that they which are accused to your sacred Maiestie of errour do desire nothing else but that they may be taught and haue wholly addicted themselues to the holie scriptures which are fullie sufficient to confute euerie errour also thereby that Christ our Sauiour hath made so large a promise that where euen two or three be gathered together in his name there he will be in the middest of them graunt vnto them any thing wherupon they shal agree These thinges most godlie Emperour we do here rehearse for no other cause then to shew our selues obedient to your sacred Maiestie which would haue vs also to declare what is our iudgement concerning the reforming of religion For otherwise we haue good hope that your sacred Maiesty hath of late verie well considered and doth sufficiently perceiue what necessitie doth enforce vs thereunto what fruit doth allure vs and to conclude how worthie a thing this is for your sacred Maiestie which is so much praised for religion and clemencie that all the best learned and moste godlie men beeing called together they maie finde out of the diuine scriptures what is to be thought of euerie point of doctrine which are at this time in controuersie and then that it be expounded by the fit Ministers of Christ with all meekenes and faithfulnes to them which are thought to be deteined in errors Notwithstanding herewithall it is to be feared that there will not be men wanting who will do their endeauour to withdraw your sacred Maiestie from this vnto these men it seemed good to vs in this sort to make auswere as it were before your Maiesty Let it please your sacred Maiesty according to your most excellent clemencie for which you are renowmed to take interpret in good part both this same and all other things which we haue here expounded and confessed for no other respect then to defend the glory of Christ Iesus our God as our dutie requireth and as it is meet we should to obey your sacred Maiestie and to count vs among those whoe truelie doe from our hearts desire to shew our selues no lesse obedient and addicted to your Maiestie in all humble subiection then were our Elders being readie in this point so farre as is lawfull to spend both our goods and our liues The King of glorie Iesus Christ graunt vnto your sacred Maiestie both in this and in all other matters to do all things to his glorie and preserue it long and aduance it happilie both in health and in florishing estate to the safetie of all Christendome Amen VERIE BRIEFE OBSERVATIONS VPON ALL THE FORMER HARMONIE Wherein the doubtfull sayings of euery Confession are made plaine the darke speaches opened and besides such as in outward shew seeme to be contrarie one to the other are with modestie reconciled And to be briefe such things wherein there is yet any controuersie which in deed are very few are fauourablie marked noted that they also may at length through Gods assistance come to be agreed vpon by a common consent of all the Churches 1. Cor. 14. 32. The spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets Phil. 3. 15. Let vs therefore so many as be perfect be thus minded and if ye be otherwise minded God shal reueal euen the same vnto you Neuertheles in that whereunto we are come let vs proceed by one rule that we may minde one theng VERIE BRIEFE OBSERVATIONS VPON THE FORMER HARMONIE ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF THE SECTIONS IN THE FIRST SECTION Vpon the Confession of Bohemia ACcording to the auncient custome This auncient custome we doe thus farre allow that libertie be left to euerie Church to vse or not to vse those Postills as they call them yet so as we aduise them to beware lest this culling out of some partes of the Scripture bring in a neglect of the other partes Vpon the Confession of Saxonie IOyning our Praiers with al Saintes in heauen We learne in many places of the holie Scripture that the Angels according to the nature of their ministerie which they are sent to performe doe further the saluation of the godlie and it is euident by that saying Loue doth not fall awaie and by the 6. chap. ver 10. of the Apoc. that the spirits of the Saintes taken vp vnto Christ doe with their holie desires in some sort helpe forward the grace and goodnes of God touching the full deliuerance of the Church And thus we acknowledge that as wel this and other places of the same confefsion as also that place in the 23. Chap. of the confession of Writemberge which followeth after in the 2. Section page 45. are to be interpreted And we acknowledge no other intercession or intreating either of the blessed Angels or of the spirites of holie men that are now departed from vs. Vpon the Confession of Wirtemberge OF whose authoritie there was neuer doubt made What books these be may be seene outit of the French and Bellgian Confessions where they are all reckoned vp one by one And though that in the Catalogue of the bookes of the new Testament there are some to to be found of which there hath beene some doubt made sometimes by the auncient Doctours of the Church yet at length by the common consent of the whole Catholike Church euen they also were receiued and acknowledged for canonicall And therefore there is no cause why they should now be refused for the scruples that some make about them IN THE 2. SECTION Vpon the latter Confession of Heluetia FOr as touching their nature and essence they are so ioyned together Lest any man should slaunder vs as though we did make the persons al existing together but not all of the same