Martialis Ignatius Irena Tertullian Origen and those of their times did not proceede further then the Trinity In the first book of Socrates his Eccless Hist. Chap. 19. we finde The Creed thus recited We beleeue in one God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne begotten of him before all worldes true God by whom all things were made which are in heauen and which are in earth Who descended and was incarnate and suffered and rose againe and ascended into Heauen and from thence shall come againe to iudge the quicke and dead and in the holy Ghost in the Resurrection of the flesh in the life of the world to come in the Kingdome of Heauen and one Catholique Church reaching from one end of the earth to the other In Saint Ambrose his time the baptised was asked three questions as first dost thou beleeue in God the Father Almighty and the baptized answered I beleeue and then hee was dipped vnder the water secondly hee was asked doest thou beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and his Crosse and hee answered I beleeue and then was dipped againe thirdly hee was asked doest thou beleeue in the holy Ghost and he answered I doe beleeue and was the third time dipped Ambrose lib. 2. de Sacram. cap. 7. so that 't is probable that the Creed was not fully finished in this forme it now is till about the fourth age after Christ And thus of the Authors of the Creed To conclude therefore this point concerning the Authors of these Articles the Creed is called the Apostles Creed in two respects first to distinguish it from all other Creeds There haue bin diuers Creeds made in the seuerall ages since Christ some by particular writers some by Councells of particular writers Athanasius Creed doth most excell which is the Creed set downe in the booke of Common Prayer next before the Letany and of Councells these are the chiefe Creeds the Nicen Creed which you may finde in the booke of Common Prayer also set downe in the order of the Communion as also the Creed of the Ephesian Synod and the Creed of the Calcedonian Synod reade Am. Pol. synt Theol. lib. 2. cap. 2. Now this Creed is called the Apostles Creed to shew that the Churches did hold it to bee of greater authority then any other Creed and that other Creeds are but as it were expositions of this Creed Secondly it is called the Apostles Creed to giue it authority aboue all humane writings euen those that haue much or most excelled The confession of Nationall Churches haue been worthily had in great request so haue the Creeds of the Councells and so haue the Apocripha Scriptures but yet none of these haue attained to the honour of this Creed The translation of the Canonicall Scriptures in respect of the words are humane though in respect of the matter and order they are diuine and these of all humane writings are the best yet not without the defects of the Translators whereas the originall in both Testaments is diuine both for matter order and words also Thus of the Authors The kinde of writing followes Creede Symbolum is the word vsed in the most Christian Churches and is plainely agreeable to the originall word the Creed being first penned in the Greeke tongue If the word bee deriued of Syn and bolus then it may signifie two things first a morsell or as much as a man may well swallow at once and so the whole Scriptures containing but the diuine furnishing of Gods Table as it were the Creed containes each particular Christians morsell so much as hee may and must swallow and receiue downe into his heart without leauing any of these Articles out secondly a draught euen as much as a net can take at once The sea is the Word the fisherman is the Christian man the Net is faith the Creed is as much as the faith of the Christian can take at a draught out of the Sea of doctrine contained in the Scriptures But it is more likely the word should be deriued of Syn and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then it may signifie all or any of these fiue things 1. A Shot it containing the reckoning which the Apostles made for the Churches being deducted or cast in out of the seuerall writings of each of the Apostles 2. A Watchword or any signe in the time of warre by which the Souldier might be distinguished from spies or strangers and so might shew to what captaine or colours hee belonged so the Creed is the Military signe by which the true Christian is distinguished from all spirituall spies and forreiners 't is Gods Watchword 3. The Motto or Poesie or word giuen in mens Armes so the Creed is the Christians Motto his word which is set in his Armes being made noble in bloud by Christ and so able to giue the Armes of his spirituall house and kindred 4. A token or Bill of Exchange by which a man is enabled to trade or receiue commodities By the Creed the Christian may trade for any spirituall commodities 5. A Passeport Christians are strangers and Pilgrims a great way from home and the gouernment of the Christian world will not let a man passe without his authenticke Passeport Now by his Creed the Christian man may passe and finde entertainement in any part of the Christian world As for the name Creed it is not easie to tell when it first came vp in our Language but it is certaine it comes of the first word which is in Latine Credo rendered I beleeue But by the way if these Articles be a Creed then they are not a Prayer nor to be said as a Prayer as the ignorant multitude doth abuse it Thus of the Title I Beleeue Marke 9. 