to performe all the duties of a faithfull minister of Iesus Christ vnto your honour I leaue to trouble you any furthet from other affayres of your Prince and countrey beseeching the Almightie to increase his gratious giftes in you to the honour of his holy name the profit of his Church and the consolation of your owne soule in the ende Which he graunt vnto your honour for his Christes sake Amen 1579. Your honours in the Lorde Iesus most humble to commande Iohn Baker To the Godly and Christian reader grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen I Haue for thy sake gentle reader set forth vnto thee briefly the meaning of al the articles of our Christian fayth which are necessary to saluation to this ende and purpose that as thou hast in English an exposition vpon the ten commaundements of almighty God and the Lordes prayer to knowe the better what they meane so thou mightest haue likewise in thy mother tongue some opening of these Christian articles which being well applyed to thy owne conscience by a liuely fayth thou shalt finde sweeter vnto thee then either hony or the hony combe a treasure to bee preferred before much gold yea the finest that may be And because sermons are not so common in euery parish Church as by the lawe of God and the prince they should be thou mayest therefore vse this booke priuately in thy house when thou shalt haue leasure as vpon the Sundayes and holy dayes at after noone The whole summe of thy faith is here set forth so plainely that thou mayest easily vnderstande it if the Lorde shall giue his grace to thee open thine eyes to see otherwise nothing can be easie to any man but an open booke shal be as sealed vnto men except the spirit reueale it vnto them which he will doe no doubt if thou seeke it by humble and earnest prayer to God in his sonnes name For surely this is the cause why many reading the Scriptures vnderstand them not because they come to them with vnprepared heartes not subdued with humilitie but presuming with their naturall witte to vnderstand the mysteries in them conteined But flesh blood doth not reueale these secret and hid thinges vnto vs. Other reade them without prayer to vnderstand them other some reade them but to dispute and talke of them with the learned and not to amende their liues being detected by them but onely to knowe them and let the practise goe But these men so doing can not be blessed Luke 11. cap. Wherfore dearely beloued Christian I exhort thee to reade the scriptures and all other bookes that tende to the declaration of the scriptures with a single eye and penitent heart not thinking or presuming any thing of thy selfe for the wind bloweth where it listeth as our sauiour sayth Iohn 3. And these diuine thinges are most commonly had from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened by the spirit vnto litle babes Matth. 11. that is to such as are humble in their owne conceyte and in their owne eyes For the holy Ghost sayth Them that be meeke will hee guide in iudgement and teach the humble his waye Psal 26. So then the humble shal be exalted and they all that exalt them selues shal be brought lowe Luk. 14. fare well deare brother and vse this booke as it was meant to thy good and comfort which Iesus Christ graunt vnto thee Amen Thy louing Brother in the Lord alwayes to pray for thee I. B. ¶ Sermons vpon the Creede or xii Articles of our Christian faith I Beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth 2 And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the holy Ghost 3 Borne of the Virgine Marie 4 Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed descended into hell 5 The third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almightie 7 From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8 I beleeue in the holy Ghost 9 The holy Catholike Church the cōmunion of Saintes 10 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 11 The resurrection of the body 12 And the life euerlasting Amen The first Sermon vpon the first article I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth BEfore we come to speake of the meaning of these wordes it shall not be amisse to cōsider in a word or two who made this Christian order and forme of our beliefe The generall and common opinion receaued with the whole consent of the Church is that the xii Apostles of our sauiour Iesus Christ made this Creede euery one an article as a godly writer of our time one Aretius in his booke of questions doeth shew Therefore it is called the Apostles Creede But whether it were they or no that made it or any other it is no great matter seeing it is all the vndoubted trueth of Gods worde euery poynt of it agreeth with the rest of the holy scriptures written with the Spirit of Christ We haue many bookes in the olde new Testament which are written for our consolation comfort and that by the finger of God but yet we knowe not the names of those