them whereby they should be knowen to be of this holy body Now that we know that Christ is the head of this church as is proued let vs come to the secōd point to see by what markes and tokens this true church may be discerned from the false hypocricall sinagogue of Satan For this standeth vs greatly in hand to know otherwise we may be deceiued in taking the one for the other Two signes there are wherby the church of Christ is knowen the one is the preaching of the word of God contained in the old new Testamēt is deuided into the law Gospel so that where this word is soūded out by the preachers purely soundly wtout mixture corruptiō of mās traditiōs receaued reuerētly there is no doubt the church of Christ as Christ himself doth witnes My sheepe here my voice follow me This is thē the first principal note of the church to heare Christs word Iohn 10. and where this word wanteth there can be no church For Christ doth sāctifie clense it by the washing of water through the word Eph. 5. This made the prophets in olde time to be careful y◠they brought nothing but the word of God to the people saying Heare the worde of the Lord. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken and alwaies they brought the people when they were gone astray to this worde cōmandement of the Lord. This made S. Paul to say y◠he had deliuered no other thing to the church of the Corinthiās thē that he had receyued of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. Neither did Christ when he sent his Apostles abroad to preach giue thē liberty to preach what they list But go and preach sayth hee teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue cōmanded you restraining thē alwaies to his word whereby y◠church is gathered together not the word vnwritten which they call vnwritten verities that traditions of the Apostles and y◠church but the word written only For of the other wee haue no certainty yea their vnwritten verities are against the written veritie and worde of Christ which is a thing very absurde For the worde written doeth allowe all meates to be eaten with thankesgiuing without choyse any apparel to be worne without differēce neither doth it condemne matrimonie in any degree or estate of persons as they do in the ministers of the woorde Now their vnwritten verities doe forbid al these things and a great many moe which are contrary to the word reueiled Wel let vs holde this poynt diligently that the worde truely preached is the first note to know this church by the other note is the true vse administration of the sacramēts instituted by Christ himself which are two in number the one is Baptisme wherein we are admitted into the fellowshippe of this Church of Christ and by the which we are assured of the remission of our sinnes by Christes blood as wee are sure that the water doeth outwardly wash the body and spottes of the flesh This Sacrament doth Paul call the washing of the new byrth Titus 5. and sayth that all they that are baptized vnto Christ haue put on Christ Furthermore the Lord Iesus doeth not thinke it sufficient or ynough to admit vs onely into his house and familie by this signe of Baptisme but doeth also being admitted feede vs continually with heauenly and spirituall foode vnto euerlasting life which is done with the other Sacrament of his precious body blood called the Communion or the Lordes Supper So that as the shephearde doeth not onely gather his sheepe into his folde or sheepecote but doth also prouide meat for them and pasture and as the master doeth not onely enterteine his seruant into his seruice by giuing him his liuery coate and badge whereby he is openly knowen to be his man but doeth prouide and giue him meate drinke dayly to feede him so surely doth the Lord with vs in these Sacramentes For by Baptisme doeth he admit vs to his seruice and by the Supper doeth he feede vs that wee perish not with hunger So that where wee see these Sacramentes duely administred without any inuentions of mans witte or brayne the one with the word and water the other with the worde and bread and wine without other superstions and additions there we may acknowledge the Church of Christ to bee present and he in the middest of them according to his worde as hee hath promised Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middes of them Matth. 18. Now these Sacraments are in some thinges vnlike Concerning the first which is Baptisme it is to bee vsed but once of a Christian man or woman and not often as the Iewes vsed but once to circūcise their children which Circumcision was a signe of our Baptisme which we haue in steade of it so this Baptisme of infantes is not to bee iterated For euen as a man is borne but once so once baptizing is sufficient to signifie our newe byrth in Christ Therefore they were ouerseene which woulde haue it to bee iterated and done agayne as Saint Cyprian was in that errour The other Sacrament must bee often vsed of euery Christian man and woman as the Iewes vsed many times and often euery yeere to eate the Paschall Lambe or Passeouer so must wee also often resort to the Lordes Table but still with reuerence repentance and faith to eate and feede spiritually vpon Iesus Christ his body and blood For this Sacrament came in the place of the Passeouer so that as they remembred their comming and deliuerie from the bondage and thraldome of Egypt and Pharao by this Lambe In like sort must wee remember by this Sacrament our redemption by Christ from the deuill and hell from the slauery of sinne whereof the Iewes deliueraunce both in Egypt and Babylon were most liuely signes and figures vnto our eyes to beholde that which Christ hath done for vs in dying for our sinnes vpon the crosse that wee might bee made righteous in him 1. Corinth 1. Nowe the oftener wee remēber this which is done especially in the Communion the better it is for vs alwaies remembring this that wee come thither with examination of our selues as the Apostle willeth least we come to iudgement and condemnation This then is not to be done at Easter onely as the blinde custome of the Papists was but at other times also except they wil make it sufficient for a man to eate once in a yeere to feede his bodie wherefore as we often vse to eate corporall and earthly foode to feede the body which otherwise would starue so must we frequēt this Supper which is holy many times often to feede our soule which is more necessary then the feeding of the body and the meate of the one must bee had and a great deale sooner then the prouision of the other I meane of the body which is but mortall These are
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
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
of sinne of the deuill and of destruction into the children of God of grace and saluation thereby to be made the Lordes heires and coheires with Christ of eternall life for that cause the same ought to be giuen and communicated only to reasonable creatures which are apt and meete to receiue such things and not vnto bels and such like which neither can receiue ne vse the thing signified by baptisme The lxii Article I beleeue that this baptisme with water is not so necessary to saluation that one may not be saued without it in case of necessitie And likewise I doubt not in the saluation of litle children which die without baptisme but that the same are saued in the faith of their parentes as wel as if they were baptized euen as in time past vnder the Lawe the litle children dying without circumcision were saued in the fayth of their parentes But this onely do I vnderstand of the children of the faithfull vnto whom the promises of God do apperteine and not of the infidels and reprobate The lxiiii Article I beleeue that the holy sacrament of the supper is an holy and outward ceremonie instituted by Iesus Christ in the Gospel a day before his death in the nature and substance of bread and wyne in remembrance and for a memoriall of his death and passiō hauing and containing in it a promise of the remission of sinnes By this sacrament we are in deede made partakers of the body and blood of Iesus Christ and be therewith nourished fedde in the house of the Lorde which is his church after that into the same we are entred thorowe baptisme The same ought to be giuē and ministred to all vnder both the kindes according to the ordinance commandement of Christ for the altering whereof none ought to be so hardie as to attempt any thing The lxiii Article I beleeue that in this holy Sacrament the signes or badges are not changed in any point but the same doe remaine wholy in their nature that is to saye the bread is not changed and transsubstantiated as the fonde Papistes and false doctors do teach deceiuing the poore people into the body of Iesus Christ neither is the wyne transsubstantiated into his blood but the bread remaineth still bread and the wyne remaineth still wyne euery one in his proper and first nature For the wordes that Christ spake to his disciples in giuing them the bread saying This is my body I vnderstande and beleeue to be spoken by a figuratiue maner of speach called Metonomia which is a maner of speaking very common in the scriptures as the same was vnderstand and also declared by the wrytings of the holy fathers doctors of the church Ireneus Ciprian Tertulian Ambrose Augustine Chrisostome and other like which liued before the counsell of Lateran where it was concluded that the bread was transubstanciated into the bodie of Christ and the wyne into his blood and then was it geuen forth for an article of our faith to the great dishonour of God to the great slaunder of all the church and it was done in the yeere of our Lorde 1050 by Pope Leo the ninth in the which time the deuill was vnbounde as it was prophecied of in the Apocalips and troubled the church of Christ more then euer he did before The lxv Article I beleeue that all this sacrament consisteth in the vse thereof so that without the right vse the bread and wyne in nothing differ from other common bread and wine that is commonly vsed and therefore I do not beleeue that the bodie of Christ can be conteined hid or inclosed in the bread vnder the bread or with the bread neither the blood in the wyne vnder the wine or with the wyne But I beleeue and confesse the very bodie of Christ to be in heauen on the right hande of the father as before wee haue sayd and that alwayes and as often as wee vse this bread and wyne according to the ordinance and institution of Christ we doe verily and in deede receiue his bodie and bloode The lxvi Article I beleeue that this receiuing is not done carnally or bodily but spiritually through a true and liuely fayth that is to saye The body and blood of Christe are not giuen to the mouth and belly for the nourishing of the body but vnto our fayth for the nourishing of the spirite and inward man vnto eternall life and for that cause wee haue no neede that Christe shoulde come from heauen to vs but that we shoulde ascende vnto him lifting vp our heartes through a liuely fayth on high vnto the right hand of the father where Christ sitteth from whence we wayte for our redemptiō and wee must not seeke for Christ in these bodily elementes The lxvii Article I beleeue that this holie supper is a sacrament of faith vnto the faithfull onely and not for the infidels wherein a man findeth and receiueth no more then hee bringeth with him sauing peraduenture the increase of faith grace and vertue and therefore they onely finde and receiue Iesus Christe vnto saluation which through true and liuely faith bryng the same with them but the others finde and receiue only the outwarde and visible signes and that to their condemnation as Iudas and other such like wicked and reprobate The lxviii Article I beleeue that this sacrament conteineth two things the one is earthly carnall and visible and the other is heauenly spirituall and inuisible And I confesse that as our bodie and outward man receiueth the thing that is earthly and visible which is the bread and the wyne whereby the bodie is nourished and fedde euen so verely our spirit and inward man receiueth the thing that is heauenly and spirituall which is signified by the breade and wine that is to say the body and bloud of Christ after such sorte that thereby wee are become one with him bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh and made partakers with him of all righteousnes and other vertues giftes and graces the which the eternall father hath bestowed on him The .lxix. Article I beleeue that the holy fathers Patriarkes Prophets and all other faithfull good people that are gone before vs and haue dyed in the fayth through the worde faith sawe him beforehand which was to come and receiued as much the same thing that we receiue by the sacraments For they were of the selfe same Church faith lawe that we be of They were aswell Christians as wee and vsed the same sacramentes in figure that wee vse in trueth The lxx Article I beleeue that to this holy table only those that are faithfull are truely contrite and penitent ought to be admitted that all such as are vnworthy should be refused for feare of defyling contaminating the holy meates the which the Lord giueth not but vnto the faithfull and to those of his owne housholde I call those vnworthy which are infidels idolaters
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
and destroy them that rise vp against vs Psalme 60. By these examples then we may haue comfort perswade our selues that are the litle stocke of Christ yâ— as he hath done already so he will doe alway for his for he is able still and his hande is not shortned but as long as it was neyther is he chaunged And let vs with Peter say and beleeue that the Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnder punishment I woulde admonish therefore the wicked and the obstinate and persecuting Papistes of Christes Gospel to learne to take heede by these lessons aboue rehearsed and not to goe on stil to prouoke and kindle the great wrath and anger of Christ against them seeing hee is armed with vengeance and teâ—â—our agaynst them and nowe sitteth in his throne of maiestie These are the thinges that wee haue to beare in minde vpon this article of our faith concerning Christ his ascension The first poynt was of the ascension it selfe not into the ayre or cloudes but into heauen proued by the manifest woorde of God the holy scriptures the seconde the glory and power of it shewing the ende of it which was to sitte at Gods right hande to gouerne all things the thirde poynt was the great assurance of fayth that commeth to vs by it and the comfort that we conceiue by his so glorious ascension into heauen for vs. Nowe let vs humble our selues before this Lorde Iesus Christ in giuing him first most heartie and intire thankes for all his benefites bestowed vpon vs especially for this that hee hath ascended into heauen as a conquerour and taken possession of heauen for vs alreadie and let vs pray vnto him that as hee is ascended alreadie in body so we in the meane while may thither ascende in minde and heart where true ioyes are only to be found And seeing he is made gouernour of heaueÌ„ and earth and al pray we him that he would gouerne and defende vs here in earth by the assistaunce of his holy spirite tyll wee all meeâ—e together at our generall ascension in the vnitie of faith and acknowledging of the Sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of him And because hee is of power sufficient let vs beseeche him to brydle and stoppe the mouthes of 〈◊〉 to confounde Antichrist which seeketh by al meanes to extinguish his trueth that hee would also hasten his 〈◊〉 vnto iudgement for his elects sake which grone vnder the crosse These things he graunt vnto vs which is able euen Iesus Christ the onely wise mighty and immortall God to whom with his father and his holy spirite be rendred all prayse and glory and dominion for euer and euer so be it The seuenth Lecture vpon the seuenth article of our Christian faith From thence shall he come to iudge both the quicke and the dead THis is the seuenth article of our beliefe but the sixt and last of theÌ„ that coÌ„cerne the person of Christ and onely of all the rest of the fiue going before remaineth to be fulfilled and in his time accomplished For as concerning the other articles of our sauiour Christes person which are the fiue former we beleeue most constantly that they are al already perfourmed and verified namely first that he hath bene conceiued secondly borne thirdly died fourthly risen againe fifthly and ascended into heauen Onely this we beleeue yet to be to come that is to iudge the quicke and the dead The meaning of this article is this I that am a Christian man womaÌ„ or childe do beleeue assuredly that Christ shall come againe visibly in the great and latter daye of iudgement with glorie and power from heauen as he was seene to go vp accompanied with his holy angels to iudge al the world most iustly both those that are already dead and those that he shal finde aliue at his coÌ„ming and that none shall escape his iudgement seate 2. Cor. 5. to this ende that the good may be rewarded with euerlasting life and immortalitie the wicked punished with euerlasting death and destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1. The Lord Iesus euen in this life doeth shewe and set foorth vnto all the worlde most wonderfull signes and tokens both of his mercy to the elect and iustice to the reprobate but because his kingdome is not of this worlde therefore our faith must amount hier to consider of his last comming wherein hee shall shewe as great glorie and maiestie as he did humilitie and meekenes in his first comming in the flesh For as we doe beleeue that he is appointed of his father to bee the sauiour and redeemer of mankinde so doe we also confesse him to be ordeined the great iudge of the vniuersall world that it is he alone that shall iudge with vnspeakeable glory both great and small at his appearance so that although many men thinke that there is no generall iudgement yet at the last they shall feele that this iudge shal summoÌ„ them all to appeare most fearefully before his imperiall throne of maiestie And this iudgement of Christ standeth with good reason and iustice that it should be openly seene and perceiued of all men at the last lest either the wisedome of the flesh or maÌ„s reason or the multitude of the wicked should be able iustly to charge vs as they do most vniustly that we faine to our selues a God a Lord a Christ and such an head as neuer sheweth him selfe nor was seene of men Wherefore to auoyde this slander and reproche of the blasphemous mouthes which say Where is now your God let him shew him selfe we I say doe beleeue that one daye hee shall come to iudge the whole earth For this is that that Saint Iohn sayeth in his Reuelation 1. 7. Beholde he commeth with cloudes and euery eye shal see him euen they which pearced him through and all kinreds of the earth shall wayle before him euen so Amen Let the wicked men therefore and the mockers of this iudgement triumphe neuer so much yet shall they not be able to hinder or disanull the deuice and purpose of the Lorde They doe in deede bende their tongues like bowes to shoote out blasphemies against the Lord saying Where is the promise of his comming But let those men vnderstande that as the Lorde Iesus was seene to goe vp into heauen so shall hee come downe agayne from heauen as the Angels of God reported Actes 1. 11. And albeit they will not beleeue it but make a iest of it yet they shall feele it one daye to their great payne and sorowe It is meete then and requisite that he that was for our saluation before the iudgement seat of maÌ„ vniustly condemned shoulde shewe in the ende howe great his iurisdictioÌ„ and authoritie ouer al flesh is and what his iustice requireth Seeing then
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
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
also that hee is ascended into heauen to bee our Patrone intercessour mediatour and aduocate and that hee nowe appeareth for vs before the face of the father obtayning for vs grace and abundance of all good thinges in such sorte that I neither knowledge nor receiue anye other mediatour betwixt GOD and man neyther any other aduocate or intercessour before GOD the father then his onely sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde To him doe I resorte with him doe I holde my selfe contented and none other doe I search for neyther will I fearyng to blaspheme the name of GOD by giuyng that vnto the creature that appertayneth onely to the Creator and to the seruant that which onely apperteyneth vnto the master The xxxv Article I beleeue that all they which demaunde seeke for or receyue any other mediator intercessour or aduocate towardes GOD the father then Iesus Christ his Sonne the same blasphemeth agaynst God and doeth dishonour vnto Iesus Christ and vnto the saintes by whom he prayeth For as God the father wil bee knowen serued loued feared and honoured in his Sonne and by his onely sonne Iesus Christ and not by any other meanes euen so will hee be prayed vnto and called vpon in his and by his onely Sonne Iesus Christ and none other wise In this I will neither dispraise nor thinke or speake euil of the blessed Saintes which are in heauen with the Lord but I wil haue them in honour and reuerence them as the faythfull saints of the Lord as the Temple of the holy Ghost as the true members of Christ and haue them as glasses paterns before myne eyes to followe them aswel in their honest life good conuersation as also in their faythfull and holy doctrine And as concerning them or by thē I do vnderstand none other thing knowing that al my good my helpe and succour proceedeth of God onely by the meane of Iesus Christ alone which hath made the Saintes worthie of his glorie by his onely grace by the which also I beleeue hee will make mee worthie with them to bee their companion in glory that wee all together shoulde giue vnto him onelyall honour prayse and glorie for euermore The xxxvi Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is set on the right hande of God the father almightie that is to say that he reigneth in one and the same maiestie and equall power with God his father by the which hee so gouerneth his owne vnto the worldes ende that the power of none aduersarie can annoye them without his permission and will I beleeue also that the Father hath made him Lorde and ruler ouer all creatures as well heauenly as earthly giuing vnto him all power ouer heauen and earth and that he hath lift him vp aboue all rule power and Lordship and aboue euery name that is named not onlie in this worlde but also in the worlde to come and hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all thinges to bee the head of his Church which is his body Ephe. 1. 21. And therfore I neither receiue neither acknowledge any other Head of the Church but onely Iesus Christ which hath giuen his blood to wash away the filthines and to heale the woundes thereof and the same to preserue nourish defende and gouerne by his holy spirite The same is the onely Head and foundation of the Church whereon euery one ought to builde according to his vocacion The xxxvii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen and that hee is there corporally that is to say in fleshe in body and in soule after such sorte that hee neither is nor can after the same meane and fashion be here beneath on earth with vs for as much as his body although it bee glorious can not bee in diuers and many places at one time but be so in one place after the nature of a glorified bodie that it can not bee in an other otherwise it shoulde not bee a true and naturall bodie but phantasticall that is to say a thing apparant and not in deede which is false and wholye agaynst our faith And therefore doe I saye and confesse that the true and naturall bodye of Christe is in heauen and that from thence hee shall not come vntyll hee hath made all his enemies his footestoole and then shall hee come to iudge the quicke and dead The xxxviii Article I beleeue that when the number of the electe children of GOD shall bee accomplished the Lorde Iesus in the selfe same bodie in the which hee suffered and was crucified with the which hee rose and ascended into heauen in the selfe same shall hee come with great power and Maiestie visiblye in a cloude euen as hee ascended and that to iudge both the quicke and the dead and shall render vnto euery one according to iustice vnto the good that hee shall finde amongst them according to their goodnesse and vnto the euill according to their wickednesse This iudgement shall bee general that is to saye all shall bee called and personally summoned therevnto by the voyce of an Angell at the which all shall appeare as well the good as the euyll the electe as the reprooued to the ende that euery one maye render an accompt and reckonyng before the iudgement seate of Christe of all that hath beene done by them in this worlde whether it be good or euill yea euen of their idle woordes the which they esteeme no sinne Then shal be saued all those that are founde written in the booke of life The xxxix Article A beleeue that then shal be made the total and last separation of the good from the euill of the elect from the reprobate the which now are all mingled together as the good and the euil fish in one nette the chaffe and the corne the cockle with the wheate but when the haruest commeth hee which hath the fanne in his hand shal make a separation and shall gather the corne into his garner but the chaffe and cockle he shal cast into the fire to burne eternally Then shall perfitly be declared and knowen the iustice and mercy of the Lorde and likewise the fruite of the crosse blood of Iesus Christ the which thing nowe we knowe onely but in parte but then the good and elect shall knowe the Father vpon whome they haue buylded their hope and shal not be confounded in like maner the wicked shal knowe the Father against whome they haue stumbled whom they haue refused contemned and despised and shal be confounded Then shall the Lorde make an ende of his office and ministerie for his mysticall body shall then be wholly finished and accomplished with all his members and he shal render vp his kingdome and his espouse which is the Church vnto God his Father altogether glorious irreprehensible and acceptable without spotte or wrinkle Then shall perfectly be ouercome destroyed and confounded Satan and hell sinne and death and all
