religiō depēdeth not vpō any man or mans authority but vpō the vndoubted scriptures If they can shew better warrant for that they holde let vs heare their euidence but if their stoare be so beggerly that the richest of them and he that comes so appointed to challendge all in the name of al the rest writing which is with greater aduice than any sodain speaking can be be faine to limpe sinke in his entry what shal we thinke wil be done ere the battell be fought Surely if we came with carnall weapons it is like he would ouermatch vs hauing mans wisedome the world and the diuell on his side But thankes be to God we come appointed with spirituall weapons we come in the name of the Lord armed with the mightie word of God against all counterfait catholiques and heretiques And if God blesse her Maiesties gouernment so that the Gospell may proceede in a ful ministerie that the youth may be catechised seasoned with such sound instructions as this booke yeeldeth those that are ancient may be confirmed and the froward by an holy discipline ordered our youth our aged our common people of al sorts shal be able to vāquish put to flight all such emptie vaine boasters And this is the thing that I sought for in trāslating this excellent sound worke Which I hope your honor will accept according to that humble dutie and seruice wherewith I haue euermore helde my selfe specially bounde to your good Lordship as my singular patrone as a principall member in the church of God The Lorde Iesus establish your honors heart giue you a setled persuasion in that euerlasting trueth that euermore you may feele the cōfort assurance of that blessed kingdome which he so freely hath purchased for you Amen Your good Lordships faithfull seruant euer to commaund IOHN FIELDE To the most mighty and noble Prince and Lord Friderike Countie Palatine by the Rhene Duke of either Bauaria Elector of the sacred Romane Empire his most gratious Prince and Lorde Gasper Oleuian Treuir wisheth from his heart grace and peace from our Lorde Iesus Christ. THere are two special cause◠most noble Prince Elector and my verie good Lorde which haue moued me to the publishing of this little booke One that I might profite the studious youth by this easie plaine doctrine to wit to the end that by the taste thereof they may be stirred vp and prouoked to the ministerie of the worde of God For verily they chiefly serue the Church of Christ who allured by the sweetnes of the heauenly doctrine because they haue tasted how good the Lorde is and being stirred vp with a care of promoting his glory offer vp to the faithful people yea rather to Christ himselfe their diligence yea and in a sorte themselues also And truely it is a great matter euē frō the tender yeres to haue deeply tasted Christ in his heauēly doctrine for frō thence doth necessarily flow as Peter calleth it that same desire of the syncere milke of his worde 1. Pet. 2.2 and that same feruent desire of communicating of it vnto others Many good and learned men here know that this was the best and principal cause of the publishing hereof vnto whō I cōmunicated some yeares past those things which now I set forth and also declared the purpose of the publishing therof But hitherto I haue deferred the same because I feared least this simplicitie of teaching and writing not so filed and laboured should not satisfie many wherwith I endeuoured not so much to feede their eares as their mindes An other cause was that it might be a testimonie of doctrine against that same tempest which in many places is stirred vp against this Church Against this I would set this bulwarke of sande if peraduenture God who is mightie in the weake would vouchsafe to appease the same in the mindes of certaine more moderate than the rest also asswage it a litle in others For I haue thought of that same greate power of God whereby he hath set vnto the sea her boūds which whē it woulde seeme with his hugenes to ouerwhelme the whole earth by the commaundement of God all his force is broken against the softe sand I haue trusted therefore that through this simple and plaine declaration of the groundes of our religion which hitherto we haue vsed that the Lord would bring some good thinge to passe for the appeasing of certaine mens mindes vnto whom peraduenture our innocencie hithervnto hath beene lesse knowne Many keepe a great stirre as though horrible doctrine sounded in the congregation of this Church and such rumors are scattered abrode farre and wide Some may say that euen a sea of sclaunderous reproches is vomited out against vs wherewith we might be drowned But whie rage you ô good sirs for let it be free for me by your highnes leaue euen to compell them consider all the articles of our Christian faith will you finde in any one any such matter of raging Be not all thinges exacted to the rule of God his word and are they not directed to edification in true and sound godlines If you your selues doe not feele that same consolation in your consciences of this doctrine I will freely graunt that iustlie you rise vp against vs But take heed I beseech you that you rise not vp against your owne conscience against God himselfe who in the conscience hath erected his high seate For certeinly nothing hath bin done of vs in corners We haue manie yea innumerable witnesses of the exposition of this christan doctrine yea your highnes it selfe who shal reade the selfesame thinges here which publiquely you heaue now hard these fiften yeres past in which it hath pleased the Lord that I should deliuer here vnto his Church these principall grounds of the christian faith You haue now most noble prince Elector the causes of the publishing hereof which as I know to be true so I doubted not to lay them open to your highnes Now as touching that which may priuately concerne your highnes this shorte treatise lately drawne out of those catechising sermons of the former yeares shal be at the least wise some signification of a thankefull minde for a speciall benifite for that your highnes hath giuen enterteinment to that same heauenly doctrine the vndoubted word of the prophets and Apostles reueiled vnto men and also hath procured to many of the children of God being gathered together vnder the winges of your highnes with more than a fatherly clemencie the pure doctrine of saluation administred altogether with an heroical and principall spirite and altogether through the grace of God with a chearfull minde Now if againe in this your highnes age which the Lord vouchsafe to renue as the age of the Egle your highnes by the reading of the doctrine of God his prouidence of the power of Christ his resurrection of the euerlasting righteousnes now brought into light and of