men that wrote them as the booke of the Iudges the booke of Kinges and the Chronicles and such like and in the newe Testament the Epistle to the Ebrewes These all are the holy worde of God but yet we knowe not the authors of them And it seemeth that the holy Ghost woulde haue their names suppressed and vnknowen because we shoulde receiue all Scripture alike and with the same authoritie which proceedeth from the mouth of God making no differēce of persons or choyse of men when all is trueth that is written and that we shoulde not consider so much who speaketh or writeth a thing as what is spoken written vnto vs. Thus much for the writers of this worke Nowe let vs consider the thing it selfe This Creede hath foure partes the first is of our faith beliefe in God the Father the first person in Trinitie the seconde is of our trust and beliefe in God the Sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour the second person in Trinitie the third is of our faith in the holy Ghost the power of God which is the thirde person in Trinitie the fourth and last parte is of the holy and Vniuersall Church of Christ and of those things that are to be beleued concerning the same which are contayned in the last three articles which are annexed and ioyned vnto the Church as The remission of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting These are the benefites which followe the Church This is the diuision of the Creede Out of the first article we haue to note these two things first that we must beleeue in God secondly what maner of God it is in whome we doe beleeue
be due common to all men generally neuerthelesse the Lord through his mercy hath reserued to himselfe a certaine nūber which are onely knowne to himselfe the which he hath drawē from this corrupt heape hath sanctified clensed the same in the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ by meanes thereof hath made them vessels of election honour apt vnto all good workes The xi Article I beleeue that the Father in Iesu Christ his sonne thorow the holy Ghost hath elected chosē those y◠are his owne according to his good will before the foundations of the world were layed whō he hath predestinate vnto eternall life that there by they might be his children adoptiues ouer whom he hath without comparison a much greater care thē the best father can haue ouer the best child in the world for he suffereth not that any thing shall come to passe either on high in heauen or beneath on earth which shall not be for their good and great profite The xii Article I beleeue that the father through his sonne with the holy ghost hath alwaies frō the beginning intended to restore mā vnto whom after he had sinned he shewed him selfe promising vnto him that blessed seede by whome the heade of the serpent should be troden downe and by whome the faithful shoulde receyue blessing By this promise which hath since bene oftentimes ratifyed and confirmed to the holie fathers man which otherwise had dispayred in sinne is releeued holpen comforted and clothed with hope euen vnto the ful performing thereof The thirteenth Article I beleeue also that after this promise the Lorde hath prescribed and giuen the lawe of the commandements to man promising life to the obseruers therof death to the transgressours of the same and hee gaue them not to the ende that man should seeke iustification saluation or life therein but for the policie peace and tranquilytie of his people for the defence of the good for the chastenyng and punyshing of the wicked to preserue eche one in his office but especially that therebye man might the better know himselfe his disease his pouertie and imperfection and by meane thereof to take an occasion to humble himselfe before this lawe giuer to seeke remedy saluation life in some other that is to saie in the holie promised seede which is Iesus Christ For this cause the lawe is called a scholemaster to come to Christ the which also serueth vs for a glasse to knowe our sinnes by and to encrease the same knowledge in vs. Likewise it serueth vs for an accuser to accuse vs before the Lorde and for a seuere and cruell iudge to declare the wrath and iudgement of God ouer vs and his condemnation vnto eternall death and by this meane to make vs afraide and to bring vs vnto dispaire vntill we be comforted by the Gospell through faith in Iesus Christ wherby we are deliuered frō all these causes These are the offices of the lawe the which are turned into our good through fayth in the Gospell the which hath other offices and cleane contrary For the rest I confesse that the lawe of the Lorde is good iust holy and perfit and where the same doth not bring vs vnto perfection it is not long of it selfe but of vs which are altogether vnperfect and can in no wise accomplish the same no not to touch it with our litle finger The xiiii article I beleeue and confesse Iesus Christ to be the fulnes the ende and