infallible for besides that we beleeue nothing heere but what hath bin in all Ages receiued except it bee in that point of Christ descending into Hell so all those Articles are grounded vpon expresse Scripture except before excepted that there can bee no doubt of the truth of them if we will beleeue the Scripture and therefore we should with the more willingnesse attend to these Doctrines seeing they are not in the number of those truthes that seeme to bee opposed not onely by the iudgements of learned men but by the Word of God the meaning of Gods Word appearing not so clearely to vs in those things 6. From the sufficiencie of the Doctrine of the Creed It containes all things necessary to be belieued to saluation All things I say necessary for babes in the proposition and for strong men in the exposition 7. From the necessitie of knowing and beleeuing these things these Articles must be beleeued or we cannot be saued Yea all these Articles must be beleeued of necessity to faile in any is desperately dangerous 8. From the Permanencie of these truthes Heere is that said that will abide in a Christian and is indelible 9. From the consideration of the condition of many hearers some are but new beginners and others though for the time they might haue bin teachers yet neede to bee taught these principles Yea neede to be taught them againe being such as those Heb. 5. 12 13. It is in these things also that the better sort of hearers complaine of their ignorance 10. We were tyed in our Baptisme vnto the doctrine contained in this Creed and so we stand bound before God and the Angels to learne it and keepe it as a great Treasure 11. From the consideration of the manner of propounding these Articles they are set dnwne in the Creed plainely and so they cleare our iudgements and withall briefely so as wee neede not feare our memories it is short in words but great in mysteries 12. Lastly because of the singular vse may be made of these doctrines there is great vse of the whole and great vse of euery part of it other Sciences for the most part add nothing to vs but to our knowledge onely or little to our practise especially so as to aduance our happines now there are many commodities arise from the knowledge keeping of these truthes as 1. Contemplatiue delight Men are delighted with the smell of flowers and the sight of colours how much more may and ought our mindes to be delighted in the obseruation meditation of such glorious truthes as these for these Articles doe exhibit to the beleeuing soule the glory of God to be veiwed in the things of greatest excellencie euen the choisest things wherein God hath made knowne the wonder of his goodnes vnto man And therefore these things are good for meditation all the daies of our liues if we had once but the skill to open the glories are heere contained Many Christians are much distressed about meditation They complaine they cannot tell what to thinke of profitablie In the Creed is cōtained the abridgement of these shining doctrines vpon which we may and ought alwaies to look wonder 2. The restoring of the Image of God in our mindes for by bringing in these knowledges wee set vp againe the frame of the Image of God in our mindes which lieth vtterly defaced in vs till the light of these doctrines begin to shine in our vnderstanding wee are purblinde yea wee are starke blinde so long as we are ignorant in these groundes 3. The nourishment of the whole soule The soule of man takes not foode further then it layes hold vpon these and such like truthes and when these are thought on and applied soundly al things in the soule wil thriue and prosper and the more is this to bee regarded because in these Articles is contained foode for all sorts of Christians for heere is milke for little ones in the proposition of these Articles and meate for strong men in the exposition of these all wholsome foode 4. The Creed containes the substance of those Articles of agreement made betweene God and vs so as we may easily and daily thence take notice of the maine points that are treated of betweene God and vs The condition of the couenant on our parte concerning either faith or practice all that is required of vs in effect in respect of faith is heere set downe 5. By the dexterous vse of these doctrines we may try all Religions in the world for heere is the roote of faith the touchstone to try things that are to bee belieued the square by which they are to be measured 't is that little Iudge in matters of quarrell about Religion for whatsoeuer doctrine is contrary to the Analogie of faith in these things may bee safely reiected and must be 6. It is the very Charecter of