.108
7. Patrick of Ireland: The Untold Story; by Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.
8. How The Irish Saved Civilization; by Thomas Cahill; Doubleday; p.110

(Born about 70 A.D. – Martyred about 168 A.D.)

Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.

I have an old book in my study that says on its spine “Wake’s Epistles.” It was printed in 1710. This book contains some of the history and letters of the post-Apostolic preachers and accounts to their suffering and martyrdom. On page 52 there is a chapter on the martyrdom of Polycarp, pastor of the Church of Smyrna. Briefly, let me share with you the story of his life and his death.

Polycarp was born abound 70 A.D. He was sold as a slave in his childhood to a wealthy woman named Calisto. She reared him as her son. He came to know Christ as his Savior in those early years. As he grew older, he had the opportunity to study under the Apostle John and others who had personally sat under the teaching of Jesus Christ. Polycarp was actively involved in serving the Lord in the Church of Smyrna. Upon the death of Calisto, he became heir to all of her estate. He used his inheritance to advance the cause of Christ and to help those who were in need. When the of his church, Pastor Bucolos, died the Apostles and particularly the Apostle John appointed Polycarp to be the Pastor of the Church of Smyrna. Polycarp faithfully ministered in that church for many years.

Persecution of Christians was the order of the day when Marcus Aurelius was the Emporer of Rome (161-180). For many years Polycarp was spared. But, the full forced of persecution was unleashed on Polycarp in the later years of his ministry. Three days before he was arrested the Lord revealed to him in a dream that he would be burned at the stake. When the soldiers came to get him, his friends insisted on hiding him. Polycarp made it clear that in the future, he would not all himself to be hidden. Soon the soldiers discovered where he had been taken. When he saw them coming, he went out and greeted them warmly and offered them food. As they were eating, he requested that he be allowed to pray before they took him away. His request was granted. For two hours he prayed fervently out loud and my book says, “inasmuch that many of the soldiers began to repent, that they were come out against so godly an old man.”

When he was done praying they set him on a donkey and took him into the city to be tried as one who was an adversary of the authorized pagan religion. When he arrived, they sat him in a chariot and began to urge him to say the Caesar was God and offer a sacrifice to him. They said, there is no harm in that is there? At first he refused to answer. Finally, after they continued to press him Polycarp said, “I shall not do what you would persuade me to.”

This made his judges very angry. They had confidently supposed that they would be able to easily persuade him to do what they wanted him to do. They became vicious in their words and actions. They literally threw him out of the chariot he had been sitting in, which cause serious injury to his thigh. This display of force incited the blood thirsty mob to the point that they were so loud in their curses and jeers that no one could hear. As they were dragging Polycarp to the place of execution, a voice rang out from Heaven loud and clear, above the harangue of the crowd which said, “Be strong, Polycarp, and quit thyself like a man.” [The phrase “quit you” means, to carry through, or perform to the end. Hence, be strong and stand like a man to the end.] The record states that while no one saw who it was that spoke to Polycarp, many of the believers who were in the crowd clearly heard the voice also.

To be sure, Polycarp stood for the Lord Jesus Christ to the end, despite all the efforts to persuade him to renounce Christ. One of the judges tried to get him to deny his faith by saying, “Reverence thy old age…Swear by Casear’s Fortune. Repent, and say; Take away the Wicked.” The historian goes on to say, “Polycarp, looking with a stern countenance upon the whole multitude of wicked Gentiles, that was gathered together in the Lifts, and shaking his hand at them, looked up to Heaven, and groaning said, Take away the Wicked.” But the judge was not satisfied with this. He said, “Sware, and I will set thee at liberty; reproach Christ.”

It is at this point that Polycarp gives his famous response —

“Eighty and six years have I now served Christ, and he has never done me the least wrong: How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

The judge then angrily urges him to, “swear by the Genius of Caesar.” Polycarp refuses, but offered to share his faith in Christ. The judge rejected the offer and threatened, “I have wild beasts ready, to those I will cast thee except thou repent.” Polycarp responds calmly, “Call for them then: For we Christians are fixed in our minds not to change from good to evil; But for me it will be good to be changed from Evil, to Good.” The furious judge said, “Seeing that thou dispiseth the Wild Beasts, I will cause thee to be devoured by Fire, unless thou shall repent.” Polycarp answered, “Thou threatenest me with Fire which burns for an hour, and so is extinguished; but knowest not the Fire of the Future Judgment, and of that Eternal Punishment, which is reserved for the Ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt!”

The judge loudly cried out three times, “Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian.” The mob responded in fury, “This is the Doctor of Asia; The Father of the Christians; an the overthrower of our Gods. He that has taught so many not to sacrifice, nor pay any worship to the Gods.” At first they cried out that the lions should be loosed on him and then that he should be burned alive.

They took Polycarp to the stake and were going to nail him there. He spoke up and said, “Let me alone as I am: For he who has given me strength to endure the Fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to stand without moving in the pile.” The merely tied him to the stake.

He prayed this prayer before the fire was was kindled —

Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy Well-beloved, and Blessed Son, Jesus Christ, by whom we have received Knowledge of thee; the God of Angels and Powers, and of every Creature, and especially the whole Race of Just Men who live in thy presence! I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast vouchsafed (allowed) to bring me to this Day, and to this Hour; that I should have a part in the Number of thy Martyrs, in the Cup of thy Christ, to the Resurrection of Eternal Life, both of Soul and Body, in the Incorruption of the Holy Ghost. Among which may I be accepted this Day before thee, as a fat and acceptable Sacrifice; as thou the true God, with who is no falsehood, has both before ordained, and manifested unto me, and also hath now fulfilled it. For this, and for all things else, I praise thee, I bless thee, I glorify thee by the Eternal, and Heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ they Beloved Son; whit whom to Thee and the Holy Ghost, be Glory both now, and to all succeeding Ages, AMEN.

Upon the “AMEN” the executioner lighted the fire, but something strange happened. The flames arched around Polycarp like a sail of a ship filled with wind and he would not burn. After some time, the command was given to the executioner to stab him with a sword, so he did. The result was that so much blood flowed from the wound that it extinguished the fire. The fire was rekindled and Polycarps body was burned to ashes. Polycarp was faithful to the Lord unto death. And it is interesting to note that the congregation of the Church of Smyrna believed that the Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned Revelation 2:8-10 with their pastor, Polycarp, prophetically in mind. Revelation 2:8-10 says, And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works, and tribulation…, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. John wrote Revelation in about 96 A.D. and Polycarp was martyred in about 168 A.D.

[Note: The Graphic of Polycarp is from Holy Transfiguration Monastery]

Compiled & Edited David L. Brown, Ph.D.

In the library at Prague there is displayed a triad of medallions dated 1572. The first contains the figure of Wycliffe striking sparks from a stone, the second Huss kindling a fire from the sparks, the third Luther holding high a flaming torch. The medallions tell in symbolic form the story of the Reformation as it began, continued, and crystallized under the touch of an Englishman, a Bohemian, and a German.

Like Luther, John Huss was born into a peasant family. His surname means Goose. John often employed it, and gradually his friends took it up. He enrolled at the University of Prague, where in 1393 he was given the degree of Bachelor of Arts, the next year Bachelor of Divinity, two years later Master of Arts.

The Roman Catholic Church ordained him a priest. He taught at the university and preached on Sundays. Eventually, he became rector of the Bethlehem Chapel. Embracing Wycliffes tenets, he proceeded to propound them with all boldness both orally and in the form of written articles. The university authorities, fearful of the consequences, forbade him to teach evangelical doctrines and placed his articles under ban.

The archbishop of the see of Prague, one Zbynek Zajic of Hazmburk, at first showed a friendly regard for Huss. In 1405, Pope Innocent VII sent word to Zbynek to stop the propagation of the Huss teachings. The prelates attitude underwent a sharp change. He turned against Huss, and renewed the public condemnation of his writings.

A crisis developed in the university. Two thousand Bavarian, Saxon, and Polish professors and students left, reducing the student body to five hundred. Immediately the authorities, recognizing the unusual ability of Huss, promoted him to the office of university rector.

He was now a controversial figure. Swarms of people filled the Bethlehem chapel whenever he preached. He grew more and more vocal in his attacks on clerical abuses, and openly questioned the Catholic doctrine of the Mass.

Zbynek ordered his writings burned. Two hundred of his manuscripts on non-theological subjects, such as philosophy and logic, were seized and thrown into the fire. The archbishop placed the city of Prague under interdict.

Events began to move rapidly. Zbynek died under mysterious circumstances. Rumors suggested he was murdered. John Stokes, an Englishman, succeeded him. A sworn foe of all that Wycliffe and Huss stood for, he determined to quench the flames Huss was fanning throughout Bohemia.

Then the papacy opened a sale of indulgences in Prague. Huss, supported by his friend Jerome of Prague, denounced the practices with blazing indignation. Three of his sympathizers were killed for protesting. The pope accused Huss of heresy, and commanded his arrest. Even though popular sentiment favored Huss, he had to flee from Prague and live in the country, a virtual exile.

In exile, he published his most notable work, De ecclesia, (Concerning the Church). In it he challenged the authority of the pope and cardinals. They were not the Church, he said. The Church had once existed without them. The foundation of the Church was Christ, not Peter. Significantly, he took the same position on this that Augustine had in his Retractions.

