Paragraph 15.1

1. Christ is truly, and perfectly righteous.

2. All men besides Christ, though regenerate, be sinners.

The proofe from Gods word.

That Christ was pure from sinne, it is abundantly to be seene in the holy Scriptures. For

Hee was both conceiued,^a and borne without sinne;^b

Hee appeared to loose,^c but not to fulfill, the workes of Satan.

He liued, and was tempted, yet without sinne,^d and did no sinne^e knewe no sinne;^f nor had any sinne in him.^g

He died a guiltlesse and iust man, euen by the testimonie of Paul,^h Peterⁱ Stephen,^j yea of his advsrsarie, and iudge, Pilate.^*

As ours, such is the confessions of the purer Churches.

Errors & Adversaries to this truth.

Cursed therefore before God are the Iewes, which said that

Christ was a violator of the Sabboth,

That hee taught,^k being not lawfully authorized therevnto.^l

That he forbad tribute to be giuen vnto Caesar.^m

That hee was the destroyer of the law.ⁿ

That he ouerthrew all religion, and moued the commons vnto rebellion.^o

In this state with the Iewes are

The Marcionites, which said that he dissolued the Law, the Prophets, and all the workes of God.^†

The Saturnians, which blazed that his comming into the world was, to ouerthrow the God of the Angels.^‡

Our newe Heretikes, viz. Matthew Hamant in England, which divulged that Christ was a sinfull man, and an abominable Idol;⁴ and Leonardus Vairus, among the Papists, which hath written that Christ was Veneficus, or a common poisoner of men, and women.⁵

The proofe from Gods word.

All mē either be regenerate, or vnregenerate, the vnregenerate be all sinners, vnrighteous,⁶ & sin in whatsoeuer they do.⁷

The regenerate also be not without their sinnes, both originall,⁸ and actuall.⁹

Besides, there is no man iust in the earth, that doth good, and sinneth not, saith the preacher,^p yee cannot doe the same things that ye would:^q Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners, of whome I am cheife, saith S. Paul.^r

In many things we sinne all; is S. Iames saying,^s and S. Iohn, If we say we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues, & the truth is not in vs.^t

Pray therefore, Forgiue vs our debts.^u

A truth beleeued and confessed by all Churches, expressedly by some.¹⁰

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

Many adversaries hath this truth had, and hath; as the Papists, the Manichies, the Catharans, the Donatists, the Pelagians, Familie of Loue: Marcionites, Adamites, and Carpocratians. For

The Papists say that the blessed virgin was pure from all sinne, both Originall,¹¹ and actuall. For (these are their owne wordes)

Our Lady neuer sinned.¹²

Our Lady sinned not so much as venially in all her life:¹³ she exactly fulfilled the whole Law, that is, was without sinne.¹⁴

Also of S. Francis they write, that for virtue, and Godlines he was like vnto Christ; and hath fulfilled euery iot of the Law.¹⁵

The Manichies,¹⁶ and Catharans,¹⁷ thought, they could not sinne so much as in thought.

The Donatists dreamed how they were so perfect, as they could iustifie other men.¹⁸

Some were of opinion, as the Pelagians,¹⁹ and Familie of Loue,²⁰ how they were so free from sinne, as they needed not to say, Forgiue vs our trespasses. Which Familie also teacheth, how there be men liuing as good, and as holy, as euer Christ was. An error of Christopher Vitels,²¹ a cheife Elder in the said Familie: and that

Hee which is a Familist, is either as perfect as Christ, or els a very Deuill.²²

Some deemed themselues as pure as Paul, Peter, or any men, as the Marcionites;²³ yea, as Adam, and Euah before their fal, as the Adamites,²⁴ yea as Iesus Christ himselfe, as the Carpocratians.²⁵