a most wise and mightie heade Christ and a defence against the enemies This kingdome when it was in this worlde beganne in humilitie as he saith repent amend for the kingdome of God is at hand The exaltation therefore in this kingdome is that same placing in highest degree of honour to the end the sonne may shew himself openly before the Angels blessed men in great light to be the king and heade of all the elect and by shedding his power euen vnto vs with a greater efficacie then when he was in his body in the earth he may restore and repare life and saluation by the worde and spirit in his electe and may defend thē against al enemies Eph. 1.21.22 The father hath placed Christ at his right hand in the heauens far aboue all power principality might and dominion euery name that is named not in this worlde onely but in that which is to come and he hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feet and hath appoynted him to be heade ouer all thinges to the Church which is his bodie and the fulnesse of him which fulfilleth al in al things Ioh. 16.7 I speak the truth vnto you it is expedient for you that I goe away for vnlesse I goe that comforter shall not come vnto you but if I depart I will sende him vnto you And this was because it was so appointed by God his decree that Christ being exalted in his kingdome should sende him What fruits we are partakers of by the exaltation of Christ in his kingdome LIke as Christ was borne and died for vs so also he sitteth at the right hande of God for vs. Nowe the first fruite is that onely Christians doe rightly knowe God call vppon him and praise him For therefore the father placed Christ at his right hande that hee might be acknowledged worshipped and praised both of Angels and men as their onely God and Lorde And contrariwise God doeth abhorre all other worshippes which are not directed vnto Christ in whome onely hee will bee acknowledged called vppon and praysed Peter inferreth Acts 2. of the sending of the holy Ghost out of the testimony of Dauid concerning the sitting of the Messias at the right hand of God Therefore let all the house of Israel knowe for a suretie that God hath made him both Lorde and Christ this Iesus I say whome ye haue crucified And Phil. 2.9.10.11 Wherefore God hath also highlie exalted him and giuen him a name aboue euerie name that at the name of Iesus shoulde euery knee bow both of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth and that euery tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto the glorie of God the father And Psa 97. ver 7. Apo. 5. ver 7.9.12.13 1. Cor. 1. ver 2. Act. 7. ver 59. cap. 9. ver 14. The second and the third fruite THE other fruits are knowen by their ends For therefore Christ is exalted in his kingdome that inwardly hee maye enrich his Church and without he may defend it against enimies yea and also may bridle those that are deadly and inwarde enemies the seconde fruite therefore is that the father for and by this Christ doeth assuredly giue the holy ghost to them that aske it doeth gouerne and quicken the faithful by the ministerie of the Gospel both beautifieth the whole Church with diuerse gifts and also giueth to euery mēber so much giftes as are sufficient for the glorie of the head for the edificacion of the whole body and the saluation of that same member but hee leaueth none of them without necessarie gifts or letteth them to be emptie Actes 2.33 Christ exalted to the right hand of God and hauing obtained of his father the promise of the holy Ghost hath shed forth this which ye nowe see and heare And to the Eph. 4.7 To euery one of vs grace is giuen according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And a litle after He therefore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some pastors and teachers for the repairing of the Saintes for the worke of the ministery and for the edification I say of the body of Christe till wee all meete together in the vnitie of faith and that acknoweledging of the Sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Also Let vs altogether growe vp in him which is the heade to wit Christ by whome all the bodie fitly knitte and compact together by all the ioynts for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euerie part the whole receaueth increase of the bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue Christ therefore raigneth vnto vs at the right hande of the father that powring out the holy Ghost vpon vs he might be effectual by the ministerie and through the spirite might make vs his mēbers and might aduaunce his spirituall kingdome day by day in vs vntill he might fully ioyne vs vnto himselfe being perfectly regenerate and washed againe from sinne and corruption and so he might be God all in all 1. Corinthians 15. The thirde fruite THE thirde fruit is the defense of the Church against all our enemies sinne the flesh the worlde tyrantes diuels all which our heauenly father calleth the enemies of Christ and in verie deede he sheweth dayly examples of his power in ouerthrowing them Psal 110. The Lorde hath said to my Lord sit at my right hande vntill I make thine enimies a