therfore more dangers vnder the tongue of a flatterer then vnder the hand of a persecutor For where as the hande reacheth but to the bodie the false praise and faigned loue of a flatterer turneth mens hearts from the synceritie of the truth And therefore we ought to take heede of these flattering Papists as of the enemies August ad Demetriadem Epist 142 not of our bodies but of our soules whose softest speches and glauering praises which they pounce out to the vttermost to steale in vpon vs to gain against the truth are so many swords darts to our soules Thei corrupt light mindes with their faigned praises in the mindes of those that are light of credite they giue gentle woūds Thei couer their poison with hony And this vice hath so encreased in this our age that it stands at the last stint cannot be encreased euery mā applieth this study giueth himselfe wholy to follow this schole that he may deceiue be deceiued we receaue that willingly of others which we offer as a gift to others the hope of receauing praise maketh vs to praise those to their faces of whom we would be praised We oftentimes refuse the praise of flatterers when they speake to our faces and yet we nourish their flatteries in our mindes and thinke we haue gained much with men when God knoweth our consciences tell vs that they are forged and faigned We do not thinke what we are our selues in deede but what we seeme to be to others And hence it is that the most men push at the opinion of the worlde they labour to be well thought of fetching the testimony of their credite rather from a lying fame than a sounde conscience But happie are they that perfectly ouercome this vice that neither flatter nor beleue those that flatter that depend not vpon the blasts of mens mouthes but studie to approue themselues to God whose iudgement is according to truth And I beseech the Lord that her Highnes with all her Coūsel Nobles may be indued with this wisdome from aboue because such as they are are in most dāger of these sweete poisoners that they may shun auoyde their pleasant hissings For albeit now they creepe because they can not goe yet the time was when they ran made deepe furrowes euen vpon our backs when her maiestie should haue found curtesie they executed crueltie when all should haue found truth and loyaltie they bent themselues and their whole powers to kill both soule and body But I see Sathan is like himselfe and his children beare his resemblance that which they can not compasse one way they wil attempt another And therefore I wonder not that they are sodainly turned for a time from that rough course which yet lurketh hiddē in their bones and which in times past was wont to be their way That traitor Storie said it openly in the Parleament house Ann. prim of her Highnes most gration◠raigne that now they flatter her whō they then persecuted put in daunger of life whom they so vncurteously entreated some with such sorow repented that they had not grubbed vp the stock passed ouer the brāches against whom they haue moued so many rebellions and entred into such traiterous and curssed practises some of their greatest Clarkes appearing in actuall rebellion and inuading her maiesties terretories and countries I wonder not I say that now they call her highnes Christes substitute their soueraigne princesse so extolling her vertues as though her highnes gouernement the establishing of Christian religion and the execution of her highnes lawes against such traiterous offenders were inforced and against her will and purpose Thus they kisse and kill togeather The Pope their god in earth hath excommunicated her highnes and Sanders as it were their own mouth to witnes their persuasion by vertue of that Bull which Mourton procured and Felton whom with Thomas Becket for treason they make a martyr set vp hath pronounced them all free from all dutie and allegeance and yet forsoth now they will needes be counted faithfull subiectes Allen in his seditious Apologie of his english Seminarie speaketh faire for obedience and yet malapertly presumeth to confute her highnes proclamatiōs made against such runagates Their going beyond sea is for nothing but religion yet from them out of their schooles hath spronge the ground of al seditious practises the stirring vp vnto sedition rebellion in diuerse places both at home and abroade the attemps of compassing her maiesties life which the lord long preserue to the maintenance of the gospel their cōfusion And because the man is so hot for that we assure all ranke papists to be right traitors he telleth vs that those priests Iesuits haue expresse cōmandement frō their superiors not to moue any sedition or to meddle with matters of state or tēporal gouernmēt Allen Apolog Cap. 6. Fol. 72. but only by their priesthood functions to do such duties as be requisite for christian mens soules which cōsisteth in preaching teaching catechising Howlets auctor saith in the 7. reason that none can be called Priestes but in respect of that sacrifice ministring the sacraments such like First therefore we answere that preaching teaching catechising and ministring the sacraments is no part of popish priestes office For they are in deede as also he will haue them called masse priestes in respect of their abhominable sacrifice And as they scarse knew any practise of these he nameth so for Catechising or teaching the principles of Christian religion they neuer knew what it ment For they could not so much as abide the Lords prayer or creede commonly called the Creede of the Apostles to be in our mother tongue As for ministring the Sacraments they had neither calling so to do neither yet kept any right forme in the administration or taught the vse of thē And if their commission from their spirituall superiors there be sufficient calling to enable them to entrude them selues here or to go into other countries like gadding Circumcellions to disturbe both Churches and common weales where they haue neither place allotted nor beinge assigned either by God or man how can they shew vs the seale of these commissioners commission from aboue But if they will draw all auctority from that stranger that man of sinne and perdition who as he taketh vpon him to giue a spirituall commission I should haue saide a spitefull In foro conscientiae to excommunicate and to absolue from all sinnes then they should first proue that he receiued his auctority from God and so they might haue some better allowance But what auctority can this straunge vsurper challendge ouer the Lords inheritance How can he absolue from sinnes who is the verie sonne of perdition And what auctority can these substitutes haue to free from schisme and heresie who are the greatest schismatiques and heretiques of the worlde renting themselues from the