24. IN the Creed it selfe we must consider first matter of dutie which is in the word Beleeue which is the hand or claspe that takes hold of all and euery of the Articles secondly matter of doctrine which may be cast into two Heads as it concernes God or the Church for the Lord doth not vouchsafe to comber Religion with the whole doctrine that might concerne the estate of all men out of the Church concerning God the Articles looke vpon all three persons and in the doctrine of the Father amongst his attributes singles out his Almightinesse and amongst his workes lookes vpon his making of Heauen and Earth In Christ faith lookes vpon his Person and his Office In his Person it acknowledgeth his diuine Nature as Gods onely Sonne and his humane Nature in these two words viz. conception by the holy Ghost and birth of a Virgin His Office is considered according to his estate both of Humiliation and Exaltation In his Humiliation is considered his sufferings first in body in that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was dead and buried and then in soule in that he descended into Hell In his Exaltation faith viewes his Resurrection Ascension and Session at the right hand of God
2. What are the offices of Angels or what vses did God make them for Answ Angels serue for many vses They are Apparitors or seruants about God ready to receiue Commandements from him and they worship God by lauding and praising him in Heauen Psal 104. 4. 148. 2. Esay 6. 3. Luke 2. 14. Reuel 4. 8 9. 5. 13. and they are appointed as speciall attendants about CHRIST as the MESSIAH Mat. 4. 11. and they serue also as ministring spirits to keepe and attend vpon the Elect men Heb. 1. 14. and manifold are the seruices which Angels doe for men both in life and death In life they defend and keepe them as a strong guard about them Psal 34. 91. and plague their enemies 2 King 19. 35. besides the vnknowne seruice they doe about the soules of the godly by counselling or comforting them And in death they are about them and carry their soules to Heauen as they did Lazarus his soule and in the end of the world they will gather all the Elect from the foure winds of Heauen and bring them to Christ Quest 3. But why doe you not intreat of Deuills here also Answ There were no Deuills by creation GOD made them not as Deuills and therefore it belongs not to the Doctrine of Creation to speake of the euill angels because that belongs to the Doctrine of the fall of the reasonable Creatures Quest 4. But hath euery particular man a good Angell and a bad Answ It is probable that euery Elect man hath a good Angell as may be gathered Mat. 18. 10. Acts 12. 15. but yet God is not so tyed but that he sends them extraordinarily more Angels many times to helpe or attend vpon it may be one man Psal 34. 8. As for euill angels we reade that sometimes one Angell hath vexed one man Iob. 1. 12. sometimes one Angell hath haunted diuers men 2 Chron. 18. 21. sometimes many Angels haue haunted one man Luke 8. 30. But that euery man should haue a bad angell assigned him of God is no where to be found in Scripture The consideration of this Doctrine of the making of the Angels in such a nature and for such ends as before should serue for diuers vses 1 It should informe vs concerning the wonderfull loue of God to vs that hath made such excellent creatures to do vs such admirable seruice as to attend vpon vs and keepe vs Heb. 1. 14. 2 It should breed in vs a great longing after the world to come where wee shall not onely enioy the knowledge of and fellowship with such glorious Creatures but shall be made our selues in glory as the Angels in Heauen 3 It should teach vs diuers things as first not to worship Angels for they were all created by God God made the Angels and therefore worship is due to him and not to them that are but our fellow seruants Colos 1. 16. Reuel 19. Secondly we should therfore carry our selues orderly in all places especially in the Church because of the Angels who are about vs and marke what we doe 1 Cor. 11. 10. Thirdly we should therefore be patient and of good hope and full of faith in all afflictions arising from the oppositions of men or temptations of Satan as being satisfied with this comfort that they are more that are with vs then can be against vs and if our eyes were opened wee might see so much as was shewed to the seruant of Elisha 2 Kings 6. 