moone which doth represent the Church which taketh her light from the sunne Iesus Christ hath byn persecuted turned into blood and not giuen her light by reason of troubles and the starres which are likened to the preachers haue fallen away and otherwise stept aside These things and the lyke may put vs in minde that the cōming of Christ is not far off euen as when we see the trees begin to budde we know then that the spring time is neere We know furthermore that the time of this iudgement shal be very sudden as the lightnings or as the cōming of a thiefe and as the sudden crying out of a woman with childe For as it was in the dayes of the floud in Noes time the waters came and tooke them all away so shall the comming of the sonne of man be Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot they ate they dranke they bought they solde they planted they buylt they gaue in marriage and married wiues but in the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rayned fire brimstone from heauen and destroyed them all After these ensamples shall it be in the day whē the Sonne of man is reuealed And surely this day is hid from our eyes that we shoulde be prepared euery day not be secure or careles to differre repentance and put it off from day to day as a great many do among vs. Seeing then the time is at hand and yet vnknowē we ought to be prepared and be in a readines to follow our Masters counsel for he saith Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeting drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnwares for as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe that ye may stande before the Sonne of man This daye is as the day and time of our death as we knowe not when we shall die and yet it is most certaine that we shall die so it is with this day And whether a man shoulde looke for the day of his death or this day of iudgement first truely I can not tell they are both so vncertaine neither haue we longer warrant of time prescribed vnto vs in the scriptures of the one then of the other I praye God the Lord Iesus may finde vs as good seruants doing his will and woorke at his comming that wee may haue our candles burning in our handes with oyle in our lampes and the marriage garment on our backes ready to open the doore when he cōmeth and knocketh for vs. Happy shal we be if the Lord find vs so doing otherwise if he finde vs smiting our felow seruants eating and drinking being drunken he shal come vpon vs at vnwares and cut vs in pieces giue vs our portion with the vnbelieuers hypocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Let vs therefore I beseeche you brethren by the Lorde Iesus knowing the time is short and at hande euen in the doores gird vp the loines of our minde that when our Sauiour knocketh we may open vnto him immediatly Thus wee see what we haue to note and learne vpon the time of the comming of Christ vnto iudgement The place also is to be considered the nations and kinreds of the people that shall appeare that day are so many and innumerable that the earth shall not bee able to conteyne them all therefore Saint Paul saith that we shall be caught vp in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre So that all shall bee taken vp into the ayre as the place of iudgement But I come to the last poynt which is more materiall to our purpose for what ende this great and last day is reserued and kept in store It hath two endes or causes why it is ordayned of the Lorde the one is that the godly may be deliuered out of their miseries and troubles which they haue here stoutly endured for Christes sake and be receyued into euerlasting life The other is that the wicked reprobate and all the companie of infidels which haue herecontemned the Lord liued in pleasure and delites of the fleshe may be iustly punished as they haue well deserued with euerlasting fire brimstone which is the second death For it might seeme if there were no iudgement or life after this that the Lord were notiust in his doings for neither are the godly and ryghteous rewarded many times in this life neyther are the vngodly punished for their offences while they liue here for the most part Now God is most iust which will rewarde all godlines and vertue and seuerely punish vice and wickednes These two endes doth our Sauiour mention in the general iudgement the one sort saith he shall goe into euerlasting life and the other sort into euerlasting fire Matth. 25. Saint Paul likewise doth make mention of these causes in the second epist of the Thessalonians the first chapter shewing as well what the good shall haue as the bad saying on this wise It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shewe him selfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not knowe GOD and which obey not the Gospel of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power thus much for the wicked Now foloweth rewarde for the good when hee shall come the bee glorified in his saintes and to bee made marueylous in all them that beleeue in that day Here wee may haue a notable discourse as is in any place of scripture why our sauiour Christ shal come to iudgement both in respect of the good and bad yea the wicked angels and spirites them selues as Iude saith hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines of darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day This day is greatly desired and longed for of the godly and especially of the true ministers of Christes Gospell that their cause may bee knowen to bee good agaynst the wicked and their sayings veryfied concerning this iudgement for surely there is nothing almost seene of God or beleeued of the wicked vntyll that day Tell them of this day and terrifie them with it they make a mocke at it they count them for fooles and simple persons that liue a godly and Christian life but when this day commeth as it will come certainly it will make a recompence for all and they shall finde all our sayings threatnings to be most true Therefore the godly desire it in respect of Gods glorie chiefly which the wicked haue defaced A great many of them thinke that there
