man being God from all eternity in due time he also was made man When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Son made of a woman Galath 4 4. This woman was called Mary which is the same name with Miriam as it is written in the Old Testament When she conceived and bare Christ she was a pure Virgin Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Sonne and shall call his name Immanuel that is being interpreted God with us Isai 7. 14. It was prophesied of Christ who was conceived and Born of a Virgin Matth. 1. 22 23. It was not by the concurrence of man but by the Power of the Holy Ghost that Christ was conceived in the Wombe of his Mother That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost said the Angel to Ioseph Mat. 1. 20. And so the Angel told the blessed Virgin The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee c. Luke 1. 35. Therefore Christ was holy from his very Birth and Conception alltogether free from that originall pollution which others being conceived and borne after the ordinary course of Nature draw from Adam and bring into the world with them as David confessed of himself Psal 51. 5. That therefore Iob 254. How can man be clean that is born of a woman that I say is meant of such as are borne after the usuall manner by naturall generation it extends not unto Christ whose birth was extraordinary and above nature As the Virgin did corporally conceive bear Christ in her womb so must we spiritually conceive and bear him in our hearts My little Children of whom I travell in birth again untill Christ be formed in you said Paul to the Galatians Gal. 4. 19. And Christ pointing at his Disciples said Behold my mother and my brethren For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother Matth. 12. 49 50. Of Christs Passion or suffering Suffered under Pontius Pilate Christs whole life was a continuall suffering his very Incarnation was a Passion For him who was God blessed for ever to take upon him the nature of man for him who was Lord of all to take upon him the forme of a servant this was a great and wonderfull suffering So whiles hee lived hee was never free from suffering Being newly born he was laid in a Manger there being no room for him in the Inn where he was Luke 2. 7. Eight dayes after his Birth he was circumcised Luke 2. 21. Soon after he was persecuted by Herod and was fain to be carried into Egypt to escape the danger he was in Matth. 2. 13 14 15. Of the rest of Christs life untill hee was about thirty yeares old Luke 3. 23. the Scripture speaks but little it being not so necessary for us to know Yet thus much it tells us plainly of him that he was subject to Joseph and Mary Luke 2. 51. And it intimates unto us that Christ did exercise the Trade that Ioseph his Mothers husband was of For whereas it is said Matth. 13. 55. that some did say of him Is not this the Carpenters son S. Mark relates it Is not this the Carpenter Mark 6. 3. Which implies that as Ioseph his supposed Father was a Carpenter so he also for a while did follow the same Trade After that he came abroad to shew himselfe to the world and to execute the Office for which he was sent how was he opposed by the Scribes and Pharisees and such as could not endure the holinesse of his Life and Doctrine Besides he still lived a mean and despicable kinde of life Though he were rich yet for our sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8. 9. Even so poor that others did minister to him of their substance Luke 8. 3. And whereas the Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests he had not where to lay his head Luk. 9. 58. Thus was Christ continually suffering all his life long but the things that he suffered at the last at and immediately before his death were such and so great that they peculiarly are called his Passion or Suffering And this is that which is here said Suffered under Pontius Pilate This Pontius Pilate was Governour of Iudea under Tiberius the Romane Emperour to whom the Jews were then subject See Luke 3. 1. Pilate was the Judge that gave sentence upon Christ and condemned him as all the Evangelists record And even forraign Writers as namely Josephus a Jew and Tacitus a heathen testifie that Christ was put to death by Pontius Pilate But the Scripture relates as more fully what Christ suffered to wit how he was buffetted spit upon reviled scourged crowned with Thorns c. so also why he suffered to wit not for any offence that he had done no Pilate himself as the Evangelists shew did divers times declare him to bee innocent but for our sins which he was to beare and to satisfie for He bare our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. Him that knew no sinne God made sinne for us 2 Corinth 5. 21. Surely he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep went astray turning every one to his owne course and the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isai 53. 5 6. Of Christs crucifying Was crucified Here follows now more particularly after what manner Christ suffered He was Crucified that is nailed alive to the Crosse and so did hang untill hee were dead So the History of the Gospel shews and hence the Crosse of Christ is so much spoken of in the Scripture This kinde of punishment was not in use among the Jewes untill they came under the power of the Romans with whom it was frequent It was a punishment both full of pain and also full of ignominie onely such as were of meanest rank and vilest Malefactors were wont to have this punishment inflicted on them why Christ suffered on the Crosse yet as painfull and ignominious as it was Christ was content to suffer it for our sakes Yea it was a cursed kinde of punishment and therefore Christ submitted unto it to free us from the curse which by reason of our sinnes was due unto us Christ saith S. Paul hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal 3. 13. And Phil. 2. 8 he exaggerates Christs humiliation by this that he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Of Christs Death Dead The Wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23 Not onely the first death the separation of the soul from the bodie but also the second death the damnation both of soul and body as appears by the