footestoole vnto thy feete Iehoua shall sende the scepter of thy strength out of Sion rule in the middest of thine enimies Surely a wonderful consolation that we are his brethrē yea his members to whome all power is giuen in heauen and in earth without whose will power neither the Turkes nor antichrist can deuise any thing against the Church no nor conclude or moue so much as a finger for the executing of their counsailes so that Christe raigneth in such sort in the middest of his enemies that he will not be shut out no not out of their most secrete counsailes Yea we are the brethren and members of that Christ by whose most present diuine power all men are gouerned and all creatures in heauen and in earth so that wee may saye with full securitie of minde with the Apostle Romanes 8. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation shall anguish shall persecution shall hunger shal nakednes shall danger shall the sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter yea but in al these thinges we are more then conquerours through him that hath loued vs. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor hight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separat vs
forget thee Beholde I haue written thee in my handes Zacharie 2. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye c. Psalm 22. and 55. Cast thy care on the Lord and he shall nourish thee neither wil he euer suffer the righteous to fleete 1. Pet. 5. Cast all your care vpon God for he careth for vs. Rom. 8. We know that to them which loue God all thinges shall fall out to their good Beholde these promises liuely painted foorth in the creatures Matth. 6. For this cause I say vnto you be not carefull for your life what you shall eate or what you shall drinke nor for your body what ye shall put on For is not the life more worth than meate and the body more worth than apparell Looke vpon the foules of the ayre they sowe not neither reape nor carrie into the barne and your heauenly father nourisheth them are not you much better than they Now which of you by carcking can adde one cubite vnto his stature And why are you carefull for rayment Learne how the lillies of the feeldes grow they are not wearie neither spinne but I say vnto you that Salomon in all his glorie was not apparelled as one of these Now if God so cloath the grasse of the fielde which is to day and to morrowe is cast into the furnace will he not cloath you much more O ye of little faith Be ye not therefore carefull saying what shall we eate or what shall we drinke or wherewith shall we be cloathed Now because we are fallen from the right of creation Christ there worthily maketh mention of the father casting the Ethnickes in the teeth with their distrust saying For the gentiles require all these thinges But your heauenly father knoweth that you haue neede of all these thinges By both which he calleth vs to the free couenant or promises in his sonne and in him he establisheth our confidence In the second place therfore look vpon the pledge of al the promises after this manner to wit vpon his onely begotten sonne by whom not onely lillies but all thinges aswell visible as inuisible are created and who yet vpholdeth and mainteineth them with the word of his power Heb. 1. Who also is appoynted heire of all thinges I say our heauenly father hath giuen this his sonne for thee to death and hath freely appointed thee a fellow heire together with his sonne through faith How therefore can it be that any creature should hurt thee which without the present operation of the sonne of God who is thy pledge cannot so much as moue it selfe yea rather how can it be that all creatures through and for the sonne in whom they consist and of whom they are gouerned and whereof thou art also a fellow heire should not necessarilie be constrained to serue thee and to worke to thy good yea euen then when they seeme greatliest to be against thee So Paule looketh vpon this pledge in the 8. chapter to the Romaines What therefore shal we say to these thinges If God be for vs who shall be against vs Verily he which hath not spared his owne sonn but hath deliuered him for vs all how should he not also with him gratifie vs with all thinges The third poynt of doctrine concerning Gods prouidence THou seest without thee partly men and partly also other creatures Because therefore thou hast to doe with both thou shalt not doubt that the prouidence of God doth gouerne ouer both And first of all the most high hath the counsailes willes endeuors and to be short all the powers of men whether they be good or bad in his owne hand aswell for the mitigating and turning of their mindes vnto thee as also for the brideling of their malice Of that we haue an example in Gene. 33. where Esau imbraceth Iacob who notwithstanding went out against him with a minde altogether deadly Call also vpon the Lord with the same confidence that Iacob did in the like danger Also Exod. 3. I wil giue this people fauour with the Egyptians and it shall come to passe that when ye depart ye shall not depart emptie of this we haue an example in Gene. 35. When they went foorth to wit Iacob and his