as Dauid sayeth If thou take away thy breath from them That is his power from his creatures they dye So that here we see Gods prouidence ouer vs and all things For he woorketh dayly by preseruing and keeping his creatures in their estate as Christ saith My Father hitherto woorketh and I woorke by maynteyning things created For God is not like a carpenter that maketh an house and setteth it vp in deede but afterwarde neuer peraduenture seeth it againe but leaueth it to the dweller and owner of it the master thereof and careth no more for it If God shoulde deale so with vs it woulde be ill and wrong with vs for the deuill woulde dayly destroy vs if he did not keepe vs and all ours For we are not able to keepe our selues no not a minute of an houre Here therefore acknowledge in the mercie of God his Fatherly care and prouidence ouer vs and all his creatures 4 The last thing we learne of the creation of the worlde is the iustice of God how he gouerneth it rightly in equitie iudgement as the Prophet singeth All the waies of the Lord are iudgement equite For vnlesse hee dyd execute his iustice vpon the wicked they woulde destroy his Church but he keepeth them vnder as it were with a bridle and hampereth euen the proude tyrants and deuils of hell by his seuere iustice shewed vpon them So that the Lorde is iust in all his wayes yea his wil is a most perfite rule and patterne of iustice Dauid often repeateth this lesson to terrifie the wicked Iust art thou O Lorde right are thy iudgements Psalm 119. So sayde the Emperor Mauricius being killed by Phocas This do the wicked confesse thēselues when they feele his heauy hand vpon them for their sinnes and offences as Pharao did when the hayle destroyed the cattell of Egypt saying vnto Moses Aaron I haue nowe sinned the Lorde is righteous but I and my people are wicked Exod. 19. Thus the reprobate whether they will or no must confesse the Lorde to be righteous in his workes For as the Lord is merciful to Forgive the sinnes of his children that are truely penitent and not obstinate so is he also a most iust Iudge ouer all the earth to execute his sharpe punishments vpon the malitous and wilful sinners The Iudge of the worlde doeth according to iustice as Abraham sayde of him when he was about to destroy Sodoma Gen. 18. I delite sayth the Lorde in iustice mercy and iudgement Ierem. 9. Examples of his iustice he hath shewed in the flood brought in vpon the wicked Example of his mercie in sauing Noe and his familie so that his iustice and mercie goeth alwaies together as Dauid saith I will sing of mercie and iudgement Psal 101. representing the person of Christ which should be in his kingdom as wel iust as mercifull a Lion of the tribe of Iuda to teare in pieces the wicked and a Lambe to preserue his with al gentlenesse softnesse Looke vpon Sodome how the Lord shewed there his extreme and seuere Iustice vpō those miscreants to consume them with fire and brimstone from heauen most terribly Gen. 19. and as Peter sayeth Made them an example for all ages and posterities to come of his iustice against sinne and vncleannes 2. Pet. 2. But yet then hee deliuered iust Lot out of tentation and trouble Note his mercy in it to the good godly I might heere recken vp the examples of Sennacherib of Achab of Nabuchodonozor of Herode of Iulian and such other persecuting kings and Emperours against the Church of Christ whome all God in his iustice hath ouerthrowen and vtterly destroyed This we learne that God doeth also preserue the state of mankinde by his iustice that one doeth not ouerrunne another as wilde beastes Then by this wee learne to stand in feare of Gods iustice if we sinne at any tyme desperately least we be caught vp with it and suddenly consumed If his wrath be kindled yea but a litle blessed are al they that put their trust in him Psalme 2. For our God in his wrath and iustice is a consuming fire as Hebr. 12. And it is an horrible thing to fall into his handes If he be angry who may abide or stande in his sight when the hilles melte away and the sea is dried vp and the hard rockes cleaue asunder O that we had this consideration of his iustice before our eyes continually it would keepe vs from all sinne and vngodlines for therefore we sinne because wee feare not this iustice of the Lordes There is no feare of god sayeth Dauid of the wicked before their eyes therefore they sinne We see then what wee haue to note vpon this article of our Christian beliefe and what commodity commeth vnto vs of the creation of all thinges by God howe we gather and consider of his infinite greatnesse by his wonderfull woorkes for the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke And this is one way to come to God as to be without excuse before his tribunall seate in the day of iudgement when the secretes of all heartes shall be disclosed and all thoughts opened before the Lorde By this creation the heathen men are without excuse and haue knowen him generally as Paul sayeth Romanes the first chap. That which may be knowen of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it vnto them For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the worlde being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neyther were thankefull but became vayne in their imaginations their foolish heart was full of darknesse when they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles God is knowen three wayes by his works by his worde and by his holy spirit of adoption Although God be knowen by all these wayes of his elect yet he is knowen of the reprobate onely by his worde and workes which see the workes and heare his worde but neuer haue his Spirite directing them aright which is proper onely to his owne children Of the first way speaketh Paul in this place vnto the which the creation is a glasse to bring vs to a full consideration of his greatnesse Wel we learne by the creation of heauen and earth his power his wisedome his goodnesse and iustice and whatsoeuer else may be in God This is great comfort to the godly and bringeth great boldenesse vnto them and trust in the last day that they haue such a father and do beleeue in such a God as is maker of heauen and earth this teacheth vs our duetie to referre all our actions to his honour and glory to cōfesse him alone to acknowledge that he made vs and not we our lelues to liue to him to dye to him to do al things for his sake
led away to Annas and Caiaphas and then posted ouer to Pilate Pilate sent him to Herode and Herode sent him back againe with mockes and tauntes in a purple robe in mockage derision of him And all this did our sauiour Christ for vs. This was much that I haue rehearsed already but yet nothing to the death of the crosse for the crosse was as odious shameful to them as the gallowes is to vs yet Christ was wel contented with it so wee might bee redeemed This is that Paul speaketh of to the Heb. 12. willing vs to follow the great humilitie of Christ in his suffering of shame saith Let vs also seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloude of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth down and sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Consider therfore him that endured such speaking agaīst of sinners lest ye should be wearied and faint in your mindes We see many men can abide to suffer paine and griefe which yet notwithstanding are ouercome with shame and reproche and can hardly abide it One peraduenture could bee contented to suffer some trouble for his deare friende but who will bee hanged for his friende Let the same minde therefore dearely beloued be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equal with God but hee made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the shape of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse You see out of this place howe Christ for our sakes abased himselfe to shame which consisteth in foure poyntes It was much for him being God to become man whether it had bene King or Prince or Lorde but it was more to become a miserable man a seruant vnto men more then that it was to die but most of all was it worthy prayse and commendation that he died the death of the crosse not for his friendes but for his foes Many other thinges did our sauiour suffer of the people the Scribes the Pharises the Iewes as reuilings blasphemies bitter nippes and tauntes but al was nothing to this crosse it surmounteth all yet for all this we must not be ashamed of him for hee is our glory Galat. 6. 1. Corinth 2. they that are ashamed of him here in earth before men he wil be ashamed of thē in heauē before his father his Angels Let vs therfore confesse and acknowledge Christ crucified for vs and let vs neuer be ashamed of him when hee commeth with his crosse for he that taketh not vp his crosse dayly followeth him is not worthy to be his disciple Luke 9. He might rather haue bene ashamed of vs to see vs in that case we were worser then wee can see any poore miserable begger amongst vs here in earth We see then that by Christ crucified the blessing of Abraham is come vpon vs that were Gentiles Galat. 3. and the the serpents head is broken he being y◠true serpēt lifted vp vpon the crosse to saue al those that hope vpon him by fayth as the other brasen serpent lyfted vp by Moses in the wildernes saued all those Israelites the were stong looked vp vnto it Numb 21. verse 9. Furthermore by this crosse the hande writing of ordinances which was against vs which was cōtrary to vs he euē he tooke it out of the way fastened it vpon the crosse hath spoyled the principalities powers hath made a shew of thē opēly hath triūphed ouer thē in the same crosse Col. 2. Of this crucifying lifting vp vpō the crosse was Isaac a figure who was boūd laid vpō the altar ready to be offered And so were al the sinne offerings layde vpon the altar for he was made of God his father sinne for vs that wee might he made the righteousnes of God in him which knewe no sinne 2. Corinth 5. But of all other types and shadowes of the ceremonial lawe this taking away of sinne by Christ in his crosse was most liuely set forth and represented vnto vs as in a glasse in the scaps goate For the Lord commanded Aaron Leuit. 16. that he should take a liue hee goate and present him quicke before the Lorde to make reconciliation by him and that he should put his handes vpon the head of the goate and confesse ouer him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their trespasses all their sinnes putting them vpon the head of the goate should send him away by the hande of a man appointed into the wildernes so the goate shall beare vpon him all their iniquities into the lande that is not inhabited Here was our sauiour Christ figured which bare in his body vpō the crosse the iniquities of vs al Esai 53. 1. Pet. 2. and was wounded for our transgressions and caried away al our sorowes for by his stripes are wee healed Esay 53. Furthermore this betraying and crucifying of Christ and selling of him for thirty pence was also forefigured in Ioseph For as Ioseph was solde of his owne brethren into the handes of strangers so was Christ betrayed and sold of his owne disciple anddeliuered of his owne nation into the handes of Pilate and the Heathen The third thing that followeth in this article is his death He was dead in deede as the Euangelistes doe report for Luke sayth of him that he cryed with a loude voyce and sayde Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And when he had thus sayd he gaue vp the ghost Luk 23. So for the certaintie of it it is not onely said that he was crucified but also that he died for otherwise nothing had bene wrought for vs. God sayde to Adam In what day soeuer thou shalt eate of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death Adam offended and brake this commandement hee was not able to make satisfaction for it to die the death of body and soule therfore the second Adam Iesus Christ died the death of body suffered the death in soule to redeeme vs and to satisfie Gods wrath displeasure conceiued most iustly against our sinne in Adam This death was signified in euery sacrifice of beastes in the olde lawe of Moses in the killing of bullockes of calues of sheepe of goates and such other things For as the Apostle sayth without shedding of blood was no remission of sinnes This was verified in Christes blood shed for vs in his death Neither was this death of Christ to be seene onely shadowed in the ceremonies
therefore they are not only Idolaters which worship and serue Idoles and strange Gods as the Ethnicks such like but also all those which worship and serue the true God of heauen after their owne fantasie or after the traditions of men without faith without the word of God otherwise thē God hath commaunded them And they only are Christians which do confesse and serue one onely God which is in heauen according to his word and commandement all whose woorkes aswell outwarde as inwarde corporall as spirituall bee the true seruice of the Lorde because the same are done in the fayth of the Sonne of God and according to the calling of the Lord after the which euery faythfull bodie ought to walke The Lxxxvi Article I beleeue and confesse that it is not lawfull for a Christian to be present eyther in spirite eyther in bodie at the idolatrous sacrifices neither to enter into their temples while they are in doing of their idolatries and sacrifices if it be not of purpose to rebuke and vtter their impietie and to teache the trueth as the holy Prophetes and Apostles did and not to dissemble as the hypocrites doe For if the bodie be the creature of God as it is in deede aswell as the soule and be the Temple of the holy Ghost and a member of the mysticall bodie of Christ and if it shall one day rise and possesse eternall life with the soule it must then followe of necessitie that it ought to be wholly dedicated vnto the ryght seruice of God in this worlde together with the soule and the spirite or else they can not at the generall resurrection be coupled together but must be separated asunder the one to be with God in heauen whome it loued and the other to be in hell with the deuill whom it serued the which thing is impossible for that cause I say that al such dissimulatiō is a plaine forsaking of Christ and of his Gospel Likewise I beleeue and confesse that all maner of such dissemblings by the which the trueth of the Gospel is hid the word of the Lord despised infidelitie and ignorance confirmed and the weake are offended the same can not be of God but of the deuill and altogether against the trueth of Gods worde And therefore there must be no halting on both sides but wee must goe and walke foorthryght and strayghtly before this great Lorde which seeth beholdeth and knoweth all things yea euen before they are begonne The Lxxxvii Article I beleeue also that the beginning of all Idolatrie was the fynding out and inuention of Images which also were made to the great offence of the soules of men and are as snares and trappes for the feete of the ignorant to make them to fal Therefore they ought not to be honoured serued worshipped neyther to bee suffered in the Temples or Churches neyther in any other places where Christian people doe meete together to heare and vnderstande the word of God but rather the same ought vtterly to bee taken awaye and throwen downe according to the effect of the second commandement of God and that ought to bee done by the common authoritie of the Magistrate and not by the priuate authoritie of any particular man For the wood of the gallowes whereby iustice is done is blessed of GOD but the Image made by mans hande is accursed of the Lorde and so is he that made it And therefore wee ought to beware of Images aboue all thinges This is that I beleeue of the Catholike faith and of the thinges that concerne the same and is for the fourth point of my faith Nowe resteth to speake of the fruites that proceed out of the same and what I receiue by the same faith which fruites are in number three whereof the first is The forgiuenesse of sinnes The Lxxxviii Article I beleeue that al those that are come and shall come of the race and lyne of Adam generally are conceiued borne in iniquitie and corruption except Iesus Christ only and that they are all sinners transgressers and breakers of the law and wil of the Lord and according to their nature they are corrupt the children of wrath worthy of Gods iudgement of condemnatiō eternal death all needing the grace and mercie of God and of Christes blood shedding For God hath wrapped all vnder sinne to the intent hee woulde haue mercie vpon all through Iesus Christ our Lorde The Lxxxix Article I beleeue that the knowledge of sinne proceedeth of the lawe but the remission and forgiuenesse of sinne commeth of the Gospel and is giuen vs by the onely grace and mercie of God in the blood of Iesus Christ through the faith wee haue therein whereby wee are counted righteous before God not through our good woorkes or deseruings neither by the merites of any other creature either in heauen or in earth For I knowe not neither do I alow any other merites but the merites of my good Lord master and onely sauiour Iesus Christ who hath merited and sufficiently satisfied for vs hath paide for his owne their dette in wiping out the hande writing and obligation which was against vs and in taking the same from vs hath fastened it vnto the Crosse The xc Article I beleeue that this iustifiyng faith is a meere and singular gift of God the which is commonly giuen by the hearing of Gods woorde whereupon onely it is builte and not vpon the doctrines and traditions of men I call a iustifiyng faith a certaine assurance and earnest perswasion of the good will loue grace bounteousnesse and mercy of God towarde vs whereby we are assured verily perswaded in our hearts of the mercy fauour and good will of God the father that he is on our side and for vs against all that are against vs and that he wil be a mercifull father vnto vs pardoning our sinnes and will giue vs his grace make vs his children by adoption and admitte vs for heires vnto eternal life and all this freely in his sonne by his only sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde and not for our merites or good workes This faith can doe all thinges and to it nothing is impossible the which faith is neuer perfect nor great ynough in vs and therefore ought wee alwayes to praye with y◠Apostles saying Lorde increase our faith helpe our vnbeliefe For that faith only doth comfort vs maketh vs holy maketh vs righteous and acceptable before the Lorde it declareth vs to be the children of GOD and heires of eternall life the which faith also is the mother the spring and roote of all good workes like as infidelitie is the fountaine and roote of all wickednes The xci Article I beleeue also that good workes are not superfluous vayne and vnprofitable but necessarie to saluation I call good workes not those which are done after the fantasie or commaundement of men but onely those that God by his woorde hath commaunded to bee done the which ought to be done