accomplishmēt of the Lawe to the iustification of all that beleeue thorow whom and by whom only all the promises of the father be accomplished yea euen to the vttermost the which also alone hath perfectly satisfied the Lawe in that which no other amōgst men coulde persourme for so much as the law doeth cōmaund things impossible y◠which neuertheles mā must accōplish not by working but through beleeuing For so is the lawe accomplished through faith and not through works by this meanes shal man find the righteousnes of faith to be auaileable before the Lord not the righteousnesse of works y◠which leadeth nothing vnto perfection As concerning the first poynt of my faith this is y◠which I beleeue of the father y◠things that are made by him consequētly of the holie Trinitie also of the soule of man Nowe let vs come to the second point which is of the Sonne of God and of the thinges done by him especially of the restoring repairing agayne of man 2 And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was cōceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descēded into hel the third day he rose againe frō the dead he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almightie from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead The xv Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is veryly God and verily man hauing two natures comprehended in one person a nature diuyne after the which he is the onely naturall sonne of God equall with the father in all thinges and a nature humane after the which he is verye man in al things like vnto vs synne excepted The xvi Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ the sonne of God in the fulnesse of the tyme appointed of the father from the beginning was sent into the worlde by the father was made perfect man and was conceiued in the wombe of a woman being a pure virgine called Marie of her proper substance of her proper bloud so that he was found a perfect man descēding of the seede of Adā Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid other fathers vnto whome the promise was made The .xvii. Article I beleeue also that all this was done by the working of the holye Ghost without the worke of man to the ende that all that was wrought therein might be holye and without spot pure and cleane And that thereby our conception might be made cleane holy which of it selfe is altogether spotted and defyled with sinne The xviii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgyne Marye without any manner of sinne and without breach of her virginitie so that by his pure and holye natiuitie he hath purified and made holye ours which of it self is altogether vncleane defyled with sinne In this Natiuitie of Christ I see and consider the first estate condition of man with his fall which was y◠cause of Christ his cōming into the world Likewise in this I see and consider the fauour and inestimable loue of God the father which hath presented and giuen his onely sonne to serue vs. I see also and consider in this Natiuity the charytie of the sonne which hath abased humbled himselfe to lifte vs vp became poore to make vs riche became bonde to make vs free became the sonne of man to make vs the children of God
wherin he is inferior to his father Seeing then that in the crosse death buriall of Christ doth appeare a kinde of infirmitie and weakenes in respect of the world because these things in Christ seeme base to many wee haue to goe further for the full strengthening of our faith to his most glorious victorious resurrection ouer al his enemies for although we haue a ful accomplishment of our saluation in his death because that by it wee are reconciled to God and satisfactiō is made to his iustice for our sinnes so that the curse is taken away frō vs the punishmēt paid for our offēces yet for al this we are said to be begottē not by his death but by his resurrection into a liuely hope for these are the words of Saint Peter 1. Epist 1. Chap. Blessed be God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which according to his abūdant mercy hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ frō the dead to an inheritance immortall vndefiled that withereth not reserued in heauen for vs which are kept by the power of God thorow faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time meaning whē Christ shal come to iudgement and we shal rise in our bodies Wherefore as Christ by rising so triumphātly became cōquerour of death so the victory of our faith doeth consist especially in his resurrection euē as the holy Apostle doth plainly expresse it Rom. 4. 