sonnes the feare of God was vpon those Cities which were round about them so that they did not follow the sonnes of Iacob Moreouer the prouidence of God doth so gouerne ouer other creatures that what so euer can fall out from them to the faithfull being his confederates he turneth it to their good saluation Rom. 8.28 Now we know that all thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God The fourth poynt of doctrine concerning Gods prouidence THe other are creatures which we see not to wit Angels and diuels Of both these let a faithfull man so fully perswade himselfe First that God vseth Angels themselues as notable and excellent spirites to the ministerie and defence of his confederates as he hath promised Psalm 34. and 90. Heb. 1. Gene. 24. And as for the diuels that lie in waite against the saluation of his elect albeit he gouerneth them not by his spirite as he doth the Angels yet notwithstanding he so curbeth them in by his power as it were with a bridle that they can not so much as moue themselues vnlesse so farre forth as he suffereth them yea and he cōstrayneth them though they resist it to perfourme his will will they nil they Iob. 1. Luk. 22 Rom. 16. 1. Cor. 10. The fift poynt of Doctrine concerning Gods prouidence WE must vse the means that God offreth they are gifts of his prouidēce not for distrust which turneth the heart from God or for confidence in creatures but for obedience that we tempt not God passing the boundes of our vocation or despising the meanes which are instrumentes of the diuine prouidence and prescribing vnto him an other meane of helping then that he wil help vs by Mat. 4. vers 7. When the diuel would shew the prouidence of God to the end Christ should throwe himselfe downe headlong because God had commaunded his Angels concerning him that they should beare him vp in their handes he answereth it is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God And Paule in the Acts. 27. vers 21. saith O men ye ought to haue obeied me and not to haue gone from Creta and haue gained this iniurie and losse Also vers 30.31 The first vse or fruite of that doctrine concerning the prouidence of God THe first fruite is the glorie of God For a faithful man wil glorifie God in al things aswell prosperous as hurtfull from whom through whom and to whom all thinges are and he will vndoubtedlie persuade himselfe both morning and euening that God sheweth foorth no lesse power in the preseruation and gouernement of all thinges then in the first creation For verilie albeit God ceased from the creation of all newe sortes or kindes on the seuenth day yet
sinnes in him And what hath he done by raising him vp He hath iustified all in him for when he had deliuered him that is the beleeuers so that their sins shal be no more laide to their charge but righteousnes shall be imputed vnto them For these wordes raised vp for our iustification are to be vnderstoode of imputation as by this it is easie to bee seene because that in the last verse sauing one he hath saide that righteousnes is imputed of him who hath raised him vp and in this laste verse he nameth it our iustification in him who is raised vppe Loe that which before he had called imputation of righteousnes this hee nameth now our iustification What for that the same Apostle in the 1. Timoth. 3. saith And without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in spirite seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleued on in the world receyued vp into glorie doth he not manifestly shewe that that same true God who was manifested in the fleshe wherein also he suffered by the spirite which he opposeth against the fleshe that is by the power of his owne diuinitie whereby he raised vp the fleshe from the deade was iustified and that not from his owne sinnes but from ours which he had taken vppon him After which raising vp and iustification of him their folowed the testimonie of Angels the publike preaching of the remission of sins through him vnto the gentiles the beleefe which was giuen vnto him and to be short the receiuing of him vp into glorie all which testimonies verely coulde not haue followed vnlesse he had beene iustified from our sinnes by rising againe thorowe the power of his diuinitie For neither coulde the Angels giue witnes of him as of the Sauiour if he had remained oppressed in our condemnation neither remission of sinnes haue ben preched in his name if frō thē in our name he had not beene fully iustified neither faith haue bene giuen to him if oppressed of sinne death he could not haue giuē the holy gost which is the author of faith neither could he haue ben receiued vp into glory vnlesse that same flesh vpon which all our sinnes had beene cast Esay 53. had beene iustified from them when it was raised vp from death to which by the counsaile of death it was condemned This is that same power of the resurrection of Christ whereby the righteousnes which is not of the lawe but the righteousnes which is of God is brought forth through faith concerning which Paul Phil. 3. in an vndoubted and full persuasion of faith glorieth after this manner as touching the righteousnes which is