essence or else did make a God of diuerse natures ioyned together in one you must vnderstand this ioyning together so as that all the persons though distinct one from the other in properties be yet but one and the same whole godhead or so that all and euerie of the persons haue the whole and absolute godhead Vpon the same VVE reiect not the gods onelie of the Gentiles but also the images of Christians By Christians vnderstand such as cal themselues Christians in deed but yet do reteine the vse of images for the seruice of religion against the expresse commaundement of God Vpon the former Confession of Heluetia REiecting herein all meanes of life and saluation saue Christ alone Vnderstand it thus that here are excluded and condemned all those meanes that vse to be matched with or made inferiour vnto Christ by such as be superstitious and not instrumentall meanes ordained by the worde of God whose helpe god doth so vse that the whole force of the outward ministerie is to be ascribed wholly to God alone as is plainelie set downe afterward in the 12. Section in the declaration of this selfe same confession where it intreateth of the ministerie and sacrifices Vpon the Confession Of Bohemia IS
erronious doctrine and that with all humilitie wee imbrace the puritie of Christes Gospell which is the onelie foode of our soules and therefore so precious vnto vs that we are determined to suffer the extremitie of worldlie daunger rather then that we will suffer our selues to be defrauded of the same for hereof we are moste certainlie perswaded that whosoeuer denieth Christ Iesus or is ashamed of him in the presence of men shall be denied before the Father and before his holie angels And therefore by the assistance of the almightie the same our Lorde Iesus we firmelie purpose to abide to the ende in the confession of this our faith as by articles followeth Of God WE confesse and acknowledge one onelie God to whome onelie we must cleaue whome onelie we must serue whome onelie we must worshippe and in whom onelie we must put our trust who is eternall infinite vnmeasurable incomprehensible omnipotent inuisible one in substance and yet distinct in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost By whome we confesse and bâ—lâ—eue all things in heauen and earth as well visible as inuisible to haue beene created to be retained in their being and to be ruled and guided by his inscrutable prouidence to such ende as his eternall wisdome goodnes and iustice hath appointed them to the manifestation of his glorie Of the creation of man WE confesse and knowledge this our God to haue created man to wit our first father Adam to his owne image and similitude to whome he gaue wisedome Lordship iustice free will and cleare knowledge of himselfe so that in the wholl nature of man there could be noted no imperfection From which honour and perfection man and woman did both fall the woman being deceiued by the serpent and man obeying the voice of the woman both conspiring against the Soueraigne Maiestie of God who in expresse wordes had before threatned death if they presumed to eate of the forbidden tree Of Originall sinne BY which transgression commonlie called Originall sinne was the Image of God vtterlie defaced in man and he and his posterity of nature became enimies to God slaues to Satan and seruants to sinne Insomuch that death euerlasting hath had and shall haue power and dominion ouer all that haue not beene are not or shall not be regenerate from aboue which regeneration is wrought by the power of the holie Ghost working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God reuealed to vs in his word by which faith we apprehend Christ Iesus with the graces and benefits promised in him Of the reuelation of the promise FOr this we constantlie beleeue that God after the fearefull and horrible defection of man from his obedience did seeke Adam againe call vpon him rebuke his sinne conuict him of the same and in the ende made vnto him a moste ioyfull promise to wit that the seede of the woman should breake downe the serpents head that is he should destroie the workes of the Deuill which promise as it was repeated and made more cleare from time to time so was it imbraced with ioy and moste constantlie receiued of all those faithfull from Adam to Noe from Noe to Abraham from Abraham to Dauid and so forth to the incarnation of Christ Iesus all wee meane the faithfull Fathers vnder the lawe did see the ioyfull daies of Christ Iesus and did reioyce The continuance increase and preseruation of the Church WE moste constantlie beleeue that God preserued instructed multiplied honoured decored and from death called to life his Church in all ages from Adam til the comming of Christ in the flesh For Abraham he called from his Fathers countrie him he instructed his seed he multiplied the same he maruelouslie preserued and more maruelouslie deliuered from the bondage and tyrannie of Pharao to them he gaue his lawes constitutions and ceremonies them he possessed in the land of Chanaan to them after Iudges and after Saul he gaue Dauid to be King to whome he made promise that of the fruite of his loynes should one sit for euer vpon his regall seate To this same people from time to time he sent Prophets to reduce them to the right waie of their God from the which oftentimes they declined by Idolatrie And albeit that for the stubborne contempt of iustice he was compelled to giue them into the handes of their enemies as before was threatned by the mouth