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
to performe all the duties of a faithfull minister of Iesus Christ vnto your honour I leaue to trouble you any furthet from other affayres of your Prince and countrey beseeching the Almightie to increase his gratious giftes in you to the honour of his holy name the profit of his Church and the consolation of your owne soule in the ende Which he graunt vnto your honour for his Christes sake Amen 1579. Your honours in the Lorde Iesus most humble to commande Iohn Baker To the Godly and Christian reader grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen I Haue for thy sake gentle reader set forth vnto thee briefly the meaning of al the articles of our Christian fayth which are necessary to saluation to this ende and purpose that as thou hast in English an exposition vpon the ten commaundements of almighty God and the Lordes prayer to knowe the better what they meane so thou mightest haue likewise in thy mother tongue some opening of these Christian articles which being well applyed to thy owne conscience by a liuely fayth thou shalt finde sweeter vnto thee then either hony or the hony combe a treasure to bee preferred before much gold yea the finest that may be And because sermons are not so common in euery parish Church as by the lawe of God and the prince they should be thou mayest therefore vse this booke priuately in thy house when thou shalt haue leasure as vpon the Sundayes and holy dayes at after noone The whole summe of thy faith is here set forth so plainely that thou mayest easily vnderstande it if the Lorde shall giue his grace to thee open thine eyes to see otherwise nothing can be easie to any man but an open booke shal be as sealed vnto men except the spirit reueale it vnto them which he will doe no doubt if thou seeke it by humble and earnest prayer to God in his sonnes name For surely this is the cause why many reading the Scriptures vnderstand them not because they come to them with vnprepared heartes not subdued with humilitie but presuming with their naturall witte to vnderstand the mysteries in them conteined But flesh blood doth not reueale these secret and hid thinges vnto vs. Other reade them without prayer to vnderstand them other some reade them but to dispute and talke of them with the learned and not to amende their liues being detected by them but onely to knowe them and let the practise goe But these men so doing can not be blessed Luke 11. cap. Wherfore dearely beloued Christian I exhort thee to reade the scriptures and all other bookes that tende to the declaration of the scriptures with a single eye and penitent heart not thinking or presuming any thing of thy selfe for the wind bloweth where it listeth as our sauiour sayth Iohn 3. And these diuine thinges are most commonly had from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened by the spirit vnto litle babes Matth. 11. that is to such as are humble in their owne conceyte and in their owne eyes For the holy Ghost sayth Them that be meeke will hee guide in iudgement and teach the humble his waye Psal 26. So then the humble shal be exalted and they all that exalt them selues shal be brought lowe Luk. 14. fare well deare brother and vse this booke as it was meant to thy good and comfort which Iesus Christ graunt vnto thee Amen Thy louing Brother in the Lord alwayes to pray for thee I. B. ¶ Sermons vpon the Creede or xii Articles of our Christian faith I Beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth 2 And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the holy Ghost 3 Borne of the Virgine Marie 4 Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed descended into hell 5 The third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almightie 7 From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8 I beleeue in the holy Ghost 9 The holy Catholike Church the cōmunion of Saintes 10 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 11 The resurrection of the body 12 And the life euerlasting Amen The first Sermon vpon the first article I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth BEfore we come to speake of the meaning of these wordes it shall not be amisse to cōsider in a word or two who made this Christian order and forme of our beliefe The generall and common opinion receaued with the whole consent of the Church is that the xii Apostles of our sauiour Iesus Christ made this Creede euery one an article as a godly writer of our time one Aretius in his booke of questions doeth shew Therefore it is called the Apostles Creede But whether it were they or no that made it or any other it is no great matter seeing it is all the vndoubted trueth of Gods worde euery poynt of it agreeth with the rest of the holy scriptures written with the Spirit of Christ We haue many bookes in the olde new Testament which are written for our consolation comfort and that by the finger of God but yet we knowe not the names of those men that wrote them as the booke of the Iudges the booke of Kinges and the Chronicles and such like and in the newe Testament the Epistle to the Ebrewes These all are the holy worde of God but yet we knowe not the authors of them And it seemeth that the holy Ghost woulde haue their names suppressed and vnknowen because we shoulde receiue all Scripture alike and with the same authoritie which proceedeth from the mouth of God making no differēce of persons or choyse of men when all is trueth that is written and that we shoulde not consider so much who speaketh or writeth a thing as what is spoken written vnto vs. Thus much for the writers of this worke Nowe let vs consider the thing it selfe This Creede hath foure partes the first is of our faith beliefe in God the Father the first person in Trinitie the seconde is of our trust and beliefe in God the Sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour the second person in Trinitie the third is of our faith in the holy Ghost the power of God which is the thirde person in Trinitie the fourth and last parte is of the holy and Vniuersall Church of Christ and of those things that are to be beleued concerning the same which are contayned in the last three articles which are annexed and ioyned vnto the Church as The remission of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting These are the benefites which followe the Church This is the diuision of the Creede Out of the first article we haue to note these two things first that we must beleeue in God secondly what maner of God it is in whome we doe beleeue
The meaning of these wordes is this I the seruant and childe of God I I say not another for me doe beleeue hope and trust in one almightie eternall euerliuing God which is not only a God of might vnto me to be able to do all thinges but a most mercifull father in Iesus Christ most willing and ready to helpe me in al troubles and aduersities of this life when I shall cry call vnto him First therefore we learne here to beleeue trust in God only and not in any creature whatsoeuer for they cannot helpe vs as Dauid sayeth in his Psalmes Vaine is the helpe of man It is thou that sauest me from mine aduersaries And here note that there is a great differēce betwene these three to beleeue God to beleeue there is a God to beleeue in God the deuils beleue the first the second that God is true of his word and promise which is to beleeue God they also beleeue there is one God and no moe and tremble as S. Iames the Apostle sayth Chap. 2. 19. but they beleeue not the third that is in God which is as much as to embrace acknowledge him for our good God and to sticke to him and to his worde only This is proper to the Elect children of God not to the deuils and reprobates which doe not trust in him For they lacke a true iustifying faith which is defined to be a sure trust in the mercies of God his promises made vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Sonne by whom he hath adopted vs that he wil be mercifull vnto vs forgiue vs all our sinnes This is faith this is it that we must haue when we say I beleeue in God For faith must looke vnto God not to any man or angel or saint in heauen Therefore Paul said to the iayler asking howe he might be saued when he had abused cruelly handled the Apostles Beleeue saieth he in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued Surely he could not haue sayde Beleeue in Christ vnlesse he had bene very God and marke howe he sayeth not Beleeue Iesus Christ but Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued as it is sayde here in our Creede I beleeue in God This that we must beleeue in God is warranted by our sauiour Christ saying to his disciples Beleeue in God let not your heartes be troubled Iohn 14. So that this doctrine to beleeue in God in no other is a doctrine of comfort to al the godly and to settle their hearts that they be not troubled or caried away with vaine persuasions of men and of Angels which Paul forbiddeth Colos 2. But here may a question be made why we say not as in the Lordes prayer in the plurall number Our Father and forgiue vs our trespasses so here also in like sort why say we not We beleeue in God First I answere that is a prayer to God this is a confession of our faith Then I say the case is not all one or alike For I may pray for another man and am commanded so to doe because we are al members of the same body of Christ so that my prayer may helpe and profit him But I can not beleeue for another man neither shal my faith and beliefe profit another man except he beleeue him selfe the promises of Christ for euery man shall be saued by his owne faith as the Prophet Habakuk saith Chap. 2. The iust man shal liue by his own faith And this notably confoundeth reproueth that fond and false opinion of the papistes which say that it is inough to beleeue generally as the church beleeueth not knowing how or what to beleeue This sentēce also reproueth and conuinceth another heresie of theirs which say that a man may be iustified by his owne works Here it is sayd The iust shall liue by his faith and not by his good workes or deedes And when Habacuk saith his faith he meaneth not that faith is of our selues but that faith which doth saue vs is within vs in our hearts not without vs in other men meaning neuerthelesse that faith commeth from God aboue and not of vs. As Iames chap. 1. And this doth teach vs to apply the mercies of God vnto our selues saying I beleeue as well as other men that God wil help me be my father This is a great cōfort which the godly only haue and not the wicked as Dauid saith The Lorde is his Lorde as wel as he is a lord to other Thus much on whō we must beleeue that is in God only Now secōdly consider with your selues in what maner of god you doe beleeue and trust not in such a one as the Paynims did that could not help them as Iupiter Apollo Diana and such like which did appoint a multitude of them to gouerne and guyde the worlde because they thought that one was not able ynough of himselfe and therefore made one for heauen as Iupiter another for the sea as Neptune One for hell as Pluto One for the fire as Vulcan Neither are wee taught here to beleeue in such a god as the wicked Israelites did called Baal which could not heare them when they cryed vnto him as it is in the booke of the Kings whō Elias reproueth 3. Kings 18. Chap. Of such Idols and gods the Prophet Dauid speaketh and derideth them their worshippers Psal 115. Saying they haue mouthes and speake not eares and heare not eyes see not noses and smell not hands and handle not feete and walke not neither make they a sound with their throte Neither haue we such pety gods of stone and wood as the papists haue their Images But our God in whō we do confesse that we beleeue is such a one as is a father for his goodnes and mercie and almightie for his strength and power This doth Dauid meane when hee doeth speake of his great God and setteth him against al other false gods of the idolaters saying as for our God he is in heauē As if he would say he is a most mightie God and both what soeuer hee will no man can hinder or let his power This as it is a great comfort to all the godly to haue such a God to ayde them at all neede so it is a terror to the wicked to consider that they haue to doe with such a God as is omnipotent able to beate them to peeces and powder when they resist him As hee did mightily destroy Pharao so did hee wonderfully deliuer his people and children the Israelites out of his handes from the read sea So he declared him selfe an omnipotent father We see then here as in other places how God ioyneth his power and iustice to terrifie and also his mercie and clemency to comfort I say they are put both together euen to terrifie the godly also that they should not commit sinne but feare to offende such a
mightie Father So it is said in the beginning of our prayer Our father to comfort vs but it is said also in heauen to magnifie his power greatnes ouer al things Likewise in the giuing of the Law it is saide Heare O Israel I am the Lorde great terrible no doubt to put thē in mind to feare him reuerently and not to presume vpon him But yet he addeth comfort afterward saying Thy God to deliuer thee hereafter which hath bene thy God already Thus we see that both must goe together Gods iustice and Gods mercie as Dauid said Thy rod thy staffe they cōfort me Psal 23. Wee call him father not in respect of our creation for so he is our Maker and Creator neither in respect of our gouernment for so he is our Lord and master and those names are not so comfortable vnto vs because hee is so that is a Lord and maker euen to the wicked and reprobate But wee call him father first in respect of Christ which is his onely begotten and beloued sonne Then in that we are his children adopted in Christ our elder brother which hath made vs all sonnes and children to his heauenly father by his death and passion by his obedience by his fulfilling of the lawe and by his satisfaction for our sinnes as Iohn saith Chap. 3. Behold what loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should bee called the sōnes of God This is a marueilous comfort that the God of the whole earth the Lord of lords is a louing father vnto vs. And this is in Christ Iesus that wee haue this dignity prerogatiue aboue others not in our selues nor by birth and nature for so we are the sonnes of Gods ire wrath of cōdēnatiō because of our sinful father Adā transgressing Gods cōmandemēt Whē we name him almighty we do not cōceiue him to haue such a power which he doth not vse but in saying this we confesse and acknowledge that he hath al things creatures vnder his power obedience euen the deuils themselues as we see in the Gospel how they submitted thēselues to Christ the sonne of God how he asked leaue before he could do any thing to Iob Iob. 1. Again we must needes graūt that being omnipotēt and almighty he doth all things that are done he ruleth gouerneth heauen earth the sea and hel all things in them the whole world at his beck doth bend yeld it self So that our God being so mighty is not an idle God in heauen as the wicked do imagine but disposeth al things by his iust wise prouidēce howsoeuer they fal out nothing cōmeth to passe wtout his wil and coūsel no not the flight of Sparrowes Mat. 10. For if the Lord should not vphold heauen and earth yea the whole world with his power it would fal to nothing to dust ashes therefore it is said that Christ doth susteine all things by the worde of his might Hebr. 1. And here our faith hath a double cōfort by the prouidence omnipotēcie of God First because it considereth that God hath sufficient power to defende his Church Secōdly because he is willling to do it It foloweth maker of heauē earth This proueth that he is almighty because he hath made heauē earth of nothing when it was not Gen. 1. And this doth notably confute the wicked false opinions of the Philosophers as Plato Aristotle who greatly to the derogation impairing of Gods glory power thought held that the world was eternal frō the beginnings and neuer made neither should haue ende But this is false blasphemous against God We learne here another lesson in our faith that the world was made and had a beginning and shall haue an ending as Moses proueth the one Peter the other 2. Epist 3. Chap. Now by making of heauē and earth we vnderstand al things conteined in heauen earth as the sea For Dauid saith The sea is his and he made it 95. Psa The things in heauē as his angels the things in earth men beasts fishes foules worms al other sensles creatures whatsoeuer It is therfore as if we should say maker of al things visible which we see inuible which we see not as in the Creed of the coūsell of Nice in more fully expressed And this was done because of the Heretikes called the Maniches which did appoynt two beginnings of things created the one good which was God and him they made the beginner of all good thinges the other they imagined to be ill which was the deuil and him they set ouer the euill things and supposed him the maker of them But these men were deceiued which thought any ill thing to be created and made ill at the first for the scripture doth otherwise pronounce of al things that they were exceeding good Genes 1. But in that any thing is ill it is by deprauation and corruption by the sinne of man of Adam and not by creation for the deuill was made an Angel but he fell and lost his first estate and so became a deuill and wicked spirit by his owne corruption and will as Peter proueth 2. Epistle 2. Chap. Nowe if the deuill made some things thē God made not al but what saith the scripture The Lord hath made al things for his owne sake he saith not some things but al nay he goeth further addeth euen the wicked for the day of euil not that he created them wicked for hee made them in Adam perfit and good but he hath appointed them to serue to his honour and glory although they bee vessels of wrath he is glorified in them after a sort although not so as hee is glorified in the good For therefore dyd he sturre vp Pharao King of Egypt because he woulde shewe his glory vpon him Rom. 9. Seeing then God hath made heauen he hath made also all the ornaments of heauen as the heauenly spirits the Sunne the Moone the Starres to gouerne the earth by their light For in that we giue him the creation of the greater wee must needes graunt the lesser and hee that can make the great and huge heauens of nothing is able also to make the things conteyned in them of lesse importance As concerning the Angels it is sufficient for vs to know that they were all made of the Lorde for his wil and pleasure to be his ministring Spirites to execute his commandementes and iudgements against the wicked and for to serue for those that shal be heires of saluation Hebr. 1. It is but curiositie to enquire of the time of the creation or of the orders and estate in heauen Moses telleth vs a good and short lesson that heauen and earth were made perfect in sixe dayes with al the hostes and furniture of them and saieth no more of this matter to teache vs sobrietie in these things to wade no farther then we haue the warrant of the worde
that hath made all for vs as good seruantes should be more carefull of their masters honour profite thē of their own Nowe let vs giue thankes to such a God that hath vouchsafed to giue vs faith to beleeue in him being so mightie a God and we so lowe and base children so mercifull a father vnto vs notwithstanding we are vnthankefull sonnes to him And let vs praye vnto him to confirme this faith and to encrease it in vs euery day till we come to a perfect man in Iesus Christ Let vs desire of him to giue vs grace to behold this his wonderful and diuine worke of his creation wherin hee hath shewed his wisedome power mercy and iustice vnto al men that we may magnifie it as it doth require worthyly with our heartes and set forth his honour and glory in these thinges with thankes giuing for all his benefites seeing they appertayne vnto vs our bodyes and soules which are fed and nourished by them This grace and mercy let vs desire him to continewe vnto vs for his Christes sake our sauiour who hath dearly bought vs to whom with the holy ghost his infinit power three persons and one euerliuing God bee rendred all power prayse glory honour and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euer Amen The seconde Lecture vpon the creede which is vpon the seconde article And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was conceiued by the holy Ghost WE haue seene in the first article going before the thinges which we haue to beleeue as concerning God the father in his creation now followeth consequently what we haue to beleeue of God the sonne Iesus Christ as concerning his incarnation and all the benefites of his death and passion which is the second part of the creede as we deuided it And here in this article you must vnderstande and repeate as in the former so in this also I beleeue in Iesus Christ that is I trust in him and put my whole confidence in him that hee is my onely sauiour and that God will for his sake forgiue me all my sinnes For it is not sufficient to beleeue in God the father to know him vnlesse we also beleeue in his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde and knowe him also As Iohn repeating the wordes of our sauiour Christ saith This is life eternal that they know thee to be the onely very God whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. So that our sauiour Christ ioyneth and matcheth in one the knowledge of him selfe with the knowledge of the father as he sayeth also in another place Except ye beleeue that I am he ye shal die in your sins We see then that if we must beleeue in Iesus Christ he is one God with the father and a creator other wise it were idolatry to beleue in any that is not God And that we may beleue in him this is warrāted vnto vs by his owne commandement saying in the 19. of Iohns gospel to his disciples Let not your heart be troubled beleeue ye in God beleeue also in me A notable place to prooue this matter Where we may also learne that if we beleeue in God our hearts shal not be troubled nor wauer hither thither not hauing any place to rest in For therfore in our miseries dāgers are we vexed troubled out of measure because we put not our full trust in the father the sonne Nowe let vs see with what titles our Christ is beautified adorned with for our cōfort consolation first of all he is here called Iesus which is an Ebrew word soūdeth in English as much as Sauiour which name the Angell gaue vnto him by Gods appoyntment before he was conceaued in the wombe of the virgin Mary his mother As we reade notably set forth vnto vs in the first of Matth Shee shal bring foorth a sonne and cal his name Iesus or sauiour for he shall saue his people from their sinnes and offences And for this cause he came into the worlde as he testifieth of him self The sonne of mā came to saue that which is lost not to destroy soules but to saue and to giue his life a redemption for many Luk. 19. By this we learne that there is no other Sauiour appoynted for mā either in heauē or earth but only Iesus and they that wil haue saluation of God the father must haue it onely at his handes Therefore doeth the scripture pronounce of him that there is no other name giuen vnder heauen vnto men wherein they must be saued but only in the name of Iesus Christ For this is the stone which is become the head stone and the chiefe in the corner neither is there any saluation in any other Act. 4. We haue then to seek our saluation not in Angels not in saints not in men or in our selues but in him onely that hath the key of Dauid that shutteth heauen and no man openeth it and openeth it no man shutteth This is the first title of dignitie and honour that is giuen vnto him of his father the next is that hee is called Christ which is a Greeke word and signifieth in English Anoynted which doth more plainly effectually declare his office function giuen him of the father for vs. For he was anoynted for three especiall purposes first to bee our Prophet to teach vs secondly our priest to offer him selfe a sacrifice for vs and thirdly our king to rule to defēd vs from our enemies These things are al giuē vnto vs to vnderstande in this name Christ For as al the Prophets and priestes and kinges in the time of the olde law before the comming of Christ were anoynted with oyle by the commandement of God as God cōmanded Elias to anoynt Eliseus Prophet in his stead Moses was cōmaunded to anoynt Aaron hye priest and Samuel to anoynt Saul Dauid to be kinges so was Christ also anoynted not with oyle materiall as they but with spiritual oyle of gladnesse as Dauid saieth aboue his fellowes that is with the holy ghost aboue al mē for he had it without measure Ioh. 3. 34. So then as the Prophets priests kings were all figures shadowes of Christ anoynted with oyle to signifie that they must be gentle meeke soft to al their brethren so it was also necessary that Christ should performe al this that was prefigured by him And first we see that Christ toke vpon him the office of a Prophet to teach the people his fathers wil not thrusting in him selfe as the false prophetes did whom the Lord sent not at al but being thereto lawefully called authorised by his father from heauen saying Heare him that is to be our doctour and teacher our Prophete and Scholemaster Being thus ordayned a Prophet to teach vs he executed his office and calling most diligently most paynfully and faithfully for he taught them in season and out of season earely and late