same nature with the father for he is one with his father This is the third title giuen to our sauiour Christ that he is the only begotteÌ„ sonne of God but there may a question bee inade How is Christ the only sonne of God seeing we also are soÌ„nes as he is as Iohn saith As many as beleeue in Christ he gaue theÌ„ power to be the soÌ„nes of God To this we answere that Christ is the only sonne of God by nature substance and we by grace adoption which before were not For as when a man hath no childreÌ„ he maketh some by adoption and fauor whoÌ„ he loueth to enioy his lands and inheritaÌ„ce â—ounting them as his owne so it is with God and vs. He hath no moe sonnes but one onely by nature substance but by his loue and grace he maketh vs his deare children by adoption in Christ for all is done for Christes sake our elder brother as Paul proueth Ephe. 1. He hath predestinated vs to be adopted for sonnes in Iesus Christ For this then that we are sonnes to so high great a God a Lord and king ought we not to be very thankeful ought we not by all meanes to set forth his honor glory more then our own Surely we should do so for how would I loue that king here in the earth or that Queene or that noble maÌ„ that should make me a poore begger borne his louing sonne by adoption Now much more ought I to loue the sonne of God that hath made me sonne to his father by his death satisfaction And wheÌ„ Christ is called the only begotten sonne of God we must not imagine a carnall or grosse begetting as is here among meÌ„ but a diuine and heauenly incompreheÌ„sible and vnspeakable to our capacity before al beginnings most mystical secret The last title that is giueÌ„ to Christ here is the dignity honor of a Lord. We cal him our Lord that by right for his we are who hath bought vs redeemed vs by his owne body from the deuill sinne al other euils and mischiefes And this is that that the Apostle speaketh of that therefore Christ died and rose agayne that he might be lord of al both dead quicke Rom. 14 and againe Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price 1. Cor. 6. And therefore is he made lord and king of his father ouer all the world that al should worship and honour the sonne as they honour the father him selfe for he is not only the head of men but of all the Angels in heauen as it is said Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. Ephe. 1. Thus ye see how Christ is appoynted Lorde and heyre of all thinges therefore is he called here our Lord and we then confesse our selues to be his seruantes and subiectes to do his wil and commaundement He is called also our Lord because we should conceaue comfort by it in trouble that he will be a most gratious lord vnto vs also as wel as vnto others as Thomas said of him so must we say and bee perswaded My God and my Lord. Iohn 21. Which was conceiued by the holy Ghost Nowe foloweth his coÌ„ceptioÌ„ by the holy ghost not by the seed of man for if he had bin conceiued by man he had not bene voyde of sinne as Ioh chap. 3. ver 6. Iob. 6. chap. 25. verse 5 6. and so shoulde he haue bene vnfit to deliuer vs from sinne Therefore our sauiour saith For them I do sanctifie my self And such an high Priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmeles vndefiled seperated from sinners and made hier then the heauens As that which went before did proue vnto vs sufficiently his diuinitie and godhead that he was yesterday to day for euer as is proued in the Epistle to the Hebrews cha 13. so this coÌ„ception in the wombe of the virgin doth proue that he is very and true man had a beginning according to his humanitie as the scriptures doe witnes vnto vs that he was made of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh RoÌ„ 1. And that God seÌ„t his soÌ„ne into the world made of a woman Gal. 4. The maner of this conception is described liuely vnto vs by S. Luk. Cha. 1. For after that the Angel had told Marie that she should conceiue in her woÌ„be and bring forth a sonne and cal his name Iesus she asked howe it should come to passe saying she knew no man then the Angel telleth her that the holy ghost should come vpon her the power of yâ— most high should ouershadow her therefore that holy thing which shal be borne of thee shal be called the sonne of God So likwise in Matth. 1. we reade that when Ioseph her husband would haue put her away priuily thinking she had bene with child of some maÌ„ the Angel called vnto him being thus minded in a dreame saying Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take Mary for thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost We see then that al flesh in Adam had corrupted his way before the Lord that the ordinary generatioÌ„ of maÌ„ was vncleane therfore it was necessary that Christ that should redeeme others from sinne should not be subiect to it himself but bee borne by an extraordinarie meane to cleanse vs froÌ„ all our sinnes both original actual which he was voyde of by reasoÌ„ of this coÌ„ceptioÌ„ wherfore Christ must be both maÌ„ God to redeeme vs Man because maÌ„ had offended our sinnes had deuided him froÌ„ vs as a cloude doth the bright sunne from our eies he must be God also to make reconciliatioÌ„ to God his father for vs for no Angel in heauen was able to do this office of mediation but the only God maÌ„ Iesus Christ the true mediator for al our sinnes past present or to come Here coÌ„sider the great loue of Christ toward mankinde that despised not our flesh to take it vpoÌ„ him beeing God equall to his father and hath inuested and couered himselfe with our nature but yet without sinne This doth teach vs our duety towards him in thaÌ„kfulnes our duty towards our neighbors in yelding vnto them in matters for their behalf not to please our selues but to beare with them debase our selues for them as Christ hath done for vs already Phil. 2. Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesus We learne by the coÌ„ceptioÌ„ of Christ by the holy ghost that he was thus coÌ„ceiued to make our sinfull conception pure For we are conceiued and borne in sinnes euery one of vs eueÌ„ the best of vs al that come of Adam Dauid lamenteth the impurity imperfection of his conception and birth saying Behold Lorde I was borne in iniquitie in sinne hath my mother conceiued me Psal 51. as if he would say The cause of this my outward
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
of the Leuiticall lawe but also in diuers men As Samson who died him selfe to deliuer his people from the Philistims so Christ to deliuer vs from the deuils died him selfe Dauid also was a figure of him in many thinges Here we see then what a grieuous thing sinne was in Gods sight that he could be pacified by no other meanes then by the blood death of his only and welbeloued Sonne Iesus Surely our sinnes were as hard as the Adamant stone which could not be brokē by any other meanes then by the blood of the true goate Iesus Christ Consider here the wonderfull vnspeakeable loue of Christ he would die for vs that we might escape euē as the Pelicane which hauing brought forth her young ones dead or being stong killed by serpētes she pecketh forth her heart blood to reuiue her young ones so we heing conceiued and borne in sinne and altogether dead in our trespasses and offences Ephes 2. stong of that old and fiery serpent the diuell which first beguiled our parents in paradise and so hauing the rewarde of sinne which is death we I say in this case are reuiued and quickened againe by the blood of that true Pelicane Iesus Christ which hee from his heart hath shead and powred out for vs. Thus we see how deeply we are indebted to Christ for his great loue to vs in dying for our sinnes and yet how fewe remember this death Many not once in a day nay not once in a weeke or moneth I feare some not once in a whole yeere doe remember it well they are the more vnthākeful vnkind sonnes to God so good a father Christ so louing a brother It is the only thing that should especially be remēbred although all other things be forgottē Beleeue me deare brethrē Christ died not to this ende that his death should be forgotten which was so cruell to him or that it should be lightly remēbred of vs for that he might haue vs to remēber it the better he instituted his last supper in bread wine the bread brokē to put vs in minde of his most pure pretious body broken bruised for our sinnes that it doeth nourish vs as the bread doth nourish our bodies for his flesh is meat in deede Iohn 6. The wine ordeined to put vs in mind of his blood powred out for vs to wash vs from al our sinnes 1. Iohn 1. that as the wine doth quench our thirst and refresh vs comfort our hearts being soroweful so doeth the blood of Christ al these things vnto vs in greater measure and abundance This doeth also teache vs vnitie loue together that as many grapes make but one wine and many graynes of corne wheate make but one lofe of bread so should we be but one in Christ our head for we are all members of the same body The other sacramēt also of Baptisme doth put vs in minde of Christes death for as the water in baptisme doth wash the body so doeth the blood of Christ wash our soules and clense them frō their filthines Which thing is represented vnto vs in our baptisme a signe of our newe birth and regeneration by the spirite of Christ Therefore in our baptisme we ought to remember this death for wee are buried with him into his death by this seale and sacrament of our baptisme as Paul proueth Rom. 6. Nowe we see that to the ende we may remember this great benefite of Christes death we haue tokens of it two in number the supper of Christ and baptisme for by thē we shew forth the Lords death vntil he come againe to iudgemēt 1. Cor. 11. Nowe if any man marueile why we dye since Christ hath died for vs tasted death once for all men to make reconciliatiō for the sinnes of the people to satisfie Gods iustice he may be answered that Christ hath taken away the second death of the soule not this first naturall death of the body which is common to all for by it we enter into life and although it be sometime grieuous to Gods children yet it is not deadly to them nay rather ioyfull seeing by it they come to Christ their head as it was to Paul I desire saith he to be loosed and to be with Christ meaning to die For albeit this death of the body dwelleth in vs yet it hath no dominion ouer vs by the force and efficacie of Christes death And wee knowe that it is made nowe to the elect a gate to passe by into heauen We should not then feare death seeing that the losse of this transitory life is the high way into Gods euerlasting kingdome And this may bee answered concerning sinne also If any man aske howe it commeth to passe that wee haue sinne still remaining in vs seeing Christ hath died for it to take it away I answere that Christ hath taken awaye the condemnation of sinne that it shall not hurt vs to bring vs to destruction but the full abolishing of sinne shall cease in the latter day of iudgement when all thinges shall bee restored againe to their perfection Actes 5. So that now we may say There is no condemnation of sinne to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite Rom. 8. For see the wonderfull working of God that all the curses and paynes that were in Iesus Christ are turned to our blessings and ioyes his death is our life his pouerty our riches his shame our glory his descension into hell is made our ascension into heauen and finally his misery here in this life is made our felicitie and happinesse in the life to come This is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes O that men would therefore prayse the Lorde for his goodnes and declare the wonders that hee doeth for the children of men This death of Christe hath two benefites in it for first it causeth that wee shall not die in the life to come and then here it mortifieth our earthly members it killeth our olde man Adam within vs that it bringeth not foorth his accustomed actions of sinne within vs. Thus much concerning his death Let vs nowe consider briefly the fourth poynt in this article which is his buriall Christe was buried by an honourable Counseller Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes who begged his body boldly of Pilate and buried it with odours as the maner was Iohn 19. His buriall is mentioned to assure vs that hee died in deede as when wee see a man buried wee doubt not but that hee is dead The lesson that we learne by this buriall of Christ is this as the Apostle Paul teacheth vs Rom. 6. and Colos 2. that we should so through baptisme bee freed and buried from sinne as he was buried in the graue that like as Christe was raysed vp from the dead to the glorie of his father so we also should walke in newenes
a newe and a better life that is as Paul speaketh to cast off concerning the conuersation in time past that olde man which is corrupted through the deceyueable lustes and that we should be renewed in the spirite of our minde to put on the newe man which after God is created vnto ryghteousnesse and true holinesse This is the true image wherein Christ is rysen and wherein we must also ryse For surely dearely beloued as Christ was raysed from the dead to the glory of the Father so we also shoulde walke in newenesse of life Rom. 6. Then all they that doe not leade a newe life and a Christian haue not yet risen with Christ neither haue they part of his resurrection For we must consider that the scriptures of God do set forth vnto vs two resurrections the one is of the body at the generall daye of iudgement 1. Corin. 15. Of this we shall heare more in that article of the resurrection this is common to all and is in the life to come called the seconde resurrection where of Iohn speaketh Reuel 20. The other resurrection is of the soule from sinne here in this life cōmon to the elect and childrē of God which are true members of Iesus Christ and folowe him their head and this is called the first resurrection because it goeth before the other and he that will haue his part of the seconde resurrection to life euerlasting and not be hurt of the seconde death must while he liueth here indeuour to ryse from sinne Of this resurrection Saint Iohn in the twentie of the Reuelation spake most playnely saying Blessed and holy is hee that hath his part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shall be the Priestes of God and of Christ and reygne with him a thousand yeeres that is to say not a thousande onely but for euer and euer as is most clearely in another place of the same Iohn expounded Chapter 22. verse 5. in these wordes The Lorde shall giue them lyght and they shall reigne for euermore Which by the way maketh agaynst the error of them that imagined that Christ shoulde reigne but a thousande yeere with his elect and that vpon the earth also But to come to our matter againe from the which wee haue a litle digressed We see that there is also a resurrection to be sought for here in this life from sinne Of this resurrection spake S. Paul also Ephes 5. speaking to them that where fallen downe asleepe or rather dead in sinne Awake thou that sleepest and stande vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light In this resurrection from sinne and wickednes did Dauid arise when hee had slept and was almost dead in adulterie and murder of Vrias for the space of one whole yere and more for when Nathan the Prophet came vnto him and sharply rebuked him for it he repented and amended and so rose againe to a lewe life afterwarde So did Saint Peter also rise in this resurrection when he had most wickedly and shamefully denied forsworste his master Christ for he went forth and wept bitterly So he rose againe Mark 14. And so doe all the godly when they haue sinned they are sory for it and by and by they arise by repētance and neuer intende to doe the like againe And verely so must we all doe euery one of vs from the hiest to the lowest none must be exempted if we wil be Christs scholers and disciples or haue any part with him in his holy resurrection When we haue offended our master Christ let vs be most heartily sorie for it lament and amendc and serue him better afterwarde taking heede of the like offences againe then shall wee haue our part in this resurrection so be blessed for euer Nowe the wicked and reprobate because when they haue sinned they can not ryse agayne by repentance with Peter and Dauid but rather lye still vnder the burden of their sinnes and so fall to despayre therefore they can haue no fellowshippe in this resurrection As for example wee see in Cain haw he dispayred when he had sinned and neuer repented or amended his life Gene. 4. So did Saul and so did king Pharao confesse he had sinned vnto the Lord but yet he hardened his heart and continued still in his sinnes to prouoke the Lorde for he would not let Israel goe to serue the Lorde who did not ryse in this resurrection The like we haue of Esau who wept in deede but not in godly sorow that causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of as that Apostle speaketh of 2. Cor. 7. But he lamented in worldly sorowe that causeth death because he amended not his sinfull life Hebrew 12. The like may bee sayde of Iudas who fell as others of the godly dyd into sinne but rose not agayne with them Therefore the reprobate when they fall away can not ryse because they can not bee renewed by repentance seeing they crucifie to them selues the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him as Iulian that wicked Emperour runnagate from Christ after he fell away from him neuer came to him againe For it was vnpossible for him so to doe as Paul sayeth Hebr. 6. verse 4 5 6. But here let vs behold the peruerse dealing of man and the vanitie of his heart when he shoulde be risen with Christ in his resurrection he riseth with the deuil to the toppe of all sinne and wickednesse when he should be aliue in al good workes he is dead in them and quicke in all abominations many rise but not with Christ to the glory of God but to their owne glory the glo-of the worlde some to promotions prefermēts by vniust and vnlawful meanes some to pride and ambition some rise early as Esay 5. Chapter sayeth But to followe drunkennesse and to practise their wicked deuises which they haue conceiued in their beddes Thus they rise and haue a resurrection but not in goodnesse but in most filthie and abominable sinne For where we shoulde be fresh and florishing as good and greene trees to bring forth good fruite left we be throwne downe and cast into the fire we are dead withered drie in al goodnes corrupt trees without fruite twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes This is a very miserable thing but yet common to many Wee see then by these things that the wicked liue in the thinges wherein they should dye and die in the things wherein they should be aliue before God as faith hope and loue of God and heauen and heauenly things so that we may iudge that as yet they haue not atteyned to this resurrection which Christ hath gotten and obtained for vs by his rising again Wel to conclude this lesson let vs that are risen with Christ seeke those thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and let vs set our affections vpon
and how many pointes to marke for our instruction be in it There are three things in this article first his ascension secondly to what ende he is ascended lastly the benefites that come to vs by this his ascension into heauen These things well marked will be for our consolation and comfort against many temptations and troubles in this life which the deuill assaulteth vs with that we should despaire of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ But this will be a remedy for them all euen his ascension into heauen and that for vs. Christes ascending into heauen is manifestly proued vnto vs in the holy scriptures not in one or two places but in many that we may be the better confirmed in this behalfe either against thē that doubt of it or beleeue it not yea or against Satan that wil go about to perswade vs that he is not there S. Marke doth shew vs that after the Lord had spokē certaine things vnto his disciples in Bethanie he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God Mark 16. 19. for those are his very words in the place Likewise S. Luke saith And it came to passe that as he blessed thē he departed from thē was caried vp into heauen Neither do the Euangelists Apostles of Christ proue this only vnto vs which were after him had familiarity with him but the Prophet Dauid to make it the more euident to all the world long before the cōming of Christ in the flesh spake of it by the spirit of prophecie moued by the direction of the holy ghost saying God is gone vp with triumph euē the Lorde with the sound of the trumpet alluding in this ascension of Christ for the glory ioyfulnes of it vnto the trūpets the were blowē at the solēne feasts of the Iewes Psal 47. Also in the 68. Psal Thou art gone vp on hie thou hast led captiuitie captiue We see then the in the mouth of two or three witnesses this matter is proued vnto vs ought therfore to be beleeued of vs fully established But because no man doth as I thinde the is a Christiā doubt of this neither is it in controuersie betweene the Papists vs as cōcerning his ascensiō although in the maner of it there be cōtention I wil therefore come to the second point which is to consider how after what sorte he is ascended and remaineth in heauen and to what ende signified in these words and sitteth at the right hād of God the father almighty To sit at Gods right hande is to haue and to be aboue all rule power might and dominion euery name that is named not onely in this world but also in the worlde to come Ephe. 1. It is then as our sauiour Christ saith Matt. 11. and 28. To haue all things giuē vnto him al authoritie both in heauen and in earth For the right hand of God signifieth the euerlasting and infinite power of God Wee must not thinke that God being an infinite most blessed spirit and not a body hath either right hand or lefte eyes or armes or such like partes and members of a mās body but when the scripture giueth these properties speaches vnto God as it doth often it is for our weaknes and capacitie which are children and babes in Gods matters therfore can not vnderstand him in his maiestie speaking to mā vnles he lispe as it were vnto vs like a nurce vnto her young children For we are so grosse that we vnderstād not how greatly the Lord is angry with mā for his sinne wickednes vnles he speake after the maner of men say he repenteth that euer he made man Againe we vnderstād not or conceiue his wonderfull power and strength except it be by a great and mighty and stretched out arme or hande So by the eyes of the Lord is meant his carefull vigilant prouidence foresight ouer all his creatures and by his countenance is most commonly meant his terrible wrath and anger When the scripture giueth an eare to God whē the preachers saye in their Sermons that he hath an eare you must vnderstand that he heareth all things bee they neuer so secretly spoken of any man as by his eye hee seeth al things in this world although they be neuer so much hid and done in darke secret places as the wicked doe their euill workes As we see then that kings and noble men do place at their right hande such as are either their betters or equals or doe gouerne in their steade so is it here Christ is exalted and placed in that dignitie honour that his father is because he is equall vnto him And this latter part of the article to sit at Gods right hand being in the last chapter of Marke from whence it seemeth this was taken S. Paul doth expounde very well in the 1. Ephes that God hath set him farre aboue all principalitie and power might and domination And in an other place Philip. 2. hath highly exalted him and giuē him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus shoulde euery knee bowe both of things in heauē and things in earth things vnder the earth and that euery tongue shoulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto the glory of God the father This is the meaning of these words he sitteth at the right hand of God It is not of any corporall sitting for it may as wel be sayd that he stādeth at the right hand of God For so did Saint Stephen see him Actes 7. Therefore both by sitting and standing there is meant that he is aduaunced to great glorie as hath bene sayde already And here in this his ascension so glorious is his kingdome to be seene which hee did not take vpon him here in the earth So that although Christ did shewe great glorie in his resurrection all mortalitie being layde away yet by his ascension into heauen hee hath more notably declared his power for now he gouerneth all things and ruleth as a king ouer all the earth And this doeth the Apostle teache vs that he ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things For we see and reade how aboundantly and most miraculously he powred downe his holy spirit vpō his Apostles Act. 2. howe he hath increased his church and kingdome in euery part of the earth how he hath euer since his ascension mightily defended his sharply punished his enemies So that although he be in heauen according to his bodily presence and not in earth as the Lutheranes Papistes do imagine him to be in the communion contrary to this article he ascended which is to be meant only of his body not of his diuine nature which doeth fill all things needeth not to descend or ascend yet I say Christ is with vs as hee him selfe saith euen vnto the end of the world Mat. 28. 19. by his power
