14. Where we may note that the resurrection is sayde to be a recompence and a rewarde for the iust And surely so it is for otherwise the Lord might seeme to be vniust which many times doeth not here reward the Godly as he hath promised nor punish the vniust as he hath threatned them And if we trust in Christ only in this life we are sayth Paul of all men most miserable We hope therefore for another life and this is in the resurrection this is our ioy comfort I see then no cause why mē should be so sory to dye and depart frō this world seeing a better world is kept in store for thē I come to the newe Testament In the 6 of Iohn our Sauiour hath a notable place to confirme this matter vnto vs. Our Sauiour in that place speaketh of both the resurrections the one from sinne in this life in the 25. verse that the dead should heare his voyce that is they that were in minde and fayth dead should nowe heare his Gospel and be renewed vnto repentance and so liue a newe life This seemed a strange doctrine to the Iewes and they wondered all at it Our Sauiour then goeth farther with them telleth them of more strange things then these saying Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done ill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Martha a woman was wel perswaded of this article for she did beleeue that her brother Lazarus shoulde be raysed vp at the last day Iohn 11. Againe if all nations shall bee gathered together before Christ then all shall rise that they may bee iudged otherwise he can not be sayde to be the iudge of quicke and dead Neyther doth the remayning of some aliue till the latter day hinder this position but that all shall rise For they that dyd neuer die shall bee raysed vp with newe bodies which change shall be as the rysing from the dead for hauing weake and corruptible bodies they shal be glorified and made heauenly bodies If we consider the power of God whereby he is able to do all things euen what he list and greater thinges then wee can imagine then this will not seeme hard or absurde vnto vs. We doe beleeue and confesse that he is almightie in the first article and therfore we must needes confesse that hee can doe it as easily as he raysed vp the bodie of Christ wherein he hath giuen the assurance of the whole Church And he that made al things of nothing at the first by his onely worde is able also nowe to bring to passe that of dust and earth shall bodies be raysed vp againe Saint Paul coulde not bee brought from this perswasion by any meanes eyther by feare or displeasure of the Sadduces or of Agrippa or Festus but he protested that he had hope towarde God that the resurrection of the dead which dyd seeme an incredible thing vnto thē Act. 26. shoulde bee both of iust and vniust Act. 24. The hope of this resurrectiō made Saint Paul as it shoulde doe vs to do his duetie roundly for herein saieth he I endeuour my selfe to haue alwayes a cleare conscience towarde God and toward men For verely for this cause doe many men make shipwracke of fayth and conscience in their actions and affayres of this life because they haue quite forgottē this day of the resurrection wherein an account must be giuen not onely of wicked deedes and blasphemous wordes but of euery idle worde spoken as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 12. If wee woulde consider this howe wee must all stande naked before the hie tribunall seate of Christ Iesus it woulde surely make vs to tremble to quake euery veine and ioynt in vs when we thinke vpon it The day shal be fearefull and terrible I hope there is no man among vs that doubteth of the certaintie of this day although the day and houre it selfe be knowen to no man And this is to make vs alwayes to be in a readinesse for it For it shal come vpon a sudden 1. Thes 5. I should be long and ouer tedious and not seeme to write a Lecture to exhort teach but rather a treatise to conuince the aduersarie and wicked if I shoulde recken vp all the places that here myght be brought for the confirmation of this doctrine Let these therefore for this time suffice and if the diligent reader be disposed to see moe let him reade the 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians there he shall haue a goodly discourse handling of this whole matter of set purpose Paul prouing the resurrection by many reasons both diuine and humane and shewing moreouer with what qualities conditions and properties the bodies of the faythfull shall be raysed vp where he also answereth the obiections that may bee made to the contrary I conclude this part with the wordes of Saint Paul to the Philippians the thirde Chapter Let our conuersation be in heauen frō whence we looke for the sauiour euē the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euē to subdue al things vnto him selfe In these words he sheweth that Gods power is able to doe this and although