16. Hitherto of the Heauen of the blessed and the Hoste thereof the Angels and so of the world that is now inuisible to vs we next come downe to consider of this visible world this world I say which is in our view or may bee seene and before I come to speake of the other two Heauens I would briefly consider of Gods glory in the generall in the making of this visible world not so much for the matter of the creatures or their naturall formes or properties or their next causes which belongs properly to the Philosophers but for such things as concerne their first cause which is God or their end which is Gods glory or their vse which is rather spirituall then corporall in demonstrating vnto the soule of man the praises of God The maker of this visible world was GOD as well as of that inuisible world as is manifestly proued Genesis 1. at large The end of making a world of bodies as well as of spirits was not the punishment of spirituall substances for their sinning against God as Origen dreamed but the setting out of Gods glory in shewing his wisdome goodnesse and power Psal 19. Rom. 1. and the furnishing of man for his happy being That our hearts may be affected with wondering at this great world which God hath made we may profitably consider of it either by thinking what it is like or by serious pondering what it is indeed This great world is like a great Garden throughly furnished euery creature being as a pleasant flower exquisitely ranked in most comely order the onely weedes that grow in this Garden are wicked men as it may be likened to a great Booke in which God hath written glorious things that concerne the praise of his goodnesse wisdome and power Euery creature is as it were a distinct lease of that Booke and the properties and vses of these creatures are as it were the seuerall lines and letters of that leafe and the more admirable because it is a Booke the writing whereof is indelible and the vses whereof are vniuersall the Booke so opened that all men in all parts of the world may see and read Againe this visible world may be likened to a great and faire house most exquisitely buil and contriued into seuerall roomes and euery roome richly furnished the Heauens are the Roofe the Earth the floore and the Elements the seuerall roomes and the hosts of creatures in each of them the rich furniture and this house is the more admirable for vs because it is a house that euery man dwels in out of this house no man can be put it is kept at the charge of the Land-lord and the Tenants pay no rent But to leaue similitudes there are in the generall consideration of this visible world diuers things may bee briefly touched which we ought to wonder at and to glorifie God for his making of things so as 1 The apt disposition of euery creature in his owne place which place is so fit as a fitter cannot bee inuented if the Starres were fixed in the Earth or the Trees in Heauen how disproportionable and vncomely would it be 2 The exactnesse of the Cteatures in their working in keeping their times and seasons how punctually doth the Sunne dispatch his race in 24. houres and so the Moone in her seasons the Plants keepe their seasons of the yeere for bearing fruit and the Starres for shining as they haue receiued commandement and order from their great Commander
Pro. 30. 19. 6. The Vses they serue for both in respect of God for the Foules praise God in their kinde Psal 148. 10. and in respect of men to whom they are giuen not onely for their foode and seruice Gen. 9. 2. but as the companions of their liues and therefore it is noted as a iudgement to haue the very Foules of the Ayre taken away Ier. 4. 25 9. 10. Especially God hath giuen to the Kings of the Earth a supreame rule ouer the Foules of the Ayre in the places where their subiects dwell Dan. 2. 38. 7. The naturall order among the Foules euery kinde knowing his season Ier. 8. 7. From the Contemplation of the Foules of the Ayre the holy Ghost in Scripture raiseth diuers Vses both to teach and reproue and terrifie First for matter of Instruction hee shewes that the very foules may teach vs first to know that there is a God and that he gouernes the world Iob. 12. 7. secondly to liue without carking care for foode and rayment and trust vpon God for the successe of all our labours Mat. 6. 26. thirdly with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge Gods goodnesse to vs that hath made vs wiser then the Foules of the Ayre Iob 35. 11. and giues vs power ouer them Psal 8. 8. and that hee hath made a couenant with them in our behalfe that they shall not hurt vs Hosea 2. 18. and for that now in the New Testament God hath taken of these ceremoniall restraints and pronounced that all the Foules are now cleane and lawfull to be eaten or vsed Acts 10. 12. Secondly Man is reprooued by the Foules for not obferuing the seasons of grace in that the Foules in their kinde obserue the seasons of nature for their appearing and breeding c. Ier. 8. 7. Thirdly man is threatned that if he sinne against God that God that gaue the carcases of the Foules for meat to man will giue the carcases of men for meat to the Foules Deut. 28. 26. Thus of the Foules The Meteors in the Ayre are certaine impressions God by his power makes in or by the Ayre the Lord framing wonderfull things thence and there for the seruice of his glory The Scripture considers of these Meteors either as altogether extraordinary importing their vse but not the causes of them or else more ordinary God hath strange things in this Heauen vnknowne to vs and of which he giues no account to vs in the booke of Nature Thus wee reade of fire rained downe from Heauen Gen. 19. 2. Kings 2. 10. and oâ— great stones throwne downe from Heauen Iosh 10. and also that God opened the dore of Heauen and rained downe Manna Psal 78. 