him for our causes Matthewe 11. Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are laden and I will refreshe you Therefore we may boldly and safely goe vnto him in our neede and necessitye and feare not Which of vs is it that if the prince did byd vs come at the first to her and not to any other of her priuy chamber but would come most willingly and be glad so to do Why theÌ„ come wee not to God at the first saying in his worde Cal vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee Why come wee not to Christ that so louingly biddeth euery one of vs Wel let vs holde this for an vnfallible principle Christ being ascended is our onely spokesman neither let any man thinke that it is with Iesus Christ the king of all kings as it is with princes of the earth that because he is so hie and in so great dignitie and maiestie hee doth not therefore regarde or respect vs here vpon the earth so lowe nay Dauid telleth vs the contrary and meeteth with this obiection for hee sayth In deede the Lorde is hie aboue al nations and his glory aboue the heauens But yet hee sayeth that he abaseth himself to behold the things in heauen and in earth yea he rayseth the needy out of the dust lifteth the poore out of the dounghill to set him with princes Psal 113. So we see although the Lord be hye yet he hath respect vnto the lowly And Iesus Christ notwithstanding he be in all pleasure blessednes yet he thinketh vpon vs because he hath sometyme felt yâ— like miseries with vs we haue such an hie Priest that can be touched with our infirmities euen at this time also as he sayde to Paul persecuting his sayntes Saul Saul why doest thou persecute me Christ counted himselfe then to be persecuted although he were in heauen because his poore members were afflicted Actes 9. In deede princes here and noble men with vs many tymes knowe not the misery of others nay regarde it not because they haue neuer felt the like smart and knowe not what hunger or thirst or nakednes or imprisoÌ„ment or banishmeÌ„t or lacke of lodging meaneth not hauing suffered the like themselues But I say the case is farre otherwise with Christ who knoweth better what we lack then we our selues doe and hath borne the like burden with vs and doeth not forget vs nowe in his glory and honor as many do their poore friends wheÌ„ they are aduanced to any promotion dignitie by others Wherefore as Ioseph in all his rioltie and glory remembred did acknowledge his poore brethren before Pharao and all his house so doeth vndoubtedly our Sauiour Christ thinke vpon vs his poore brethren saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and he wil not be ashamed to confesse vs in heauen before his father and all his holy Angels For howe should the head be ashamed of his body or the husband of his wife Christ is not ashamed of vs his spirituall kinred as we are ashamed of our kindred many times when we are exalted aboue them nay hee is neuer ashamed of vs vnlesse wee be first ashamed of him For then in deede hee sayth Hee that is ashamed of me and my sayings here in earth before men I wil also be ashamed of him in heauen before my father and he that shal denye him here hee wil deny him there but hee that shal confesse him here he will confesse him there Mar. 8. Furthermore we are to vnderstand that although Christ by his ascension hath taken away his body from the earth which was not necessary for vs yet he hath left vnto his Churche and giuen vnto it as a most sure and firme pledge and earnest peny of his good will towardes vs his holy spirit alway crying in our heartes Father father working in vs that which is good acceptable in his sight This is the greatest comfort that may be to the faythful in this lyfe and therefore is this spirit oftentimes called by our sauiour Christ The coÌ„forter And this great and singular benefit we haue by his ascension for he sayde that vnlesse hee went his way from them the comforter would not come but if he went he would send him as in deede he did after his ascension most plentifully and doeth at this day vnto his giue his spirit either in greater or lesser measure to some more to some lesse as hee thinketh good This benefite then doe wee enioy by his bodily presence departing for a time from vs. This gift is to our soules the fountayne of life and the very welspring beginning of all our Christian regeneration and newe 〈◊〉 in Christ and so is called the spirit of Adoption because it is proper to Gods children and none other This spirit doth leade vs into al trueth mortifieth our euil deedes killeth sinne in vs reuiueth all goodnesse within vs maketh vs merry in the Lorde reioyceth vs in troubles and doeth neuer leaue vs destitute altogether of some comfort or other For this pledge out of our hearts can neuer be taken away all other worldly things may be taken away as from Iob they were who lost his goods lands wife friendes and children his bodye was afflicted his soule tormented yet in the middest of these calamities he had a comfort of this spirite in that he coulde say in fayth I knowe that my redeemer liueth which he â—therwise coulde not doe but by the motion and helpe of the holy Ghost as Paul â—eacheth vs to the first Corinthians the â—â—elâ—t Chapter in these wordes I declare vnto you brethren that no man can saye that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost verse 3. Seeing then wee haue by Christs ascension the first fruites of his spirit we ought also to ascende with him into 〈◊〉 if not in body yet in soule in minde and heart and all our affections For where our treasure is there shoulde our hear the also Our treasure and only treasure Christ Iesus is in heauen therefore let our hearts he wholy with him as Paul saith Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for the Lord Iesus who shall transfourme our vile body that it may be made like to his glorious body Phil. 3. So that as wee haue to learne by Christes resurrection a spirituall resurrection here in this life from sinne In like sort we learne also by these wordes of Saint Paul an holy and spirituall ascension into heauen by our desires and thoughts that we may ioyne to him euen nowe in fayth and spirite till wee all meete in body there at the fast day And truely if we coulde keepe our mindes so ascending vp into heauen it woulde be very benificiall for vs and ridde vs out of many daungers Wee see and learne by experience that the byrde is neuer insnared and caught of the fouler vntill he lyght and sit vpon the earth wheÌ„ he falleth to
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
of heauen for y◠elect not their works but because they were blessed of his father and that the kingdome was prepared for thē before they were borne or did any good workes for it yea before the fundations of the worlde were layde as Paul Ephes 1 sheweth most notably Wherefore good Christians flee the corruption which is in the worlde and giue great diligence to bring forth good works for those are good and profitable vnto mē and so ye shall be knowen to bee good and fruitfull trees Ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith with vertue knowledge with knowledge tēperance with tēperāce patience with patience godlines with godlines brotherly kindnesse with brotherly kindnes loue For if these things be amōg you and aboūde they wil make you that ye neither shall be idle nor vnfruitfull in the acknowledging of our Lorde Iesus Christ and he that hath not these things is blinde and can not see a farre off and hath forgotten that he was purged frō his olde sinnes Giue therefore diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye doe these things ye shal neuer fal for by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ We haue heard nowe the sixe articles that appertaine to the person of Iesus Christ and conteine the benefites he hath wrought for vs wherein is our whole saluation For if we seeke saluation his name Iesus doeth shewe it is in him alone If we desire puritie it is in his conception If we require a kinde of familiaritie and gentlenes wherewith he hath made him selfe like vnto vs we shall haue it in his natiuitie Wouldest thou haue redemptiō for thy sinnes looke it in his passion and death If newnes of life thou hast it in his resurrection If inheritance of the heauenly kingdome it is in his ascension If thou askest a full possession of it thou shalt haue it when hee commeth to iudgement To be briefe If thou desirest the giftes of the holy ghost absolution remission of sinnes satisfaction and purgation for thy vnclennes reconciliation mortification of the flesh and at a worde all treasures of euery heauēly gift thou hast them all in Iesus Christ as in a well euer springing and a fountaine that is neuer drie Of whose fulnes thou and all men haue receiued and he is made of God the father vnto thee wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption that thou shouldest glorie in him alone Take heede therefore that seeing he is all in all to thee that thou goe not from him to any other or ascribe any one part or portion neuer so litle of thy saluation to any creature whatsoeuer For if thou doe thou marrest all Iesus Christ will haue all or neuer a whit as Esaie sayeth I will not giue my glorie to an other Well to conclude this article let vs giue to Iesus Christ most humble and heartie thanks that he wil one day come downe from heauen to fetche vs vp thither vnto him to immortall blessednesse and let vs in the meane time desire of him the spirit of patience to wayte for his comming to iudgement for our full redemption that we may haue our oyle our garmentes and our lampes ready that we may be waking when he shall knocke and open the doore forthwith vnto him that in so doing we may enter in with him to the mariage there raigne perpetually with him in the glorie of his father Which he graūt vnto vs for his sonnes sake to whom with the holy ghost three persons and one immortall God in vnitie bee rendred all prayse glorie and giuing of thankes from this time forth for euer more Come Lord Iesus quickly Amen so be it The eight Lecture vpon the eight article of our Christian fayth I beleeue in the holy Ghost HAuing ended two partes of our Christian faith the one cōcerning God the father in the first article the other concerning Iesus Christ the second person in trinitie conteined in the sixe articles folowing nowe foloweth in order the third part concerning our faith in God the holy Ghost which is the third person in trinitie And this is the eight article of our beliefe I beleeue in the holy Ghost that is to say I that am a Christian man do beleeue and trust in God the holy ghost the third person in the blessed trinitie which proceedeth equally from the father and the sonne being the naturall essentiall power of them both of the same substance Which spirite sanctifieth comforteth me in all troubles and assureth me that I am the childe of God and seruant of Iesus Christ and shall haue his benefites plentifully powred vpō me Out of this article we learne two things first what is the holy ghost secondly what are his effects workes as well in it selfe as in man in whose heart it worketh and moueth him forward to that which is good to imbrace and followe it with all earnestnes but to hate and abhorre from the heart that which is naught and wicked This holy ghost or spirit is the euerlasting power and infinite might of God the father which spirite is no creature but a creator of all things and very God because we are here taught to beleue in him which suerly except he were very God were idolatrie to do for we must not beleue in any creature or put our trust in any but in God onely And that the holy ghost is God which certaine heretikes haue denied it is manifest in the fift chapter of the Actes of the Apostles where saint Peter speaking of the holy ghost nameth him God For he reprehendeth Ananias and Sapphira his wife for their hypocrisy and dissimulation and telleth them that they lyed vnto the holy ghost and immediatly after sayth that they lyed not vnto man but vnto God In the first of Genesis it is sayde that the spirite of the Lorde moued vpon the waters This was the third person in trinitie which except he had bene God could not haue so moued vpon this great depth and secretly by his power and maiestie preserued and maintained it from falling to nothing Dauid saieth All things were made and created by the breath of his mouth Therfore if he made al things he was very God For this is proper to God alone to make to create things That argument of Paul in the 1. Cor. 2. chap. doth sufficiētly proue this matter vnto vs where hee saieth that this spirit searcheth al things yea the deepe things of God and that no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God Now if the spirit of God knoweth al things searcheth al things thē is he very God for no creature doth this If this be so thē we rightly beleeue in the holy ghost here we gather this singular comfort that we may pray to this holy ghost at all times for his helpe to impart some of his knowledge vnto vs
counsell and the spirit of the feare of the Lord because it giueth al these qualityes vnto men and doeth teache vs the what good gift soeuer we haue we haue it frō the holy ghost the giuer of al and whatsoeuer we lacke we should seeke it likewise of the same spirit none other The holy Apostle rekoning vp the diuersities of the giftes of the holy spirit affirmeth alwayes That it is one and the selfe same spirit that giueth these things as the gift of wisedome of knowledge of faith of healing of miracles of prophecie of discerning spirites of tongues of interpretation of tongues al these thinges sayethe he worketh one and the same spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he wil 1. Cor. 12. This doeth also teache vs that this spirit hath most plentifull store of giftes to enriche the body of the Church of Christ and that there is no want or lacke in him A great cōfort vnto vs to knowe whither to resort incōtinently for any good gifte to haue it forthwith For Christ hath promised this holy spirit to them that seeke aske and knock for it Luke 11. Doest thou feele thy selfe to lacke fayth or hope or loue or sanctification of life or any good and necessary gift to edifte Gods Church withall Pray to this holy spirit vse the ordinarie meanes he willeth thee as hearing the word prayer labour and study and this spirite shal be giuen thee This spirit was so necessary that our sauiour promised to send it aboue all things to his disciples to comfort them with when he departed from them For he breathed vpon them and said Receiue yee the holy ghost Ioh. 20. And afterwarde sent it downe more plentifully vpon them in the likenes of fire and clouen tongues Act. 2. Wher with they were not a little cōforted in their miseries troubles against their aduersaries which were not able to resist them speaking with this holy spirite Act. 6. This spirit is sayd to haue diuers names appellations in the scriptures to comfort vs withal in tētations He is called the spirit of trueth to teache vs the trueth and to leade vs into all trueth He is called also the cōforter because he dothrefresh cōfort our hearts nothing more thē in tētations aduersities as Paul found it true in the 2. Cor. 1. Cap. he is called the power of God because he worketh al things nothing is vnpossible vnto him sōetime he is named the autor of light because he doth illuminate enlightē our darke blind hearts with the bright sunbeāes of his wil pleasure Briefely he is the wel foūtaine of al goodnesse whereat we must draw al things needeful for vs in this life This being so it stādeth vpō euery one of vs to labour by all meanes possible to haue this spirit dwelling abiding with vs for euer For surely the necessitie of him is great the vse of him aboue most precious gold siluer pearls Psal 19. Dauid vnderstoode this right wel to be so for hee prayeth that God woulde not take away his spirite from him but stablish him with his free spirit Psal 50. For where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie and freedome from the seruice of the deuill from the slauery of sin We are by nature al of vs the children of wrath damnatiō earthly minded alwayes groueling to the ground being ouerloden burdened with the weight of our sinnes except we be raysed lifted vp by this spirit euē as the soule maintaineth vpholdeth the weake brittle body It cōmeth to passe then in vs no otherwise thē we see it by experience in bladders the which if they be empty cast into the waters for the weight of thē they sinke foorthwith are drowned But if they be blowen filled with wind wherewith they be made light they flyt aboue the water swim Euē so it fareth with vs How heauie we are with sin our cōsciences if we examine thē wel wil tel vs. Wherefore we cānot but sinke being tossed in the waues of the sea of this world drowned with the inordinate desires passiōs affectiōs of this life being altogether voyde of this spirite which should beare vs vp frō these surges tēpests of this life But now if we be filled replenished with this heauenly spirit thē shall we swim aboue triumph ouer sin wickednesse not be drowned with it Wherfore Paul wel weying with himselfe this dāger if we were destitute of the holy ghost willeth vs that we should not be drūke with wine wherin is excesse which maketh vs so heauie drowsie that we sinke but saith that should be filled with the spirit which causeth vs to mount vp to heauē Therefore is it that he so oftē times cōmādeth vs to walke in the spirit to do the works of the spirite which are loue ioy peace long suffering gētlenes goodnesse faith meekenes tēperāce We are with out this spirit as a ship in the sea without a gouernour or as a mā without his eyes in most dangerous case for tell me I pray you what is the cause why so many now a dayes run headlong to all wickednesse abominatiōs some to whoredōe some to couetousnes some to drūkēnes some to pride some to theft robberies some to one sin some to another what is the reasō I say but only this because God hath not giuē his holy spirit vnto thē to defēd thē frō these euils mischiefs And this cause doth S. Iude render in his Epistle for hauing rekoned vp the natural properties conditions of the wicked reprobate namely that they were despisers of gouernment autoryty as the Anabaptistes are defilers of the fleshe liuing in pleasure murmurers complayners walking after their owne lusts speaking proud things flatterers such like In the end hee addeth this as the cause mother of al these sinnes the not hauing of the spirit meaning in deede that because God hath not giuen thē his holy spirit therfore they were such kind of mē as he there painteth forth in their colours such as we dayly se here with vs. And yet for al this God is not boūd to any man to giue him his spirit as Paul proueth Rō 11. neither do they humble thēselues to aske his grace by earnest hearty praier for thē should they haue it Iam. 1. By the lacke and want of this spirite in other men wee may easily see what a benefite we haue by him to keepe and defende vs so mercifully euery houre in all our waies and actions of our life If this spirit leaue vs neuer so litle while to our selues then we fal into an hundred mischāces and euils as we see in Moses a singular man being left to his owne will and choyse but a litle he fell twise together to doubt and distrust of the power of the Lorde whether he were
