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
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
not to deserue or merite any thing thereby at Gods hande or by the same to escape eternall condemnation but onely because God hath commanded them and that they might testifie the loue that we haue vnto our Lord and our obedience to his holy woorde and commaundement and to the intent that in vs and by vs hee might be glorified and that our neighbours aswell the infidels vnbeeleeuers as the faithful might therby be edified and in like maner to shewe and to manifest the faith that we haue in God and in his worde as the good tree sheweth it selfe and is knowne by his fruite yea to make sure and certaine vnto vs our calling election predestination To these endes serue all the good works commaunded by God and who soeuer doeth them to any other ende doeth misuse them sinneth and doth iniurie to the blood of Christ and dishonoureth God and his word for in so doing he declareth Christ died in vayne The xcii Article I beleeue that there is none either in this worlde or in the other worlde eyther in heauen or in earth which can forgiue mee and pardon my sinnes but onely God which hath giuen power and authoritie to the ministers of his worde to declare to all faithfull beleeuers which are of a contrite heart and be truely penitent that all their sinnes through the free mercy of God are forgiuen them through the blood of Iesus Christe which was shedde for them yea to declare vnto them that they are pardoned of their sinnes and that the same is done by the ministery of the worde of the holy Church in the which this remission is exhibited and giuen and not otherwise But on our part is required perfecte repentance the which hath two partes The first is contrition that is to say the knowledging hating and abhorring of sinne the which thing is administred by the Lawe and bringeth vs to despaire if with the contrarie we be not holpen with a lyuely fayth and the mercie of GOD the Father thorowe the blood of Iesus Christ which proceedeth out of the Gospel This fayth comforteth vs maketh vs stedfast and causeth vs to fynde fauour before the iudgement seate of God The xciii Article I beleeue that sinne dwelleth stil in man yea in the very saintes and children of God after their newe birth through Baptisme and the holie Ghost the which sinne neuerthelesse shall not be laied to their charge because of the faith they haue in Iesus Christ for as al the sinnes of the infidels and reprobate bee damnable and shall not bee pardoned because of their infidelitie euen so all the sinnes of the faithfull and chosen bee veniall sinnes and forgiueable because of their faith And therefore I beleeue that there is one onely sinne that is mortall and irremissible which is vnbeliefe or infidelitie that is to say not to beleeue in the sonne of GOD. For where true faith in Christ is founde there all sinnes are hid couered and pardoned I beleeue the resurrection of the flesh which is the second fruite of my faith The xciiii Article I beleeue that there shall bee one resurrection which shall bee generall to all the worlde aswell of the good as of the badde which shall bee in the ende of the worlde by the power of Christ and through the ministerie of the angels the which with a great voice of a trumpette shal cal together all the worlde before the Lorde and shall gather together the electe and chosen from the foure windes euen from the highest of the heauens vnto the endes of the earth and deuide the euill from the good and the wicked shall they cast into the fierie fornace where is weeping and gnashing of teeth and then shall the righteous shine as the sunne in the kingdome of their father and shall bee together and bee companions with the Angels of God This is the seconde resurrection and blessed is hee that shall haue part of portion therein for the same shall not be touched with the seconde death The xcv Article I beleeue that this resurrectiō shal be of the flesh not of the spirit that is to say that the spirit or soule of mā shal not rise because it is immortal dieth not But the body which before aswel by the reasō of nature as also because of sinne was subiect vnto death and corruption to rotte and to be brought to ashes shall be raysed vp and shal be coupled with his owne proper soule and spirite and shall bee set in a more perfect estate then that wherein the first man was before hee sinned and shall be clearely exempted from al maner of corruption of sinne and so consequently from all maner of imperfections and shall bee fashioned like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ The xcvi Article I beleeue that I shall rise not in any other mans flesh and body but in myne owne that I brought out of my mothers wombe euen with the self same body and bones that I haue at this present but the same altered and chaunged made of mortall immortall of corruptible incorruptible of vile and contemptible glorious And therefore I doe waite for the comming of my sauiour Iesus Christ the which through his power will change my vile body which was but a cast-away to make it like vnto his owne glorious bodie according to the power whereby he is able to subiect all things to him selfe I beleeue eternall life which is the third and last fruite of my faith The xcvii Article I beleeue that I shal rise as I haue said with all the faithful and elect not to die any more as did they that miraculously were raysed vp from death as well by Christ the Prophets the Apostles and such other but vnto a life that is immortall euerlasting shall endure for euer to raygne eternally with God both in body soule And thereof I am sure and doubt nothing at all knowing that whosoeuer doubteth of his saluation by Christ the same shall not bee saued Wherefore as I am sure and certaine that Christ is dead and risen againe for me and therein do not doubt euen so am I sure and certaine of my saluation wrought by him and that without fayle I shall be saued and by him shall enter into eternall life The xcviii Article I beleeue that then I shal see him face to face whome now I see as thorow the glasse of faith and then shall knowe him perfitly whome now I know but in part who after that he hath destroyed and confounded al his aduersaries and hath made them his footestoole shall make all thinges newe for the glory of those that are his Thē shal he be an whole God in all and ouer al things Then shal none teach his brother saying Knowe the Lord for then all shall knowe him from the greatest vnto the least The xcix Article I beleeue also that as the spirites of the infidels wicked and reprobate after they are departed from their bodies incontinently do goe to hell vnto euerlasting fire their bodies neuerthelesse abiding in the earth corrupting and rotting euen so likewise the soules and spirites of the faithfull and chosen children of God incontinently after they doe depart from their bodies without any tarying are on high in heauen to be in glory with the Lord and there do stil wayte with an earnest desire for the comming and whole redemption of their bodies the which they haue left rotting and corrupting in the earth the which thing they shall obtayne at the last daye and not before Wherefore I refuse the fonde opinion of the Sleepers which affirme that the spirits of the saintes are not yet in heauen but do sleepe in a certaine place vnknowen to vs vntill they shal receiue their bodies at the last day At which day the mysticall body of Christ wholly perfectly and fully must enter into eternall glory The C. Article I beleeue for a conclusion that as the Saintes and the blessed when the iudgement is ended shall goe with Christ triumphantly through the aire in body and soule to dwell euerlastingly in glory with him his Angels euen so the wretched wicked and miserable damned shal go to hell in bodie and soule with the deuil and his angels eternally to dwel and to be tormented with him in the fire of hell which neuer shall be quenched whereas shall be continuall weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth stung to the quicke with the worme that neuer shall dye From the which the Lorde God of his great mercie and grace vouchsafe to preserue and keepe vs. Amen FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Anno 1581. Actes 16. 1. Tim. 2. Potentia Dei Sapientia Dei Bonitas Dei God is knowen three wayes Psal 45. 7. Luk 9. 35. Christs priest hoode Psal 110. 5. Heb. 9. 14. Matth. 16. Luke 19. Psal 22. 1. Matt. 27. 46. Iohn 8. 56. Actes 4. 12. Col. 2. 14. Actes 27. 37. Matth. 28. 6. Gen. 4. 14. Exod. 8.8 and 9. 28. Gen. 27.38 2. Cor. 25. Luke 1. 75. Luke 24. What it is to sit at Gods right hand Iohn 1. 18. and 4. 24. Esaie 11. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Esa 1. Luke 17.