25. for he saith that Christ was deliuered from our sinnes but is risen againe for our iustificatiō as if he should say By his death was sinne takē away abolished but iustice and righteousnesse was restored renewed vnto vs by his resurrection from death For otherwise how could he haue deliuered vs from death by dying if he himself had bin swallowed vp of death or howe should he haue gotten vs the victorie that had lost it himself This thing the Prophete Osee foreseeing by the spirite of God spake prophetically as Dauid and other Prophets did of this resurrection of our sauiour saying O death I wil be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction Osee Chap. 13. verse 14. Wherfore we do in this sort distinguish the benefites of his death from the benefites of his resurrectiō By his death sinne is abolished by his resurrectiō righteousnes is restored by his death is death extinguished by his resurrection is life repayred to conclude by the one hel gates are brokē vp vāquished by the other the dores of heauē are vnshut opened vnto vs. These are the proper differences betweene his death resurrection although the one sometime is takē for the other al things are giuen and applied to his death whatsoeuer we inioy Here may be a question why Christ was three dayes in the sepulchre First I may say It was to fulfill the scriptures for Ionas was a figure signe of his resurrection now as Ionas was three daies and three nightes in the fishes belly so was Christ in the graue Agayne hee was there three dayes and did not rise by by immediatly after his death to confirme the certaintie of his death that he was dead in deede for if he should haue risen straight way mē might haue thought with thēselues that he had not bin throughly dead Againe although it be said that he was three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth yet was he there but part of thē for the scripture doth take a part halfe of a day for a whole day as also part of a mā for the whole mā Wheras it is saide there were so many soules in the ship with Paul it is meant so many men in al with bodies soules but the better greater excellenter part is vsually taken for the whole as in this place of three daies This article hath two principall poynts to be considered in it first the resurrectiō it self of Christ secondly the benefites that come vnto vs by it which are three in nūber First life righteousnes is restored vnto vs by his rising thē mortification newnes of life here amōg men is taught vnto vs by this resurrection lastly we are assured perswaded of our resurrectiō In that that Christ our head is risen again we also the members shall rise with him as Paul saith Whēsoeuer Christ which is our head shal appeare thē shal we also appeare that is rise with him in glorie that is a glorified body as his is Phil. 3. Colos 3. This can not be but great comfort vnto vs. As cōcerning his resurrection partly some thing was alledged before testimonies brought to confirme it but this may be saide more of it that it is so necessarie to be beleeued vnto saluation that without it no life can be had for how can he haue life that doth not or wil not beleeue the author giuer of life Iesus Christ to be aliue risen but dead how I say cā such an one haue any life in him at al Therefore our Sauiour willing to leaue a perpetuall memorie of this article to his Church seeing it was of such great waight importance after that he had suffered presented him selfe aliue to his Apostles disciples to the women also by many infallible tokens being seene of them by the space of fourtie dayes speaking of those things which appertayne to the kingdome of God To this ende that he might cōfirme strengthen thē in this true resurrection he did eate drinke with them after he rose Acts. 10. shewed thē his hands his feete bid them handle him see that it was euen he and none other Luk. 24. 39. Yea this point is so necessarie to obteyne euerlasting saluation that the Apostle S. Paul doth affirme that if Christ be not risen againe then is our preaching in vayne then is our faith in vayne then are we false witnesses of God thē are we yet in our sinnes and they that are fallē asleepe in Christ are perished and we of al men are most miserable All these absurdities and inconueniences do follow if we or any other beleeue not stedfastly that Christ is risen againe But dearly beloued Christ is risen againe as the Angel said to the women He is risen he is not here when they thought hee had not bene risen but there in the graue as hee was layde The Pharisees thought that if they could perswade the people from the beliefe of this his resurrection they should do well ynough with them and therfore they gaue large money to the souldiers to say that he was stollen away by his disciples by night They wel knew that if the people of the Iewes did beleeue this his rysing frō the dead they would easely beleeue all other mysteries of his death and passion with the articles going before The Euangelists al of them do inculcate make mentiō of no one