our bodies bee vile they shall bee made fayre againe trees seeme to be dead and rotten in the winter which in the spring time come forth most florishingly with their fruite in due season so it is in the resurrection This made the fathers so carefully to burie the dead with their balmes odours knowing they should appeare againe Last of all I referre you to the 2. Pet. 7. Chap. Reue. 20. where this resurrection is most liuely as in a table before your eyes described It followeth in the second place to see to what ende this great resurrection shall be We haue seene the efficient and chiefe caus of this resurrection to be the power of God mightily woorking in him selfe The fourme of it is the ioyning and vniting together of the body soule for euer and the matter wherein this doeth stande is the soule and body of man which must bee repayred againe being once corrupted by sinne in our first grandfather Adam and also in vs his children springing of the same corrupt roote with him The finall cause why this resurrection shall bee is of two sortes the one is in the respect of the good and godly men who haue liued here in the feare of the Lord to his honour and glorie in these he will shewe his exceeding great mercie in making them vessels of honour to serue him whome he will rewarde with euerlasting life which yet notwithstanding they haue not of duetie deserued as the Papists say but in mercie doeth the Lorde bestowe it
that hath made all for vs as good seruantes should be more carefull of their masters honour profite thē of their own Nowe let vs giue thankes to such a God that hath vouchsafed to giue vs faith to beleeue in him being so mightie a God and we so lowe and base children so mercifull a father vnto vs notwithstanding we are vnthankefull sonnes to him And let vs praye vnto him to confirme this faith and to encrease it in vs euery day till we come to a perfect man in Iesus Christ Let vs desire of him to giue vs grace to behold this his wonderful and diuine worke of his creation wherin hee hath shewed his wisedome power mercy and iustice vnto al men that we may magnifie it as it doth require worthyly with our heartes and set forth his honour and glory in these thinges with thankes giuing for all his benefites seeing they appertayne vnto vs our bodyes and soules which are fed and nourished by them This grace and mercy let vs desire him to continewe vnto vs for his Christes sake our sauiour who hath dearly bought vs to whom with the holy ghost his infinit power three persons and one euerliuing God bee rendred all power prayse glory honour and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euer Amen The seconde Lecture vpon the creede which is vpon the seconde article And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was conceiued by the holy Ghost WE haue seene in the first article going before the thinges which we haue to beleeue as concerning God the father in his creation now followeth consequently what we haue to beleeue of God the sonne Iesus Christ as concerning his incarnation and all the benefites of his death and passion which is the second part of the creede as we deuided it And here in this article you must vnderstande and repeate as in the former so in this also I beleeue in Iesus Christ that is I trust in him and put my whole confidence in him that hee is my onely sauiour and that God will for his sake forgiue me all my sinnes For it is not sufficient to beleeue in God the father to know him vnlesse we also beleeue in his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde and knowe him also As Iohn repeating the wordes of our sauiour Christ saith This is life eternal that they know thee to be the onely very God whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. So that our sauiour Christ ioyneth and matcheth in one the knowledge of him selfe with the knowledge of the father as he sayeth also in another place Except ye beleeue that I am he ye shal die in your sins We see then that if we must beleeue in Iesus Christ he is one God with the father and a creator other wise it were idolatry to beleue in any that is not God And that we may beleue in him this is warrāted vnto vs by his owne commandement saying in the 19. of Iohns gospel to his disciples Let not your heart be troubled beleeue ye in God beleeue also in me A notable place to prooue this matter Where we may also learne that if we beleeue in God our hearts shal not be troubled nor wauer hither thither not hauing any place to rest in For therfore in our miseries dāgers are we vexed troubled out of measure because we put not our full trust in the father the sonne Nowe let vs see with what titles our Christ is beautified adorned with for our cōfort consolation first of all he is here called Iesus which is an Ebrew word soūdeth in English as much as Sauiour which name the Angell gaue vnto him by Gods appoyntment