Lectures of I. B. vpon the xii Articles of our Christian faith briefely set forth for the comfort of the godly and the better instruction of the simple and ignorant ¶ Also hereunto is annexed a briefe and cleare Confession of the Christian faith conteining an hundreth articles according to the order of the Créede of the Apostles Written by that learned godly martyr I. H. sometime Bishop of Glocester in his life time 1. Pet. 3. vers 15. Be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and reuerence Imprinted at London by C. Barker ⧠To the right honorable Sir Francis Walsingham Knight principal Secretarie to her Maiestie and one of her Highnesse most honorable priuie Counsell Io. Ba. wisheth in this life the feare of God and in the life to come euerlasting rest with Iesus Christ. COnsidering right honorable that diuers both of our countrymen and others haue very paynefully and fruitefully laboured to set forth the exposition and meaning both of the ten Commandements also of the Lordes prayer and that in the English tongue I thought good not to meddle any further that waye seeing so good an entrance was made vnto it But neither seeing nor hearing of any that had giuen forth any sermons or lectures vpon the articles of our Christian faith a thing as necessarie as the other I was the more emboldened to set this treatise forth that the simple and ignorant which can but only reade and haue this benefite to profite themselues withall might haue the true and playne meaning of euery article of their faith as they haue the exposition of the Lordes prayer and ten Commandements For if this Creede commonly called the Creede of the Apostles shall onely be sayde without booke and rehearsed of the people without the meaning of it in more words then they can not take such cōfort out of these articles as were requisite because they do not vnderstande them And so great and excellent mysteries lying hid shal do no good because they are not opened and reuealed to the simpler sort The cause that moued me to present these my first fruits vnto your Honour was That partly you had heard them read vnto you your Honors accepting of them as fauoring the trueth shall incourage others to doe the like and reade them more diligently I haue not laboured to be curious in this matter but so plaine as the weakest of capacitie might easely vnderstande for whose sake and not for the learned I was willing to publish this worke according to that talent that the Lorde in mercy hath committed vnto me his seruant for the building vp of his spirituall temple I doubt not but by the working of Gods holy spirit in you in reading of these articles nowe and then your Honour being voyde of waightier matters and affayres when leasure shall serue you shall finde some comfort and consolation in them Although they be playne yet are they true neede no eloquence to set them forth for trueth seeketh no corners to hide her selfe in Onely her feare is least she should be hid I graunt it might seeme a needlesse and fruitlesse thing to write bookes and publishe them in these dayes wherein are such store that nowe bookes lacke readers rather then readers want bookes but if a man consider well with him selfe he shall finde that a great many of them tende not so much to set forth godlines as wantonnes neither do they profit the Church and common wealth but rather hurt and hinder it as much as in them lyeth so that it had bene better that a great many of them had bene suppressed and neuer bene written They hurt many for they leade yong men vnlesse Gods spirit guide them the better to vtter destruction These are not the bookes that teach young men which are by nature wanton and wilde and giuen to lustes to refraine from libertie of the flesh but rather giue them the bridle to these wanton lustes and appetites and pitie it is they should bee suffered in a Christian cōmon wealth These idle bookes teach not a man to amende and correct his wayes but vtterly to peruert them A young man therefore shall clense his wayes not by these meanes but by ruling himself according to the word of the Lord as the Prophet Dauid hath forewarned Psal 119. so then although the store of bookes in our dayes is great yet the number of them that encrease true godlinesse is not so great but that it may be augmēted And albeit some one booke please not euery man yet another may seeing there are diuers and diuers giftes giuen to edifie that all men may be without excuse before the Lorde If any find fault and say This writer is too hard and hye for my capacity he may haue an easier if this man bee too eloquent and fine he may haue another that is more simple and playne for God be thanked there is great varietye of giftes in the Church of Christ and as it is in the body naturall of men that al members are not alike nor haue the same function yet all are necessary and although the foote be not so excellent a member as the hand or the eye yet for the vse of the body it is as necessary profitable neither can the head say to the foote I haue no neede of thee but one hath neede of the helpe of another for the maintenance of the whole So it is in the mystical body of the Church some haue more excellent giftes then others and some may be likened to the head some to the eye and some to the hand other of inferiour giftes to the foote and to the legge which yet surely can not be despised or lightly set by considering the body can not want them neither is this onely to be seene in the mysticall body of the Church wherein some are pastors some doctors some Deacons and some haue the gift of eloquence some of knowledge some of vtterance some of tongues But this may be perceiued in the body of the common wealth wherein some are kinges and rulers appoynted of God to bee heades ouer others and some are craftesmen and artificers some husbandmen and plowmen farre inferiour to the other and yet notwithstanding as necessary is the poore labouring man for the ciuil body as is the magistrate and superiour for if all should rule who shoulde obey if all againe should obey who should rule or gouerne but nowe the Lorde hath so tempered and disposed these thinges in his infinite wisedome that there should be no disorder and that euery one should be indetted and bounde to another that so loue and vnity might be kept and maynteyned in al. For no one man hath all giftes giuen vnto him that hee might stande in neede of his neighbour and loue him the better hauing that gift which hee seeth him selfe to be destitute of Thus being willing
cities Neither let any man on the contrarye bragge and boast himselfe if hee were borne in a famous place this maketh him not the better or neerer to God Wee may see also at this day where Christ is most commonly to be founde not in great cities and princes courts so much as in poore places and obscure houses The wise men sought him at Ierusalem the great citie but Christ was found in poore Bethlehem Here also learne that the prophecies are fulfilled still for Christ as they had sayed was borne in Bethlehem Let vs therefore beleeue the Prophets either when they comfort vs or threaten vs for sinnes for they shall alwayes be fulfilled The time of our Sauiours birth was in the dayes and raigne of Herode the king as Saint Matthewe sayth Chapter 2. and so had Iacob prophesied before that Christ should not be borne vntill the kingdome did cease and depart from the race of the Iewes and was gito the nation of the Romanes as Genesis 49. The scepter shall not depart from Iuda nor a Lawegiuer from betweene his feete vntil Shiloh come and the people shal be gathered vnto him Meaning that Christ should not be borne and come among the Iewes vntill such time as they had no kinges to rule among them of their owne stocke but of strangers as Herode was at that time Christ beeing borne in the tyme of king Herode a wicked king and a Tyrant doeth shewe himselfe most fauourable to the Iewes his people being in great bondage and miserye For when They had most neede of a Sauiour and redeemer not only of their bodyes but especially of their soules and consciences religion being corrupted among them and his word reiected then I say Christ came and was borne a deliuerer vnto them So is God wont to deale in