of Moses in so much that the holie Citie was destroyed the temple burnt with fire and the wholl lande left desolate the space of 70. yeres yet of mercie did he reduce them againe to Ierusalem where the Citie and Temple were reedified and they against all temptations and assaultes of Satan did abide till the Messias came according to the promise Of the incarnation of Christ Iesus WHen the fulnes of time came God sent his sonne his eternall wisdome the substance of his owne glorie into this worlde who tooke the nature of manhood of the substance of a woman to wit of a Virgin and that by operation of the holie Ghost And so was borne the iust seed of Dauid the angel of the great counsell of god the verie Messias promised whom we acknowledge and confesse Emmanuel verie God and verie man two perfect natures vnited and ioyned in one person By which our confession we condemne that damnable and pestilent heresies of Arrius Marcion Eutiches Nestorius and such others as either did denie the eternitie of his Godhead either the veritie of his humane nature either confound them either yet deuide them Why it behooueth the Mediatour to be very God and verie man WE acknowledge and confesse that this moste wondrous coniunction betwixt the Godhead and the manhood in Christ Iesus did proceede from the eternal and immutable decree of God whence also our saluation springeth and dependeth Election FOr that same eternall God and father who of meere grace elected vs in Christ Iesus his sonne before the foundation of the worlde was laid appointed him to be our head our brother our Pastour great Bishop of our soules But because that the enimitie betwixt the iustice of God our sinnes was such that no flesh by it selfe could or might haue atteined vnto God it behoued that the sonne of God should descend vnto vs and take him selfe a bodie of our bodie flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones and so become the perfect Mediatour betwixt God and man giuing power to so manie as beleeue in him to be the sonnes of God as himselfe doth witnes I passe vp to my Father and vnto your God By which moste holie fraternitie whatsoeuer we haue lost in Adam is restored to vs againe And for this cause are we not afraide to call God our father not so much because he hath created vs which we haue common with the reprobate as for that that he hath giuen to vs his
and Sauiour namelie his conception in the wombe of the Virgine Marie and his birth of her also for he was made the seede of the woman also his afflictions his rising againe from death his sitting at the right hand of God where he hath obtained the dignitie of a Priest and King of which thing the wholl life of Dauid was a certaine type for which cause the Lorde calleth himselfe another Dauid a Shepheard And this was the Gospell of those holy men before the law was giuen and since And Chapter the 6. a litle from the beginning For this is verie certaine that after the fall of Adam no man was able to set himselfe at libertie out of the bondage of sinne death and condemnation or come to be trulie reconciled vnto God but onelie by that one Mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus through a liuelie faith in him who alone by his death and blood shedding tooke from vs that image of sinne and death and put vpon vs by faith the image of righteousnes and life For he made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption But firstmen are taught that these things are to be beleeued concerning Christ namelie that he is eternal of the nature of his heauenlie father the onelie begotten sonne begotten from enerlasting and so together with the Father and the holie Ghost one true and indiuisible God the eternall not created worde the brightnes and the Image or ingrauen forme of the person of his Father by whome all thinges as well those thinges which maie be seene as those which can not be seene and those thinges which are in heauen and those which are in the earth were made and created Moreouer that he is also a true and natural man our brother in verie deed who hath a soule and a bodie that is true and perfect humane nature which by the power of the holie Ghost he tooke without all sinne of Marie a pure Virgine according as S. Iohn saith The worde was made flesh And thus of these two natures their properties not being changed nor confounded yet by a wonderfull communication thereof there is made one indiuisible person one Christ Immanuell our King and priest our redeemer our Mediatour and perfect reconciler full of grace and trueth so that of his fullnes we all doe take grace for grace For the law was giuen by Moses but grace and trueth was giuen and exhibited by Iesus Christ being God and man in one person This grace and trueth are our men taught to acknowledge and by faith to beholde in all those sauing and wonderful works or affections of Christ which according to the meaning of the holie Scripture are by a stead fast faith to be beleeued and professed such as are his comming downe from heauen his conception birth torments death buriall refurrection ascension vnto heauen sitting at the right hand of God and his comming againe from thence to iudge both the quicke the dead In these principal affections as in a chest wherin treasure is kept are al those holsome fruits of our true iustification laide vp and are taken out from thence for the elect and those which doe beleeue that in Spirit and conscience they may be partakers thereof through faith which all hereafter at the daie