Iesus are sealed vp vnto Eternall life If he reply these places and many moe doe teach necessarily Eternall life but his meaning was that the phrase of Eternall life was not vsed of Moses Thereto I answere so the Sadducie may denie all the artificiall tearmes of Diuinity which the Prophets Apostles all haue introduced in the wisedome of Gods spirit And so he may carpe at all Religion at euery mans writing contending about Tearmes till he haue forgotten the thing and matter it selfe This Eternall life is a full fruition of God all glorious * 1. Iohn 3. 2. seeing him as he is and enioying that sight for euermore When Satan sayd Yee shal be as Aelohim Gen. 3. he spoke as did Caiphas a truth against his purpose vnderstanding For God that called Light out of Darknesse hath out of Death fetched Life yea such a Life as whereby euery of the Saued shal be as God though not God by God his beeing so all in all Vnto this Eternall life is opposite eternall Death This prouided for the Diuell and his Angels and all misbeleiuers as the former prouided for true Beleiuers vnited to their Head Christ. The Diuell and his are thrust out of the Creed because thrust out from the presence of Gods glory Let them all that would partake in that Glory labour their assurance thereof by a true working Fayth I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleife Amen Such hath been and such is my Fayth Whatse're the close Seducer sayth The sundry Bookes I erst haue writ To all the world will witnesse it Erubescas nonnè Satana Epilogue to the Christian Reader OVr Sauiour hauing to doe with the Sadducies who admitted no other Scripture for Canonicall sauing the writinges of Moses hee by Moses answereth them as being sufficient for proouing any Article of Fayth which had in after times been taught by the Prophets Himselfe or his Apostles seeing Himselfe came but to fulfill the Law which caused Isaiah to bid his Hearers Goe to the Law as the Apostles were interpretours of Law and Prophets Nor for other purpose was it that our Sauiour sayd thus to the Jewes Had yee beleeued Moses yee would haue beleeued mee John 5. 46. 47. for he wrote of mee But if yee beleeue not his writinges How shall yee beleeue my words The matters of Saluation were perfect in Moses howsoeuer there was more light in the expositions of the Prophets and most light in the labours of the Apostles Wherevpon I conclude that nothing is to be held for an Article of Religion as essentiall vnto Saluation which cannot be made good out of Moses Which one lesson if it had been well learned it had preuented the manifold Schismes which a number run into partly about Quiddities touching the Godhead partly about Externall forme of Church discipline and partly about Ceremonies of order and comlynes by such meanes violating the Fayth breaking the bondes of peace and loue wrathfully eger about circumstaunces euery Sect in their humour till substaunce of Fayth and the groundes of Charitie be neglected tything with the Pharises Mynts and Anise at the best neglecting meane times Barútera tou nomou the waightier thinges of the Law as Iudgement Mercie and Fidelitie while thus one doth bite another one is consumed of another Manasses eating vp Ephraim and Ephraim Manasses Galat. 5. 5. Isa. 9. 20. 21. and both against Judah The Lord redresse it and giue vs grace to do all thinges in loue Amen PRay for mee Friends pray for my constancie That in true Faith Clapham may liue die So shall his life and death be for thy good While some sticke vp vnto the knees in Mudde Feeding on earth digging with Moâ—es to hell God do encrease our Fayth and Loue. Farewell Pergite ¶ To the fainting Friend Thou weary art of doing good Though I the same to losse of Blood Reward is ioyn'd with Constancy When Iudgment whips Apostacy Memor esto vnde excideris Resipisce ¶ To the Enemie Do wring and wrest do rayle and rend Yet I will blesse vnto the end Domine ne statuas Ei hoc peccatum FINIS The Printer The Auther being a farre off some faults may haue passed mee I pray you impute them to meere ignoraunce
