to performe all the duties of a faithfull minister of Iesus Christ vnto your honour I leaue to trouble you any furthet from other affayres of your Prince and countrey beseeching the Almightie to increase his gratious giftes in you to the honour of his holy name the profit of his Church and the consolation of your owne soule in the ende Which he graunt vnto your honour for his Christes sake Amen 1579. Your honours in the Lorde Iesus most humble to commande Iohn Baker To the Godly and Christian reader grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen I Haue for thy sake gentle reader set forth vnto thee briefly the meaning of al the articles of our Christian fayth which are necessary to saluation to this ende and purpose that as thou hast in English an exposition vpon the ten commaundements of almighty God and the Lordes prayer to knowe the better what they meane so thou mightest haue likewise in thy mother tongue some opening of these Christian articles which being well applyed to thy owne conscience by a liuely fayth thou shalt finde sweeter vnto thee then either hony or the hony combe a treasure to bee preferred before much gold yea the finest that may be And because sermons are not so common in euery parish Church as by the lawe of God and the prince they should be thou mayest therefore vse this booke priuately in thy house when thou shalt haue leasure as vpon the Sundayes and holy dayes at after noone The whole summe of thy faith is here set forth so plainely that thou mayest easily vnderstande it if the Lorde shall giue his grace to thee open thine eyes to see otherwise nothing can be easie to any man but an open booke shal be as sealed vnto men except the spirit reueale it vnto them which he will doe no doubt if thou seeke it by humble and earnest prayer to God in his sonnes name For surely this is the cause why many reading the Scriptures vnderstand them not because they come to them with vnprepared heartes not subdued with humilitie but presuming with their naturall witte to vnderstand the mysteries in them conteined But flesh blood doth not reueale these secret and hid thinges vnto vs. Other reade them without prayer to vnderstand them other some reade them but to dispute and talke of them with the learned and not to amende their liues being detected by them but onely to knowe them and let the practise goe But these men so doing can not be blessed Luke 11. cap. Wherfore dearely beloued Christian I exhort thee to reade the scriptures and all other bookes that tende to the declaration of the scriptures with a single eye and penitent heart not thinking or presuming any thing of thy selfe for the wind bloweth where it listeth as our sauiour sayth Iohn 3. And these diuine thinges are most commonly had from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened by the spirit vnto litle babes Matth. 11. that is to such as are humble in their owne conceyte and in their owne eyes For the holy Ghost sayth Them that be meeke will hee guide in iudgement and teach the humble his waye Psal 26. So then the humble shal be exalted and they all that exalt them selues shal be brought lowe Luk. 14. fare well deare brother and vse this booke as it was meant to thy good and comfort which Iesus Christ graunt vnto thee Amen Thy louing Brother in the Lord alwayes to pray for thee I. B. ¶ Sermons vpon the Creede or xii Articles of our Christian faith I Beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth 2 And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the holy Ghost 3 Borne of the Virgine Marie 4 Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed descended into hell 5 The third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almightie 7 From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8 I beleeue in the holy Ghost 9 The holy Catholike Church the cōmunion of Saintes 10 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 11 The resurrection of the body 12 And the life euerlasting Amen The first Sermon vpon the first article I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth BEfore we come to speake of the meaning of these wordes it shall not be amisse to cōsider in a word or two who made this Christian order and forme of our beliefe The generall and common opinion receaued with the whole consent of the Church is that the xii Apostles of our sauiour Iesus Christ made this Creede euery one an article as a godly writer of our time one Aretius in his booke of questions doeth shew Therefore it is called the Apostles Creede But whether it were they or no that made it or any other it is no great matter seeing it is all the vndoubted trueth of Gods worde euery poynt of it agreeth with the rest of the holy scriptures written with the Spirit of Christ We haue many bookes in the olde new Testament which are written for our consolation comfort and that by the finger of God but yet we knowe not the names of those men that wrote them as the booke of the Iudges the booke of Kinges and the Chronicles and such like and in the newe Testament the Epistle to the Ebrewes These all are the holy worde of God but yet we knowe not the authors of them And it seemeth that the holy Ghost woulde haue their names suppressed and vnknowen because we shoulde receiue all Scripture alike and with the same authoritie which proceedeth from the mouth of God making no differēce of persons or choyse of men when all is trueth that is written and that we shoulde not consider so much who speaketh or writeth a thing as what is spoken written vnto vs. Thus much for the writers of this worke Nowe let vs consider the thing it selfe This Creede hath foure partes the first is of our faith beliefe in God the Father the first person in Trinitie the seconde is of our trust and beliefe in God the Sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour the second person in Trinitie the third is of our faith in the holy Ghost the power of God which is the thirde person in Trinitie the fourth and last parte is of the holy and Vniuersall Church of Christ and of those things that are to be beleued concerning the same which are contayned in the last three articles which are annexed and ioyned vnto the Church as The remission of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting These are the benefites which followe the Church This is the diuision of the Creede Out of the first article we haue to note these two things first that we must beleeue in God secondly what maner of God it is in whome we doe beleeue
at home abroad by sea and by land as the Euangelists doe sufficiently all of them record in their gospels neither did he teach thē the wil of his father publikely in the synagogues only but priuately also in families houses as when he was receiued into Marthas house he sate taught there Mary others whereby wee that are the Lordes Prophets ministers may learne by this good exāple howe carefully readyly with al payne and diligence to behaue our selues in the preaching of the word of God his Gospell not to cease at any time but to doe as he hath done before vs. If then Christ be our Prophet as Moses sayth of him A Prophet shall the Lord your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren like vnto me him shal you heare in al thinges that he shal speake vnto you Deut. 18. we must heare him alone not others that teach false doctrine as the papists for Christs sheepe heare his voyce Ioh. 10. We learne againe that no man beside Christe was able to instruct vs in the will of his father but hee alone as Iohn sayth Chap. 1. No man hath seene God at any time the only begotten son of God which is in the bosome of his father he hath reuealed him vnto vs. Againe we vnderstand that al men by nature are ignorant of the will of God their dutie because we haue neede of Christ to informe vs in the right way to leade vs in the trueth least we be deceued with lyes For of his fulnesse haue wee all receiued Ioh. 1. Therefore is he called of Esay The angel of great Counsell and that the spirit of the Lord should rest vpon him the spirit of wisedome vnderstanding the spirit of Counsel and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord Isa 11. This is a great comfort to vs to haue such a teacher and Prophet giuen to vs as is made to vs of God wisedome 1. Corin. 1. But the wicked can haue here no part at all with him for they do not heare his word and voyce neither wil they receiue his doctrine instruction Nowe we see how faithfully Christ hath fulfilled this office of preaching as Marke sayth of him 1. Chap. Let vs goe into the next Townes that I may preache there also for I came out for that purpose The ende of this prophecie and teaching is that we shoulde bee made his disciples and schollers which God graunt vnto vs all Amen The second office that is in Christ for his Church is his priesthode for after hee had taught the people which thing he first tooke in hand hee sealed his doctrine with his owne blood and offered vp him selfe a sacrifice most perfect sweete and acceptable to God his father for vs al to purge vs from our sinnes to serue the liuing God For this also was the duetie of the priests in the Leuitical lawe that they should offer sacrifices for the sinnes of the people pray to God for them This hath Christ fulfilled by his death passion which was so effectual meritorious to take away sinnes that the father saith of him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchiesedech Of this sacrifice speaketh abundantly the Epistle to the Hebremes but especially in the 9. Chap. saying That Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe And againe that the blood of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without fault to God shall purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God so that nowe he is become our mediatour betweene God vs doeth appeare in the sight of God for vs. This is a great comfort for vs. But we see in this sacrifice the vilenesse greatnesse of sinne how lothsome detestable it was in Gods sight that nothing in heauen or earth could put it away or purge it but the onely body blood of Christ this hie priest most pure and immaculate This doth teach vs to abhorre sinne seeing Christ payed so dearely for it And this driueth vs to cōsider how we are indebted to our good sauiour Christ for dying so mercifully for vs so that wee are worse then beasts vnlesse we giue him continuall thanks for it Nothing could pacifie Gods wrath conceiued against our sinnes but only his deare sonne for in him he was wel pleased Matth. 