before he was conceaued in the wombe of the virgin Mary his mother As we reade notably set forth vnto vs in the first of Matth Shee shal bring foorth a sonne and cal his name Iesus or sauiour for he shall saue his people from their sinnes and offences And for this cause he came into the worlde as he testifieth of him self The sonne of mā came to saue that which is lost not to destroy soules but to saue and to giue his life a redemption for many Luk. 19. By this we learne that there is no other Sauiour appoynted for mā either in heauē or earth but only Iesus and they that wil haue saluation of God the father must haue it onely at his handes Therefore doeth the scripture pronounce of him that there is no other name giuen vnder heauen vnto men wherein they must be saued but only in the name of Iesus Christ For this is the stone which is become the head stone and the chiefe in the corner neither is there any saluation in any other Act. 4. We haue then to seek our saluation not in Angels not in saints not in men or in our selues but in him onely that hath the key of Dauid that shutteth heauen and no man openeth it and openeth it no man shutteth This is the first title of dignitie and honour that is giuen vnto him of his father the next is that hee is called Christ which is a Greeke word and signifieth in English Anoynted which doth more plainly effectually declare his office function giuen him of the father for vs. For he was anoynted for three especiall purposes first to bee our Prophet to teach vs secondly our priest to offer him selfe a sacrifice for vs and thirdly our king to rule to defēd vs from our enemies These things are al giuē vnto vs to vnderstande in this name Christ For as al the Prophets and priestes and kinges in the time of the olde law before the comming of Christ were anoynted with oyle by the commandement of God as God cōmanded Elias to anoynt Eliseus Prophet in his stead Moses was cōmaunded to anoynt Aaron hye priest and Samuel to anoynt Saul Dauid to be kinges so was Christ also anoynted not with oyle materiall as they but with spiritual oyle of gladnesse as Dauid saieth aboue his fellowes that is with the holy ghost aboue al mē for he had it without measure Ioh. 3. 34. So then as the Prophets priests kings were all figures shadowes of Christ anoynted with oyle to signifie that they must be gentle meeke soft to al their brethren so it was also necessary that Christ should performe al this that was prefigured by him And first we see that Christ toke vpon him the office of a Prophet to teach the people his fathers wil not thrusting in him selfe as the false prophetes did whom the Lord sent not at al but being thereto lawefully called authorised by his father from heauen saying Heare him that is to be our doctour and teacher our Prophete and Scholemaster Being thus ordayned a Prophet to teach vs he executed his office and calling most diligently most paynfully and faithfully for he taught them in season and out of season earely and late
vpon them The other cause is in respect of the wicked and reprobate vpon whom the Lorde will shewe his perfite iustice against sinne and wickednes cōmitted of thē without repentance These will hee make vessels of his wrath which shal burne in thē with an vnquenchable fire without ende and mercie who because here they haue not bene throughly punished or sometimes not at all therefore the full measure of their punishment is reserued til that great day then to be powred out vpon them in fire and brimstone in that burning lake continually which neuer shall haue ende For these causes is this resurrectiō whereof wee speake ordayned To speake of the end for the godly first so it is that the Lord hath promised in mercie to reward all his faythfull seruants which commeth not manie times to passe in this life therefore there remaineth a life to come to be shewed in the resurrection of the flesh And if all godlinesse bee sure to bee recompensed with a promise of a good turne in the life to come as Paul declareth to Timothie the first Epistle and fourth Chapter Then out of all doubt very expedient and necessarie it is that there shoulde be a resurrection If any man say The soules of the faythfull are rewarded as soone as they depart from the bodie with this promise of life and therefore they seeme not to lacke a rewarde although there be no resurrection and so God is true of his promise I answere that as the bodyes of the faythfull while they liued well here haue bene temples of the holie Ghost to serue the Lord withall and as not onely in soule but also in body through diuers tentations and persecutions they haue bene afflicted for Christ and haue still bene vnder the crosse so surely they also with the soule shall be glorified and rewarded according to the things that they haue done And to this agree the wordes of the holy Apostle We must all sayeth he appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill 2. Corin. 