the world he said Sacrifice oblatiō thou wouldest not but a body hast thou framed vnto mee c Thē I said Loe I am present in the beginning of the booke it is writtē of me that I should do thy will O God And a little after Through which will we are sanctified through the oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once made Vpō this counsell of God also leaneth the reason of the Apostle in the 10. to the Romains whilest he saith the righteousnesse which is of faith so he saith Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heauen For this is to fetche Christ out of heauen or who shall goe downe into the deepe this is to bring Christ from the deade But what saith he The word is neare thee in thy mouth and in thy heart This is that worde of faith which we preache to witte if thou shalt confesse the Lord Iesus with thy mouth and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God hath raised him vp from the deade thou shalt be safe For we beleeue with the heart to righteousnesse but we confesse with the mouth to saluation See the 1. Corinth 1. vers 30. Luk. 1. vers 10. to the Hebr. 2. vers 14.15 to the Romans 5. vers 12.15.16 17.18 Also 1 Cor. 15. vers 20.21.23 1. Thess 4. vers 14. and Chapiter 5. vers 3. I beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles of the nature of God and of the creation of all thinges EXodus 34. The Lord of Hoastes The Lord of Hoastes a mightie mercifull and gratious God long suffering and much in goodnes and saith who shewest mercie to thowsandes pardoning iniquitie and defection and sinnes before whom the innocent is not innocent who recompencest the iniquitie of the fathers vppon the children and vppon the childrens children and vppon the kinsfolkes Gene. 1. In the beginning God created heauen and earth Nowe the earth was desolate and voyde and darkenes was vppon the vtmost face of the depth and the spirite of God mooued it selfe vppon the face of the waters Io. 1. In the beginning was the worde and the word was with God and that word was God All thinges were made by it and without it was nothing made that was made And to the Colossians the first and Psal 104. Thou shalt sende foorth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renue the face of the earth The description of God GOD is a spirituall substance euerlasting good pure aswell of an incomprehensible glorie as of an infinite wisedome and power of an vnchangeable righteousnes vnspeakable mercie and most constant trueth to be short the onely soueraigne happines and the father is euerlasting the sonne the euerlasting image of the father and the holie ghost proceeding from both The nature of God is shortly and diligently expressed in the description which is in Moses Exod. 34. The Lord of of Hoastes the Lord of Hoasts a mightie mercifull and gentle God long suffering and of great mercie and true c. The profite of this description of God THe vse of this description is that the nature of God being knowne we should embrace by true faith as our onely and most soueraigne God and should feare to offende him to the end that through true faith and feare or amendment of life he might be glorified of vs. For first when we heare that God who hath promised by an euerlasting couenant that he wil be a God vnto vs is an vnderstanding wise euerlasting good righteous and mercifull God we conclude verie rightly vppon it of the verie forme of that free couenant that he is not onely such a one by nature but also that he will shew himselfe to be such a one to vs beleeuers and that by an euerlasting couenant though all creatures should seeme to persuade vs to the contrarie He that knoweth this nature of God of whom he is receiued into couenant he hath large matter of trusting in him and of framing his life by faith according to the will of God Both of these to wit howe the knowledge of God maketh to faith and repentance and so to the establishing of the kingdome of God in vs we will make plaine out of some of his attributes So great and so constant is the truth of God that one word of the diuine truth passeth the truth of all Angels and men because the truth of all creatures dependeth vpon the truth of God and hath the originall from that and consisteth in that alone so that the truth of god is the cause and foundation of all truth both in Angels and men When therefore we wauer or doubt of any matter why do we not consult whether there be not some word of the Lorde concerning that matter whereof we doubt which being found we may giue our mindes to rest knowing assuredly that the least title of the truth is more firme then the whole frame of heauen and earth Ieremi 31. Matt. 5. vers 18. therefore it is saide in the second booke of the Kinges Cap. 10. vers 10. Knowe you nowe that there shall not fall anie thing of the word of the Lord to the ground Also his infinite power ought to incourage vs to trust in him in him I say that mightie God who calleth those thinges which are not as if they were Ro. 4. Like as also that same Apostle further speaketh of the faith of Abraham He doubted not of the promise of God through vnbeleife but was made strong in faith giuing glorie to God Being fully assured that he which had promised he also was able to performe it And surely how greatly distrust displeaseth God as which defraudeth him of his glory and how greatly the holiest men that are ought to beware of it the Lord teacheth Num. 20. And the Lord of Hoastes said vnto Moyses and Aaron Forasmuch as ye haue not beleeued me that you might sanctifie me before the sonnes of Israel therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the lande which I haue giuen them And in the 32. of Deut. 50.51.52 Now he is not onely able to do that which he wil as in verie deede he willeth that thing which he hath promised in his word but also in that which he willeth not he abideth no resistance which is as it were the other part of the omnipotencie of God Isai 43. There is none that can take out of my hand And if I do any thing who shall let it The first is therfore that in euerie thing we haue the wil of God knowne out of his word which being once knowne let vs not doubt but that Gods truth is most cōstant altogether vnchangable Moreouer let our mindes moūt vp to the almightie nature of God who mightily performeth in deede whatsoeuer he wil neither abideth any resistance Ioh. 10. I giue euerlastnig life to my sheepe neither shall they perish for euer neither shal any mā take them