3. So that nowe wee which were sometime farre off strangers from the cōmon wealth of Israel are made neere by the blod of Christ to offer our selues to him al ours our prayers our thanks that with boldnesse without feare as Zachary sayth Luk. 1. The third office that we consider in him is his spirituall euerlasting kingdom for spiritual it is not carnal earthly as he himself said to Pilate My kingdō is not of this world And it is euerlasting as the Angel sayde to Mary He shal reigne ouer the house of Iacob of his kingdom there shal be no end So then he is a king as Zachary also sayth Behold thy king cōmeth vnto thee meeke O daughter Ierusalem Chap. 9. This kingdom he last of al tooke vpon him after that he had taught and offered vp him selfe euen then when hee ascended to sit at the right hand of God that is to haue all power and authority in heauen and earth This kingdome doeth consist chiefly in gouerning his electe and his Church by his holy spirite for hee hath gotten this kingdome for vs because hee armeth vs with power to resist sinne and giueth vs of his princely treasures gifts and wil at the last himselfe lift vs vp thither and set vs with him in glory and honour to raine for euer euer as he saith It is your fathers wil to giue you a kingdome and he that ouercommeth shall sit with mee in my kingdome as I haue ouercome sit with my father in his kingdom Reue. 3. Secōdly this kingdom of Christ doth beat downe al force raysed vp against his kingdome as the deuil the Turke the Pope the wicked ones of this world Here he sheweth himself a mighty king ouer al the earth to preserue his Church hauing so many enemies For surely if he did not preserue it it would bee swallowed vp euery houre satan is so greedy to destroy it What they haue don against it we see but they could neuer preuaile for this is a comfortable saying The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Of this we gather that Christ shall euer haue his Church because his power in his kingdom is infinit to keep it let the wicked rage neuer so much yet Christ is king of the whole earth yea the world Thus much for his kingdō It followweth his only sonne Here is declared vnto vs the Iesus Christ is the only sonne of God therfore God because the sonne is of the
heauenly thinges and not earthly for wee are dead and our life is hidde with Christ in God Colossians 3. vers 1. and so let vs altogether mortifie our earthly members and fleshly lustes fornication euil concupiscēce vncleannes inordinate affectiō and couetousnes which is of all vices the worst called Idolatrie doing these things in the first resurrection when Christ which is our life shal appeare then shall we also in the seconde resurrection appeare with him in glory The which assurance of our resurrection is the thirde benefite we haue to note in this resurrection of Christ for by it we are made surc and certaine of the rysing againe of our bodies at the last and generall day of iudgement when Christ shal come to iudge all the worlde in righteousnes I say that his rising is the earnest of our immortalitie not onely in our soules but also in our bodyes He is become the first fruits of thē that sleepe and as in Adam we al die so again by Christ and his resurrection we shal al be made aliue at the great and last day in as much as he is the resurrectiō the life and he that beleeueth in him although he were dead yet shal hee liue Iohn 11. And hee is the head that is risen therefore the body and all the members of the same shal followe in due time For as when a man hath fallen into some deepe and dangerous riuer and hath nowe recouered his head from vnder the water and swimmeth aboue out of danger with his head although his other parts members of his body be not yet seene discouered yet wil al mē say he is escaped from death already so is it with our head Iesus Christ and with vs his body Seeing he is escaped and tisē from the deepe gulfe of death notwithstanding wee seeme as yet to be couered therein in this our mortall state why may it not be iustly saide that we are risen with him being so neerely ioyned and vnited vnto him vnlesse we will denie him to bee our head Wherefore if wee professe our selues to be his wee must lykewise acknowledge that our resurrection is already begun in his that we do by hope which neuer maketh ashamed in this life retaine the assurance of that state which hereafter wee shall with ful possession accomplishmēt in heauen with him enioy for euer This can not bee but a great and singular comfort to al the faithfull seruauntes of Iesus Christ to consider that their bodyes shal not lie for euer in the graues as the bodyes of beastes do but that they shall rise againe with Christ which is before entred into heauen to prepare a place there for vs that hee may come againe at the last day to receiue vs wholy vnto him selfe If wee were by the death of any friende of ours made sure by good and sufficient warrant of an hundred pounde lande a yeere howe greatly woulde wee reioyce thereof both night and day And how ought we to reioyce continually beyng put in assurance by Christes death and resurrection not of landes and goodes here which are but short and transitorie but of the possession of the euerlasting and immortall kingdome of God where are pleasures without ende and ioyes without any wearinesse O howe ought this to stirre vs vp to be in loue with that life but especially and aboue all things to loue him that was the authour and purchaser of these things vnto vs euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God both God and man I woulde to God we did thinke of these thinges and consider deepely with our selues what is prepared for vs by his resurrection surely then wee woulde not sinne at the least we would not wallo we with the sowe and delite in our sinnes as many men do the more is the pitie Wel this is the greatest benefite we obteine by this resurrection euen our owne rising if it were not for this we were not better thē bruite beastes yea farre worse especially the godly who suffer many iniuries and tauntes with mockings and paynes of the wicked if they shoulde not be assured of this grace and happinesse their life were very miserable they surely would despaire But of these things which are very incident to the article of our resurrection mo things by Gods grace shal be spokē whē we come to that point In the meane season dearely beloued let vs giue to Iesus Christ most humble and heartie thankes for the benefits that we receiue of his gratious goodnes by his victorious resurrection in that hee hath gotten to vs life and opened the gates of paradise vnto vs which were shutte before And with all because we neede continually to craue many thinges at his handes let vs meekely pray vnto him that hee woulde vouchsafe to woorke so in our harde heartes by his holy spirit that we may by his resurrection mortifie and kil all the wicked vnruly desires of the flesh other sinnes which are crept into vs and beg we of him that we may all of vs leaue the olde finfull life of Adam and walke in a newe life and put on the newe man Iesus Christ and to make no prouision for the vnbrydled flesh to fulfil the lustes of it that we may walke before him and serue him not for a day or weeke or moneth or yere but as the holy ghost saith al the dayes times of our life in holinesse and true righteousnesse to his honour and glorie to the profite and commoditie of his Church our brethren and in the ende to the consolation and comfort of our own soules which God graunt vs for his sonnes sake to whom with the holy spirit be rendred all praise and glory and wisedome and thanks and honour and power and might for euermore Amen The sixt Lecture vpon the sixt article of our Christian fayth He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty THis is the sixt Article of our Christian faith yet but the fift of thē that appertaine to Christ his benefites from his conception to this his ascension into heauen and it followeth consequently in order after his resurrection not but that there was some time and space betweene for Luke doeth recken fourty dayes to this ende that hee might instruct and confirme his disciples in the veritie of his resurrection to the which ende he did eate and drinke with thē after he was risen Nowe the meaning of this article in mo wordes for the capacitie and vnderstanding of the simple and vnlearned is this I that am a Christian doe beleeue according to the scriptures that Iesus Christ in the same body that he rose is ascended into heauen for to prepare a place for me and to pray continually vnto God his father for vs to bee mercifull vnto our sinnes This is the true sense and meaning of this article Now let vs consider what things wee haue to learne out of it