his prophesie of this wonderful natiuitie of our Sauiour Iesus saying in his Chap. 23. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch a king shal reigne prosper shal execute true iudgement iustice vpō the earth In his daies Iuda shal be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and fulnesse of time as the Apostle speaketh was come then God sent his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. God then as in this so in all other things is true and iust of his promise and couenant that he maketh to a thousand generatiōs as saith the Prophet For nothing can let him to bring his words to passe his power is infinit ouer all And although it be said that Marie was maried to Ioseph Ioseph tooke her home to him to be his wife yet she was a virgin for Ioseph knewe her not so that Christ was borne of her being a virgin Ioseph was spoused to her in this respect that he should be an aide and comfort for her in her trouble and paine in her flight into Egypt in her great pouertie for she was so poore that she had no chamber to be deliuered in but laid our Sauiour Christ in a manger For these causes was Ioseph called her husbande also that shee myght be voyde of suspition of fornication and Christ not thought to be borne out of wedlocke or in adulterie 2 Secondly for our instruction let vs consider the whole maner of Christs birth after what sort and fashion it was S. Luke doth declare the order of it very liuely saith that whē Ioseph Mary were at Bethlehem the dayes were accomplished that shee shoulde be deliuered she brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and layde him in a cratch or manger because there was no roume for thē in the Inne By these words we see the maner of Christs birth howe it was very poore and base in respect of the world nothing glorious in the eies of men or as myght beseeme so great a prince as he was He that might haue bene borne in a most magnificent and royall palace would be borne in a stable or oxe stall and he which could haue bene layde in a most sumptuous bed of doune with silke veluet wrought garnished yet notwithstanding woulde bee layde in a vile manger This doth passe the reach and capacitie of mans witte and doth expresse vnto vs how that the Lords waies are not our wayes nor his doinges as ours are For then surely woulde hee not haue had Christ his Sonne to bee borne so poorely and without al honour and estimation here in the earth But here we see the great loue of Christ towardes vs the woulde so be borne for our sakes So that in this is fulfilled that notable saying if S. Paul the Apostle 2. Corinth 8. Chap. 9. saying Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ y◠he beīg rich for your sakes became poore that ye through his pouertie myght be made rich A notable lesson to take pouertie in good part if the Lord for iust causes lay it vpon vs. And not only was he borne so poorely miserably but also liued so afterwarde all his life time while he was here vpon the earth for that space of 2. or 3. and thirty yeres insomuch that when he was borne he stedde into Egypt frō Herod that sought to kil him no doubt with trouble paine Afterward he liued with the beneuolence liberalitie of certaine good womē as of Mary Magdalene Ioanna that wife of Chuza Herods stewarde Susanna many other which ministred vnto him of their substance Luk. 8. 3. so that he himselfe doth pronounce to one that would folow him for gaine estimatiō in this life that the sonne of mā meaning him self hath not where to lay or hide his hed but is in worse case thē the foxes which haue holes or the birds of the aire which haue their nests Mat. 8. By this we learne to take pouerty patiently which the Lorde himselfe hath sanctified in his owne body neither to thinke it accursed And we learne thereby the contempt of this worlde for Christ had nothing glorious in the face and eyes of man hee was not riche but poore If wee haue riches let vs not thinke so much or highly of them or be puffed vp by them for Christ had them not If wee be poore let vs remember that Iesus Christ was poore also in this life It is sufficient for vs and enough if we may be riche after this life not that these riches and worldly thinges are ill if they be vsed to Gods glory but Christ would teache vs by his example that first his kingdome is not of this world then not to be greeued if we lacke these transitorye thinges for hee had them not at all wherefore if we haue meate and drinke and raiment we must be content The circumstances of his birth are the place of it and the tyme. As concerning the place Matthewe and Luke both agree in one that it was Bethlehem for so was it long before prophecyed of by the Prophet Micheas Chap. 5. saying And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art little to be among the thousands of Iuda yet our of thee shall come foorth vnto me one that shal be the ruler in Israel whose goings foorth shall be from the beginning and from euerlasting Where hee setteth foorth vnto vs plainely both the humanitie of Christ and also his diuinitie his humanitie in that hee sayth hee came out of Bethlehem and his diuinitie in that his going foorth was from euerlasting The place then was Bethlehem no great and famous citie as Ierusalem was but a poore and obscure towne nothing spoken of among men Here wee may see againe that as Christ shewed great humilitie in the maner of his birth so did hee also in chusing so poore and vile a place as Bethlehem was And this was done no doubt to confound the wisedome of the wise and mightie which woulde haue thought rather that Christ should haue bene borne at Ierusalem or some such like notable and excellent citie Well our sauiour Christ chose Bethlehem and made it famous through his birth and reiected all other cities so is fulfilled that saying of Paul God hath chosen the weake things of the worlde to confound the strong and vile things and things that are despised hath God chosen to bring to naught the thinges that are that no fleshe shoulde reioyce in his presence 1. Corinthians 1. Verses 27. 28 29. Let no man therefore be grieued or ashamed if he be borne in a poore and base village for so was Christ borne and hee is nothing the worse for it hee may come as soone to heauen as they that are borne in the greatest
profite and comfort that we may take apply to our selues our soules and bodyes by it and what duetie is required of vs in this behalfe The commoditie that ariseth to vs and al Christians by his birth is that Christ came to saue that which was lost as Paul doth notably expresse the ende of his comming in the fleshe saying This is a true saying and by all meanes woorthy to bee receyued that Iesus Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners 1. Timothie 1. 15. Then we perceiue this that Christ was borne to redeeme vs. If he had not bene borne wee could not haue byn redeemed by him from the power of hell and of Satan This is a great matter and a most excellent wonderfull benefite For we vnderstande now plainly clerely by the word of the Lorde that the seede of the woman hath broken the serpents head Gen. 3. that there is a Lion and a Lambe in diuers respectes for his strength a Lion and a Lambe by his meeknes found worthy to open the booke to loose the seuen seales of it which no man was able to doe neither in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth Reuel 5. that there is a childe as Esaie sayth giuen vnto vs vpon whose shoulders the gouernmēt of heauen and earth is laide and doth cōsist We may saye therefore that a man is borne of the virgin Marie the true and naturall sonne of Adam of Abraham of Dauid which was promised in the lawe and Prophets such a man I say that hath conquered hell and death and damnation desiuered vs from the wrath of his father to come Of this our faith may gather a double fruite and cōmodite the one that there is a mediatour betweene God man euen the man Iesus Christ we haue this mediator for vs in heauen already the other that by the participation vnitie of his nature with ours he receiueth admitteth vs into the societie of him selfe and all his riches and treasures are made ours euen as the wife may say of her husband that al her husbāds goods lands are hers because she is one with him so may we say of our most gratious husband bridegrome Iesus Christ that all his store is now become ours For we are bones of his bones and flesh of his flesh as Paul telleth vs plainly Ephes 5. If this be so then wee ought to reioyce and be glad in our heartes as Paul sayth which is in the Lorde because that Christ the great iewell of God is sent into the worlde If we greatly reioyce triumphe when wee haue a mortall sonne an heyre here borne in earth vnto vs whō we knowe not whether he shall be good or ill a cōfort or paine vnto vs If I say we do reioyce at this vanity what ought we to do think ye dearly beloued brethrē whē we heare that sōne of God to be borne for vs the heire of all things a sonne that pacifieth his fathers wrath iustly conceiued against sinne such a childe as maketh vs children bringeth vs into his heauenly possession inheritance Ought we not trow you vnspeakeably to reioyce thanke God and his sonne Christ continually It is good reason so to do seeing it is our onely benefit and not his for he came and was borne for vs and not for him selfe The angels of God herein may teach vs our duety howe thankfull we ought to be and to reioyce for it not with a worldly and carnal ioy as many do but with a spirituall and heauenly ioy of minde and conscience as few doe At the birth of our sauiour there was a company and multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in the earth and towards men good will Luke 2. They reioyced in the Lord were thankful for it yet are much more ought we to do the like that his wil may be done in earth of vs as it is in heauen amongst them euen as we dayly pray Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen We haue in deede a celebration of this natiuitie of Christ which is miscalled of vs Christmas As the name is euil called Christmas of the Papists as if Christ should say Masse so is the time in it spent as lewdly of vs for the most part if not in massing yet in masking in carding and dicing in dauncing in bellie cheere in excesse of apparrell and in fond and foolishe playes sportes to passe the time away In these sinnes and vanities is the tyme of Christes natiuitie spent and consumed of vs. It were better to haue no day of it then so to keepe it and it is a great griefe to a godly mynde to see that tyme which shoulde be imployed to the seruice of God as it was in the primitiue Church altogether wasted and dedicated to offer sacrifices vnto the deuill for it is in it as it is vpon the Sundayes or Lordes day thoroughout the yeere The Sabbath which is appoynted for to heare Gods woorde and to pray in is turned altogether to play in and made a day of all wicked sport and pastime which is far from the ryght vse of it yet no Magistrate doeth correct it God giue an amendement one day of it to his honour and glory Amen Well so it is with this time of our Sauiours birth we shoulde giue thankes in it and wee neuer thinke of our duetie in it the most part of vs. If Emperours and Kinges haue celebrated the memoriall of their birth dayes then there is greater reason why we should remember the ioyfullest birth day that euer was or shal be I meane of Iesus Christ our sauiour borne so poorely and simply for vs. Not that we should so celebrate and keepe Christs birth day as wicked Herode did celebrate his natiuitie in feasting in daunsing in rash swearing and last of all in murdering the good saint of God Iohn Baptist Matth. 14. Mark 6. I say we must not so celebrate this birth day of Christ with him least wee be partakers of his punishment and payne But yet I feare a great many doe keepe this time no better Neither must we keepe this day of our brother Christes birth as Titus kept the birth day of his brother Domitian in killing the Iewes for his pleasure to triumphe and so defiled his handes with innocent blood surely we do not much better for although we kill not with the sworde yet we wound and kill our brethren with our tongues we quarrel we fight and are contentious wee sweare and blaspheme and so reuile the liuing Lorde and this is done most of all at the birth day of our Sauiour as also vpon this day of rest the Sunday with cardes and dice bloody othes Wel the Lord one day will take an account of these things of vs vnlesse we speedily repent and amende Thus we haue heard the thinges that may be
wherin he is inferior to his father Seeing then that in the crosse death buriall of Christ doth appeare a kinde of infirmitie and weakenes in respect of the world because these things in Christ seeme base to many wee haue to goe further for the full strengthening of our faith to his most glorious victorious resurrection ouer al his enemies for although we haue a ful accomplishment of our saluation in his death because that by it wee are reconciled to God and satisfactiō is made to his iustice for our sinnes so that the curse is taken away frō vs the punishmēt paid for our offēces yet for al this we are said to be begottē not by his death but by his resurrection into a liuely hope for these are the words of Saint Peter 1. Epist 1. Chap. Blessed be God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which according to his abūdant mercy hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ frō the dead to an inheritance immortall vndefiled that withereth not reserued in heauen for vs which are kept by the power of God thorow faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time meaning whē Christ shal come to iudgement and we shal rise in our bodies Wherefore as Christ by rising so triumphātly became cōquerour of death so the victory of our faith doeth consist especially in his resurrection euē as the holy Apostle doth plainly expresse it Rom. 4. 25. for he saith that Christ was deliuered from our sinnes but is risen againe for our iustificatiō as if he should say By his death was sinne takē away abolished but iustice and righteousnesse was restored renewed vnto vs by his resurrection from death For otherwise how could he haue deliuered vs from death by dying if he himself had bin swallowed vp of death or howe should he haue gotten vs the victorie that had lost it himself This thing the Prophete Osee foreseeing by the spirite of God spake prophetically as Dauid and other Prophets did of this resurrection of our sauiour saying O death I wil be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction Osee Chap. 13. verse 14. Wherfore we do in this sort distinguish the benefites of his death from the benefites of his resurrectiō By his death sinne is abolished by his resurrectiō righteousnes is restored by his death is death extinguished by his resurrection is life repayred to conclude by the one hel gates are brokē vp vāquished by the other the dores of heauē are vnshut opened vnto vs. These are the proper differences betweene his death resurrection although the one sometime is takē for the other al things are giuen and applied to his death whatsoeuer we inioy Here may be a question why Christ was three dayes in the sepulchre First I may say It was to fulfill the scriptures for Ionas was a figure signe of his resurrection now as Ionas was three daies and three nightes in the fishes belly so was Christ in the graue Agayne hee was there three dayes and did not rise by by immediatly after his death to confirme the certaintie of his death that he was dead in deede for if he should haue risen straight way mē might haue thought with thēselues that he had not bin throughly dead Againe although it be said that he was three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth yet was he there but part of thē for the scripture doth take a part halfe of a day for a whole day as also part of a mā for the whole mā Wheras it is saide there were so many soules in the ship with Paul it is meant so many men in al with bodies soules but the better greater excellenter part is vsually taken for the whole as in this place of three daies This article hath two principall poynts to be considered in it first the resurrectiō it self of Christ secondly the benefites that come vnto vs by it which are three in nūber First life righteousnes is restored vnto vs by his rising thē mortification newnes of life here amōg men is taught vnto vs by this resurrection lastly we are assured perswaded of our resurrectiō In that that Christ our head is risen again we also the members shall rise with him as Paul saith Whēsoeuer Christ which is our head shal appeare thē shal we also appeare that is rise with him in glorie that is a glorified body as his is Phil. 3. Colos 3. This can not be but great comfort vnto vs. As cōcerning his resurrection partly some thing was alledged before testimonies brought to confirme it but this may be saide more of it that it is so necessarie to be beleeued vnto saluation that without it no life can be had for how can he haue life that doth not or wil not beleeue the author giuer of life Iesus Christ to be aliue risen but dead how I say cā such an one haue any life in him at al Therefore our Sauiour willing to leaue a perpetuall memorie of this article to his Church seeing it was of such great waight importance after that he had suffered presented him selfe aliue to his Apostles disciples to the women also by many infallible tokens being seene of them by the space of fourtie dayes speaking of those things which appertayne to the kingdome of God To this ende that he might cōfirme strengthen thē in this true resurrection he did eate drinke with them after he rose Acts. 10. shewed thē his hands his feete bid them handle him see that it was euen he and none other Luk. 24. 39. Yea this point is so necessarie to obteyne euerlasting saluation that the Apostle S. Paul doth affirme that if Christ be not risen againe then is our preaching in vayne then is our faith in vayne then are we false witnesses of God thē are we yet in our sinnes and they that are fallē asleepe in Christ are perished and we of al men are most miserable All these absurdities and inconueniences do follow if we or any other beleeue not stedfastly that Christ is risen againe But dearly beloued Christ is risen againe as the Angel said to the women He is risen he is not here when they thought hee had not bene risen but there in the graue as hee was layde The Pharisees thought that if they could perswade the people from the beliefe of this his resurrection they should do well ynough with them and therfore they gaue large money to the souldiers to say that he was stollen away by his disciples by night They wel knew that if the people of the Iewes did beleeue this his rysing frō the dead they would easely beleeue all other mysteries of his death and passion with the articles going before The Euangelists al of them do inculcate make mentiō of no one