Ephe. 1. and therfore in the place aboue recited this spirit is called the spirit of promise because it doeth assertaine and assure vs of all the blessinges and promises of God that are made vnto vs. In the Actes it is sayde that Lydia a woman being a seller of purple came to heare Paul preach the Gospel but marke what Saint Luke saieth whose heart sayeth he the Lord opened that shee attended to the things which Paul spake So that except God open our closed and hard shutte hearts by the secret inspiration of this holy spirite in vayne shall we eyther preach or the people heare We haue neede then all of vs before we come to heare his word pray to God to giue vs grace to perceyue vnderstand his will and mysteries to soften our stony hearts that they may receiue the worde and to circumcise our eares to heare it This it that Dauid sayde O Lord open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Lawe and againe O giue me vnderstanding I wil keepe thy Lawe Now Dauid knewe very well that all these things were done by the operation of Gods spirite as Paul sayeth The spirit hath reuealed these things vnto vs 1. Cor. 2. for it is hee that helpeth all our infirmities Rom. 8. This is the marke whereby God doeth seale and print in the forehead to be seene of all men those that are his and without the which no man can truely assure him selfe that he belongeth vnto Christ for as the same Apostle witnesseth If any man haue not the Spirite of Christ the same is none of his Nowe how greatly this holy spirit is to be desired of all of vs there is no man that hath read the Scriptures but well vnderstandeth This made Eliseus a notable man the scholer of Elias when his master bad him to aske of him what he would that he might do it for him before he was taken away from him into heauen that he asked his spirite to bee doubled vpon him whereby he might the better serue the Lord and his Church in his vocation and calling 2. King 2. and so by this spirit he wrought wonderful miracles and did much good by it to the whole kingdome of Israel Wee see by this petition of this notable father godly man what we also shoulde especially desire of God in our prayers not riches or wealth so much which al do perish but this holy spirite which liueth remaineth for euer in them that haue him and can neuer be lost or taken away And this is the self same thing that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to aske in our praiers of God his father for speaking of praier to his disciples he sheweth that God his Father is most ready to giue vs our requests as soone as we aske of him as our earthly father is willing to bestow that vpon vs which he is able to giue And of all other things that God giueth he maketh mention of this spirit saying If ye which are euill can giue good giftes vnto your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy Ghost to thē that desire him Luk. 11. Signifying this Spirite to be the excellentest gift that God coulde giue or we desire of him We haue nowe heard the meaning of this article of the holy Ghost what it is and what are the wonderfull and comfortable effectes of it in the Church and howe the Lorde hath promised neuer to leaue his destitute of it vnto the worlds ende We haue seene also howe we must beleeue in him as the true and euerlasting God equally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne because he is the power and vertue whereby they doe worke and create all things Seeing therefore this heauenly spirit is so necessarie and so great a treasure let vs that are true Christians most duetifully thanke our heauenly Father for bestowing of him vpon his whole familie here in earth and vpon euery one of vs that are his seruants wherby we are knowen in the worlde and among our selues that wee are his owne And let vs also pray vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ the sender of this holy spirit to kindle and stirre him vp in our heartes dayly more and more that by his assistance we may haue an earnest feeling and lothing of our sinnes and so bee brought to doe his will and pleasure with a carefull keeping of all his commaundements vntill we all come to a full perfection in Iesus Christ euen vnto that hope which is layde vp for vs in the newe and heauenly Ierusalem which Christ hath purchased full dearely for vs with his owne precious heart blood To whom with his Father and the holy ghost three persons in trinitie and yet one God in vnitie be rendred all prayse honour glorie and thankes giuing both nowe and for euermore Amen The ninth Lecture vpon the ninth Article of our Christian fayth The holy catholike Church the communion of Saints WE haue declared alreadie vnto you three parts of this our Christian fayth the fyrst wherein we doe beleeue and confesse the Father to bee the Creator and maker of all things the seconde part wherein we acknowledge the Sonne Iesus Christ the redeemer of mankinde the thirde sheweth vnto vs the holy Ghost the comforter of our heartes and the confirmer of all these things which are conteyned in these former eyght articles which we haue proued all out of the euerlasting worde of GOD. Nowe followeth consequently the fourth part of our Christian beliefe which is concerning the Church the ninth article with other three which are annexed vnto the Church as the especiall blessings and benefites which flowe and issue out of the former partes and alwayes doe accompanie and followe the spouse of Christ The causes and matter of our saluation being alreadie handled the effect doeth followe which is the Church Otherwise in vayne shoulde God create and Christ redeeme and the holy Ghost inspire and confirme these benefites and giftes vnlesse there were some that myght bee partakers of those treasures brought out and founded by the blessed Trinitie Againe seeing the kingdome of Christ is euerlasting it is very necessarie and requisite that there be alwayes some which may acknowledge him for their King and gouernour To this ende hath Christ his continuall Church and shall haue to the ende of the worlde as he hath had euer from the first beginning The meaning therefore of this article is this I beleeue that God almightie hath alwayes had from the first creation of the worlde and hath presently and shall haue vnto the consummation of the worlde his Church here in earth which is the cōmunion of Saints that is to say a company and congregation of faythfull men and women which doe truely beleeue in Iesus Christ acknowledging him for their onely Sauiour and seruing him according to his worde receyuing his Sacraments and taking holde of all his mercies and benefites by fayth onely
haue also declared that it is called Catholike because it is not tyed to any time persons or place whatsoeuer but is dispersed euery where as seemeth good to the Lord. We haue furthermore shewed vnto you what be the markes of it and what are not the trewe signes of it and that it consisteth not in multitude of people but in weight of trueth Last of al we haue made manifest to what end y◠Lord hath gathered a church together vnto himselfe here in earth which is that hee may be honoured and gloryfied in it accordingly by their good workes and christian conuersation Now let vs giue thankes to Iesus Christ the head of this Church in that hee hath vouchsafed to make vs the holy members of it which were before the firebrandes of hell and a generation of Satans broode Let vs moreouer prayse his name for as much as he doth daily preserue vs by his fatherly goodnes and diuine prouidence in this sheepefold of his from all wolues and rauening beastes which otherwise would deuoure vs. And because he doth feede vs in it with wholesome greene pastures of his holye worde and leadeth vs foorth to the waters of life and comfort to refreshe our soules let vs not be vnmindful or vnthankfull to him for this so great a benefit Now let vs most humbly pray vnto him that he would vouchsafe to keepe vs in this church of his vnto the ende lest we wander and go astray from it as lost sheepe and beseech we him that he would continue his graces heauenly promises made vnto vs so liberally in his Gospel that from day to day we may grow in holines toward him as becōmeth this church vntil the time come that our full redemption from him shall appeare This God graunt vnto vs not for our sakes but for Christ Iesus sake which hath purchased al these things for vs with the shedding of his most precious blood vpon the crosse for our sinnes To this Iesus Christ with the father and the holy Ghost his power be rendred all praise and glory honour dominion and thankesgiuing both now and for euermore Amen The tenth Lecture vpon the tenth article of our Christian fayth which is The Remission of sinnes IN the article going next before we haue heard what wee haue to beleeue concerning y◠church which is the house of Christ Now followe the ornaments and benefits which the Lord in mercy doth wil bestowe vpon this house which are in number three 1. Remissiō of sinnes in this life 2. Resurrectiō of our bodyes frō corruption at the last day of iudgement 3. And euerlasting happines in the life to come These benefites are great so inestimable that wee can not worthyly conceiue of them being couered with flesh and bloud and therefore wee are the lesse thankeful then otherwise we should be if we did or could deepely consider of them for they are such iewels as the Lord doeth only bestow vpon his children and none els and therefore they are put after the Church and communion of Saintes as thinges following the state of the church necessarily for none can haue them but such as abide in the church and are true liuely members of Iesus Christ ingraffed into his body by faith The first of these graces is the remission or forgiuenesse of all our sinnes The meaning therefore of this article for the capacity of the simple in moe wordes is this I that am a Christian doe stedfastly beleeue that almighty God both hath doeth and will of his mercie forgiue me all my sinnes both originall and actuall committed before and after baptisme howe many and great soeuer they be not for any woorke or merit of mine which am an vnprofitable seruant but for the sacrifices sake of Christes death and passion wherein hee is wel pleased by whose righteousnes because I am clothed and apparelled by beleeuing in him vnfeignedly I am sure and certayne that I am deliuered from euerlasting death and hel which is the reward of sinne Romanes 6. This is the playne and simple meaning of this Article and is proued and confirmed vnto vs out of scriptures aswel of the olde as of the newe Testamēt In the 31. of Ieremy we reade thus This shal be the couenant that I wil make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I wil put my law in their inward partes and write it in their heartes and I wil be their God and they shal be my people For I will forgiue their iniquitie wil remember their sinnes no more So likewise we haue the proofe of this in the second epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 5. God was in Christ and reconciled the world vnto himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them And in the second to the Colossians Ye which were dead in sinnes in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him freely forgiuing you all your trespasses We see thē this doctrine to be warranted with y◠testimonies of the holy ghost So that we neede not to doubt any thing at al of it Seeing then the the first entrance into the house of the Lord is by putting away of all our sinnes and because we haue nothing to do with God except our offences be blotted and wiped out of his remembrāce Let vs a litle I pray you dearely beloued brethrē in Christ marke what we haue to cōsider in this article for our instructiō edificatiō vnto a godly life We say here that we doe beleeue that there is a remission of sinnes for the children of God and seruants of Christ The first thing therefore that we ought to learne and beare in minde vpon this article is that we confesse and acknowledge most humbly and meekely our sinnes before God For if we say and graunt a remission of sinnes wee must also confesse that wee are sinners otherwise wee can not at all haue pardon of them Secondly we must cōsider by whom this remission doeth come vnto vs and for whose sake it is Thirdly by what meanes we are made capable and partakers of this so great a benefite As concerning the first poynt it is playne and euident that wee are all of vs miserable sinners before GOD which looketh vpon the hearts of men and tryeth them For who can iustly and truely saye of him selfe My heart is cleane I am no sinner Nay Salomon doeth tell vs that there is not a man that sinneth not 1. Reg. 8. Eccle. 7. And Saint Iohn sayeth playnely that if we say we haue no sinne we doe but deceyue our owne selues and there is no trueth in vs. We are begotten conceyued and borne in sinne we liue and are brought vp in sinne and shall any man be so impudent and shamelesse as to deny that he is a sinner God forbid The Apostle sayeth All men haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God Rom. 3. But we neede not to goe farre for the proofe of
this matter Our Sauiour Christ hath taught his to say dayly and hourely euen as long as they liue Forgiue vs our sinnes or trespasses Matth. 6. It is therefore a deuilish pride and presumption to say whosoeuer he be that he is no sinner for surely thē Christ can not helpe him for he came to saue sinners And yet there are some in the world and haue bene also that haue denied this So greatly that Satan bewitched them Well if these testimonies of scripture did not condemne them sufficiently yet I am sure their owne heart consciences some time or other wil accuse thē and their own mouth witnes against them Iob telleth vs this thing plainely in his booke Chap. 9. If I would iustifie my selfe my owne mouth would condemne me We see thē that we are al of vs euen the best wretched sinners Nowe as we are sinners so we must also learne to confesse and acknowledge these sinnes otherwise it is to no purpose if a man be a sinner and will not confesse it If a man be sicke and eyther doeth not or will not acknowledge it hee can not lyghtly bee healed of the Physitian for he wil not seeke vnto him Except a man feele his wound he will not go to the Surgeon and vnlesse a man be ignorant and seeth the want of his knowledge that he ought to haue he wil neuer desire to be further instructed but continewe still in his ignorance and blindnesse Who desireth meate that is not hungry or drinke that is not thirstie or clothes that thinketh he hath apparel ynough My meaning is this It is not ynough for a man to thinke he is a sinner vnlesse he hath an earnest and an effectual feeling of his sinnes in his conscience that they are as an heauy grieuous burden vnto him Thē if he come to Christ he shall quickly haue remedy for thē For he came not to cal the righteous y◠is thē that thought themselues ryghteous boasted of it for in deed there is none righteous before him but he came to cal poore sinners to repentāce And this agreeth with that notable saying of Paul that Christ Iesus came into this world to saue sinners wherof he cōfessed himself to be chiefe 1. Tim. 1. There is a notable place cōcerning this matter in the fourth of Luke where our Sauiour Christ entring into the Synagogue of Nazareth to reade and to preach on the Sabboth day found the place where it was writtē of him in the 61. of Esay saying The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath anointed me that I should preach the Gospel to the poore he hath sēt me that I shoulde heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blinde that I shoulde set at libertie them that are brused and that I shoulde preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord. This place doeth shewe for whom Christ Iesus is sent and is meete that is for the poore the broken hearted the captiues in sinne the blinde in minde the bruised in pryson If we feele our selues to be such men Christ is sent vnto vs otherwise hee is not for vs. And this is the cause that made our Sauiour to keepe companie most commonly with Publicans and sinners and such as were infected with great sinnes offences as Marie Magdalene and Matthew and Zaccheus for these did willingly confesse their sinnes vnto him and so he cured them But on the contrary side hee refused the company of the Scribes and Pharises the hie Priestes and Doctors of the lawe because although they were sinners yea and grieuous sinners too yet they had an opinion of holines and righteousnesse in them selues aboue other men and iustified them selues before our Sauiour Christ as we see in the parable of the Publicane and Pharise that went vp both of them to praye into the Temple Luk. 18. These Pharises our sauiour saide they had no neede of the Physician because they dyd not acknowledge their infirmitie and weakenesse vnto him Christ in deede is meate but for the hungry Iohn 6. he is water and drinke but for the thirstie Esay 55. Iohn 7. he is a refreshing but for them that are loden and burdened Matth. 11. Doe wee giue almes at any time to a stout begger that although he haue neede yet wil not confesse it and aske his almes gently acknowledging his pouertie No more surely will the Lorde giue vnto any spirituall almes vnlesse wee shall humble our selues before him with true feeling of our pouertie and miserie For verely herein we must all of vs bee lyke vnto beggers that to mooue pitie and compassion shewe not the best thinges they haue if they haue any but the worst as their ragges their sores their pouertie and nakednesse And this moueth men the sooner to pitie them Dearely beloued in Christ the case standeth so and no otherwise betweene the Lorde and vs. If we will get any thing it is by falling downe and humbling our selues and not by vaunting of any thing that is in vs for he resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and lowly Do we not see it so by experience Is not the best pasture and meddowe grounde in the lowest places and valleyes and the most barren grounde in the hyghest hilles and mountaines So the graces of the Lorde rest in the lowe stomacke and heart and flee from the hye and loftie minde Let therefore euery hill and mountayne be layde lowe Luke 3. A notable example of this meeke and humble confession of our sinnes we haue in the Prophete Dauid who although he were a King yet when he was reprehended and reprooued sharpely of the Prophete Nathan for his adulterie and murder sayd without any replying or checking of the Prophete most mildely I haue sinned vnto the Lorde And therefore he heard incontinently that sweete answere from the Lorde The Lorde also hath put awaye thy sinne thou shalt not die 2. of Kinges 12. Chapter This thing Dauid reporteth of himself in the Psalme 32. Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto the Lorde neyther hid I mine iniquitie For I thought I will confesse agaynst my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lorde and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Looke in the Psalme 51. where hee describeth the same more at large This lesson is to be learned of vs all that when we commit sinne we shoulde not cloke our sinne as the hypocrites doe Looke vpon the poore Publicane and vpon Peter the one confessed them humbly the other wept for them most bitterly And surely so dyd all the good men doe from time to time Howe often doe the Prophetes Esay and Daniel confesse their sinnes and the sinnes of the people Did not Tobiah do the like and Paul him selfe doeth in many places confesse with griefe of minde that he was a persecuter of the Church of Christ 1. Cor. 15. yea that he had the relikes of sinne still abiding in him Rom.