of our ioyfull resurrection shall be fullie and perfectlie bestowed vpon vs. And towardes the ende of that Sixth Chapter these words are added In this Chapter also particularlie and for necessarie causes to shunne and auoide many pernicious and Antichristian deceites it is taught concerning Christe his presence namelie that our Lorde Christ according to his bodely coÌ„uersation is not amongest vs any longer in this worlde neither wil be vnto the ende of the worlde in such sort and manner as he was here conuersant amongest vs in his mortalitie and wherein he was betraied and circumcised nor yet in the forme of his glorified bodie which he got at his resurrection and in the which he appeared to his disciples the forâ—â—eth day after his resurrection departing from them ascended manifestly into heauen For after this manner of his presence companie he is in the high place with his father in heauen where al tongues professe him to be the Lord and euerie faithful one of Christ must beleeue that he is there worship him there according to the scriptures as also that part of the Catholike Christian faith doth expresselie witnes which is this He ascended into heauen he sitteth as the right hand of God the father almightie Also that other article from thence shal he come that is from an higher place out of heauen with his Angells is iudge both the quick the dead So doth Paul also say The Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shoute and with the voice of an Archangell and with the trumpet of God And S. Peter saith Whom heauen must coÌ„taine vntil the time that al things be restored And the Euangelist Marke But when the Lord had spoken with theÌ„ he was taken vp againe into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God And the Angels which were there present whe he was taken vp into heauen said This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shal so come againe as you haue seene him go into heaueÌ„ Furthermore this also doe our men teach that the selfe same Christ verie God and verie man is also with vs herein this worlde but after a diuerse manner from that kinde of presence which we named before that is after a certaine spirituall manner not obiect to our eies but such a one as is hid from vs which the flesh doth not perceiue and yet it is verie necessarie for vs to our saluation that we may be partakers of him whereby he offereth and communicateth himselfe vnto vs that he may dwell in vs and we in him and this truelie he doth by the holie Ghost whome in his owne place that is in steede of his owne presence whereby he was bodelie amongst vs he promised that he would send vnto his Church and that he would stil abide with it by the same spirit in vertue grace and his holsome trueth at al times euen vntill the ende of the worlde when he said thus It is good for you that I go hence for except I go hences the comforter will not come vnto you but if I goe away I wil send him vnto you And againe I wil praie the father and he shal giue you another comforter that is another kinde of comforter then I am that he may abide iâ— you for euer euen the spirit of trueth whome the worlde cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwellesh in you shal be in you I wil not leaue you comforth but I wil come to you namelie by the selfe same spirit of trueth Now then euen as our Lord Christ
Like vnto 〈◊〉 all things sinne onelie excepted As therfore we detest the hereâ—â— of Nestorius which maketh two Christes of one and dissolueth the vnion of the Person so doe we cursse the madnes 〈◊〉 Eutiches and of the Monophelites or Monophysickes who ouerthrow the proprietie of the humane nature Therefore we doe not teach that the diuine nature in Christ did suffer or that Christ according to his humane nature is yet in tâ—â— worlde and euen in euerie place For we doe neither thinke nor teach that the bodie of Christ ceased to be a true bodie after his glorifying or that it was deified and so deified that it put of it properties as touching bodie and soule and became altogether a diuine nature and began to be one substance alone And therefore we doe not allow or receiue the vnwittie subtilties and the intricate obscure and in constant disputations of Schuenkfeildius and such other vaine ianglers about this matter Neither are we Schuenkfeildians Moreouer we beleeue that our Lord Iesus Christ did truelâ— suffer and die for vs in the flesh as Peter saith We abhor the moste horrible madnes of the Iacobites and the Turkes which abandone the passion of our Lord. Yet we denie not but that the Lorde of glorie according to the saying of Paul was crucified for vs. For we doe reuerentlie and religiouslie receiue and vse the communication of proprieties drawen from the scriptures vsed of all antiquitie in expounding and reconciling places of scripture which at the first sight seeme to disagree one from another We beleeue and teach that the same Lorde Iesus Christ in that true flesh in which he was crucified and died rose againe from the dead and that he did not raise vp another flesh in steede of that which was buried nor tooke a spirit in steede of flesh but retained a true bodie Therefore whilest that his disciples thought that they did see the spirit of their Lord Christ he shewed them his handes and feete which were marked with the prints of the nailes wounds saying Behold my handes and my feete for I am he indeed Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue We beleeue that our Lorde Iesus Christ in the same his flesh