article so much as of this for although Iohn and Marke doe make no mention of his byrth conception yet notwithstanding they make diligent rehearsall of this resurrection in their Gospels Marke 16. Ioh. 21. The Apostles after the ascension of Christ did especially preach this article to the people in al sermōs preachīgs of theirs Peter in fiue Sermons together the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. of the Actes of the Apostles maketh especiall mention of this resurrection So doth he in the Actes 10. And so doth Paul Act. 13. and 17. and in euery Epistle of his For in deede our whole faith dependeth vpon it which if it be once ouerthrowen then can not our faith be sure stable Although the Apostles were chosen to be witnesses of all the doings and actiōs of Christ Act. 10. verse 39. yet were they especiall witnesses of his resurrection because it seemed so incredible in the eyes of all men For when as Peter made his Sermon immediatly after Christes ascension into heauen in an vpper chamber in Ierusalem to all the disciples and to the women which were there which were in all both men and women sixe score hee made mention of this to the rest that there must one be chosen into the roume and place of Iudas the traytour to be made a witnes of Christes resurrection Act. 1. vers 22. So that although not only yet especially the office of the Apostles was to declare and testifie with all diligence and boldnes the resurrection of Christ to the people and Church of God Belike then this resurrection of Christ doeth conteyne in it some notable mysterie and lesson for our instruction and surely so it doeth Seeing it is so let vs come to the seconde poynt which I noted that was the benefite and great profite wee reape by his resurrection This resurrection was great losse vnto Satan but the same was our gayne For by it death is swallowed vp into victorie and the bonds of the deuill whereby hee helde vs captiues at his will are all broken and dashed in pieces by this victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda And this is the first benefite that eternall life which is y◠free gift of God Rom. 6. is now giuen vnto vs. Then before this resurrection we were in the shadow of death sitting in blindnesse and ignorance Nowe ryghteousnesse is restored then surely before we were in our sinnes as Paul saith If Christ bee not rysen then are you as yet in your sinnes 1. Cor. 25. Well nowe that he is risen all our sinnes are put away Let vs apply this doctrine to our selues for our owne consolation and comfort agaynst Satan and all his tentations and let vs say of it as Paul did Galat. 2. I am crucified with Christ but I liue meaning by his resurrection yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me And in that that I nowe liue in the flesh I liue by the fayth in the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen him selfe for me So must euery one of vs say Christ hath rysen againe for me iustified me and saued me in restoring life vnto my dead body againe Here ariseth likewise out of this our duetie and thankefulnesse to our Lord Iesus Christ for this great benefite not to forget it at any time but as Moses sayeth Deut. 6. 6. so must wee doe for this is the precept and commaundement of the eternall God These wordes or things which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thy house and whē thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and as thou rysest vp So these benefites of Christ are alwayes to be remembred Alas dearely beloued brethren if we woulde so thanke and remember a friende of ours but a mortall man as we woulde neuer forget him but speake continually of him and prayse him to others if hee shoulde bestowe vpon vs a transitorie and temporall gift which lasteth but for a time as a thousande pound in money or goods or an hundred pounde lande a yeere if I say we would thinke this very much and great loue what shall wee thinke of Iesus Christ and howe shall wee bee able to thanke him sufficiently and remember him ynough which hath bestowed vpon vs his owne goodes and treasures farre better then siluer and golde and all precious stones yea to the which these things are but doung and not onely hath he giuen vnto vs his goods and iewels but he hath also giuen vnto vs most faire and large possessions euen the inheritance of the kingdome of heauē immortall vndestled and which withereth not away as these inheritances here belowe doe These things come vnto vs by his resurrection and yet who almost of the hundred part of men remembreth these benefits and receiueth them with thankesgiuing accordingly Nay who thinketh not more of his lands and possessions here belowe then of those aboue Wel they are the more fooles and mad men and altogether vnthankefull to our good and louing Sauiour Iesus Christ which doeth offer these things vnto them if they woulde receiue them God make them and vs al one day thankefull for them Well to conclude this point let vs marke and beholde that he is risen againe frō death wherin did appeare greater force and power then if he had at that time come downe from the crosse whē the Iewes willed him so to doe for he did so vanquish and ouercome death striuing with him in the graue that hee was not able with all his force to keepe him vnder his rule and gouernment If hee had bene ouercome he should not haue saued vs. For it had bene al one with vs as with one ready to bee drowned and some other man to help and succour him woulde couragiously leape into the water who in the ende should be drowned him selfe before he could releeue the other what help then could come to the man that first fell into the water Truely no other thing could ensue of this but one euill to folowe an other and the death of the second man to be added to the losse of the first But this was farre otherwise in Christ who first deliuered him selfe from the tertors of death and hell that he might the better perswade vs of our saluation as a sure anker by faith in him alone The second benefit that commeth to vs by Christs resurrection is newnes of life that we should mortifie our former lustes in dying vnto sinne and haue a newe life in all righteousnesse and holinesse as we see Christ did rise againe with a glorified body not subiect to the like affections and passions as he was before to hunger and thirst to mortalitie and other miseries of the body but had all things as it were newe so shoulde we also ryse with him from this olde life of sinne wherein wee haue liued too long and put on
the ground then is hee subiect to gunshatte or other snares and daungers So it is with vs if our mindes were fixed aboue vpon heauenly things Satan coulde not take vs in his trappes but when they are altogether cast downewarde vpon the earth and earthly pleasures then we fall into his baytes and are entangled in his grennes Therefore as Christ is ascended so let vs also ascende in minde cogitation vnto him for Christ doeth bidde vs tome vnto him and this saying standeth in his full force nowe as it did when â—e spake it here with vs vpon the earth and we must come vnto him nowe Let vs then come and resorte vnto him by our earnest and heartie prayer for then wee talke with him For prayer is sayd to be a speach and communication with God and a lifting vp of our heartes vnto him in heauen We shoulde remember then that as often as we pray we speake to the maiestie of God and therefore shoulde come with feare and reuerence Let vs also come to Christ to heare hâ—â— comfortable worde and Gospel For when we heare his worde preached vnto vs or reade it our selues we must consider that God speaketh vnto vs and therefore giue diligent and attentiue heede to the things thou hearest lest they slip out of thy minde Againe let vs also ascend and come to him by heartie thanke sgiuing for al benefits receyued in our body and soule both temporall and spirituall This is to ascende vnto Christ in this life Seeing therefore that by the blood of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh seeing also we haue an high Priest which is ouer the house of God let vs all draw neere with a true heart in assurance of fayth our hearts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and let vs ascende whither our forerunner Iesus Christ is entred and ascended for vs already euen into the heauen of heauens Another singular coÌ„â—ort â—or to â—ead our faith vpon by Christs ascension is his power to strengthen our weakenesse for we beleeue nowe that Christ hath taken full possession of his most glorious kingdome is entred into glory to whom as Saint Peter sayth The angels and powers and myght are subiect and whatsoeuer else For God hath sayde vnto him Sit thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole the Lord shall send the â—odde of thy power out of Sion be thou buler in the middest of thine enemies Psal 110. So that wee may boldly saye as Dauid sayde sometime The Lorde is our shephearde yea the Lorde Iesus is our King therefore shall wee lacke nothing For tel me I pray you what good thing can we want Christ being our heauenly King and hauing nowe all power and authoritie giuen vnto him and sitting at the ryght hand of the almightie Father Surely his seruantes shall enioy all things as he sayeth He that ouercommeth shall inherit all things and who is he that ouercommeth but Iesus Christ in whome we by his power and vertue ouercome also that as hee is made heyre of all things so myght wee also bee made ioynt heyres with him Wherefore wee knowe Christ no more in his mortalitie and humilitie Yea although wee had knowen Christ after the flesh yet hence foorth knowe we him no more after the flesh but after the woorking of his myghtie Spirite whereby hee is able to subdue all things to him selfe Philip. 3. For here we must consider that Christ hath thus ascended into glorie for vs and hath receyued giftes for men euen great spoyles of the enemies to enrich his Church This is our reioycing which wee haue dayly in Christ Iesus here is the ioy patience and victorie of the Saints of God for he must reigne vntill hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Who then can he discouraged with any thing that befalleth vnto him eyther of bodie or griefe of minde or losse of goods and friends Is it not Christ that dyed for vs and which is rysen againe who is also at the ryght hande of God and maketh request for vs Who shall say any thing vnto our charge who shal condemne vs If Christ be on our side as hee is most certaynely being our head who then can bee agaynst vs howe can wee sacke any thing in this lyfe when God hath giuen his Sonne for vs What man or woman woulde thinke to lacke any thing earthly that had a King to his Father or a Prince to bee his brother and shall wee bee of so litle fayth to thinke that wee can lacke ought hauing GOD the great King ouer al the world to be our louing Father and Iesus Christ his Sonne the Prince of all princes to bee our owne brother This were madnesse to thinke or conceiue but yet if wee bee wauering through incredulitie let vs saye and waye with the man in the Gospel Lorde helpe my vnbeliefe and with the Apostles let vs saye Lorde increase our fayth in vs and make it strong agaynst all tentations of Satan Seeing then that Iesus Christ is of that power that he is able to bring to passe all thinges Gods children may assure them selues of a singular defence agaynst all their enemies For who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peryll or sworde Nay dearely beloued I am certaynely perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heyght nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde for in all these thinges wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs and this is our Christ that sitteth in the heauens for vs. By this his glorie and power euer since his ascending hee hath mayntayned the estate and welfare of his Congregation and will doe to the ende of the worlde The last thing wee learne by Christes ascension is this that he is also ascended to leade captiuitie captiue that is to say to beate downe and ouerthrowe all his foes and such as ryse vp heere agaynst him so that as his power is a great comfort to his spouse so it is as great a terrour and griefe to the wicked reprobates to thinke or to consider of it For it maketh them to frette and fume and to bee euer at their wittes ende for sorowe and griefe that hee must ouercome in spite of their teeth Then wee learne that our enemies shall not alway tryumph ouer vs they shall not still haue vs in their bandes in pryson and thraldome but one day they surely them selues shall come to confusion and shame The Scriptures when they will paynt out Christ vnto vs
in mercie towarde his Church they giue him the name of a meeke and gentle Lambe apparelled in white making no sturre or cry in the streetes not breaking a brused reede nor quenching a smoking flaâ—e Matthewe 12. But when the Prophets will sette foorth Christ in his maiestie and glorie after his ascension they giue him the name and propertie of a fierce Lion all apparelled in redde and bloody garmentes with a rodde and scepter of iron in his hande to rule and gouerne all nations And this no doubt is to cause make the enemies of his Church to quake euen as hee shewed him selfe in a vision to Saint Iohn his beloued disciple to comfort him no doubt but to terrifie the enemies which were shortly to goe about to destroy the Church of God Wee reade in the Reuelation 1. cha that as Iohn turned backe to heare the voyce that spake with him Christ shewed him selfe vnto him in his maiestie as he was able to conceiue for he saw seuen goldeÌ„ candlesticks in the midst of the seuen golden candlesticks one like vnto the sonne of maÌ„ clothed with a garmeÌ„t downe to the feete and girded about the pappes with a golden girdle his head and heares were white as white wooll and as snowe and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feete lyke vnto fine brasse burning as in a furnace and his voyce as the sound of many waters and he had in his ryght hand seuen starres and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged swoorde and his face shone as the Sunne shyneth in his strength This vision of Christ in his glorie was so fearefull that it made Iohn him selfe afrayde but the Lorde dyd shewe him selfe so to comforte his seruauntes which should suffer persecution a litle after but to threaten the enemies by his mightie power This is that which the holy Ghost spake long since by Dauid The Lorde reigneth let the people tremble hee fitteth betweene the Cherubims let the earth be mooued the Lorde is great in Zion and he is hie aboue all people The Lorde that is at thy ryght hande shall wounde Kings in the day of his wrath he shall bee iudge among the heathen he shall fill all with dead bodyes and smite the heades ouer great countreys Here wee see howe Dauid speaketh most magnificently of this glorious kingdome of Christ beyng nowe exalted aboue the heauens by his ascension howe hee assureth the enemies of destruction but promiseth deliuÌ„erie to the godly in the Church As Christ did alwayes deliuer his Church euen from the beginning Noah from the flood drowning the rest Lot from Sodome when hee consumed the remnant with fire the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and the tyranny of king Pharao ouerthrowing his euennes in the redde sea for Christ was that great Angel that went before them likewise in destroying the Assyrians so many thousandes in one nyght and sauing good king Hezekia and the rest so did hee most wonderfully destroy great Babylon and ransome thence his owne prisoners finally howe he destroyed the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites the Philistims and the Canaanites they that reade the hystories of the Bible shal wel perceiue as I say Christ hath done these thinges to his enemies before his incarnation so especially after hee was receyued vp in glorie hee hath done the like Howe mightily did hee suppresse and beate downe the great rage and furie of Saul beyng armed and sette as a fierce Tyger or Lion to destroy both man woman and childe of Christs flocke But the Lorde Iesus from heauen subdued him and made him as tame as a Lambe Actes 9. Did hee not cutte off inlyke sort that cruell tyraunt Herode that killed Iames had also taken Peter It is sayd that in his pryde he gaue not GOD the honour and glorye and therefore was immediatly strooken of the angel and most shamefully eaten vp of wormes Actes 12. Howe Iulian the Emperour that wicked forsaker and persecutour of the Christians was handled by the iustice of God and ended his life miserably So Zomenus in in his sixt booke of his storie the seconde Chapter doeth sufficiently declare that he was not killed by any of his enemies but by one of his owne souldyers And when he was strooken with the darte and wounded to death hee vnderstoode well the cause of it to bee for persecuting Christ and the Christians for hee tooke the blood out of his wounde and flang it vp into the ayre as if hee had seene Christ and accused him of his death as in deede hee was the chiefe authour of it to punishe that wicked reprobate which had so before contemned and mocked his worde and Gospel They that list to reade histories either prophane or diuine shall see howe the tyrantes and murdering Emperours of Christes Church haue bene by Iesus Christ in his glory taken miserably out of this life Consider all the Emperours of Rome that persecuted the Church what became of them and howe they dyed Was not Nero that monster partly by himselfe and partly by one of his owne men thrust through with a dagger as Suetonius and others do report Galba Otho and Vitellius did they not suffer the like Did not Domitian destroy his owne brother Titus and poisoned him and was not Titus a persecuter of the Iewes Domitian was miserably kylled by one Stephanus his man Maximinus slayne by his owne armye Commodus kylled of Narcissus Macrinus thrust thorowe by his souldiers Decius killed by his enemies Valerianus pearsed with a speare of the Persians Pilate after hee had crucified our Sauiour Christ within fewe yeeres after was hee not dryuen to hang him selfe for sorowe as Iudas did before him Dioclesian and Maximinian which were the authours of the tenth and last persecution agaynst the Christians deposed them selues of their imperial function by the secrete iudgement of God Maxentius the sonne of Maximinian dranke of the same cuppe with Pharao being both like enemies against Christ and his Church for Maxentius was drowned in the water with his harnesse vpon his backe The Popes of Rome being as great persecutours as euer were any of Christ and his Church many of them haue had very wretched and shamefull endes Alexander the sixt was taken away with the deuill by whome he aspyred to the papacie Looke vpon our papistes in Queene Maries dayes and see howe a great many of them dyed Wee â—acke not examples among vs euen fresh in memorie in those dayes Let a men consider with himselfe the vnhappie and vnfortunate endes of the last race of the kinges in Fraunce and he shall say that Christ euen in his glory doth marueilously defende his Gospel with the professours thereof rewardeth their enemies according to their desertes So that a man may iustly say and confesse with Dauid Doubtees there is a God that iudgeth in the earth surely there is a Christ that defendeth his Church for hee shall treade downe our enemies vnder vs
to reioyce because our redemption draweth on For how should we feare whē Christ wil make vs iudges with him as he sayth Ye that haue folowed me in the regeneratiō shal sit vpō twelue thrones iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And Paul sayth Doe ye not know that the saintes shal iudge the world Not that we shale be iudges with Christ but that we shal allow approue his iudgemēt For to speak properly the elect shall not be iudged but the wicked shall be iudged to euerlasting fire This certainly is no smal comfort for weake cōsciences to consider that the prince shal iudge his owne people subiectes the head his members the aduocate his clients How then can he condemne those for whose safegard he doth come will ratifye y◠promise of euerlasting blisse which he hath promised here in this life by his Gospel We shal not thē be cited before any other tribunall seate thē of our louing bridegrōe who shal make himselfe ready to receiue his spouse wife vnto himselfe for euer Reuelat. 21. This day is called the mariage day of the Lambe and his supper and his wife shall then be arayed with pure and fine linen and shining which is the righteousnes of sayntes Let vs therefore be glad and reioyce and giue glory to him that sitteth vpon the throne There can be no day here so ioyful as this yea al comfort is nothing to this that Christ shal be our iudge He cānot cast away thē for whom he hath died he cannot deny himself Paul whē he considered of this iudge and iudgemēt reioyced euē in prisō that a crowne of righteousnes was laid vp for him which the righteous iudge Christ Iesus would giue vnto him in that day 2. Tim. 4. And here we learne a very good lesson by the way that if Christ be our iudge we must whē we cā not haue redresse here or iudgement equally ministred vnto vs referre our causes and matters of iniurie to him who is able to reforme all things and will at his comming So that we must not which are priuate men reuenge our owne quarels and iniuries but commit them al to him without murmuring and hee will iudge them iustly Then this doth teache vs patience to wayte for this comming of Christ to iudge all thinges orderly And this good counsayle did Saint Iames giue in his time to the poore oppressed labourers husbandmen which were defrauded by the rich men had their hier and wages kept backe hee doeth comfort them in this respect that Christ wil come to iudge their cause saying Be patient brethren vntill the comming of the Lord and settle your heartes for the comming of our Lorde draweth nere Yea and our sauiour Christ sayde Luk. 18. that God will auenge his elect which cry day and night vnto him and that shortly Whereby we may gather also that the day of iudgement is not farre off as the wicked doe suppose but draweth on euery day neerer then other Let vs therefore as our sauiour doth counsel vs watch and pray continually that we may be able to stand before him at his comming to iudgemēt We see then that we must commit our causes to Christ offer our complaintes against the wicked to him and then doutles with our eyes we shal behold see the reward of the wicked Psal 91. As this is very comfortable doctrine to the godly to heare that Christ is their iudge and auditor of al their causes so is it as doleful and grieuous a thing to the wicked and cast awaies to wey with themselues that Christ their enemy shal be their iudge whome they haue alwayes in their life time hated made a mocke of and had in vtter contempt both him his Gospel and ministers of his word and sacraments This shall pearce them to the very heart to see him their iudge whom they could neuer abyde yea his sight and presence shal be so feareful and terrible vnto them all that they shall curse the time that euer they were borne for they shal hide themselues in dennes and rockes of the mountaines and shall say to the hilles Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stande These and the like wordes shall they vtter for dolour and anguish of minde and yet finde no comfort for they haue refused the Lorde and God of all comfort here vpon the earth and therefore shall not haue him there to be their comforter And S. Iohn doeth tell vs who these are to whome this iudge Iesus shal be so fierce and cruel euen the kinges of the earth and the great men and the riche men and the chiefe captaines and the mightie men and euery bond man and euery free man Reuelation 6. not meaning all kings and noble men but some of euery state and sorte of men yea the greater part of euery degree of men especially of great men for not many noble not many wise not many mightie men are called to the knowledge of the Gospel lest they should bragge but rather the poore the base the vnwise are chosen because they should not vant of their worthinesse as Paul doeth tell vs in the 1. Corinthians 1 Chap. most notably To conclude this part seeing the Lord shal be iudge to the wicked euen the Lord Iesus to render flaming fire and vengeance vnto them that know not God and obey not his Gospel this may teach them to feare and to liue somewhat more orderly if not for the loue of God of heauen and vertue yet for feare of hell death and damnation to auoyde the punishment that wil light vpon sinne at that day Let vs come to the third poynt The persōs that shall come before this iudge to be examined and trìed in iudgement they are sayde here to be the quicke and the dead that is to say al both the liuing and the dead But here some may aske this question Seeing it is appointed to al mē once to die because they are mortal how is it said here that some shall be quicke and aliue at the comming of Christ To this wee make answere that they that shal be aliue at the second comming of Christ to iudgement shall as it were dye for they shall all be changed and renewed and that suddenly as if they had bene long dead before and this is the meaning of Paul 1 Corinth 15. Wee shal not all dye that is wee shall not all be layde in the graue as others but we shall all be in a moment altered which shal be in steade of a death vnto vs. So we see what we haue to answere to this question The persons then that are to be sūmoned cited to appeare by the voyce of the Archangel trūpet of God in a woord generally are all men that euer haue bene from the first man