the Church and serues to distinguish vs from all other professions of men in the world as first from meere naturalists that beleeue no more cōcerning God religion then they can see by the light of nature as it is now corrupted and so it distinguisheth vs from the Philosophers and therfore much more from the common sort of Gentiles that entertained opinions monstrous and against the very light of Nature secondly from the Turkes who though they receiue some truthes from the light of Scripture yet reiecting most of these fundamental truthes entertaining a multitude of blasphemies of their owne against the Christian faith are worthily condemned as men without the pale of the Church thirdly from the Iewes because they denie all the Articles concerning Christ fourthly from all sorts of Heretickes that haue erred from this faith in some of the Articles concerning Christ such as are the Arrians and Papists at this day fifthly from such as haue but a wandering opinion concerning God in any of these Articles so as they onely know them by coniecture or hearesay and haue not entertained them with distinct assurance into their hearts and such are multitudes of people of all sorts euen in the Visible Church To conclude euery word almost of the Creed doth pierce the sides of some or other hereticall or blasphemous men As we beleeue one God against the Gentiles the Father Sonne and holy Ghost against the Antitrinitans Creator of Heauen and Earth against Carpocrates Cerinthus and the Ebionits we beleeue that Christ is the Lord against Valentinus who acknowledged him to bee a Sauiour not a Lord and that he is our Lord against those in Origens time that said hee was the Lord of God and that hee is the onely begotten Son against the Arrians conceiued by the holy Ghost against Apollinaris Valentinus and Eutiches that he was dead against Basilides rose againe against Cerinthus and sitteth at the right hand of God against Praxeus and we beleeue one Catholique Church
and his comming to Iudgement Concerning the holy Ghost the Church hath retained and maintained that truth in all ages without any great opposition and therefore that Article is very barely set downe the greatest quarrells were raised either by Gentiles against the doctrine of God the Father or by Hereticks against the doctrine of Christ the Sonne which made faith speake out more distinctly in the doctrine of these two persons Thus of God Concerning the Church two things are to be noted Properties or Priuiledges Her properties are two holy and Catholique The goods or Priuiledges of the Church are either in this world or in the world to come In this world there is Communion of Saints and forgiuenesse of sinnes In another world faith sees and wonders at the Resurrection of the body and the life Euerlasting I Beleeue This word I beleeue is not a word onely of a Christian addressing himselfe to lay hold vpon these treasures contained in the Articles following but it is the word of a man making answer The question is suppressed but the Answer is expressed for as it is true that a true beleeuer is oft questioned so 't is as true that by his Creed he answers all that can be said to him for heere is contained that Answer of a good conscience spoken of 1. Pet. 3. 2â— This forme of answering came first in at Baptisme in the Primitiue Church for before the partie to be baptized was admitted vnto Baptisme hee was examined as the Eunuch was by Philip and did answer by making confession of his faith in this or the like forme Neither is this the answer of the Christian at the time of his Baptisme onely but all the daies of his life for if God aske him what he hath to doe to take his words into his mouth or what he makes among his seruants or if the diuell aske him why he liues not in his sinnes or contrariwise why he dispaires not or why he entertaines doctrines of which their can bee no Reason giuen or if the Lawe aske him what shift he can make with all his sins hauing broken euery Lawe and with all the curses due to him for his sinnes or if the world aske him why he liues so retiredly and keepes not companie with the men of the world and seekes not or admires not the pleasures of life or the honors and fauours of great men or the Riches of this world and why hee suffers so much disgrace and affliction which hee might auoid if hee would doe as other men doe to all or any of these or the like questions he still answers I beleeue in God c. Beliefe or Faith is diuersly accepted sometimes it is taken for fidelity or faithfulnesse or assent and this sense it hath among the Philosophers aswellas among the Diuines that are Christians but all the other senses following it hath onely among Christian Diuines And so it is taken sometimes for the doctrine of faith 1. Cor. 13. 