kynge Edward's dayes the syxte. Which homilye, with all the reaste, then set furthe by his authoritie, I do affirme and beleve to be a true, holesome, and godlye doctryne for all Chrystian men to beleve, observe, kepe, and folowe.

"Also, I do beleve and confesse, that the last boke, which was geven to the churche of Englande by the authoritie of good kynge Edwarde the syxte and the whole parliament, contayninge the manor and fourme of Common Prayer, and ministration of the blessed sacramentes in the churche of Englande; ought to have been receaved with all readynes of mynde, and thankfullnes of harte.-Also I do accepte, beleve, and alowe, for a very truthe, all the godlye articles that were agreed upon in the Convocation-house, and published by the kynges majesties authoritie (I meane, kynge Edwarde the syxte), in the last yeare of his most gracyous reigne.

"I doe confesse and beleve, that Adam, by his fall, lost, from himself and all his posterity, all the freedome, choyce, and power of man's will to doe good: so that all the will and imaginations of mannes harte is onelye to evil, and altogether subject to synne, and bonde and captive to all manner of wickednes. So that it cannot once thinke a good thought, much lesse then doe any good deede, as of his owne worke, pleasaunte and acceptable in the syght of God, untill suche tyme as the same" [i. e. untill such time as the will] "be regenerate by the Holy Ghoste.-Until the spirite of regeneration be given us of God, we can neither will, doe, speake, nor thinke, any good thynge that is acceptable in his sight. As a man that is deade cannot rise up himselfe, or worke anye thynge towards his resurrection; or he that is not, worke towardes his creation; even so the naturall man cannot worke any thynge towards his regeneration. As a bodye, without the soule, cannot move but downewardes ; so the soul of man, without the spirite of Christe,

. cannot lyfte up himselfe. He must be borne agayne, to doe the workes that be spirituall and holye. And by ourselves we cannot be regenerate by any meanes: for it is onlye the worke of God, To whom let us praye, with David, that he will take away our stonye hartes, and create in us new hartes, by the mighty operations of his holye spirite.

"I do acknowledge, confesse, and undoubtedlye beleve, that God, our eternal Father (whose power is incomprehensible, whose wisdome is infinite, and his judgments unsearchable) hath, onelye of his greate aboundant mercye, and free goodnesse, and favoure, in Jesus Christe, ordeyned, predestinated, elected, and appointed, before the foundation of the worlde was layd, an innumerable multitude of Adam's posteritie, to be saved from their synnes thoroughe the merites of Christes deathe and bloudsheaddinge onelye; and to be (thoroughe Christ) his adopted sonnes, and heres of his everlasting kingdome, in whom his great mercye shall be magnified for ever of which moste happye number, my fyrme faith and stedfast beleve is, that I, althoughe unworthye, am one; onelye throughe the mercye of God in Jesus Christe our Lorde and Savyour.

"And I beleve, and am surely certified, by the testimonye of Godes good spirite, and the unfallyble truthe of his most holye worde, that neither I, nor any of these his chosen children, shall fynally perishe, or be dampned: althoughe we all (if God should entre into judgment with us, according to our dedes) have justly deserved it. But suche is

Godes greate mercye towardes us, for our Lorde Jesus Christes sake, that our synnes shall never be imputed unto us. We are all geven to Christe to kepe, who will lose none of us: neither can any thing pluck us furthe of his handes, or separate us from him. He hathe maryed us unto him by faythe, and made us his pure spouse without spot or wrincle in his sight, and will never be devorced from us.

He hathe taken from us all our synnes, myseries, and infirmities and hathe put them upon himselfe : and hathe clothed us with his righteousness, and enriched us with his merites, and mercyes, and moste lovinge benefites. And he hathe not onelye done all this, and much more, for us; but also, of his great mercye, love, and kyndness, he dothe styll kepe the same most surelye safelye for us, and will doe so for ever: for he lovethe us unto the ende. His Father hathe committed us unto his safe custodye, and none can ever be able to plucke us furthe of his hands. He hathe regesterd our names in the boke of lyfe, in such sorte that the same shall never be raced out. In consideration whereof, we have good cause to rejoice, to thanke God, and hartelye to love him; and, of love, unfaynedlye to doe whatsoever he willeth us to doe: for he loved us firste.