and how many pointes to marke for our instruction be in it There are three things in this article first his ascension secondly to what ende he is ascended lastly the benefites that come to vs by this his ascension into heauen These things well marked will be for our consolation and comfort against many temptations and troubles in this life which the deuill assaulteth vs with that we should despaire of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ But this will be a remedy for them all euen his ascension into heauen and that for vs. Christes ascending into heauen is manifestly proued vnto vs in the holy scriptures not in one or two places but in many that we may be the better confirmed in this behalfe either against thē that doubt of it or beleeue it not yea or against Satan that wil go about to perswade vs that he is not there S. Marke doth shew vs that after the Lord had spokē certaine things vnto his disciples in Bethanie he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God Mark 16. 19. for those are his very words in the place Likewise S. Luke saith And it came to passe that as he blessed thē he departed from thē was caried vp into heauen Neither do the Euangelists Apostles of Christ proue this only vnto vs which were after him had familiarity with him but the Prophet Dauid to make it the more euident to all the world long before the cōming of Christ in the flesh spake of it by the spirit of prophecie moued by the direction of the holy ghost saying God is gone vp with triumph euē the Lorde with the sound of the trumpet alluding in this ascension of Christ for the glory ioyfulnes of it vnto the trūpets the were blowē at the solēne feasts of the Iewes Psal 47. Also in the 68. Psal Thou art gone vp on hie thou hast led captiuitie captiue We see then the in the mouth of two or three witnesses this matter is proued vnto vs ought therfore to be beleeued of vs fully established But because no man doth as I thinde the is a Christiā doubt of this neither is it in controuersie betweene the Papists vs as cōcerning his ascensiō although in the maner of it there be cōtention I wil therefore come to the second point which is to consider how after what sorte he is ascended and remaineth in heauen and to what ende signified in these words and sitteth at the right hād of God the father almighty To sit at Gods right hande is to haue and to be aboue all rule power might and dominion euery name that is named not onely in this world but also in the worlde to come Ephe. 1. It is then as our sauiour Christ saith Matt. 11. and 28. To haue all things giuē vnto him al authoritie both in heauen and in earth For the right hand of God signifieth the euerlasting and infinite power of God Wee must not thinke that God being an infinite most blessed spirit and not a body hath either right hand or lefte eyes or armes or such like partes and members of a mās body but when the scripture giueth these properties speaches vnto God as it doth often it is for our weaknes and capacitie which are children and babes in Gods matters therfore can not vnderstand him in his maiestie speaking to mā vnles he lispe as it were vnto vs like a nurce vnto her young children For we are so grosse that we vnderstād not how greatly the Lord is angry with mā for his sinne wickednes vnles he speake after the maner of men say he repenteth that euer he made man Againe we vnderstād not or conceiue his wonderfull power and strength except it be by a great and mighty and stretched out arme or hande So by the eyes of the Lord is meant his carefull vigilant prouidence foresight ouer all his creatures and by his countenance is most commonly meant his terrible wrath and anger When the scripture giueth an eare to God whē the preachers saye in their Sermons that he hath an eare you must vnderstand that he heareth all things bee they neuer so secretly spoken of any man as by his eye hee seeth al things in this world although they be neuer so much hid and done in darke secret places as the wicked doe their euill workes As we see then that kings and noble men do place at their right hande such as are either their betters or equals or doe gouerne in their steade so is it here Christ is exalted and placed in that dignitie honour that his father is because he is equall vnto him And this latter part of the article to sit at Gods right hand being in the last chapter of Marke from whence it seemeth this was taken S. Paul doth expounde very well in the 1. Ephes that God hath set him farre aboue all principalitie and power might and domination And in an other place Philip. 2. hath highly exalted him and giuē him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus shoulde euery knee bowe both of things in heauē and things in earth things vnder the earth and that euery tongue shoulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto the glory of God the father This is the meaning of these words he sitteth at the right hand of God It is not of any corporall sitting for it may as wel be sayd that he stādeth at the right hand of God For so did Saint Stephen see him Actes 7. Therefore both by sitting and standing there is meant that he is aduaunced to great glorie as hath bene sayde already And here in this his ascension so glorious is his kingdome to be seene which hee did not take vpon him here in the earth So that although Christ did shewe great glorie in his resurrection all mortalitie being layde away yet by his ascension into heauen hee hath more notably declared his power for now he gouerneth all things and ruleth as a king ouer all the earth And this doeth the Apostle teache vs that he ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things For we see and reade how aboundantly and most miraculously he powred downe his holy spirit vpō his Apostles Act. 2. howe he hath increased his church and kingdome in euery part of the earth how he hath euer since his ascension mightily defended his sharply punished his enemies So that although he be in heauen according to his bodily presence and not in earth as the Lutheranes Papistes do imagine him to be in the communion contrary to this article he ascended which is to be meant only of his body not of his diuine nature which doeth fill all things needeth not to descend or ascend yet I say Christ is with vs as hee him selfe saith euen vnto the end of the world Mat. 28. 19. by his power
that hath made all for vs as good seruantes should be more carefull of their masters honour profite thē of their own Nowe let vs giue thankes to such a God that hath vouchsafed to giue vs faith to beleeue in him being so mightie a God and we so lowe and base children so mercifull a father vnto vs notwithstanding we are vnthankefull sonnes to him And let vs praye vnto him to confirme this faith and to encrease it in vs euery day till we come to a perfect man in Iesus Christ Let vs desire of him to giue vs grace to behold this his wonderful and diuine worke of his creation wherin hee hath shewed his wisedome power mercy and iustice vnto al men that we may magnifie it as it doth require worthyly with our heartes and set forth his honour and glory in these thinges with thankes giuing for all his benefites seeing they appertayne vnto vs our bodyes and soules which are fed and nourished by them This grace and mercy let vs desire him to continewe vnto vs for his Christes sake our sauiour who hath dearly bought vs to whom with the holy ghost his infinit power three persons and one euerliuing God bee rendred all power prayse glory honour and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euer Amen The seconde Lecture vpon the creede which is vpon the seconde article And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was conceiued by the holy Ghost WE haue seene in the first article going before the thinges which we haue to beleeue as concerning God the father in his creation now followeth consequently what we haue to beleeue of God the sonne Iesus Christ as concerning his incarnation and all the benefites of his death and passion which is the second part of the creede as we deuided it And here in this article you must vnderstande and repeate as in the former so in this also I beleeue in Iesus Christ that is I trust in him and put my whole confidence in him that hee is my onely sauiour and that God will for his sake forgiue me all my sinnes For it is not sufficient to beleeue in God the father to know him vnlesse we also beleeue in his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde and knowe him also As Iohn repeating the wordes of our sauiour Christ saith This is life eternal that they know thee to be the onely very God whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. So that our sauiour Christ ioyneth and matcheth in one the knowledge of him selfe with the knowledge of the father as he sayeth also in another place Except ye beleeue that I am he ye shal die in your sins We see then that if we must beleeue in Iesus Christ he is one God with the father and a creator other wise it were idolatry to beleue in any that is not God And that we may beleue in him this is warrāted vnto vs by his owne commandement saying in the 19. of Iohns gospel to his disciples Let not your heart be troubled beleeue ye in God beleeue also in me A notable place to prooue this matter Where we may also learne that if we beleeue in God our hearts shal not be troubled nor wauer hither thither not hauing any place to rest in For therfore in our miseries dāgers are we vexed troubled out of measure because we put not our full trust in the father the sonne Nowe let vs see with what titles our Christ is beautified adorned with for our cōfort consolation first of all he is here called Iesus which is an Ebrew word soūdeth in English as much as Sauiour which name