AN EXPOSITION of the Symbole of the Apostles or rather of the Articles of Faith In which the chiefe points of the euerlasting and free couenant betweene God and the faithfull is briefly and plainly handled GATHERED OVT OF THE catechising Sermons of GASPER OLEVIAN TREVIR And now translated out of the Latine tongue into the English for the benifite of Christ his Church By IOHN FIELDE AT LONDON Printed by H. Middleton for Thomas Man and Tobie Smith ANNO. 1581. To the right honorable and my very good Lord Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Master of the Queenes Maiesties Ordinance Knight of the noble order of the Garter one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie counsell I. Fielde his faithfull seruant wisheth with his heart grace from God the Father by Iesus Christ and constancie in the trueth of the Gospell to the ende Amen OF all the faultes that we fall into in these dayes of our vanity right honorable my very good Lord I know none that deserue greater blame than to be vnthankfull where we haue receaued benefites And this is the cause that I hauing takē some paines in this profitable worke which I am bolde vnder your honours name to offer to the whole Church of God I thought good to leaue it in lieu of thankefulnesse as a testimony both of your honours loue towards the truth of God and of my humble duety againe towards your honor and the whole Church of God to all posteritie for who am I that I should not whiles life lasteth liue to the profite of the Church and who are you with all your honour auctority wealth and libertie all the gifts which God in mercie hath bestowed vpon you that you should not employ all to the maintenance of the truth and defence of the Church vnder her Maiestie wherein both high and lowe receaue the assuraunce of spirituall blessings sealed in the hope of an euerlasting kingdome And as the glory of God is shewed most herein that he defendeth his spowse hath bewtified her with giftes from aboue that she might be a pure and vndefiled spowse chast and holy vnto him selfe so this is our greatest glory of what state or condition so euer we be to be members of this Church by the Communion whereof we are his members For he is the onely head of his Church to giue it gifts to gouerne it to lead it to that great and euerlasting saluation There is no life but from this head nor any saluation but in this Church wherein as syncere doctrine is professed and out of his worde shineth and dwelleth so that holy obedience of children towards their father and of seruauntes towards their Lord framed and conformed to his will alwayes appeareth and sheweth it selfe And therefore it is called his howse because he is the husband of it the housholder and master that ruleth in it setting down his owne orders to his children and familie wherein it is intollerable presumption if not blasphemie for any man to dare to alter or chaunge the least iote against his will He is the Kinge and Pastor of it Luke 12.4 and his friendes stande and heare him Io. 10.4.5 his sheepe followe his voice and will not goe after a straunger They loue him that keepe his wordes and he beautifieth them not onely as guestes strangers but as Citizens and Saintes Ephes 2.19 and such as are of his owne housholde These are they that flie as the cloudes such is the multitude of them dispersed vpon the face of the earth and they mounte vp as Doues to his windowe Esay 60.8 And this is both called is the Church of the liuing God 1. Timot. 3.15 the foundation and piller of truth the body of Christ the house of the highest the keeper teacher of the Gospell the mother of the faithfull clensed of Christ and pretious vnto him This is no particular synagogue whorish and disobedient impure and filthy full of rebellion and falsehood as is that synagogue of Rome which hath departed from her first faith and loue which although the Papists would aduāce aboue the skies alwaies like Cuckowes singing one the same songe and shamelesly begging that which they shoulde chiefly proue yet they shall neuer be able though they burst their harts for it to proue it to be either the Catholique Church of Iesus Christ or a member of it For they maintaine another head besides Christ another worde besides the worde of Christ vnwritten verities or rather absurde vntruthes preferring the commaundements of a sinnefull man before the vnchaungeable and euerlasting trueth of God And truely I do not a little wonder what madnesse is entred into their braines that with such Owles faces they dare in the open lighte of the Gospell schritch forth their olde absurdities as though now after the great instruction of the truth they were able to thrust forth vnto vs as in times past when they lead vs in the darke their counterfaite ware to deceaue vs and so turne vs away from the glorious lighte of our saluation We had thought they had receiued their aunswere long agoe would neuer haue durste to looke the trueth in the face againe but nowe as they are continually instructed from that same enemy of truth so they bring forth their olde rotten stuffe and their new Iesuites haue furbushed ouer their olde arguments of their blinde predecessors as if they were spicke spanne newe they offer them vnto vs. But we finde them all of one metall This onely is the difference that whereas they were wont to speake in their owne language and like themselues nowe they speake in an other dissembling voyce and being in case to couch for feare of the whippe they haue turned their rustie roughnes into some smoothnes and like Angels of lighte that they may haue some entertainment amongest vs and to the end they may infect the lande againe with their idolatries and turne vpside downe the quiet peace the blessing of the Gospell hath brought vs and drinke vp our bloud as together with Antichrist their head they haue done in times past and in the countries where they haue had entertainment rounde about vs with strong flatterie they prepare euen to creepe into our bosomes And hēce are those speaches vsed by Parsons Howlet in that fraudulent and doubling Epistle that he of late hath presumed to whoope in the eares of her Soueraigne Highnes wherewith because I haue dealt more fully in another place now I do but touch it But as there is greatest daunger when foes beginne to faigne so haue we greatest cause to distrust these enemies of God and of the common weale when they haue made their tongues most glyb and smoothe to deceaue withall August in Psal 9. that as one saith verie well they may binde mēs soules in their sinnes For a sinner delighteth to doe those things wherein not onely the reprouer is feared but also the praiser is heard There are