in the lawe I was blamelesse but the things which were vantage vnto mee those things I accounted losse in respect of Christ yea doubtles I thinke all things losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christe Iesus my Lorde for whom I depriue my selfe of al these things accoumpt them for doung that I may gaine Christ and may be founde in in him not hauing my righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is of Christ through faith the righteousnes which is of GOD through faith that I may knowe him the force and power of his resurrection Therefore also Paul Rom. 8. not onely opposeth death as the price and redemption against condemnation but also of the resurrection as the absolution and as it were a higher degree For so he saith Who is it that shall condemne It is Christ which is deade or rather which is risen againe Why also doth Peter recken the resurrection of Iesus Christ to be the couenaunt of a good cōscience vnlesse it be because then the conscience is clere and restored into libertie when that same light of iustification in the resurrection of Iesus Christ shall shine vnto it Therefore then at length the couenaunt of Baptisme is ratified in beleeuers when faith shall haue obtayned this victorie in our heartes see the 1. Pet. 3 And hitherto maketh that same course and order of propounding the Gospell which the Apostles kept in the Actes to witte why they so greatly vexed that hee whome they had crucified was raised vp againe from the deade and why they set out in him being raised vp frō the deade iustification or rather forgiuenes of sins to wit because as our sins are condēned in the death of Christ so our absolutiō is in his resurrection Therfore whē Paul Act. 13. shewed forth the death of Christ and proued his resurrectiō by many reasons at the length he concludeth Brethren be it therefore knowen vnto you that through this man is preached vnto you forgiuenesse of sinnes and from all thinges from which you coulde not be iustified by the lawe of Moses by him euerie one that beleeueth is iustified And those same wordes that went before doe shewe that Paul doth gather that same conclusion concerning iustification not onely of the death but also of the resurrection of Christ which wordes are in this sort Wee also preach vnto you the same promise which was made vnto the fathers which God hath fulfilled vnto their children that is to say to you hauing raised vp Iesus And surely that same course or maner of propounding of the Gospel was agreeable to the commaundement For why by the commandement of Christ was the full gospell sent at length after the resurrection to the gentiles and to euerie creature as Christe saith in Luke For so it behooued that Christ shoulde suffer and rise againe from the dead the thirde day and remission of sinnes be preached in his name to all nations to wit because then at the length these things might be fullie published in his name after he had borne our sinnes in his body vppon the tree and had risen againe being iustified from them For then was the Gospell full all manner of wayes 1. Cor. 15.1.2.17 and the grace of iustification most full and abounding ouer euerie fault in all and ouer all that do beleeue The summe therefore of the first fruit of the resurrection of Christ is that our sinnes can no more bee laide to our charge then to Christe himselfe and that in Christ we are accounted as righteous and innocent as Christ was when he rose from the dead Forasmuch as by his death going before hee had taken away our sinnes through obedience nowe hereof it followeth seeing he arose iustified who before as a sinner was condemned accurssed of God in our person that hee was iustified in our name from our sinnes Neither is there any cause that any man shoulde meruell that Christ by rising from the deade was iustified from our sinnes and we in Christ before we were borne forasmuch as the Apostle saith 2. Tim. 1. that that same grace was giuen vnto vs before all worldes but manifested in the son and yet also manifested in the Gospell see also Ephes 1. Of the seconde fruite of the resurrection of Christ THe seconde fruite is
Ioel And it shall be in the last day saith God I will powre out of my spirite vppon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie c. Esay 59.20 21. And the redeemer shall come to Syon and vnto them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob saith Iehouah and I will make this my couenant with them my spirit that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord frō hence forth euen for euer Ioh. 14. verses 16.17.18.19 c. I will pray the father and he shall giue you an other comforter that hee may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whome the worlde can not receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leaue you fatherles but I will come to you yet a little while and the worlde shall see me no more but ye shall see mee because I liue ye shall liue also At that day shall yee know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you Manie moe testimonies were aledged when wee entreated of the trinitie The meaning of this article I Beleeue that the