A general council was called to convene at Constance, Switzerland. The pope summoned Huss to appear. His friends warned him that he was likely walking into a trap. But, Emperor Sigismund promised him safe conduct to and from the council. Taking the Emperor at his word, Huss got on his “strong and high spirited” horse Rabstyn and headed for Constance arriving in November of 1414.

Within a month he was arrested and cast into a dungeon in the Dominican convent. The Church authorities changed his prison twice prior to his trial the next summer. First violent illness, then starvation, almost rendered the trial unnecessary.

The preliminary hearing turned out to be a dreadful fiasco. Whenever Huss would attempt to answer the charges of heresy or explain his position, wild shouts would go up, “Down with your sophistries (false reasoning). Say, Yes or No!” At the trial proper he was confronted with his written pronouncements questioning the authority of popes and cardinals, with demands that he repudiate them. He replied that he would do so only if the statements could be proven to be false to Scripture. “You are an obstinate heretic,” his judges told him.

His accusers then said, “We take from you the cup of redemption.” Huss replied, “I trust in the Lord God Almightythat He will not take away from me the cup of His redemption, but I firmly hope to drink of it today in His kingdom.”

On July 6, he was conducted to the city cathedral. After they had celebrated the Mass, the ecclesiastical leaders had him led into the church and seated on a high stool. The sentence was read: “The holy council, having God only before its eye, condemns John Huss to have been and to be a true, real and open heretic, the disciple not of Christ, but of John Wycliffe.” Without one dissenting vote, he was remanded to the civil authorities for execution. Six bishops stripped him of his vestments, crushed on his head a cap covered with pictures of the devil, and committed his soul to the devil.

At this point, I will share the account published in The Massachusetts Spy and Worcester County Advertiser Wednesday, September 27, 1826.

The procession moved on Huss, absorbed in pious meditation, was only awake to joyful hope; and the momentary weakness which had come over him in the church, had given place to the most calm and settled fortitude. Arriving at the gate of the Episcopal palace, he saw a pile of wood, and believed that he was already at the place of execution. He was soon undeceived, for the wood being fired, he saw his writings brought forward, and successively thrown into the flames. A smile played on his features, which he tried but in fain to smother while he witnessed this vain experiment, and turning to the crowd with the utmost composure, he declared that his writings were consumed, not for the errors which they contained, but to gratify the ignoble rage of his adversaries.

The sun shown bright, but a shower of rain had fallen, and within the circle to which Huss was admitted to view the destruction of his books; he saw a large earthworm in this path. He stepped a little aside to avoid treading on it. One of his guards, who observed this place his foot on the reptile with an air of bravado.

“I would call the worm my brother,” said the martyr! “and truly we are brothers in misfortune, for we perish by the same cruelty.”

He now approached the large area, which had been cleared from the crowd, who still anxiously pressed forward wherever the vigilance of the guards was relaxed. I was opposite the gate of Gottlebian, and between the gates and gardens of the suburbs. In the center he saw an accumulation of faggots, amidst which a strong post was erected. Several men were employed in carrying more wood in the open space, and four large bundles of straw were placed inside the faggots. A man of ferocious aspect stood near the post about which the faggots were being piled. He was engaged in disentangling the coils of a rope, which had been recently immersed in water, and tow or three chains were laid across a bench, with he appearance of careful arrangement. Huss had no difficulty in recognizing the man, his executioner; and in the place to which he had now been conducted, the spot on which he was to die.

Though the unfortunate Huss was surrounded by being who had wrought themselves up to suppose that the torture and death of a virtuous man would be an acceptable spectacle to a God of mercy, there were many among the crowd, whose piety fell far short of that zeal which could contemplate the meditated sacrificed without shuddering horror. These now made their voices heard, remarking, that in whatever way the sufferer had before offended, he prayed most devoutly, and some wished he might be indulged with a confessor. But a priest who had been present at the council, called out, on perceiving the impression, which the martyrs words had mane, that being a convicted heretic, those entrusted with the punishment of his offences ought not to suffer him to be heard. At the same time, he declared that no confessor could be allowed to approach one so accused, cut off from, and already dead to, the church.

The executioner then took from his person a white coat, in honor of his anticipated deliverance. A frock, prepared with pitch and tar, was brought to him, and wearing this, he was conducted to the stake when a partial murmur ran through those who had been admitted within the guarded space. Huss started. An idea crossed his mind that possibly Sigismund had relented; but this was immediately dismissed; when the priest, who had before spoken to reprove the cries of the crowd, advanced to give expression to the feeling which had just manifested itself.

Huss was first tied round the middle with cords. A chain was passed over these, and chains were fastened to his left leg and his neck. Thus securely bound to the stake, the faggots provided for the occasion were piled to the chin; straw was placed beneath and between them where it was thought likely most effectually to contribute to the fierceness of the blaze.

A moment of awful expectation followed. The executioner approached with a lighted torch; when the Duke of Bavaria rode up to Huss, and loudly called to him, demanding that he should now renounce his errors; at the same time reminding him that in a few moments it would be out of his power to do so.

“I thought the danger already passed” he replied; “but happily, I am nothing tempted to gainsay what I have advanced. I have taught the truth, and am now ready to seal it with my blood. Ultimately it shall prevail, though I may not see it. This day you kindle the flames of persecution about a poor and worthless sinner; but the spirit which animates me, shall, phoenix-like, ascend from my ashes, soar majestically on high through many succeeding ages, and prove to all the Christian world, how vain this persecution, how impotent your rage.”

The martyr turned as far as his bands would admit, and looked towards the executioner, who now approached to kindle the fire. His movements caused some of the outer faggots to fall. Upon this, the flaming torch was laid down, till the wood could be replaced. The Bohemian saw the torch resumed, and in the same instant he heard the crackling of the lighted straw. The rapidly extending blaze spread round the pile; while, seizing the last moments that remained to him on earth, Huss was heard to sing out in prayer, “Christ, Thou Son of the living God, have mercy on me.” He was proceeding, when the rising flames seized his beard, eyes and eyebrows, and an involuntary start threw the cap from his head. His voice was again heard above the roaring of the volume of fire, which now burst from the top of the pile behind the stake. Utterance failed him; but his uplifted eyes evinced (showed), in that awful moment, that his heart was still awake to devotion, though his tongue was mute forever. His face became violently distorted, and bowing down his head he was seen to expire. Enough wood hand not been provided, and the fire failed before the mortal remains of the martyr were more than half consumed. His clothes had been thrown on the pile in aid of the faggots; but all was insufficient, and a new supply of wood was necessary. The burning being completed, carried away in a cart, and thrown into a neighboring river, that the admirers of the Bohemian might possess nothing to recall the memory of their martyr.

The council had stated that it had done nothing more pleasing to God than to punish the Bohemian heretic. Huss was judged an heretic because he believed in the authority of the Bible above the pope and Canon Law. He believed that Salvation from sin was by Grace through Faith in Christ Jesus alone. The council never dreamed that the fire it lighted under Huss in Constance that day would burst into a mighty conflagration that was to sweep inexorably over the whole world with the true Gospel of Christ.

Resources used in this article: 

1684 Foxes Book of Martyrs; 
Dr. David Otis Fullers brief biography on Huss; 
Christian History – Issue 68 on Jan Hus; 
The Massachusetts Spy and Worcester County Advertiser Wednesday, September 27, 1826

From The Story of Liberty By Charles Carleton Coffin

PROFESSOR FAULFASH OF BOHEMIA, a young man who had studied at Hiedleberg, Cologne and Paris, came to England with Princess Anne, the daughter of the King of Bohemia, when she became the wife of the Prince of Wales, Richard II.

There Faulfash listens with great pleasure to Doctor John Wicklif, an eloquent young preacher, and, when he goes back to Bohemia, carries with him some of the books which Doctor Wicklif has written.

Faulfash is a lecturer at the University at Prague. He wants a reformation in the Church. He preaches that all men and women, priests and bishops – all must lead pure lives. He believes that men and women should confess their sins to God, and not to a priest; that forgiveness for sin means something more than kneeling before a confessor’s box, and having a few drops of holy-water sprinkled on the head, from a sponge tied upon the end of a rod, in the hands of the priest. He does not believe that sins can be forgiven, nor that blessings can be conferred by any such mummery.

The priests denounce his preaching as blasphemous. “Professor Faulfash is a heretic,” they say.

It is one word – more terrible than all others – but the professor is not disturbed by it. Instead of becoming silent, he grows more bold.

One of the priests who cry out against him is the queen’s confessor, a man – John Huss – who undertakes to prove that such doctrines are heretical. He does not succeed very well, for as he studies the question he discovers that the monks and friars are leading shameful lives. More than that, he begins to read Doctor Wicklif’s books and the more he reads, the more he sees that professor Faulfash and Doctor Wicklif are in the right, and himself, the monks and friars, the bishop and the Pope, in the wrong. He sees that the people ought to be permitted to read the Bible. He preaches as he thinks. He is eloquent, learned, sincere, and earnest, and people flock in crowds to hear him. The monks and the friars hasten to Archbishop Sbinco with a woeful story – that the queen’s confessor is a heretic.

The archbishop determines that the young priest, although he is confessor to the empress, shall be disciplined; but the king protects him, and appoints him elector of the University of Prague.

The archbishop, in great wrath at being thus interfered with, sends word to the Pope at Rome, for these are the days when the church has two heads – one at Rome, one at Avignon.