the Angell gaue vnto him by Gods appoyntment before he was conceaued in the wombe of the virgin Mary his mother As we reade notably set forth vnto vs in the first of Matth Shee shal bring foorth a sonne and cal his name Iesus or sauiour for he shall saue his people from their sinnes and offences And for this cause he came into the worlde as he testifieth of him self The sonne of mā came to saue that which is lost not to destroy soules but to saue and to giue his life a redemption for many Luk. 19. By this we learne that there is no other Sauiour appoynted for mā either in heauē or earth but only Iesus and they that wil haue saluation of God the father must haue it onely at his handes Therefore doeth the scripture pronounce of him that there is no other name giuen vnder heauen vnto men wherein they must be saued but only in the name of Iesus Christ For this is the stone which is become the head stone and the chiefe in the corner neither is there any saluation in any other Act. 4. We haue then to seek our saluation not in Angels not in saints not in men or in our selues but in him onely that hath the key of Dauid that shutteth heauen and no man openeth it and openeth it no man shutteth This is the first title of dignitie and honour that is giuen vnto him of his father the next is that hee is called Christ which is a Greeke word and signifieth in English Anoynted which doth more plainly effectually declare his office function giuen him of the father for vs. For he was anoynted for three especiall purposes first to bee our Prophet to teach vs secondly our priest to offer him selfe a sacrifice for vs and thirdly our king to rule to defēd vs from our enemies These things are al giuē vnto vs to vnderstande in this name Christ For as al the Prophets and priestes and kinges in the time of the olde law before the comming of Christ were anoynted with oyle by the commandement of God as God cōmanded Elias to anoynt Eliseus Prophet in his stead Moses was cōmaunded to anoynt Aaron hye priest and Samuel to anoynt Saul Dauid to be kinges so was Christ also anoynted not with oyle materiall as they but with spiritual oyle of gladnesse as Dauid saieth aboue his fellowes that is with the holy ghost aboue al mē for he had it without measure Ioh. 3. 34. So then as the Prophets priests kings were all figures shadowes of Christ anoynted with oyle to signifie that they must be gentle meeke soft to al their brethren so it was also necessary that Christ should performe al this that was prefigured by him And first we see that Christ toke vpon him the office of a Prophet to teach the people his fathers wil not thrusting in him selfe as the false prophetes did whom the Lord sent not at al but being thereto lawefully called authorised by his father from heauen saying Heare him that is to be our doctour and teacher our Prophete and Scholemaster Being thus ordayned a Prophet to teach vs he executed his office and calling most diligently most paynfully and faithfully for he taught them in season and out of season earely and late
in mercie towarde his Church they giue him the name of a meeke and gentle Lambe apparelled in white making no sturre or cry in the streetes not breaking a brused reede nor quenching a smoking flaâ—e Matthewe 12. But when the Prophets will sette foorth Christ in his maiestie and glorie after his ascension they giue him the name and propertie of a fierce Lion all apparelled in redde and bloody garmentes with a rodde and scepter of iron in his hande to rule and gouerne all nations And this no doubt is to cause make the enemies of his Church to quake euen as hee shewed him selfe in a vision to Saint Iohn his beloued disciple to comfort him no doubt but to terrifie the enemies which were shortly to goe about to destroy the Church of God Wee reade in the Reuelation 1. cha that as Iohn turned backe to heare the voyce that spake with him Christ shewed him selfe vnto him in his maiestie as he was able to conceiue for he saw seuen goldeÌ„ candlesticks in the midst of the seuen golden candlesticks one like vnto the sonne of maÌ„ clothed with a garmeÌ„t downe to the feete and girded about the pappes with a golden girdle his head and heares were white as white wooll and as snowe and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feete lyke vnto fine brasse burning as in a furnace and his voyce as the sound of many waters and he had in his ryght hand seuen starres and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged swoorde and his face shone as the Sunne shyneth in his strength This vision of Christ in his glorie was so fearefull that it made Iohn him selfe afrayde but the Lorde dyd shewe him selfe so to comforte his seruauntes which should suffer persecution a litle after but to threaten the enemies by his mightie power This is that which the holy Ghost spake long since by Dauid The Lorde reigneth let the people tremble hee fitteth betweene the Cherubims let the earth be mooued the Lorde is great in Zion and he is hie aboue all people The Lorde that is at thy ryght hande shall wounde Kings in the day of his wrath he shall bee iudge among the heathen he shall fill all with dead bodyes and smite the heades ouer great countreys Here wee see howe Dauid speaketh most magnificently of this glorious kingdome of Christ beyng nowe exalted aboue the heauens by his ascension howe hee assureth the enemies of destruction but promiseth deliuÌ„erie to the godly in the Church As Christ did alwayes deliuer his Church euen from the beginning Noah from the flood drowning the rest Lot from Sodome when hee consumed the remnant with fire the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and the tyranny of king Pharao ouerthrowing his euennes in the redde sea for Christ was that great Angel that went before them likewise in destroying the Assyrians so many thousandes in one nyght and sauing good king Hezekia and the rest so did hee most wonderfully destroy great Babylon and ransome thence his owne prisoners finally howe he destroyed the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites the Philistims and the Canaanites they that reade the hystories of the Bible shal wel perceiue as I say Christ hath done these thinges to his enemies before his incarnation so especially after hee was receyued vp in glorie hee hath done the like Howe mightily did hee suppresse and beate downe the great rage and furie of Saul beyng armed and sette as a fierce Tyger or Lion to destroy both man woman and childe of Christs flocke But the Lorde Iesus from heauen subdued him and made him as tame as a Lambe Actes 9. Did hee not cutte off inlyke sort that cruell tyraunt Herode that killed Iames had also taken Peter It is sayd that in his pryde he gaue not GOD the honour and glorye and therefore was immediatly strooken of the angel and most shamefully eaten vp of wormes Actes 12. Howe Iulian the Emperour that wicked forsaker and persecutour of the Christians was handled by the iustice of God and ended his life miserably So Zomenus in in his sixt booke of his storie the seconde Chapter doeth sufficiently declare that he was not killed by any of his enemies but by one of his owne souldyers And when he was strooken with the darte and wounded to death hee vnderstoode well the cause of it to bee for persecuting Christ and the Christians for hee tooke the blood out of his wounde and flang it vp into the ayre as if hee had seene Christ and accused him of his death as in deede hee was the chiefe authour of it to punishe that wicked reprobate which had so before contemned and mocked his worde and Gospel They that list to reade histories either prophane or diuine shall see howe the tyrantes and murdering Emperours of Christes Church haue bene by Iesus Christ in his glory taken miserably out of this life Consider all the Emperours of Rome that persecuted the Church what became of them and howe they dyed Was not Nero that monster partly by himselfe and partly by one of his owne men thrust through with a dagger as Suetonius and others do report Galba Otho and Vitellius did they not suffer the like Did not Domitian destroy his owne brother Titus and poisoned him and was not Titus a persecuter of the Iewes Domitian was miserably kylled by one Stephanus his man Maximinus slayne by his owne armye Commodus kylled of Narcissus Macrinus thrust thorowe by his souldiers Decius killed by his enemies Valerianus pearsed with a speare of the Persians Pilate after hee had crucified our Sauiour Christ within fewe yeeres after was hee not dryuen to hang him selfe for sorowe as Iudas did before him Dioclesian and Maximinian which were the authours of the tenth and last persecution agaynst the Christians deposed them selues of their imperial function by the secrete iudgement of God Maxentius the sonne of Maximinian dranke of the same cuppe with Pharao being both like enemies against Christ and his Church for Maxentius was drowned in the water with his harnesse vpon his backe The Popes of Rome being as great persecutours as euer were any of Christ and his Church many of them haue had very wretched and shamefull endes Alexander the sixt was taken away with the deuill by whome he aspyred to the papacie Looke vpon our papistes in Queene Maries dayes and see howe a great many of them dyed Wee â—acke not examples among vs euen fresh in memorie in those dayes Let a men consider with himselfe the vnhappie and vnfortunate endes of the last race of the kinges in Fraunce and he shall say that Christ euen in his glory doth marueilously defende his Gospel with the professours thereof rewardeth their enemies according to their desertes So that a man may iustly say and confesse with Dauid Doubtees there is a God that iudgeth in the earth surely there is a Christ that defendeth his Church for hee shall treade downe our enemies vnder vs