mercy toward his children then and not before to sende helpe when they are at the last caste and ready to be deuoured to teache them that when there is no helpe and succour in them selues then is there most present ayde and comfort in him as hee sayde to Paul My power is made perfect and is strong in weakenesse that when wee are most weake and feeble then is God most strong to deliuer vs from our enemies He neuer deliuered the Israelites out of Egypt vntill they were brought to the extremytie then hee sent them Moses and Aaron and not before for hee will humble man and let him to vnderstand that when hee doeth any thing for him and deliuer him or bestowe any gift vpon him in bodye or soule it is not for any thing that is in him but of his meere mercy and goodnesse to make his praise the more to be seene and men more thankefull vnto him Let his praise therefore be continually in our mouthes and let vs magnifie his name together as sayeth the Prophet Dauid Psalme 103. Christ then visited the Iewes when all thinges were turned vpside downe his seruice was defaced by the traditions of men as the Scribes and Pharises and Sadduces who had corrupted the puritye of Gods worde and doctrine and brought in their owne pelfe and maners were altogether vnreformed the poore neglected the Prophetes despised and Gods laue set at nought So that when our Sauiour came amongst them hee respected not any thing hee sawe in them but their extreeme miserie and thraldome which moued him to pitye them and so much the more because they had such a cruell Tyrant to rayne ouer them as murdered a great many of their young infantes So the Lorde came amongst vs of late when his Gospell was layed aside and deuices of men in steade of it were set vp when his ministers were in euery place persecuted and burned then he sent a deliuerer to purge religion to restore his trueth againe to pull downe Antichrist and to abolish Poperie hee respected not any thing in vs for wee like sheepe were all gone astray euery man turned his owne way but hee did this being mindefull of his mercy and promes made freely vnto vs in Iesus Christ I pray God wee may bee all truely thankefull for so great and wonderfull a benefite bestowed vpon vs as the like was neuer seene in our lande before Surely good cause wee haue to remember the Lorde in our beddes that giueth vs in the middest of our enemies such quietnes and rest from all perils and dangers The thing that followed immediately vpon this birth of our sauiour was the comming of certayne wise and famous men from the East to worshippe him being ledde with an extraordinary starre thereunto Thus God the Father woulde adorne and magnifie the birth of his sonne with the resort of these great and excellent men And herein no doubt they being Gentiles and the first fruites of them that came to our Sauiour doe signifye that the Gentiles also aswel as the Iewes shoulde be called to be the people of God that there might be one folde and one shephearde as our Sauiour telleth vs in the tenth Chaper of Iohns Gospel This was comfortable for vs being Heathen men and Gentiles and altogether strangers from God to be made the peculiar people of God and to be translated from the kingdome of darkenesse into the euerlasting kingdome and inheritance of his welbeloued sonne But see howe the declaration and shewing of this birth of so wonderfull a king by the wisemen was taken of Herode and the Iewes in Hierusalem when they heard the king of the Iewes to be borne it is sayde that Herode and all Ierusalem was troubled with him Thus wee see the nature and condition of the wicked that when they shoulde be glad and reioyce in the Lorde with thankesgiuing for his benefites then they are troubled they murmure and are vnthankefull Here all Ierusalem had great occasion giuen them to prayse God and they consider not of it a whit they had rather sleepe in their dregges of sinne May Herode went about to kill him that came to dye for him and to saue him if hee coulde haue beleeued it This doeth also reproue our maner and doings at this day for when wee should yeeld God prayse and thankes wee giue him none and when he is most ready to doe vs good either wee consider not of it or else vnthankfully refuse it as the swinishe Gergesites did Howe hath Christ visited vs in mercy in giuing vs his holy Gospel the foode of our soules as much as euer hee did to the Iewes and yet I say wee are troubled still in our mindes and soules with the cares of this world which do choke the seede of his holy word Wel dearly beloued let vs learne to be wise and to consider thankfully of Gods benefites in time lest they be takē from vs as they were from the Iewes and giuen to a nation that shal better receiue them and make greater account of them The third thing that I saide was to be considered in the birth of our sauiour Iesus Christ is the
his prophesie of this wonderful natiuitie of our Sauiour Iesus saying in his Chap. 23. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch a king shal reigne prosper shal execute true iudgement iustice vpō the earth In his daies Iuda shal be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and fulnesse of time as the Apostle speaketh was come then God sent his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. God then as in this so in all other things is true and iust of his promise and couenant that he maketh to a thousand generatiōs as saith the Prophet For nothing can let him to bring his words to passe his power is infinit ouer all And although it be said that Marie was maried to Ioseph Ioseph tooke her home to him to be his wife yet she was a virgin for Ioseph knewe her not so that Christ was borne of her being a virgin Ioseph was spoused to her in this respect that he should be an aide and comfort for her in her trouble and paine in her flight into Egypt in her great pouertie for she was so poore that she had no chamber to be deliuered in but laid our Sauiour Christ in a manger For these causes was Ioseph called her husbande also that shee myght be voyde of suspition of fornication and Christ not thought to be borne out of wedlocke or in adulterie 2 Secondly for our instruction let vs consider the whole maner of Christs birth after what sort and fashion it was S. Luke doth declare the order of it very liuely saith that whē Ioseph Mary were at Bethlehem the dayes were accomplished that shee shoulde be deliuered she brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and layde him in a cratch or manger because there was no roume for thē in the Inne By these words we see the maner of Christs birth howe it was very poore and base in respect of the world nothing glorious in the eies of men or as myght beseeme so great a prince as he was He that might haue bene borne in a most magnificent and royall palace would be borne in a stable or oxe stall and he which could haue bene layde in a most sumptuous bed of doune with silke veluet wrought garnished yet notwithstanding woulde bee layde in a vile manger This doth passe the reach and capacitie of mans witte and doth expresse vnto vs how that the Lords waies are not our wayes nor his doinges as ours are For then surely woulde hee not haue had Christ his Sonne to bee borne so poorely and without al honour and estimation here in the earth But here we see the great loue of Christ towardes vs the woulde so be borne for our sakes So that in this is fulfilled that notable saying if S. Paul the Apostle 2. Corinth 8. Chap. 9. saying Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ y◠he beīg rich for your sakes became poore that ye through his pouertie myght be made rich A notable lesson to take pouertie in good part if the Lord for iust causes lay it vpon vs. And not only was he borne so poorely miserably but also liued so afterwarde all his life time while he was here vpon the earth for that space of 2. or 3. and thirty yeres insomuch that when he was borne he stedde into Egypt frō Herod that sought to kil him no doubt with trouble paine Afterward he liued with the beneuolence liberalitie of certaine good womē as of Mary Magdalene Ioanna that wife of Chuza Herods stewarde Susanna many other which ministred vnto him of their substance Luk. 8. 