did ascend aboue all the visible heauens into the verie highest heauen that is to saie the seate of God and of the blessed spirits vnto the right hand of God the father which although it doe signifie an equall participation of glorie and maiestie yet it is also taken for a certaine place of which the Lorde speaking in the gospell saith That he will go and prepare a place for his Also the Aposâ—le Peter saith The heauens must containe Christ vntill the time of restoring of all thinges And out of heauen the same Christ will returne vnto iudgement euen then when wickednes shall chieflie reigne in the world and when Antichrist hauing corrupted true religion shall fil all things with superstition and impietie and shall moste cruellie destroie the Church with fire and bloodshed Now Christ shall returne to redeeme his and to abolish Antichrist by his comming and to iudge the quick and the dead For the dead shall arise and those which shall be found aliue in that daie which is vnknowne vnto all creatures shal be changed in the twinckling of an eye and all the faithfull shall be taken vp to meete Christ in the ayre that thenceforth they maie enter with him into heauen there to liue for euer But the vnbeleeuers or vngodlie shall descend with the deuils into hell there to burne for euer and neuer to be deliuered out of torments We therefore condemne all those which denie the true resurrection of the flesh and those which thinke amisse of the glorified bodies as did Ioannes Hierosolymitanus against whome Ierome wrote We also condemne those which thought both the deuils and al the wicked shall at the length be saued and haue an end of their torments For the Lorde himselfe hath absolutelie set it downe that Their fire is neuer quenched and their worme neuer dieth Moreouer we condemne the Iewish dreames that before the daie of iudgement there shall be a golden world in the earth and that the godly shal possesse the kingdomes of the world their wicked enemies being troade vnder foote For the Euangelicall truth Mat. 24. and 25. and Luke 18. the Apostolike doctrine in the 2. to the Thessalonians 2. in the 2. to Tim. 3. 4. ar found to teach farre otherwise Furthermore by his passion or death by al those things which he did and suffered for our sakes from the time of his comming in the flesh our Lord reconciled his heavenlâ— father vnto al the faithful purged their sinne spoiled death broke in sunder condemnation and hell and by his resuection from the dead he brought againe restored life arâ— immortalitie For he is our righteousnes life and resuection and to be short he is the fullnes and perfection the saluation and moste aboundant sufficiencie of al the faithfull For the Apostle saith So it pleaseth the Father that all fâ—â—nes should dwell in him And In him ye are complet Collos 1. and 2. For we teach and beleeue that this Iesus Christ our Lord is the onelie and eternall sauiour of mankinde yea and of the whole worlde in whome are saued by faith all that euer were saued before the lawe vnder the lawe and iâ— the time of the gospell and so manie as shall yet be saued to the end of the world For the Lord himselfe in the Gospell faith He that entereth not in by the dore vnto the shepfâ—lde but climeth vp an other waie he is a theefe and a robber I am the dore of the sheepe And also in another place of the same gospell he saith Abraham sawe my daies and reioyced And the Apostle Peter saith Neithere is there saluation in anie other but iâ— Christ for among men there is giuen no other name vnder heaâ—â— wherby they might be saâ—ed We beleue therfore that thorough the grace of our Lord Christ we shal be saucd euen as our fathers were For Paull faith That all our fathers did eate the same spiritual meate and dranke the same spiritual drinke for they dranke of the spiritual rocke that followed them and that rocke 〈◊〉 Christ And therefore we reade that Iohn said That Christ 〈◊〉 that lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world And that Iohn Baptist witnesseth That Christ is that lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world Wherfore we do plainly and openly professe preach that Iesus Christ is the onlie redeemer sauiour of the world the king and high priest the true and looked for Messias that holie and blessed one I saie whom all the shadowes of the law and the Prophesies of the Prophetes did prefigure and promise and that God did performe and
by his latter kinde of presence being not visible but spirituall is present in the ministers of the Church in the word and in the sacraments euen so also by the selfe same ministers worde and sacraments he is present with his Church and by these meanes doe the elect receiue him through inwarde faith in their heart and doe therefore ioyne themselues together with him that he maie dwell in them and they in him after such a sorte as is not apparent but hidden from the world euen by that faith spirituallie that is to saie in their soules and hearts by the spirit of truth of whome our Lord saith He abideth with you and shall be in you And I will come againe vnto you This iudgement declaration of our saith is not new or now first deuised but verie ancient Now that this was commonhe taught and meant in the Church of olde it is plaine and euident by the writinges of the auncient Fathers of the Church and by that decree wherein it is thus written and they are the wordes of Saint Augustine Our Lorde is aboue vntill the end of the worlde but the trueth of the Lorde is here also