mightie Father So it is said in the beginning of our prayer Our father to comfort vs but it is said also in heauen to magnifie his power greatnes ouer al things Likewise in the giuing of the Law it is saide Heare O Israel I am the Lorde great terrible no doubt to put thē in mind to feare him reuerently and not to presume vpon him But yet he addeth comfort afterward saying Thy God to deliuer thee hereafter which hath bene thy God already Thus we see that both must goe together Gods iustice and Gods mercie as Dauid said Thy rod thy staffe they cōfort me Psal 23. Wee call him father not in respect of our creation for so he is our Maker and Creator neither in respect of our gouernment for so he is our Lord and master and those names are not so comfortable vnto vs because hee is so that is a Lord and maker euen to the wicked and reprobate But wee call him father first in respect of Christ which is his onely begotten and beloued sonne Then in that we are his children adopted in Christ our elder brother which hath made vs all sonnes and children to his heauenly father by his death and passion by his obedience by his fulfilling of the lawe and by his satisfaction for our sinnes as Iohn saith Chap. 3. Behold what loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should bee called the sōnes of God This is a marueilous comfort that the God of the whole earth the Lord of lords is a louing father vnto vs. And this is in Christ Iesus that wee haue this dignity prerogatiue aboue others not in our selues nor by birth and nature for so we are the sonnes of Gods ire wrath of cōdēnatiō because of our sinful father Adā transgressing Gods cōmandemēt Whē we name him almighty we do not cōceiue him to haue such a power which he doth not vse but in saying this we confesse and acknowledge that he hath al things creatures vnder his power obedience euen the deuils themselues as we see in the Gospel how they submitted thēselues to Christ the sonne of God how he asked leaue before he could do any thing to Iob Iob. 1. Again we must needes graūt that being omnipotēt and almighty he doth all things that are done he ruleth gouerneth heauen earth the sea and hel all things in them the whole world at his beck doth bend yeld it self So that our God being so mighty is not an idle God in heauen as the wicked do imagine but disposeth al things by his iust wise prouidēce howsoeuer they fal out nothing cōmeth to passe wtout his wil and coūsel no not the flight of Sparrowes Mat. 10. For if the Lord should not vphold heauen and earth yea the whole world with his power it would fal to nothing to dust ashes therefore it is said that Christ doth susteine all things by the worde of his might Hebr. 1. And here our faith hath a double cōfort by the prouidence omnipotēcie of God First because it considereth that God hath sufficient power to defende his Church Secōdly because he is willling to do it It foloweth maker of heauē earth This proueth that he is almighty because he hath made heauē earth of nothing when it was not Gen. 1. And this doth notably confute the wicked false opinions of the Philosophers as Plato Aristotle who greatly to the derogation impairing of Gods glory power thought held that the world was eternal frō the beginnings and neuer made neither should haue ende But this is false blasphemous against God We learne here another lesson in our faith that the world was made and had a beginning and shall haue an ending as Moses proueth the one Peter the other 2. Epist 3. Chap. Now by making of heauē and earth we vnderstand al things conteined in heauen earth as the sea For Dauid saith The sea is his and he made it 95. Psa The things in heauē as his angels the things in earth men beasts fishes foules worms al other sensles creatures whatsoeuer It is therfore as if we should say maker of al things visible which we see inuible which we see not as in the Creed of the coūsell of Nice in more fully expressed And this was done because of the Heretikes called the Maniches which did appoynt two beginnings of things created the one good which was God and him they made the beginner of all good thinges the other they imagined to be ill which was the deuil and him they set ouer the euill things and supposed him the maker of them But these men were deceiued which thought any ill thing to be created and made ill at the first for the scripture doth otherwise pronounce of al things that they were exceeding good Genes 1. But in that any thing is ill it is by deprauation and corruption by the sinne of man of Adam and not by creation for the deuill was made an Angel but he fell and lost his first estate and so became a deuill and wicked spirit by his owne corruption and will as Peter proueth 2. Epistle 2. Chap. Nowe if the deuill made some things thē God made not al but what saith the scripture The Lord hath made al things for his owne sake he saith not some things but al nay he goeth further addeth euen the wicked for the day of euil not that he created them wicked for hee made them in Adam perfit and good but he hath appointed them to serue to his honour and glory although they bee vessels of wrath he is glorified in them after a sort although not so as hee is glorified in the good For therefore dyd he sturre vp Pharao King of Egypt because he woulde shewe his glory vpon him Rom. 9. Seeing then God hath made heauen he hath made also all the ornaments of heauen as the heauenly spirits the Sunne the Moone the Starres to gouerne the earth by their light For in that we giue him the creation of the greater wee must needes graunt the lesser and hee that can make the great and huge heauens of nothing is able also to make the things conteyned in them of lesse importance As concerning the Angels it is sufficient for vs to know that they were all made of the Lorde for his wil and pleasure to be his ministring Spirites to execute his commandementes and iudgements against the wicked and for to serue for those that shal be heires of saluation Hebr. 1. It is but curiositie to enquire of the time of the creation or of the orders and estate in heauen Moses telleth vs a good and short lesson that heauen and earth were made perfect in sixe dayes with al the hostes and furniture of them and saieth no more of this matter to teache vs sobrietie in these things to wade no farther then we haue the warrant of the worde
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