out of my hand My father who hath giuen thē vnto me is greater then all neither can any man snatch them out of the hand of my father I and the father are one Here thou hast both the most constant truth of the word of Christ and also his omnipotencie And so thou must trust that God offereth himselfe vnto vs in Christ a true and almightie God in an euerlasting couenant And further should not this selfesame nature of God wherein he is true and almightie pricke vs forward to amendement and to lead a life through faith according to his will For whilest we heare that his truth is one and vnchangeable let vs know for a suertie that he will not for euer approue sinnes which he hath witnessed to detect by his word Psal 5. Moreouer that it is more possible that heauen earth should be ouerthrown then that those punishmentes should not fall out which he hath threatened in his word vnlesse we turne from our sinnes Mat. 5. vers 18. For the nature of God must be changed if his truth were subiect to change And the same reason is of his omnipotencie For who would not wholy addict himselfe vnto him and altogether depend vpon his becke and frame all thinges to his will in whose hand is life and death who hath power to cast both body and soule into euerlasting fire As Christ saith Feare not those which kill the body but can do nothing against the soule I say vnto you whom you must feare euen him that hath power to cast both body and soule into hell fire The infinite wisdome of God auaileth much for the establishing of our trust in him as for example thus that faith may ouercome whatsoeuer is obiected of the flesh and of sinne against the word and workes of God and that it may at once breake all the broyles assaultes of distrustes giue it selfe to rest it must needes be that the minde ascend vp to that infinitenes of the wisdome vnderstanding of God that it safely rest in that as doing all thinges wisely and well and be fully persuaded that God is the gouernor of the world and not men and that he doth so gouerne all thinges that we neither can nor ought to wish them wiselier or better done then they are or may be done of God Paule teacheth vs to rest in that same infinite wisdome of God in the 11. to the Romanes O the depth sayth he of the riches aswell of the wisdome as of the knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his waies past finding out Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who hath beene of counsel with him or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shal be recompensed againe for of him by him and in him are all thinges to him be glorie worldes without end Amen And Isai in the 40. chapter vers 13.14 and in the 104. Psal vers 24. O Lord of hoastes how are thy workes multiplied Thou hast done all thinges in wisdome And Psalm 147. vers 5. Our Lord is great and mightie in strength there is no number of his vnderstanding When therefore we heare our most wise yea our onely wise God who hath promised that he will shew himselfe such a wise God towardes vs who should not receiue his wordes with high reuerence and haue a contented minde in all and those most dayly workes of his prouidence as done most wisely an so rest in his wisdome The which diuine wisdome the Apostle wondring at doth therewithall praise it To the only wise God be glorie Romanes cap. 16. vers 37. Therfore also the wisdome of God doth incourage vs to cōfidence seeing he hath promised to shew himselfe such a one towardes vs. Also who knowing his wisdome doth not according to his word as the briefe rule of wisdom frame his his life Psal 119. Now after that we haue by faith layd holde vpon the omnipotencie and wisdome of God in all his workes hauing vtterly denied our owne wisdome of the fleshe Rom. 8. it followeth that he be acknowledged also to be good Now his goodnes is considered aswell in all effectes as in forgiuing of sinnes Concerning the first whatsoeuer is done of God it is good and thou must acknowledg it as verie good For how can any other thing but good proceede from him in whom there is nothing but good Therefore Dauid grauely and shortly saith Iehoua is good to all and his mercie is ouer all his workes Psal 145. Thou hast a singular vse and practise of this doctrine in the 107. Psalme Furthermore his goodnes mercy whereby amongest the rest of his workes he taketh away iniquitie wickednes ought so to reare vp our faith that if the flesh feare lest he should cast vs off for our iniquitie and wickednes faith ought fully to be resolued that this is the nature of God as Moses saith to take iniquitie and sinnes to witte from the beleeuers Now the nature of God is vnchangeable wherefore vndoubtedly he would take them from vs so that we beleeue This nature of God shineth in the face of Christ when he saith Be of good cheere my sonne Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Who therefore would not trust in him who also hauing heard of this so great goodnes would go on willingly and wittingly to offend him As the Apostle saith in the 2. to the Rom. vers 4.5 Doest thou despise the riches of his goodnes long sufferance and gentlenes not knowing that his goodnes doth prouoke thee to repentance But thou after thy hardnes and harte that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the iust declaration of the righteous iudgement of God Who also hauing heard of his mercie doth not feare to doe any man wrong or vniustly to oppresse his neighbour like as in verie deede by this his nature that he is merciful he turneth vs away from all hardnes of hearte and inhumanitie Exo. 22.26.27 If thou take the garment of thy neighbour for a pledge saith he before the sun go downe thou shalt restore it againe vnto him because it is his onely couering it is his garment to couer his skinne in which he should sleepe And when he shall crie vnto me to heare him I will heare him because I am mercifull Yea also the righteousnes of God doth so shine in the face of his Christ that also the most iust nature of God expressed in the lawe may comfort vs in Christ and confirme our hope which otherwise in our selues may worthily terrifie vs. For seing that God is most righteous and hath once called into iudgement the sinnes of all beleeuers and hath punished them in his sonne in the full rigour of his iustice the most righteous nature of God will not beare that the same debte once perfectly paide and clensed should be twise or againe repaide vnto him Againe forasmuch as God is so righteous that an innocent before him is not innocent
