A Brief and Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith

¶ The conclusion of that is aforesaid.

¶ The conclusion of that is aforesayde.

These things considered, I hope by the grace of God, that all men of a sound judgement, may easily know by the conference, aswell of the doctrine, as of the exterior government, on which side the verity of God doth stand, and what slanders they bring upon us, against all reason. Wherefore we require in the name of God, those which by ignorance hitherto have persecuted the innocents, to have more regard to them selves, and to the judgement of God, which is to come. If they be kings, Princes, or other noble and worshipful men, that they will so much the more be diligent to hear the verity, which only may make them long time & haply to reign: and also take heed of those which under a false semblance of Religion do abase and bring under the sceptres and crowns of kings, to their boods, hats, mitres, and crosses: yea so far as to make them serve to their insatiable covetousness and extreme cruelty. If ⟨p. 183⟩they be Judges and magistrates, let them consider for the honour of God, that when they shall come to render a count of their judgements, it shall be a poor defence or excuse for them against the wrath of God, to allege that they have hen but the ministers of the laws and statutes which them selves did not make. This is the excuse of such as do set other a work to shed innocent blood. If they be private persons, let them understand that where there is no understanding or godly knowledge to render a reason of his fact, there can be no zeal of God, but a very wilful rigour, for the which they shall give accounts. And at the least let them take the leisure to confer the lives of those upon whom they have been so cruel (without understanding) and what was their case with those other which have provoked them to be polluted with innocent blood: and by that means they shall judge the tree according to the fruit.

THese things consydered, I hope by the grace of God, that all men of a sounde iudgement, may easily know by the conference, aswell of the doctrine, as of the exterior gouernement, on which syde the verity of God doth stande, and what slanders they bring vpon vs, against all reason. Wherefore we requyre in the name of God, those which by ignorance hetherto haue persecuted the innocents, to haue more regarde to them selues, and to the iudgement of God, which is to come. If they be kinges, Princes, or other noble and worshypfull men, that they wyll so much the more bee dillygent to heare the verity, which only may make them long time & haply to raign: and also take héede of those which vnder a false semblance of Relygion doo abase and bring vnder the scepters and crownes of kinges, to theyr boods, hats, miters, and crosses: yea so far as to make them serue to their insatiable couetousnesse and extréeme crueltye. If