holy Ghost is verie true euerlasting God and of the same substance together with the father and the son and yet notwithstanding a person distinct from both as proceeding from them both And therefore forasmuch as he is verie God I place my confidence and trust in him as in the father and in the sonne and I trust in him that he will worke al that in me being emptie of all good that hee himself hath promised in his word for which cause he is sent of the father the sonne Now his effectes they are many and diuerse For first of all he is giuen that he may witnes the loue of the father in our hearts Gal. 4. that he may lighten the eyes of our minde with the knowledge of Christ that through faith he may so engraft me into Christ as a brāch into the vine may make me a partaker of Christ al his benefits Ioh. 15. This coniunction with Christ his benefits which the holy ghost doeth worke in vs the scripture doth expresse with great force when he saith that the holy ghost doeth sprinkle vs with the blood of Christ 1. Pet 1. doth make vs members of Christ 1. Cor. 6. doth feede vs with Christ Ioh. 6. doth make vs drinke of Christ 1. Cor. 10. the 12. and doth build vs vpon Christ Eph. 2. In which the office and end of the holy ghost giuen vnto vs is shewed that through faith it may most neerely knit vs vnto Christ and may work the like things both in the mēbers head seing it is the same spirit that is to say the very same life glory Rom. 8. I beleeue that the holy ghost as the true very God wil worke these thinges in me which he hath promised vnto me that beleue euē as these his peculiar epithetons names do declare that he is the water flowing vnto euerlasting life Iohn 4.7 A water which shal cleanse me Ezek. 36. 1. Corinthians 6. An annoynting which shal remaine in vs 1. Iohn 2. the seale and earnest of inheritance in all which it is promised vnto vs that he is giuen vnto vs to comforte vs in all aduersities to helpe vs in our infirmities to make intercession for vs with sighes and grones that can not be expressed forasmuch as we knowe not to pray as we ought and so that he be our true comforte or aduocate who suffereth not vs to be destitute of his counsaile and helpe but handleth our cause himselfe to the ende he may be in vs and remaine with vs for euer Iohn 16. To him I trust to him I wholy deliuer my selfe to be gouerned comforted and quickened in the father and in Iesus Christe his sonne who through the holie Ghost make their abiding with vs. The applying of this doctrine to the couenant of grace THat same euerlasting couenant that God hath stricken with Abraham the Sonne of God in mans nature taken of the seede of Abrahā hath confirmed by satisfying the righteousnes of God perfectly in manner as I haue confessed in the former articles of faith Nowe it resteth that the holie Ghost engraffe vs into Christ through faith the true seed of Abraham and so powre out that blessing promised to Abraham and his seede vpon vs and by the earnest of an euerlasting inheritance Paule saith in the third to the Galathians that in the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham is extant in Christ Iesus that we might receaue the promise of the spirit through faith And a little after Now to Abraham and to his seede were the promises made he saith not to the seedes as speaking of many but and to thy seede as of one which is Christ Also And if yee be Christs then are yee Abrahams seede heires by promise And Rom. 9.8.2 Cor. 1.21.22 How the holy Ghost is giuen and howe we know whether we haue it or no. THe holy Ghost is giuen by the ministery of the Gospel as by an ordinary meane Gal. 3. This onely would I learne of you receiued ye the spirit by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith preached Also Ephesi 1. verse 13. and 1. Cor. 12. verse 13. Now thou shalt knowe by the working of the holy Ghost that thou art a partaker of the holy Ghost For euen like as thou seest not the winde but dost feele his operation so the holy Ghost is knowen by his working as Christ teacheth Iohn 3. These are the principall and chiefe workes of the holy ghost in vs faith inuocation grones 1. Cor. 12. No man can say Lord Iesus but by the holy Ghost and the 2. Cor. 4. because we haue the same spirit of faith according to that which is written I beleeue and therfore I speake so we also beleeue and for that cause we also speake Ro. 8. Because we are sonnes therefore God hath giuen the spirit of the sonne into our heartes by which we crie Abba Father And in the same place The spirit maketh intercession for vs with grones that cannot be vttered Besides these the being displeased with our selues and the hatred of sinne or rather the battell against sinne is a sure and vndoubted token that we haue the holie Ghost that we are ingraffed into Christ For the flesh fighteth not against it selfe Rom. 8. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus which walke not after flesh but after the spirite THE FOVRTH PARTE OF the Creede I beleeue the holie Catholike Church the communion of Saintes Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles GEnesis 9. God enlarge Iapheth that he may dwell in the