5. Here he nameth expresly the body otherwise the rewarde were vnperfite if in one part onely it were bestowed The Lord will not suffer the giuing of a cuppe of colde water to his saints to goe vnrewarded much more therefore will he rewarde those that haue giuen their bodies to be consumed in the flames of fire for his cause and the Gospel so that if any lose his life for his sake in this worlde he shall finde it in the worlde to come with an hundred fold more with all happinesse and ioy restored vnto him If we looke vpon all the saints that haue bene from time to time we shall see that they had no felicitie nor happinesse in this life The Epistle to the Hebrewes speaking of the excellent fayth of the olde Patriarkes and ancient fathers sheweth vs what was their estate in this life for their good woorkes and deedes Some were racked and woulde not bee deliuered others were tryed by mockings and scourginges by bandes and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slayne with the sworde they wandered vp downe in goates skinnes and sheepes skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented wandring in wildernesses and mountaynes and dennes and caues of the earth If we aske the end why they suffered and endured such things of the wicked the same Apostle doeth make vs answere This they did that they might receiue a better resurrection And surely they had bene fooles to endure such tormēts of body if the body and soule had perished in their death and graue as doe the bodies of bruite beastes without any hope of the resurrection Consider ye the Apostles how they were rewarded here for their preaching and godly life did they not all for the most part in the ende suffer death and martyredome for their labour howe was Paul rewarded of the Lorde in this life did hee not whippe and scourge him when hee receiued him for his sonne yes truely And he confesseth what his whole life was after his conuersion nothing but a sea of troubles miseries fightings without and terrours within hunger and thirst colde nakednesse bandes and pouertie were the rewardes that the Lorde gaue him here insomuch that hee might seeme to be in worse case after his conuersion to Christ then before if hee had iudged of his afflictions by a worldly and carnal eye and not according to faith as did carnall Demas and therefore because hee felt miseries in this life in Christianitie reuolted from Paul and embraced this present euill worlde 2. Timothie 4. These things made Paul to say that vnlesse there were a resurrection his state had bene most miserable of al others for what saith hee aduantageth it me to suffer these things if the dead rise not agayne then let vs eate and drinke and liue in pleasure So we see the hope of the resurrection stayed him from running into condemnation with the wicked he confessed els where that his crown was not here in this life but was layde vp for him And al these vexations of the bodies of soules of mindes and consciences of men is to teach them that no blessednesse is to bee hoped for in this our vale of miserie but we looke for a citie to come whose builder and maker is God seeing wee haue none here that is permanent Our sauiour when he comforted his disciples agaynst persecutions to come when as they shoulde bee mocked reuiled taunted yea and killed for his sake willed them in that day to be glad and to reioyce for their rewarde was great in heauen Hee said not in earth that their mindes might be with drawen frō this life to the euerlasting rest out of this world And this can not be but in the resurrection of our bodies They that will haue their reward in this life in short transitorie pleasures of sinne for a season feasting sporting them selues in their wantonnes vngodly delites are impatiēt to looke wait for the heauenly promise of ioyes that shal haue no ende are like vnto the rich man both proude and gluttonous that fared deliciously euery day and went in purple and silke not regarding the poore estate of Lazarus and therefore nowe in hel receiueth paine punishment endles which in his life time receiued pleasure cōfort But they that with paciēce quiet minds can take al things in good worth whether it be sicknes or pouertie or shame ignominie which the Lord here sendeth to thē in this life for a trial of their faith can looke vp vnto y◠celestial life to come tarying the Lords leasure these men are like to poore Lazarus which in deed in his life time receiued paine but is now comforted beyond all mās expectation with an euerlasting comfort Luke 16. Dauid pronounceth thē blessed that