spirit by his grace and godhead which is euery where For he sayeth that he will not leaue vs fatherles but will come vnto vs which he meant by sending his spirit Iohn 14. We are not then to looke for Christes body here nowe vpon the earth as certaine heretikes do suppose euen as he him selfe saith Matt. 26. Me shal you not haue alwayes Surely this saying can by no meanes be true if his body be euery where in euery place at euery sacrament then is not his body departed from vs then is he not ascended into heauen but remaineth here still in the earth But the Angell sayde to the women that he was not there That was some place then he had a glorified body And it is said that heauen must conteine him vntill all things bee restored Act. 3. Surely being now ascended in body we neither reade of nor beleeue any other descension in body then that wherein he shall descēde to iudge at the latter day as the Angels spake to the disciples This Iesus which is taken vp frō you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him go into heauen So that vnles we see Christ so come down as he went vp we will not beleeue the papistes that say he is in the boxe or pixe much lesse them that say he is euery where making him in deede to haue no body at all but altogether swallowed vp by his diuinitie For tell mee I pray you if Christ had meāt his body should alway remaine here vpon the earth why did he say that he must depart from them They cannot meane it of his diuinity but of his humanitie Againe what needed his disciples to bee so sorowefull for his going away if they had had his body with them Here they answere The disciples had not his body visibly but his body inuisible or not seene But surely the disciples if they had vnderstoode it so as the Papistes say of his inuisible body they were not such children but that they would haue contented them selues as well with his inuisible body as his inuisible spirit and grace afterwardes therfore they would needes know howe they should be comforted when hee was gone from them Christ told them by his spirite although inuisible and not by his body inuisible which surely would haue comforted them although they saw it not if it had then bene with them as his spirite was but Christ meant no such thing and therefore promised euer his spirit to them and all others after and not his inuisible body This is a plaine case but I leaue to discourse of it any further because I intend in this booke to edifie and instruct the simple readers onely in the poyntes of Christianitie concerning their faith and not to make any treatise for the learned Seeing then wee haue a great hie Priest which is entred into heauē euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs hold fast our professiō as the Apostle sayth and let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receyue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede For this was the third point that I sayde was to be obserued of vs to weigh with our selues what profit and commodity thereby doeth ensue to all the faythfull that hee is in heauen Surely this cannot be but great comfort to al the faithful for they all are assured by Christes ascension that they also shall one day euen at the resurrection of their bodies ascende with him for he is gone to prepare a place for them as he testifieth in Iohn 14. I goe to prepare a place for you and if I goe to prepare a place for you I will come agayne and receyue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also Christ by his ascension hath opened the gates and doores of heauen and Paradise for vs which were shut against vs before so that wee had no entrance thither For this is most certayne and true that if the head be there then shall the body and members be there also and if our captayne be there then shall his souldiers which are we be one day with him and the master will haue there his seruantes to wayte and attend vpon him in his house And to be short seeing Christ is in heauen he wil haue his true Christians to be with him Is not this a great comfort in all troubles and hurlyburlies in this life to meditate vpon this that one day we shall come into the presence of our louing Master Iesus Christ Surely this would comfort any poore afflicted soule or body if he did remember it but we forget it and then what ioy can wee haue in this vale of miserie This comforted Dauid in his banishment saying When shal I come to appeare before the presence of God This reioyced Paul greatly when he sayd A crowne of righteousnesse is layde vp for me in that day when the Lord shal appeare 2. Timothie 4. So then this is the first and one of the greatest benefites that by Christes ascension wee haue an assurance of our owne For when Christ shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Colossians 3. But yet wee must remember that as Christ first suffered shame and reproche and bitter death also and so in the ende entred into heauen by diuers crosses and calamyties so must wee also for the most part enter in the same way with him for by many tribulations must we enter into the kingdome of heauen and all that wil liue godly in Iesus Christ shal suffer persecution For you knowe that the seruant must not looke to be better handled thē his master or the scholer to be in better case then his teacher nor we thē Christ Againe Christ by his ascension doth solicite al our sutes causes matters iniuries which we suffer to God his father For hee is our Atturney pleadeth for vs as Iohn sayth If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous Is it not a great comfort to a poore man that can not make friendes or come vp to the prince because of costs and charges to haue alway one of the priuy counsell to helpe and further his sutes as readily and diligently as if hee were there himselfe So surely it is with vs wee haue alwayes Iesus Christ at hand with God his father being of his most priuy and secrete counsell to make requestes to God for vs continually to pardon our sinnes to grant vs grace and all other thinges necessary This is singular ioy to a godly heart so that wee neede not to seeke any other Mediatour as the Papistes doe as if hee were not sufficient of him selfe or as mercifull to heare vs as his mother or Peter or any other saynt in heauen This is their folly and madnes let vs be contented with our only Mediatour Iesus Christ because he is most able and most willing to heare vs yea biddeth vs to come to