David that he is both dead and buryed and his Sepulchre remaineth with us unto this day Acts 2. 29. By Davids sepulchre remaining with them unto that day he means that David was left in Hell and therefore when he said Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell did not speak of himself but of Christ and of his resurrection Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loyns according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in Hell nor his flesh did see corruption Verse 30. and 31. Now if such a Hell be meant as in which David was left and such a Hell we must understand if we will make S. Peters argument good then can it not be the Hell of the Damned the place of torment for David was not left in that Hell he never was in it being none of the Reprobate to whom alone that Hell appertaineth Further it appears rather by Scripture that when Christ dyed as his body went to the earth so his soul went to Heaven and therefore not to Hell as it signifies the place of the Damned This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise said Christ to the beleeving Thiefe that was crucified with him Luke 23. 43. now by Paradise is meant the third Heaven the place of Blisse and Happinesse as appears 2 Cor. 12. 2. compared with 4. These reasons are sufficient to evince that by Hell here in the Creed and so in those places of Scripture upon which this Article is grounded is not meant the Hell of the Damned But may some say what is then meant by it I answer the estate of the dead or the power of death is meant by Hell and the meaning of the Article is that Christ so humbled himself as that for a while he was in the estate of the dead and under the power of death though as David prophesied of him he did not long continue in that estate but was soon delivered out of it Christ being risen from the dead saith the Apostle dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. That intimates that for some time though but a short time Christ was under the power of death and it had dominion over him This power and dominion of death whereby it having separated the soul from the bodie keeps it still in that state of separation untill the body be raised up and the soule and it re-united together this I say is that which is meant by Hell when Christs descending into Hell or his not being left in Hell is spoken of The words in the Originall which are translated Hell Sheol Hades do not properly and directly signifie Hell as taken for the place of Torment but they signifie either the grave or the power of death and the estate of the dead in generall whether their souls be in the place of torment or in the place of comfort And thus our English word Hell is sometimes used As Psa 89. 48. in the old vulgar Translation which is in the Book of Common Prayer What man is hee that liveth and shall not see death and shall he deliver his soul from the hand of Hell The Interrogation hath the force of a strong Negation and the meaning is that certainly there is no man living that shall not see death none that shal deliver his soul frō the hand of Hell that is either of the grave as our last translation hath it or of the power of death For it were absurd there to understand the Hell of the Damned many through Christ being delivered from that Hell And so Revel 20. 14. where it is said Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of fire by Hell cannot be meant the Hell of the Damned for that is meant by the Lake of fire but the Power and Dominion of death is meant which after the resurrection there spoken of shall have no place any where but in that Lake of fire which is there called The second death Of Christs rising from the dead The third day he rose again from the dead After Christs humiliation followed his exaltation the first step and degree whereof was his Resurrection or rising from the dead That Christ rose from the dead all the Evangelists have diligently recorded and the Apostles diligently preached See Acts 1. 22. and 4 33. and 1 Cor. 15. 4 15. This Article of Christs rising from the dead is of such concernment that S. Paul sayes If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vaine and your faith is also vain 1 Cor. 15 14. And again vers 17. If Christ be not risen your faith is in vain you are yet in your sinnes Reasons why Christ rose from the dead It was necessary that Christ though hee dyed and was buryed and remained a while under the power of death yet should rise again 1. For the fulfilling of the Scriptures For it was written of him that his soul should not be left in Hell nor his flesh see corruption Psal 16. 10. Therefore there was a necessity of his rising from the dead as S. Peter sheweth Acts 2. 24. 25 c. Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it For David speaketh concerning him c. So elsewhere in the Old Testament Christ is spoken of as abiding for ever Psal 110. 4. Dan. 7. 13 14. Which did not import as some erroniously conceived John 12. 32 33 34. that Christ should not die but that hee should not remain dead but be raised up and live for ever O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have written Ought not Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory Luke 24. 25 26. So spake Christ to some who startled at his death and when they were told of his resurrection were slow to beleeve it And in that same Chapter verse 45 46. it is said that comming to his Apostles He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day 2. To make it appear that by his death he had fully satisfied for our sinnes and wrought out our redemption for us Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. We trusted that it had been he that should have redeemed Israel Luk. 24. 21. So they spake who knew Christ to have been dead but doubted of his rising again They did before expect redemption by him but now they had small hope of it And indeed if Christ had onely dyed and not risen from the dead all hope in him might well have dyed with him But Blessed be God and the Father of our