man seuerally as he will Loe he had saide before There are diuersitie of administrations but God is the same that worketh all in all afterwards shewing that the same holy spirit is God himselfe he saith All these things worketh one and the same spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will That he is true and that as God looking into the heartes and trying the thoughts it is taught in the 5. of the Acts. Peter said Ananias why hath Sathan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost and by and by he addeth Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto God And that he proceedeth from the father and the sonne not as a created motion or mouing but as a person existing vnderstanding and of the same essence with the father the sonne Christ teacheth in Ioh. Cap. 14. vers 26. Now that same holy spirit the comforter whom the father shall sende in my name he shall teach you all things and shall put all these things into your minde which I haue said vnto you But this belongeth onely to God 1. Cor. 2. vers 10.11.12 He iustifieth and sanctifieth the Church aswell as the sonne 1. Cor. 1.6 1. Pet. 1. and renueth it to euerlasting life Ioh. 3. baptiseth into the same body 1. Cor. 12. He dwelleth in the beleeuers and raiseth them vp from the deade Rom. 8. If his spirit who hath raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he will also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit dwelling in you And verily he dwelleth in vs as in his owne temple Therefore the holy Ghost must necessarily be the true God 1. Cor. 3. vers 16. Doe you not knowe that you are the temple of God and that the sptrite of God doth dwell in you c. Now in the 2. Cor. cap. 6. he saith Ye are the temple of the liuing God as God hath saide I will dwell in them and walke there c. Out of all which it is vnderstoode that the holy ghost is the true and euerlasting God What daunger there is if we beleeue not in the holy ghost IF any beleeue not in the holy Ghost he neither beleeueth in the father nor in the sonne and so manifestly beleeueth not in God forasmuch as the father and the sonne cannot be knowen and be beleeued of vs vnlesse the holy ghost reueale it who proceedeth from the father and the sonne and is of the same essence with both 1. Io. 4. ver 14. So therefore we must determine that if any man haue not the spirite of Christ the same is not his Rom. 8. But if any knowe not the holy Ghost neither also hath he it Iohn 14. The worlde can not receaue the holy Ghost because it seeth it not neither knoweth it Therefore he that knoweth not the holy ghost he is not of Christ But you knowe him saith Christ because he abideth with you and shal be in you That the father the sonne and the holy ghost are three distinct persons and yet that they are one and the same substance THerefore those former being dispatched to witt that the father the sonne and the holy ghost are thinges subsisting of themselues vnderstāding c. it foloweth also that we teach that they are incōmunicable or rather distinct Gene. 1. In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth and the spirite of God moued it selfe vpon the face of the waters And God said Let there be a light and the light was made Mat. 3. The trinitie of the persons is plainly described to witt the sonne clad in mans nature and baptised then the holighost in a bodily forme as it were a doue descending downe from heauen abiding vpon the sonne Lastly the father pronoūcing with a cleare voyce out of heauen This is my beloued sonne in whō I am wel pleased Also Mat. 28. ver 19. Ioh. 8. vers 16 17 18. Also cap. 14 Now I will aske the father and he will giue you another comforter that hee maie remaine with you for euer And 15.26 But when that comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the father that spirite of truth who proceedeth from the father he shall witnesse of me Also cap. 16. vers 7. Further that these three persons are one diuine essence these places witnes Deut 6. Heare Israel Thy Lord thy God is one God And 32. See I am one and there is no other God besides me Psal 18. Who is God besides the the Lord And who is God besides our God 2. King 5. I know for a suertie saith Naaman Syrus that there is no other God in all the earth but onely in Israel Isai 42.43.45 and 48. Iohn 10. I and the father are one And the 14. Beleeue me that I am in the father and the father in me Esai 6. Seraphin cried Holy Holy Holy the Lord of Hoastes The voyce Holy thrise repeated setteth foorth the Trinitie of persons and the word Iehouah the vnitie of the essence Matt. 28. Going foorth Teach ye all nations baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost It is verie certaine that we are baptised into the faith and worship of one God But that there is mention made of three to witte of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost in the selfesame is noted the Trinitie of persons in the vnitie of substance 1. Cor. 7. vers 11. 1. Iohn 5. There are three which beare witnesse in heauen the father the word and the holy ghost and these three are one Now whatsoeuer thinges haue beene spoken before of the Godhead of the sonne and of the holy ghost they doe also proue the same thing to witte that these three persons are one euerlasting God For neither the father were an euerlasting father vnlesse he had a sonne from euerlasting and coessentiall or of the same substance with him neither were the Sonne the onely begotten sonne of the Father vnlesse he were of the same substance with him neither were the holy ghost the spirite of the father and sonne proceeding from both vnlesse it were coessentiall with the father and the sonne What fruite we receiue by this that we know and beleeue the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne and the holy ghost to be the onely true and eternall God and that there is no other God FIrst of all forasmuch as this is the true felicitie that we should know the true God because God doth communicate himselfe vnto vs through the knowledge of himselfe and forasmuch as our bodies and soules were created and redeemed with a great price to this purpose that they might be the temples of the liuing God in which he might be praysed we know that this is truly and indeede fulfilled in vs through the knowledg of the true God of the father the sonne and the holy ghost as Christ promiseth Iohn 14.16 I will aske the father and he shall giue vnto you another