him for our causes Matthewe 11. Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are laden and I will refreshe you Therefore we may boldly and safely goe vnto him in our neede and necessitye and feare not Which of vs is it that if the prince did byd vs come at the first to her and not to any other of her priuy chamber but would come most willingly and be glad so to do Why theÌ„ come wee not to God at the first saying in his worde Cal vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee Why come wee not to Christ that so louingly biddeth euery one of vs Wel let vs holde this for an vnfallible principle Christ being ascended is our onely spokesman neither let any man thinke that it is with Iesus Christ the king of all kings as it is with princes of the earth that because he is so hie and in so great dignitie and maiestie hee doth not therefore regarde or respect vs here vpon the earth so lowe nay Dauid telleth vs the contrary and meeteth with this obiection for hee sayth In deede the Lorde is hie aboue al nations and his glory aboue the heauens But yet hee sayeth that he abaseth himself to behold the things in heauen and in earth yea he rayseth the needy out of the dust lifteth the poore out of the dounghill to set him with princes Psal 113. So we see although the Lord be hye yet he hath respect vnto the lowly And Iesus Christ notwithstanding he be in all pleasure blessednes yet he thinketh vpon vs because he hath sometyme felt yâ— like miseries with vs we haue such an hie Priest that can be touched with our infirmities euen at this time also as he sayde to Paul persecuting his sayntes Saul Saul why doest thou persecute me Christ counted himselfe then to be persecuted although he were in heauen because his poore members were afflicted Actes 9. In deede princes here and noble men with vs many tymes knowe not the misery of others nay regarde it not because they haue neuer felt the like smart and knowe not what hunger or thirst or nakednes or imprisoÌ„ment or banishmeÌ„t or lacke of lodging meaneth not hauing suffered the like themselues But I say the case is farre otherwise with Christ who knoweth better what we lack then we our selues doe and hath borne the like burden with vs and doeth not forget vs nowe in his glory and honor as many do their poore friends wheÌ„ they are aduanced to any promotion dignitie by others Wherefore as Ioseph in all his rioltie and glory remembred did acknowledge his poore brethren before Pharao and all his house so doeth vndoubtedly our Sauiour Christ thinke vpon vs his poore brethren saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and he wil not be ashamed to confesse vs in heauen before his father and all his holy Angels For howe should the head be ashamed of his body or the husband of his wife Christ is not ashamed of vs his spirituall kinred as we are ashamed of our kindred many times when we are exalted aboue them nay hee is neuer ashamed of vs vnlesse wee be first ashamed of him For then in deede hee sayth Hee that is ashamed of me and my sayings here in earth before men I wil also be ashamed of him in heauen before my father and he that shal denye him here hee wil deny him there but hee that shal confesse him here he will confesse him there Mar. 8. Furthermore we are to vnderstand that although Christ by his ascension hath taken away his body from the earth which was not necessary for vs yet he hath left vnto his Churche and giuen vnto it as a most sure and firme pledge and earnest peny of his good will towardes vs his holy spirit alway crying in our heartes Father father working in vs that which is good acceptable in his sight This is the greatest comfort that may be to the faythful in this lyfe and therefore is this spirit oftentimes called by our sauiour Christ The coÌ„forter And this great and singular benefit we haue by his ascension for he sayde that vnlesse hee went his way from them the comforter would not come but if he went he would send him as in deede he did after his ascension most plentifully and doeth at this day vnto his giue his spirit either in greater or lesser measure to some more to some lesse as hee thinketh good This benefite then doe wee enioy by his bodily presence departing for a time from vs. This gift is to our soules the fountayne of life and the very welspring beginning of all our Christian regeneration and newe 〈◊〉 in Christ and so is called the spirit of Adoption because it is proper to Gods children and none other This spirit doth leade vs into al trueth mortifieth our euil deedes killeth sinne in vs reuiueth all goodnesse within vs maketh vs merry in the Lorde reioyceth vs in troubles and doeth neuer leaue vs destitute altogether of some comfort or other For this pledge out of our hearts can neuer be taken away all other worldly things may be taken away as from Iob they were who lost his goods lands wife friendes and children his bodye was afflicted his soule tormented yet in the middest of these calamities he had a comfort of this spirite in that he coulde say in fayth I knowe that my redeemer liueth which he â—therwise coulde not doe but by the motion and helpe of the holy Ghost as Paul â—eacheth vs to the first Corinthians the â—â—elâ—t Chapter in these wordes I declare vnto you brethren that no man can saye that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost verse 3. Seeing then wee haue by Christs ascension the first fruites of his spirit we ought also to ascende with him into 〈◊〉 if not in body yet in soule in minde and heart and all our affections For where our treasure is there shoulde our hear the also Our treasure and only treasure Christ Iesus is in heauen therefore let our hearts he wholy with him as Paul saith Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for the Lord Iesus who shall transfourme our vile body that it may be made like to his glorious body Phil. 3. So that as wee haue to learne by Christes resurrection a spirituall resurrection here in this life from sinne In like sort we learne also by these wordes of Saint Paul an holy and spirituall ascension into heauen by our desires and thoughts that we may ioyne to him euen nowe in fayth and spirite till wee all meete in body there at the fast day And truely if we coulde keepe our mindes so ascending vp into heauen it woulde be very benificiall for vs and ridde vs out of many daungers Wee see and learne by experience that the byrde is neuer insnared and caught of the fouler vntill he lyght and sit vpon the earth wheÌ„ he falleth to
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