Fynallye, Christe testifyethe himselfe. That it is not possible that the elect shoulde be deceaved. Verelye then, can they not be dampned" [i. e. damned]: "Therefore I confesse and beleve, with all my harte, soull, and mynde, that not one of all Godes elect children shall fynallye perishe or be dampned. For God, who is their Father, both can and will preserve, kepe, and defende them for ever. For, seynge he is God, he wanteth no power to do it: and also, seynge he is their moste deare lovynge Father, he lacketh no good will towardes them, I am sure. How can it be, but he will perfourme their salvation to the uttermoste, sythe he wanteth neither power, nor good will, to do it?

"And this moste heavenlye, true, and comfortable doctrine dothe not bringe with it a fleshelye, idell, carnall, and careless lyfe, as some men unjustlye doe report of it; whose eyes God open, and pardon their ignorance and rashe judgments. But rather it dothe mayntayne and bring with it all true godlyness, and Christian purite of lyfe, with moste

earneste thankefullnes of harte, in respecte of Godes greate mercye and lovynge kyndnes onlye.

"As for reprobation, I have nothinge to saye of it: for Sainte Paul saythe, what have we to doe with them that are without? The Lorde encrease our faythe and true feelynge of our election.Notwithstanding, as" [the gospel] "is unto some the savor of lyfe unto lyfe; even so is it, unto other some, the savor of death unto death: as Christe himselfe is, unto some, a rocke to ryse bye; and to other some, a stone to stumble at.

Thus believed the primitive members of the church of England. Thus held, and thus taught, those protestant worthies, who, when the truths of God were at stake, loved not their lives, unto death.

Let me once more observe (the remarks are very important, or I would not repeat them), that, by the acknowledgment even of Mr. Strype himself, 1. This confession of faith was drawn up by Mr. Clement, at the desire of the imprisoned protestants in general:-2. That it was a declaration of their common belief:-3. That "Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Hooper, Rogers, Saunders, and Bradford, sealed the same" [i. e. the same doctrines which this confession asserts] with their own blood."— 4. That this confession "may be looked upon as an account of the belief of the protestants in the times of king Edward, and of the professors in those days." Would to God, that the same creed was as generally held, in the days that are now!

Mr. Clement, whose pen was particularly employed in this laudable service, has, in the concluding part of the above confession, an observation or two, respecting himself, which breathe almost the very spirit of an apostle, "I doe not depende upon the judgement of any man, further than the same dothe agree with the truc touchstone, which is the holye scriptures: wherein I thanke my Lorde God) I

have bene continuallye exercised, even from my youthe up; as they, that have knowne my bringynge up, can tell and some persecution I have suffered for the same. And now it hath pleased God to make me a prisoner, for the testimonye thereof: and I thynke, that shortelye I must give my life for it, and so confyrme it with my bloude; whiche thynge I am well contented to doe. And I moste heartelye thanke my Lorde Gode therefore: that is to saye, for this his specyall gifte of persecution for righteousness sake. And thoughe, for my synnes, God might justlye have condempned me to hell-fyre for ever, and also have caused me to suffre bothe shame and persecution in this lyfe, for evyll doynge; yet hathe he (of his greate mercye in Jesus Christe, according to his owne good will and purpose) dealte more mercyfulle with me: as to geve me this grace and favor in his sight, that I shall suffre persecution of the wicked, with his elect people, for the testymonye of his truthe (q)."

This was dated in April, 1556. The good man did not long survive. It was one of the last services, which he rendered to the church of God. He supposed, at the time of his writing the above, that he should very speedily be, literally, a burntoffering to Christ: and he was ready to become so. But God had determined otherwise. His "burning was prevented, by his death in prison: and he was buried at the back-side of the king's bench, in a dunghill, June 25, [1556]. Where two days before, one Adheral was buried, who likewise died in the same prison, and in the same cause. And, in the same prison and cause, five days after, died John Careless who was contumeliously buried where the two others were (r)." Precious, in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his saints.

(9) Strype, u. s. p. 223.

(r) Strype, ibid. p. 364.