AN ABSTRACT OF FAYTH Grounded on Moses and applyed to the Common Creede plainely and briefly By Henoch Clapham in the beginning of his third yeares bands Heb. 11. 6. He that commeth vnto God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Mark 9. 23. All thinges are possible to him that beleeueth Bernard Lib. 5. de Considerat Fides ambiguum non habet aut si habet Fidem non est sed opinio Fayth admits no doubt for if it do then it is not Fayth but opinion Printed 1606. TO THE THRICE-Excellent HENRIE Prince of Wales c. PArdon sweet Prince pardon my bold present The Hope we haue your Excellencie shall Proue to our Church a matchlesse Instrument For Gospels good and Superstitions fall That and some Grace vouchsafed to my bands Emboldens mee to giue this to your hands Some scandalized haue my Christian Fayth That so hood-winked Maiestrates may bee Though skils not much what Papal-mynor saith Yet duety mine to cause hood-wink't to see This may reproue such fore-heads as be flinted my faith b'ing such as Scotland somtimes printed Yea Priuiledged by our King An. 1595. 96. England's state haue licensed the same The selfesame faith sparsed throuhgout my bookes Which here I properly An Abstract name And vnto Moses for the tryall lookes The methode hath my prisond-sense for mensure But read sweet Prince then giue out your sensure Your Graces poore Orator Henoch Clapham AN ABSTRACT OF FAYTH c. TO the end that no soule in Court or Country be peruerted touching the trueth of my Fayth by the vnconscionable reportes of some incorrigible * Seorsiâ— ducentes Seducers I offer heere to Prince and People a summe of my Fayth with euident proofe from Moses for the groundes thereof And thus with Auncient Beleeuers I begin SECTION 1. ¶ I beleeue in God the Father Almighty maker of heauen and earth BEleife is manifold according to the thing beleiued be it true or false for false beleife it is compared to a man dreaming of Gold but being awaked he findeth a lye in his right hand As for true beleife it ouer-reacheth Fancie and Opinion and is a perswasion setled vpon Trueth as when one beleiueth rightly on God and the thinges of and from God And so Beleife or Fayth generally considered is a true assent to that which is be it a thing of Promise or Narration For much haue they erred that teach how all Fayth respecteth a promise a Heb. 11. 3 Through Fayth we vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God as Moses declareth in the first of Genesis which is a thing of Narration not of Promise seeing the world had his existence before man therefore could not be promised to man Touching Fayth apprehending a Promise it is twofold according to the nature of the Promise and that is Eternall or Temporary as it apprehendeth thinges of eternall abyding nature or things that be but momen taine b 2. Cor. 4. 18. This latter being of thinges visible such as Moses describeth in the sixe dayes creation The other of things inuisible and spirituall such as in the sacramentall Tree of life was taught to Adam in Gen. 2. When I say I beleeue in God for euery soule must beleeue for it selfe it is as if in moe words I should say I rest and build vpon God in all my thoughtes words and deedes The Latine therefore is not Credo in Deo but in Deum I beleeue vpon God Which God Moses deliuereth vnto vs in his first speach when he sayth God created the heauens and the earth in the beginning The Onenesse of his Essence he teacheth in the word Bara Hee created that is Hee the one God and in the Noune Aelohim of plurall Nomber signifiyng Mighties he insinuateth the Trinitie of Persons as if the words should run thus Hee the Mighties did create Which Trinitie was not obscurely represented in the three Angels repayring to Abraham the father of true Beleeuers and in the clearest Scriptures they be tearmed * Math. 28. 1. Iohn 5. Father Sonne and Holy-ghost or Father Word and Spirit Which Moses deliuereth euidently inough if scales hung not vpon our eyes when he teacheth that one God to create heauens and earth by his Word and the Spirits motion vpon the face of the creature With curious Scholastique poynts touching the sacred Trinitie in vnitie Moses dealeth not to open view neither doth this auncient Creed of the Christian Church The first Churches were satisfied with that measure of Fayths-confession which our times will not admit So wrathfull vncharitable be our times learned of the man of Sinne. The first most notorious Schisme in the Church did grow from the curious search which curious spirits did make after the bottomlesse depth of this vnitie in Trinitie thereby adding to the Creed But the secret things sayth Moses in Deut. 29. 