and destroy them that rise vp against vs Psalme 60. By these examples then we may haue comfort perswade our selues that are the litle stocke of Christ yâ— as he hath done already so he will doe alway for his for he is able still and his hande is not shortned but as long as it was neyther is he chaunged And let vs with Peter say and beleeue that the Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnder punishment I woulde admonish therefore the wicked and the obstinate and persecuting Papistes of Christes Gospel to learne to take heede by these lessons aboue rehearsed and not to goe on stil to prouoke and kindle the great wrath and anger of Christ against them seeing hee is armed with vengeance and teâ—â—our agaynst them and nowe sitteth in his throne of maiestie These are the thinges that wee haue to beare in minde vpon this article of our faith concerning Christ his ascension The first poynt was of the ascension it selfe not into the ayre or cloudes but into heauen proued by the manifest woorde of God the holy scriptures the seconde the glory and power of it shewing the ende of it which was to sitte at Gods right hande to gouerne all things the thirde poynt was the great assurance of fayth that commeth to vs by it and the comfort that we conceiue by his so glorious ascension into heauen for vs. Nowe let vs humble our selues before this Lorde Iesus Christ in giuing him first most heartie and intire thankes for all his benefites bestowed vpon vs especially for this that hee hath ascended into heauen as a conquerour and taken possession of heauen for vs alreadie and let vs pray vnto him that as hee is ascended alreadie in body so we in the meane while may thither ascende in minde and heart where true ioyes are only to be found And seeing he is made gouernour of heaueÌ„ and earth and al pray we him that he would gouerne and defende vs here in earth by the assistaunce of his holy spirite tyll wee all meeâ—e together at our generall ascension in the vnitie of faith and acknowledging of the Sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of him And because hee is of power sufficient let vs beseeche him to brydle and stoppe the mouthes of 〈◊〉 to confounde Antichrist which seeketh by al meanes to extinguish his trueth that hee would also hasten his 〈◊〉 vnto iudgement for his elects sake which grone vnder the crosse These things he graunt vnto vs which is able euen Iesus Christ the onely wise mighty and immortall God to whom with his father and his holy spirite be rendred all prayse and glory and dominion for euer and euer so be it The seuenth Lecture vpon the seuenth article of our Christian faith From thence shall he come to iudge both the quicke and the dead THis is the seuenth article of our beliefe but the sixt and last of theÌ„ that coÌ„cerne the person of Christ and onely of all the rest of the fiue going before remaineth to be fulfilled and in his time accomplished For as concerning the other articles of our sauiour Christes person which are the fiue former we beleeue most constantly that they are al already perfourmed and verified namely first that he hath bene conceiued secondly borne thirdly died fourthly risen againe fifthly and ascended into heauen Onely this we beleeue yet to be to come that is to iudge the quicke and the dead The meaning of this article is this I that am a Christian man womaÌ„ or childe do beleeue assuredly that Christ shall come againe visibly in the great and latter daye of iudgement with glorie and power from heauen as he was seene to go vp accompanied with his holy angels to iudge al the world most iustly both those that are already dead and those that he shal finde aliue at his coÌ„ming and that none shall escape his iudgement seate 2. Cor. 5. to this ende that the good may be rewarded with euerlasting life and immortalitie the wicked punished with euerlasting death and destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1. The Lord Iesus euen in this life doeth shewe and set foorth vnto all the worlde most wonderfull signes and tokens both of his mercy to the elect and iustice to the reprobate but because his kingdome is not of this worlde therefore our faith must amount hier to consider of his last comming wherein hee shall shewe as great glorie and maiestie as he did humilitie and meekenes in his first comming in the flesh For as we doe beleeue that he is appointed of his father to bee the sauiour and redeemer of mankinde so doe we also confesse him to be ordeined the great iudge of the vniuersall world that it is he alone that shall iudge with vnspeakeable glory both great and small at his appearance so that although many men thinke that there is no generall iudgement yet at the last they shall feele that this iudge shal summoÌ„ them all to appeare most fearefully before his imperiall throne of maiestie And this iudgement of Christ standeth with good reason and iustice that it should be openly seene and perceiued of all men at the last lest either the wisedome of the flesh or maÌ„s reason or the multitude of the wicked should be able iustly to charge vs as they do most vniustly that we faine to our selues a God a Lord a Christ and such an head as neuer sheweth him selfe nor was seene of men Wherefore to auoyde this slander and reproche of the blasphemous mouthes which say Where is now your God let him shew him selfe we I say doe beleeue that one daye hee shall come to iudge the whole earth For this is that that Saint Iohn sayeth in his Reuelation 1. 7. Beholde he commeth with cloudes and euery eye shal see him euen they which pearced him through and all kinreds of the earth shall wayle before him euen so Amen Let the wicked men therefore and the mockers of this iudgement triumphe neuer so much yet shall they not be able to hinder or disanull the deuice and purpose of the Lorde They doe in deede bende their tongues like bowes to shoote out blasphemies against the Lord saying Where is the promise of his comming But let those men vnderstande that as the Lorde Iesus was seene to goe vp into heauen so shall hee come downe agayne from heauen as the Angels of God reported Actes 1. 11. And albeit they will not beleeue it but make a iest of it yet they shall feele it one daye to their great payne and sorowe It is meete then and requisite that he that was for our saluation before the iudgement seat of maÌ„ vniustly condemned shoulde shewe in the ende howe great his iurisdictioÌ„ and authoritie ouer al flesh is and what his iustice requireth Seeing then
Adam or shal be to the last man that shal be borne here vpon the earth None can escape this iudge or hide himselfe away from his sight which seeth into the bottome of the sea euen into the middest of the earth and hell none shal be forgotten not the lest childe that is for he hath all written in his bookes both good and bad great and small for these are the wordes of the holy Ghost We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ And againe As I liue saith the Lord euery knee shall bowe to me and euery tongue confesse to me None then shal be missing no not the great Monarches Emperours and Kings of the earth shall helpe theÌ„selues here or flee away but they shal be brought to iudgement and stand at the barre as others do be brought as lowe as the lowest Wel let vs apply this doctrine for our vse to profit by it Of this doctrine that we must al come to iudgement and none escape Paul gathereth this argument and lesson that knowing the terrour of the Lorde we should doe our duety that both dwelling at home and remouing from home wee may be acceptable vnto him For it made Paul the more rouÌ„dlie to doe his office and function in preaching saying We knowing this perswade men and are made manifest vnto God and I trust also that we are made manifest vnto your consciences 2. Corin. 5. Fourthly let vs see the maner and order of this generall iudgement Our Sauiour Christ doeth most liuely describe it in the 25. of Matthewes Gospel saying When the Sonne of man commeth in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit vpon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shephearde separateth the sheepe from the goates and he shal set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on his left then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungry and ye gaue me meate I was thirstie and ye gaue mee drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me and so forth Then shal he say to them on his left hand Depart froÌ„ mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels For I was an hungred and yee gaue mee no meate I thirsted and yee gaue me no drinke c. And these shall goe into euerlasting payne and the righteous into life eternall Here wee see the fourme and order of this iudgement described most liuely vnto vs in the person of Christ a King putting some on the ryght hande and some on the left hande S. Paul also doth set it out vnto vs most excelleÌ„tly that the Lord Iesus shall descend froÌ„ heauen with a shoute and with the voyce of the Archangel and Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall ryse first and wee which remayne aliue shall bee caught vp with them also into the cloudes to meete the Lorde in the ayre and so shall we bee euer with the Lorde Where note that he â—etteth it out onely for the comfort of the godly making no mention in this place of the wicked Saint Peter saith It shall be as a thiefe in the nyght in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elementes shall melt with heate and the earth with the woorkes that are therein shal be