It is not easy to stop John Huss, however, for the king is his friend, and cares not for priest or Pope. The archbishop contents himself with gathering up all the books of Doctor Wicklif that he can lay his hands upon which have been translated into the Bohemian language – all that Professor Faulfash and John Huss have written – and burning them. If the books are burned, that will stop the spread of heresy, the archbishop imagines.

Sigismund is the Emperor of Germany. He wants a council of the cardinals and other prelates of the church called to see if the church cannot be united under one Pope. The two heads are tearing each other fearfully.

The popes have stirred up wars, and armies are marching, and battles are fought, for no one knows what. The Emperor of Germany desires a settlement of the troubles, and through his influence a great council of assemblies in the old city of Constance, in Switzerland, where all questions of dispute are to be discussed.

During these months while the council is in session, one man who came to attend it, instead of taking part in the deliberations, is in prison – John Huss. He came of his own free-will – Because the emperor wished him to attend. He might have stayed away, but the emperor sent him a paper promising him protection – that he should be at liberty to come and go without molestation – that no harm should come to him while in Constance, and yet he is in prison. How happened it, when he had the emperor’s promise written out on a parchment?

Because the Pope claims to be superior to the emperor. “He has the right of deposing emperors.” If he has the right of deposing emperors, then he has the right to disregard the promise the emperor made to John Huss. No faith is to be kept with heretics. So finding John Huss in their power, the Pope and the cardinals have thrust him into a dungeon, and now he is to pay the penalty for being a heretic.

It is July 6th, 1415. All Constance is astir. The people from the country flock into the town, for the heretic is to be roasted to death, and they must be early on the ground to see the procession which will escort the fellow from the prison to the cathedral. It comes, the cross-bearer at the head, carrying the gilded crucifix. Then comes the Bishop of Riga in his gorgeous robes; then a company of soldiers armed with swords and lances, guarding the heretic, so that he shall not escape. The streets are thronged with people. The women look down from the quaint old windows to catch a glimpse of the wicked man as they suppose him to be.

It is not to the emperor that all the eyes are turned today, but to John Huss who ascends the platform, and mounts a table, where all can see him. He does not return the gaze, kneels, and clasps his hand and looks up to Heaven. Turning to the emperor, the bishop thus addresses him:

“It will be a just act, and it is the duty of your Imperial Majesty, most invincible Emperor, to execute this stiff-necked heretic, since he is in our hands, and thus shall your Majesty attain an immortal name, with old and young as long as the world shall stand, for performing a deed so glorious and so pleasing to God.”

Then the bishop reads the charge against Huss.

“You have disobeyed the archbishop of Prague. You teach that there is a holy catholic church other than that of which the Pope is the head – a community of all the faithful ordained of God to eternal life which heretical.”

“I do not doubt,” Huss replies, “that there is a holy Christian church which is a community of the elect, both in this world in the other world.”

“Hold your tongue! After we get through, you may answer,” says Cardinal Von Cammerach.

“I shall not remember all the charges.”

“Silence!” The Archbishop of Florence shouts.

John Huss drops upon his knees, and lifts his hands toward Heaven. If they will not hear him there is one who will. “O God I commend my cause to thee.” The reading goes on.

“He has taught that after the words of consecration have been pronounced over the bread it is still natural bread, which is heretical.”

“I have not so preached.”

“Silence, heretic!”

“He has taught that a priest polluted with deadly sins cannot administer the sacrament of the alter, which is heretical.”

“I still say that every act of a priest laden with deadly sins is a abomination in the sight of God.”

Ah! that is a home thrust. Bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and priests, who are living with women to whom they have not been married, never will forgive the heretic for saying that.

The last charge is read: “He has contemned the Pope’s excommunication.”

“I have not. I appealed to him – sent messengers to plead my cause before him, who were thrown into prison. I came to this council of my own free will, with a guarantee of safe conduct from the emperor.”

John Huss turns toward Sigismund, and gazes calmly and steadily upon him. “I came in full confidence that no violence should be done to me, that I might prove my innocence.”

The Emperor grows red in the face, for he knows that John Huss came of his own free-will. He knows that the safe conduct which he gave has been taken away from him. He knows that ten thousand swords would leap from their scabbards, and a thousand spears would gleam in the sunlight in Bohemia, to protect the man who is gazing so calmly in his face. With shame and confusion he sits there with eyes downcast eyes. Everybody can see the reddening in his cheeks. Huss has had no trial; but an old bishop stands up to read his sentence. He is to be burned to death.

They place a paper cap on his head – a mock crown – with figures of devils upon it, and this inscription: “THIS IS A HERETIC.”

“Give him over to the beadle.” The emperor speaks the words, which one day will come back to trouble him. Sooner or later retribution follows crime. It may not be today or tomorrow, but it will come; and this emperor, the greatest potentate in Europe, will see his empire drenched in blood, towns and cities in flames, and the land a desolation, for uttering those words.

Out from the hall moves the procession once more. Out through the door stream the people. A fire is burning in the street, and the priests are heaping upon it books written by Huss and Doctor Wicklif.

Huss smiles when he sees the parchment volumes curling in the flames. They can burn books, but truth and liberty will still live. He walks with firm and steady steps. None of all the thousands around are so happy as he. The bishops are astonished.

“He goes as if on his way to a banquet,” says Bishop Silvius.

Through the streets, where the people throng the sidewalks and look down from the windows of the loft buildings, moves the procession – out to the place where he is to be burned. What is Huss saying?

“I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.” It is the thirtieth Psalm. They can burn his body, but what of that? His body is not him.

“Do not believe,” he says to the people, “that I have taught anything but the truth.”

No trembling of the lips – no whitening of his cheeks. He is going to testify to the truth. Why should he fear? Truth and liberty are eternal, and will live when emperor and pope have passed away. Truth makes men free, and it will be glorious to die for freedom. The fagots are piled around him – bundles of dry sticks. The executioner stands with his torch.

“Renounce your error,” shouts the Duke of Bavaria.

“I have taught no error. The truths I have I taught will seal with my blood.”

“Burn him.”

The executioner holds his torch to the fagots. What is it that the people hear coming from that sheet of flame?

“Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

It is the song which the angels sung above the pastures of above the pastures of Bethlehem. And this:

“We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory.” It is Gloria in Excelsis.

The smoke blinds him, the flames are circling above his head. Yet the voice goes on:

“Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on me.”

The flames wrap him round, his head falls on his breast. The fire does its work, and a heap of ashes is all that remains. The executioner gathers them up, and casts them into the river. The winds and waves bear them away. The particles sink to the bottom or are wafted on to the great falls at Schaffhausen, where the water foams over the granite ledges, and from thence are borne down the Rhine to the sea, as Wicklif’s dust was borne on the current of the Avon and Severn to the ocean.

The priests and bishops and Pope have got rid of John Huss. Have they? By no means. It is only the beginning of their troubles with him, for the people of Bohemia resent his death. It is the beginning of a terrible war, which lasts many years, and drenches the land with blood.

The cardinals and archbishops do not forget that the man whom they have burned through reading Doctor Wicklif’s books. The doctor has been dead a long while, so they cannot burn him, but it will be some satisfaction to let the world know what they would do to the doctor if he were only in the flesh, and they issue an order to dig up the bones and burn them.

Though the monks have burned John Huss and the bones of Doctor Wicklif, they have not put a stop to their preaching. Do words spoken in behalf of truth, justice, and liberty ever die?

Editor’s Note To The Readers: This text taken from pages 301 to 306 The Second Volume of the Ecclesiastical History: Containing the Acts and Monuments of Martyrs: With A General Discourse of the later Persecutions, horrible Troubles and Tumults, stirred up by Romish Prelates In The Church. With Diverse other Things incident to the Realm of England and Scotland. There are a variety of spellings of Tindal’s name in the different editions of Foxe. For instance, in the 1641 edition the spelling is Tyndall. In the 1684 edition, from which my text comes, the name is spelled Tindal. I have chosen to spell his name Tindal, in keeping with the 1684 text that is the basis of this booklet. You will notice that there are capital letters used where no capital letters would normally be used in our day. I have followed the 1684 text in the use of capital letters. I should also mention that I have not used apostrophes as they would normally be used. For instance, we would say, “…being now further ripened in the knowledge of God’s Word.” Yet, the 1684 text reads, “…being now further ripened in the knowledge of Gods Word.” One final note. I have, for the most part, revised the spelling to reflect modern English spelling. (Note: This material is available in booklet form. See the address and phone number below for this and other valuable historic information.)

Rev. David L. Brown, Ph.D.
P. O. Box 173, Oak Creek, WI. 53154
Phone (414) 768-9754

Edited by Rev. David L. Brown, Ph.D.

MAY 1, 1998 David L. Brown

William Tindal, the faithful Minister and constant Martyr of Christ, was born about the Borders of Wales, and brought up from a Child in the University of Oxford, where he, by long continuance, grew up, and increased as well in the knowledge of tongues, and other liberal Arts, as especially in the knowledge of the Scriptures, whereunto his mind was singularly addicted; insomuch that he, lying then in Magdalen Hall, read privily to certain Students and Fellows of Magdalen College, some parcel of Divinity; instructing them in the knowledge and truth of the Scriptures. Whose manners also and conversation being correspondent to the same, were such, that all they that knew him, reputed and esteemed him to be a man of most virtuous disposition, and of life unspotted.  