in mercie towarde his Church they giue him the name of a meeke and gentle Lambe apparelled in white making no sturre or cry in the streetes not breaking a brused reede nor quenching a smoking flaâ—e Matthewe 12. But when the Prophets will sette foorth Christ in his maiestie and glorie after his ascension they giue him the name and propertie of a fierce Lion all apparelled in redde and bloody garmentes with a rodde and scepter of iron in his hande to rule and gouerne all nations And this no doubt is to cause make the enemies of his Church to quake euen as hee shewed him selfe in a vision to Saint Iohn his beloued disciple to comfort him no doubt but to terrifie the enemies which were shortly to goe about to destroy the Church of God Wee reade in the Reuelation 1. cha that as Iohn turned backe to heare the voyce that spake with him Christ shewed him selfe vnto him in his maiestie as he was able to conceiue for he saw seuen goldeÌ„ candlesticks in the midst of the seuen golden candlesticks one like vnto the sonne of maÌ„ clothed with a garmeÌ„t downe to the feete and girded about the pappes with a golden girdle his head and heares were white as white wooll and as snowe and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feete lyke vnto fine brasse burning as in a furnace and his voyce as the sound of many waters and he had in his ryght hand seuen starres and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged swoorde and his face shone as the Sunne shyneth in his strength This vision of Christ in his glorie was so fearefull that it made Iohn him selfe afrayde but the Lorde dyd shewe him selfe so to comforte his seruauntes which should suffer persecution a litle after but to threaten the enemies by his mightie power This is that which the holy Ghost spake long since by Dauid The Lorde reigneth let the people tremble hee fitteth betweene the Cherubims let the earth be mooued the Lorde is great in Zion and he is hie aboue all people The Lorde that is at thy ryght hande shall wounde Kings in the day of his wrath he shall bee iudge among the heathen he shall fill all with dead bodyes and smite the heades ouer great countreys Here wee see howe Dauid speaketh most magnificently of this glorious kingdome of Christ beyng nowe exalted aboue the heauens by his ascension howe hee assureth the enemies of destruction but promiseth deliuÌ„erie to the godly in the Church As Christ did alwayes deliuer his Church euen from the beginning Noah from the flood drowning the rest Lot from Sodome when hee consumed the remnant with fire the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and the tyranny of king Pharao ouerthrowing his euennes in the redde sea for Christ was that great Angel that went before them likewise in destroying the Assyrians so many thousandes in one nyght and sauing good king Hezekia and the rest so did hee most wonderfully destroy great Babylon and ransome thence his owne prisoners finally howe he destroyed the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites the Philistims and the Canaanites they that reade the hystories of the Bible shal wel perceiue as I say Christ hath done these thinges to his enemies before his incarnation so especially after hee was receyued vp in glorie hee hath done the like Howe mightily did hee suppresse and beate downe the great rage and furie of Saul beyng armed and sette as a fierce Tyger or Lion to destroy both man woman and childe of Christs flocke But the Lorde Iesus from heauen subdued him and made him as tame as a Lambe Actes 9. Did hee not cutte off inlyke sort that cruell tyraunt Herode that killed Iames had also taken Peter It is sayd that in his pryde he gaue not GOD the honour and glorye and therefore was immediatly strooken of the angel and most shamefully eaten vp of wormes Actes 12. Howe Iulian the Emperour that wicked forsaker and persecutour of the Christians was handled by the iustice of God and ended his life miserably So Zomenus in in his sixt booke of his storie the seconde Chapter doeth sufficiently declare that he was not killed by any of his enemies but by one of his owne souldyers And when he was strooken with the darte and wounded to death hee vnderstoode well the cause of it to bee for persecuting Christ and the Christians for hee tooke the blood out of his wounde and flang it vp into the ayre as if hee had seene Christ and accused him of his death as in deede hee was the chiefe authour of it to punishe that wicked reprobate which had so before contemned and mocked his worde and Gospel They that list to reade histories either prophane or diuine shall see howe the tyrantes and murdering Emperours of Christes Church haue bene by Iesus Christ in his glory taken miserably out of this life Consider all the Emperours of Rome that persecuted the Church what became of them and howe they dyed Was not Nero that monster partly by himselfe and partly by one of his owne men thrust through with a dagger as Suetonius and others do report Galba Otho and Vitellius did they not suffer the like Did not Domitian destroy his owne brother Titus and poisoned him and was not Titus a