7. Yea this confession acknowledging of our faults must sometime be made to our neyghbour or brother if we haue offended him and we must are commaunded to seeke reconciliation at his handes as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the altar there remēbrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift And this is that thing that S. Iames meant in his Epistle 5. Chap. Acknowledge your faultes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed not so that wee allowe any papisticall shrift or a vaine confession of all our sinnes in the eare of a masmonging Priest which can do vs no good but rather taketh an occasion him selfe to bee ill when he heareth the lewde deedes of some But wee meane that an agreement is to bee sought for with submission one to another if any man be offended Neyther doeth this place of Iames prooue the Popish confession as they woulde haue it for hee speaketh not here of the Priest but of all Christians And if so bee they will haue this place to prooue it then must their Priest confesse as well his sinnes to the people as the people to him for so goe the wordes of the text One to another acknowledge your faultes Notwithstanding if any man feele him selfe grieued with his sinne and clogged in his minde and conscience if then hee resort to his godlie and learned Pastor or preacher in the parishe and tell it vnto him to haue comfort and his aduise what to doe hee can not iustly for this bee reprehended of any because it is both good and godly But to number vp al their sinnes to the minister as the papistes woulde haue it no man can doe for who knoweth howe oft hee offendeth as Dauid sayth Psalme 19. neyther is this thing warranted by any authoritie or example in scripture But to our purpose wee see then by these thinges that as we are sinners all the sort of vs so wee must not dissemble them if wee truely intende to haue remission of them but with our whole heart we ought to confesse them vnto the Lorde And here is to bee noted that in this article wee doe beleeue and confesse a remission or forgiuenesse of sinnes and not a satisfaction of vs for our sinnes as the aduersaries teach that wee must satisfie for our sinnes and purchase pardons from Rome by money by masses and such trumperies as going on pilgrimage barefoote by fastings and lying in hearecloth Surely if these things bee added to take away our sinnes then is not this our article true which sayth that there is a free remission of sinnes without paying any thing at all of our part euen as the detter when hee hath nothing to pay or discharge his dette some godly creditour doeth freely forgiue him Nowe if hee shoulde pay any thing or halfe of it then it is not freely forgiuen but partly forgiuen and partly payde but Iohn pronounceth that if any man thirst he may come and take of the well of the water of life freely Reuelation 20. 22. Esay 55. If wee may take away any of our sinnes by satisfying for them then all is not due to the blood of Iesus Christ but Iohn sayth that it is the blood of Christe and no other thing that doeth purge vs from all our sinne Wee with all our merites and good deedes can not satisfie Gods wrath and anger conceiued for one of the least of our offences for the least sinne that we committe deserueth euerlasting hell fire and howe then can wee satisfie except wee bee freely forgiuen This Dauid well vnderstoode saying If thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities O Lorde who may stande but marke what Dauid addeth and it confirmeth our position and purpose but mercie saith hee is with thee that thou maiest be feared Psal 130. Hee declareth vnto vs sufficiently that wee can not bee iustified before the most pure God but by forgiuenesse of sinnes and therefore pronounced that man blessed that had his sinnes forgiuen not that had satisfied for them Our sauiour doeth teach his to pray in humilitie Forgiue vs our sinnes and not to say Giue vs grace or might to satisfie for them Thus much for the first poynt that if wee will haue pardon of our sinnes wee must first confesse and acknowledge them for what should God forgiue vs if we were not sinners The seconde thing to consider in this article is to knowe to whome to come vnto for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and for whose sake they are remitted otherwise to knowe and beleeue a remission of sinnes is in vaine for as it is bootelesse for a man that is very hungrie to knowe and beleeue there is meate in the worlde except he knew the place the man that had it for him that he might resort vnto him and as it is in vayne to confesse thy disease and sickensse vnles thou know some good Physicion who may helpe thee so surely it shall profite vs nothing at all to knowe or to confesse our sinnes if wee bee ignorant of the mediatour that should take them away yea if the sicke person shoulde seeke out such a Physition as either could not or would not cure him his labour also were vnprofitable and all one as if the needy man shoulde goe to one for an almes that is as needy as hee him self Let vs therefore take diligent heede to this that being sicke of our sinnes in our soules we goe and runne to such a cunning Physition as we are sure both can and will for his abilitie and compassion cure and heale our infirmities and hath a salue for euery sore and maladie This cure and Physicke for all diseases resteth not in any creature whatsoeuer no not in the Angels for they neede a mediatour to holde them al vp not in the Saintes for eyther they are all sinners as those aliue here in the earth or els haue bene all sinners as they in heauen and therefore neede a mediatour as well as wee There is no creature therefore in this great cure of sinnes that can doe vs any good nay rather wee shall be woorse and woorse runnyng to them as the woman in the Gospell was with the issue of blood seeking vnto Phisitions vntill shee came to Christ who cured her immediatly Luke 8. for he is only the good Physition that came to cure our deadly woundes Matthewe 9. Will yee then knowe who this is that onely forgiueth sinnes Marke what the holy Ghost saith Ioh. 1. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Who is this onely lambe of God but Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD slaine from the beginning of the worlde for the sinnes of the people for there is but one mediatour betweene God man the man Iesus Christ 1 Timo. 2. and he hath giuen
him selfe a ransome for all If this bee so we may boldely come vnto him at his commaundement especially when hee calleth Come vnto mee all yee that doe labour and are laden and I will refresh you Matt. 11. The whole scriptures both of the newe and olde testament doe propounde no other redeemer vnto vs then Iesus Christ All the sacrifices were figures of remission of sinnes by Christ alone for it was vnpossible as the Apostle saith that the blood of goates and calues shoulde take away sinne but yet sinnes were taken away vnder the lawe It remayneth therefore that they shoulde bee taken away by Christ for Abraham reioyced to see his day and sawe it gladly Iohn 8. There was but one temple but one hie priest but one altar so there is but one Christ to men to take away sinnes for all these thinges were shadowes of him He is the true temple in whome wee must pray the hie priest that offereth his body for vs and the true altar vpon whom we must offer all our sacrifices of prayer and thankesgiuing if wee will haue them to please God and to be accepted of him Wee haue saith the holy ghost an altar meaning Christ whereof they haue no authoritie to eate which serue in the tabernacle meaning the vnbeleeuing Iewes Let vs therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruite of the lips which confesse his name Hebrews 13. Our sauiour Christ when he sent forth his apostles to preach willed not them to preach remission of sinnes but in his name onely Luke 24. and this doeth Peter in the Actes declare vnto vs chapter 10. Through his name euery one the doth beleue shal receiue remission of sins Healings of the body were done wrought in his name by y◠Apostles Actes 5. and therefore the clensing and curing of the soule which is by remission of our sinnes is much more to be looked for at his hands And as it was in Egypt in the great dearth and famine of corne none could haue any food of Pharao the king but by the hāds of Ioseph whō he had made ouerseer ruler of the land in his name for when they cryed to him for breade he sayde Goe yee to Ioseph and what he sayth to you do ye Genesis 41. so it is nowe in the famine and dearth of our soules for spirituall foode we can haue nothing to feed our hungry soules from the king of heauen but by the meanes of the true Ioseph which is Iesus Christ who is ordeined of his father to rule and gouerne all thinges in his name so that hee sendeth vs to his Sonne when wee aske any thing of him for in him hee is wel pleased and for his sake onely and for no mans else doeth hee bestowe this benefite vpon vs for GOD hath in deede giuen lyfe vnto the worlde but this lyfe is in his Sonne that all should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father And as among the Israelites none coulde bee healed that were stung of the fyerye Serpentes but all such as looked vp to the brasen Serpent which Moses made so it is as certaine that none can bee deliuered from the stinging of the olde serpent which is the deuill but they that looke vp to the sonne of God on hie in heauen they haue redemption by his blood that is the remission of sinnes Ephesians 1. There is no other name vnder heauen wherein we must be saued no other fundation whereupon wee must builde vp into heauen no other stone that coupleth the building together no other key that openeth heauē gates vnto vs but Iesus Christ Reuelation 5. Except therefore we beleeue that it is he that taketh away all our sinnes wee shall die in them Iohn 8. Neither is this doctrine onely confirmed vnto vs by the authorities of the worde but also by the examples of all the godly Dauid was ignorant in the way of the Lord but to whom doth he goe for knowledge Teach me O Lorde saith hee the way of thy statutes Psalme 119. Neither shall ye reade that he went at any time to any other in that his whole booke of prayers thankesgiuings saue onely to the Lorde he did knowe well ynough that all other scholemasters were vnlearned and domme and as Idoles that could not speake The woman of Canaan went at the first to Christ to haue her daughter cured Saint Paul praied to the Lorde to haue the messenger of Satan to depart from him 2. Cor. 12. Neither can there be any example brought of any that euer he went to any other then to the Lord onely to haue his sinnes and offences taken awaye By this that our sinnes are forgiuen in Christ alone we learne that we of our selues by nature are hatefull vnto God before we bee reconciled vnto him by the death of his Sonne so that except he behold and looke vpon our sinnes in the face and countenāce of Iesu Christ wee are but castawayes Wherefore brethren let vs looke vnto it that wee may perswade not men but our owne selues not in tongue and mouth onely but in heart and deede that we are surely members of Christ Furthermore we gather by this that the Papist the Turke the Iewe haue all gone astray for they seeke for remission of sinnes by other meanes then by the death of Christ The Papist by his satisfactorie woorkes of his owne deuice by pardons from the Pope when as no man can forgiue sinnes but God onely by his praying to Angels to Saints whome he maketh intercessors and mediators to God and so leaueth the waters of life Christ Iesus and diggeth such broken pittes and cisternes as can holde no water at all I see not therefore howe hee can haue remission of his sinnes seeing he seeketh it els where then in the blood of Christ and of Christ alone for they giue something vnto him but not all and so they make him but halfe a sauiour But eyther hee will bee a whole Sauiour vnto them that hee may haue all the glorie and prayse or else he will be none at all Christ can not abide any thing to be ioyned with him in the way to saluation and euerlasting life but he will bee the onely and whole Sauiour to men The Turke that hateth this name of Christ and goeth not about to haue remission of sinnes by it can clayme no part in the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen hee thinketh to bee saued by God the Father when hee honoureth not God the Sonne Agayne he trusteth to his Alcoran and his false prophet Mahomet and forsaketh the true and euerlasting Prophete Iesus Christ whome God sent into the worlde to giue life vnto it They can saye I beleeue in God the Father Almightie but they will not confesse that which followeth of Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God and therefore they are not vnder the Couenaunt of grace and saluation but stande all accursed before the lyuing
Lorde as beyng without Christ Thirdly the Iewes can haue or looke for no remission of sinnes because they haue reiected this Christ and go about to establish their owne righteousnesse by the workes of the Lawe whereas Christ is the full ende or perfection of the Lawe for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 10. They haue a zeale but not according to knowledge and thinking to bee saued by the Lawe they all stande accursed and also accursed iustly by the Law before the Lord For cursed sayeth he is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in this booke to doe them Galat. 3. They are detters then without Christ to keepe and perfourme the whole Lawe perfitly and absolutely vnto the Lorde which no man can doe no not they and therefore without a Sauiour they stande in a miserable case euen in the state of euerlasting damnation and perdition And last of all the false and Hypocriticall Christian which professeth with his mouth that hee knoweth and beleeueth in Christ and yet vtterly denyeth him in his whole life conuersation can hope for no remission of his sinnes continuing still as he doeth in disobedience and all kinde of abominations But the Lord hath dyed for sinners you wil saye and great and notorious sinners too trueth it is he hath done so but yet they are such sinners as repent and are sory for their former sinnes they lead not their life in voluntarie sinnes so that they shoulde delite dwel in sinne but they continue in the feare of the Lord. Briefely they are penitent sinners and not obstinate and wilfull persons that can not repent for whom the Lord hath died If we feele our selues to be such trembling sinners the Lorde hath a free remission of sinnes for vs whensoeuer we come vnto him for to whom doth the Lord looke Euen to him that is poore of a contrite spirit and trembling at his wordes But he that hardeneth his heart and goeth on still in his former wickednesse without remorse of cōscience at al he heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the daye of wrath and maketh his sinnes so heauie vnto himselfe that they will presse him downe to hell These men must amend their ill liues and be heartily sory for their sinnes not in hypocrisie as Pharao was who said I haue sinned vnto the Lorde neither in desperation as Iudas who repented but not in faith But herein let them followe Dauid in the olde Testament and Peter in the Newe who repented and wept most bitterly but yet in hope had remission of their sinnes These men by their repentance afterwarde changed and altered their olde liues and conuersation their olde man with his maners was put off and the newe man which after God was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse was foorthwith put on and so they walked all their dayes afterward in a newe life Many men can say now a daies Oh I nowe repent I am sory for my sinnes yet by and by or the next daye they fall to the same or like sinnes againe Shal we thinke such men repent nay verely they deceyue but themselues and the worlde for God they can not deceiue Repentance is in the heart and not in the mouth for it is a turning and chaunging of the minde from ill to good As long therefore as we see their liues not to bee at all chaunged wee may boldely saye they repent not truely and therefore remission of sinnes is excluded from them Hee that repenteth truely altereth his wicked life as wee see it came to passe in Paul who after that hee was called and repented of his former life neuer returned agayne to persecute the Church of Christ neyther did hee liue as before hee did Well to conclude this part if this remission of sinnes come vnto vs by Christ let vs be sure to bee in his loue let vs not profane his holy name by our vile blasphemies in our mouthes dayly as the wicked doe but let euery one that calleth vpon this name depart from all iniquitie 2. Timothie 2. chapter The thirde thing to bee considered in this remission of our sinnes was as I sayde before the meanes by the which it may bee applyed vnto vs and receyued from Iesus Christ the authour of it For vnlesse wee also knowe this it is to no purpose to knowe the former two poyntes And this may bee made playne vnto vs by this similitude The poore man that is an hungred although hee knowe whyther to goe to some riche man or other for his meate and almes yet except he vnderstand what meanes and waye to vse to obtayne this reliefe of the riche man all is in vayne for if he should vse stoute and sturdy words when hee ought to be gentle or if he should commaunde it when hee shoulde intreate for it hee were not like to speede or if the riche man did offer him meate to be receyued with the hande and hee put foorth his foule feete to receyue it it were a very preposterous order and such a thing as myght iustly cause this man to withdrawe his liberalitie from him so surely the case standeth betweene our Lorde Iesus Christ the Prince of all heauenly treasures and vs poore sinners and wretches Albeit we well perceyue that hee hath remission of sinnes for vs yet wee must knowe the waye to please him when wee come to haue our sute obtayned And this waye to please him and to take the benefite that hee offereth is onely faith in his name For without faith it is vnpossible to please him For he that commeth vnto him must beleeue that he is and that hee is a rewarder of all them that seeke him as sayth the holy Ghost the eleuenth to the Hebrewes When therefore the Lorde Iesus offereth this great benefite of saluation vnto vs in the free remission of all our sinnes wee must not offer out to him our foule feete that is to saye our woorkes which are with many sinnes polluted and defiled for so wee myght cause him to bee angrie with vs and to keepe backe his gracious benefites But we must as he hath commaunded and alwaies in the Gospell requireth when he is about to doe vs any good beleeue onely in him that is offer vnto him our hande that is true faith which is a fitte thing and instrument to receiue his blessinges Neyther is this our saying but the phrase and maner of speache in the Scriptures Our Sauiour Christ did neuer any miracle or cure vpon the bodies of men but hee required faith of them and they being healed hee alwayes attributed it to the faith and confidence that they had in him and not to any good worke of theirs In the ninth chapter of the Gospel after Saint Matthews wee reade there of a very charitable deede of foure men that brought one being sicke of the palsie to our sauiour Christ as hee laye on his bed but what sayde our sauiour Christ concerning
this Iesus seeing their faith sayde to the sicke of the palsie Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee You see howe that the cure of the man is ascribed to their faith and not to their good workes Likewise two blinde men came vnto him to be healed crying and saying O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. This verily was a good confession and worke of them Matth. 9. But what sayeth hee vnto them Beleeue ye that I am able to doe this they sayde Yes Then sayeth he According to your faith be it vnto you The woman that was deliuered from the bloodie yssue heard this of him Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole Matt. 9. When he raysed vp the rulers daughter he required but onely faith of him which thing the Papistes saye we can not prooue out of the Scripture In the eight of Luke therefore this worde onely is put to exclude all other things for saith he Beleeue only she shal be saued Now if Christ require this faith in the cure of the externall man that is of the bodie which is the lesse thing hee doeth much more require it in the healing of the inner man the soule which is the greater cure and of more valewe You haue then heard that faith in Christ cureth the body heare nowe also that Christ requireth faith especially to beleeue in him to euerlasting life The Gospell written by Saint Iohn is full of this matter almost in euery Chapter Speaking of Christ he sayeth on this wise He came among his owne and his owne receyued him not but as many as receyued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Iohn 1. Againe So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Ioh. 3. He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God In the fift of Iohn our sauiour saith Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life The sixte chapter is full of such godly and comfortable sayings I am that bread of life he that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life These things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Ioh. 20. It were infinite to recite all the places in Scripture that make for this matter and I should be tedious if I would rehearse them all Notable is that place in the sixtenth chapter of the Actes of the Apostles where the Iayler demandeth of Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saued they answered forthwith Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and all thine house I referre them that list to see moe places to the Actes 3 10 13. chapt Rom. 1 3 4 5 9 10 11. chapters Ephes 2. Out of these wordes wee gather this doctrine for vs that all the graces and benefites of Christ are made ours by faith in his blood and by faith onely wee take holde and laye hande vpon them for faith is as it were an hand or a mouth open to receiue meate into the soule and to feede it We must then open our hande and our mouth to receyue him as Dauid sayeth in his Psalmes speaking in the person of God I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt opeÌ„ thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. In that place the Lorde accuseth the incredulitie of the Israelites that did not open their mouthes in faith to receiue his benefites in such obedience as he powreth them out Againe if faith bee the meane to bee made partaker of Iesus Christ and to applie him to vs to heale our diseases then on the other side incredulitie of man is the stoppe or hinderance that letteth the Lord to powre down his blessings vpon vs. This lacke of faith doeth shut vp his beneuolence and good will from vs so that hee can not open heauen gates vnto vs and powre vs downe his blessing Of this the Prophets complayned in the olde time both Esai and Ieremie Behold sayeth Esai the Lords hand is not shortened that it can not saue neyther is his eare heauie that it can not heare but your iniquities haue made a separation betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Esa chap. 59. So Ieremie in his fift Chapter Your sinnes haue hindered good thinges from you And what sinne or iniquitie can bee greater or more detestable before the Lord then the sinne of incredulitie and vnbeliefe euen the mother and fountaine of all other sinnes This is that which the Euangelist Saint Matthewe reprehendeth in the Nazarites euen their incredulitie for when our Sauiour Christ came among them to preach and teache and to heale them that were sicke as hee did in other places they were offended with him and gaue him iust occasion to saye of them That a Prophete was not without honour saue in his owne countrey and in his owne house Then is it added in the ende of the Chapter He did not many great workes there for their vnbeliefes sake Matth. 13. So likewise our Sauiour Christ sayeth to the father of the childe that was lunatike considering his want of faith If thou couldest saith he beleeue all thinges were possible to him that beleeueth Marke 9. And this is the onely cause that barred the Israelites out of the land of Canaan For we see that they could not enter in because of vnbeliefe Hebr. 3. No more shall any enter at all into heauen which was figured by the holy lande of promes which beleeue not for Iohn sayeth that all the vnbeleuing shal haue their part in thâ—â—ake that burneth with fire brimstoâ—â—â—hich is the second death Reue. 21. Nowe when wee saye that faith alone in Christ doeth applie all his good workes vnto vs wee doe not speake against good workes that are done of the godly here in this life but our meaning is that our good deedes doe not saue vs which any man that hath read the Scriptures indifferently wil graunt Wee exclude not workes in life and maners here before men but wee exclude them froÌ„ any part or portion of iustification before the almightie God in whose presence nothing is perfite cleane or pure no not the sunne nor the moone nor the Angels but onely the works of that immaculate and vnspotted Lambe euen the man Iesus Christ whose woorkes are all made ours and imputed vnto vs