of the Leuiticall lawe but also in diuers men As Samson who died him selfe to deliuer his people from the Philistims so Christ to deliuer vs from the deuils died him selfe Dauid also was a figure of him in many thinges Here we see then what a grieuous thing sinne was in Gods sight that he could be pacified by no other meanes then by the blood death of his only and welbeloued Sonne Iesus Surely our sinnes were as hard as the Adamant stone which could not be brokē by any other meanes then by the blood of the true goate Iesus Christ Consider here the wonderfull vnspeakeable loue of Christ he would die for vs that we might escape euē as the Pelicane which hauing brought forth her young ones dead or being stong killed by serpētes she pecketh forth her heart blood to reuiue her young ones so we heing conceiued and borne in sinne and altogether dead in our trespasses and offences Ephes 2. stong of that old and fiery serpent the diuell which first beguiled our parents in paradise and so hauing the rewarde of sinne which is death we I say in this case are reuiued and quickened againe by the blood of that true Pelicane Iesus Christ which hee from his heart hath shead and powred out for vs. Thus we see how deeply we are indebted to Christ for his great loue to vs in dying for our sinnes and yet how fewe remember this death Many not once in a day nay not once in a weeke or moneth I feare some not once in a whole yeere doe remember it well they are the more vnthākeful vnkind sonnes to God so good a father Christ so louing a brother It is the only thing that should especially be remēbred although all other things be forgottē Beleeue me deare brethrē Christ died not to this ende that his death should be forgotten which was so cruell to him or that it should be lightly remēbred of vs for that he might haue vs to remēber it the better he instituted his last supper in bread wine the bread brokē to put vs in minde of his most pure pretious body broken bruised for our sinnes that it doeth nourish vs as the bread doth nourish our bodies for his flesh is meat in deede Iohn 6. The wine ordeined to put vs in mind of his blood powred out for vs to wash vs from al our sinnes 1. Iohn 1. that as the wine doth quench our thirst and refresh vs comfort our hearts being soroweful so doeth the blood of Christ al these things vnto vs in greater measure and abundance This doeth also teache vs vnitie loue together that as many grapes make but one wine and many graynes of corne wheate make but one lofe of bread so should we be but one in Christ our head for we are all members of the same body The other sacramēt also of Baptisme doth put vs in minde of Christes death for as the water in baptisme doth wash the body so doeth the blood of Christ wash our soules and clense them frō their filthines Which thing is represented vnto vs in our baptisme a signe of our newe birth and regeneration by the spirite of Christ Therefore in our baptisme we ought to remember this death for wee are buried with him into his death by this seale and sacrament of our baptisme as Paul proueth Rom. 6. Nowe we see that to the ende we may remember this great benefite of Christes death we haue tokens of it two in number the supper of Christ and baptisme for by thē we shew forth the Lords death vntil he come againe to iudgemēt 1. Cor. 11. Nowe if any man marueile why we dye since Christ hath died for vs tasted death once for all men to make reconciliatiō for the sinnes of the people to satisfie Gods iustice he may be answered that Christ hath taken away the second death of the soule not this first naturall death of the body which is common to all for by it we enter into life and although it be sometime grieuous to Gods children yet it is not deadly to them nay rather ioyfull seeing by it they come to Christ their head as it was to Paul I desire saith he to be loosed and to be with Christ meaning to die For albeit this death of the body dwelleth in vs yet it hath no dominion ouer vs by the force and efficacie of Christes death And wee knowe that it is made nowe to the elect a gate to passe by into heauen We should not then feare death seeing that the losse of this transitory life is the high way into Gods euerlasting kingdome And this may bee answered concerning sinne also If any man aske howe it commeth to passe that wee haue sinne still remaining in vs seeing Christ hath died for it to take it away I answere that Christ hath taken awaye the condemnation of sinne that it shall not hurt vs to bring vs to destruction but the full abolishing of sinne shall cease in the latter day of iudgement when all thinges shall bee restored againe to their perfection Actes 5. So that now we may say There is no condemnation of sinne to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite Rom. 8. For see the wonderfull working of God that all the curses and paynes that were in Iesus Christ are turned to our blessings and ioyes his death is our life his pouerty our riches his shame our glory his descension into hell is made our ascension into heauen and finally his misery here in this life is made our felicitie and happinesse in the life to come This is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes O that men would therefore prayse the Lorde for his goodnes and declare the wonders that hee doeth for the children of men This death of Christe hath two benefites in it for first it causeth that wee shall not die in the life to come and then here it mortifieth our earthly members it killeth our olde man Adam within vs that it bringeth not foorth his accustomed actions of sinne within vs. Thus much concerning his death Let vs nowe consider briefly the fourth poynt in this article which is his buriall Christe was buried by an honourable Counseller Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes who begged his body boldly of Pilate and buried it with odours as the maner was Iohn 19. His buriall is mentioned to assure vs that hee died in deede as when wee see a man buried wee doubt not but that hee is dead The lesson that we learne by this buriall of Christ is this as the Apostle Paul teacheth vs Rom. 6. and Colos 2. that we should so through baptisme bee freed and buried from sinne as he was buried in the graue that like as Christe was raysed vp from the dead to the glorie of his father so we also should walke in newenes