feare the Lord yet if we respect the presēt time it doth not so appeare to vs but rather the contrary for what blessednes is here either in the body or in the soule if we speake of a sounde perfit happines as he meāt it The soule is infected with sinne the vnderstanding is darkned the things we know not are moe in number then the things we know so that our knowledge which should beautifie and adorne out soule is vnperfect and this not onely in thinges naturall and ciuill but also in heauenly mysteries and matters of greatest waight importance so that Paul might well crye out and say O mortall man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Rom. 7. No happinesse therefore in this life of the minde of man but that which is is rather a shadowe and a visour then any true sight of happinesse For it doeth not yet appeare what we shal be although nowe we are the sonnes of God but this shall appeare when Christ shall come in glory Colos 3. Now if any griefe of mind which is inwarde come to the soule then it seemeth to bee in hell and this dolour surmounteth all the passions and paynes of the body Let any man consider the bodie and he will say that it can not bee happie in this life the diseases and sicknesses of it are so many in number that they haue passed the arte and skil of the best Physitions to heale them And if the diseases of the body were away yet were there calamities a thousand to proue it to be in a very wretched case as longe as it is subiect to sinne in this pylgrimage What crosses are shame to vs ignominie contempt and reproche which cause many most desperately to hang themselues What is pouertie with her children as lacke of friendes meate and drinke want of apparell which is necessarie lodging and house roome with such thinges These miseries a man may haue although hee had health of body although yet these thinges bring sickenes with them commonly What then are other externall dangers as the wounding and hurting of our selues the spoyling of our goods dangers vpon the land of theeues vpon the sea of drowning and if we scape that there is danger of vngodly Pirates These crosses being layde together and weyed in the balance of iustice wil coūterpeise ouerweigh al our pleasures that are or may bee inuented in this life so great is the heape of miseries in this life And these troubles that I haue aboue rehearsed as they are common to all so especially to the godly to make them not to bee in loue with this worlde seeing the Lorde hath reserued the blessed resurrection for them Wherefore dearly beloued call now to remembrance the dayes that are passed and consider the sayntes which after they had receiued light endured a great fight in afflictions as our martyrs did in Q. Maries dayes partly while they were made a gazing stocke both by reproches afflictiōs being tossed to fro suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods And knowe you deare brethren that ye haue in heauen a better and a more induring substance then al the golde siluer of princes Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward in this day of the resurrectiō of your bodies For ye haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the will of the Lorde yee may receiue the promise of eternall life For yet a very litle while and Iesus Christ the authour of this resurrection that shall come will come and will not tary Thus much for the ende of this resurrection in respect of the seruantes of Christ which then and not before shall fully be rewarded and made perfitely blessed in euery part both body and soule wherein they haue serued their Lorde faythfully when they were aliue Nowe let vs see the ende for the which all the wicked shall rise againe at that day which also standeth with the iustice of the Lorde to recompence them after their demerites As not onely the soules of the wicked haue offended their GOD by their sinnefull thoughtes and cogitations but also their bodyes haue bene slaues vnto sinne and haue giuen their members ouer to serue vnrighteousnesse so it standeth with equitie that not onely their mindes and consciences be tormented but also their bodyes by the which they here haue wrought all these abominations should feele the rewarde stipende of sinne which is the euerlasting death euen the seconde death of the soule and body together This punishment is deferred most commonly in this life and who in so good estate as concerning the bodie here as the wicked and such as contemne the Lorde In so much that their prosperitie wealth haue moued the godly to wonder at the secret iudgements of the Lord in this their case This thing mooued the Prophete Habakkuk to crye vnto the Lorde for vengeance agaynst the wicked being troubled with their prosperitie and successe Wherefore doest thou looke sayth hee vpon the transgressours and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then hee whereof they reioyce and are glad Habakkuk 1. This complaynt likewise made the prophet Ieremie in his time in the 12. of his prophecie saying O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let mee talke with thee of thy iudgementes