earnest of our inheritaunce whiles we are redeemed into libertie to the praise of his glorie Although therefore wee die yet we shall rise againe into an immortall life because both the right of life is adiudged vnto vs in the raising vp againe of the sonne and wee are ingraffed into this Christ raysed vp as branches vnto the vine both by the outwarde testimonie of the Gospell and also by the inwarde witnesse of the holy Ghost 1. Corinth 15. If Christ bee risen againe we also shall rise againe Hitherto also belongeth it that he calleth him the firste fruits of them that rise againe because the whole haruest of all the faithfull from the beginning of the worlde was sanctified vnto God by the raysing vp of that lumpe which the sonne of God had taken of vs to a blessed resurrection Hitherto also it belongeth that he is called the first begotten from amongest the dead Colossians 1. as else where it shall bee declared more largely Seeing therefore that in raysing vppe of the sonne the right of life is brought to light vnto vs and that same quickening spirite of Christ is giuen vnto vs hauing heard the Gospell that same spirit I say of faith through which not onely our soules but also our bodies are members of our head Christe therefore wee haue an vndoubted pledge in the resurrection of our heade Christe that our bodies are to bee repayred and restored to immortalitie He ascended into heauen Testimones out of the Prophetes and Apostles THE Apostle in the fourth Chapter to the Ephesians citeth a prophecie out of the 68. Psalme concerning the ascension of Christ but vnto euerie one of vs grace is giuen according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith when hee ascended vp on high he led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And the prophecie in the hundred and tenth Psalme of the sitting of the Messias at the right hand of God comprehendeth in it a prophecie of the ascension into the heauens as it were an entrie of that glorious exaltation at the right hande of God the which thing is confirmed by the testimonie of the holy Ghost himselfe by the mouth of Peter Actes 2.34 Since then that he by the right hande of God hath ben exalted and hath receaued of his father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shedde foorth this amongest you which you see and heare For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but hee saith The Lorde saide to my LORDE sitte at my right hande vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole So also Markâ— the Euangelist in the sixteenth Chapter ioyneth the entrie with the sitting it selfe at the right hand so after the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God And Christ Iohn 14. foresheweth his ascension into heauen let not your heart be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in mee In my fathers house are many dwelling places otherwise I woulde haue tolde you I goe to prepare a place for you And seeing I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my self that where I am there you may be also The Euangelists describe a sure manifest fulfilling of these foresayinges concerning the ascension of Christ Marke in the place nowe aledged and Luke in his Euangelicall historie chapter 24. Loe I doe sende the promise of my father vppon you but tarie ye in the citie of Ierusalem vntill yee bee indued with power from on high Now he ledde them out into Bethaniah and lifting vp his handes he blessed them And it came to passe that whiles he blessed them being separate from them heâ— was carried vp into heauen and they worshipping him returned to Ierusalem with great ioye and were continually in the temple lauding and praysing God And in the first of the Actes And when he had spoken these thinges while they behelde hee was taken vp and a cloude tooke him out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towardes heauen beholde two men stoode by them in white apparell who saide Yee men of Galilie why stande yee gasing into heauen This Iesus which is taken from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen And Peter Actes 3 And nowe brethren I knowe that through ignorance ye did these thinges as also did your gouernours but those thinges which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophetes that Christe shoulde suffer he hath thus fufilled Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and when he shall send Iesus Christ which before was preached vnto you whom the heauen must containe vntill the time that all things bee restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The meaning of these wordes He ascended into heauen THE meaning is I beleeue Christe who according to his diuine nature was alwayes in the heauens Iohn 1. and 3. after that he had fulfilled the office of ambassage and by the space of fourtie dayes had instructed his disciples concerning the trueth of his resurrection in that same true bodie of his that was taken out of the substance of Marie the virgine that it hanged vppon the crosse was deade and buried that being glorified rose againe that in the selfe same body I say together with a very humaine resonable soule he ascended into the heauens where the seat is of euerlasting felicitie The scripture in the first Chapter of the Actes doeth set out the matter most liuely before our eyes And in an other place he saith the same things that CHRIST departed from his disciples and was lifted vp into heauen Luke 24. that hee went from them Iohn 14. that hee left this worlde Iohn 16. that hee was taken awaye Actes 15. from vs Luke 24. into those same holy tabernacles not made with hands Hebrewes 9. into heauen it selfe Mark 16. that he is there continually and without any interruption Hebrewes 10. that heauen must holde him vntill the time of the restoring of all thinges Act. 2. Howe Christ being absent is yet present BVT if that Christ went from vs hath left this worlde howe is that promise of Christ fulfilled Beholde I am alwayes with you vnto the ende of the worlde Matthew 28. Surely it is so fulfilled euen like as that same other word of Christ was fulfilled Verilie I say vnto you that before Abraham was I am Iohn 8. For like as hee fulfilled that by the presence not of his fleshe but of his diuinitie and yet feared not to say I admit that he vnderstoode it onely of the presence of his diuinitie so also according to his maiestie according to his prouidence according to his vnspeakeable and inuisible grace that saying was fulfilled of him Beholde I am with you alwayes euen to the ende of the