Adam or shal be to the last man that shal be borne here vpon the earth None can escape this iudge or hide himselfe away from his sight which seeth into the bottome of the sea euen into the middest of the earth and hell none shal be forgotten not the lest childe that is for he hath all written in his bookes both good and bad great and small for these are the wordes of the holy Ghost We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ And againe As I liue saith the Lord euery knee shall bowe to me and euery tongue confesse to me None then shal be missing no not the great Monarches Emperours and Kings of the earth shall helpe theÌ„selues here or flee away but they shal be brought to iudgement and stand at the barre as others do be brought as lowe as the lowest Wel let vs apply this doctrine for our vse to profit by it Of this doctrine that we must al come to iudgement and none escape Paul gathereth this argument and lesson that knowing the terrour of the Lorde we should doe our duety that both dwelling at home and remouing from home wee may be acceptable vnto him For it made Paul the more rouÌ„dlie to doe his office and function in preaching saying We knowing this perswade men and are made manifest vnto God and I trust also that we are made manifest vnto your consciences 2. Corin. 5. Fourthly let vs see the maner and order of this generall iudgement Our Sauiour Christ doeth most liuely describe it in the 25. of Matthewes Gospel saying When the Sonne of man commeth in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit vpon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shephearde separateth the sheepe from the goates and he shal set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on his left then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungry and ye gaue me meate I was thirstie and ye gaue mee drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me and so forth Then shal he say to them on his left hand Depart froÌ„ mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels For I was an hungred and yee gaue mee no meate I thirsted and yee gaue me no drinke c. And these shall goe into euerlasting payne and the righteous into life eternall Here wee see the fourme and order of this iudgement described most liuely vnto vs in the person of Christ a King putting some on the ryght hande and some on the left hande S. Paul also doth set it out vnto vs most excelleÌ„tly that the Lord Iesus shall descend froÌ„ heauen with a shoute and with the voyce of the Archangel and Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall ryse first and wee which remayne aliue shall bee caught vp with them also into the cloudes to meete the Lorde in the ayre and so shall we bee euer with the Lorde Where note that he â—etteth it out onely for the comfort of the godly making no mention in this place of the wicked Saint Peter saith It shall be as a thiefe in the nyght in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elementes shall melt with heate and the earth with the woorkes that are therein shal be burnt vp 2. Pet. 3. S. Iohn in the Reuelation doeth very effectually expresse this thing in like maner for he saieth that a great white throne was set which he saw and one that sate vpon it and the dead stood both great smal before God the bookes were opened the sea and death and hel gaue vp their dead and euery man was iudged according to the things written in the bookes Reuel 20. Wee learne this good lesson by it as Peter doeth teach vs that seeing the maner of this great and last day of iudgement by Christ shall be so terrible in respect of the alteration of the creatures wee ought to be holy in all conuersation and godlinesse looking and hasting for the comming of that day of the Lord Iesus to iudgement And here furthermore wee gather that heauen and earth shall be dissolued and made newe that this worlde nowe shall haue an ende as it had a beginning contrary to the false opinion of the Philosophers and wicked Atheistes of our time which thinke that all things shall continue as they doe for euer Thus much for the maner of the iudgement Nowe as concerning the time our Sauiour Christ hath forewarned vs that it is not for vs to knowe the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power Act. 1. For of that daye and houre knoweth no man no not the angels which are in heauen neyther the Sonne him selfe but my Father onely saith Christ Which is to be vnderstoode that Christ knoweth not the latter day as hee is man but as he is the eternall God and one with his Father euen his wisedome he knoweth it and al things else We see then that the day and houre is most vncertaine and yet the thing it selfe most certaine that it shall be But although this day and houre be vnknowen yet notwithstanding our Sauiour Christ hath giuen vs signes and tokens of his comming which may sturre vs vp the more warily to waite for his comming These things our Sauiour sayd shoulde come to passe before he came we see they are fulfilled already many shall come in his name to deceiue vs saying I am Christ shall deceyue many we shall heare of warres nation shall rise against nation realme against realme there shall be famine earthquakes and pestilence in diuers places the godly shal be afflicted killed and hated of al men for Christs sake many shall bee offended at the Gospel and betray one another the father the sonne and the sonne the father the brother against the brother shall rise and put him to death false prophets shall aryse and deceiue many iniquitie shal be increased and the loue of many shall bee colde and the Gospel shall bee preached vnto all nations and then shall the end come Furthermore there shal be signes in the sunne and in the moone and in the starres the sunne shal be darkened the moone shall not giue her lyght and the starres of heauen shall fall which things haue come to passe whither you take them litterally or allegorically for both the sunne and moone hath beene eclipsed and signes and wonders haue appeared in the starres and if ye take the sonne for the worde of God and Gospel we see it hath bene darkened and abused by the Papistes The
moone which doth represent the Church which taketh her light from the sunne Iesus Christ hath byn persecuted turned into blood and not giuen her light by reason of troubles and the starres which are likened to the preachers haue fallen away and otherwise stept aside These things and the lyke may put vs in minde that the cōming of Christ is not far off euen as when we see the trees begin to budde we know then that the spring time is neere We know furthermore that the time of this iudgement shal be very sudden as the lightnings or as the cōming of a thiefe and as the sudden crying out of a woman with childe For as it was in the dayes of the floud in Noes time the waters came and tooke them all away so shall the comming of the sonne of man be Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot they ate they dranke they bought they solde they planted they buylt they gaue in marriage and married wiues but in the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rayned fire brimstone from heauen and destroyed them all After these ensamples shall it be in the day whē the Sonne of man is reuealed And surely this day is hid from our eyes that we shoulde be prepared euery day not be secure or careles to differre repentance and put it off from day to day as a great many do among vs. Seeing then the time is at hand and yet vnknowē we ought to be prepared and be in a readines to follow our Masters counsel for he saith Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeting drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnwares for as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe that ye may stande before the Sonne of man This daye is as the day and time of our death as we knowe not when we shall die and yet it is most certaine that we shall die so it is with this day And whether a man shoulde looke for the day of his death or this day of iudgement first truely I can not tell they are both so vncertaine neither haue we longer warrant of time prescribed vnto vs in the scriptures of the one then of the other I praye God the Lord Iesus may finde vs as good seruants doing his will and woorke at his comming that wee may haue our candles burning in our handes with oyle in our lampes and the marriage garment on our backes ready to open the doore when he cōmeth and knocketh for vs. Happy shal we be if the Lord find vs so doing otherwise if he finde vs smiting our felow seruants eating and drinking being drunken he shal come vpon vs at vnwares and cut vs in pieces giue vs our portion with the vnbelieuers hypocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Let vs therefore I beseeche you brethren by the Lorde Iesus knowing the time is short and at hande euen in the doores gird vp the loines of our minde that when our Sauiour knocketh we may open vnto him immediatly Thus wee see what we haue to note and learne vpon the time of the comming of Christ vnto iudgement The place also is to be considered the nations and kinreds of the people that shall appeare that day are so many and innumerable that the earth shall not bee able to conteyne them all therefore Saint Paul saith that we shall be caught vp in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre So that all shall bee taken vp into the ayre as the place of iudgement But I come to the last poynt which is more materiall to our purpose for what ende this great and last day is reserued and kept in store It hath two endes or causes why it is ordayned of the Lorde the one is that the godly may be deliuered out of their miseries and troubles which they haue here stoutly endured for Christes sake and be receyued into euerlasting life The other is that the wicked reprobate and all the companie of infidels which haue herecontemned the Lord liued in pleasure and delites of the fleshe may be iustly punished as they haue well deserued with euerlasting fire brimstone which is the second death For it might seeme if there were no iudgement or life after this that the Lord were notiust in his doings for neither are the godly and ryghteous rewarded many times in this life neyther are the vngodly punished for their offences while they liue here for the most part Now God is most iust which will rewarde all godlines and vertue and seuerely punish vice and wickednes These two endes doth our Sauiour mention in the general iudgement the one sort saith he shall goe into euerlasting life and the other sort into euerlasting fire Matth. 25. Saint Paul likewise doth make mention of these causes in the second epist of the Thessalonians the first chapter shewing as well what the good shall haue as the bad saying on this wise It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shewe him selfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not knowe GOD and which obey not the Gospel of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power thus much for the wicked Now foloweth rewarde for the good when hee shall come the bee glorified in his saintes and to bee made marueylous in all them that beleeue in that day Here wee may haue a notable discourse as is in any place of scripture why our sauiour Christ shal come to iudgement both in respect of the good and bad yea the wicked angels and spirites them selues as Iude saith hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines of darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day This day is greatly desired and longed for of the godly and especially of the true ministers of Christes Gospell that their cause may bee knowen to bee good agaynst the wicked and their sayings veryfied concerning this iudgement for surely there is nothing almost seene of God or beleeued of the wicked vntyll that day Tell them of this day and terrifie them with it they make a mocke at it they count them for fooles and simple persons that liue a godly and Christian life but when this day commeth as it will come certainly it will make a recompence for all and they shall finde all our sayings threatnings to be most true Therefore the godly desire it in respect of Gods glorie chiefly which the wicked haue defaced A great many of them thinke that there
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
because he hath all knowledge and vnderstanding This is the doctrine that we gather generally of this that the holy ghost is true very God For verily except he were God Christ would not cōmaunde his disciples to baptise in the name of the holy ghost putting him in equall condition and estate with the father and him selfe Not that we affirme that there be three Gods but this we meane In the one and inseparable diuine nature and essence of God we vnderstand three persons by them selues distinct one frō another But this mistery of the trinitie may better be beleeued and so it is of the faithfull then fitly expressed of any I leaue it therefore to speake any further of it vntill in the resurrection we shall see it as it is and perceiue that by sight euē face to face which nowe wee conceiue by our fayth onely Thus much of the holy ghost the third person in this trinitie Now let vs consider the wonderfull effectes of it which is a thing more profitable for vs. The effectes of the holy ghost are of two sortes eyther as they are considered in him selfe or as they are in the children of God the effects of the holy ghost in him selfe are the creation of the worlde the preseruation of it with al things therein from the beginning vnto this day Wherein we learne to giue thākes to this holy spirit for his goodnes extended vnto vs to pray to him cōtinually to mainteine vs by his power vertue that we fall not away from him For if hee take away his strength and operation from vs wee are as blynde men groping for the waye And this is that that Dauid speaketh of in his Psalme 104. If thou hide thy face they are troubled meaning all his creatures Agayne If thou sende foorth thy spirite they are created and thou renuest the face of the earth But our purpose is especially to speake here of those good giftes and effectes which this holy spirite doeth worke in men chiefly in the elect For there is no man but hath had some good gifte at one time or an other either in body or in soule from this holy spirit For strength beauty learning eloquence witte knowledge vtterance policie the gift of healing of tongues of miracles and such like are from aboue although these are common as well to the ill and reprobate as to the good and elect sonnes of God as Paul doth shewe and declare more at large in the 12. 13. 18. chapters of the 1. Corinthians Our meaning is to speake chiefly of the graces of Gods spirite in the hearts of his chosen as of fayth hope and loue vnfayned of the spirit of sanctification and adoption which are proper only to the elect and good are neuer cōmunicated to the wicked Of this spirit spake our sauiour Christ to his disciples that he would sende him vpon them and that the world could not receyue him This is that spirit by whome the father doeth place and put the elect in ful possession of all the goodes and inheritance of Iesus Christ and doeth keepe and preserue vs euery houre and doeth make vs partakers of all thinges necessary to saluation which thing it bringeth to passe when as it doeth create in our heartes and beget that excellent instrument of faith the chiefest worke of the spirit which bringeth foorth as a most fruitefull tree all other good fruites and workes of a Christiā man This faith doth the holy ghost ingender in our heartes when we heare the Gospel of Christ preached it is confirmed encreased in vs by the duely and reuerent receiuing of the sacraments of Christ By this faith after it is wrought in vs by the motion and operation of the holy spirite wee apprehend and take holde of all Christes benefites merites works and good deedes whatsoeuer and they are made accounted ours as if wee had done them our selues O wonderfull gift of the holy ghost that worketh so precious a iewel pearle in our heartes as farre surmositeth the price valew of euery thing beside This is the first effect of the holy ghost is marueilous in our eies An other property effect of this holy spirit is sanctification holines of life in the good godly only therfore he is called the holy spirit for this worke of holines in vs. For as it is proper to the father to create to the sonne to redeeme and rāsome so in like sort it is proper and peculiar to the holy Ghost to sanctifie Gods childrē effectually to moue their mindes to true holinesse And of this effect doth S. Paul speake in the 1. Cor. 6. shewing the Corinthians that they were wicked men as fornicatours idolatours extortioners couetous theeues such like but saith he you are washed but you are sāctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lorde Iesus and by the spirite of our God As if we would say those good graces gifts of God were wrought imprinted in their consciences hearts by the persuasion of the holy ghost Necessarily therfore after our beleefe in the father the sonne followeth our beleefe in the holy ghost For whatsoeuer cōmeth frō thē as all graces do they are signed sealed vnto vs by the warrāt of the holy ghost Wherefore it is fitly compared to a seale whereby al the promises of the blessings of God through Christ are deepely ingrauen in our hearts that they cā neuer thēce be rased out any more but shal cōtinue for euer As we see the writing to be to no effect without a mans hand seale no more are the graces of God vnto vs to any purpose vnlesse he sēd the earnest of his spirit into our hearts which doth cōfirme thē vnto vs and assertaine our cōsciences the we are his childrē he our father Rom. 8. This is a notable effect is in such sort tasted of the godly approued of thē as neither the wisedōe of that world nor the sense vnderstāding of man is able to cōprehend neither cā yet be perceiued by the eyes of mē for these things are spiritually iudged discerned therefore no maruel if godly mē hauing the spirit of God and speaking therewith are mocked and derided of the carnall men in this worlde which haue him not neither can iudge any thing of him 1. Cor. 2. This spirit although it be one the same not many or deuide 1. Cor. 12. Ephes 4 yet in respect of the diuers sundry effects operatiōs of him in the church of Christ hee is called termed by the name of seuē spirits that is of many for his manifold gifts As in the fourth of the Reuelat it is said There were seuē lāpes of fire burning before the throne which are the seuen spirites of God that is a seuen fold spirit of God This spirit is called A spirit of wisedome and vnderstāding a spirit of strength and
of wickednes Mouing likewise the subiectes to rebell against their lawful and natural princes and magistrates discharging thē of their othes and obedience vnto their rulers I saye he that doeth these things and worse may wel doubt of his saluation for he hath nothing to do in the kingdom of God And so all his adherents folowing his steppes religion whose liues are altogether most filthie and wicked may be in the same case and state with their holy father the Pope But they say We can by no meanes be sure of our saluation because we can not be sure of our perseuerance in the faith of Christ vnto the ende But this is vtterly false for the scripture sayth that the godly shall continue and perseuere vnto the ende Paul was sure that he had the spirit of God and that caused him to be perswaded that neyther thinges present neither things to come shoulde be able to separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Then we may be sure that thinges to come shall not remoue vs from God Againe the loue of God is constant and perfite and whom he once loueth he loueth with an euerlasting loue euen vnto the ende as Christ is sayde to loue his Iohn 13. And to whome God hath giuen this spirite of adoption as he doeth to the Elect he neuer taketh it away but is stil a testimonie vnto their consciences that they shal be saued in the ende and cōtinue in the meane season in the faith and obedience of Christ Iesus their Lorde Yea Paul is persuaded of the Philippians and so must we be of our selues that he that hath begunne a good worke in vs wil performe it vntill the day of the Lord Iesus Christ Philip. 1. And he hath the like to the Corinthians that God wil confirme them vnto the ende 1. Cor. 1. And they that are elected shal continue For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. S. Iohn a man beloued of Iesus Christ and to be beleeued before our aduersaries doubted not to say and affirme for a trueth in his seconde Epistle to a vertuous Lady that the trueth which dwelleth in vs shal be with vs for euer If it shal remaine with vs for euer how should we doubt that it can forsake vs at any time either present or to come Proue your selues sayth Paul whether ye are in the faith examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobats Here he wil haue vs to be throughly perswaded that Christ dwelleth in vs so to be sure of saluation vnlesse we will be counted reprobates which God forbid If the Papists wil be counted reprobates let them then doubt of their saluation if not then let them recant be assured of it with vs and amend their religion and maners speedily Neyther is this doctrine as some ignorant persons terme it a doctrine of rashnesse and presumptuousnes vnles Gods worde teach vs presumption But this is a very comfortable doctrine as at all times so especially at the houre of death when our consciences doe accuse vs and Satan assault vs and the paynes of death come vpon vs I saye this doeth comfort weake and feeble consciences not to despaire and the other doctrine of theirs doeth leade men the hye way to desperation to doubt whether they shall be saued or no. They saye we must feare It is true but not feare to bee damned For there is no damnation to them that are in Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. Neither must this feare bee without faith and hope for then it is a slauish feare of the whippe and scourge and not a childes feare to feare to displease his louing father Wee must then haue the feare of sonnes not of hired seruantes to feare to offende and displease so mercifull and louing a Father and not to feare and doubt of our saluation for it standeth not in vs but in a surer rocke and grounde which is Iesus Christ and if we beleeue in him we shall haue euerlasting life Iohn 3. Act. 17. And yet here we must take heede of another extremitie which the Messalians certaine heretikes with the Libertines Anabaptists that wicked sect of the familie of loue falleth into for all these presume too much of this spirit of God and of their reuelations because they ioyne not the spirite of God with his word but separate it from the word of Christ and so it is but a fayned spirite of their own fantastical braynes and not from God Nowe as the Papistes take too litle so these men take too much and whatsoeuer commeth first into their idle heades by and by they attribute it to the spirit of God be it neuer so wicked and so these commōly contemne the outwarde worde and preaching of the Gospel with the administration of the Sacraments whereas we knowe that the spirite goeth and is giuen by the ministerie of the worde and is ioyned with it as Acts. 10. we reade that while Peter spake the worde the holy ghost fell on all them that heard the preaching not before the worde came for Christ giueth not his spirit but by the hearing of his Gospell first preached as Paul sayde to the Ephesians After ye heard the worde of trueth the Gospel of your saluation wherein also after that ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy Spirite of promise Ephes 1. Here we see if any would pretend the spirit without the worde he may bee refuted for they goe both together the worde of trueth with the spirite of promise For it is not our part to disseuer or disioyne those two things which God will haue coupled together in one And therefore the Prophetes which myght better haue vsed this prerogatiue of the spirit then they called alwayes the people to the worde of the Lorde God saying Heare the word of the Lord Thus sayeth the Lord and still The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esay 1. They pretende not the spirit without the worde although they speake most plentifully by him 2. Epist of Peter 1. Chapter For the prophecie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Furthermore another effecte of this Spirite is to moue the heart of man when the worde is preached vnto him for vnlesse Gods Spirite perswade and worke in our heartes within when the preacher soundeth in our eares the outward word he shal but speake as it were in the ayre beate the eare of man in vaine Paul well considering this sayde that he in deed had planted and Apollos another preacher had watered the worde but it is God sayeth he that giueth the increase And wee knowe that God woorketh all things in the heartes of his children by this spirite wherewith hee sealeth them after they haue heard and beleeued the worde preached
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