wherefore doeth the way of the vngodly prosper why are they in wealth that rebelliously trāsgresse These were Ieremies words cōcerning the ill men but he addeth more Thou hast planted them and they haue taken roote they growe and bring foorth fruite thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reynes Dauid founde by experience the like successe of the wicked in his dayes also and therefore saith that hee fretted at the foolish when hee sawe the prosperitie of the wicked For saith hee there are no bandes in their death but they are lusty strong they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men Therefore pride is as a chaine vnto them and cruelty couereth them as with a garment their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart can wishe they are licentious speake wickedly of their oppression they talke presumptuously they set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth Here you haue a description of their life and of their prosperitie what the one is what the other is also their life is licentious and yet it goeth well with them for these transitorie goods but what doth Dauid confesse of him selfe which was the childe of God Daily saith he haue I bene punished and chastened euery morning Psal 73. Seeing this standeth so with the wicked shall wee not say that they shal be punished elsewhere Yes no doubt there is a iudgemēt day kept in store for them where they shall be punished although they haue liued in
of sinne of the deuill and of destruction into the children of God of grace and saluation thereby to be made the Lordes heires and coheires with Christ of eternall life for that cause the same ought to be giuen and communicated only to reasonable creatures which are apt and meete to receiue such things and not vnto bels and such like which neither can receiue ne vse the thing signified by baptisme The lxii Article I beleeue that this baptisme with water is not so necessary to saluation that one may not be saued without it in case of necessitie And likewise I doubt not in the saluation of litle children which die without baptisme but that the same are saued in the faith of their parentes as wel as if they were baptized euen as in time past vnder the Lawe the litle children dying without circumcision were saued in the fayth of their parentes But this onely do I vnderstand of the children of the faithfull vnto whom the promises of God do apperteine and not of the infidels and reprobate The lxiiii Article I beleeue that the holy sacrament of the supper is an holy and outward ceremonie instituted by Iesus Christ in the Gospel a day before his death in the nature and substance of bread and wyne in remembrance and for a memoriall of his death and passiō hauing and containing in it a promise of the remission of sinnes By this sacrament we are in deede made partakers of the body and blood of Iesus Christ and be therewith nourished fedde in the house of the Lorde which is his church after that into the same we are entred thorowe baptisme The same ought to be giuē and ministred to all vnder both the kindes according to the ordinance commandement of Christ for the altering whereof none ought to be so hardie as to attempt any thing The lxiii Article I beleeue that in this holy Sacrament the signes or badges are not changed in any point but the same doe remaine wholy in their nature that is to saye the bread is not changed and transsubstantiated as the fonde Papistes and false doctors do teach deceiuing the poore people into the body of Iesus Christ neither is the wyne transsubstantiated into his blood but the bread remaineth still bread and the wyne remaineth still wyne euery one in his proper and first nature For the wordes that Christ spake to his disciples in giuing them the bread saying This is my body I vnderstande and beleeue to be spoken by a figuratiue maner of speach called Metonomia which is a maner of speaking very common in the scriptures as the same was vnderstand and also declared by the wrytings of the holy fathers doctors of the church Ireneus Ciprian Tertulian Ambrose Augustine Chrisostome and other like which liued before the counsell of Lateran where it was concluded that the bread was transubstanciated into the bodie of Christ and the wyne into his blood and then was it geuen forth for an article of our faith to the great dishonour of God to the great slaunder of all the church and it was done in the yeere of our Lorde 1050 by Pope Leo the ninth in the which time the deuill was vnbounde as it was prophecied of in the Apocalips and troubled the church of Christ more then euer he did before The lxv Article I beleeue that all this sacrament consisteth in the vse thereof so that without the right vse the bread and wyne in nothing differ from other common bread and wine that is commonly vsed and therefore I do not beleeue that the bodie of Christ can