persecuter of the Iewes Domitian was miserably kylled by one Stephanus his man Maximinus slayne by his owne armye Commodus kylled of Narcissus Macrinus thrust thorowe by his souldiers Decius killed by his enemies Valerianus pearsed with a speare of the Persians Pilate after hee had crucified our Sauiour Christ within fewe yeeres after was hee not dryuen to hang him selfe for sorowe as Iudas did before him Dioclesian and Maximinian which were the authours of the tenth and last persecution agaynst the Christians deposed them selues of their imperial function by the secrete iudgement of God Maxentius the sonne of Maximinian dranke of the same cuppe with Pharao being both like enemies against Christ and his Church for Maxentius was drowned in the water with his harnesse vpon his backe The Popes of Rome being as great persecutours as euer were any of Christ and his Church many of them haue had very wretched and shamefull endes Alexander the sixt was taken away with the deuill by whome he aspyred to the papacie Looke vpon our papistes in Queene Maries dayes and see howe a great many of them dyed Wee â—acke not examples among vs euen fresh in memorie in those dayes Let a men consider with himselfe the vnhappie and vnfortunate endes of the last race of the kinges in Fraunce and he shall say that Christ euen in his glory doth marueilously defende his Gospel with the professours thereof rewardeth their enemies according to their desertes So that a man may iustly say and confesse with Dauid Doubtees there is a God that iudgeth in the earth surely there is a Christ that defendeth his Church for hee shall treade downe our enemies vnder vs
and destroy them that rise vp against vs Psalme 60. By these examples then we may haue comfort perswade our selues that are the litle stocke of Christ yâ— as he hath done already so he will doe alway for his for he is able still and his hande is not shortned but as long as it was neyther is he chaunged And let vs with Peter say and beleeue that the Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnder punishment I woulde admonish therefore the wicked and the obstinate and persecuting Papistes of Christes Gospel to learne to take heede by these lessons aboue rehearsed and not to goe on stil to prouoke and kindle the great wrath and anger of Christ against them seeing hee is armed with vengeance and teâ—â—our agaynst them and nowe sitteth in his throne of maiestie These are the thinges that wee haue to beare in minde vpon this article of our faith concerning Christ his ascension The first poynt was of the ascension it selfe not into the ayre or cloudes but into heauen proued by the manifest woorde of God the holy scriptures the seconde the glory and power of it shewing the ende of it which was to sitte at Gods right hande to gouerne all things the thirde poynt was the great assurance of fayth that commeth to vs by it and the comfort that we conceiue by his so glorious ascension into heauen for vs. Nowe let vs humble our selues before this Lorde Iesus Christ in giuing him first most heartie and intire thankes for all his benefites bestowed vpon vs especially for this that hee hath ascended into heauen as a conquerour and taken possession of heauen for vs alreadie and let vs pray vnto him that as hee is ascended alreadie in body so we in the meane while may thither ascende in minde and heart where true ioyes are only to be found And seeing he is made gouernour of heaueÌ„ and earth and al pray we him that he would gouerne and defende vs here in earth by the assistaunce of his holy spirite tyll wee all meeâ—e together at our generall ascension in the vnitie of faith and acknowledging of the Sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of him And because hee is of power sufficient let vs beseeche him to brydle and stoppe the mouthes of 〈◊〉 to confounde Antichrist which seeketh by al meanes to extinguish his trueth that hee would also hasten his 〈◊〉 vnto iudgement for his elects sake which grone vnder the crosse These things he graunt vnto vs which is able euen Iesus Christ the onely wise mighty and immortall God to whom with his father and his holy spirite be rendred all prayse and glory and dominion for euer and euer so be it The seuenth Lecture vpon the seuenth article of our Christian faith From thence shall he come to iudge both the quicke and the dead THis is the seuenth article of our beliefe but the sixt and last of theÌ„ that coÌ„cerne the person of Christ and onely of all the rest of the fiue going before remaineth to be fulfilled and in his time accomplished For as concerning the other articles of our sauiour Christes person which are the fiue former we beleeue most constantly that they are al already perfourmed and verified namely first that he hath bene conceiued secondly borne thirdly died fourthly risen againe fifthly and ascended into heauen Onely this we beleeue yet to be to come that is