3. so that he himselfe doth pronounce to one that would folow him for gaine estimatiō in this life that the sonne of mā meaning him self hath not where to lay or hide his hed but is in worse case thē the foxes which haue holes or the birds of the aire which haue their nests Mat. 8. By this we learne to take pouerty patiently which the Lorde himselfe hath sanctified in his owne body neither to thinke it accursed And we learne thereby the contempt of this worlde for Christ had nothing glorious in the face and eyes of man hee was not riche but poore If wee haue riches let vs not thinke so much or highly of them or be puffed vp by them for Christ had them not If wee be poore let vs remember that Iesus Christ was poore also in this life It is sufficient for vs and enough if we may be riche after this life not that these riches and worldly thinges are ill if they be vsed to Gods glory but Christ would teache vs by his example that first his kingdome is not of this world then not to be greeued if we lacke these transitorye thinges for hee had them not at all wherefore if we haue meate and drinke and raiment we must be content The circumstances of his birth are the place of it and the tyme. As concerning the place Matthewe and Luke both agree in one that it was Bethlehem for so was it long before prophecyed of by the Prophet Micheas Chap. 5. saying And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art little to be among the thousands of Iuda yet our of thee shall come foorth vnto me one that shal be the ruler in Israel whose goings foorth shall be from the beginning and from euerlasting Where hee setteth foorth vnto vs plainely both the humanitie of Christ and also his diuinitie his humanitie in that hee sayth hee came out of Bethlehem and his diuinitie in that his going foorth was from euerlasting The place then was Bethlehem no great and famous citie as Ierusalem was but a poore and obscure towne nothing spoken of among men Here wee may see againe that as Christ shewed great humilitie in the maner of his birth so did hee also in chusing so poore and vile a place as Bethlehem was And this was done no doubt to confound the wisedome of the wise and mightie which woulde haue thought rather that Christ should haue bene borne at Ierusalem or some such like notable and excellent citie Well our sauiour Christ chose Bethlehem and made it famous through his birth and reiected all other cities so is fulfilled that saying of Paul God hath chosen the weake things of the worlde to confound the strong and vile things and things that are despised hath God chosen to bring to naught the thinges that are that no fleshe shoulde reioyce in his presence 1. Corinthians 1. Verses 27. 28 29. Let no man therefore be grieued or ashamed if he be borne in a poore and base village for so was Christ borne and hee is nothing the worse for it hee may come as soone to heauen as they that are borne in the greatest
to reioyce because our redemption draweth on For how should we feare whē Christ wil make vs iudges with him as he sayth Ye that haue folowed me in the regeneratiō shal sit vpō twelue thrones iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And Paul sayth Doe ye not know that the saintes shal iudge the world Not that we shale be iudges with Christ but that we shal allow approue his iudgemēt For to speak properly the elect shall not be iudged but the wicked shall be iudged to euerlasting fire This certainly is no smal comfort for weake cōsciences to consider that the prince shal iudge his owne people subiectes the head his members the aduocate his clients How then can he condemne those for whose safegard he doth come will ratifye y◠promise of euerlasting blisse which he hath promised here in this life by his Gospel We shal not thē be cited before any other tribunall seate thē of our louing bridegrōe who shal make himselfe ready to receiue his spouse wife vnto himselfe for euer Reuelat. 21. This day is called the mariage day of the Lambe and his supper and his wife shall then be arayed with pure and fine linen and shining which is the righteousnes of sayntes Let vs therefore be glad and reioyce and giue glory to him that sitteth vpon the throne There can be no day here so ioyful as this yea al comfort is nothing to this that Christ shal be our iudge He cānot cast away thē for whom he hath died he cannot deny himself Paul whē he considered of this iudge and iudgemēt reioyced euē in prisō that a crowne of righteousnes was laid vp for him which the righteous iudge Christ Iesus would giue vnto him in that day 2. Tim. 4. And here we learne a very good lesson by the way that if Christ be our iudge we must whē we cā not haue redresse here or iudgement equally ministred vnto vs referre our causes and matters of iniurie to him who is able to reforme all things and will at his comming So that we must not which are priuate men reuenge our owne quarels and iniuries but commit them al to him without murmuring and hee will iudge them iustly Then this doth teache vs patience to wayte for this comming of Christ to iudge all thinges orderly And this good counsayle did Saint Iames giue in his time to the poore oppressed labourers husbandmen which were defrauded by the rich men had their hier and wages kept backe hee doeth comfort them in this respect that Christ wil come to iudge their cause saying Be patient brethren vntill the comming of the Lord and settle your heartes for the comming of our Lorde draweth nere Yea and our sauiour Christ sayde Luk. 18. that God will auenge his elect which cry day and night vnto him and that shortly Whereby we may gather also that the day of iudgement is not farre off as the wicked doe suppose but draweth on euery day neerer then other Let vs therefore as our sauiour doth counsel vs watch and pray continually that we may be able to stand before him at his comming to iudgemēt We see then that we must commit our causes to Christ offer our complaintes against the wicked to him and then doutles with our eyes we shal behold see the reward of the wicked Psal 91. As this is very comfortable doctrine to the godly to heare that Christ is their iudge and auditor