in his blood and for this cause doe wee beleeue that there is but one true Catholique Church and no moe which shall continue for euer although Satan and his ministers goe about by all meanes possible to ouerthrowe and subuert it Wee are then taught here to beleeue that there is an vniuersall Church of Christ and not to beleeue and trust in it as we doe in God for that were idolatrie to trust in men and put our confidēce in them But wee must trust in GOD onely and not in this Church as the Papistes woulde beare vs in hande because the Church is but the company of the elect and chosen and are men Nowe wee can not beleeue and put our hope in any thing that is a creature for that were blasphemie to say and wee are also accursed if wee do so as the holy Prophete Ieremie hath by the mouth of the holy Ghost forewarned vs saying Thus sayth the Lorde Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lorde for hee shall be like the heath in the wildernes and shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse in a salte lande and not inhabited Ier. 17. By these woordes then of the holy ghost we learne not to beleeue in the Church but that there is an holy Church of Christe in this worlde euery where dispersed and scattered abroad through the face of the whole earth This article doeth declare vnto vs what the Church is terming it the communion of Saintes or fellowshippe of the godly eyther with Christ or els with themselues in loue furthermore what maner of Church this is is here likewise set downe that it is holy by reason of Christ her head catholike because it is not tied to any one place as Rome but generally is in all places of the earth tossed as a ship vpon the sea frō one coast to another as pleaseth God to dispose of it To these things two other pointes may be adioyned to make vp the perfit discourse of it and to the which all other thinges incident to any maner question of the Church may bee easely referred The one is to consider who is the vniuersall head and gouernour of this catholique Church the other by what true markes notes signes and titles this Church may be knowen and discerned from the false and counter faite synagogue of Satan that is from the whorishe and Babylonicall strumpet of Rome which falsly taketh vpon her the name of this chaste wife and spouse of Christe being an vncleane and a most adulterous harlot which hath long agoe forsaken her bridegrome Iesus Christ as it shall God willing hereafter better appeare in the discourse and tract of this matter Seeing the Church is likened to an house 1. Timothie 3. and euery house is builded and gouerned of some man Hebr. 3. it is necessarie that this house also which is the Church of the liuing God haue some builder head of it to looke vnto it which is both able to do it most ready to helpe it The builder of this Chruch is Iesus Christ Mat. 16. 18. he is the only head of it as S. Paul doth proue most manifestly vnto vs both in the 1. 4. chap. of the epistle of the Ephesians and the 1. chapter to the Colos saying God hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feet and hath giuen him ouer al thinges to be the head to the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in al things And againe Let vs folow the trueth in loue and in al things growe vp vnto him which is the head that is Christ by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receyueth increase of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe in loue Ephe. 4. So in the Colos 1. 18. He is the head of the body of the Church Out of this doeth the body of Christ which is his Church receyue a special and singuler comfort against al tētations that they shal be defended preserued for euer for Christ cā not forsake his body he cā not but loue it nourish it with those spiritual graces which come proceede frō him the head fountaine For as we see in the body naturall how that the head receiueth not meate for it selfe but for the cherishing and increasing of the strength of the body and the rest of the members so the Lorde Iesus is not an head for himself but for vs neyther hath hee receyued all power and authoritie of his father with the fulnesse of the holy Ghost to keepe it to him selfe but to giue and to impart it most louingly and liberally to his true members to make them to grow vp more and more till they come to a perfection in him If Christ therefore haue strength holinesse power and all other good giftes and graces of the spirite then may the Church assure her selfe of them all because the wife may recken that all the goodes and landes of her husbande are hers and wee knowe that the Church hath this dignitie and prerogatiue which is inestimable and full of wonderfull loue that shee is counted and called as shee is in very deede the chaste wife and spouse of Christe here vpon the earth to whome hee is ioyned with the coniunction and fellowshippe of his heauenly spirite I haue sayth Paul prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgin vnto Christ 2. Corin. 11. Cantic 4. Ezechiel 16. Ephesians 5. What noble man will bee content to take a poore wretched beggerwoman out of the streetes full of ragges and filthinesse to make her his wife And yet the Lorde Iesus hath done greater thinges in mercie for vs then this for when hee passed by hee looked vpon vs and beholde our tyme was as the time of loue hee spredde his skirtes ouer vs and couered our filthinesse yea hee sware vnto vs and entred into couenant with vs and we became his owne So is the Lorde in mariage become nowe our head and wee his spouse let vs then take heede that wee admitte no others into his loue or defile our selues with whoredome and idolatrie in giuing our faith and allegeance to straungers and false goddes whome wee knowe not Our husbande is very ielous ouer vs hee can not abide another man to bee admitted vnto his bedde for that were spirituall fornication and adulterie before him which hee wyll punishe most seuerely as hee did in the Israelites which brake couenant with him and betooke them selues to Idoles and bowed downe to them in steade of him as the Prophete declareth Ezechiel 16. Seeyng then Christ is appoynted the head of his Church and that one wife as there is but one bodie which is the Church can haue but one husbande to bee her
head and one house but one Lorde and master to rule it what wickednesse is it to say that the Pope of Rome is an vniuersall head ouer the Church Is not this to take away Christes roome and dignitie or rather is it not to make the Church a monster to haue two heades in one body But they say that the Byshope of Rome is the visible heade in Christes steade but this they can not shewe by Scripture neither doeth the Church require any such heade for Christ is present with it as he hath promised Mat. 28. I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the worlde If the Pope be a visible heade why is he not seene of al men why doeth he not gouerne all men in the Church and giue nourishment vnto them as the heade ought to doe This he doth not wherefore he is no visible heade as he doth pretende And surely to be the general head ouer al is too great a matter enterprise for any mortal man to take vpō him I am sure the Pope will graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholike Church If hee then bee a member howe can hee be an head except the same thing shal be both an heade and member which is very absurde monstruous If he say that as he is a member Christ is his head only and not another why shall not Christ bee as well a head for all These thinges wee see are very childish and fonde But yet they apply and say that Christ sayde to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde my Church First note hee sayth not vpon thee Peter will I builde but vpon this rocke meaning the fayth of Peters confession which confessed him to be Christ therefore by the rocke hee meant himselfe For when Peter had sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of God Christ sayd to him Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church and in that place hee giueth no more to Peter in the keys which is the binding and losing of sinners then he giueth to thē al els where as in Ioh. 20. when he said Receiue the holy Ghost whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted whosoeuers sinnes ye reteyne they are reteyned Here all haue as much as Peter and if they will beleeue the fathers which they brag of much they do neuer referre this vnto Peter alone but to the rest of the apostles to al faithful ministers of Iesus Christ As Origē in his 1. homi vpō Mat. so doth Cyprian Ambrose Ierome Augustine And what hath the pope to do with these woordes which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to see how they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is saide of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in deede they must prooue these three poyntes vnto vs if they wil haue the Pope to be the supreme head of the whole Church which they shall be neuer able to doe by the scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chiefe and head of all the Apostles Secondly that he was at Rome and sate there as Bishop generall Thirdly that hee left all the title and preeminence of this seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poyntes as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we shoulde graunt it them vnles they proue the third which they shall neuer be able to do that Peter hath left all his authoritie to his successours after him for euer Forasmuch then as the Pope neither is nor cā be any ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone which is alwayes presēt with it euer walketh in the midst of the seuē golden cādlesticks so that he needeth no vicar general or vniuersal B. let vs dearly beloued as we loue the Lorde Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flee farre from the Pope and all his adherents traditions decrees and pardons lest hee make marchandise also of our soules as he doth of a great many both in Rome Spaine and els where This being set downe as a most certaine and sure principle that Christ is the head of this church it would be seene what authoritie this church hath and what rule or power is graunted vnto it If the Papistes will graunt as they can not deny but that this church is the wife chaste and obedient spouse to her Lorde and husband Iesus Christ If I say they will admit this this controuersie betweene them and vs of the authoritie of the Churche whether it be greater then the scriptures and worde of Christ shall not bee hard to discusse but soone ended For what authoritie iurisdiction a wise man wil graunt to his wife vnder him that libertie is to bee graunted to the church vnder Christ If it be reason and iust that a wife shoulde not controll or be superior and aboue her husbandes worde and commaundement hauing a wise and discrete husbande to gouerne and commaunde her then is it no reason or right whatsoeuer the papists say that the authoritie of the church which is the wife should be greater and of more force then the woorde and will of the husbande Christ seeing that S. Paul saith Eph. 5. 24. that the church is in subiection to Christ and from thence draweth an argument of the obedience and subiection of wiues to their husbands which surely can not be so in euery thing as Paul there willeth except the Church bee in subiection and vnder the authoritie of the will and commandement of the husbande in all things If they will not permit but thinke it vnreasonable vnles they goe against scripture that the wiues authoritie should bee either equall or superiour to the husband why then doe they suffer and teache that the decrees and constitutions of the churche to make articles lawes sacramēts and other rites and ceremonies are aboue the authoritie of the written worde and so consequently aboue Christ him selfe which can not be separated from his worde and will which hee will haue vs to receiue as him selfe For speaking of his Apostles and other ministers that brought his worde to the people he saith He that receiueth you receiueth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore when the aduersaries saye that the authoritie of the Church is greater then the woorde and scriptures of God what doe they saye els but that man is aboue God the wife aboue the husband The one is blasphemy and the other absurde Wee see then by these thinges that the authoritie of the church is to obey Christ in all things and to doe such workes and busines as he hath commanded in his worde except it bee in indifferent matters not repugning vnto the worde nor hindering godlines and being voyde of superstition and without clogge of conscience The Church is compared and likened to an house 1. Timoth.
the outward signes whereby the Church of Christ may bee knowen from the temple of idoles I am not ignorant that there are other signes as the holy Ghost and faith which because they are inwarde and knowen to God and euery mans owne conscience I let them passe I onely speake here of the visible signes and markes of the church whereby it is manifested vnto men such as the worde and Sacramentes be If then these be the signes of true Christians let vs that are English men vse them diligently let vs in season and out of season heare the worde with reuerence embrace it let vs withal confirme it in our hearts as with a seale by the reuerent receiuing of the sacraments of our Lorde Iesus Christ This ground being layde that the Church is knowen by the worde of Christ and his Sacramentes beyng vsed as hee ordayned them we can not acknowledge the Church of Rome to be this Catholike Church of Christ for shee hath not these markes in her forehead For it is most manifest that shee hath burned this worde of Christ in the fire and refused it and in steade of it sette vp the worde of man the decrees of Popes and constitutions of their owne as the liues of Saintes in their Legende which is full of abominable lies they mainteyne their own traditions aboue this worde and haue them in greater estimation so that the neglect of their owne trumpery as to eate flesh in Lent or to breake their fasting dayes is more seuerely punished by them and made a greater matter then the open contempt of Gods Lawes For the adulterie of their Priestes Friers and their Nunnes was counted but a light matter no sinne with them Here we see what all the worlde may iudge of them and these thinges to bee true experience it selfe doeth testifie And if at any time they gaue the people the worde which is called of Paul the sworde of God wherewith all Christians ought to fight and therefore shoulde be common as well to the laytie as the Cleargie as they tearme them If I saye they gaue it at any time vnto them yet they gaue it as a sworde in the sheath that is in the Latine tongue wherein they vnderstoode nothing at all contrarie to the expresse wordes of Paul saying That all thinges shoulde bee done to edification in the Church and that hee had rather speake fiue wordes in a knowen tongue then fiue thousande without the vnderstanding of the people 1. Corinth 14. I saye these men are guyltie of the death of the Lordes people which sende them out to fight with their enemies and yet take awaye their weapons and swordes from them and so leaue them naked and bare to the spoyle of the enemie This did the Churche of Rome when it first tooke away here with vs the scriptures and worde of God in English from the people and fedde them with toyes fables of Beuis of South Hampton and such like fabulous bookes which were inuented by the deuils instruments to keepe the people from reading of the holy Scriptures And no maruayle if they did so that is take away the worde from them for they knewe well ynough that if the people had the Scriptures in their owne tongue they woulde quickly see and perceiue their knauery and treacherie that they so closely vsed in corners But when they had put out the candle they played many sluttish partes and no man sawe them although the Lorde then winked not at them but hath in his good tyme disclosed them to their shame his name be praysed therefore We see then that this false church of Rome hath dealt with the Scriptures and the people as the Philistins handled Samson for they put out his eyes and then they led him whither they woulde so the Papistes when they had subtilly put out the eyes of the people in taking from them the light of Gods worde and the Gospell of Christ they brought them where they listed made thē beleeue what they woulde They thought good to be ill ill good they called sweete sowre and sowre sweete light darkenesse and darkenesse lyght and all because they had not the word which was the true light vnto their paths and a lanterne vnto their feete Psal. 119. Then was it altogether thought good and godly to goe on pilgrimage to offer to Saintes to praye to them to haue images in Churches to beare candles to kisse the Pax to goe on procession with a thousand such trumperies which we were delited with as yong children in toyes and trifles whereas now we willingly cōdemne them and are ashamed of them because we haue the light which hath made them manifest and sheweth vnto vs that we henceforth be no more children wauering caryed about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceite of men and with craftinesse whereby they lye in wayte to deceyue vs But let vs follow the trueth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ Ephes. 4. ver 14. 15. By these thinges we see that Rome is not the true Church because it hath forsaken the worde of God whereby the Church is gathered together as men to battell by the sound of a drumme or trumpet Nowe as they haue done in the word in mangling it so haue they in like maner corrupted and altered the true vse of the Sacramentes both in adding vnto them and taking away from them not being contented with the simplicitie and that order that Christ vsed them in To Baptisme haue they added of their owne spittle creame and salt with such like trash the cuppe haue they taken away from the common people and say it was ordayned for the Priestes onely when as our sauiour Christ sayde Drinke ye all of this Matth. 26. They say not al but the Priests onely so that when Christ sayth one thing they say another contrary vnto it Furthermore they worship the bread and say that it is turned into the bodie of Christ become God where they commit both idolatrie in worshipping a creature as the bread and blasphemie in that they say it is God Seeing then they haue not these marks for their church let vs see what markes they shewe vnto vs. First they say that their Vniuersalitie or multitude is a signe of the Catholike Church but this is vtterly false confuted both by the testimonies and authorities of the scriptures and also by many examples out of them For first if multitude make the Catholike Church then the Turkes and Pagans shall be the Church sooner and before the Papistes as the euent doeth shew for they are moe in number then the Christians or their pretended Catholikes which yet I thinke they will not graunt to be the Church But they will say Among the Christians the greatest number are the Church If this be so then sayde not our sauiour Christ truely when hee called his Church a little flocke saying Feare not
to Christ are gentle as sheepe not cruel as wolues for they shall not hurt nor destroy in al the mountayne of my holines saith the Lorde of hosts by his Prophet This name of the church excludeth y◠bloody church of Rome for they are as wolues cruell beastes deuouring the sheepe as well with vs appeared in Queene Maries dayes howe bloodthirstie they were in that the wolues slewe so many of the sheepe of Christ It is called the spouse of Christ therefore they that giue them selues to another head and husband as the false Romanes doe are not of this church It is also compared and likened to the moone because the churche taketh all her light and brightnes of Iesus Christ the true sunne of righteousnes as the moone doeth take of the sunne all her light which thing the Papistes doe not for they ascribe not all to Christ but some things to the Pope some to them selues and others And as the moone is not alway visible being in her change so is not this churche to the eye of man alwayes in a visible she we as the proude churche of Rome is but hath sometime warre and aduersitie sometime peace prosperitie It is moreouer like vnto a ship vpon the seas tossed in deede with the waues from one place to an other but yet neuer drowned because Christ Iesus is in it and holdeth the sterne with his hande These thinges vnto the which the church is likened doe very well conuince Rome to be no church of God at all for it is alwayes visible to the eie and in great wealth and prosperitie as Babylon was so it boasteth of her selfe as shee did It neuer at all mourneth or is in the pit of afflictiō as Christ said his church shouldbe Iohn 16. And as we reade in Ezechiel 9. this church of Rome doth alwayes laugh and reioyce and neuer feeleth the rodde which is a token of bastards and such reprobates and not of Gods children Heb. 12. This true church of Christ is but one For there is but one mediator one husband and therefore one spouse and one body as Paul proueth Ephes 4. and is called vniuersall because it is in all partes of the earth and the Lord hath of his church out of all nations and kinreds tongues Reuel 7. Which church yet notwithstanding is deuided into particular churches of euery coūtrey kingdom where as they al make but one general church For they are ioyned together in the same spirite fayth baptisme and Lorde Iesus which is one head to them all There was a particular church in the house of Philemon as Paul reporteth in that epistle and he also calleth the Corinthiās a church others too vnto whom he wrote meaning that they were speciall churches of this vniuersall church And here the ignorance of the Papistes is seene and manifested which make that to be general and catholike which is but particular special For although their Rome were a true church yet can it not be termed by any meanes Catholike except all the saintes and good men aliue vpon the earth were in it which can not be Here thē they are deceiued in the worde Catholike making that to bee generall which is but in part so Paul did neuer write to any church which hee called Catholike for if hee had meant so that Rome had bene the catholike church when hee wrote vnto it then could he not properly haue called Corinth a church at all The summe of all that we haue said hitherto is thus much that there is an holy church whose head is Iesus Christ alone to this end and purpose called of God by his woord that it should gloryfie him for his goodnesse For looke whatsoeuer our God doth he doth it in y◠behalfe of his holy church For this end doeth hee destroy sometymes mightie kingdomes and great Princes that hee might deliuer his church and verily for this ende doeth hee keepe and preserue so long this wicked worlde vntill the number of his elect be fulfilled He neuer destroyed any nation but it was for his churches sake Oh howe greatly are we then bound to the goodnes of this our Christ which worketh so great thinges for vs shall we not magnifie his grace shal we not yeelde him continuall thanks and that in the middest of the great congregation Beleeue me deare brethren we are elect ereated redeemed iustified sanctified preserued dayly by his power shal be gloryfied in the life to come with his holy angels and saintes that we should set forth his praise glory And this is y◠thing which the blessed Apostle S. Peter doth in his first Epistle the second Chapter so earnestly exhort vs vnto saying To the church of God the trewe christians of Pontus Asia Cappadocia Galatia and Bithynia and in them to vs all you are sayth he a chosen generation a roial priesthood an holy nation a people set at lybertie Marke nowe dearely beloued the chiefest poynt to what ende all these thinges are done vnto vs that yee shoulde sayth hee shewe foorth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse vnto his marueilous light Doe wee nowe shewe foorth his goodnesse with thankesgiuing then are we good Christians and serue to the ende whereunto the Lord hath made vs. Are wee not all carefull of this duety to praise God his name daily Surely we haue then transgressed and degenerated from the ende of our creation and calling The praise of God is such a thing so hye and so excellent that if all the Angels in heauen with their force and might and all the men in earth with all their speach and eloquence goe about to set it forth and declare it they shall not do it sufficienly and as it deserueth to be done We ought then to do what lieth in vs and this thing doth the triumphant church in heauen of Angels and Saints teache vs that we should neuer cease to exto his name at al times as they do for they cannot satisfy themselues with crying Holy holy holy is the Lorde God of hostes the whole worlde is full of his glory Esay 6. And in the Reuelation the fourth chapter the foure beastes and the Elders cease not day nor night crying Holy holy holy Lorde God almighty which was which is and which is to come And yet for all this wee here in earth can satisfy our selues and be contented to set foorth his praise either neuer a whit or els so negligently and by such startes as wee declare wee haue no great loue and care thereunto so colde is our zeale in this poynt and yet most hot in trifles and vanites apperteining to our pleasures profits in this life Wee haue nowe heard dearely beloued the meaning of this article concerning the Catholike Church what it is and who is the head of it what authoritye it hath by what signes it may bee alwayes knowē from the Romish or false Church We
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.
