nly and euidently spoken in this
matier? Thow dost clearely heare that thow takest awaye
saluacion if thow dost cut of the confession of the mouthe from
the beleif of the hart. Yea and the beleif of the harte is that
nature that it can not lye hydd / but must of necessite breake
forth to be confessed with the mouthe. Yf the confession of the
mouthe neadith not / neyther then shall ther neade ony
preachinge of the truithe. But the Apostles / bushopps and
faithfull martirs of Christ / when they preached euen amonge the
wicked / haue most bitterly condemned Idolatrie / and all
doctrine and worshipp which doth not agre with the holy
gospell / and affirmed that the gospell only dothe teache the
true worshipp of Godd. By that confession of mouthe they did
glorifie Godd / they did disanull Iudaisme and paganisme / and
did erecte many holy congregracions throughe the worlde / which
by holdinge their peace and keapinge the true faith within their
harte they shuld neuer haue edified. Wherof euery man seith that
the confession of the mouthe is allwayes necessarie / and that
it is required of euery one of vs. The notable examples also of
the excellent seruauntes of Godd contayned in the scriptures do
teache the same.

[[1. Reg. 19.]]

That same gret prophet of Godd Helias was ones of that mynde
that he only of all the true worshippers of Godd was lefte alyue
vppon the earthe. But he hearith euen of the lord hymself / which
sayeth / I haue lefte me seuen thousand in Israel / of which
neuer man bowed his knee vnto Baal nor Kyssed hym with his
mouthe. Heere is nothinge spoken of the secret faithe of the
harte / but of the outward fruites of true faithe. For theis wer
outward thinges / to bowe the knees vnto Baal / and to kisse his
Image with their mouth. It is saied that they did not theis
thinges / and therfor are they taken for true and veray
worshippers of Godd. The lorde / if he hadd thoughte that which
theise our men do thincke / he might haue made mencion of the
faithe of the harte without the outward confession / especially
seing thos tymes wer so daungerous that Helias himself did flie
into the wildernes. But the lord doth praise in his faithfull
the outwarde confession / which was made in worcke / rather then
in wordes. Wherfor we must shew forthe the faith of the harte
both by deedes and wordes / after the exeample of theise seuen
thowsande confessors whom God doth praise. We must not goo vnto
vnholy assemblees / we