to iudge the quicke and the dead The meaning of this article is this I that am a Christian man womaÌ„ or childe do beleeue assuredly that Christ shall come againe visibly in the great and latter daye of iudgement with glorie and power from heauen as he was seene to go vp accompanied with his holy angels to iudge al the world most iustly both those that are already dead and those that he shal finde aliue at his coÌ„ming and that none shall escape his iudgement seate 2. Cor. 5. to this ende that the good may be rewarded with euerlasting life and immortalitie the wicked punished with euerlasting death and destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1. The Lord Iesus euen in this life doeth shewe and set foorth vnto all the worlde most wonderfull signes and tokens both of his mercy to the elect and iustice to the reprobate but because his kingdome is not of this worlde therefore our faith must amount hier to consider of his last comming wherein hee shall shewe as great glorie and maiestie as he did humilitie and meekenes in his first comming in the flesh For as we doe beleeue that he is appointed of his father to bee the sauiour and redeemer of mankinde so doe we also confesse him to be ordeined the great iudge of the vniuersall world that it is he alone that shall iudge with vnspeakeable glory both great and small at his appearance so that although many men thinke that there is no generall iudgement yet at the last they shall feele that this iudge shal summoÌ„ them all to appeare most fearefully before his imperiall throne of maiestie And this iudgement of Christ standeth with good reason and iustice that it should be openly seene and perceiued of all men at the last lest either the wisedome of the flesh or maÌ„s reason or the multitude of the wicked should be able iustly to charge vs as they do most vniustly that we faine to our selues a God a Lord a Christ and such an head as neuer sheweth him selfe nor was seene of men Wherefore to auoyde this slander and reproche of the blasphemous mouthes which say Where is now your God let him shew him selfe we I say doe beleeue that one daye hee shall come to iudge the whole earth For this is that that Saint Iohn sayeth in his Reuelation 1. 7. Beholde he commeth with cloudes and euery eye shal see him euen they which pearced him through and all kinreds of the earth shall wayle before him euen so Amen Let the wicked men therefore and the mockers of this iudgement triumphe neuer so much yet shall they not be able to hinder or disanull the deuice and purpose of the Lorde They doe in deede bende their tongues like bowes to shoote out blasphemies against the Lord saying Where is the promise of his comming But let those men vnderstande that as the Lorde Iesus was seene to goe vp into heauen so shall hee come downe agayne from heauen as the Angels of God reported Actes 1. 11. And albeit they will not beleeue it but make a iest of it yet they shall feele it one daye to their great payne and sorowe It is meete then and requisite that he that was for our saluation before the iudgement seat of maÌ„ vniustly condemned shoulde shewe in the ende howe great his iurisdictioÌ„ and authoritie ouer al flesh is and what his iustice requireth Seeing then
also that hee is ascended into heauen to bee our Patrone intercessour mediatour and aduocate and that hee nowe appeareth for vs before the face of the father obtayning for vs grace and abundance of all good thinges in such sorte that I neither knowledge nor receiue anye other mediatour betwixt GOD and man neyther any other aduocate or intercessour before GOD the father then his onely sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde To him doe I resorte with him doe I holde my selfe contented and none other doe I search for neyther will I fearyng to blaspheme the name of GOD by giuyng that vnto the creature that appertayneth onely to the Creator and to the seruant that which onely apperteyneth vnto the master The xxxv Article I beleeue that all they which demaunde seeke for or receyue any other mediator intercessour or aduocate towardes GOD the father then Iesus Christ his Sonne the same blasphemeth agaynst God and doeth dishonour vnto Iesus Christ and vnto the saintes by whom he prayeth For as God the father wil bee knowen serued loued feared and honoured in his Sonne and by his onely sonne Iesus Christ and not by any other meanes euen so will hee be prayed vnto and called vpon in his and by his onely Sonne Iesus Christ and none other wise In this I will neither dispraise nor thinke or speake euil of the blessed Saintes which are in heauen with the Lord but I wil haue them in honour and reuerence them as the faythfull saints of the Lord as the Temple of the holy Ghost as the true members of Christ and haue them as glasses paterns before myne eyes to followe them aswel in their honest life good conuersation as also in their faythfull and holy