burnt vp 2. Pet. 3. S. Iohn in the Reuelation doeth very effectually expresse this thing in like maner for he saieth that a great white throne was set which he saw and one that sate vpon it and the dead stood both great smal before God the bookes were opened the sea and death and hel gaue vp their dead and euery man was iudged according to the things written in the bookes Reuel 20. Wee learne this good lesson by it as Peter doeth teach vs that seeing the maner of this great and last day of iudgement by Christ shall be so terrible in respect of the alteration of the creatures wee ought to be holy in all conuersation and godlinesse looking and hasting for the comming of that day of the Lord Iesus to iudgement And here furthermore wee gather that heauen and earth shall be dissolued and made newe that this worlde nowe shall haue an ende as it had a beginning contrary to the false opinion of the Philosophers and wicked Atheistes of our time which thinke that all things shall continue as they doe for euer Thus much for the maner of the iudgement Nowe as concerning the time our Sauiour Christ hath forewarned vs that it is not for vs to knowe the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power Act. 1. For of that daye and houre knoweth no man no not the angels which are in heauen neyther the Sonne him selfe but my Father onely saith Christ Which is to be vnderstoode that Christ knoweth not the latter day as hee is man but as he is the eternall God and one with his Father euen his wisedome he knoweth it and al things else We see then that the day and houre is most vncertaine and yet the thing it selfe most certaine that it shall be But although this day and houre be vnknowen yet notwithstanding our Sauiour Christ hath giuen vs signes and tokens of his comming which may sturre vs vp the more warily to waite for his comming These things our Sauiour sayd shoulde come to passe before he came we see they are fulfilled already many shall come in his name to deceiue vs saying I am Christ shall deceyue many we shall heare of warres nation shall rise against nation realme against realme there shall be famine earthquakes and pestilence in diuers places the godly shal be afflicted killed and hated of al men for Christs sake many shall bee offended at the Gospel and betray one another the father the sonne and the sonne the father the brother against the brother shall rise and put him to death false prophets shall aryse and deceiue many iniquitie shal be increased and the loue of many shall bee colde and the Gospel shall bee preached vnto all nations and then shall the end come Furthermore there shal be signes in the sunne and in the moone and in the starres the sunne shal be darkened the moone shall not giue her lyght and the starres of heauen shall fall which things haue come to passe whither you take them litterally or allegorically for both the sunne and moone hath beene eclipsed and signes and wonders haue appeared in the starres and if ye take the sonne for the worde of God and Gospel we see it hath bene darkened and abused by the Papistes The
nor we be wearie to heare it And when we haue bene there in these delightes so long and so many thousande yeeres as there be eyther sandes in the sea or grasses vpon the whole face of the earth or starres in the skye which all are inmunerable to vs yet then we shal not come out or leaue these ioyes but still it is with vs as if it were to begin O the vnspeakable mercy of the Lord Iesus that he hath reserued for those that feare and loue him here What man therefore is so foolish so madde so beastlike in his conuersation that will not at all be mooued with these pleasures and ioyes For these things as the Angel sayd to Iohn are faithfull and true and therefore to be beleeued and they that beleeue them not their parte is in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is prepared for the vnbeleeuers Reuela 21. For from this roote of vnbeleefe proceede all the branches of all other sinnes wickednes whatsoeuer as lying stealing couetousnes adulterie and such like This life and the dignitie of it the Prophet Dauid in two wordes hath very well expressed in his 16. Psalme the latter ende Thou wilt sayeth he shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye and at thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore Here in fulnesse of ioye and pleasures for euermore is all happinesse contayned For these ioyes are the greatest that may be and their endurance is for euer Considering these things ought we not to say with Paul I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vnto vs Rom. 8. Why alas then dearely beloued what a great matter were it if we shoulde endure here afflictiōs al the dayes of our life which can not be aboue an hundred yeeres at the most so we might come in the ende to this eternall ioye and glory Paul considered this well and did so doe We faynt not sayth he but though our outwarde man perish yet the inwarde man is renewed dayly Marke well the wordes that followe and laye them vp in your mindes and you shall by the grace of God profite thereby For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weyght of glory whyle we looke not on the thinges which are seene but on the thinges which are not seene For the thinges which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall 2. Corinth 4. Shall we then for an houres pleasure here below leese the euerlasting weyght of glorie aboue God forbid we shoulde be so foolish and so besotted with this present lyfe Let this saying rather of our Sauiour Christ sounde continually in your eares What shall it profite a man if he winne the whole worlde and leese his owne soule And yet wee see howe many men do hazarde and venture their soule not for the whole worlde but for a piece of lande a litle golde or siluer or a litle credite or vayne estimation in this worlde If the whole earth then will not bee able to make a recompence or an exchange to redeeme our soules beyng once lost from the fauour of God howe much lesse then shall these beggerly things wherefore we striue so earnestly be able to doe it Nowe although this life be yet as it were hid from vs yet it is most certaine both because we haue a gage of it which is the Spirite it selfe of Christ and also inasmuch as it is hid in Christ which will keepe it well and is able to giue it to vs in due time In the meane season vntill it be reuealed from heauen we neede faith to beleeue it assuredly and hope to wayte for it with patience which hope neuer maketh a man ashamed but alwayes comforteth him euen in the middest of troubles of this life be they neuer so great For we do well knowe that when hee doeth appeare wee shall be like vnto him and no man neede to doubt but that there is such a life although it doeth not yet seeme so to vs for there is a Sunne when it is compassed in with cloudes and fire is within the ashes when it appeareth not to our sight so there is a life for the godly although deferred which Christ hath promised and spoken of Matth. 25. that it shal be giuen to his seruāts This life euerlasting being so deare a thing and precious the deuill goeth about by all meanes to defeate vs of it and to plucke it out of our hand Therfore we must lay hold on it as Paul willed Timothie and fight the good fight of faith against him This is our crowne which we must holde fast that no man bereaue vs of it For if we misse of life in the end we misse of all and if we haue this wee haue and possesse all thinges for all blessednesse whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder the name of euerlasting lyfe But the best comfort for vs is this that this life is in the custodie of Iesus Christ and wee beyng his sheepe no man is able to plucke vs out of his handes onely this remayneth for vs to looke vnto that we abide and continue in his fold Eternal life being the euerlasting inheritance of the kingdom of heauē the greatest treasure that the Lord hath to bestow vpon his seruantes no man must thinke that it commeth to him for his good works sake or that he doth deserue it at Gods hand this were to preiudice and ouerthrowe the bountifull goodnesse of the Lord. This benefite is the free gift of God for although wee deserue hell and death by our sinne and wickednes yet we merit not heauen by our good deedes but as Paul sayeth Euerlasting life is the free gift of God Rom. 6. And Christ telleth vs that this kingdome was prepared for vs long agoe euen before the worlde was made or we borne so that we coulde not step one foote vnto it of our selues when we were not Matth. 25. It is false then that the aduersaries of Christ the Papistes haue taught that wee may deserue this life by our good deedes and workes when as our good deedes are not pure in the sight of the Lorde In deede if our good workes were eyther perfect or as many as God commaundeth or if they were our owne and not Gods giftes in vs or if last of all wee were not bounde of duetie and by right to doe them then might wee with our owne good works deserue heauen but our deedes are vnperfite they are not our owne of duetie must we doe them therefore they deserue nothing as of duetie from the Lorde I graunt that euerlasting life is called by our Sauiour a rewarde but a rewarde is not of desert or merit but of curtesie A Noble man may rewarde his tenant for a thing not woorth a shilling by such a gifte as is worth twentie shillinges shall