whereof he spake before It is God who iustifieth Therfore the faithful they cannot doubt of that euerlasting reconciliation with God aswell because that same euerlasting office of reconciling is laide vpon Christ as also because Christ executeth the same with moste highe power and glorie preseruing it fully and perfectly euerie moment without any or the least interruption that may bee so that worthily enioying such a patrone we maie vndoutedly trust that none can come foorth which either dare accuse or condemne the faithfull that we may trust I say that the least accusation that may be can not be admitted before that same high priest in so great glorie making intercession for vs whether it be of Sathan of the conscience or of sinne so that that same glorious intercession of Christe doth truely perfourme vnto vs that God hath promised by Esaie the Prophet I haue taken away thine iniquities as a cloude and thy sinnes as a litle cloude turne vnto me because I haue redeemed thee Also Chapter 60. verse 1. The second fruite whereof we be partakers by this exaltation of Christe in the priesthoode THe second fruite is that we dare both with a full faith as I may say with a full mouth aske and looke for from God all good and healthful thinges forasmuch as we are members of that priest who with so great power and glorie maketh intercession for vs beeing surely persuaded that his glorious intercession will swallowe vp all our vnworthinesse and get vnto vs vnspeakeable grace and so that wee shall receaue for and through this Bishop all those good promises which we aske Hebru 10. verses 19.20 c. Seeing therefore brethren that we haue libertie to enter into the holie place by the bloud of Iesus by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vale that is his flesh and seeing wee haue an high priest gouernour ouer the house of God let vs draw neare with a true heart and with an vndoubted perswasion of faith our heartes beeing pure from an euil conscience and our bodies being washed with pure water let vs holde the confession of our hope not wauering for he is faithful who hath promised Also to the Philip. 4 verse 6. Be nothing carefull but in al thinges let your request be shewed vnto God in prayer supplication with giuing of thankes and the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shal preserue your hearts and minds in Christ Iesus We haue therefore this plentiful fruite that in all thinges which we haue to doe with God we haue such an ouerseer of the house of God and such an intercessour as in whose fauour the Father wil giue vs all thinges and therefore he is called Heb. 2. a faithfull Bishop in those thinges which he hath to doe with God and in the thirde to the Heb. verse 2.5.6 Heb. 4. verse 14. The thirde fruite THat we offer vp our selues and all good thinges whiche wee receiue for and by this high Bishop for sweete and acceptable sacrifices to GOD in all thinges giuing thankes vnto God by this Iesus Christe and which by and for the Sonne he accepteth to his glorie and bringeth to passe that they serue for it Apocalip 5. verse 8. The foure and twenty elders fell downe before the Lambe euery one hauing harps and golden vials full of sweete odours which are the praiers of Saintes And Rom. 12. I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God c. 1. Pet. 2. verse 5. Yee also as liuing soules be ye builded vp into a spirituall house and holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God by Iesus Christ Wherefore also it is conteined in the scripture Behold I put in Syon a chiefe corner stone elect and pretious he that beleeueth therein shall not be ashamed And Hebru 13. verses 15.16 also to the Philip. Cap. 1. verses 11. and 12. filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which are in you by Iesus Christ to the glorie and praise of God The fourth fruite FOrasmuch as the faithfull are members of Christe making intercession for them in high glorie he doth not onely through his intercession make their sufferinges holie but also glorious in the sight of God Psal 116. verse 15. Pretious in the sight of God is the death of his meeke ones Also in the Psal 56. verse 9. and Philip. 2. verse 17. Yea and though I be offered vp vpon the the sacrifice and seruice of your faith I am glad and reioyse with you all For the same cause also be yee glad and reioyce with me Therfore the suffrings of the Church are wonderfully sanctified and made glorious through this high Bishop making intercession in glorie To be short what soeuer things were plainely and magnificently instituted of God concerning the priesthoode of the olde Testament and the sacrifices and were done according to that spirituall patterne that was shewed to Moses in the mount we haue the full truth and perfect fruit to euerlasting consolation in the priesthod of Christ not only as he administred it in humilitie with so great power that by one oblation he made perfect for euer those that were sanctified but also in that he liueth alwayes to this end to make intercession for vs and so bringeth to passe that we alwayes enioye the fruite of his sacrifice and the trueth of all those thinges which were promised of God by the figures of the olde Testament Therefore when we read the Scriptures of the olde Testament we ought to lift vp our mindes hither I say to this priest perfourming that vnto vs euerie moment in high glorie that God had promised by the mouth of the prophetes and by those visible ceremonies For what so euer thinges are written they are written for our learning Rom. 15.4 For example sake Exod. 39. that the high priest did beare vpon his shoulders the names of the tribes and did beare those twelue pretious stones before his brest entring into the sanctuarie in remembrance of those twelue tribes of Israel that Christ executeth at this day with great glorie He hath vs the true Israel alwayes in his brest and fresh memorie before the sight of God as pretious stones To be short we shal knowe and perceaue the full fruite of the exaltation of Christ in his Priesthood in euerlasting life with wonderful admiration when in presence we shall beholde that same exaltation of our high priest in glorie euen as the high priest himselfe prayed Ioh. 17. Father those that thou hast giuē vnto me I wil that they be with me where I am that they may beholde that same glorie which thou hast giuen vnto me What the exaltation of Christ is in his kingdome which is the other part of the sitting of Christ at the right hand of God THE kingdome of God is the restoring of saluation through the worde and spirit in the elect descended from