Thus he, in the University of Oxford, increasing more and more in learning, and proceeding in degrees of the Schools, spying his time, removed from thence to the University of Cambridge, where, after he had likewise made his abode a certain space, being now further ripened in the knowledge of Gods Word, leaving that University also, he resorted to one Master Welch, a knight of Gloucestershire, and was there schoolmaster to his Children, and in good favor with his Master. This Gentleman, as he kept a good Ordinary commonly at his Table, there resorted to him many times sundry Abbots, Deans, Archdeacons, with divers other Doctors, and great Beneficed men; who there, together with Master Tindal sitting at the same Table, did use many times to enter communication, and talk of learned men, as of Luther and of Erasmus; also of divers other controversies and questions upon the Scripture.  

Then Master Tindal, as he was learned and well practiced in Gods matters, so he spared not to show unto them simply and plainly his judgment in matters, as he thought; and when they at any time did vary from Tindal in opinions and judgment, he would show them in the Book, and lay plainly before them the open and manifest places of the Scriptures, to confute their errors, and confirm his sayings. And thus continued they for a certain season, reasoning and contending together divers and sundry times, till at length they waxed weary, and bare a secret grudge in their hearts against him. 

Not long after this, it happened that certain of these great Doctors had invited Master Welch and his Wife to a Banquet; where they had talk at will and pleasure, uttering their blindness and ignorance without any resistance or gainsaying. Then Master Welch and his Wife, coming home, and calling for Master Tindal, began to reason with him about those matters, whereof the Priests had talked before at their Banquet. Master Tindal, answering by the Scriptures, maintained the truth, and reproved their false opinions. Then said the Lady Welch, a stout and a wise woman (as Tindal reported), Well, said she, there was such a doctor who may dispend a hundred pounds, and another two hundred pounds, and another three hundred pounds: and what! were it reason, think you, that we should believe you before them? Master Tindal gave her no answer at that time, and also after that (because he saw it would not avail), he talked but little in those matters. At that time he was about the Translation of a Book called Enchiridion Militis Christiani, which, being translated, he delivered to his Master and Lady. Who, after they had read and well perused the same, the Doctorly Prelates were no more so often called to the house, neither had they the cheer and countenance when they came, as before they had. Which thing they marking, and well perceiving, and supposing no less but it came by the means of Master Tindal, refrained themselves, and at last utterly withdrew, and came no more there. 

As this grew on, the Priests of the Country, clustering together, began to grudge and storm against Tindal, railing against him in Alehouses and other places. Of whom Tindal himself, in his Prologue before the first Book of Moses, thus testifieth in his own words, and reporteth that he suffered much in that Country by a sort of unlearned priests, being full rude and ignorant (saith he) God knoweth: (which have seen no more Latin, than that only which they read in their Protesses and Missals; which yet many of them can scarcely read), except it be Albertus, de secretis mulierum, in which yet, though they be never so sorrily learned, they pore day and night, and make notes therein, and all to teach the Midwives, as they say, and also another called Lindwood, a Book of Constitutions to gather Tithes, Mortuaries, Offerings, Customs, and other Pillage, which they call not theirs, but God’s part, the duty of Holy-Church, to discharge their Consciences withal. For they are bound that they shall not diminish, but increase all things unto the uttermost of their powers, which pertain to Holy-Church. Thus these blind and rude Priests flocking together to the Alehouse (for that was their preaching place) raged and railed against him, affirming that his sayings were heresy; adding moreover unto his sayings, of their own heads, more than ever he spake, and so accused him secretly to the Chancellor, and others of the Bishops Officers.  

It followed not long after this, that there was a sitting of the Bishop’s Chancellor appointed, and warning was given to the Priests to appear, amongst whom Master Tindal was also warned to be there. And whether he had any misdoubt by their threatenings, or knowledge given him that they would lay some things to his charge, it is uncertain; but certain this is (as he himself declared), that he doubted their privy accusations; so that he by the way, in going thitherwards, cried in his mind heartily to God, to give him strength fast to stand in the truth of his Word. 

Then when the time came for his appearance before the Chancellor, he threatened him grievously, reviling and rating at him as though he had been a Dog, and laid to his charge many things whereof no accuser yet could be brought forth (as commonly their manner is, not to bring forth the accuser), notwithstanding that the Priests of the Country the same time were there present. And thus Master Tindal, after those Examinations, escaping out of their hands, departed home, and returned to his Master again. 

There dwelt not far off a certain Doctor, that had been an old Chancellor before to a Bishop, who had been of old familiar acquaintance with Master Tindal, and also favored him well. Unto whom Master Tindal went and opened his mind upon divers questions of the Scripture; for to him he durst be bold to disclose his heart. Unto whom the Doctor said, Do you not know that the pope is very Antichrist, whom the Scripture speaketh of? But beware what you say; for if you shall be perceived to be of that opinion, it will cost you your life:” and said moreover, “I have been an officer of his; but I have given it up, and defy him and all his works. 

It was not long after, but Master Tindal happened to be in the company of a certain Divine, recounted for a learned man, and, in communing and disputing with him, he drave him to that issue, that the said great Doctor burst out into these blasphemous words, and said, We were better to be without God’s laws than the pope’s. Mr. Tindal, hearing this, full of godly zeal, and not bearing that blasphemous saying, replied again, and said,I defy the pope, and all his laws; and further added, that if God spared him life, ere many years he would cause a boy that driveth the plough, to know more of the Scripture than he did.  

After this, the grudge of the priests increasing still more and more against Tindal, they never ceased barking and raling at him, and laid many things sorely to his charge, saying, That he was a Heretic in Sophistry, a Heretic in Logic, a Heretic in divinity; and said moreover to him, That he bare himself bold of the gentlemen there in that country; but notwithstanding, shortly he should be otherwise talked withal. To whom Master Tindal, answering again, thus said, That he was contented they should bring him into any country in all England, giving him ten pounds a year to live with, and binding him to no more but to teach children, and to preach. 

To be short, Master Tindal, being so molested and vexed in the Country by the Priests, was constrained to leave that Country, and to seek another place; and so coming to Master Welch, he desired him, of his good will, that he might depart from him, saying on this wise to him, Sir, I preceive that I shall not be suffered to tarry long here in this country, neither shall you be able, though you would, to keep me out of the hands of the spirituality; and also what displeasure might grow thereby to you by keeping me, God knoweth: for the which I should be right sorry. So that in fine, Master Tindal, with the good will of his master, departed, and eftsoons came up to London, and there preached awhile, according as he had done in the country before, and especially about the town of Bristol, and also in the said town, in the common place called St. Austen’s Green. At length, bethinking himself of Cuthbert Tonstal, then Bishop of London, and especially for the great commendation of Erasmus, who, in his annotations, so extolleth him for his learning, Tindal thus cast with himself, that if he might attain unto his service, he were a happy man. And so coming to Sir Henry Guilford, the Kings Controler, and bringing with him an Oration of Isocrates, which he had then translated out of Greek into English, he desired him to speak to the said Bishop of London for him; which he also did; and willed him moreover to write an Epistle to the Bishop, and to go himself with him. Which he did likewise, and delivered his Epistle to a servant of his, named William Hebilthwait, a man of his old acquaintance. But God, who secretly disposeth the course of things, saw that was not the best for Tindal’s purpose, nor for the profit of his Church, and therefore gave him to find little favor in the Bishops sight; the answer of whom was this, That his house was full; he had more than he could well find: and advised him to seek in London abroad, where, he said, he could lack no service, & etc. And so remained he in London, the space almost of a year, beholding and marking with himself the course of the World, and especially the demeanour of the Preachers, how they boasted themselves, and set up their authority and Kingdom; beholding also the pomp of the Prelates, with other things more, which greatly misliked him. Insomuch that he understood, not only that there was no room in the Bishops house for him to translate the New Testament; but also that there was no place to do it in all England. And therefore, finding no place for his purpose within the Realm, and having some aid and provision by Gods Providence ministered unto him by Humphrey Mummuth, above recited (as you may see before), and certain other good men, he took his leave of the Realm, and departed into Germany. Where the good man, being inflamed with a tender care and zeal of his Country, refused no travel nor diligence, how, by all means possible to reduce his Brethren and Countrymen of England, to the same taste and understanding of God’s holy Word and verity, which the Lord had endued him withal.  

Whereupon, considering in his mind, and partly also conferring with John Frith, thought with himself no way more to conduce thereunto, than if the Scripture were turned into the vulgar speech, that the poor people might also read and see the simple plain Word of God. For first, he wisely casting in his mind, perceived by experience, how that it was not possible to establish the lay-people in any truth, except the Scriptures were so plainly laid before their eyes in their Mother Tongue, that they might see the process, order and meaning of the Text; for else whatsoever truth should be taught them, these enemies of the truth would quench it again, either with apparent reasons of sophistry and traditions of their own making, founded without all ground of Scripture; or else juggling with the Text, expounding it in such a sense as it were impossible to gather of the Text, if the right process, order, and meaning thereof were seen. 

Again, right well he perceived and considered, this only, or most chiefly, to be the cause of all mischief in the Church, that the Scriptures of God were hidden from the peoples eyes; for so long the abominable doings, and idolatries maintained by the Pharisaical Clergy could not be spied, and therefore all their labor was with might and main to keep it down, so that either it should not be read at all, or if it were, they would darken the right sense with the Mist of their Sophistry, and so entangle them which rebuked or despised their abominations, with arguments of Philosophy, and with worldly similitudes, and apparent reasons of natural wisdom; and, with wresting the Scripture unto their own purpose, contrary unto the process, order and meaning of the Text, would so delude them in descanting upon it with allegories, and amaze them, expounding it in many senses laid before the unlearned lay people, that though thou felt in thy heart, and wert sure that all were false that they said, yet couldst thou not solve their subtle riddles. 