he therefore saye that is the poore man that because he hath this rewarde he hath deserued it If he so do he doth very vnthankfully When the seruant hath done his duetie can he clayme any thing of his master by merite I trowe no sayeth our Sauiour Christ Luke 17. Neyther doeth the master thanke him So we if we had done all things commaunded vnto vs as we are farre from performing the least of them yet we are vnprofitable seruants and what doth an vnprofitable seruant deserue at the Lordes handes Surely not the kingdome of heauen if he deserue any thing it is stripes Let vs not therefore thinke that we can deserue ought at Gods handes or gratifie and pleasure him so that he shoulde be beholding to vs of duetie to do any thing for vs. This is a very deuilish opinion Christ hath deserued at Gods hāds all thinges necessarie for vs therefore if we be in Christ we shall haue all thinges wee can desire The lande of Canaan which was but a type figure of heauē the Iewes coulde not get by their owne righteousnes but only by the free promes of God in mercy made vnto them It seemeth they had some opinion of their own deseruings as the Papistes haue now therefore Moses gaue thē oftētimes in charge to attribute al to the fauour of the Lord not to their good works as appeareth in the 7. 8. 9. of Deut. but especially in the 9. chap. wheras he saith Heare O Israel thou shalt passe ouer Iorden this day to go in and possesse nations greater mightier then thy selfe cities great and walled vp to heauen A people great tall euen the children of the Anakims whō thou knowest of whom thou hast heard say Who can stande before the children of Anak vnderstād therfore that this day the Lord thy God is he which goeth ouer before thee as a cōsuming fire he shall destroy them he shall bring them downe before thy face so thou shalt cast them out destroy them suddenly as the Lord hath said vnto thee Speake not thou in thy heart after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them out before thee saying For my righteousnes the Lorde hath brought me in to possesse this land but for the wickednes of these nations the Lord hath cast thē out before thee For thou entrest not in to inherit their land for thy righteousnes or for thy vpright heart but for the wickednes of these nations the Lord thy God doeth cast them out before thee that he might performe the word which the Lord thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac Iacob Vnderstād therfore that the Lorde thy God giueth thee not this good land to possesse it for thy righteousnes for thou art a stifnecked people Thus you see how in many words the Lord throweth down all their worthinesse and extolleth his onely goodnes towards thē Now if they were not able to get purchase this tēporal land of the earth how shal we gel heauē if a man cā not builde an house and finish it except the Lord builde it Psal 127. How can any man buylde an house for himselfe in heauen The Israelites were taught to saye that their abundāce in meate drinke other blessings of this life came frō the Lorde not frō their owne power or strēgth Deut. 8. vers 17. And shall we be so iniurious to God so vnthākful to Christ so presūptuous against the holy ghost as to say we haue gottē to our selues euerlasting life God forbid that this foolishnesse shoulde enter into the heart of any man Seeing then al these smal things come not for our owne deserts vnto vs but for his Christes sake much more must we ascribe to his goodnesse this great benefite of life euerlasting As concerning this life to come to aske as many do fondly and curiously rather then godlily whether wee shall knowe one another or whether we shal all be alike in degree I thinke these questions to be such as S. Paul willeth vs to eschew put away farre frō vs. This is certaine our knowledge there shall be most perfite and absolute for then shall I knowe as I am knowen and no ignorance of any thing that is necessarie shall be in vs and euery man shall bee contented and haue his full ioye in all measure of his quantitie so that the least pynte potte shall be as full for his measure as the greatest tunne is with his quantitie All men there shall haue fulnesse of ioye Psalme 16. The Lord sende vs thyther and we will be content with the lowest roune as Dauid professed of himselfe The best question for al to aske especially of the simple and vnlearned is to know throughly the way that bringeth vs thither which is onely Iesus Christ the way the trueth and the life Iohn 14. And so dyd our Sauiour answere for being curiously demaunded of one howe many shoulde be saued he tolde him the meanes howe he shoulde be saued And so must wee doe also and not feede the fancies of men or delite their vaine humors I am sure there bee many men that will aske what we shall doe in heauen and what we shall eate and drinke or whether we shal be clothed there which can not tell howe to come thither if they were demaunded the question And what a madnesse is this to striue for the shadowe and to let the body goe to enquire to knowe things which we are not commaunded to search after and to let goe those things which we are bound to knowe And this vice is most common to them whom we terme fine witted felowes which contemne common and necessarie questions to seeke out deepe and profound questions nothing at all tending to godlinesse but rather to the subuersion and ouerthrowe of all religion and honestie These men the holy Ghost doeth wil vs to auoide and seeing they are fooles to answere them with silence to their foolish questiōs These things breede strife and controuersie about words and they are like to that serpent Hidra which of one idle head bring foorth a great manie to destruction Here is no mention made of hel or of death because all that is in this confession of fayth is set downe for the onely comfort of the godly and not for their terrour Notwithstanding as there is a life and a great rewarde for the godly after this race is ended So is there a hell and seconde death prepared of olde for the wicked and reprobate For our Sauiour Christ speaking of this life speaketh also ioyntly of the euerlasting destruction in fire which is for the deuill and all his angels and those that in this life haue serued him here with their bodies and soules and all their members These sayeth Christ shall goe into euerlasting payne Matt. 25. Where Origen and all those that thought this payne should not be for euer are most playnely confuted for Christ affirmeth it
be due common to all men generally neuerthelesse the Lord through his mercy hath reserued to himselfe a certaine nūber which are onely knowne to himselfe the which he hath drawē from this corrupt heape hath sanctified clensed the same in the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ by meanes thereof hath made them vessels of election honour apt vnto all good workes The xi Article I beleeue that the Father in Iesu Christ his sonne thorow the holy Ghost hath elected chosē those y◠are his owne according to his good will before the foundations of the world were layed whō he hath predestinate vnto eternall life that there by they might be his children adoptiues ouer whom he hath without comparison a much greater care thē the best father can haue ouer the best child in the world for he suffereth not that any thing shall come to passe either on high in heauen or beneath on earth which shall not be for their good and great profite The xii Article I beleeue that the father through his sonne with the holy ghost hath alwaies frō the beginning intended to restore mā vnto whom after he had sinned he shewed him selfe promising vnto him that blessed seede by whome the heade of the serpent should be troden downe and by whome the faithful shoulde receyue blessing By this promise which hath since bene oftentimes ratifyed and confirmed to the holie fathers man which otherwise had dispayred in sinne is releeued holpen comforted and clothed with hope euen vnto the ful performing thereof The thirteenth Article I beleeue also that after this promise the Lorde hath prescribed and giuen the lawe of the commandements to man promising life to the obseruers therof death to the transgressours of the same and hee gaue them not to the ende that man should seeke iustification saluation or life therein but for the policie peace and tranquilytie of his people for the defence of the good for the chastenyng and punyshing of the wicked to preserue eche one in his office but especially that therebye man might the better know himselfe his disease his pouertie and imperfection and by meane thereof to take an occasion to humble himselfe before this lawe giuer to seeke remedy saluation life in some other that is to saie in the holie promised seede which is Iesus Christ For this cause the lawe is called a scholemaster to come to Christ the which also serueth vs for a glasse to knowe our sinnes by and to encrease the same knowledge in vs. Likewise it serueth vs for an accuser to accuse vs before the Lorde and for a seuere and cruell iudge to declare the wrath and iudgement of God ouer vs and his condemnation vnto eternall death and by this meane to make vs afraide and to bring vs vnto dispaire vntill we be comforted by the Gospell through faith in Iesus Christ wherby we are deliuered frō all these causes These are the offices of the lawe the which are turned into our good through fayth in the Gospell the which hath other offices and cleane contrary For the rest I confesse that the lawe of the Lorde is good iust holy and perfit and where the same doth not bring vs vnto perfection it is not long of it selfe but of vs which are altogether vnperfect and can in no wise accomplish the same no not to touch it with our litle finger The xiiii article I beleeue and confesse Iesus Christ to be the fulnes the ende and accomplishmēt of the Lawe to the iustification of all that beleeue thorow whom and by whom only all the promises of the father be accomplished