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 the testimonies of all the Prophetes Marke his wordes wel for they proue our purpose and confirme the three points that we haue set downe in this article first that we al are sinners secōdly that Christ doth forgiue thē freely thirdly y◠by faith it is we lay holde on this remissiō His words are these euery one of them very effectuall To him saith hee meaning Christ of whom hee made that excellent sermon going before vnto the captaine Cornelius giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remission of sinnes Peter doeth shewe that this doctrine which wee teache is not newe or hereticall but catholike and such as the Prophetes them selues all long agoe did teache that by fayth in Christ euery one that beleeueth shall haue pardon of all his sinnes whether they be committed before or after baptisme whether they be actuall or originall or whether they be in thought or in worde or in deede if wee beleue stedfastly they shall all bee forgiuen vs for Christs sake I speake here nothing of that great and horrible sinne against the holy Ghost which is irremissible I hope in the Lorde wee shall neuer haue any thing to doe with it and therefore I will not intreate of it or what it is Let this bee our comfort that wee that haue any feare of God any loue to Iesus Christ our sweete sauiour any reuerence to heare his blessed worde and Gospell and to receiue his holy sacramentes we I saye that haue any motion to these thinges are farre off from this sinne and it shall not come nere our dwellings You haue heard nowe dearely beloued what it is we haue to learne and beare away vpon this article what is the meaning of it what partes of doctrine it doeth conteine in it This article and the beliefe of it is very comfortable yea the ioyfullest thing of all others in this life is to heare of the remission of sinnes and that of all when the least of them is able to plucke vs downe to hell and there to holde vs in chaynes of darkenesse for euer and euer without any hope of recouery were it not for his mercies in Iesus Christ The Lorde doeth in deede bestowe dayly many good and great blessings vpō vs in his mercy for the which wee ought continually to thanke him but this benefite of the washing away of all our sinnes in Christes blood doeth as farre passe and excell them all as either the Diamonde doeth the stone in the streate or els the purest and finest golde that may bee the filthiest drosse and durt that can be founde so great a grace is it in Christ freely to haue all our sinnes wiped out of Gods remembrance But nowe let vs giue as wee are dieply bounde most humble and hearty thankes to God the father for sending Iesus Christ his sonne into the worlde to take vpon him our sinnes and to beare them all away in his body and let vs withall thanke this good and bountiful sauiour Iesus Christ for vouchsauing to humble him selfe so farre for our sakes as to haue our sinnes imputed vnto him and to bee layde vpon his backe and to suffer the punishment dewe for them all And let vs also pray both night and daye vnto him to take them away from vs more and more and to kill this raging sinne within vs by the scepter of his holy woorde and operation of his mighty spirite that notwithstanding sinne be in vs as it shall be to the last daye yet it may not reigne in vs or be a tyrant ouer vs but that we may mortifie it from time to time vntill wee come to that state wherein it shall bee cleane put awaye and altogether destroyed which will bee when we shall meete together in the ioyfull and happy resurrection of our bodyes whereof we are to speake in the article following These thinges the Lorde God graunt vnto vs al for his sonnes sake to whome with the holy Ghost be rendred all prayse and glorie and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euer more Amen The eleuenth article of our Christian faith and the eleuenth lecture vpon it which is The resurrection of the body IN the fourth part of this our Christian beliefe which was of the church I declared that there were three consequents or benefites annexed vnto it The first you haue heard which was the remission of sinnes Now doth ensue the second which is the resurrection or rising againe of our flesh and bodie And this article doeth folowe in very good and apt order after the former for as by the first Adams sinne and ours our bodies became mortall subiect vnto death so hauing remission of our sinnes by Christ the second Adam our bodies shal hereafter be made immortall raised from death to an euerlasting better life thē that which we should haue had in Paradise if Adam we had cōtinued in our state of innocency This resurrection is the repairing and the renuing againe of the whole man to a most blessed and perfite estate of lyfe The meaning therefore of this article is thus much I that am a Christian do most certainely beleeue that not only my body but the bodyes of all men that euer haue bene from the beginning of the world to the end of it shall at the last day of iudgement by the power of Christ at his comming be raysed vp againe being the same in substance but not in qualities whether they be rotted in the graue or burnt in the flaming fire or consumed of beastes or drowned in the sea deuoured of fishes or els of birds And I moreouer beleeue that they shal be ioyned to their soules inseperably at the which resurrection the godly shall haue a full ende of all their miseries and paynes here with full possession of eternall life and that the wicked and reprobate shall goe into euerlasting hel fire which is prepared for the deuil and his angels This is the true sense and meaning of this article of the resurrection Now let vs see what good lessons may be gathered out of it for our instruction that wee may the better profite in the way of true godlinesse and Christianity Three things are to be cōsidered in this resurrectiō First that according to the scriptures there shall one day be a generall resurrection of good and bad Secondly to what ende this shal be Thirdly the consolation and comfort that wee may reape and inioy by this resurrection in the applying of it to our owne consciences I am not ignorant howe that very many thinges must be repeated here which haue bene spoken of before both in the article of Christes resurrection which is a playne confirmation and proofe of this and also in the other artice of his cōming agayne to iudgement which shal be then when this article shal be fully accomplished vnto vs. These thinges are so incident the one to the other I meane Christes
vpon them The other cause is in respect of the wicked and reprobate vpon whom the Lorde will shewe his perfite iustice against sinne and wickednes cōmitted of thē without repentance These will hee make vessels of his wrath which shal burne in thē with an vnquenchable fire without ende and mercie who because here they haue not bene throughly punished or sometimes not at all therefore the full measure of their punishment is reserued til that great day then to be powred out vpon them in fire and brimstone in that burning lake continually which neuer shall haue ende For these causes is this resurrectiō whereof wee speake ordayned To speake of the end for the godly first so it is that the Lord hath promised in mercie to reward all his faythfull seruants which commeth not manie times to passe in this life therefore there remaineth a life to come to be shewed in the resurrection of the flesh And if all godlinesse bee sure to bee recompensed with a promise of a good turne in the life to come as Paul declareth to Timothie the first Epistle and fourth Chapter Then out of all doubt very expedient and necessarie it is that there shoulde be a resurrection If any man say The soules of the faythfull are rewarded as soone as they depart from the bodie with this promise of life and therefore they seeme not to lacke a rewarde although there be no resurrection and so God is true of his promise I answere that as the bodyes of the faythfull while they liued well here haue bene temples of the holie Ghost to serue the Lord withall and as not onely in soule but also in body through diuers tentations and persecutions they haue bene afflicted for Christ and haue still bene vnder the crosse so surely they also with the soule shall be glorified and rewarded according to the things that they haue done And to this agree the wordes of the holy Apostle We must all sayeth he appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill 2. Corin. 5. Here he nameth expresly the body otherwise the rewarde were vnperfite if in one part onely it were bestowed The Lord will not suffer the giuing of a cuppe of colde water to his saints to goe vnrewarded much more therefore will he rewarde those that haue giuen their bodies to be consumed in the flames of fire for his cause and the Gospel so that if any lose his life for his sake in this worlde he shall finde it in the worlde to come with an hundred fold more with all happinesse and ioy restored vnto him If we looke vpon all the saints that haue bene from time to time we shall see that they had no felicitie nor happinesse in this life The Epistle to the Hebrewes speaking of the excellent fayth of the olde Patriarkes and ancient fathers sheweth vs what was their estate in this life for their good woorkes and deedes Some were racked and woulde not bee deliuered others were tryed by mockings and scourginges by bandes and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slayne with the sworde they wandered vp downe in goates skinnes and sheepes skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented wandring in wildernesses and mountaynes and dennes and caues of the earth If we aske the end why they suffered and endured such things of the wicked the same Apostle doeth make vs answere This they did that they might receiue a better resurrection And surely they had bene fooles to endure such tormēts of body if the body and soule had perished in their death and graue as doe the bodies of bruite beastes without any hope of the resurrection Consider ye the Apostles how they were rewarded here for their preaching and godly life did they not all for the most part in the ende suffer death and martyredome for their labour howe was Paul rewarded of the Lorde in this life did hee not whippe and scourge him when hee receiued him for his sonne yes truely And he confesseth what his whole life was after his conuersion nothing but a sea of troubles miseries fightings without and terrours within hunger and thirst colde nakednesse bandes and pouertie were the rewardes that the Lorde gaue him here insomuch that hee might seeme to be in worse case after his conuersion to Christ then before if hee had iudged of his afflictions by a worldly and carnal eye and not according to faith as did carnall Demas and therefore because hee felt miseries in this life in Christianitie reuolted from Paul and embraced this present euill worlde 2. Timothie 4. These things made Paul to say that vnlesse there were a resurrection his state had bene most miserable of al others for what saith hee aduantageth it me to suffer these things if the dead rise not agayne then let vs eate and drinke and liue in pleasure So we see the hope of the resurrection stayed him from running into condemnation with the wicked he confessed els where that his crown was not here in this life but was layde vp for him And al these vexations of the bodies of soules of mindes and consciences of men is to teach them that no blessednesse is to bee hoped for in this our vale of miserie but we looke for a citie to come whose builder and maker is God seeing wee haue none here that is permanent Our sauiour when he comforted his disciples agaynst persecutions to come when as they shoulde bee mocked reuiled taunted yea and killed for his sake willed them in that day to be glad and to reioyce for their rewarde was great in heauen Hee said not in earth that their mindes might be with drawen frō this life to the euerlasting rest out of this world And this can not be but in the resurrection of our bodies They that will haue their reward in this life in short transitorie pleasures of sinne for a season feasting sporting them selues in their wantonnes vngodly delites are impatiēt to looke wait for the heauenly promise of ioyes that shal haue no ende are like vnto the rich man both proude and gluttonous that fared deliciously euery day and went in purple and silke not regarding the poore estate of Lazarus and therefore nowe in hel receiueth paine punishment endles which in his life time receiued pleasure cōfort But they that with paciēce quiet minds can take al things in good worth whether it be sicknes or pouertie or shame ignominie which the Lord here sendeth to thē in this life for a trial of their faith can looke vp vnto y◠celestial life to come tarying the Lords leasure these men are like to poore Lazarus which in deed in his life time receiued paine but is now comforted beyond all mās expectation with an euerlasting comfort Luke 16. Dauid pronounceth thē blessed that
feare the Lord yet if we respect the presēt time it doth not so appeare to vs but rather the contrary for what blessednes is here either in the body or in the soule if we speake of a sounde perfit happines as he meāt it The soule is infected with sinne the vnderstanding is darkned the things we know not are moe in number then the things we know so that our knowledge which should beautifie and adorne out soule is vnperfect and this not onely in thinges naturall and ciuill but also in heauenly mysteries and matters of greatest waight importance so that Paul might well crye out and say O mortall man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Rom. 7. No happinesse therefore in this life of the minde of man but that which is is rather a shadowe and a visour then any true sight of happinesse For it doeth not yet appeare what we shal be although nowe we are the sonnes of God but this shall appeare when Christ shall come in glory Colos 3. Now if any griefe of mind which is inwarde come to the soule then it seemeth to bee in hell and this dolour surmounteth all the passions and paynes of the body Let any man consider the bodie and he will say that it can not bee happie in this life the diseases and sicknesses of it are so many in number that they haue passed the arte and skil of the best Physitions to heale them And if the diseases of the body were away yet were there calamities a thousand to proue it to be in a very wretched case as longe as it is subiect to sinne in this pylgrimage What crosses are shame to vs ignominie contempt and reproche which cause many most desperately to hang themselues What is pouertie with her children as lacke of friendes meate and drinke want of apparell which is necessarie lodging and house roome with such thinges These miseries a man may haue although hee had health of body although yet these thinges bring sickenes with them commonly What then are other externall dangers as the wounding and hurting of our selues the spoyling of our goods dangers vpon the land of theeues vpon the sea of drowning and if we scape that there is danger of vngodly Pirates These crosses being layde together and weyed in the balance of iustice wil coūterpeise ouerweigh al our pleasures that are or may bee inuented in this life so great is the heape of miseries in this life And these troubles that I haue aboue rehearsed as they are common to all so especially to the godly to make them not to bee in loue with this worlde seeing the Lorde hath reserued the blessed resurrection for them Wherefore dearly beloued call now to remembrance the dayes that are passed and consider the sayntes which after they had receiued light endured a great fight in afflictions as our martyrs did in Q. Maries dayes partly while they were made a gazing stocke both by reproches afflictiōs being tossed to fro suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods And knowe you deare brethren that ye haue in heauen a better and a more induring substance then al the golde siluer of princes Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward in this day of the resurrectiō of your bodies For ye haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the will of the Lorde yee may receiue the promise of eternall life For yet a very litle while and Iesus Christ the authour of this resurrection that shall come will come and will not tary Thus much for the ende of this resurrection in respect of the seruantes of Christ which then and not before shall fully be rewarded and made perfitely blessed in euery part both body and soule wherein they haue serued their Lorde faythfully when they were aliue Nowe let vs see the ende for the which all the wicked shall rise againe at that day which also standeth with the iustice of the Lorde to recompence them after their demerites As not onely the soules of the wicked haue offended their GOD by their sinnefull thoughtes and cogitations but also their bodyes haue bene slaues vnto sinne and haue giuen their members ouer to serue vnrighteousnesse so it standeth with equitie that not onely their mindes and consciences be tormented but also their bodyes by the which they here haue wrought all these abominations should feele the rewarde stipende of sinne which is the euerlasting death euen the seconde death of the soule and body together This punishment is deferred most commonly in this life and who in so good estate as concerning the bodie here as the wicked and such as contemne the Lorde In so much that their prosperitie wealth haue moued the godly to wonder at the secret iudgements of the Lord in this their case This thing mooued the Prophete Habakkuk to crye vnto the Lorde for vengeance agaynst the wicked being troubled with their prosperitie and successe Wherefore doest thou looke sayth hee vpon the transgressours and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then hee whereof they reioyce and are glad Habakkuk 1. This complaynt likewise made the prophet Ieremie in his time in the 12. of his prophecie saying O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let mee talke with thee of thy iudgementes wherefore doeth the way of the vngodly prosper why are they in wealth that rebelliously trāsgresse These were Ieremies words cōcerning the ill men but he addeth more Thou hast planted them and they haue taken roote they growe and bring foorth fruite thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reynes Dauid founde by experience the like successe of the wicked in his dayes also and therefore saith that hee fretted at the foolish when hee sawe the prosperitie of the wicked For saith hee there are no bandes in their death but they are lusty strong they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men Therefore pride is as a chaine vnto them and cruelty couereth them as with a garment their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart can wishe they are licentious speake wickedly of their oppression they talke presumptuously they set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth Here you haue a description of their life and of their prosperitie what the one is what the other is also their life is licentious and yet it goeth well with them for these transitorie goods but what doth Dauid confesse of him selfe which was the childe of God Daily saith he haue I bene punished and chastened euery morning Psal 73. Seeing this standeth so with the wicked shall wee not say that they shal be punished elsewhere Yes no doubt there is a iudgemēt day kept in store for them where they shall be punished although they haue liued in
remain to be accōplished the general iudgmēt the resurrectiō and this life euerlasting which shal al be fulfilled together The meanīg of this article is this I that am a true christiā do stedfastly beleeue that as I haue already a sure pledge of this life in me which is the holy ghost working in my heart full hope of it by the seede of Gods word so I shal in the world to come haue this blessed life most abundantly powred vpō me in ful measure of al happines both in body also in soule which shal neuer haue any terme of yeeres but shal cōtinue for euer as the Lord himself doth without ending in which state I shal prayse the Lord my God not in part as I did here and with the dregges of sinne but wtout all sinne neuer ceasing to praise him yet without al wearines Re. 21. As cōcerning the excellency of this eternal life if all the tongues of men of angels were ioyned vnited together all in one with all their knowledge eloquēce to expresse it if they should be about it a thousād thousād yeres yet notwithstanding they al shal not be able to expresse vtter the least part of it no not the ioy and pleasure of one quarter of an houre so great so inspeakable so incomprehensible are the thinges that the Lord Iesus hath layd vp for al them that loue serue him For although wee heare this life to be replenished with ioy happines pleasure yet these thinges are farre remoued frō the capacitie of our senses vntill the day come wherein we shall see him as he is he reueile his glory vnto vs euen face to face y◠we may see him perfectly Wherefore the prophets and Apostles seeing this blessed kingdome wherin wee shall be placed to be in it selfe inestimable not to be declared as it is in deede to giue them a taste of it whome they would sturre vp to be in loue with it they all haue described it by earthly pleasures cōmodities which heere we make great account of So our Sauiour vsed to expresse it by an earthly table of kinges princes furnished with all maner of deynties delicates to please both the eye the taste of mā saying to his disciples Ye are they which haue cōtinued with me in my tentations therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdōe as my father hath appointed vnto me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome sit on seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Luke 22 Here Christ expressed spirituall thinges by corporal and earthly blessings But this we must thinke If the Lord God do conteine in himselfe the fulnesse of all felicitie good things then we hauing the fruitiō of the Lord shal desire nothing besides him And this is that most great precious promise that Peter speaketh of which is giuē to vs That wee should be partakers of the diuine nature 2. Pet. 1. For the Lord shal be gloryfied in all his Saintes shal be made marueilous in thē that beleeu If thē the Lord God shall cōmunicate impart with his elect his glory his iustice his vertue his goodnes yea after a sort shal giue himselfe vnto thē wee may be sure that we shal haue ioyes infinite without ende such in deede as y◠eye hath not sene nor the eare heard nor the tōgue cā speak nor the heart mind of man cā possibly conceaue imagine which passe al vnderstanding so that they ought to make vs wōderfully amased astonied whē we cōsider of thē they do so far exceede our capacitie reach of wit The excellencie of this life may be seene in these 2. things first in the happines of our soule then in the welfare of our body As touching the soule it shal be most happy for it shal cease to sin shal be wholy ioyned to the Lord in faith truth neuer displease him any more What a great ioy is this Againe the things that thē shal beautify our soule shal be most perfit our knowledge our wisedome our vnderstanding which here is all darkned shal there be inlightned with the glory and light of the Lorde all vertues and ornaments of the minde shal abound in vs euen to the full and euery thing that is vnperfite shal be then done away no griefe of the minde no sorow of heart no torment of conscience any more but peace ioy and tranquillity euer to endure This is the Image wherein wee were first created and shall then be renewed to a more perfite estate of life then it was in before the fall of Adam Our soule there shall not be enemy to the body neither shall the spirit rebel agaynst the fleshe but it shall loue the Lord with all his might And if the ioy of the minde and soule be so great here many times in the childrē of God that they seeme to be in heauē what shal it be there thinke yee when it shal be in full possession of all his delights and spirituall pleasures euer singing and making sweete melody to the Lorde and yet without any wearynesse at al For olde things are al passed away and behold all things shal become new againe and the thinges that are there shal be eternall For Christ shall giue vnto all his eternall life Iohn 17. This is the happines of the soule Now let vs see the blessed estate also of the body and that shall the better appeare if we compare it with the state that it is in here Our bodies are nowe deformed there they shall be most faire and beautifull yea that which is more they shal be like the glorious and immortall bodie of Iesus Christ himselfe Here the body is many times maymed and vnperfit there it shal be perfite and in his integritie here it is in sickenesse in pouertie in nakednesse in woundes in stripes in botches in sores and in all incurable diseases there shall it bee whole and all sounde rich and glorious clothed with innocency and neuer able to feele any infirmitie any more For heere it is sowen in dishonour in weakenesse in corruption and there it riseth in honour in power in incorruption and immortalitie Here be many things that make it to offend agaynst God there is nothing that shall cause it to sinne it shall not as it did here lust against the spirit but be at peace and vnitie with it the sight of it most quicke in seeing and very perfite it shall be in all the senses in hearing in smelling in tasting in handling It shall haue all melody and musike to delite the eare euen angels singing continually it shall haue all sightes and shewes to delite and please the eye euen the perpetuall presence of the blessed Trinitie All odoriferous smels as it were of musks perfumes flowers the sweete incense of praise and thankesgiuing to smell delectably in the nostrels of the Lorde and ours shall not