For these and such other considerations this good man was moved (and no doubt stirred up of God) to translate the Scripture into his Mother Tongue, for the public utility and profit of the simple vulgar people of his Country; first setting in hand with the New Testament, which he first translated about A.D. 1527. After that he took in hand to translate the Old Testament, finishing the five books of Moses, with sundry most learned and godly Prologues prefixed before every one, most worthy to be read and read again by all good Christians, as the like also he did upon the New Testament.  

He wrote also divers other Works under sundry Titles, amongst which is that most worthy Monument of his, entitled, The Obedience of a Christian Man, wherein with singular dexterity, he instructeth all men in the office and duty of Christian obedience, with divers other treatises, as The Wicked Mammon, The Practice of Prelates; with Expositions upon certain parts of the Scripture, and other Books also, answering to Sir Thomas More, and other adversaries of the truth, no less delectable, than also most fruitful to be read; which partly before being unknown unto many, partly also being almost abolished and worn out by time, the Printer hereof, (good Reader), for conserving and restoring such singular treasures, hath collected and set forth in Print the same in one general Volume, all and whole together, as also the works of John Frith, Barnes, and others, as are to be seen, most special and profitable for thy reading. 

The Books of William Tindal being compiled, published, and sent over into England, it cannot be spoken what a door of light they opened to the eyes of the whole English Nation, which before were many years shut up in darkness. 

At his first departing out of the Realm he took his journey into the further parts of Germany, as into Saxony, where he had conference with Luther, and other learned Men in those Quarters, where after he had continued a certain season, he came down from thence into the Netherlands, and had his most abiding in the town of Antwerp, until the time of his apprehension; whereof more shall be said (God willing) hereafter. 

Amongst his other Books which he compiled, one Work he made also for the declaration of the Sacrament (as it was then called) of the Altar; the which he kept by him, considering how the people were not as yet fully persuaded in other matters tending to superstitious ceremonies and gross Idolatry. Wherefore he thought as yet time was not come to put forth that Work, but rather that it should hinder the people from other instructions, supposing that it would seem to them odious to hear any such thing spoken, or set forth at that time, sounding against their great goddess Diana, that is, against their mass, being had everywhere in great estimation, as was the Goddess Diana amongst the Ephesians, whom they thought to come from Heaven.  

Wherefore Master Tindal, being a man both prudent in his doings, and no less zealous in the setting forth of God’s holy truth, after such sort as it might take most effect with the people, did forbear the putting forth of that work, not doubting but, by God’s merciful grace, a time should come to have that abomination openly declared, as it is at this present day, the Lord Almighty be always praised therefore. Amen. 

These godly Books of Tindal, and especially the New Testament of his Translation, after that they began to come into mens hands, and to spread abroad, as they wrought great and singular profit to the godly; so the ungodly envying and disdaining that the people should be any thing wiser than they, and again, fearing lest by the shining beams of truth, their false hypocrisy and works of darkness should be discerned, began to stir with no small ado, like as at the birth of Christ, Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. But especially Satan, the Prince of Darkness, maligning the happy course and success of the Gospel, set to his might also, how to impeach and hinder the blessed travails of that man; as by this, and also by sundry other ways may appear. For at what time Tindal had translated the fifth Book of Moses called Deuteronomy, minding to Print the same at Hamburgh, he sailed thitherward; where by the way, upon the Coast of Holland, he suffered Shipwreck, by which he lost all his Books, Writings, and Copies, and so was compelled to begin all again anew, to his hinderance, and doubling of his labors. Thus, having lost by that Ship, both Money, his Copies, and his time, he came in another Ship to Hamburgh, where, at his appointment, Master Coverdale tarried for him, and helped him in the translating of the whole five Books of Moses, from Easter till December, in the house of a Worshipful widow, Mistress Margaret Van Emmerson, A.D. 1529. a great sweating Sickness being at the same time in the Town. So, having dispatched his business at Hamburgh, he returned afterwards to Antwerp again. 

Thus as Satan is, and ever hath been an enemy to all godly endeavors, and chiefly to the promoting and furtherance of God’s Word, as by this and many other experiments may be seen, so his Ministers and Members, following the like quality of their Master, be not altogether idle for their parts; as also by the Pope’s Chaplains and Gods enemies, and by their cruel handling of the said Mr. Tindal at the same time, both here in England and in Flanders, may well appear. 

When Gods will was that the New Testament in the common tongue should come abroad, Tindal, the Translator thereof, added to the latter end a certain Epistle, wherein he desired them that were learned to amend, if ought were found amiss. Wherefore if there had been any such default deserving correction, it had been the part of courtesy and gentleness, for men of knowledge and judgment to have showed their learning therein, and to have redressed what was to be amended. But the spiritual Fathers then of the Clergy, being not willing to have that Book to prosper, cried out upon it, bearing men in hand that there were a thousand Heresies in it, and that it was not to be corrected, but utterly to be suppressed. Some said it was not possible to translate the Scriptures into English; some that it was not lawful for the lay people to have it in their Mother-tongue; some, that it would make them all Heretics. And to the intent to induce the temporal Rulers also unto their purpose, they made more matter, and said that it would make the people to rebel and rise against the King. All this Tindal himself, in his own prologue before the first book of Moses declareth and addeth further, showing what great pains were taken in examining that Translation, and comparing it with their own imaginations and terms, that with less labor, he supposeth, they might have translated themselves a great part of the Bible: showing moreover, that they scanned and examined every tittle and point in the said Translation, in such sort, and so narrowly, that there was not one i therein, but if it lacked a prick over its head, they did note it, and numbered it unto the ignorant people for a Heresy. So great were then the froward devices of the English Clergy (who should have been the Guides of light unto the people), to drive the people from the text and knowledge of the Scripture, which neither they would translate themselves, nor yet abide it to be translated of others; to the intent (as Tindal saith) that the Word being kept still in darkness, they might sit in the Consciences of the people through vain superstition and false Doctrine, to satisfy their lusts, their ambition, and insatiable covetousness, and to exalt their own honor above King and Emperor, yea and above God himself, Haec ille.  

The Bishops and Prelates of the Realm, thus (as ye have heard) incensed and inflamed in their minds, although having no cause, against the Old and New Testament of the Lord newly translated by Tindal, and conspiring together with all their Heads and Councils, how to repeal the same, never rested before they had brought the King at last to their consent. By reason whereof, a Proclamation in all haste was devised and set forth under public authority, but no just reason showed, that the Testament of Tindal’s Translation, with other works besides, both of his, and of other Writers, were inhibited and abandoned, as ye heard before. Which was about the year of our Lord 1527. And yet not contented herewith, they proceeded further, how to entangle him in their Nets, and to bereave him of his life. Which how they brought to pass, now it remaineth to be declared. 

In the Registers of London it appeareth manifestly, how that the Bishops and Sir Thomas More having any poor man under Coram, to be examined before them, namely, such as had been at Antwerp, most studiously would search and examine all things belonging to Tindal, where and with whom he hosted, whereabouts stood the house, what was his stature, in what apparel he went, what resort he had, etc. All which things when they had diligently learned (as may appear by the Examination of Simon Smith and others), then began they to work their feats, as you shall hear by the relation of his own Host. 

William Tindal, being in the Town of Antwerp, had been lodged about one whole year in the House of Thomas Pointz an Englishman, who kept there a house of English merchants. About which time came thither one out of England, whose name was Henry Philips, his Father being Customer of Poole, a comely fellow, like as he had been a Gentleman, having a servant with him, but wherefore he came, or for what purpose he was sent thither, no man could tell. 

Master Tindal divers times was desired forth to Dinner and Supper amongst Merchants; by means whereof this Henry Philips became acquainted with him, so that within short space Master Tindal had a great confidence in him, and brought him to his Lodging, to the House of Thomas Pointz; and had him also once or twice with him to Dinner and Supper, and further entered such friendship with him, that through his procurement he lay in the same House of the said Pointz; to whom he showed moreover his books, and other secrets of his study, so little did Tindal then mistrust this Traitor. 

But Pointz, having no great confidence in the fellow, asked Master Tindal how he came acquainted with this Philips. Master Tindal answered, that he was an honest man, handsomely learned, and very conformable. Then Pointz, perceiving that he bare such favor to him, said no more, thinking that he was brought acquainted with him by some friend of his. The said Philips, being in the Town three or four days, upon a time desired Pointz to walk with him forth of the Town to show him the commodities thereof, and in walking together without the Town, had communication of divers things, and some of the Kings affairs; by which talk Pointz as yet suspected nothing, but after, by the sequel of the matter, he perceived more what he intended. In the mean time this he well perceived, that he bare no great favor either to the setting forth of any good thing, or to the proceedings of the King of England. But after, when the time was past, Pointz perceived this to be his mind, to feel if he could perceive by him, whether he might break with him in the matter, for lucre of money, to help him to his purpose; for he perceived before that he was monied, and would that Pointz should think no less; but by whom it was unknown. For he had desired Pointz before to help him to divers things, and such things as he named, he required might be of the best, for said he, I have money enough; but of this talk came nothing. but that men should think he had some things to do; for nothing else followed of his talk. So it was to be suspected, that Philips was in doubt to move this matter for his purpose, to any of the Rulers or Officers of the Town of Antwerp, for doubt it should come to the knowledge of some Englishmen, and by the means thereof Master Tindal should have had warning. 