29. belong to the Lord and to the Lord I leaue the secrets of the Godhead as the auncient Church of God hath done before me Touching this one God it is to be beleeued first that he is a Father Secondly an Almighty Father His Fatherhood is twofold First as he hath Created man secondly as he hath Purchased man after his backsliding from the excellencie of his Creation Both these Moses doth remember in Deut. 32. 6. when as he sayth Is he not thy Father that hath purchased thee He hath made thee 2. Chro. 3. 17. and proportioned thee These two Fatherhoods are to be Pillers to euery Temple of the Holy-ghost as * Jachin signifieth Stablished and Boaz in strength Jachin and Boaz were Pillers to the materiall Temple The Almightinesse of God is taught of Moses in the very terme Aelohim as before and vnto Abraham he is called El-shadaj Almightie-sufficient because no soule ought to doubt as not of his goodwill seeing he is a Father so neither of his Might and sâ—fficiencie for bringing to passe whatsoeuer he willeth in heauen or in earth specially for mankinds good Whence it necessarily followeth that no part of my Fayth is to be fastned vpon Angell or Man or any other Creature be he as bigge as Behemoth Iob. 40. or as scaly as Leuiathan seeing the greatest might and strength of the creature is not so much as a Mite to a Mountaine as also but borowed of the Creator to be drawen backe as breath is out of the nosethrils euen at his pleasure * Hebr. 11. 28 29. Moses by Fayth in this willing Almighty-sufficiencie did ordaine the Pas-ouer and effusion of blood least he that destroyed the first borne in Aegipt should touch them of the Churche Exod 12. And his people by this Fayth passed through the Red sea as by dry-land which when the Aegiptians assaied to doe they were drowned Exod. 14. Nor doe I beleeue that our late passage through the Red sea of humaine blood mixed in conceipt with Fire and Gunpowder did
Beleife that euery true Christian hath First touching Remission of sinnes a benefite in this life afforded to euery penitent beleiuer Secondly two benefites after this life the Resurrection of the flesh and Eternall life Remission of Sinnes bringeth necessarily with it First that euery Christian is a Sinner Secondly the meanes whereby such forgiuenes of sinnes be had Thirdly the effect which such Remission hath in the heart of euery true beleiuer 1 That we are Sinners that is Not doers of the Law 1. Iohn 3. 4. for Amartia is Anomia Sinne is a not-doing of the Law whether it be by Omyssion or Transgression it falleth out two wayes one by Originall sinne deriued Ex traduce from our first Parents Adam and Heuah for out of such a bitter Fountaine we can draw no sweete water Besides we are Sinners Actually that is by our owne immediate act wee hauing subscribed to the law of sinne in our members both by thought word worke One of these Actions much more both are sufficient for our arraignement and condemnation 2 The Meanes whereby we are freed of both these Criminations are onely the sufferinges of the Just for the vniust and that is the sufferings of Christ Jesus for vs seeing hee alone is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world we by his blood and by no other haue our garmentes and conuersation made white Our sinnes in the Law being resembled copiouslie by sundry pollutions and his cleansing of vs by his blood being resembled by the * Heb. 9. 21. c. blood of Animals sprinkling the Tabernacle and Alter there beeing without blood no Remission Which cannot otherwise be vnderstood by the penners of this Creed seeing no Angell or Man is in this Beleife introduced for a Sauiour in whole or in part but the Sonne of God solely who became Jesus the Sauiour and the Christ or Annoynted-one to this purpose The Manqueller in the Law Num. 32. 