13. Phil. 1. 27. sometimes for the profession of faith and so Simon Magus beleeued sometimes for the things beleeued 1. Tim. 1. 19. Iude 3. But most vsually for the gift by which we beleeue and so it is taken heere But what is it to beleeue these Articles 't is not to gesse at them that they are true or to conceiue some probable hope that they may be iustified nor is it to say them ouer nor is it onely to liue in such places where such doctrines are taught and defended but to beleeue must haue these six things distinctly in it for to beleeue is 1. To vnderstand the meaning and sense of these Articles this is so necessary as it is impossible wee should beleeue when wee know not what it is we beleeue yet this is the least thing in faith 2. It is to assent to all this doctrine that it is the Truth 3. 'T is to esteeme and like this doctrine aboue all other kindes of doctrine in the world which is contrary or different from it and accordingly to ioy in it and bee much affected with it 4. 'T is to professe it and openly to declare my selfe resolued to liue and die in the beliefe of this doctrine and so this profession hath in it two thinges first a Separation from such societies of men as receiue not this faith secondly Apologie for it so as to defend it and contend for it Phil. 1. 27. Iude 3. 5. 'T is yet more and that is to rest in the happinesse contained in this doctrine of the Creed as it containes all that excellent treasure which is sufficient for our eternall saluation and our chiâ—fe good 6. 'T is lastly to ioyne our selues to true beleeuers as to the only excellent people in the world with sincere affection to them and desire of fellowship with them for this is such a faith as workes by loue So that this beleeuing heere hath in it all the three faithes spoken of by Diuines for to vnderstand and assent is the worke of Historicall faith To esteeme and professe is the worke of temporarie faith To rest vpon this happinesse by Christ and to ioyne in hearty fellowship with the godly is the worke of iustifying faith Now because some of these things in beleeuing may bee found in reprobates as well as the Elect and that the heart of man is exceeding deceitfull in the point of faith and the diuell applied his temptations with all subtilty and power to deceiue men in their beleeuing therefore vnto these things which are comprehended within the nature of the beleeuing heer mentioned I adde the distinct consideration of such things as must bee found in the manner of our beleeuing wee must looke to it how we beleeue these Articles for we may be many waies deceiued for 1. We must beleeue them with the heart and not confesse them with the mouth onely Rom. 10. 10. and to beleeue them with our hearts is to beleeue them in deede not in shew to beleeue them voluntarily not vpon compulsion to beleeue them affectionately not coldely or dully our faith must be a liuely faith not a dead faith 2. We must beleeue them personally each one must haue his owne faith 'T is not inough to ioyne our selues to such men as doe beleeue them but euery one must get him a faith of his owne The Iust must liue by his owne saith Hab. 2. 5. and therefore we say I beleeue not they beleeue or we beleeue We say our Father when we pray because we may pray one for another but we say not we beleeue because we cannot beleeue one for another 3. We must beleeue explicitely not implicitely It was one principle in the Kingdome of Antichrist to the intent that the people might be kept in blindnesse to teach them that it was inough for them to beleeue as the Church beleeued without inquiring into particulars and therefore they tell a tale to this end how the diuell tempting a man and vrging him to tell how
hate life for this very respect because it hinders the Lords presence from vs and keepes vs absent from him whom our soules loue 2. Thes 3. 5. 1. Iohn 3. 2. Psal 31. 19. 7. It should especially fire vs to a desire to imitate these sweet praises in God and to striue by all meanes to make our natures like to his we should from our hearts seriously constantly diligently endeuour to bee bountifull mercifull free patient and full of Loue as our God is Wee should neuer thinke we had a iot of good nature in vs till we could in some sound measure shew a constant disposition in these things 1. Iohn 4. 11. Luke 6. 36. Romanes 15. 