Church invisible Again the Church as here upon earth is either visible or invisible The visible Church consists of all such as are outwardly called and make an outward profession of the Gospell Many are called with an outward calling but few are chosen Mat. 22. 14. So that in the visible Church are as well wicked as righteous as well Hypocrites as sincere Professors The visible Church is compared to a Net wherin are both good fishes and bad Matth. 13. 47 48 49. But the invisible Church consists onely of such as are that indeed which they professe themselves to be true Beleevers being chosen of God and called not onely outwardly but also inwardly and effectually called of God according to his purpose Rom. 8. 28. The Church as it consisteth of these is called invisible because it appears not unto men who can onely see the outward profession that is made but the sincerity of the heart they cannot see that is known onely unto God 1 Kings 8. 39. And therefore the Lord onely knows who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. The Church particular and the Church universall or Catholike Again the Church is either particular or universall A particular Church is a company of such as professe the Gospell in one particular place Thus we read of the Church at Jerusalem Acts 8. 1. The Church at Antioch Act. 13. 1. the Church at Cenchreâ— Rom. 16. 1. the Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 2. the Church in the house of Aquila and Pâ—isâ—illa Rom. 16. 3 5. The Church in the house of Nymphas Col. 4. 15. the Church in the house of Philemon Philem. v. 2. 1 Cor 16. 19. Gal. 1. 2 Rev. 1. 11. Thus there are many particular Churches The Vniversall Church is the whole company of Beleevers thorowout the world Vnto the Church which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be saints there 's a particular Church with all that in every place call upon the Name of Iesus Christ c. 1 Cor. 1. 2. there 's the universall Church So that there 's but one universall Church which comprehends all particular Churches in it And this is that which is called the Catholike Church What the word Catholike doth import For Catholike is a word derived from the Greek and signifies as much as universall or generall The Epistle of Iames is called the gerall Epistle so both the Epistles of Peter and the first Epistle of John and the Epistle of Jude In the Greek it is the word from which is derived this word Catholike Those Epistles are called Catholike or Generall Epistles because they were written to all in generall and not either to particular persons as to Timothy Titus c. or to particular Churches as to the Romanes Corinthians c. How the Church is called holy Now the Church is called Holy First because all that are outwardly and visibly of the Church are called to be holy 1 Cor. 1. 2. and 1 Thess 4. 7. And do professe holinesse 1 Tim. 2. 10. And secondly because all that are indeed of the Church are holy They that are of tâ—e Church triumphant are perfectly holy they are made perfect Hebr. 12. 23. And they that are of the Church militant are also holy in some measure though not in full measure You are washed you are sanctified c. 1 Corinth 6. 11. As for such as are altogether unsanctified they are rather in the Church then of the Church like a wooden Legge that is outwardly joyned unto the body but is indeed no part of it They went out from us but they were not of us c. saith S. Iohn of some 1 Ioh. 2. 19 who for a while were outwardly joyned to the Church but afterward fell off so shewed that they were not then indeed of it when they were in it So S. Paul saith All are not Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9. 6. that is all are not the people of God indeed who are such by outward Profession and so seem to be of them Therefore all must take heed of resting in a bare profession of faith and be sure that they have faith indeed and so be joyned unto Christ Who is the Head of the Body the Church Coloss 1. 18. And our union with Christ must appear by our conformitie unto Christ He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe to walk even as hee walked 1 John 2. 6. Of the communion of Saints The communion of Saints By Saints are meant holy ones of such onely doth the Church indeed consist as is before shewed Some think that there are no Saints but in Heaven which is a grosse conceit for though all that are in Heaven are Saints yet all that are Saints are not in Heaven there are Saints also on earth as well as in heaven although not such compleat and perfect Saints Heaven being a place that admits of no sin whereas there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. But holinesse may be true holinesse as it is called Ephes 4. 24. although it be imperfect David speaks expresly of the saints that are upon the earth Psal 16. 3. Paul saith that he went to Jerusalem to administer to the saints Rom. 15. 25. And he told the Philippians that all the Saints did salute them especially they of Caesars houshold Philip. 4. 22. And indeed the Saints are seldome mentioned in Scripture but the Saints on earth are meant Now that there is a communion or which is all one a * The same word that is rendred communioÌ„ 1 Cor. 10. 16. and 2 Cor. 13. 14. is rendred fellowship Phil. 2. 1. and 1 Ioh. 1. 3. fellowship of Saints we may see by that of S. Iohn That which we have seen and heard declare wee unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ 1 Iohn 1. 3. Which words also shew that the Saints have communion or fellowship with God with Christ and with one another The saints have communioÌ„ with God 1. The Saints have communion with God hee being peculiarly their God and they peculiarly his people he their Father and they his Children Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. The wicked may have an outward formall Communion with God by partaking of his Ordinances but the Saints onely have inward and spirituall communion with him They Worship God in Spirit Phil. 3. 3. Their prayer goeth not out of fained lips Psal 17. 1. And as they draw nigh unto God so doth God draw nigh unto them Ian 4. 8. He is nigh unto them in all that they call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. For he is