23. and by experience it hath bin knowne that God hath rained downe liuing creatures from Heauen also as frogges or the like The more ordinarie Meteors may for order sake be cast into three sorts some fiery some ayrie some watery The fiery Meteors in Nature are many which are seene in great diuersity and often as pillars of fire the fire we call the falling of the Starres the fire they call Ignis fatuus or fooles fire the fire that will hang about mens garments or the sailes of ships blazing Starres or the Lightning But the Scripture doth especially single out the Thunder and Lightning to make obseruations about it for our vses And so first of Thunder and Lightning both together the Scripture would haue vs take notice 1. That they are in a speciall manner of Gods making though the Philosopher say much to tell vs how they are raised and framed by nature yet God challengeth a peculiar honour in the making of them aboue what wee can reach too and therefore they are called his Thunder and his Lightning Psal 77. 17. 18. 104. 6. 7. Iob 38. â—5 2. That they are both Officers vnto God in a speciall place about him seruing about the Lord when there is speciall occasion to shew the terror and greatnesse of his Maiesty as when the Law was to bee giuen and the Lord was to come downe vpon Mount Sinay Exod 19. 16. and so when the Lord as King would come downe amongst vs here in the world the Thunder and Lightning doe not onely giue notice of his comming but as his high Marshalls they make roome for it and compell people of all sorts in their places to expect the comming of the Lord Psalme 97. 1. 3. 4. Secondly each of them are magnified apart as 1. The Thunder is called the voice of God the sound that goeth out of his mouth which God directeth vnder the whole Heauen as a wise man directeth his speech to the Hearers It is a roaring voice called also the voice of his Excellence because he speaketh when he speaketh by Thunder with speciall Maiesty The Lord is said to thunder maruellously with his voice all this in Iob 37. 2 3 4 5. Hee speakes in Thunder as the God of glory Psal 29. â— This voice of the Lord is powerfull and therfore called the Thunder of his power Iob 26. 14. Psal 29. 4. 2. The Lightnings are called Gods Arrowes 2. Sam. 22. 14. 15. and so they are wonderfull if we consider that it is God onely that diuided a way for the Lightning Iob 38. 25. 28. 26. and that God can by these Arrowes discomfit an Armie of enemies Psal 144. 6. and that God can shoot so farre with them viz from one end of the Heauen to another Mat. 24. 27. and that God doth make the Lightnings with the raine at the same time when one would thinke the raine should quench the fire of the Lightning Psal 135. 7. and this obseruation of the Psalmist the Prophet Ieremie twise alledgeth Verbatim as a matter of wonder Ier. 10. 13 51. 26. Lastly it is wonderfull that God should shoot with such strange Arrowes as inlighten the world Psalme 97. 3. 4. 77. 17. 18. What vse we should make of the Thunder and Lightning we are likewise taught in the booke of God for the Thunder being Gods voice we are enioyned when God speakes in such Maiesty to heare him attentiuely yea and to speake of his glory in the Temple Psal 29. 9. Iob 37. 2. and what the meaning is of his voice he hath told vs in his Word so that as often as we heare the Thunder wee should know that God by that mighty voice doth tell vs 1. That he is the true God and there is none so great as he Ier. 10. â—0 13. Psal 77. 13. 18. 17. 2. That he raigneth and gouerneth all things and can doe what he lists Psal 97. 1. 2. 3. 3. That wicked men are sure to be destroyed and that their strength shall not preuaile 1. Sam. 2. 10. 4. That the mightiest men on earth must doe their Homage to God and now acknowledge his Glory and Maiesty and worship him with all possible deuotion Psalme 29. 1 2 3 c. 5. That the heart of all men should tremble at the
buried not for himselfe but for other men and that he might shew that graues properly belong to vs which haue sinned to warne vs of our mortalitie Ioseph caused his sepulchre to be made in his garden of pleasure that he might be thereby put in minde of his mortalitie in the middest of the delights of this life The persons by whom Christ was buried are diuersly described as by their names Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and by their worldly estate they were Senators and rich men and by their profession or religion they were disciples iust men such as waited for the kingdome of God but yet all was done secretly for feare of the Iewes and by the authoritie they had to doe it viz. the consent of Pilate Matth. 27. 57. Mark 15. 45. Ioh. 19. 