4 5. Thirdly this Doctrine of Gods goodnesse is wonderfull comfortable if wee soundly consider our interest in the fauour of him that is so louing mercifull gratious and bountifull and especially against our sinnes and in the case of Afflictions for in both these Arguments of great consolation may bee drawne from the goodnesse of his nature as 1. Against the burthen and guilt of our sinnes it may greatly ease our hearts and quiet our consciences to know that he hath set vs vnder grace and freed vs from the hard conditions vnder the Law and so acknowledgeth satisfaction in his owne Sons death and passeth by without grieuance a world of infirmities in vs and is most ready to declare forgiuenesse of all our sins so as the Iustification of life by his grace shall exceed and ouercome the condemnation for our sins Rom. 5. 20. 21. Esay 55. 7. 2. In the case of afflictions as was partly shewed before for he is of so good nature 1. That he will not consume vs but onely try vs hee will not afflict vs for his pleasure but for our profit Heb. 12. 18. Lament 3. 21. Mal. 3. 17. Deut. 4. 31. 2. That he will not forsake vs nor chide for euer Nehemiah 9. 17. 31. Psal 103. 8 9. nothing shall separate vs from his loue Rom. 8. 38. Esay 54. 7. 10. 3. That he will heare vs gratiously when wee come to him in the day of trouble Zach. 13. 9. Psal 118. 5. Exod 22. 27. so as we may goe boldly to the Throne of grace to seeke help Heb. 4. 16. Nahum 1. 7. Yea he will shew himselfe to be a God of consolation 2. Cor. 1. 3. 4. That we shall neuer be oppressed by our Aduersaries though neuer so great and malicious Psal 1â—8 6. if so good a God be on our side what can man doe against vs Psal 86. 14 15 16. and so in generall out of all affliction he will deliuer and giue a good end Psal 34. 17. Iames 5. 11. Hee will repent him of the euill Ioel 2. 13. Lastly heere is matter of great Humiliation 1. To all ill natured fierce vnmercifull froward and cruell minded persons for hence it appeares they are not of God they that are of God are like to his nature in some degree but these natures are of the diuell 3. Iohn 11. 1. Iohn 3. 6. 10. Iohn 8. 44. 2. To such as abuse this so great goodnesse of God as they doe that prophane the doctrine of it by taking liberty from thence to sinne the more securely and so turne the grace of God into wantonnesse wofull is the condition of such persons for thereby they heape vp wrath against the day of wrath and depriue themselues of all the benefits of Gods goodnesse Iude 3. Rom. 6. 1. Heb. 10. 29. Rom. 2. 5. 4. Deut. 29. 19. 3. To all wicked men that are in disgrace with God Oh what a miserie is it to want his fauour or suffer his displeasure that shewes so much goodnesse to all that serue him Exodus 34. 7. Iohn 3. 17. 19. 4. The best men in the Church may be most heartily grieued for their owne deficiencies that they cannot more admire loue and praise his infinite goodnesse Hitherto of the goodnesse of God His Iustice followes The Iustice of God comprehends his Truth and his Righteousnesse Gods Truth is diuersly magnified in Scripture partly as it is in himselfe and partly as it is declared towards the creatures God is Truth in himselfe three waies 1. In his Essence as he truely is and truely is such as he is said to be thus he is said to be the true God Ier. 10. 10. Ioh. 17. 3. and thus he winnes himselfe glory and triumphes ouer all the Idols of the Gentiles Ier. 10. 14. 1. Thes 1. 9. and thus God is truely infinite truely immutable truely immortall truely wise truely good truely iust c. 2. As he is that increated first and chiefe Truth and that immutable Archetype exemplar and Idea of all true things without himself as he is the frame of all things in his minde The true patternes of all things were in the minde of God from eternity and all created things are said to be true only as they answer these patternes 3. In his internall workes and so his decrees are all true not one of them mistaken or disappointed but haue their precise and punctuall accomplishment 2. God is true without himselfe towards the creatures and so 1. In his workes because all his workes he doth truely there is nothing counterfeit or dissembled or fained in them Reuel 15. 3. 16. 7. He did truely create and doth truely gouerne the world call iustifie sanctifie and will glorifie the Elect c. Psal 11â— 7. 2. In his words all he saith is true This is called the iustice of his words and so 1. All his Commandements are true right Statutes and true iudgements and so they are as they containe an absolute platforme of Holinesse and haue no imperfection defect or wickednesse or iniquity in them Nehemiah 9. 13. Psal 19. 8 9. 119. 86. 142. 160. 2. All his promises are true and so the Couenant of grace is true the Gospell is the Word of Truth Not a Tittle of the good word of God shall faile Zach. 8. 8. Ephes 1. 13. 