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
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
or the chamber of presence for a mā can haue no accesse thither vntill he haue passed through many other doores and houses so surely it is in the life to come We can not come or enter into the kingdome of heauē euen the priuy chamber of Iesus Christ and there behold his presence except we first passe by many doores in this life which doe leade vs thither as for example we must first passe by our election then by our creation thirdly by our redemption wrought by Christ vpon the crosse fourthly by iustification fiftly by sanctification of life and last of all we must come to the resurrection as the last doore if we will haue our finall glorification which is euerlasting life to beholde and inioy the sweete and louing countenance of the Lorde Yea Paul goeth further and sayth that by many tribulations as strayte doores and gates which wring vs wee must enter into the kingdome of God Needes therefore must the resurrection be ioyfull whē as it leadeth vs directly to such a palace of pleasure as shall neuer ende therefore is called of Peter the time of refreshing both of bodye and soule in the presence of the Lorde Actes 3. The holy Apostle willed the Thessalonians to cōfort them selues with the ioyfull remēbrance of this day 1. Thess 4. For it shal be vnto vs as a new birth or natiuitie in al purenes And if wee so celebrate the dayes of our birth wherein we were borne into a vale of myserye and troubles howe ought wee to celebrate and keepe holy this day wherein we shall be exempted from all curses of this present life This day is termed our marriage day if we reioyce here when we are married to a mortall creature peraduenture to our greater payne and trouble thē before oh dearely beloued how should we be affected what tokens of ioy ought we to shewe foorth when wee shal be marryed to the sonne of God Christ Iesus for euer in fayth and trueth with a band which neuer shal be broken as the Lord speaketh in Ose 2. chapter and Reuelat. 19. In this day shall the gates of heauen be set wide open vnto vs which were shut vp before our bodies shall so much excell the bodyes which we now beare about with vs as the sunne doeth passe and ouercome the moone in brightnesse and light O what a ioye is this to haue our estate like vnto the blessed Angels of God most pure and diuine creatures If this cannot moue vs I see nothing that may doe it I am sure this reward so moued good Moses that hee forsooke the kingdome in Egypt and suffered paine with the people of God to come to this life in the ende Hebr. 11. Yea this hope of life to come made Abraham to leaue his coūtrey and to goe to the land of Canaan as a poore stranger Gen. 12. This made Paul to go through thicke and thinne in this life that he might attayne to the resurrection when he had seene the ioyes and pleasures that were shewed vnto him in Paradise when hee was taken vp thither 2. Cor. 12. Of this ioy our Sauiour gaue his disciples a tast in the Mount when hee was transfigured before them but it was nothing in respect of this Nowe as these thinges are most comfortable to the godly to heare that their bodyes shall be raysed vp to such glory So is this day most fearefull to the vngodly which haue here liued a dissolute life For they shall say at that day to the hilles Fall vpon vs and to the mountaynes Couer vs. but this shall not preuayle for they shal be raised vp but to their shame and confusion for euer as Daniel saith Cha. 12. They shal come forth as our sauiour sayth but to the resurrection of condemnation and so to be punished from the presence of the Lord Iesus with the worme of cōscience which shal neuer leaue to bite thē with the fire which shal not be quenched So they shal perish worthily through their owne corruption and receiue the wages of vnrighteousnesse as they which count it pleasure dayly to liue dilitiously These men would willingly wishe that this day might neuer be but it shal come vpon them and that suddenly and they shal be taken and snared not escape this iudgement For they must yeeld an accoūt of al their vngodly works wherby they haue both displeased the Lord and euil intreated his sayntes here vpon earth Thus you haue heard dearely beloued brethren the treatise of the resurrection by the scriptures discoursed First how that there is a generall rising of all fleshe Secondly the endes wherefore it is ordayned and then the cōfortable doctrine that the godly by this may lay hold on in all miseries of this life Nowe it remayneth for a finall conclusion that while we liue here we indeuour to haue our part in the first resurrection with Christ that we may by this come to the second and be blessed with him Let vs therefore giue thankes to our Lord Iesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life in that he hath vouchsafed to giue vnto vs an assurance of it in his owne person in that he rose againe from the dead And let vs likewise pray vnto him that we may so liue as we may be children of this happy resurrection to life hauing an effectual fayth with charitie which worketh by loue in vs that al our actions whatsoeuer may be seasoned powdered with it preparing our selues against this day with mortifying of our flesh seeing wee shal meete so victorious glorious a Lord comming in the cloudes let vs purge our selues from all filthinesse of the fleshe and spirit for no vncleane thing shall enter in with him God for his sonnes sake giue vs the grace to doe these things to the which blessed and immortall God with the sonne and the holy Ghost be rendred all prayse glory and thankesgiuing for euermore Amen The twelfth Lecture vpon the twelfth article of our Christian fayth which is The life euerlasting THis is the last article of our Christiā faith the last greatest benefite that God doth bestow vpō his church which is y◠third benefit of thē that followe the church for after remission of sinnes and the resurrection of our bodyes followeth this free gifte of life which is the ende of all our fayth as S. Peter calleth it 1. Pet 1. The resurrection going before giueth a passage vnto this endlesse life for except that resurrection come we cannot fully haue this benefit As remission of sinnes by Christ is the greatest gifte that God doeth bestowe vpon his children in this life so in the world to come this euerlasting life doeth so far surmount all the rest as the earth in cōpasse doth passe the bignesse of a tennys bal. This article shal then haue his effect whē Christ shal come to iudgment not before For of al the articles of our faith these three only
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
he therefore saye that is the poore man that because he hath this rewarde he hath deserued it If he so do he doth very vnthankfully When the seruant hath done his duetie can he clayme any thing of his master by merite I trowe no sayeth our Sauiour Christ Luke 17. Neyther doeth the master thanke him So we if we had done all things commaunded vnto vs as we are farre from performing the least of them yet we are vnprofitable seruants and what doth an vnprofitable seruant deserue at the Lordes handes Surely not the kingdome of heauen if he deserue any thing it is stripes Let vs not therefore thinke that we can deserue ought at Gods handes or gratifie and pleasure him so that he shoulde be beholding to vs of duetie to do any thing for vs. This is a very deuilish opinion Christ hath deserued at Gods hāds all thinges necessarie for vs therefore if we be in Christ we shall haue all thinges wee can desire The lande of Canaan which was but a type figure of heauē the Iewes coulde not get by their owne righteousnes but only by the free promes of God in mercy made vnto them It seemeth they had some opinion of their own deseruings as the Papistes haue now therefore Moses gaue thē oftētimes in charge to attribute al to the fauour of the Lord not to their good works as appeareth in the 7. 8. 9. of Deut. but especially in the 9. chap. wheras he saith Heare O Israel thou shalt passe ouer Iorden this day to go in and possesse nations greater mightier then thy selfe cities great and walled vp to heauen A people great tall euen the children of the Anakims whō thou knowest of whom thou hast heard say Who can stande before the children of Anak vnderstād therfore that this day the Lord thy God is he which goeth ouer before thee as a cōsuming fire he shall destroy them he shall bring them downe before thy face so thou shalt cast them out destroy them suddenly as the Lord hath said vnto thee Speake not thou in thy heart after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them out before thee saying For my righteousnes the Lorde hath brought me in to possesse this land but for the wickednes of these nations the Lord hath cast thē out before thee For thou entrest not in to inherit their land for thy righteousnes or for thy vpright heart but for the wickednes of these nations the Lord thy God doeth cast them out before thee that he might performe the word which the Lord thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac Iacob Vnderstād therfore that the Lorde thy God giueth thee not this good land to possesse it for thy righteousnes for thou art a stifnecked people Thus you see how in many words the Lord throweth down all their worthinesse and extolleth his onely goodnes towards thē Now if they were not able to get purchase this tēporal land of the earth how shal we gel heauē if a man cā not builde an house and finish it except the Lord builde it Psal 127. How can any man buylde an house for himselfe in heauen The Israelites were taught to saye that their abundāce in meate drinke other blessings of this life came frō the Lorde not frō their owne power or strēgth Deut. 8. vers 17. And shall we be so iniurious to God so vnthākful to Christ so presūptuous against the holy ghost as to say we haue gottē to our selues euerlasting life God forbid that this foolishnesse shoulde enter into the heart of any man Seeing then al these smal things come not for our owne deserts vnto vs but for his Christes sake much more must we ascribe to his goodnesse this great benefite of life euerlasting As concerning this life to come to aske as many do fondly and curiously rather then godlily whether wee shall knowe one another or whether we shal all be alike in degree I thinke these questions to be such as S. Paul willeth vs to eschew put away farre frō vs. This is certaine our knowledge there shall be most perfite and absolute for then shall I knowe as I am knowen and no ignorance of any thing that is necessarie shall be in vs and euery man shall bee contented and haue his full ioye in all measure of his quantitie so that the least pynte potte shall be as full for his measure as the greatest tunne is with his quantitie All men there shall haue fulnesse of ioye Psalme 16. The Lord sende vs thyther and we will be content with the lowest roune as Dauid professed of himselfe The best question for al to aske especially of the simple and vnlearned is to know throughly the way that bringeth vs thither which is onely Iesus Christ the way the trueth and the life Iohn 14. And so dyd our Sauiour answere for being curiously demaunded of one howe many shoulde be saued he tolde him the meanes howe he shoulde be saued And so must wee doe also and not feede the fancies of men or delite their vaine humors I am sure there bee many men that will aske what we shall doe in heauen and what we shall eate and drinke or whether we shal be clothed there which can not tell howe to come thither if they were demaunded the question And what a madnesse is this to striue for the shadowe and to let the body goe to enquire to knowe things which we are not commaunded to search after and to let goe those things which we are bound to knowe And this vice is most common to them whom we terme fine witted felowes which contemne common and necessarie questions to seeke out deepe and profound questions nothing at all tending to godlinesse but rather to the subuersion and ouerthrowe of all religion and honestie These men the holy Ghost doeth wil vs to auoide and seeing they are fooles to answere them with silence to their foolish questiōs These things breede strife and controuersie about words and they are like to that serpent Hidra which of one idle head bring foorth a great manie to destruction Here is no mention made of hel or of death because all that is in this confession of fayth is set downe for the onely comfort of the godly and not for their terrour Notwithstanding as there is a life and a great rewarde for the godly after this race is ended So is there a hell and seconde death prepared of olde for the wicked and reprobate For our Sauiour Christ speaking of this life speaketh also ioyntly of the euerlasting destruction in fire which is for the deuill and all his angels and those that in this life haue serued him here with their bodies and soules and all their members These sayeth Christ shall goe into euerlasting payne Matt. 25. Where Origen and all those that thought this payne should not be for euer are most playnely confuted for Christ affirmeth it
to haue no ende To this saying of Christ agreeth that in Esay the 30. Chapter verse 33. Tophet is prepared of olde it is euen prepared for the King hee hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lorde like a riuer of brimstone doeth kindle it Here is a full description of hell For by Tophet he meaneth hell He declareth moreouer when it was made euen of olde for whom also for the King he meaneth the King of Babylon enemie to the Church signifying that God respecteth no mans person but that hell is as well prepared for Kings and Queenes for Lords and Ladies and for great men as well as the poore that doe not beleeue Yea the greatest part of men goeth this way in euery estate and degree so that we had neede to looke about vs to enter in at the straight gate for fewe there be that finde it but many that passe by the broade way Matt. 7. For this Tophet is deepe large to conteyne and to receyue many yea moe noble men shall go thither then to heauen The Prophete describeth the payne of it by fire burning with much wood the continuance is for euer because the breath of the Lorde which endureth for euer doeth kindle the fire as a riuer of brimstone The ioyes then of heauen are not so inspeakable but that the torments and pangs of hell are as intolerable Wherefore the wicked although they be not moued with the pleasures at the right hand of God to come vnto him by repentance yet in my iudgement the exceeding great tormentes of endlesse hell fire shoulde moue them to amende For surely dearely beloued if all the paynes that may be deuised in this life all the sicknesses that euer haue bene all the torments of tyrants all the griefes of minde that may be were all of them layde together and compared to this hell fire these paynes howe great soeuer they seeme to be here are but fleabytings yea rather pleasures in respect of this hellish fire it is so great And this fire although it be so great yet shall it burne for euer and euer not onely the body but also the soule the minde the conscience and all the inner parts of the damned sort And when they haue beene there as many hundred thousande yeeres as there are peeble stones in the sea shore yet shal they not then come out but continue still as if they were to beginne anewe For Christs wordes are true this fire is euerlasting and can neuer be quenched Matthewe 3. 25. It were well with Iudas if he myght come out of this wofull hell and paynes when he hath suffered them so many hundred thousande millions of yeeres as there are starres in the firmament but this can not be granted vnto him If men therefore woulde consider of these two extremities wherein is no meane of the ioyes of paradise which are endlesse and of the torments of hell and the wrath of God which also hath no ende then surely woulde they liue in feare and godlinesse in this present worlde For as heauen is full of ioy and mirth so hell is full of dolor and sorowe and as in heauen is continuall reioycing and peace of minde so is there in hell a perpetuall weeping with gnashing of teeth for woe and payne As the glorie of the Lorde shall inlyghten the elect with his gratious countenance so shall the great maiestie wrath of the Lorde presse downe the vngodly for euer Finally as in heauen the saintes shall haue all things to do them good that they can desire so in hell the damned spirits shal haue nothing to refresh them not so much as a droppe of colde water which is but a small thing to coole their tongue withall And as I sayde before of heauen and heauenly ioyes so may I speake of this seconde death that if all the men in the whole worlde woulde go about to expresse these tormentes with all their eloquence and learning yet shall they bee neuer able to doe it they are so vnspeakeable and not to be vttered of any man And these are the righteous iudgementes of the Lord that he to the wicked might be knowen to be a iust and a terrible God to rewarde impenitent sinners after their woorkes as they haue deserued For this ende sayeth the Lorde to Pharao I haue stirred thee vp that I myght shewe my great power and myght vpon thee in punishing thee accordingly Let the wicked therefore take heede for there will come a day that will pay for all and then what aduantage will it be to haue gotten an houres pleasure with the purchase of euerlasting woes But these things and these euils by the benefite of Iesus Christ are farre from vs and shall not come neere the dwelling of the righteous Wherefore wee ought with Paul to giue thankes alway to God because that from the beginning he hath chosen vs to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and beleefe of the trueth neyther hath he appoynted vs to wrath as he hath the wicked but to obtaine this euerlasting life whereof we speake by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ which died for vs that whether we sleepe or wake we shoulde liue together with him In the meane season it is our part to stande fast and not to bee remoued from this faith but to laye hande of this eternall life whereunto wee through the benefit of the Gospel preached are called freely of GOD with an holy calling not according to our workes but of his goodnesse Wee must also fight this good fight of faith and striue lawfully if we hope to bee crowned and to continue to the ende wee must endeuour that wee may bee saued for they that shrinke backe leese this excellent reward for the which we are commaunded to sell all that we haue and to bye it Matth. 13. We haue nowe heard the meaning of all the twelue articles of our Christian fayth which are necessarie to saluation First wee haue seene the article that concerneth our trust in God the Father what things we learne by it Secondly we haue declared the articles which conteine the mysteries of Christ Iesus with our redemption glorification and other benefits apperteining thereunto Thirdly the beleefe in the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie hath bene opened vnto vs and what comfort may thereof arise to the faithfull Fourthly and lastly the articles concerning the Church and the benefites thereto belonging haue beene expounded as God hath giuen vs grace These things are written that we might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world and that in beleeuing we myght haue life through this name Seeing then wee haue hearde these thinges let vs as the holy and blessed Apostle of Christ Saint Peter willeth vs be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the fayth and hope that is in vs
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