be conteined hid or inclosed in the bread vnder the bread or with the bread neither the blood in the wyne vnder the wine or with the wyne But I beleeue and confesse the very bodie of Christ to be in heauen on the right hande of the father as before wee haue sayd and that alwayes and as often as wee vse this bread and wyne according to the ordinance and institution of Christ we doe verily and in deede receiue his bodie and bloode The lxvi Article I beleeue that this receiuing is not done carnally or bodily but spiritually through a true and liuely fayth that is to saye The body and blood of Christe are not giuen to the mouth and belly for the nourishing of the body but vnto our fayth for the nourishing of the spirite and inward man vnto eternall life and for that cause wee haue no neede that Christe shoulde come from heauen to vs but that we shoulde ascende vnto him lifting vp our heartes through a liuely fayth on high vnto the right hand of the father where Christ sitteth from whence we wayte for our redemptiō and wee must not seeke for Christ in these bodily elementes The lxvii Article I beleeue that this holie supper is a sacrament of faith vnto the faithfull onely and not for the infidels wherein a man findeth and receiueth no more then hee bringeth with him sauing peraduenture the increase of faith grace and vertue and therefore they onely finde and receiue Iesus Christe vnto saluation which through true and liuely faith bryng the same with them but the others finde and receiue only the outwarde and visible signes and that to their condemnation as Iudas and other such like wicked and reprobate The lxviii Article I beleeue that this sacrament conteineth two things the one is earthly carnall and visible and the other is heauenly spirituall and inuisible And I confesse that as our bodie and outward man receiueth the thing that is earthly and visible which is the bread and the wyne whereby the bodie is nourished and fedde euen so verely our spirit and inward man receiueth the thing that is heauenly and spirituall which is signified by the breade and wine that is to say the body and bloud of Christ after such sorte that thereby wee are become one with him bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh and made partakers with him of all righteousnes and other vertues giftes and graces the which the eternall father hath bestowed on him The .lxix. Article I beleeue that the holy fathers Patriarkes Prophets and all other faithfull good people that are gone before vs and haue dyed in the fayth through the worde faith sawe him beforehand which was to come and receiued as much the same thing that we receiue by the sacraments For they were of the selfe same Church faith lawe that we be of They were aswell Christians as wee and vsed the same sacramentes in figure that wee vse in trueth The lxx Article I beleeue that to this holy table only those that are faithfull are truely contrite and penitent ought to be admitted that all such as are vnworthy should be refused for feare of defyling contaminating the holy meates the which the Lord giueth not but vnto the faithfull and to those of his owne housholde I call those vnworthy which are infidels idolaters
be placed in their roumes to put ordayne others that are better in their places The other power is temporall that is to say the magistrate which hath authority ouer externe and ciuill thinges to render according to right to euery man that which of right to him appertayneth The lxxviii Article I beleeue that the magistrate is an ordinance of God set in his church for the defence of the good godly and to chasten punish the wicked And also to the magistrate must be giuen tribute honour reuerence obedience in all thinges that be not in any wise contrary to Gods worde And I doe vnderstand this not only of the faithful Magistrate but also of the infidell wicked Tyrant vnto whome wee must obey as vnto the Lorde in all thinges so that he command nothing contrary to the word of God For then wee ought rather to obey God then man after the example of the Aposâ—les Peter and Iohn The Lxxix Article I beleeue that to the magistrate it doeth appertaine not onely to haue regarde vnto the common wealth but also vnto ecclesiasticall matters to take away and to ouerthrowe all idolatrie false seruing of God to destroy the kingdome of Antichrist and all false doctrine to promote the glorie of God to aduance the kingdome of Christ to cause the word of the Gospel euery where to be preached and the same to maintayne vnto death to chasten also and to punish the false prophets which lead the poore people after idoles and strange gods and in steade of the Gospell preache and teach the fables and traditions of men to the dishonour of God and Christ his Sonne and to the great decay of the whole Church To such a magistrate euery person of what estate degree or condition so