3. All his Threatnings are true and shall bee truly accomplished Rom. 2. 2. 4. All his Prophecies are true and faithfull sayings Reuel 22. 6. 7. The Truth of GOD is yet further magnified in Scripture 1. As it is the Fountaine of all Truth in the creature so God is called the God of Truth and the Light that inlightneth euery man in the world he is the Father of all light in the minds of the creatures Psal 31. 5. Iohn 1. 9. Iames 1. 17. 2. As it is eternall and immutable and inuincible no parcell of Gods Truth can faile Psal 117. 2. Mat. 5. 18. 24. 35. Rom. 3. 3 4. 2. Tim. 2. 13. great is the Truth and will preuaile It may bee ouerwhelmed with strong clouds and mountaines of darkenesse and error and yet it will so struggle and get ground that in the end it will destroy and consume what is exalted against it As we see in the consumption of the Kingdome of the man of sinne The
aswell as the Son of Man It was requisite he should be the Son of God for diuers reasons first because there must be a proportion betweene the sinne of man and the punishment due to his sinne and the satisfaction made to God for the sinne and punishment due Now mans sinne being infinite as in other respects so because it was committed against God who is infinite his punishment must be infinite also Now no finite creature can performe an infinite satisfaction in a finite time and therefore it was requisite hee should be infinite in person that suffered which as man he was not secondly the benefits necessarie for vs require that the Mediator should be God for to deliuer man from spirituall enemies sinne and Sathan and to restore to man the Image of God lost to performe by one a Righteousnesse able to iustifie many could not bee done by any one meere man Nor can any one mans righteousnesse deserue the opening of the Kingdome of Heauen for many men thirdly he that must mediate betweene God and man had need to be God to treat with God in things that concerne him and man to treat with man in the things that concerne man And as it was a way most necessary so was it most comely who fitter to make vs sonnes of God by Adoption then he that was the Sonne of God by Nature and who fitter to restore the Image of God in vs then hee that was the substantiall Image of his Father The Vses follow and so First we should make conscience of it to receiue this doctrine with our whole hearts with all life of affections for hereby wee shall improue wee are Christians and not Iewes They could beleeue Iesus was a man but could not indure it that he should call himselfe the Sonne of God Iohn 10. and the diuell hath mightily also laboured to make the Diuinity of Christ suspected As when he came into the world by making men think of a worldly kingdome then stirring vp the Priests and Pharisees to seeke to kill him as a blasphemer in saying he was the Sonne of God And in the beginning of the Christian Churches he raised vp pernitious Heretickes to denie his Diuinity and at this day hath raised many in other countries that write and teach most dangerously in this point And therefore we must hold fast this Truth against all the power of hell This confession is the Rocke vpon which the Christian Church is built Mat. 16. 16. 17. If we acknowledge the Son we haue the Father 1. Ioh. 2. 23. Secondly it should wonderfully quicken and establish our Faith in relying vpon him for Saluation and all happinesse vpon him I say that hath vndertaken for vs and is so full of merit and power his Satisfaction and Righteousnesse must needs be perfect and sufficient that is the Sonne of God Ier. 23. 6. God cannot but bee infinitely well pleased in his satisfaction and hath signified so much Mat. 3. 17. and therefore wee should settle our consciences in all peace and ioy in beleeuing in him Yea in all passages of our liues wee should make vse of our Faith in the Sonne of God whatsoeuer we want for soule or body or the preseruation of our liues we may with much confidence goe to him for out of his fulnesse wee may receiue grace for grace Ioh. 1. 14. 18. And seeing God hath giuen vs his Sonne how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Rom. 8. 32. Yea it should much establish our Faith against the feare of our falling away before wee come to possesse eternall life for he is stronger then all and no man nor diuell can take vs out of his hand and therefore we shall not perish Iohn 10. 29. 30. Thirdly it should much inflame vs to the Loue of God that hath had such mercy to such miserable creatures as wee were as to send his owne Son to redeeme vs Ioh. 3. 