nor we be wearie to heare it And when we haue bene there in these delightes so long and so many thousande yeeres as there be eyther sandes in the sea or grasses vpon the whole face of the earth or starres in the skye which all are inmunerable to vs yet then we shal not come out or leaue these ioyes but still it is with vs as if it were to begin O the vnspeakable mercy of the Lord Iesus that he hath reserued for those that feare and loue him here What man therefore is so foolish so madde so beastlike in his conuersation that will not at all be mooued with these pleasures and ioyes For these things as the Angel sayd to Iohn are faithfull and true and therefore to be beleeued and they that beleeue them not their parte is in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is prepared for the vnbeleeuers Reuela 21. For from this roote of vnbeleefe proceede all the branches of all other sinnes wickednes whatsoeuer as lying stealing couetousnes adulterie and such like This life and the dignitie of it the Prophet Dauid in two wordes hath very well expressed in his 16. Psalme the latter ende Thou wilt sayeth he shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye and at thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore Here in fulnesse of ioye and pleasures for euermore is all happinesse contayned For these ioyes are the greatest that may be and their endurance is for euer Considering these things ought we not to say with Paul I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vnto vs Rom. 8. Why alas then dearely beloued what a great matter were it if we shoulde endure here afflictiōs al the dayes of our life which can not be aboue an hundred yeeres at the most so we might come in the ende to this eternall ioye and glory Paul considered this well and did so doe We faynt not sayth he but though our outwarde man perish yet the inwarde man is renewed dayly Marke well the wordes that followe and laye them vp in your mindes and you shall by the grace of God profite thereby For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weyght of glory whyle we looke not on the thinges which are seene but on the thinges which are not seene For the thinges which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall 2. Corinth 4. Shall we then for an houres pleasure here below leese the euerlasting weyght of glorie aboue God forbid we shoulde be so foolish and so besotted with this present lyfe Let this saying rather of our Sauiour Christ sounde continually in your eares What shall it profite a man if he winne the whole worlde and leese his owne soule And yet wee see howe many men do hazarde and venture their soule not for the whole worlde but for a piece of lande a litle golde or siluer or a litle credite or vayne estimation in this worlde If the whole earth then will not bee able to make a recompence or an exchange to redeeme our soules beyng once lost from the fauour of God howe much lesse then shall these beggerly things wherefore we striue so earnestly be able to doe it Nowe although this life be yet as it were hid from vs yet it is most certaine both because we haue a gage of it which is the Spirite it selfe of Christ and also inasmuch as it is hid in Christ which will keepe it well and is able to giue it to vs in due time In the meane season vntill it be reuealed from heauen we neede faith to beleeue it assuredly and hope to wayte for it with patience which hope neuer maketh a man ashamed but alwayes comforteth him euen in the middest of troubles of this life be they neuer so great For we do well knowe that when hee doeth appeare wee shall be like vnto him and no man neede to doubt but that there is such a life although it doeth not yet seeme so to vs for there is a Sunne when it is compassed in with cloudes and fire is within the ashes when it appeareth not to our sight so there is a life for the godly although deferred which Christ hath promised and spoken of Matth. 25. that it shal be giuen to his seruāts This life euerlasting being so deare a thing and precious the deuill goeth about by all meanes to defeate vs of it and to plucke it out of our hand Therfore we must lay hold on it as Paul willed Timothie and fight the good fight of faith against him This is our crowne which we must holde fast that no man bereaue vs of it For if we misse of life in the end we misse of all and if we haue this wee haue and possesse all thinges for all blessednesse whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder the name of euerlasting lyfe But the best comfort for vs is this that this life is in the custodie of Iesus Christ and wee beyng his sheepe no man is able to plucke vs out of his handes onely this remayneth for vs to looke vnto that we abide and continue in his fold Eternal life being the euerlasting inheritance of the kingdom of heauē the greatest treasure that the Lord hath to bestow vpon his seruantes no man must thinke that it commeth to him for his good works sake or that he doth deserue it at Gods hand this were to preiudice and ouerthrowe the bountifull goodnesse of the Lord. This benefite is the free gift of God for although wee deserue hell and death by our sinne and wickednes yet we merit not heauen by our good deedes but as Paul sayeth Euerlasting life is the free gift of God Rom. 6. And Christ telleth vs that this kingdome was prepared for vs long agoe euen before the worlde was made or we borne so that we coulde not step one foote vnto it of our selues when we were not Matth. 25. It is false then that the aduersaries of Christ the Papistes haue taught that wee may deserue this life by our good deedes and workes when as our good deedes are not pure in the sight of the Lorde In deede if our good workes were eyther perfect or as many as God commaundeth or if they were our owne and not Gods giftes in vs or if last of all wee were not bounde of duetie and by right to doe them then might wee with our owne good works deserue heauen but our deedes are vnperfite they are not our owne of duetie must we doe them therefore they deserue nothing as of duetie from the Lorde I graunt that euerlasting life is called by our Sauiour a rewarde but a rewarde is not of desert or merit but of curtesie A Noble man may rewarde his tenant for a thing not woorth a shilling by such a gifte as is worth twentie shillinges shall
with meekenesse and reuerence And nowe let vs giue thankes as wee are continually bounde to our heauenly Father in that it hath pleased him to make vs Christians to beleeue these articles of our fayth to our great and endlesse comfort And let vs pray vnto him withall in the name of his welbeloued Sonne that he would giue vs grace to growe more and more euery day in this fayth that wee may not onely liue in it but also in the ende of our dayes die in it most constantly that so wee may bee blessed And that it woulde please him to giue this grace not only to vs but to all people nations of the earth especially to his vniuersall Church wheresoeuer it be dispersed abroade in all quarters of the earth And in this Church let vs pray for the state of all Kinges and Princes that wee may liue a godly and quiet life with all peace and honestie especially let vs commende to his fauour the Church of Englande desiring him to blesse it as hee hath done these many yeeres and to continue his holy Gospel amongst vs although wee for our vnthankfulnesse haue deserued to haue it taken away from vs long agoe Desyre wee of him in mercy still to beholde his seruant and handmaide our Queene and soueraigne that shee may bee still zealous to set forwarde the Gospell of Christ and to roote vp all superstition and idolatrie within her realme that shee may bee wise to foresee and preuent all mischiefes and dangers that are likely to hang ouer our heades that so shee may haue a long a blessed reigne ouer vs to his glory the profite and commoditie of all her louing subiectes Let vs likewise desire of God to blesse all her most honourable Counsell with true godlinesse and wisedome from aboue that they may boldly and stoutly minister to her maiestie the best aduice for the better ouerseeing and gouernment of this Christian common wealth wherein they liue that all their counselles and policies may especially bee directed to the honour of God Pray we him to blesse the state of the ministerie of this lande the Byshops and Pastours of his worde that not onely in worde but also in good and godly conuersation of life they may beautifie the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ beseech we him to roote out from his ministerie al rauening wolues papistes Atheistes blinde and vnlearned ministers and dumme dogges which seeke onely to fill their bellies and not to edifie the congregation that if it be his will he would giue to euery Church her faithfull and wise dispenser of the mysteries of Christ And because the schooles of good learning are as Nurses and well springes thereunto let vs desire Christ to giue his spirite amongst them also in the vniuersities that good learning and godlines may growe and increase dayly more and more Lastly for the whole body of this common weale let vs pray that God would keepe them al in his feare from the hiest to the lowest and giue them duetiful and obedient heartes towarde their prince and magistrates which are by his authoritie set ouer them for their welfare and happinesse These thinges and all other graces he onely graunt vnto vs which onely is able and wise and hath immortalitie which dwelleth in the light that no man can see to whom with his sonne Christ Iesus and the holy Ghost his infinite power bee rendred all prayse honour and glory for euer and euer Amen The Lorde be praysed ⧠A declaration of the holy Communion THe holy Communion called also the Lordes Supper was ordeined not of any mortall man but of the Lorde Iesus himselfe that as often as wee come vnto it for often it is to be receiued we shoulde remēber the great loue of our master Christ who loued vs so well that he gaue his body and blood for to redeeme vs from all our sinnes That this great benefite should neuer be forgotten of Christians he instituted that we shoulde receiue bread and wine in the remembrance of his death therfore this sacrament hath two partes the one is the outward signes bread and wine to put vs in mind that as bread doth nourish the body so doth Christs body nourish our soules receiued spiritually by faith into our heartes Ephe 3. 17. as wine doth refresh vs quēch our thirst so doeth his blood refresh our minds and wash them from sinne quench the spiritual thirst of our soules and this sacrament of Christes death is not giuen vs in bread onely but in wine also to teach vs that Iesus Christ is all in all vnto vs not only meate to feede vs Iohn 6. 35. but also drinke to quench our thirst as he saith Iohn 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke And so hee is also our apparell Put you on the Lorde Iesus Rom. 13. 14. The other part of this Supper is spirituall the remission of sinnes and heauenly graces receiued of vs as truely as wee receiue the signes of them if wee beleeue for this is to confirme our faith in this matter that we shoulde doubt no more of Gods fauour then we doubt whether we haue receiued the visible signes Nowe for the comming to this Supper that wee deceiue not our selues we must haue these two things first repentance of our former sinfull life to bee sorie for it which is done by trying and examining our selues whether wee bee heartily sorowfull or no for our offences secondly we must haue faith in Iesus Christ that yet we despaire not for our great sinnes but trust to haue mercy at his handes when we cal vpon him so that before we come vnto this banket wee must prepare our selues to come worthily reuerently in faith hope and loue this is the examination In receiuing of it our mindes must not bee on the bread and wine or vpon any other earthly thinges but vpon the body and blood of Iesus Christ in heauen signified vnto vs by these things belowe After wee haue receiued wee must giue vnto Christe most humble and heartie thankes for feeding vs with his body and blood and meditate and thinke vpon this continually not returne to our olde life againe Thus doing you shal be sure to come as the Lorde requireth and as a good Christian ought to do Which the Lorde graunt vnto you for his mercies sake Amen A briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith conteining an hūdreth articles according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles written by that learned and godly Martyr I. Hooper sometime Byshop of Glocester in his life time Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie THis Creede following being made by the reuerend Father Iohn Hooper is deuided into fiue principall partes The first whereof intreateth of God the father the second of God the Sonne the third of God the holy Ghost the fourth of the catholique Church the fift and last part
entreateth of the benefites or fruites which we receiue by the same fayth which he maketh in number three the first is the forgiuenesse of sinnes the second is the resurrection of the fleshe the third last fruit is life euerlasting Of these fiue parts he hath made an hundreth seuerall articles the first parte conteyneth 14. The second 27. The third 5. The fourth 41. The fifth and last part conteyneth thirteene articles the contents of which articles are handeled as followeth A briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith containing an hundred articles according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth The first Article I Beleeue in one God onely one in essence and substance three in person the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost I beleeue in the Father as the originall and beginning of all things as well visible as inuisible Of whome also they depende as well in their being as also in their conseruation and he dependeth vpon none but on him selfe being eternall and euerlasting without end or beginning I beleeue in the Sonne as the diuine worde and wisdome of the father which is eternally and before al worlde 's engendred of the father of his proper substance and nature because in him shineth his shape and proper Image which otherwise is inuisible vnto mortal man I beleeue in the holy Ghost as a vertue eternall power which neither is made nor created neither engendred but proceeding of the father and of the sonne eternally euen as a loue proceeding from both persons The second Article I beleeue that these three persons are of one and the selfe same essence and substāce nature authoritie power will goodnes wisdome and eternitie and that these three are but one spirituall substance eternall without ende or beginning true good iust mercifull of a souerayne power and wisdome hauing and containing in it selfe all goodnes not needing any thing The third Article I beleeue that this God which is one in essence and three in person ought onely to be serued honored feared loued worshipped and to be called vpon in all our necessities as he that onely can and will prouide therefore and none other And therefore I say and confesse that I beleeue in one God onely that is to say that I knowledge and receiue him for one onely Lord master and sauiour of whome proceedeth all that is good in me by whom I can do al things without whom I can do nothing In him onely doe I set mine affiance and set mine heart hoping that he assisting me with his holy spirit shall be with me against all mē and that he will deliuer me from al perils and daungers through his grace and mercie without any merites of mine owne and that he shall minister to me all things necessarie as well for my soule as body euen like a good father as hee hath promised by his holy word The fourth Article I beleeue that the same God almightie hath of nothing created from the beginning both heauen and earth and all things in them conteined that is to say all things as well heauenly as earthly visible as inuisible reasonable as vnreasonable sensible as insensible the which hee doth entertaine leade guide gouerne by his diuine wisdom without whose prouidēce nothing commeth to passe either in this world or in the other The fift Article I beleeue that the same God the father the sonne and holy Ghost after that hee had created all things did create and shape man to his own image likenes that is to say immortal good iust true wise mercifull and perfit in all things making him partaker of the goodnes iustice and other perfections of God hauing a will that could agree in all things vnto the will of his Lorde but all that thorowe grace without any kinde of merit The vi article I beleeue also that as the Lord hath created al things heauenly and earthly for the seruice of man and to the ende that by his creatures he might come to the knowledge of the creator euen so also hath he formed made man for thim selfe that of him and by him he might be knowen loued feared serued honored which is the greatest good thing that is or can be in man and that in him might shine the image of diuine vertues and perfections through good works the which God hath ordeined because wee should walke in them vnto his honour and praise to the confusion of the aduersary and that by this meane the fal of the Angels might be repaired and that mā might possesse the euerlasting kingdome made and prepared for him before the foundations of the worlde were laide The vii article I beleeue that the same man was ordeined of the Lord God a master ruler ouer all his creatures the which thing he hath lost through his sinne aswell for his owne part as also for al his posteritie The which rule Lordship I beleeue doth chiefly appertaine vnto Iesus Christ verely God man to those vnto whom he wil communicate the same as vnto his owne faithfull and not vnto the infidels and damned The viii article I beleeue that the first man through the craft and subtiltie of Satan did slide and fall from the excellencie wherein the Lord had created him consenting thorowe his owne free will which at that time he had vnto the subtil suggestion of the Serpent whereby he lost the graces that the Lorde had giuen him in such sort that of wise hee became foolish of iust vniust of true a liar of perfit altogether vnperfect hauing frō thenceforth a will wholly corrupted which neither could nor would agree with the will of God but altogether with the wil of the deuil the worlde the flesh sinne which could do nothing of him selfe but euill seeing that he is altogether carnal bond captiue and sold vnder sinne This is the free yea to say more truely the bond will that man hath in this present life The ix Article I beleeue that this disorder and corruption of nature was not only in Adam because of his sinne but is also in all men generally which come of him Iesus Christ only excepted and that in such sort that all men after their own nature are corrupt vniust lyers ignorant vnkind and imperfect in al things haue no power of their owne nature to do thinke speake or will any thing that may please God vntil that they be regenerate renewed by the spirit of the Lord. The x. Article I beleeue that this corruption of nature otherwise called original sinne is the fountayne roote of all other sinnes for the which all the miseries aduersities that wee endure in this present life aswell in bodye as soule do come vnto vs yea in the end double death that is to say both of bodie soule These be the fruites rewards of sinne But although the same