euer hee bee ought to be subiect and him in all honest and reasonable things to obey because he representeth the person of a great Lord before whom euery knee ought to bowe And the same must not be forgotten in our prayers to the ende that the Lord may vouchsafe to guide and direct all his wayes that vnder him we may liue in godly peace tranquillitie The Lxxx. Article I beleeue that the magistrate as also the vse of othes and such like is the ordinance of the Lord for to leade the imperfection of man in his corrupt nature after his fall The which the faythfull after that hee hath assaied all other meanes may holily iustly vse in matters of controuersie which may chance betweene him and his neighbour to set an order and to make peace in al things And therefore hee that in necessitie will not vse this way ought rather to be iudged an Anabaptist then a Christian The Lxxxi Article I beleeue that the Magistrate holily may minister an othe vnto the faithfull in iudgement for the knowledge of the trueth and to make an ende of all controuersies matters in variance betweene man and man the which othe ought to bee taken in the onely name of the liuing God because it is the thirde commandement of the first table And albeit the perfection required to be in a Christian ought simply to vse yea yea and nay nay without any swearing neuerthelesse the faithfull may holily vse an othe in place time with discretion in the feare of the Lord for things honest iust and true for the verifying of the trueth when the honour of God or the sauing of a mans neyghbour dependeth vpon it or else not For the man that accustometh to sweare shall be filled with iniquitie and his house shall not bee without the plague And I confesse also that as euery othe vowe and promise made according to Gods worde be it to God or to men doeth binde and ought to be kept and obserued without breaking euen so those that are made without and contrary to Goos worde and commandement as are the religious vowes and such like which promise things impossible and contrary to the word of God doe not binde a man in any wise but with a good conscience may bee violated and broken For in wicked promises in foolish and vndiscrete vowes the faithfull wise and sage may change their purpose The Lxxxii Article I beleeue and confesse that marriage is an honorable estate amongst all men and the bedde vndefiled is holy and ought not to be broken It is instituted and ordayned of God for the bringing forth of children and to eschew fornication from the which estate of marriage none ought nor can be restrayned if there be no iust and lawfull let by the word of God but the same ought to be free to euery bodie of what estate sort or condition soeuer the same bee of for it is much better to marrie then to burne And for that cause all what soeuer they be men or women which haue not the gift to liue vnmarried ought to marry to the intent the Temple of the holy Ghost that is to say our bodies may not bee polluted and defiled The Lxxxiii Article I beleeue also that the forbidding of marriage for certaine persons likewise the forbidding of certaine meates the difference of dayes garmentes and such like is the deuilish doctrine of Antichrist and wholie against the Christian libertie of the Gospell taught by Iesus Christ the which deliuereth vs from all outwarde ceremonies of the lawe and setteth vs at libertie to vse all things with giuing GOD thankes So that it bee not done to the hurt of our neyghbour For all thinges are made holy by the worde of God and prayer to him that knoweth and receyueth the trueth Therefore to compell the Christians to these things is but to take from them and to robbe them of their Christian libertie and by tyrannie to set them vnder the curse of the lawe from the which Christ by his death passion hath deliuered them and it is one true marke and note to knowe Antichrist by The Lxxxiiii Article I beleeue that the pure and true seruice of God doeth not consist in these ceremonies outward things neither in babbling much and mumbling of long prayers neyther in crying and braying in the Church like Asses or the Priests of Baal but in spirituall things as liuely and true faith in God and his worde taught by Iesus Christ his onely Sonne which is of power and worketh through charity toward our neighbour true and perfect calling vpon Gods name with due obedience to his commandementes in humblenes of spirit according to his worde For as God is a Spirit so will he be worshipped and serued in spirite and trueth The Lxxxv. Article I beleeue that all Gods seruices without Gods worde and contrary to his commandement is idolatrie and iniquitie I cal idolatrie after the fashion of the Prophets not onely that which is done vnto the honor of an Idole or strange gods but also that which is done to yâ— honouring of the liuing God contrary to his word and commandement And