of al their causes so is it as doleful and grieuous a thing to the wicked and cast awaies to wey with themselues that Christ their enemy shal be their iudge whome they haue alwayes in their life time hated made a mocke of and had in vtter contempt both him his Gospel and ministers of his word and sacraments This shall pearce them to the very heart to see him their iudge whom they could neuer abyde yea his sight and presence shal be so feareful and terrible vnto them all that they shall curse the time that euer they were borne for they shal hide themselues in dennes and rockes of the mountaines and shall say to the hilles Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stande These and the like wordes shall they vtter for dolour and anguish of minde and yet finde no comfort for they haue refused the Lorde and God of all comfort here vpon the earth and therefore shall not haue him there to be their comforter And S. Iohn doeth tell vs who these are to whome this iudge Iesus shal be so fierce and cruel euen the kinges of the earth and the great men and the riche men and the chiefe captaines and the mightie men and euery bond man and euery free man Reuelation 6. not meaning all kings and noble men but some of euery state and sorte of men yea the greater part of euery degree of men especially of great men for not many noble not many wise not many mightie men are called to the knowledge of the Gospel lest they should bragge but rather the poore the base the vnwise are chosen because they should not vant of their worthinesse as Paul doeth tell vs in the 1. Corinthians 1 Chap. most notably To conclude this part seeing the Lord shal be iudge to the wicked euen the Lord Iesus to render flaming fire and vengeance vnto them that know not God and obey not his Gospel this may teach them to feare and to liue somewhat more orderly if not for the loue of God of heauen and vertue yet for feare of hell death and damnation to auoyde the punishment that wil light vpon sinne at that day Let vs come to the third poynt The persōs that shall come before this iudge to be examined and trìed in iudgement they are sayde here to be the quicke and the dead that is to say al both the liuing and the dead But here some may aske this question Seeing it is appointed to al mē once to die because they are mortal how is it said here that some shall be quicke and aliue at the comming of Christ To this wee make answere that they that shal be aliue at the second comming of Christ to iudgement shall as it were dye for they shall all be changed and renewed and that suddenly as if they had bene long dead before and this is the meaning of Paul 1 Corinth 15. Wee shal not all dye that is wee shall not all be layde in the graue as others but we shall all be in a moment altered which shal be in steade of a death vnto vs. So we see what we haue to answere to this question The persons then that are to be sūmoned cited to appeare by the voyce of the Archangel trūpet of God in a woord generally are all men that euer haue bene from the first man
is neyther hell nor heauen God nor Deuill and that all are but fables that wee speake of this day and so they growe to an vtter contempt of God and all godlines But as the Lord liueth they shall finde it true by experience which they woulde not here embrace by fayth yea they shall confesse themselues starke fooles and the godlie men to bee wise in deede Wisedome 5. Christ Iesus shall bee that great Lorde and riche master of the house which shall come to take an account of his seruantes talentes giuen vnto them to encrease and vse to his honour and glory and to the good and diligent seruauntes shall hee giue rewardes and ioy but to the vnprofitable seruauntes stripes and paine eternall This shal be the newe married bridegrome and husbande which shall come to make a choise of the wise and chaste virgins which haue kept them selues pure vnto him from the foolishe and vnchaste which haue defyled them selues with the wicked worlde In that day Christ shal be that good and diligent husbandman which shal come to gather the wheate in the time of haruest into his barnes for his owne vse but shall burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire And to conclude hee shall be that great shepheard which shall diuide the lambes and sheepe from the goates the one to sitte on his right hande in ioy the other to sitte on his lift hande in sorowe to this ende no doubt shall our sauiour Christe come and then shall it be saide O happie and thrise happie was hee that was a faithfull seruant a chaste virgin to Christ the good corne the meeke lambe of Iesus Christ But this of the wicked spoken then shal be too late and repentance at that time shal be in vayne I counsell all men therefore that will not there repent that euer they were borne as the wicked shall doe that they woulde in the name of Iesus Christe repent here betime and aske the spirite of the Lord to amende their liues that they put not off from day to day vntill they are olde or haue all thinges as they woulde The Lorde will come suddenly vpon such an one taking him away in his sinne If wee woulde lay the remembraunce of this iudgement day often before our eyes to sturre vp our selues withall and to awaken our dull spirites and senses it woulde keepe vs in great feare and awe before our Lorde GOD and drawe vs from much sinne and abomination which nowe for lacke of thinking vpon this day is committed euery where both at home and abroade as well in the countrey and base mens houses as in the court and great mens places Well wee shoulde doe as a godly father did in the primitiue Church that whether wee eate or drynke whether wee sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer wee doe wee shoulde thinke alwayes this day to be at hande and the voyce sounding in our cares arise yee dead and come to iudgement Notable of al others is that lesson that Solomon doth giue vnto vs in the booke of the preacher the 11 and last Chapters concerning this matter hee mocketh and derideth them that delite in sinne as you see men commonly doe and afterwarde threatneth and terrifieth them with this last iudgement saying Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thyne heart cheare thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eies Marke now what sosowre sauce foloweth this sweet meate but knowe sayth hee that for all these thinges GOD will bring thee to iudgement for God wil bring euery work into iudgemēt euery secret thing whether it be good or euill A notable glasse for all men to looke vpon is this finall iudgement Wee are taught by these thinges that our felicitie and pleasure consisteth not in this life neyther can we haue it here but it is in the lyfe to come layde vp for vs in Christ Here are confuted all worldlings which thinke there is no other lyfe after this no ioy or payne This day can not bee fearefull to the godly for it is called our blessed hope Titus 2. and the godly doe loue it 2. Timothie 4. If it bee fearefull and terrible to any as it is it is to those that haue no hope of heauen and to those that put their whole pleasure and felicitie here belowe in their money and ill gotten ryches To the