heires of eternal life By whose comming the nature of man is repaired and made noble and man that was lost and destroyed was thereby releeued sette in his perfection and hath recouered all that he hath lost through sinne yea and more By the same meane also all the treasures graces and blessings of the Lorde are giuen communicated vnto man but all this through grace without any merites The nineteenth Article I beleeue also and confesse by the holy scriptures an other conception and birth of Iesus Christ which is spirituall the which I say is of no lesse dignitye then the first The which is that euery one that is faithfull ought to conceaue into his heart and spirite Iesus Christ through a trewe and liuely faith and to bring him foorth by open confessing of him with his mouth as often and when soeuer it shal be needefull I doe esteeme this conception and natiuitie to be so necessary to saluation that if the virgin Mary had not more blessedly borne Iesus Christ in her heart and spirit then in her belly her carnall motherhoode would haue profited her little By and for this cause are we called mothers brethren and sisters of Iesus Christ The twentieth Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is verely Christ that is to say the Messias annoynted by the holy Ghost because he was y◠very king the Prophet and great sacrificer that should sacrifice for all that beleeue the which also is promised in the Law and is y◠same of whom al the Prophets haue spokē This annoynting of Christ is not corporall of a material and visible oyle as was that of the kynges Priestes and Prophetes in tymes past but it is spirituall of an inuisible oyle which is the grace giftes of the holy Ghost wherewith he is replenished aboue all others So that this anoynting is descended euen vnto vs which haue felt and proued the sweetnesse thereof and by it also we beare the name of Christiās that is to say anoynted The xxi Article I beleeue that this sacrificing of Iesus Christ was not Leuiticall or carnal to immolate offer vp and to sacrifice beastes kyne and other sensible thinges as did Aaron his successours but spiritual to offer and sacrifice himselfe that is to say his body bloud for the remission of the sinnes of the whole worlde Euen as likewise his kingdome is not of this world carnall but spiritual which consisteth in the guyding gouerning of his owne by his holy spirit ouer whome he raigneth by his worde and that to the destruction of al his aduersaries which are sinne death hell Satan and all infideles wicked and reprobate The xxii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ hath verely exercised these three offices that is to saye of a Prophete of a King and a sacrificer not onely in this worlde being a mortall man as we are but also that he exerciseth yet daily the same in heauen before the face of the father where he sitteth and appeareth continually for vs and from thence by his holy Spirit doeth teach helpe maynteine and defende his owne and therefore is hee called a Prophete a King and a great Sacrificator after the order of Melchisedek that is to say eternall and not after the order of Aaron which had his ende with the Lawe The xxiii Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ after that hee had preached the Gospel in the countrey of Iudea and Galilee by the space of three yeres or there about declared him self to be the naturall Sonne of God aswel by his marueilous workes as by his words and the writings of the Prophets was vniustly and falsely accused by the Priestes whom when they had taken and in their counsell vniustly had condemned him to death they brought him bound to Pilate the Prouost then at Hierusalem who at the instance of the sayde Priestes dyd vniustly wrongfully and without cause condemne him to death and that the most horrible and slaunderous death that coulde be imagined or deuised that is to saye to be put on the crosse crucified betweene two theeues as if hee had bene their Prince and Captaine The which thing hee suffered and endured willingly and innocently without deseruing the same For otherwise coulde he not haue satisfied for vs neither could his crosse haue profited vs. The xxiiii Article I beleeue also that while hee was vpon the sayd crosse dying and giuing vp his spirite vnto God his Father he descended into hell that is to say He did verily taste and feele the great distresse and heauinesse of death and likewise the paynes and tormentes of hell That is to say the great wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon him euen as if God had vtterly forsaken him yea as though God had beene his extreeme enemie so that hee was constrayned with loude voyce to crye My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This is simply my vnderstanding of Christ his descending into hell And besides I knowe well that this article hath not from the beginning bene in the Creede and that many others haue otherwise both vnderstanded and interpreted it which esteeme that Christ verely and in deede descended into hell to the place of the damned alledging the text of Saint Peter the which I confesse is yet couered and hid from me The Lorde vouchsafe to open the gate vnto vs and to giue vs an entrance into such mysteries The xxv Article I beleeue that all this was done not for him selfe which neuer committed sinne in whose mouth was neuer founde deceite nor lie but for the loue of vs poore and miserable sinners whose place he occupied vpon the crosse as a pledge or one that represented the person of all the sinners that euer were be nowe or shall be vnto the worldes ende And because they through their sinnes haue deserued to feele tast of the extreme paynes of death to be forsaken of God and of all creatures to feele the wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon them Christ which was their pledge satisfying for them vpon the crosse hath fealt and endured all the same and that altogether to make vs free to deliuer vs from all these paynes from the wrath and iudgement of GOD from condemnation and eternall death And I doe clearely reiect and esteeme as fables all the Limbos of the fathers and of yong children Purgatorie and such other like to bee follyes mockeries and abuses which are inuented and founde out by man without the worde of the Lord. For I neyther beleeue nor receyue more then two places in the worlde to come that is to say heauen for the faythfull and elect with the angels and hell for the infidels reprobate with the deuils The xxvi Article I beleeue and consider this death and passion euen as I doe all other mysteries of Iesus Christ not onely as touching the historie as a paterne and example to followe as was that of the holy men and women which
are dead for the Lordes quarell but also principally as touching the cause fruites and vses thereof thereby to knowe the greatnesse of my sinnes the grace and mercie of the Father and the charitie of the Sonne by whome wee are reconciled vnto GOD deliuered from the tyrannie of the deuill and restored to the libertie of the spirite This is the glasse without spotte to teache vs to knowe our filthinesse the lauer or cleare fountayne to wash and clense vs the infinite treasure to satisfie all our creditours Of whome and by whome onely the diuine iustice is fully satisfied for all the sinnes of all that haue beene be nowe or shall bee vnto the ende of the worlde And therefore I doe beleeue and confesse that Christ his condemnation is mine absolution that his crucifying is my deliuerance his descending into hell is mine ascending into heauen his death is my life his blood is my clensing and purging by whome onely I am washed purified and clensed from all my sinnes so that I neyther receyue neyther beleeue any other Purgatorie eyther in this worlde or in the other whereby I may bee purged but onely the blood of Iesus Christ by the which all are purged and made cleane for euer The xxvii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ by the sacrifice of his bodie which hee offered vpon the tree of the crosse hath defaced and destroyed sinne death and the deuill with all his kingdome and hath wholie performed the woorke of our saluation and hath abolished and made an ende of all other sacrifices So that from thence foorth there is none other propiciatorie sacrifice eyther for the liuing or the dead to bee looked for or sought for thē the same For by this one onely oblation hath he consecrated for euer all those that are sanctified The xxviii Article I beleeue that the holy Supper of the Lorde is not a sacrifice but onely a remembrance and commemoration of this holy sacrifice of Iesus Christ Therefore it ought not to be worshipped as GOD neyther as Christ therein conteyned who must bee worshipped in fayth onely without all corruptible elements Likewise I beleeue and confesse that the Popish masse is the inuention and ordinance of man a sacrifice of Antichrist and a forsaking of the sacrifice of Iesus Christ that is to say of his death and passion and that it is a stinking and infected sepulchre which hideth and couereth the merite of the blood of Christ and therefore ought the masse to bee abolished and the holy Supper of the Lorde to be restored and set in his perfection againe The xxix Article I beleeue also that as the Prophete Ionas was in the Whales bellie which is a place of corruption three dayes and three nyghtes without being corrupted and the thirde daye came out of him alyue without any maner of hurte Euen so Iesus Christ after hee was dead was layed and put in a newe Sepulchre which is a place of corruption in the which hee was three dayes and three nyghtes not touched with any kynde of infection of fylthinesse or corruption but continued in his perfection to declare the vertue of his blood to accomplish the wrytings of the holy Prophetes and to verifie the trueth aswell of his bodie as of his death with whome I beleeue that the lawe was buryed abrogated and abolished as touching the faythfull not as the acquiting of an obligation whereby they shoulde bee no more bounde to lyue and walke therein but onely as concerning condemnation that is to saye that the transgression of the Lawe condemneth them not before the iudgement seate of GOD because of their fayth which they haue in Iesus Christ And therefore with in one Sepulchre I doe comprehend three things to bee buried That is to saye Christ the Lawe and all the faythfull which ought to be crucified and buried with Christ through the mortification of their flesh The xxx Article I beleeue that as Iesus Christ was put to death for our sinnes so also hee rose agayne the thirde daye for our iustification vnto euerlasting life wherein hee hath openly declared him selfe both GOD and man obtayning the victorie ouer all his aduersaries and hath confounded and beaten downe all his enemies that is to say the worlde sinne death hell and Satan not for him selfe but for vs that beleeue in him knowing that his victorie is ours and that in him and by him wee ouercome the selfe same enemies obtayning the victorie ouer them vnto the honour of the Lorde and our great profite The xxxi Article I beleeue and consider this resurrection of Iesus Christ not onely as an hystorie as was that of Lazarus and other such like which miraculously were raysed vp by the vertue of the Lorde but also as the example and cause efficient of my rysing againe and as the earnest and first fruites of the generall resurrection of all that beleeue That as Iesus Christe was raysed vp the thyrde day after his death vnto eternall lyfe thorowe his diuine vertue Euen soe by the same vertue I hope one day to bee raysed vp in bodye and soule vnto eternall lyfe after that I haue here in this worlde beene raysed vp in spirite thorowe liuely and true faith in newnes of life mortifiyng and crucifiyng the fleshe with the affections and concupiscences of the worlde the which ought to bee dead and crucified to vs and wee to it For wee are buried with Christe in his death thorowe Baptisme to the ende that as hee is risen from death by the glorie of the father without dying any more euen so wee shoulde walke in newenesse of life without seruing of sinne any more searching alwayes principally for the thinges that are on high heauenly and eternall and forsaking the earthly and transitorie thinges of the worlde knowing that wee haue not here an abyding Citie but that we must seeke for that which is to come The xxxii Article I beleeue and confesse that Iesus Christ the fourtieth day after his resurrection visibly and before all his Apostles did ascende into heauen that is to saye in the maiestie of his father in glory and eternal felicitie in the which hee was before hee came into this miserable worlde to become man yea euen before the foundation of the worlde was layde that is to say from euerlasting The xxxiii Article I beleeue that he is ascended into heauen to accomplishe and to fynishe all thinges and to open heauen for vs that wee might ascende after him and followe him as our head to bee eternally knitte with him in glorie the which thing here wee beginne thorowe fayth In like maner hee hath done the same for the benefite of his Churche that hee might sende vnto his Apostles that comforter that hee promised them by the which they were comforted instructed and guided in all trueth and there by is his Church supported maintayned and defended against all the blastes of Satan and all the gates of Hell The xxxiiii Article I beleeue
other aduersaries of Christ the which presently doe yet exercise tyrannie vpon all his members and holde them vnder their clawes chaynes and bondes But then we as people rauished with ioye shall saye this worde which is written O death where is thy victorie Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde The xl Article I beleeue that this maruaylous terrible and fearefull iudgement vnto the euill wicked and reprobate is very much desired and of great consolation vnto the good the faithfull and the elect because that then their whole redemption that is to saye of the bodie shall bee made an ende of and they shall receyue the fruite of their labours Then their innocencie shall openly bee declared and knowen to all the worlde and they shall see the vengeance and condemnation of the wicked which haue vsed them tyrannously afflicted and tormented them in this worlde whose iniquitie shall bee manifested by the Lorde and shal be clearely knowen of all to their great confusion and to the honour and glory of the righteous children of God the which shall be in peace and perfite tranquillitie and shall haue full reioysing and fruition of all that he hath promised and prepared for all those that loue him the which no eye hath seene no eare hath heard neyther can bee comprehended by the heart of man Therefore doe I abyde this great daye of retribution with a great desire as the same which shall bring and shewe vnto mee the selfe same good thing The xli Article I beleeue that we shall not all dye but that we shall bee chaunged in a moment that is to saye that in this last daye and iudgement generall some shall be founde aliue the which dyed not neyther shall they die as concerning the separation of the bodie from the soule but shall continue aliue eternally to the ende that Christ may be knowen to bee Lorde and Iudge of the liuing and dead and that his grace and merites may be found greater then the sinne of Adam For as sinne hath raygned vnto death so likewise must grace raygne thorowe Iesus Christ vnto eternall life The same neuerthelesse shall be changed transformed from corruption vnto incorruption from mortalitie vnto immortalitie from contempt and ignominie vnto glory after such sort that they shal be made partakers of all the giftes graces benefites the which the Lorde shall giue vnto those that before were dead in him the which shall not be before the others but all together shal be taken vp in the cloudes and in the ayre and shall all together be with the Lord. This is the second poynt of my faith touching Iesus Christ the seconde person in Trinitie and of his restoring and repayring of man let vs nowe come to the third poynt which is of the holy Ghost by whom man beyng restored is mayntayned and preserued in his integritie and perfection 3. I beleeue in the holy Ghost the holie Catholike Church the communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting Amen The xlii Article I beleeue that the holy Ghost is a diuine person distinct from the Father and the Sonne proceeding from them both in and through all thinges equall and coeternall with them by the which holy Ghost the Church hath alwayes bene is nowe and shall be ruled guyded directed and gouerned vnto the ende of the worlde By whome also all the Saintes Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christ haue spoken And therefore I do neither beleeue nor receiue any other Vicar or Lieutenant to Christ vpon earth within his Church then this holy Ghost which can not be receiued of the wicked The xliii Article I beleeue that the holy Ghost is the pledge and earnest of our heauenly heritage by the which we be assured ascertained and certainly perswaded in our consciences that we be the children of God brethren adoptiues to Iesus Christ and consequently coheires of eternal life The same holy Ghost also is the finger of God the which imprinteth in our heartes and spirites the faith of these things aforesaide It sealeth and confirmeth the promises of the Lord within our hearts thorowe his goodnes and grace because we should in no wise doubt The xliii Article I beleeue that this holy Spirit dwelling in vs through his grace and vertue doth regenerate vs into a newnesse change of liuing mortifying in vs all that is of vs and of the old man of the flesh and of the world and quickening al that is his in vs So that we liue not thenceforth after our own lusts but according to the wil of God Which holy Ghost also worketh in vs all good workes and doeth reprooue rebuke condemne the world of sinne of righteousnes iudgemēt The xlv Article I beleeue that the holy Ghost is the teacher of the ignorant which teacheth guydeth and leadeth vs vnto the knowledge of the trueth and by it onely are we brought deliuered out of darkenes set in the perfit light Likewise I beleeue that it is the comforter of the poore afflicted persecuted in all their troubles vexations and aduersities doeth so helpe strengthen comfort and assist all such that it will not suffer them to despaire as doe the wicked reprobate but maketh them to taste and feele the sweetenes goodnes mercy of God the Father which by persecution and diuers tribulations leadeth his owne vnto eternall glory The xlvi Article I beleeue that this holy Ghost is the spirit of life which quickeneth al other spirits as well heauenly as earthly that the same only of it selfe is holy that all others by it are made holy So that if any spirits be holy as there be either in heauen or in earth they are none otherwise holy but by the holines of the same holy Ghost and that is the cause why I beleeue in him that is to saye for that cause I put my whole faith hope trust affiance in him euen as I haue sayd before of the Father the Sonne This is the third poynt of my faith which is concerning the holy Ghost the third person in the holy Trinitie by the which holy Ghost after that we are made by the Father and repaired and restored by the Sonne wee are maynteyned and gouerned vnto the ende There remayneth nowe to entreate of the fourth poynt of my faith which is concerning the Church and of the things that concerne the same 4. I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saintes I beleeue and confesse one onely Catholike Vniuersal Church which is an holy congregation assemblie of all faithful beleeuers which are chosen predestinate vnto euerlasting life before the foundations of the worlde were layde of whose nomber I count my selfe beleeue that I am through the onely grace and mercy of the Father by the merits of my good Lord and Master Iesus Christ not
14. Where we may note that the resurrection is sayde to be a recompence and a rewarde for the iust And surely so it is for otherwise the Lord might seeme to be vniust which many times doeth not here reward the Godly as he hath promised nor punish the vniust as he hath threatned them And if we trust in Christ only in this life we are sayth Paul of all men most miserable We hope therefore for another life and this is in the resurrection this is our ioy comfort I see then no cause why mē should be so sory to dye and depart frō this world seeing a better world is kept in store for thē I come to the newe Testament In the 6 of Iohn our Sauiour hath a notable place to confirme this matter vnto vs. Our Sauiour in that place speaketh of both the resurrections the one from sinne in this life in the 25. verse that the dead should heare his voyce that is they that were in minde and fayth dead should nowe heare his Gospel and be renewed vnto repentance and so liue a newe life This seemed a strange doctrine to the Iewes and they wondered all at it Our Sauiour then goeth farther with them telleth them of more strange things then these saying Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done ill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Martha a woman was wel perswaded of this article for she did beleeue that her brother Lazarus shoulde be raysed vp at the last day Iohn 11. Againe if all nations shall bee gathered together before Christ then all shall rise that they may bee iudged otherwise he can not be sayde to be the iudge of quicke and dead Neyther doth the remayning of some aliue till the latter day hinder this position but that all shall rise For they that dyd neuer die shall bee raysed vp with newe bodies which change shall be as the rysing from the dead for hauing weake and corruptible bodies they shal be glorified and made heauenly bodies If we consider the power of God whereby he is able to do all things euen what he list and greater thinges then wee can imagine then this will not seeme hard or absurde vnto vs. We doe beleeue and confesse that he is almightie in the first article and therfore we must needes confesse that hee can doe it as easily as he raysed vp the bodie of Christ wherein he hath giuen the assurance of the whole Church And he that made al things of nothing at the first by his onely worde is able also nowe to bring to passe that of dust and earth shall bodies be raysed vp againe Saint Paul coulde not bee brought from this perswasion by any meanes eyther by feare or displeasure of the Sadduces or of Agrippa or Festus but he protested that he had hope towarde God that the resurrection of the dead which dyd seeme an incredible thing vnto thē Act. 26. shoulde bee both of iust and vniust Act. 24. The hope of this resurrectiō made Saint Paul as it shoulde doe vs to do his duetie roundly for herein saieth he I endeuour my selfe to haue alwayes a cleare conscience towarde God and toward men For verely for this cause doe many men make shipwracke of fayth and conscience in their actions and affayres of this life because they haue quite forgottē this day of the resurrection wherein an account must be giuen not onely of wicked deedes and blasphemous wordes but of euery idle worde spoken as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 12. If wee woulde consider this howe wee must all stande naked before the hie tribunall seate of Christ Iesus it woulde surely make vs to tremble to quake euery veine and ioynt in vs when we thinke vpon it The day shal be fearefull and terrible I hope there is no man among vs that doubteth of the certaintie of this day although the day and houre it selfe be knowen to no man And this is to make vs alwayes to be in a readinesse for it For it shal come vpon a sudden 1. Thes 5. I should be long and ouer tedious and not seeme to write a Lecture to exhort teach but rather a treatise to conuince the aduersarie and wicked if I shoulde recken vp all the places that here myght be brought for the confirmation of this doctrine Let these therefore for this time suffice and if the diligent reader be disposed to see moe let him reade the 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians there he shall haue a goodly discourse handling of this whole matter of set purpose Paul prouing the resurrection by many reasons both diuine and humane and shewing moreouer with what qualities conditions and properties the bodies of the faythfull shall be raysed vp where he also answereth the obiections that may bee made to the contrary I conclude this part with the wordes of Saint Paul to the Philippians the thirde Chapter Let our conuersation be in heauen frō whence we looke for the sauiour euē the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euē to subdue al things vnto him selfe In these words he sheweth that Gods power is able to doe this and although our bodies bee vile they shall bee made fayre againe trees seeme to be dead and rotten in the winter which in the spring time come forth most florishingly with their fruite in due season so it is in the resurrection This made the fathers so carefully to burie the dead with their balmes odours knowing they should appeare againe Last of all I referre you to the 2. Pet. 7. Chap. Reue. 20. where this resurrection is most liuely as in a table before your eyes described It followeth in the second place to see to what ende this great resurrection shall be We haue seene the efficient and chiefe caus of this resurrection to be the power of God mightily woorking in him selfe The fourme of it is the ioyning and vniting together of the body soule for euer and the matter wherein this doeth stande is the soule and body of man which must bee repayred againe being once corrupted by sinne in our first grandfather Adam and also in vs his children springing of the same corrupt roote with him The finall cause why this resurrection shall bee is of two sortes the one is in the respect of the good and godly men who haue liued here in the feare of the Lord to his honour and glorie in these he will shewe his exceeding great mercie in making them vessels of honour to serue him whome he will rewarde with euerlasting life which yet notwithstanding they haue not of duetie deserued as the Papists say but in mercie doeth the Lorde bestowe it