of life So then as we are crucified with Christ vnto sinne and dead and buried thereto so must wee rise againe with him vnto righteousnes But of this more God willing in that article of his resurrection The last thing to be noted in this death of Christ is the paynes which he suffered which is called his descension into hell Although this bee last in wordes yet in sense it is to be ioyned with his crucifying and went before his death in body and buriall in the sepulchre The meaning therefore of this his descension is this that Christ our sauiour to redeeme vs both in body and soule which had offended God suffered the tormentes of hell the wrath infinite of his father for the time not onely in body but also in soule and did abide the most bitter and vnspeakeable sorowes of death in his minde and consciēce pressed downe with the burden of all our sinnes as if hee had bene forsaken of God his father In this hell and torment partly he was in his heauy agony in the garden when he swette as it were teares of blood trickling downe from his face his soule was verie heauie and sorowfull euen vnto the death so that there came an angel and comforted him from heauen Luke 22. This hell was so great vnto him that he prayed his Father if it were possible that the cuppe of his passion myght passe from him Yea which was most of all he was compelled for the very anguish and griefe of heart and soule to say and cry out O my God my God why hast thou forsaken me So that all the things that Christ suffered before were nothing to this that now he suffered whē he cryed out for very payne extreme sorowe of minde For we must remēber that Christ vpon the crosse did not only suffer paines in body as they did which were crucified with him which were the paines that the Iewes did put him to but farther he suffered the extreme wrath of God his father hanging vpon him heauier then heauen and earth which no angel was able to endure therfore that he might be able to endure and to cōquer it it was necessarie that he should be God also as well as man For he suffred for all the sinnes originall and actuall in thought worde and deede of all men that euer were or are or shall be from the beginning of the worlde from Adam vntill the ende of it I say he hath suffred sufficiently for them all and as great paynes and torments as any damned soules in hell can or shall suffer And was not this an hell trowe you vnto our Sauiour to abide in his bodie and soule all these torments which can not be vttered with any eloquēce or tongue of man Nothing had bene done for vs if Christ had dyed the common death of the body onely as other dyd It was necessarie therefore and very expedient that we might be perfectly redeemed in both partes both body and soule that hee shoule feele the seuere punishment of the vengeāce of God because he powred out his soule an offering for sinne and tooke vpon him our part which were the malefactors and offendors to bring vs vnto the fauour of God againe We must not thinke then yea God forbid we shoulde that he suffered no more payne then the Iewes put him to or the other two dyd which hanged with him For we see they cryed not out as Christ dyd for they felt not so much as he did which suffred for the whole worlde And all this was for our cause Let vs then applie it as a medicine to our wounds otherwise it will not heale vs. Take the shielde of fayth that when yee are in great torment and griefe for your sinnes as Satan doeth many times obiect them vnto you when yee are euen at the brinke of desperation then this will be a notable comfort vnto you to beare off all assaultes and grieuous tentations yea to quench the fiery dartes of the deuil to remember that our Sauiour Christ suffered the torments of hel euery one of them to deliuer you from thē This one lesson if it be well learned surely setled in our hearts will heale a wounded conscience will rayse vs vp from the gates of hel and will in our greatest distresse be very sweet vnto vs. Be our sinnes neuer so many either as the sands of the sea or as the starres of heauen as they can not be so many yet Christs mercy is aboue thē all greater thē they hath paide a sufficient price and ransome for them all If they were as redde as purple or as crimson yet they shal be made as white as wool and like to snowe Esay 1. A notable cōfortable place for before the Prophet sharply rebuked them of their grieuous sinnes and offences and nowe in these words promiseth them mercy if they will repent and amende and so turne to the Lord with their whole heart In this that Christ hath suffered the tormentes of hell for all we gather that all that are saued are saued by Christ alone from Adam vntill this time and to the ende of all the world for he is the lambe slayne from the beginning of the worlde Reuel 13. That is to say his death and passion was as effectuall to redeeme al that were before him that dyd beleeue in him that he shoulde come as it was auayleable afterwarde to saue all that are after him which do beleeue that he is come in the flesh already to saue them This is that that our Sauiour meant when he sayde that Abraham reioyced to see his dayes and sawe them that is reioyced in Christ that he shoulde be his Sauiour For none other is there giuen vnder heauen wherin we must be saued Actes 4. Thus wee see what is meant by these words descended into hell howe he suffered hellish tormentes for vs not that his soule went into hell after his death for it was in paradise in the hands of God as he commended it to his Father as the soules of the blessed are his body was in the graue Neither is there any place of scripture to proue any other discension thē this which is ful of trueth comfort They alledge y◠place of Dauid Psal 16. 10. But that doth proue vnto vs his resurrectiō that his body shoulde not be left in the graue as others were to see corruption and to rotte as Peter doeth apply it Act 2. 27. to proue his resurrection from death and not his descension into hell The place of 1. Peter 3. doeth shewe that the Spirite of Christ was in the dayes of Noe and preached by him to the wicked which were then rebellious and disobedient and are nowe damned soules in hell which he tearmeth spirites in pryson This is the meaning of Peter in that place as also good interpreters doe prooue Neyther did Christ descende into hell to fetch the godly Patriarkes
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
the ground then is hee subiect to gunshatte or other snares and daungers So it is with vs if our mindes were fixed aboue vpon heauenly things Satan coulde not take vs in his trappes but when they are altogether cast downewarde vpon the earth and earthly pleasures then we fall into his baytes and are entangled in his grennes Therefore as Christ is ascended so let vs also ascende in minde cogitation vnto him for Christ doeth bidde vs tome vnto him and this saying standeth in his full force nowe as it did when â—e spake it here with vs vpon the earth and we must come vnto him nowe Let vs then come and resorte vnto him by our earnest and heartie prayer for then wee talke with him For prayer is sayd to be a speach and communication with God and a lifting vp of our heartes vnto him in heauen We shoulde remember then that as often as we pray we speake to the maiestie of God and therefore shoulde come with feare and reuerence Let vs also come to Christ to heare hâ—â— comfortable worde and Gospel For when we heare his worde preached vnto vs or reade it our selues we must consider that God