fearefull and vnbeleeuyng and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and lyers and couetous persons this day shall bee fearefull and terrible yea it shall make them all to quake for feare for they shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone which is the seconde death Reuelation 21. This day and the cogitation thereof serueth most fitly to put men in mynde of their dueties and callyngs before the Lorde for so our Sauiour Christe applied it in his tyme in his Gospell saying to them that were worldely mynded What shall it profite a man though he should win the whole worlde if he lose his owne soule or what shall a mā giue for recompēce of his soule marke his reason why it is dangerous thus to hazarde and venture his soule for saith he the sonne of man shal come in the glory of his father with his angels and then shall hee giue to euery man according to his deedes Mat. 16. so doth Paul charge Timo. especially by this iudgement day saying I charge thee before God before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and in his kingdome Preach the worde be instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort with al long suffering and doctrine 2. Timothie 4. As if hee shoulde say in effect There is a day of iudgement kept in store therefore doe thy duetie diligently This day of iudgement shall make vs very carefull to shewe foorth all good woorkes For Christ shall pronounce the definitiue sentence vpon all men according to their workes not that the godly haue deserued or merited heauen by their good workes that is too great a thing to bee gotten by woorkes for Christ hath already deserued that for vs by his good workes if wee beleeue in him But Christ shall make mention of woorkes to shewe and to signifie to all the worlde that the godly haue not beene idle or vnfruitfull in this life as the hypocrites are whose sheepe skinnes then shall be plucked off and then shall they appeare to bee rauening wolues for this cause shall the iudgement bee according to workes to sturre men vp here while they heare this to good works and to make manifest to al men that the godly haue walked innocently and that the wicked haue followed the lusts of the flesh Our faith can not be seene and therfore Christ shal speake according to the effect and consequent of it which is seene and that is good woorkes Christ before sheweth the cause
in his blood and for this cause doe wee beleeue that there is but one true Catholique Church and no moe which shall continue for euer although Satan and his ministers goe about by all meanes possible to ouerthrowe and subuert it Wee are then taught here to beleeue that there is an vniuersall Church of Christ and not to beleeue and trust in it as we doe in God for that were idolatrie to trust in men and put our confidēce in them But wee must trust in GOD onely and not in this Church as the Papistes woulde beare vs in hande because the Church is but the company of the elect and chosen and are men Nowe wee can not beleeue and put our hope in any thing that is a creature for that were blasphemie to say and wee are also accursed if wee do so as the holy Prophete Ieremie hath by the mouth of the holy Ghost forewarned vs saying Thus sayth the Lorde Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lorde for hee shall be like the heath in the wildernes and shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse in a salte lande and not inhabited Ier. 17. By these woordes then of the holy ghost we learne not to beleeue in the Church but that there is an holy Church of Christe in this worlde euery where dispersed and scattered abroad through the face of the whole earth This article doeth declare vnto vs what the Church is terming it the communion of Saintes or fellowshippe of the godly eyther with Christ or els with themselues in loue furthermore what maner of Church this is is here likewise set downe that it is holy by reason of Christ her head catholike because it is not tied to any one place as Rome but generally is in all places of the earth tossed as a ship vpon the sea frō one coast to another as pleaseth God to dispose of it To these things two other pointes may be adioyned to make vp the perfit discourse of it and to the which all other thinges incident to any maner question of the Church may bee easely referred The one is to consider who is the vniuersall head and gouernour of this catholique Church the other by what true markes notes signes and titles this Church may be knowen and discerned from the false and counter faite synagogue of Satan that is from the whorishe and Babylonicall strumpet of Rome which falsly taketh vpon her the name of this chaste wife and spouse of Christe being an vncleane and a most adulterous harlot which hath long agoe forsaken her bridegrome Iesus Christ as it shall God willing hereafter better appeare in the discourse and tract of this matter Seeing the Church is likened to an house 1. Timothie 3. and euery house is builded and gouerned of some man Hebr. 3. it is necessarie that this house also which is the Church of the liuing God haue some builder head of it to looke vnto it which is both able to do it most ready to helpe it The builder of this Chruch is Iesus Christ Mat. 16. 18. he is the only head of it as S. Paul doth proue most manifestly vnto vs both in the 1. 4. chap. of the epistle of the Ephesians and the 1. chapter to the Colos saying God hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feet and hath giuen him ouer al thinges to be the head to the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in al things And againe Let vs folow the trueth in loue and in al things growe vp vnto him which is the head that is Christ by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receyueth increase of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe in loue Ephe. 4. So in the Colos 1. 18. He is the head of the body of the Church Out of this doeth the body of Christ which is his Church receyue a special and singuler comfort against al tētations that they shal be defended preserued for euer for Christ cā not forsake his body he cā not but loue it nourish it with those spiritual graces which come proceede frō him the head fountaine For as we see in the body naturall how that the head receiueth not meate for it selfe but for the cherishing and increasing of the strength of the body and the rest of the members so the Lorde Iesus is not an head for himself but for vs neyther hath hee receyued all power and authoritie of his father with the fulnesse of the holy Ghost to keepe it to him selfe but to giue and to impart it most louingly and liberally to his true members to make them to grow vp more and more till they come to a perfection in him If Christ therefore haue strength holinesse power and all other good giftes and graces of the spirite then may the Church assure her selfe of them all because the wife may recken that all the goodes and landes of her husbande are hers and wee knowe that the Church hath this dignitie and prerogatiue which is inestimable and full of wonderfull loue that shee is counted and called as shee is in very deede the chaste wife and spouse of Christe here vpon the earth to whome hee is ioyned with the coniunction and fellowshippe of his heauenly spirite I haue sayth Paul prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin vnto Christ 2. Corin. 