So Philips went from Antwerp to the court of Brussels, which is from thence twenty-four English miles, the King having there no Ambassador; for at that time the king of England and the Emperor were at a controversy for the question betwixt the King and the Lady Katharine, who was Aunt to the Emperor; and the discord grew so much, that it was doubted lest there should have been War between the Emperor and the King, so that Philips, as a Traitor both against God and the King, was there the better retained, as also other Traitors more besides him; who, after he had betrayed Mr. Tindal into their hands, showed himself likewise against the Kings own person, and there set forth things against the King. To make short, the said Philips did so much there, that he procured to bring from thence with him to Antwerp, that Procuror General, who is the Emperors attorney, with certain other Officers, as after followeth. The which was not done with small charges and expenses, from whomsoever it came. 

Within a while after, Pointz sitting at his door, Philips man came unto him, and asked whether Mr. Tindal were there, and said, his Master would come to him, and so departed. But whether his Master Philips were in the Town or not, it was not known; but at that time Pointz heard no more, neither of the Master or of the Man. Within three or four days after, Pointz went forth to the town of Barrow, being eighteen English Miles from Antwerp, where he had business to do for the space of a Month or Six weeks, and in the time of his absence Henry Philips came again to Antwerp to the house of Pointz, and coming in, spake with his Wife, asking her for Mr. Tindal, and whether he would dine there with him; saying, What good meat shall we have? She answered, such as the market will give. Then went he forth again (as it is thought) to provide, and set the Officers whom he brought with him from Brussels, in the street, and about the door. Then about Noon he came again, and went to Master Tindal, and desired him to lend him forty shillings; for said he, I lost my purse this morning, coming over at the passage between this and Mechlin. So Master Tindal took him forty shillings, which was easy to be had of him, if he had it, for in the wily subtleties of this World he was simple and unexpert. 

Then said Philips, Master Tindal you shall be my Guest here this day. No, said Master Tindal, I go forth this day to Dinner, and you shall go with me, and be my Guest, where you shall be welcome. So when it was Dinner time, Master Tindal went forth with Philips, and at the going forth of Pointz’s house, was a long narrow Entry, so that two could not go in a front. Master Tindal would have put Philips before him, but Philips would in no wise, but put Master Tindal afore, for that he pretended to show great humanity. So Master Tindal, being a man of no great stature, went before, and Philips, a tall comely person, followed behind him; who had set Officers on either side of the Door upon two seats, which being there might see who came in the Entry; and coming through the same Entry, Philips pointed with his finger over Master Tindal’s head down to him, that the Officers who sat at the door might see that it was he whom they should take, as the Officers that took Master Tindal, afterwards told Pointz, and said to Pointz when they had laid him in Prison, That they pitied to see his simplicity when they took him. Then they took him and brought him to the Emperors Attorney, or Procuror General, where he dined. Then came the Procuror General to the house of Pointz, and sent away all that was there of Master Tindal’s, as well his Books as other things, and from thence Tindal was had to the Castle of Filford, eighteen English Miles from Antwerp, and there he remained until he was put to death. 

Then incontinent, by the help of English Merchants, were Letters sent in favor of Tindal, to the Court of Brussels. Also, not long after, Letters were directed out of England to the Council at Brussels, and sent to the Merchant Adventurers to Antwerp, commanding them to see that with speed they should be delivered. Then such of the chief of the Merchants as were there at that time, being called together, required the said Pointz to take in hand the delivery of thoseLetters, with Letters also from them in favor of Master Tindal, to the Lord of Barrow and others; which Lord of Barrow (as it was told Pointz by the way) at that time was departed from Brussels, as the chief Conductor of the eldest Daughter of the King of Denmark, to be married to the Palsgrave, whose Mother was Sister to the Emperor, she being chief Princess of Denmark. Who, after he heard of his departure, did ride after the next way, and overtook him at Achon, where he delivered to him his Letters. The which when he had received and read, he made no direct answer, but somewhat objecting, said, There were of their countrymen that were burned in England not long before; as indeed there were Anabaptists burned in Smithfield, and so Pointz said to him, Howbeit, said he, whatsoever the crime was, if his lordship or any other nobleman had written, requiring to have had them, he thought they should not have been denied.” Well, said he, I have no leisure to write, for the princess is ready to ride. 

Then said Pointz, If it shall please your lordship, I will attend upon you unto the next baiting-place, which was at Maestricht. If you so do, said the lord, I will advise myself by the way what to write. So Pointz followed him from Achon to Maestricht, which are fifteen English Miles asunder, and there he received Letters of him, one to the Council there, another to the company of the Merchant Adventurers, and another also to the Lord Cromwell in England.  

So Pointz rode from thence to Brussels, and then and there delivered to the Council the Letters out of England, with the Lord of Barrows Letters also, and received eftsoons answer into England of the same by Letters which he brought to Antwerp to the English Merchants, who required him to go with them into England. And he, very desirous to have Mr. Tindal out of Prison, let not to take pains, with loss of time in his own business and occupying, and diligently followed with the said Letters, which he there delivered to the Council, and was commanded by them to tarry until he had other Letters, with which he was not dispatched thence in a month after. At length, the Letters being delivered him, he returned again, and delivered them to the Emperors Council at Brussels, and there tarried for answer of the same. 

When the said Pointz had tarried three or four days, it was told him by one that belonged to the Chancery, that Master Tindal should have been delivered to him according to the tenor of the Letters; but Philips, being there, followed the Suit against Master Tindal, and hearing that he should be delivered to Pointz, and doubting lest he should be put from his purpose, he knew no other remedy but to accuse Pointz, saying, That he was a dweller in the Town of Antwerp, and there had been a succourer of Tindal, and was one of the same opinion; and that all this was only his own labor and suit, to have Master Tindal at liberty, and no mans else. 

Thus upon his information and accusation, Pointz was attached by the Procuror General, the Emperors Attorney, delivered to the keeping of two Sergeants at Arms; and the same Evening was sent to him one of the Chancery, with the Procuror General, who ministered unto him an Oath, that he should truly make answer to all such things as should be inquired of him, thinking they would have had no other examinations of him but of his message. The next day likewise they came again, and had him in examination, and so five or six days one after another, upon not so few as a hundred Articles, as well of the king’s affairs, as of the message concerning Tindal, of his aiders, and of his Religion. Out of which examinations, the Procuror General drew twenty three or twenty four articles, and declared the same against the said Pointz, the Copy whereof he delivered to him to make answer thereunto, and permitted him to have an advocate and proctor, that is, a Doctor and Proctor in the Law; and order was taken, that eight days after he should deliver unto them his answer, and from eight days to eight days, to proceed till the Process were ended. Also that he should send no messenger to Antwerp whereas his house was, being twenty four English Miles from Brussels, where he was Prisoner, nor to any other place, but by the Post of the town of Brussels; nor to send any Letters, nor any to be delivered to him, but written in Dutch, and the Procuror General, who was party against him, to read them, to peruse and examine them thoroughly, contrary to all right and equity, before they were sent or delivered: neither might any be suffered to speak or talk with Pointz in any other Tongue or Language, except only in the Dutch Tongue, so that his Keepers, who were Dutch men, might understand what the contents of the Letters or talk should be. Saving that at one certain time the Provincial of the White Friars came to Dinner where Pointz was Prisoner, and brought with him a young Novice, being an Englishman, whom the Provincial, after Dinner, of his own accord, did bid to talk with the said Pointz, and so with him he was licensed to talk. The purpose and great policy therein was easy to be perceived. Between Pointz and the Novice was much pretty talk, as of Sir Thomas More, and of the Bishop of Rochester, and of their putting to death, whose death he seemed greatly to lament, especially dying in such a quarrel, worthy (as he said) to be accounted for Martyrs; with other noble Doctrine, and deep learning in Divinity, meet to feed Swine withal: such blindness then in those days reigned amongst them. After this Pointz delivered up his answer to the Procurator General, and then after, at days appointed, went forth with Replication duplicate, with other answers each to other in writing, what they could. 

As the Commissioners came to Pointz, Phillips the Traitor accompanied them to the Door in following the Process against him, as he also did against Master Tindal, for so they that had Pointz in keeping, showed him. Thus Pointz for Master Tindal was for troubled, and long kept in Prison; but at length, when he saw no other remedy, by night he made his escape, and avoided their hands. But good Tindal could not escape their hands, but remained in Prison still, who being brought to answer, was offered to have an Advocate and a Proctor; for it nay criminal cause there, it shall be permitted to have Council, to make answer in the Law. But he refused to have any such, saying, That he would answer for himself, and do he did. 

At last, After much reasoning, when no reason would serve, although he deserved no death, he was condemned by virtue of the Emperor Decree , made in the Assembly at Augsburgh (as is before signified) and upon the same brought forth to the place of Execution, was there tied to the Stake, and then strangled first by the Hangman, and afterwards with fire consumed in the morning, at the Town of Filford, A.D. 1536; crying thus at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, “Lord open the king of England’s eyes.”

Such was the power of his Doctrine, and the sincerity of his life, that during the time of his imprisonment (which endured a year and a half), it is said, he converted his Keeper, his Daughter, and others of his household. Also the rest that were with him conversant in the Castle, reported of him that if he were not a good Christian man, they could not tell whom to trust. 