16. Oh it should make vs to loue God aboue all things and to esteeme of his loue as better then any thing else in our liues Fourthly God the Father himselfe from Heauen taught vs a maine vse of this point when hee proclaimed him to bee his Sonne for then he charged vs to heare him None abler to instruct vs for the Son hath his knowledge out of the bosome of the Father Mat. 11. 27. and none hath better right to rule vs because he is the first-borne and therefore ought to rule ouer his brethren It should therefore bee our conscionable care all our daies to attend to his voice and to do whatsoeuer he commands vs Mat. 17. 5. Fifthly we must hence also learne to ioyne Christ with the Father in all religious seruice for when God brought forth his first-begotten Sonne into the world he said let all the Angels of Heauen worship him and therfore much more we must doe it Heb. 1. 6. Ioh. 5. 23. Againe from hence we may gather the wofull estate of all vnbeleeuers that weare out their time and do not lay hold vpon the way of Saluation by Iesus Christ for this increaseth their condemnation because they doe not beleeue now that GOD hath sent his owne Sonne to bee the Sauiour Iohn 3. 36. Finally two things about the Diuinity of our Sauiour are here implyed first that he is God for if he be the Sonne of God then he hath the Nature of his Father and so is God which though the Creed doe not expressely mention yet the Scripture doth acknowledging him for God equall with the Father Rom. 9. 5. 1. Iohn 5. 20. Phil. 2. 6. but because the Creed doth not expresse this I forbeare the explication of it resting satisfied to haue treated of that which the Creed mentions Another thing implyed is that hee is a person distinct from the Father for if he be the Son of God then he differs in person from the Father ACTS 2. 36. Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made Iesus both Christ and Lord. Our Lord. HItherto of the three former Titles the Last Title of our Sauiour is that which is here exprest viz. Our Lord and concerning this Title diuers things are to be considered 1. That it is a thing that God chargeth vpon our Faith to beleeue distinctly that Iesus is our Lord. Thus Dauid in spirit called him Lord and this all the House of Israel must know Act. 2. 35. 36. and Luke 2. 11. he is stiled Christ the Lord and Act. 10. 36. he is proclaimed Lord of all yea it is a Title so proper to Christ as sometimes hee hath no other name giuen him but the Lord as 1 Cor. 6. 14. GOD hath raised vp the Lord meaning Christ And 1 Cor. 12. 3. It is accounted a worke of the Holy Ghost in any man to professe this point That he beleeueth that Iesus is the Lord. 2 How Iesus comes to be our Lord by what right and title and so he is our Lord by a fiuefold
spirituall and eternall rest from sinne and labour Quest 3. Why was the Sepulchre so fenced and sealed Answ That so the glory of Christs resutrection might the better appeare in that all their power and care could not hinder it and besides God hereby catcheth them in the works of their owne hands for by these meanes their owne Souldiers are made witnesses against themselues of the truth of the resurrection of Christ Quest. 4. But what was the reason that the bodie of Christ did not putrifie Answ Christ was without sinne and so his bodie could not corrupt and as for our sinnes he had made expiation for them on the Crosse besides this was so that the Scripture might be fulfilled that said Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption Psal 16. 10. Thirdly our Sauiour foretold vs thereby that one day our bodies should be as his was viz. after the resurrection they should be incorruptible for euer The Vses of the whole doctrine of the buriall of Christ may be 1. For consolation for by the casting of the body of Christ into the graue wee know that Gods anger is pacified and our sinnes are expiated for as the tempest was laied and stilled when Ionas was cast out of the ship into the Sea so when Christ was cast from among the liuing into the graue among the dead all the tempests of Gods wrath conceiued against vs were quieted and fully stilled and pacified Besides Christs buriall may greatly comfort vs against our buriall His bodie hath sanctified and perfumed our graues 2. For instruction and so the speciall Vse should be to teach vs to striue to be buried with Christ in respect of our sinnes Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4. and this we may the rather hope to attaine because there is a vertue flowing from the buriall of Christ able to produce this spirituall buriall of sinne in vs. Now there be foure things in which our sinnes should be like a dead body in the graue First dead bodies are for euer remoued out of the society of men so should our