speaketh vnto vs and therefore giue diligent and attentiue heede to the things thou hearest lest they slip out of thy minde Againe let vs also ascend and come to him by heartie thanke sgiuing for al benefits receyued in our body and soule both temporall and spirituall This is to ascende vnto Christ in this life Seeing therefore that by the blood of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh seeing also we haue an high Priest which is ouer the house of God let vs all draw neere with a true heart in assurance of fayth our hearts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and let vs ascende whither our forerunner Iesus Christ is entred and ascended for vs already euen into the heauen of heauens Another singular coÌ„â—ort â—or to â—ead our faith vpon by Christs ascension is his power to strengthen our weakenesse for we beleeue nowe that Christ hath taken full possession of his most glorious kingdome is entred into glory to whom as Saint Peter sayth The angels and powers and myght are subiect and whatsoeuer else For God hath sayde vnto him Sit thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole the Lord shall send the â—odde of thy power out of Sion be thou buler in the middest of thine enemies Psal 110. So that wee may boldly saye as Dauid sayde sometime The Lorde is our shephearde yea the Lorde Iesus is our King therefore shall wee lacke nothing For tel me I pray you what good thing can we want Christ being our heauenly King and hauing nowe all power and authoritie giuen vnto him and sitting at the ryght hand of the almightie Father Surely his seruantes shall enioy all things as he sayeth He that ouercommeth shall inherit all things and who is he that ouercommeth but Iesus Christ in whome we by his power and vertue ouercome also that as hee is made heyre of all things so myght wee also bee made ioynt heyres with him Wherefore wee knowe Christ no more in his mortalitie and humilitie Yea although wee had knowen Christ after the flesh yet hence foorth knowe we him no more after the flesh but after the woorking of his myghtie Spirite whereby hee is able to subdue all things to him selfe Philip. 3. For here we must consider that Christ hath thus ascended into glorie for vs and hath receyued giftes for men euen great spoyles of the enemies to enrich his Church This is our reioycing which wee haue dayly in Christ Iesus here is the ioy patience and victorie of the Saints of God for he must reigne vntill hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Who then can he discouraged with any thing that befalleth vnto him eyther of bodie or griefe of minde or losse of goods and friends Is it not Christ that dyed for vs and which is rysen againe who is also at the ryght hande of God and maketh request for vs Who shall say any thing vnto our charge who shal condemne vs If Christ be on our side as hee is most certaynely being our head who then can bee agaynst vs howe can wee sacke any thing in this lyfe when God hath giuen his Sonne for vs What man or woman woulde thinke to lacke any thing earthly that had a King to his Father or a Prince to bee his brother and shall wee bee of so litle fayth to thinke that wee can lacke ought hauing GOD the great King ouer al the world to be our louing Father and Iesus Christ his Sonne the Prince of all princes to bee our owne brother This were madnesse to thinke or conceiue but yet if wee bee wauering through incredulitie let vs saye and waye with the man in the Gospel Lorde helpe my vnbeliefe and with the Apostles let vs saye Lorde increase our fayth in vs and make it strong agaynst all tentations of Satan Seeing then that Iesus Christ is of that power that he is able to bring to passe all thinges Gods children may assure them selues of a singular defence agaynst all their enemies For who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peryll or sworde Nay dearely beloued I am certaynely perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heyght nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde for in all these thinges wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs and this is our Christ that sitteth in the heauens for vs. By this his glorie and power euer since his ascending hee hath mayntayned the estate and welfare of his Congregation and will doe to the ende of the worlde The last thing wee learne by Christes ascension is this that he is also ascended to leade captiuitie captiue that is to say to beate downe and ouerthrowe all his foes and such as ryse vp heere agaynst him so that as his power is a great comfort to his spouse so it is as great a terrour and griefe to the wicked reprobates to thinke or to consider of it For it maketh them to frette and fume and to bee euer at their wittes ende for sorowe and griefe that hee must ouercome in spite of their teeth Then wee learne that our enemies shall not alway tryumph ouer vs they shall not still haue vs in their bandes in pryson and thraldome but one day they surely them selues shall come to confusion and shame The Scriptures when they will paynt out Christ vnto vs
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
of heauen for y◠elect not their works but because they were blessed of his father and that the kingdome was prepared for thē before they were borne or did any good workes for it yea before the fundations of the worlde were layde as Paul Ephes 1 sheweth most notably Wherefore good Christians flee the corruption which is in the worlde and giue great diligence to bring forth good works for those are good and profitable vnto mē and so ye shall be knowen to bee good and fruitfull trees Ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith with vertue knowledge with knowledge tēperance with tēperāce patience with patience godlines with godlines brotherly kindnesse with brotherly kindnes loue For if these things be amōg you and aboūde they wil make you that ye neither shall be idle nor vnfruitfull in the acknowledging of our Lorde Iesus Christ and he that hath not these things is blinde and can not see a farre off and hath forgotten that he was purged frō his olde sinnes Giue therefore diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye doe these things ye shal neuer fal for by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ We haue heard nowe the sixe articles that appertaine to the person of Iesus Christ and conteine the benefites he hath wrought for vs wherein is our whole saluation For if we seeke saluation his name Iesus doeth shewe it is in him alone If we desire puritie it is in his conception If we require a kinde of familiaritie and gentlenes wherewith he hath made him selfe like vnto