The Procurator General, the emperor’s attorney, being there, left this testimony of him, that he was Homo doctus, pros, et bonus, that is, a learned, a good, and a godly man. 

The same Morning in which he was had to the fire, he delivered a Letter to the Keeper of the Castle which the Keeper himself brought to the house of the aforesaid Pointz in Antwerp; shortly after; which Letter, with his Examinations and other his Disputations, I would, might have come to our hands; all which I understand did remain, and yet perhaps do, in the hands of the Keepers Daughter. For so it is of him reported, that as he was in the Castle Prisoner, there was much writing, and great Disputation to and fro, between him and them of the University of Louvain (which was not past nine or ten Miles from the place where he was Prisoner), in such sort, that they all had enough to do, and more than they could well wield, to answer the authorities and testimonies of the Scripture, whereupon he most pithily grounded his Doctrine. 

Of Judas that betray Christ it is written, That he returned the money again to the Pharisees, and afterward hanged himself. So Philips this miserable Traitor, after he had been received of Tindal, and borrowed money of him, and yet betray him and pursued him to death; all be it he rejoiced a while fater that he had one it, yet the saying so goeth that he not long time after enjoyed the price of innocent blood, but was consumed at last with Lice. 

The worthy virtues and doings of this blessed Martyr, who for his painful travails and singular zeal to his Country, may be called in these our days, an Apostle of England, it were long to recite. Among many others, this because it seemeth to me worthy of remembrance, I thought not in silence to overpass, which hath unto me been credibly testified by certain grave Merchants, and some of them also such as were present the same time at the fact, and men yet alive. The story whereof is this. 

There was at Antwerp on a time, amongst a company of Merchants as they were at Supper, a certain Juggler, which through his Diabolical Enchantments of Art Magical, would fetch all kinds of Viands and Wine from any place they would, and set them upon the Table incontinent before them, with many other such like things. The fame of this Juggler being much talked of, it chanced that as Master Tindal heard of it, he desired certain of the Merchants, that he might also be present at Supper, to see him play his parts.  

To be brief, the Supper was appointed, and the Merchants, with Tindal, were there present. Then the Juggler being required to play his feats, and to show his cunning, after his wonted boldness began to utter all that he could do, but all was in vain. At last with his labor, sweating, and toiling, when he saw that nothing would go forward, but that all his enchantments were void, he was compelled, openly to confess, that there was some man present at Supper, who disturbed and letted all his doings. So that a man, even in the Martyrs of these our days, cannot lack the Miracles of true faith, if Miracles were now to be desired. 

As concerning the Works and Books of Tindal, which extend to a great number, thou wast told before, loving Reader, how the Printer hereof mindeth, by the Lords leave, to collect them all in one Volume together, and put them out in Print. Wherefore it shall not greatly at this time be needful to make any several rehearsal of them.  

And as touching his Translation of the New Testament, because his enemies did so much carp at it, pretending it to be so full of Heresies, to answer therefore to their slanderous tongues and lying lips, thou shalt hear and understand what faithful dealing and sincere Conscience he used in the same, by the testimony and allegation of his own words, written in his epistle to John Frith, as followeth, I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, to give our reckoning of our doings, that I never altered one syllable of God’s word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me, etc. 

And as ye have heard Tindal’s own words, thus protesting for himself, now let us hear likewise the faithful testimony of John Frith, for Tindal his dear companion and brother, thus declaring in his answer to Master More, as followeth: 

The Testimony of John Frith in his Book of the Sacrament, concerning William Tindal 

And Tindal I trust liveth, well content with such a poor Apostles life, as God gave his Son Christ, and his faithful ministes in this world, which is not sure so many mites, as yet be yearly pounds, although I am sure that his learning and judgment in Scriputre, he were more worthy to be promoted than all the Bishops in England. I received a letter from him, which was written since Christmas, wherein among other matters he writeth this, I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, to give a reckoning of our doings, that I never altered on syllable of Gods Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in Earth, whether it be honour, pleasure, or riches might be given me. Moreover, I take God to witness of my conscience, that I desire of God to myself in this world, no more that that, without which I cannot keep his Laws, & etc. Judge, Christian Reader, whether these words be not spoken of a faithful clear innocent heart. And as for his behavior, it is such, that I am sure no man can reprove him of any sin, howbeit no man is innocent before God, which beholdeth the heart. Thus much out of Frith.

1536 Tyndale Bible Page From the Gospel of John

Note: This and other ancient Bible pages are available for purchase from Pastor David L. Brown’s Archives

Bible pages available — Tyndale; Coverdale; Matthews; Great Bible; Geneva; Bishops; King James 1611 & More

Chapter I. Of the Holy Scripture, Chapter II.Of God, and of the Holy Trinity, Chapter III..Of God’s Eternal Decree,Of God’s Eternal Decree, Chapter IV. Of Creation, Chapter V. Of Providence, Chapter VI. Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof, Chapter VII..Of God’s Covenant with Man,Of God’s Covenant with Man, Chapter VIII..Of Christ the Mediator,Of Christ the Mediator, Chapter IX..Of Free Will,Of Free Will, Chapter X..Of Effectual Calling,Of Effectual Calling, Chapter XI..Of Justification,Of Justification, Chapter XII..Of Adoption,Of Adoption, Chapter XIII. Of Sanctification, Chapter XIV. Of Saving Faith, Chapter XV. Of Repentance Unto Life, Chapter XVI..Of Good Works,Of Good Works, Chapter XVII..Of The Perseverance of the Saints,Of The Perseverance of the Saints, Chapter XVIII..Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation,Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation, Chapter XIX. Of the Law of God,Of the Law of God, Chapter XX. Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience, Chapter XXI. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day, Chapter XXII..Of Lawful Oaths and Vows,Of Lawful Oaths and Vows, Chapter XXIII..Of the Civil Magistrate,Of the Civil Magistrate, Chapter XXIV..Of Marriage and Divorce,Of Marriage and Divorce, Chapter XXV..Of the Church,Of the Church, Chapter XXVI..Of the Communion of the Saints,Of the Communion of the Saints, Chapter XXVII. Of the Sacraments, Chapter XXVIII. Of Baptism, Chapter XXIX. Of the Lord’s Supper, Chapter XXX..Of Church Censures,Of Church Censures, Chapter XXXI..Of Synods and Councils,Of Synods and Councils, Chapter XXXII..Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead,Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead, Chapter XXXIII..Of the Last Judgmentt

CHAPTER I.CHAPTER I.

Of the Holy Scripture.

I. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.

II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these:

Of the Old Testament		Of the New Testament
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth I Samuel II Samuel I Kings II Kings I Chronicles II Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther  Job Psalms  Proverbs	Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi	Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Corinthians I Corinthians II Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians  Thessalonians I	Thessalonians II To Timothy I Timothy II Titus Philemon Hebrews James First Peter Second Peter First John Second John Jude Revelation

All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.

III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

IV. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.

V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.

VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.

VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as, in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them. But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, therefore they are to be translated in to the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, that, the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner; and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope.

IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.

X. The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.

CHAPTER II.

Of God, and of the Holy Trinity.

I. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long- suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

II. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He has made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and has most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleases. In His sight all things are open and manifest, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain. He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands. To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.

III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.

CHAPTER III.

Of God’s Eternal Decree.

I. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.

III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.

IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and all to the praise of His glorious grace.

VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

VII. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praised of His glorious justice.

VIII. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men, attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel.

CHAPTER IV.

Of Creation.

I. It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.

II. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it; and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.

CHAPTER V.

Of Providence.

I. God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.

II. Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, He orders them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.

III. God, in His ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure.

IV. The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extends itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as has joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering, and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceeds only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.

V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God does oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.

VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins, does blind and harden, from them He not only withholds His grace whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts; but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had, and exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God uses for the softening of others.

VII. As the providence of God does, in general, reach to all creatures; so, after a most special manner, it takes care of His Church, and disposes all things to the good thereof.

CHAPTER VI.

Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

I. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtilty and temptations of Satan, sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.

II. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion, with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of soul and body.

III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed; and the same death in sin, and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation.

IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.

V. This corruption of nature, during this life, does remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be, through Christ, pardoned, and mortified; yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.

VI. Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, does in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.

CHAPTER VII.

Of God’s Covenant with Man.

I. The distance between God and the creature is go great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which He has been pleased to express by way of covenant.

II. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

III. Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein He freely offers unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.

IV. This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in scripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed.

V. This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the Gospel: under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come; which were, for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called the Old Testament.

VI. Under the Gospel, when Christ, the substance, was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity, and less outward glory, yet, in them, it is held forth in more fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the New Testament. There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations.

CHAPTER VIII.

Of Christ the Mediator.

I. It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Saviour of His Church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom He did from all eternity give a people, to be His seed, and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

II. The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man’s nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.

III. The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety. Which office He took not unto Himself, but was thereunto called by His Father, who put all power and judgment into His hand, and gave Him commandment to execute the same.

IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake; which that He might discharge, He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfil it; endured most grievous torments immediately in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, and shall return, to judge men and angels, at the end of the world.

V. The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the justice of His Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting in heritance in the kingdom of heaven, for those whom the Father has given unto Him.

VI. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent’s head; and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; being yesterday and today the same, and forever.

VII. Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet, by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.

VIII. To all those for whom Christ has purchased redemption, He does certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by His Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by His word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom, in such manner, and ways, as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.