sinnes be abandoned from vs. Secondly dead bodies in the graue vse to spend and confume away by little and little so should our sins Thirdly dead bodies vse to grow loathsome more and more so should our sinnes Fourthly dead bodies waxe out of memorie and are quite forgotten so should our sinnes in respect of any delight we should take in remembring them He descended into Hell COncerning this Article of Christs descension into Hell I propound three things to be considered of 1. The Originall of it 2. The Authoritie of it 3. The sense and meaning of it with the Vse For the first these words He descended into Hell were not in the most ancient Creeds Learned men giue instance both in the Creeds that haue them not in as also of most ancient Expositors that vndertooke to expound the Apostles Creed and yet makes no mention of this Article at all Amandus Polanus saith they are not in the Nicene Creed nor in the Creed of the Councell at Sardis nor in the Creed of the first Councell at Constantinople nor in the first Toletan Councell nor in the Creed of the Councell of Ephesus nor in the Creeds of the sixt and the eleuenth Toletan Councells nor in the Creeds of the Councels of Wormes and Franckford nor in diuers other Creeds And besides it is obserued that neither Clement the first nor Iernaeus nor Tertullian nor Iustine Martyr nor Origen nor Augustine though they expound the Creed yet make any mention of this Article and Ruffinus that doth receiue the words yet saith that they are not in the Creed of the Romane Church nor amongst the Churches of the East For the second though these words haue not beene found to be acknowledged in the first Churches yet because for many ages they haue beene receiued with an vniuersall consent of all Christian Churches and are acknowledged by many of the ancient Fathers and Councels and are receiued by the Church of England and by all sorts of Diuines in our Church therefore it were great impudencie for any man to reiect these words or question their authoritie either for the truth or vse of them onely for the interpretation of the words the learned know that the Diuines of no one age since they came into the Creed did fully agree about the proper meaning of them and as I conceiue the Church of England hath neuer made any interpretation of them in any Nationall Synode or Conuocation that might declare which sense our Church hath taken to And therefore men must be aduised and take heed of rash censuring of the opinions of Diuines in our Church that deliuer their consciences in this Article though there bee difference about the sense amongst them and weake Christians must know that it is possible for a Christian to be saued that beleeues the word of God and the rest of the Articles of the Creed though he neuer come to know infallibly what is the proper sense of this Article Now for the sense of the words of this Article if the opinions of Diuines be gathered together some of them will be found apparantly false some of them verisimilies things that be like Truth some of them are manifestly true And lastly there is a sense is not onely a truth but the proper truth of this place if we could finde it out Now for an introduction it will not be vnprofitable to take notice of the diuers acceptations of the Originall words rendered here Hell The Hebrew word is Sheol and the Greeke word Hades Now the Kings Translators of the Bible doe not render the words all alike in euery place As for the word Hades in the new Testament they translate it the most places Hell Yet in one place I finde it translated the Graue viz. 1. Cor. 15. 55. So for the word Sheol in the old Testament vsually they translate it Hell Yet in diuers places they call it the Pit as Iob 17. 16. and likewise in sundrie places they call it the Graue and it cannot well be otherwise rendered as Gen. 42. 38. and 37. 35. 1 King 2. 6. Psal 49 15. and 6. 5. Esay 38. 18. Now Christ may be said to descend into Hell either in respect of the wholeman or in respect of the body only or in respect of the soule only In respect of the whole Man it is true that he descended into Hell in foure Respects 1. In respect of Incarnation when our Sauiour descended from heauen to take our Nature in a large sense he may be said then to descend into Hades For the ancient Grecians whence the word Hades comes vnderstood by Hades the Earth and many of the ancient Fathers call the earth Infernum or Hell for they make a distinction of Hell and say One is superiour and that is the Earth and another is inferiour and that is the Hell of the damned Nor did Christ descend only to be vpon
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