yea euen to the vttermost the which also alone hath perfectly satisfied the Lawe in that which no other amōgst men coulde persourme for so much as the law doeth cōmaund things impossible y◠which neuertheles mā must accōplish not by working but through beleeuing For so is the lawe accomplished through faith and not through works by this meanes shal man find the righteousnes of faith to be auaileable before the Lord not the righteousnesse of works y◠which leadeth nothing vnto perfection As concerning the first poynt of my faith this is y◠which I beleeue of the father y◠things that are made by him consequētly of the holie Trinitie also of the soule of man Nowe let vs come to the second point which is of the Sonne of God and of the thinges done by him especially of the restoring repairing agayne of man 2 And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was cōceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descēded into hel the third day he rose againe frō the dead he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almightie from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead The xv Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is veryly God and verily man hauing two natures comprehended in one person a nature diuyne after the which he is the onely naturall sonne of God equall with the father in all thinges and a nature humane after the which he is verye man in al things like vnto vs synne excepted The xvi Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ the sonne of God in the fulnesse of the tyme appointed of the father from the beginning was sent into the worlde by the father was made perfect man and was conceiued in the wombe of a woman being a pure virgine called Marie of her proper substance of her proper bloud so that he was found a perfect man descēding of the seede of Adā Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid other fathers vnto whome the promise was made The .xvii. Article I beleeue also that all this was done by the working of the holye Ghost without the worke of man to the ende that all that was wrought therein might be holye and without spot pure and cleane And that thereby our conception might be made cleane holy which of it selfe is altogether spotted and defyled with sinne The xviii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgyne Marye without any manner of sinne and without breach of her virginitie so that by his pure and holye natiuitie he hath purified and made holye ours which of it self is altogether vncleane defyled with sinne In this Natiuitie of Christ I see and consider the first estate condition of man with his fall which was y◠cause of Christ his cōming into the world Likewise in this I see and consider the fauour and inestimable loue of God the father which hath presented and giuen his onely sonne to serue vs. I see also and consider in this Natiuity the charytie of the sonne which hath abased humbled himselfe to lifte vs vp became poore to make vs riche became bonde to make vs free became the sonne of man to make vs the children of God
of sinne of the deuill and of destruction into the children of God of grace and saluation thereby to be made the Lordes heires and coheires with Christ of eternall life for that cause the same ought to be giuen and communicated only to reasonable creatures which are apt and meete to receiue such things and not vnto bels and such like which neither can receiue ne vse the thing signified by baptisme The lxii Article I beleeue that this baptisme with water is not so necessary to saluation that one may not be saued without it in case of necessitie And likewise I doubt not in the saluation of litle children which die without baptisme but that the same are saued in the faith of their parentes as wel as if they were baptized euen as in time past vnder the Lawe the litle children dying without circumcision were saued in the fayth of their parentes But this onely do I vnderstand of the children of the faithfull vnto whom the promises of God do apperteine and not of the infidels and reprobate The lxiiii Article I beleeue that the holy sacrament of the supper is an holy and outward ceremonie instituted by Iesus Christ in the Gospel a day before his death in the nature and substance of bread and wyne in remembrance and for a memoriall of his death and passiō hauing and containing in it a promise of the remission of sinnes By this sacrament we are in deede made partakers of the body and blood of Iesus Christ and be therewith nourished fedde in the house of the Lorde which is his church after that into the same we are entred thorowe baptisme The same ought to be giuē and ministred to all vnder both the kindes according to the ordinance commandement of Christ for the altering whereof none ought to be so hardie as to attempt any thing The lxiii Article I beleeue that in this holy Sacrament the signes or badges are not changed in any point but the same doe remaine wholy in their nature that is to saye the bread is not changed and transsubstantiated as the fonde Papistes and false doctors do teach deceiuing the poore people into the body of Iesus Christ neither is the wyne transsubstantiated into his blood but the bread remaineth still bread and the wyne remaineth still wyne euery one in his proper and first nature For the wordes that Christ spake to his disciples in giuing them the bread saying This is my body I vnderstande and beleeue to be spoken by a figuratiue maner of speach called Metonomia which is a maner of speaking very common in the scriptures as the same was vnderstand and also declared by the wrytings of the holy fathers doctors of the church Ireneus Ciprian Tertulian Ambrose Augustine Chrisostome and other like which liued before the counsell of Lateran where it was concluded that the bread was transubstanciated into the bodie of Christ and the wyne into his blood and then was it geuen forth for an article of our faith to the great dishonour of God to the great slaunder of all the church and it was done in the yeere of our Lorde 1050 by Pope Leo the ninth in the which time the deuill was vnbounde as it was prophecied of in the Apocalips and troubled the church of Christ more then euer he did before The lxv Article I beleeue that all this sacrament consisteth in the vse thereof so that without the right vse the bread and wyne in nothing differ from other common bread and wine that is commonly vsed and therefore I do not beleeue that the bodie of Christ can be conteined hid or inclosed in the bread vnder the bread or with the bread neither the blood in the wyne vnder the wine or with the wyne But I beleeue and confesse the very bodie of Christ to be in heauen on the right hande of the father as before wee haue sayd and that alwayes and as often as wee vse this bread and wyne according to the ordinance and institution of Christ we doe verily and in deede receiue his bodie and bloode The lxvi Article I beleeue that this receiuing is not done carnally or bodily but spiritually through a true and liuely fayth that is to saye The body and blood of Christe are not giuen to the mouth and belly for the nourishing of the body but vnto our fayth for the nourishing of the spirite and inward man vnto eternall life and for that cause wee haue no neede that Christe shoulde come from heauen to vs but that we shoulde ascende vnto him lifting vp our heartes through a liuely fayth on high vnto the right hand of the father where Christ sitteth from whence we wayte for our redemptiō and wee must not seeke for Christ in these bodily elementes The lxvii Article I beleeue that this holie supper is a sacrament of faith vnto the faithfull onely and not for the infidels wherein a man findeth and receiueth no more then hee bringeth with him sauing peraduenture the increase of faith grace and vertue and therefore they onely finde and receiue Iesus Christe vnto saluation which through true and liuely faith bryng the same with them but the others finde and receiue only the outwarde and visible signes and that to their condemnation as Iudas and other such like wicked and reprobate The lxviii Article I beleeue that this sacrament conteineth two things the one is earthly carnall and visible and the other is heauenly spirituall and inuisible And I confesse that as our bodie and outward man receiueth the thing that is earthly and visible which is the bread and the wyne whereby the bodie is nourished and fedde euen so verely our spirit and inward man receiueth the thing that is heauenly and spirituall which is signified by the breade and wine that is to say the body and bloud of Christ after such sorte that thereby wee are become one with him bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh and made partakers with him of all righteousnes and other vertues giftes and graces the which the eternall father hath bestowed on him The .lxix. Article I beleeue that the holy fathers Patriarkes Prophets and all other faithfull good people that are gone before vs and haue dyed in the fayth through the worde faith sawe him beforehand which was to come and receiued as much the same thing that we receiue by the sacraments For they were of the selfe same Church faith lawe that we be of They were aswell Christians as wee and vsed the same sacramentes in figure that wee vse in trueth The lxx Article I beleeue that to this holy table only those that are faithfull are truely contrite and penitent ought to be admitted that all such as are vnworthy should be refused for feare of defyling contaminating the holy meates the which the Lord giueth not but vnto the faithfull and to those of his owne housholde I call those vnworthy which are infidels idolaters