be due common to all men generally neuerthelesse the Lord through his mercy hath reserued to himselfe a certaine nūber which are onely knowne to himselfe the which he hath drawē from this corrupt heape hath sanctified clensed the same in the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ by meanes thereof hath made them vessels of election honour apt vnto all good workes The xi Article I beleeue that the Father in Iesu Christ his sonne thorow the holy Ghost hath elected chosē those y◠are his owne according to his good will before the foundations of the world were layed whō he hath predestinate vnto eternall life that there by they might be his children adoptiues ouer whom he hath without comparison a much greater care thē the best father can haue ouer the best child in the world for he suffereth not that any thing shall come to passe either on high in heauen or beneath on earth which shall not be for their good and great profite The xii Article I beleeue that the father through his sonne with the holy ghost hath alwaies frō the beginning intended to restore mā vnto whom after he had sinned he shewed him selfe promising vnto him that blessed seede by whome the heade of the serpent should be troden downe and by whome the faithful shoulde receyue blessing By this promise which hath since bene oftentimes ratifyed and confirmed to the holie fathers man which otherwise had dispayred in sinne is releeued holpen comforted and clothed with hope euen vnto the ful performing thereof The thirteenth Article I beleeue also that after this promise the Lorde hath prescribed and giuen the lawe of the commandements to man promising life to the obseruers therof death to the transgressours of the same and hee gaue them not to the ende that man should seeke iustification saluation or life therein but for the policie peace and tranquilytie of his people for the defence of the good for the chastenyng and punyshing of the wicked to preserue eche one in his office but especially that therebye man might the better know himselfe his disease his pouertie and imperfection and by meane thereof to take an occasion to humble himselfe before this lawe giuer to seeke remedy saluation life in some other that is to saie in the holie promised seede which is Iesus Christ For this cause the lawe is called a scholemaster to come to Christ the which also serueth vs for a glasse to knowe our sinnes by and to encrease the same knowledge in vs. Likewise it serueth vs for an accuser to accuse vs before the Lorde and for a seuere and cruell iudge to declare the wrath and iudgement of God ouer vs and his condemnation vnto eternall death and by this meane to make vs afraide and to bring vs vnto dispaire vntill we be comforted by the Gospell through faith in Iesus Christ wherby we are deliuered frō all these causes These are the offices of the lawe the which are turned into our good through fayth in the Gospell the which hath other offices and cleane contrary For the rest I confesse that the lawe of the Lorde is good iust holy and perfit and where the same doth not bring vs vnto perfection it is not long of it selfe but of vs which are altogether vnperfect and can in no wise accomplish the same no not to touch it with our litle finger The xiiii article I beleeue and confesse Iesus Christ to be the fulnes the ende and accomplishmēt of the Lawe to the iustification of all that beleeue thorow whom and by whom only all the promises of the father be accomplished yea euen to the vttermost the which also alone hath perfectly satisfied the Lawe in that which no other amōgst men coulde persourme for so much as the law doeth cōmaund things impossible y◠which neuertheles mā must accōplish not by working but through beleeuing For so is the lawe accomplished through faith and not through works by this meanes shal man find the righteousnes of faith to be auaileable before the Lord not the righteousnesse of works y◠which leadeth nothing vnto perfection As concerning the first poynt of my faith this is y◠which I beleeue of the father y◠things that are made by him consequētly of the holie Trinitie also of the soule of man Nowe let vs come to the second point which is of the Sonne of God and of the thinges done by him especially of the restoring repairing agayne of man 2 And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was cōceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descēded into hel the third day he rose againe frō the dead he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almightie from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead The xv Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is veryly God and verily man hauing two natures comprehended in one person a nature diuyne after the which he is the onely naturall sonne of God equall with the father in all thinges and a nature humane after the which he is verye man in al things like vnto vs synne excepted The xvi Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ the sonne of God in the fulnesse of the tyme appointed of the father from the beginning was sent into the worlde by the father was made perfect man and was conceiued in the wombe of a woman being a pure virgine called Marie of her proper substance of her proper bloud so that he was found a perfect man descēding of the seede of Adā Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid other fathers vnto whome the promise was made The .xvii. Article I beleeue also that all this was done by the working of the holye Ghost without the worke of man to the ende that all that was wrought therein might be holye and without spot pure and cleane And that thereby our conception might be made cleane holy which of it selfe is altogether spotted and defyled with sinne The xviii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgyne Marye without any manner of sinne and without breach of her virginitie so that by his pure and holye natiuitie he hath purified and made holye ours which of it self is altogether vncleane defyled with sinne In this Natiuitie of Christ I see and consider the first estate condition of man with his fall which was y◠cause of Christ his cōming into the world Likewise in this I see and consider the fauour and inestimable loue of God the father which hath presented and giuen his onely sonne to serue vs. I see also and consider in this Natiuity the charytie of the sonne which hath abased humbled himselfe to lifte vs vp became poore to make vs riche became bonde to make vs free became the sonne of man to make vs the children of God
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
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
by meanes of my good workes merites which in deede are none The xlviii Article I beleeue that this Church is inuisible to the eye of man is onely to God knowen that the same Church is not set compassed and limited within a certaine place or boundes but is scattered spread abroad throughout all the worlde but yet coupled together in heart will and spirite by the bond of faith charitie hauing and altogether knowledging one onely God one only head and Mediator Iesus Christ one faith one lawe one Baptisme one spiritual Table wherein one meate and one spirituall drinke is ministred to them vnto the ende of the worlde This Church contayneth in it all the righteous and chosen people from the first righteous mā vnto the last that shal be found righteous in the end of the world and therefore doe I call it Vniuersall For as touching the Visible Church which is the Congregation of the good and of the wicked of the chosen and of the reprobate generally of al those which say they beleue in Christ I doe not beleeue that to bee the Church because that Church is seene of the eye and the faith thereof is in visible things The xlix Article I beleeue that this Inuisible Church is the fielde of the Lorde God wherein is neyther darnell nor cockle it is the house and dwelling place of the holy Ghost and within that Church is neither Cain Iudas neither the wicked rich Gluttō That Church also is the fold of Christ wherein is no stinking and infected beastes but all cleane and vndefiled sheepe and lambes which bring forth their fruites in due time season The same Church is the body of Christ wherein there is neuer a rotten corrupt or infected mēber It is the Spouse of Christ which is pure cleane without wrinckle without spot It is holy without blame cleansed and sanctified in the blood and by the worde of her head and welbeloued spouse Iesus Christ for that cause they cā in no wise perish which by liuely faith are grafted therin The L. Article I beleeue that the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost are scattered and giuen vnto euery member of the same Church not so much for their particular profite commoditie as for the general profit commoditie of the whole Congregation Church and that thorow grace wholy without any merite according to the good pleasure prouidence of God to some more to some lesse that to the end we should know that one hath neede of another and that we should be ready to helpe one another in all necessities as wel bodily as spiritually euen as it becommeth members of one body The Li. Article I beleeue the Communion of Saintes that is to say I beleeue that all whatsoeuer our Lorde God giueth in this worlde whether it be benefites and blessings that concerne the body or the spirit he giueth the same singularly to the profit commoditie of the whole Church and therfore ought the same to be distributed communicated to all that are faithful but chiefely to those that are in necessitie that like as we doe communicate and are knitte in one God one faith one Lawe one Baptisme and be partakers of one spirituall Table euen so we may communicate be partakers together of and in those things which do proceede come vnto vs by meanes of the aforesayde thinges For otherwise we can not be Christians or faithfull stewardes of Christ Here vtterly I renounce and abhorre the Anabaptistes maner of making common goods wiues and such other like things and onely doe I allow the Apostles making of things common which hauing possessing any goods priuately vsed to distribute thereof to euery one according as the same had neede and as necessitie required The Lii Article I beleeue that this Church is like vnto the Arke of Noah within the which is safetie and life and without the same is but death decay and destruction For as Christ is and doeth raygne in his Church euen so Satan is and doeth raygne in and through all that are out of that Church The which true Church is mayntayned and vpholden by the Spirite of Christ is ruled and gouerned by his holy worde and is nourished and fedde with his holy Sacraments That Church shal alwayes haue enemies shall still be tormented in the sea of this world with the thunderings of Antichrist and by the wounds and tempest of Satan For all the gates of hell doe arme set out themselues against this Church But in these waues shee shall not be drowned but shall abide for euer because shee hath a good defence and foundatiō which is Iesus Christ the righteous And for this cause I cal her the Church militāt which wayteth for the triūph of those that be blessed which are where as is nothing but peace ioy and euerlasting consolation The Liii Article I beleeue that the Lord God hath giuen vs three principal signes and marks by the which we may knowe this his Church that is to say the word the Sacraments discipline I call that only the word which was reuealed by the holy Ghost vnto the holie Patriarks Prophets Apostles of Iesus Christ the which word is cōtained within the canonicall bookes of the olde new Testamēt by the which word we are made cleane thereby do receiue the selfe same thing as much as we do by the Sacramentes that is to say Iesus Christ by his worde which is the worde of faith giueth communicateth himselfe vnto vs aswell as by the Sacramēts albeit it be by another maner fashiō The Liiii Article I beleeue that the same worde of God is of a farre greater aucthoritie then the Church the which worde onely doeth sufficiently shewe and teach vs all those things that in any wise concerne our saluation both what we ought to do and what to leaue vndone The same worde of God is the true paterne and perfect rule after the which all faithful people ought to gouerne and order their liues without turning eyther to the right hand or to the left hand without chāging any thing thereof without putting to it or taking from it knowing that all the works of god are perfect but most chiefly his word The Lv. Article I beleeue that as onely Iesus Christ amongst all men is holie and true that all others are sinners and lyers euen so likewise the onely doctrine of the same Iesus Christ is holy and true al other doctrines are vnpure false This doctrine of Iesus Christ is a well a fountaine of life a lampe or pillar of fire to guyde vs the bread of the soule the power of God vnto saluation to al that beleeue And therfore whatsoeuer happeneth the same ought onely to bee aduaunced preached heard vnderstande receiued of all the worlde to the comfort and saluation of those that beleue to the greater damnation of
blasphemers despisers of God heretikes all other that make sects to deuide themselues from the people thereby to breake the vnitie of the Church all that are periured all that resist and are disobedient to father mother and their superiours all sedicious persons murtherers quarrellers sowers of discord whoremongers theeues couetous persons drunkardes gluttons generally all those that leade a wicked and a slaunderous life For such maner of people haue no parte nor portion of the kingdome of God and for that cause such ought to be cast thrust out of the Church For with such it is not lawfull to keepe any company to eate drinke or to haue any frendship except it be for the wynning of them and bringing of them to repentance The lxxi Article I beleeue that the Popish masse is not neither can be the holy supper of the Lord but the meere inuencion of men which were both lyers and wicked yea it is as contrary to the holy supper as the nyght is vnto the day and Belial to Christ as it may appeare to al people more cleare thē the noone day by conferring comparyng the institution of the holy supper as the same is recyted written by the Euangelist and especially by the Apostle Saint Paul vnto the celebration of the masse And therefore the Masse can be no remembrāce of true sacrifice that is to say of the death passion of Christ as the holy supper is But the Masse is an vtter forsaking of the same because it doeth attribute and ascribe to it selfe that which doeth appertayne only to the bloud of Christ shedde vpon the Crosse that is to say satisfaction purgation and remission of sinnes with the increase of grace and because men are compelled to do godly honour vnto the creature in stead of the Creator to a morsell of bread in the steade of Iesus Christ our only Lord Sauiour and redeemer The lxxii Article I beleeue that the third marke or cognisaunce of the Church which is ecclesiastical discipline is very cōmodious profitable yea very necessary to the catholike church for the comfort of the good for the punishmēt of the euil the which also I do receiue and to the same doe submit my selfe because I knowe that it is the ordinance of Christ in his Church in like maner the same was practised by the Apostles in the primitiue Church that because all should be done honestly in good order which is a thing honest necessary for euery congregation The lxxiii Article I beleeue that the power to binde and loose to excommunicate and to absolue that is commonly called the keyes of the Church is giuen of God not to one or two or to some particular person but to the whole Church that is to say to all the faythfull and beleeuers in Christ not for to destroy vndoe or cast away but to edifie to aduance al And therefore I say confesse that excommunication absolution ought not neither can it be giuen at the lust and pleasure of some particularly but by the consent of all the Church or at the least by the greater or most sound part of the same when they be congregated assembled together in the name of Christ and the same to be done with prayer The lxxiiii Article I beleeue that this excommunication exercised and executed rightly according as Iesus Christ hath declared and commāded the same in the Gospel is of so great authoritie strength power that it may shut vp heauen from men in such wise that all those that are worthyly excommunicated are cast out of the Church militant and also shal be cast out of the Church triumphāt which is heauē except they repent It is the sword that is so sharpe to cut off the rotten members of Christes mystical body which is his Church It is the key to shut vp the Heauens from the wicked It is a rodde to chasten them which neuerthelesse is not vsed to confound them but as a spirituall medicine to amend them to receyue them to make thē whole bring them againe to the same estate frō the which they are fallen The .lxxv. Article I beleeue that this excommunication which is the last rodde of the Church ought not neither can it be exercised towarde any maner of person which first hath not receyued professed the faith and religion of Christ And euen likewise the same can not be pronounced for smal matters as for money debts such like neither ought it to be executed towarde all sinners but only against open rebellious and obstinate sinners when brotherly correction commanded by Christ in the gospel doeth take no place And therefore al they do generally abuse this rodde which doe excommunicate the Christians for small trifles without vsing first brotherly correction And likewise do they also that excommunicate the Iewes Turkes the Heathen and other infidels yea and bruite beastes meaning thereby to thrust cast out of the christian church those that neuer were in it The lxxvi Article I beleeue herewith that the vnity of the spirit peace concord and charytie that is to say true amytie and brotherly loue the sweet friendly helping supporting one of an other is also one of the works signes of the true catholique Church of the faithful children of God by the which they are knowen to be of the schoole and of the number of Iesus Christ his disciples And wee must not glory in our selues in the title of christianitie or of the faith saying I beleeue I beleeue if wee haue not this charitie peace loue and true vnity of heart together agreeing one with another in all good workes For the true faith neuer goeth without these things by the which also it declareth and many festeth it self to all These are the signes and markes of the true christian Church vnto the which it is linked and bound and not vnto any certayne place time or personages And there is the Church perfect where these markes are found and vsed and on the other part if any one of the same be lacking then is not the same perfect And albeit that this whole perfection for the estate of this present world cannot be founde in the Church militant neuerthelesse the fault thereof must be acknowledged before the Lord and the remedy and ordering thereof be committed to him The lxxvii Article I beleeue and receyue in this Church two swords that is to say two powers the one is ecclesiasticall and spirituall the which lyeth and consisteth in the only administration of the woorde and of the Sacraments the which beareth neither rodde nor staffe other then the tongue neither doeth vse any other knyfe then the sworde of the spirite which is the word of God Likewise I confesse that all those that haue this sword in their handes ought to be without blame aswell in their lyuing as in their doctrine otherwise they ought to be deposed others to
sinne actual as murder adultery is that I was conceiued in sinne and can doe nothing els of my selfe but sinne euery houre as Paul also cōplaineth of himselfe Rō 7. O wretched mā that I am who shal deliuer me frō the bodie of this death and then cōmeth vnto Christ thanketh him that he hath deliuered him from it We haue thē to cōfort our selues in this that Christ was conceiued for vs borne for vs died for vs whatsoeuer he did he did it for our profite and cōmodity In that that Christ was conceiued we also vnderstand the verity of Gods promises made vnto vs in the prophtes which had lōg before prophecied of it As in Esai 7. Behold saith he A virgin shall conceiue beare a sonne and she shall call his name Immanuel So we gather that God hauing perfourmed this he is alwayes iust true in his promises that he maketh to a thousād generatiōs And furthermore that the Prophets spake not by their own wil as Peter saith but by the wil spirit of God euen as they were led moued by the holy ghost 2. Pet. 1. So the whatsoeuer God ether speaketh or promiseth to the good godly to their comfort it shal come to passe as here in Esai God promiseth the cōceptiō of Christ for a cōfort to Hierusalē besieged w̄t her enemies whē Achaz was king Esa 7. Likewise on the contrary part whatsoeuer the Lord of hosts threatneth to the wicked destroyers of his Church shal also in due time be fulfilled and accōplished to the vttermost as vpō the Iewes for murdering of Christ vpon the Romane Emperours for going about to ouerthrow his cōgregatiō flock Although it be many times long before the Lord doth either deliuer the godly or punish the reprobate yet it is most sure certaine because his mouth hath spokē it that can not lie or deceiue as Balaam saith of him Hath he spoken shal he not performe it said it shal he not make it good That were vnpossible When we say that Christ was conceiued in the wombe of the virgin Marie his mother by the operation and worke of the holy ghost we meane that to bee spoken according to his humanitie only and not according to his diuinitie for so hee is likened to Melchisedech without father as touching his flesh without mother as concerning his godhead and yet we say that Christ was conceiued because Christ both God mā was ioined together in one person Therfore we must wisely distingush make a differēce betweene y◠two natures properties of Christ his māhod Godhead Whē Christ saith he can of him self do nothing he iudgeth no mā he knoweth not the day of iudgemēt that the father is greater thē hee with such like sentēces in that Gospel you must vnderstand these things to be spokē as he was only man In that he saith he was before Abraham and the father and he are al one and that the scripture termeth him The first begottē of all creatures the lord of al things the brightnes of his father these sayings are all applied to Christ as he is the sonne of God and God himselfe that made al things as Iohn saith of him By him al things were made If we marke obserue these two points the diuinity of Christ his humanity we shal finde great light and easines in reading the newe testament and things which were hard before wil seeme plaine euident vnto vs by this rule Thus haue ye heard the meaning the good lessons that may be gathered out of this 2. article of our christiā faith y◠cōception most pure most cleane of our sauior Iesus Christ First that he was conceiued as the word doth testifie Secondly wherefore he was conceiued which was because he might become very man to redeeme and suffer for man offending the maiestie of the almightie God Nowe let vs giue most hūble and heartie thankes as we are bound to this Iesus Christ y◠being so hie he woulde vouchsafe to descende so lowe for vs poore wretches as to be conceiued in the wombe of a maide to make vs pure and let vs also pray vnto his Maiestie that seeing his conceptiō is pure vnspotted he would also make ours so to be with the free imputatiō of his conception all other benefites of his death and passion that he would kill sinne in vs more and more daily by his spirit of sanctification that we may liue here in righteousnes and holines before him without feare al the daies of our life whē the sinfull course of this trāsitorie life is ended we may haue that life which neuer shall haue ende whose ioyes neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of mā can possibly conceiue or thinke which God grant vnto vs for his Sonne Christs sake to whom with the holie ghost be rendred al power dominiō praise and thankesgiuing both now and for euer So be it The third Lecture vpon the third Article of our Christian fayth which is Borne of the virgin Marie IN this article is mentioned and set downe vnto vs the natiuitie and birth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ how that he was borne not after the cōmon sort of men but of a maide or virgin not a married woman which knewe any man so that the meaning of this article in moe wordes is this I that am a Christian man or woman doe beleeue also that as Iesus Christ was conceyued by the holy Ghost so was he borne likewise for mee of his mother Marie she notwithstanding remayning still a virgin Out of the which article we haue to note these three good lessons and poyntes for our instruction and consolation First the birth it selfe secondly the maner of it with all the circumstances of the same thirdly the profit and commoditie that we may reape by it beleeuing it truely as we ought to doe 1 As concerning his birth Esai in his seuenth and ninth Chapter saith The Lord him selfe shall giue you a signe Beholde a virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and she shall call his name Immanuel butter and honie shall he eate till he haue knowelege to refuse the euil and to chuse the good Likewise the ninth Chapter Vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and he shal call his name Wonderful Coūseller The mightie God The euerlasting Father The Prince of peace the increase of his gouernment and peace shal haue no end he shal sit vpō the throue of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with iudgement and with iustice from henceforth euē for euer The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this Thus we see howe euidently Esai long before prophesied of this birth to the comfort of the people in his time The like thing doeth Ieremie also declare vnto vs in