38 39. For the first of these it is to be obserued that God hath giuen these men an honourable name in the Storie of the Gospell so as what they haue done shall alwaies be remembred where the Gospell is preached and this honourable mention they attained not till this seruice done to the dead bodie of Christ Whereby God would teach vs that such as honour Christ God will honour and the best way to get into the Catalogue of Gods Worthies is to imploy our selues in well-doing and in the seruice of Iesus Christ and then we can doe no good worke to Christ dead or liuing in himselfe or his members but it shall be had in honour yea it may be in euerlasting remembrance For the second Christ was buried by rich men First that the Scripture might be fulfilled that said He exposed his graue to the wicked and to the rich man in his death To the wicked because he could not be buried without Pilates consent and to the rich man because hee was buried by Ioseph of Arimatheas meanes Thus he was said to be buried and raised vp according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 4. Secondly he gaue his dead bodie to rich men to signifie that amongst rich men he had his elect and that the vertue of his death should reach euen to them for though it bee impossible in respect of men that a rich man should be saued yet it is not so vnto Christ who can effect wonderfull things and so can by the vertue of his death so vntwist the gable of a rich mans heart as to make it in true humilitie like a thread to goe thorow the eye of a needle Matth. 19. 24. Iam. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 26. And hence rich men should learne of Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus that they ought to professe their loue of Christ and sincere Religion not only when Christ is adorned with miracles and worldly applause but euen when he fals into the hands of wicked men and is buried in ignominie they must not feare danger or reproach They must honour Christ not onely in the peaceable times of the Church but in troubled times Euen when Christ in his members is betrayed persecuted oppressed forsaken of his owne condemned either in spirituall Courts or politicall pursued by warres or any other vexations And the poore seruants of God that suffer for the testimonie of Iesus may hence take comfort God that stirred vp rich men to doe this honour to the bodie of Iesus will not forsake the afflicted members of Iesus he can stirre vp men to prouide for them and honour them euen greatmen when it pleaseth him both in their life time and at their death and after their death also Now for the third point they were disciples of Christ but yet it was secretly for feare of the Iewes Whence we may obserue the great wonder of Gods power in these men When Christ was in prosperitie they were afraid to be seene to follow him or to professe respect to him Now that Christ is in extreme disgrace and the enemies of Christ fleshed in cruelty and malice now these fearfull men proue valiant and whatsoeuer comes of it Christ shall be honoured euen the dead bodie of Christ shall not be forsaken by them Which is the more wonderfull because the best disciples of Christ were so ouercome with feare that they had all forsaken Christ Which may serue for great vse to all of vs. They that stand should take heed lest they fall Those that now go for strong Christians if euill daies come may proue faint-hearted and by their fearefulnesse dishonour the Religion they professe And on the other side weake Christians should not be dismayed God is able to make them to stand Rom. 14. 4. Such as in dayes of prosperitie were afraid of the reproach of men may proue so full of courage in the euill day as not to feare though the foundations of the earth be moued Further we may hence gather a distinction of true Christians Some are so and seeme so they make a profession before men Some are so but seeme not so as here these Counsellors were iust men and disciples and waited for the kingdome of God and yet they were not taken for disciples nor knowne to be so commonly which should restraine censure in rash Christians some of those persons they despise as prophane may be true Christians in Gods sight But yet lest wicked men should be hence emboldned obserue that how weake or fearfull soeuer these men were yet they would not consent to the death of Christ Though the weake Christians I speake of doe not so much for the truth as others doe and they should yet they will doe nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. and therefore such persons as not onely make no profession but withall doe scoffe at and oppose sinceritie in others cannot be reckoned in the catalogue of true Christians Pilates consent was had for the buriall of Christ 1. That there might be no doubt made of his death and buriall seeing so great a person is made priuy to the ordering of it 2. That we might know that the hearts of the greatest men are in Gods hands and he can turne them which way he will euen to execute his counsell when they thinke nothing of it He can make the very enemies of the Church become friendly and louing when please him And further in that Ioseph doth not take the dead body downe and burie it without leaue of the Magistrate it serues to teach men that they should doe all things with due respect not only of the warrant of the action but of all circumstances belonging to it especially great respect should be had to authoritie that by rash zeale the power of Magistrates be not prouoked against vs. Thus of the third point The manner of the buriall containes diuers things First they did it hastily towards the euening because of the preparation of the Iowes for the Sabbath Ioh. 19. vlt. Secondly they did it openly Thirdly they did it with great cost for Ioseph brought fine linnen to wrap it in and Nicodemus brought a mixture of Mirrhe and Aloes to the quantitie