CHAPTER IX.

Of Free Will.

I. God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined good, or evil.

II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God; but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.

III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.

IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin; and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, or only, will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.

V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone in the state of glory only.

CHAPTER X.

Of Effectual Calling.

I. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ: yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.

II. This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.

III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit, who works when, and where, and how He pleases: so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.

IV. Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.

CHAPTER XI.

Of Justification.

I. Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.

III. Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to His Father’s justice in their behalf. Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them; and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead; and both, freely, not for any thing in them; their justification is only of free grace; that both the exact justice, and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.

IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.

V. God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the sate of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

VI. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.

CHAPTER XII.

Of Adoption.

All those that are justified, God vouchsafes, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have His name put upon them, receive the spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father, are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a Father: yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption; and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation.

CHAPTER XIII.

Of Sanctification.

I. They, who are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them: the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified; and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

II. This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence arises a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

III. In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome; and so, the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

CHAPTER XIV.

Of Saving Faith.

I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.

II. By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein; and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.

III. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory: growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.

CHAPTER XV.

Of Repentance Unto Life.

I. Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ.

II. By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature, and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments.

III. Although repentance is not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ, yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.

IV. As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation; so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.

V. Man ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavour to repent of his particular sins, particularly.

VI. As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof; upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy; so, he that scandalizes his brother, or the Church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession, and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended, who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him.

CHAPTER XVI.

Of Good Works.

I. Good works are only such as God has commanded in His holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention.

II. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.

III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will, and to do, of His good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.

IV. They who, in their obedience, attain to the greatest height which is possibly in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.

V. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit, and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.

VI. Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreproveable in God’s sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.

VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.

CHAPTER XVII.

Of The Perseverance of the Saints.

I. They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.

II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

III. Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins; and, for a time, continue therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation.

I. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God, and estate of salvation (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.

III. This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.

IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God’s withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never so utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived; and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair.

CHAPTER XIX.

Of the Law of God.

I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.

II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man.

III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.

IV. To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging under any now, further than the general equity thereof may require.

V. The moral law does forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. Neither does Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.

VI. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience,and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof: although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works. So as, a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourages to the one and deters from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law: and not under grace.

VII. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.

CHAPTER XX.

Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience.

I. The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, and condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; and, in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin; from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grace, and everlasting damnation; as also, in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law. But, under the New Testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was subjected; and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of.

II. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in any thing, contrary to His Word; or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship. So that, to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience: and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.

III. They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.

IV. And because the powers which God has ordained, and the liberty which Christ has purchased are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another, they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity (whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation), or to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ has established in the Church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against, by the censures of the Church, and by the power of the civil magistrate..

CHAPTER XXI.

Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day.

I. The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.

II. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creature: and, since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.

III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men: and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of His Spirit, according to His will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue.

IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter: but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.

V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.

VI. Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the Gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calls thereunto.

VII. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.

VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.

CHAPTER XXII.

Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.

I. A lawful oath is part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calls God to witness what he asserts, or promises, and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he swears.

II. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence. Therefore, to swear vainly, or rashly, by that glorious and dreadful Name; or, to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred. Yet, as in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament as well as under the old; so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters, ought to be taken.

III. Whosoever takes an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth: neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believes so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform. Yet it is a sin to refuse an. oath touching any thing that is good and just, being imposed. by lawful authority..

IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation, or mental reservation. It cannot oblige to sin; but in any thing not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt. Not is it to be violated, although made to heretics, or infidels.

V. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness.

VI. It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone: and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want, whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties: or, to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.

VII. No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance whereof he has no promise of ability from God. In which respects, popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Of the Civil Magistrate.

I. God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, has ordained civil magistrates, to be, under Him, over the people, for His own glory, and the public good: and, to this end, has armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil doers.

II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion.

III. Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; yet he has authority, and. it is his duty, to take order that unity and peace be. preserved in the Church, that the truth of God be kept pure. and entire, that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed,. all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline. prevented or reformed, and all the ordinances of God duly. settled, administrated, and observed. For the better. effecting whereof, he has power to call synods, to be present. at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them. be according to the mind of God. or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the Church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And, as Jesus Christ has appointed a regular government and discipline in his Church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance..

IV. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honour their persons, to pay them tribute or other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience’ sake. Infidelity, or difference in religion, does not make void the magistrates’ just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to them: from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted, much less has the Pope any power and jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and, least of all, to deprive them of their dominions, or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretence whatsoever.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Of Marriage and Divorce.

I. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband, at the same time.

II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed; and for preventing of uncleanness.

III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent. Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And therefore such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden by the Word. Nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife. The man may not marry any of his wife’s kindred, nearer in blood then he may of his own: nor the woman of her husband’s kindred, nearer in blood than of her own..

V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, gives just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead.

VI. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduly to put asunder those whom God has joined together in marriage: yet, nothing but adultery, or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church, or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage: wherein, a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills, and discretion, in their own case.

CHAPTER XXV.

Of the Church.

I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all.

II. The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.

III. Unto this catholic visible Church Christ has given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and does, by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.

IV. This catholic Church has been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. And particular Churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.

V. The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will.

VI. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Of the Communion of the Saints.

I. All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His grace, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.

II. Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offers opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

III. This communion which the saints have with Christ, does not make them in any wise partakers of the substance of His Godhead; or to be equal with Christ in any respect: either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous. Nor does their communion one with another, as saints, take away, or infringe the title or propriety which each man has in his goods and possessions.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Of the Sacraments.

I. Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ and His benefits; and to confirm our interest in Him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word.

II. There is, in every sacrament, a spiritual relation, or sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified: whence it comes to pass, that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other.

III. The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; neither does the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that does administer it: but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of institution, which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers.

IV. There are only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any, but by a minister of the Word lawfully ordained.

V. The sacraments of the Old Testament in regard to the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were, for substance, the same with those of the new.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Of Baptism.

I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church; but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in the newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in His Church until the end of the world.

II. The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the Gospel, lawfully called thereunto.

III. Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but Baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.

IV. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized.

V. Although it is a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it: or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

VI. The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongs unto, according to the counsel of God’s own will, in His appointed time.

VII. The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered unto any person.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Of the Lord’s Supper.

I. Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body.

II. In this sacrament, Christ is not offered up to His Father; nor any real sacrifice made at all, for remission of sins of the quick or dead; but only a commemoration of that one offering up of Himself, by Himself, upon the cross, once for all: and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God, for the same: so that the popish sacrifice of the mass (as they call it) is most abominably injurious to Christ’s one, only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of His elect.

III. The Lord Jesus has, in this ordinance, appointed His ministers to declare His word of institution to the people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants; but to none who are not then present in the congregation.

IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest, or any other alone; as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about, for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ.

V. The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to Him crucified, as that, truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ; albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before.

VI. That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant, not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense, and reason; overthrows the nature of the sacrament, and has been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions; yes, of gross idolatries.

VII. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, in this sacrament, do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually, receive and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.

VIII. Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament; yet, they receive not the thing signified thereby; but, by their unworthy coming thereunto, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore, all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Him, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table; and cannot, without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto.

CHAPTER XXX.

Of Church Censures.

I. The Lord Jesus, as king and head of His Church, has therein appointed a government, in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.

II. To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed; by virtue whereof, they have power, respectively, to retain, and remit sins; to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the Word, and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the Gospel; and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.

III. Church censures are necessary, for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren, for deterring of others from the like offences, for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump, for vindicating the honour of Christ, and the holy profession of the Gospel, and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer His covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.

IV. For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition; suspension from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for a season; and by excommunication from the Church; according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person.

CHAPTER XXXI.

Of Synods and Councils.

I. For the better government, and further edification of the Church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called synods or councils: and it belongs to the overseers and other rulers of the particular Churches, by virtue of their office, and the power which Christ has given them for edification and not for destruction, to appoint such assemblies; and to convene together in them, as outer as they shall judge it expedient for the good of the Church.

II. As magistrates may lawfully call a synod of ministers, and other fit persons, to consult and advise with, about matters of religion; so, if magistrates be open enemies to the Church, the ministers of Christ, of themselves, by virtue of their office, or they, with other fit persons upon delegation from their Churches, may meet together in such assemblies.

III. It belongs to synods and councils, ministerially to determine controversies of faith, and cases of conscience; to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the public worship of God, and government of his Church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to determine the same; which decrees and determinations, if consonant to the Word of God, are to be received with reverence and submission; not only for their agreement with the Word, but also for the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance of God appointed thereunto in His Word.

III. All synods or councils, since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err; and many have erred. Therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith, or practice; but to be used as a help in both.

IV. Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or, by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate.

CHAPTER XXXII.

Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead.

I. The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption: but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledges none.

II. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up, with the selfsame bodies, and none other (although with different qualities), which shall be united again to their souls forever.

III. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour: the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honour; and be made conformable to His own glorious body.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Of the Last Judgment.

I. God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.

II. The end of God’s appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of His justice, in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of joy and refreshing, which shall come from the presence of the Lord; but the wicked who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.

III. As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin; and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity: so will He have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Amen.

Charles Herle, Prolocuter.
Cornelius Burges, Assessor.
Herbert Palmer, Assessor.
Henry Robroughe, Scriba.
Adoniram Byfield, Scriba.

last revision: 7/5/95 by pdn