for the bodie of the Lorde wherein he rose againe must of necessitie be in one place but his truth is dispersed euerie where OVT OF THE FRENCH CONFESSION WE beleeue that whatsoeuer is requisite to our saluation is offered and communicated vnto vs now at length in that one Iesus Christ as he who beeing giuen to saue vs is also made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption in so much as whosoeuer doth swarue from him doth renounce the mercie of the Father that is our onelie refuge We beleeue that Iesus Christ being the wisdome and eternall sonne of the father tooke vpon him our nature so that he is one person God and man Man I saie that might suffer both in soule and also in bodie and made like vnto vs in all things sinne onelie excepted for that his flesh was indeede the seede of Abraham and Dauid howbeit by the secret and incomprehensible power of the holie Ghost it was conceiued in doe time in the wombe of that blessed Virgin And therefore we detest as contrarie to that truth all those heresies wherewith the Churches were troubled in times past and namelie we detest those deuillish imaginations of Seruetus who gaue to our Lord Iesus Christ an imaginarie deity whom he said to be the Idea patterne of al thinges and the counterfeit or figuratiue sonne of God to conclude he framed him a bodie compacted of three elements vncreated and therfore he did mingle and ouerthrow both his natures We beleeue that in one and the same person which is Iesus Christ those two natures are truelie and inseperablie so conioyned that they be also vnited either of those natures neuertheles retaining it distinct proprietie so that euen as in this diuine coniunction the nature of the word reteining it proprieties remained vncreate infinite and filling all places so also the humane nature remained and shall remaine for euer finite hauing it naturall forme dimension and also proprietie as from the which the resurrection and glorification or taking vp to the right hand of the father hath not taken awaie the trueth of the humane nature Therefore we do so consider Christ in his deitie that we doe not spoile him of his humanitie We beleeue that God did declare his infinite loue and goodnes towards vs in this that he hath sent his sonne who should die and rise againe and fullfill all righteousnes that he might purchase eternall life for vs. We beleeue that by that onelie sacrifice which Iesus Christ offered on the crosse we are reconciled to God that we maie be taken for iust before him because we can not be acceptable to him nor enioy the fruite of our adoption but so farre foorth as he doth forgiue vs our sinnes Therefore we affirme that Iesus Christ is our entire and perfect washing in whose death we obteine full satisfaction whereby we are deliuered from all those sinnes whereof we are guiltie and from the which we could not be acquitted by anie other remedy OVT OF THE ENGLISH CONFESSION WE beleeue that Iesus Christ the onely sonne of the eternall Father as long before it was determined before all beginnings when the fulnes of time was come did take of that blessed and pure virgine both flesh and all the nature of man that he might declare to the worlde the secret and hid wil of his father which wil had bene laide vp from before al ages and generations and that he might finish in his humane bodie the Mysterie of our redemption and might fasten our sinnes to the crosse and also that handwriting which was made against vs. We beleeue that for our sakes he died and was buried descended into hell the third daie by the power of his godhead returned to life and rose againe and that the fourth daie after his resurrection whiles his disciples beheld and looked vpon him he ascended into heauen to fullfill all things and did place in Maiestie and glorie the selfe same bodie wherewith he was borne wherein he liued on earth wherein he was iested at wherein he had suffered most painfull torments and cruell kinde of death wherein he rose againe and wherein he ascended to the right hand of the father aboue all rule aboue all power all force all Dominion and aboue euerie name that is named not onelie in this worlde but also in the worlde to come And that there he now sitteth and shall sit till all things be fully perfited And although the Maiestie and godhead of Christ be euerie where abound antlie dispersed yet we beleeue that his body as Saint Augustine saith must needes be still in one place and that Christ hath giuen Maiestie vnto his bodie but yet hath not taken awaie from it the nature of a bodie and that we must not so affirme Christ to be God that we denie him to be man and as the Martyr Vigilius saith That Christ hath left vs touching his humane nature but hath not lefe vs touching his diuine nature and that the same Christ though he be absent from vs concerning his manhead yet is euer present with vs concerning his godhead From that place also we beleeue that Christ shall come againe to execute that generall iudgement as well of them whome he shall finde aliue in the bodie as of them that shal be alreadie dead And therfore that our onelie succour and refuge is to flie to the mercie of our father by Iesus Christ and assuredlie to perswade our mindes that he is the Obteiner of forgiuenes for â—â—r sinnes And that by his bloode all our spots of sinne be washed cleane That he hath pacified and set at one all things by the bloode of his crosse That he by the same one onely sacrifice which he once offered vpon the Crosse hath brought to