11. Cantic 4. Ezechiel 16. Ephesians 5. What noble man will bee content to take a poore wretched beggerwoman out of the streetes full of ragges and filthinesse to make her his wife And yet the Lorde Iesus hath done greater thinges in mercie for vs then this for when hee passed by hee looked vpon vs and beholde our tyme was as the time of loue hee spredde his skirtes ouer vs and couered our filthinesse yea hee sware vnto vs and entred into couenant with vs and we became his owne So is the Lorde in mariage become nowe our head and wee his spouse let vs then take heede that wee admitte no others into his loue or defile our selues with whoredome and idolatrie in giuing our faith and allegeance to straungers and false goddes whome wee knowe not Our husbande is very ielous ouer vs hee can not abide another man to bee admitted vnto his bedde for that were spirituall fornication and adulterie before him which hee wyll punishe most seuerely as hee did in the Israelites which brake couenant with him and betooke them selues to Idoles and bowed downe to them in steade of him as the Prophete declareth Ezechiel 16. Seeyng then Christ is appoynted the head of his Church and that one wife as there is but one bodie which is the Church can haue but one husbande to bee her
as if wee had done them if wee doe but beleeue in him Good workes must bee done of vs for these three causes first because God hath commanded them secondly because he is glorified by them as our Sauiour sayeth Matthewe the fift Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Thirdly they must be done because they profite and further our poore neyghbours and brethren the needy members of Iesus Christ and in helping them wee helpe Iesus Christ himselfe Matth. 25. For so doeth hee account it as done to himselfe You may adde to these a fourth cause why good workes are to bee done although they saue vs not because they shall bee signes and tokens to men of our faith which is hid and within vs and shall declare that we are good Christians euen as the tree is knowen by his fruite for if wee haue no good workes surely wee haue no good faith but a deuils faith as Iames sayeth although wee bragge neuer so much of our faith This faith doeth not saue but is a dead faith without any workes The true faith that wee spake of before it doeth not saue vs in respect of the worthinesse or dignitie of it but because it doeth looke vnto Christ his marke or obiect and doeth apprehende him with his workes The Papistes saye that faith alone can not iustifie vs because it is vnperfect as wee say workes are which therefore can not saue vs. But we must vnderstand that the reason is not alike for we may haue a true a liuely faith in Christ although it be not in euery poynt perfit absolute No man can haue a perfit faith in this life for it doeth stil increase and growe in greater measure but the children of God they haue and may haue a true faith cleansed from hypocrisie and dissimulation And this true faith doeth iustifie euery one that looketh vp to Christ as well as a perfite faith Faith is likened to an hand whereby a man doeth receiue any thing Now we knowe by experience that one with an vnperfit hande that either lacketh a finger or a thumbe or that hath his hand sore or otherwise blemished may as well with his lame hand receiue a good and fine piece of golde from a riche man for his almes as one that hath a whole or sounde hande so may wee receyue from Christ if wee beleeue but a litle as much as a grayne of mustard seede in quantitie wee may receyue remission of sinnes and all other benefites of his death and passion as well as he that hath a stronger faith and a greater And nothing shall be vnpossible vnto vs as Christ sayde to his disciples in the like matter Matth. 17. Nowe faith is sayde to bee a firme and a constant assent of the minde to the wordes of God wrought by the motion of the holy ghost for the saluation of all the beleeuers Seeyng then so many excellent thinges are giuen vnto vs if wee abide faithfull and beleeue in the Lorde and seeing furthermore on the contrary part wee are depriued of all these promises and giftes if we haue no faith it behoueth vs to looke about and to examine well our selues our hearts our cōsciences our inwarde parts and affections to see whether we be in this faith or no and whether we cā vnfainedly persuade our selues before the Lorde that wee haue this true faith in Iesus Christ If we haue it let vs continue and abide in it to the end that we may be saued let vs vse the godly meanes and exercises of Christianitie whereby it may increase and waxe stronger in vs let vs frequent the hearing of sermōs and the worde of God in reading it also priuatly and let vs ioyne prayer to the Lord for this excellent gift of faith Likewise the sacraments are to be vsed which are an increasing of this faith vnto vs but with reuerence let vs often vse them Finally the cōpany and societie of the godly shall helpe much to this matter For as faith is gotten by these meanes so is it continued in vs and is lost if these exercises bee away If any feele him selfe voyde of faith let him beseeche the Lord Iesus the author of faith and giuer of it and say with the Apostles Lorde increase my faith and let him vse the wayes that I spake of euen now for faith commeth by hearing of the word of God which when we heare the holy Ghost worketh in vs yea the holy Ghost it selfe then commeth into our heartes by hearing the worde as it is reported in the Actes that while Peter spake the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the worde Actes 10. This fayth is our wedding garment without it wee shall be excluded and shut out from the marriage of the Lambe It is the oyle which we must alwayes haue in our lampes in a readinesse against the bridegrome come at midnight As the fire goeth out for lacke of wood so is fayth extinguished in vs for lacke of the worde of God and earnest hearty prayer wherby it is mainteyned The Iewes were cut off for their meredulitie Well we stand yet by faith let vs take heede least in thinking we stande we fall If the true and naturall oliues were not spared how shal we escape that are the wilde oliues if we prouoke the Lord These things although partly they haue bene touched already yet they cannot be spoken of too much seeyng they are the dueties of of all Christians the cōmandemēts of the Lord. This doctrine of faith in Christ Iesus that we are iustified by it alone by it obtaine remission of sinnes without the works of the law is not priuate to some but cōmon to al that do vnfeynedly beleeue it whether they be rich or poore prince or begger bond or free Iew or Gētile in this countrey or that al are one in Christ Iesus who is brother to all alike and there is no respect of persons with God Actes 10. which is a father alike to all that call vpon him in faith and trueth This as it is ioyfull and comfortable to all so is it most specially to all them that are afflicted in minde to them whose calling is but base and abiect in the worlde to such whom the worlde maketh no account of briefly to all that are in pouerty and miserie forsaken of the worlde for Christes sake Neyther is this doctrine new or strange as the aduersaries doe falsely slaunder it which say it was neuer heard of before the time of Luther It is not so this doctrine is as ancient as the Prophets of God are all they are witnesses vnto it and was in the primitiue Church taught of the Apostles For what els do we say but that we receiue remission of sinnes through faith in Christes name And doth not S. Peter in the Actes the tenth chapter say the very same and confirmeth it