doctrine And as concerning them or by thē I do vnderstand none other thing knowing that al my good my helpe and succour proceedeth of God onely by the meane of Iesus Christ alone which hath made the Saintes worthie of his glorie by his onely grace by the which also I beleeue hee will make mee worthie with them to bee their companion in glory that wee all together shoulde giue vnto him onelyall honour prayse and glorie for euermore The xxxvi Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is set on the right hande of God the father almightie that is to say that he reigneth in one and the same maiestie and equall power with God his father by the which hee so gouerneth his owne vnto the worldes ende that the power of none aduersarie can annoye them without his permission and will I beleeue also that the Father hath made him Lorde and ruler ouer all creatures as well heauenly as earthly giuing vnto him all power ouer heauen and earth and that he hath lift him vp aboue all rule power and Lordship and aboue euery name that is named not onlie in this worlde but also in the worlde to come and hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all thinges to bee the head of his Church which is his body Ephe. 1. 21. And therfore I neither receiue neither acknowledge any other Head of the Church but onely Iesus Christ which hath giuen his blood to wash away the filthines and to heale the woundes thereof and the same to preserue nourish defende and gouerne by his holy spirite The same is the onely Head and foundation of the Church whereon euery one ought to builde according to his vocacion The xxxvii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen and that hee is there corporally that is to say in fleshe in body and in soule after such sorte that hee neither is nor can after the same meane and fashion be here beneath on earth with vs for as much as his body although it bee glorious can not bee in diuers and many places at one time but be so in one place after the nature of a glorified bodie that it can not bee in an other otherwise it shoulde not bee a true and naturall bodie but phantasticall that is to say a thing apparant and not in deede which is false and wholye agaynst our faith And therefore doe I saye and confesse that the true and naturall bodye of Christe is in heauen and that from thence hee shall not come vntyll hee hath made all his enemies his footestoole and then shall hee come to iudge the quicke and dead The xxxviii Article I beleeue that when the number of the electe children of GOD shall bee accomplished the Lorde Iesus in the selfe same bodie in the which hee suffered and was crucified with the which hee rose and ascended into heauen in the selfe same shall hee come with great power and Maiestie visiblye in a cloude euen as hee ascended and that to iudge both the quicke and the dead and shall render vnto euery one according to iustice vnto the good that hee shall finde amongst them according to their goodnesse and vnto the euill according to their wickednesse This iudgement shall bee general that is to saye all shall bee called and personally summoned therevnto by the voyce of an Angell at the which all shall appeare as well the good as the euyll the electe as the reprooued to the ende that euery one maye render an accompt and reckonyng before the iudgement seate of Christe of all that hath beene done by them in this worlde whether it be good or euill yea euen of their idle woordes the which they esteeme no sinne Then shal be saued all those that are founde written in the booke of life The xxxix Article A beleeue that then shal be made the total and last separation of the good from the euill of the elect from the reprobate the which now are all mingled together as the good and the euil fish in one nette the chaffe and the corne the cockle with the wheate but when the haruest commeth hee which hath the fanne in his hand shal make a separation and shall gather the corne into his garner but the chaffe and cockle he shal cast into the fire to burne eternally Then shall perfitly be declared and knowen the iustice and mercy of the Lorde and likewise the fruite of the crosse blood of Iesus Christ the which thing nowe we knowe onely but in parte but then the good and elect shall knowe the Father vpon whome they haue buylded their hope and shal not be confounded in like maner the wicked shal knowe the Father against whome they haue stumbled whom they haue refused contemned and despised and shal be confounded Then shall the Lorde make an ende of his office and ministerie for his mysticall body shall then be wholly finished and accomplished with all his members and he shal render vp his kingdome and his espouse which is the Church vnto God his Father altogether glorious irreprehensible and acceptable without spotte or wrinkle Then shall perfectly be ouercome destroyed and confounded Satan and hell sinne and death and all