22. that was set free vpon the death of the Hie-priest did plainely figure out the deliueraunce of a penitent sinner by the death of our Hie-priest Iesus 3 The Effecteâ— which such Remission worketh in our hearts is Loue vnfeigned whereby we are ready to forgiue to our brethren the sinnes whereby they haue transgressed against vs euen as God hath freely forgiuen vs. Our sinnes towardes God being compared to Talents and our brethrens towards vs being assimilated to Pence Which Forgiuenesse at Gods hand as it is dayly and oft in a day so we are thereby inuited to do the like towards our neighbour To God we are to pray for their Remission though them selues doe it not and we are in Gods name to pronounce it vnto them so oft as they shall turne backe and say It repenteth mee Herevpon it is that Moses introduceth Josephs brethren saying Forgiue now the trespasse of thy brethren and their sinne Whereto Joseph replyed Feare not for am I not vnder God as if he should say Feare not my laying of your sinne vnto your charge for as I am subiect vnto God so I as freely forgiue you as he hath forgiuen to mee my trespasses Genes 50. 17. c. Nor did the Law of Sin-offrings vrge lesse Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen Psal. 32. 1. 2. and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie Lord for thy Sonnes sake forgiue vs our sinnes Section 7. ¶ Resurrection of the Flesh. THe Church being considered as afore with the mayne benefite she reapeth at Gods hand in this life which is Remission of sinnes now follow two benefites after this life The first is Resurrection of the body and the second is Life eternall ensuing The Resurrection of the body is that which the Sadducies denied as Familistes amongst vs. And how doth our Sauiour prooue it From these wordes of Moses in Exod. 3. 6. where the Lord sayth I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Jaakob From whence he thus concludeth Math. 22. 32 God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing as if he had sayd in moe words neither Abraham nor Isaac nor Jaakob was onely soule but also body and therefore the Lord saying hee is their God it must necessarily follow that he was the God both of body and soule Which neither could be except the body liued to him in the assuraunce of Resurrection for being vnited to the soule in endlesse glory This stopped the mouthes of them Sadducies and I pray God also the consideration thereof may stoppe the mouthes of our Semi-atheistes denyers of the bodyes resurrection flowted of naturall Philosophers in Athens but prescisely taught of the Apostle and that with a difference of Glory in the resurrection as there is a difference of glory betweene the Sunne Moone and Starres As for the * Compare Math. 20. 1. with Chap. 21. 33. Parable of the Workemen called into the Vineyard at the sixt ninth and eleauenth hower and each receiuing a penny that medleth nothing in proprietie with the kingdome of Glory but with the kingdome of Grace in this life where the last namely the Gentile so well as Israel the first receiueth the earnest-penny of saluation which is the spirit of Adoption the spirit of our Mediatour Jesus a sufficient recompence to the first and last by the vertue of which * Rom. 8. 11. spirit our bodyes are raysed vp vnto Glory As for the Rising of the misbeleiuer it is but a rising to fall for as God will be none of their God so to the Diuell and his Angels they be referred and this is the finall Curse pronounced against the Lawes transgressers throughout all Moses Section 8. ¶ Life Euerlasting THe first benefite to the Church after this life was noted to be the Resurrection of the flesh The second and last is Eternall life both of body and soule Some like craftie smooth-faced Sadducies haue denied that Moses any where teacheth such Eternall life But I pray such Doctors to tell mee why the Lords speach to Moses which before prooued the bodyes Râ—surrection doth not also as necessarily prooue Eternall life If Jehouah be the God of Abraham and therefore whole Abraham must needes liue which cannot be if the body should not rise then his beeing the God of Abraham prooueth Euerlasting life to appertaine vnto whole Abraham seeing Jehouah liueth euerlastingly the God of Abraham And I would further know of the couetous Sadducie why is not Eternall life fitly necessarily and plainely taught of Moses in Genes 5. when as it is sayd that God translated Henoch from this world to himselfe And when Moses in Exod 32. 32. doth in his Zeale for Israel say thus to the Lord I pray thee rase mee out of thy Booke which thou hast written What Booke speaketh he off sauing of the Booke of life that contayneth the names only of such as through the Lord of life