by meanes of my good workes merites which in deede are none The xlviii Article I beleeue that this Church is inuisible to the eye of man is onely to God knowen that the same Church is not set compassed and limited within a certaine place or boundes but is scattered spread abroad throughout all the worlde but yet coupled together in heart will and spirite by the bond of faith charitie hauing and altogether knowledging one onely God one only head and Mediator Iesus Christ one faith one lawe one Baptisme one spiritual Table wherein one meate and one spirituall drinke is ministred to them vnto the ende of the worlde This Church contayneth in it all the righteous and chosen people from the first righteous mā vnto the last that shal be found righteous in the end of the world and therefore doe I call it Vniuersall For as touching the Visible Church which is the Congregation of the good and of the wicked of the chosen and of the reprobate generally of al those which say they beleue in Christ I doe not beleeue that to bee the Church because that Church is seene of the eye and the faith thereof is in visible things The xlix Article I beleeue that this Inuisible Church is the fielde of the Lorde God wherein is neyther darnell nor cockle it is the house and dwelling place of the holy Ghost and within that Church is neither Cain Iudas neither the wicked rich Gluttō That Church also is the fold of Christ wherein is no stinking and infected beastes but all cleane and vndefiled sheepe and lambes which bring forth their fruites in due time season The same Church is the body of Christ wherein there is neuer a rotten corrupt or infected mēber It is the Spouse of Christ which is pure cleane without wrinckle without spot It is holy without blame cleansed and sanctified in the blood and by the worde of her head and welbeloued spouse Iesus Christ for that cause they cā in no wise perish which by liuely faith are grafted therin The L. Article I beleeue that the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost are scattered and giuen vnto euery member of the same Church not so much for their particular profite commoditie as for the general profit commoditie of the whole Congregation Church and that thorow grace wholy without any merite according to the good pleasure prouidence of God to some more to some lesse that to the end we should know that one hath neede of another and that we should be ready to helpe one another in all necessities as wel bodily as spiritually euen as it becommeth members of one body The Li. Article I beleeue the Communion of Saintes that is to say I beleeue that all whatsoeuer our Lorde God giueth in this worlde whether it be benefites and blessings that concerne the body or the spirit he giueth the same singularly to the profit commoditie of the whole Church and therfore ought the same to be distributed communicated to all that are faithful but chiefely to those that are in necessitie that like as we doe communicate and are knitte in one God one faith one Lawe one Baptisme and be partakers of one spirituall Table euen so we may communicate be partakers together of and in those things which do proceede come vnto vs by meanes of the aforesayde thinges For otherwise we can not be Christians or faithfull stewardes of Christ Here vtterly I renounce and abhorre the Anabaptistes maner of making common goods wiues and such other like things and onely doe I allow the Apostles making of things common which hauing possessing any goods priuately vsed to distribute thereof to euery one according as the same had neede and as necessitie required The Lii Article I beleeue that this Church is like vnto the Arke of Noah within the which is safetie and life and without the same is but death decay and destruction For as Christ is and doeth raygne in his Church euen so Satan is and doeth raygne in and through all that are out of that Church The which true Church is mayntayned and vpholden by the Spirite of Christ is ruled and gouerned by his holy worde and is nourished and fedde with his holy Sacraments That Church shal alwayes haue enemies shall still be tormented in the sea of this world with the thunderings of Antichrist and by the wounds and tempest of Satan For all the gates of hell doe arme set out themselues against this Church But in these waues shee shall not be drowned but shall abide for euer because shee hath a good defence and foundatiō which is Iesus Christ the righteous And for this cause I cal her the Church militāt which wayteth for the triūph of those that be blessed which are where as is nothing but peace ioy and euerlasting consolation The Liii Article I beleeue that the Lord God hath giuen vs three principal signes and marks by the which we may knowe this his Church that is to say the word the Sacraments discipline I call that only the word which was reuealed by the holy Ghost vnto the holie Patriarks Prophets Apostles of Iesus Christ the which word is cōtained within the canonicall bookes of the olde new Testamēt by the which word we are made cleane thereby do receiue the selfe same thing as much as we do by the Sacramentes that is to say Iesus Christ by his worde which is the worde of faith giueth communicateth himselfe vnto vs aswell as by the Sacramēts albeit it be by another maner fashiō The Liiii Article I beleeue that the same worde of God is of a farre greater aucthoritie then the Church the which worde onely doeth sufficiently shewe and teach vs all those things that in any wise concerne our saluation both what we ought to do and what to leaue vndone The same worde of God is the true paterne and perfect rule after the which all faithful people ought to gouerne and order their liues without turning eyther to the right hand or to the left hand without chāging any thing thereof without putting to it or taking from it knowing that all the works of god are perfect but most chiefly his word The Lv. Article I beleeue that as onely Iesus Christ amongst all men is holie and true that all others are sinners and lyers euen so likewise the onely doctrine of the same Iesus Christ is holy and true al other doctrines are vnpure false This doctrine of Iesus Christ is a well a fountaine of life a lampe or pillar of fire to guyde vs the bread of the soule the power of God vnto saluation to al that beleeue And therfore whatsoeuer happeneth the same ought onely to bee aduaunced preached heard vnderstande receiued of all the worlde to the comfort and saluation of those that beleue to the greater damnation of