vs we shall haue it in his natiuitie Wouldest thou haue redemptiō for thy sinnes looke it in his passion and death If newnes of life thou hast it in his resurrection If inheritance of the heauenly kingdome it is in his ascension If thou askest a full possession of it thou shalt haue it when hee commeth to iudgement To be briefe If thou desirest the giftes of the holy ghost absolution remission of sinnes satisfaction and purgation for thy vnclennes reconciliation mortification of the flesh and at a worde all treasures of euery heauēly gift thou hast them all in Iesus Christ as in a well euer springing and a fountaine that is neuer drie Of whose fulnes thou and all men haue receiued and he is made of God the father vnto thee wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption that thou shouldest glorie in him alone Take heede therefore that seeing he is all in all to thee that thou goe not from him to any other or ascribe any one part or portion neuer so litle of thy saluation to any creature whatsoeuer For if thou doe thou marrest all Iesus Christ will haue all or neuer a whit as Esaie sayeth I will not giue my glorie to an other Well to conclude this article let vs giue to Iesus Christ most humble and heartie thanks that he wil one day come downe from heauen to fetche vs vp thither vnto him to immortall blessednesse and let vs in the meane time desire of him the spirit of patience to wayte for his comming to iudgement for our full redemption that we may haue our oyle our garmentes and our lampes ready that we may be waking when he shall knocke and open the doore forthwith vnto him that in so doing we may enter in with him to the mariage there raigne perpetually with him in the glorie of his father Which he graūt vnto vs for his sonnes sake to whom with the holy ghost three persons and one immortall God in vnitie bee rendred all prayse glorie and giuing of thankes from this time forth for euer more Come Lord Iesus quickly Amen so be it The eight Lecture vpon the eight article of our Christian fayth I beleeue in the holy Ghost HAuing ended two partes of our Christian faith the one cōcerning God the father in the first article the other concerning Iesus Christ the second person in trinitie conteined in the sixe articles folowing nowe foloweth in order the third part concerning our faith in God the holy Ghost which is the third person in trinitie And this is the eight article of our beliefe I beleeue in the holy Ghost that is to say I that am a Christian man do beleeue and trust in God the holy ghost the third person in the blessed trinitie which proceedeth equally from the father and the sonne being the naturall essentiall power of them both of the same substance Which spirite sanctifieth comforteth me in all troubles and assureth me that I am the childe of God and seruant of Iesus Christ and shall haue his benefites plentifully powred vpō me Out of this article we learne two things first what is the holy ghost secondly what are his effects workes as well in it selfe as in man in whose heart it worketh and moueth him forward to that which is good to imbrace and followe it with all earnestnes but to hate and abhorre from the heart that which is naught and wicked This holy ghost or spirit is the euerlasting power and infinite might of God the father which spirite is no creature but a creator of all things and very God because we are here taught to beleue in him which suerly except he were very God were idolatrie to do for we must not beleue in any creature or put our trust in any but in God onely And that the holy ghost is God which certaine heretikes haue denied it is manifest in the fift chapter of the Actes of the Apostles where saint Peter speaking of the holy ghost nameth him God For he reprehendeth Ananias and Sapphira his wife for their hypocrisy and dissimulation and telleth them that they lyed vnto the holy ghost and immediatly after sayth that they lyed not vnto man but vnto God In the first of Genesis it is sayde that the spirite of the Lorde moued vpon the waters This was the third person in trinitie which except he had bene God could not haue so moued vpon this great depth and secretly by his power and maiestie preserued and maintained it from falling to nothing Dauid saieth All things were made and created by the breath of his mouth Therfore if he made al things he was very God For this is proper to God alone to make to create things That argument of Paul in the 1. Cor. 2. chap. doth sufficiētly proue this matter vnto vs where hee saieth that this spirit searcheth al things yea the deepe things of God and that no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God Now if the spirit of God knoweth al things searcheth al things thē is he very God for no creature doth this If this be so thē we rightly beleeue in the holy ghost here we gather this singular comfort that we may pray to this holy ghost at all times for his helpe to impart some of his knowledge vnto vs
counsell and the spirit of the feare of the Lord because it giueth al these qualityes vnto men and doeth teache vs the what good gift soeuer we haue we haue it frō the holy ghost the giuer of al and whatsoeuer we lacke we should seeke it likewise of the same spirit none other The holy Apostle rekoning vp the diuersities of the giftes of the holy spirit affirmeth alwayes That it is one and the selfe same spirit that giueth these things as the gift of wisedome of knowledge of faith of healing of miracles of prophecie of discerning spirites of tongues of interpretation of tongues al these thinges sayethe he worketh one and the same spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he wil 1. Cor. 12. This doeth also teache vs that this spirit hath most plentifull store of giftes to enriche the body of the Church of Christ and that there is no want or lacke in him A great cōfort vnto vs to knowe whither to resort incōtinently for any good gifte to haue it forthwith For Christ hath promised this holy spirit to them that seeke aske and knock for it Luke 11. Doest thou feele thy selfe to lacke fayth or hope or loue or sanctification of life or any good and necessary gift to edifte Gods Church withall Pray to this holy spirit vse the ordinarie meanes he willeth thee as hearing the word prayer labour and study and this spirite shal be giuen thee This spirit was so necessary that our sauiour promised to send it aboue all things to his disciples to comfort them with when he departed from them For he breathed vpon them and said Receiue yee the holy ghost Ioh. 20. And afterwarde sent it downe more plentifully vpon them in the likenes of fire and clouen tongues Act. 2. Wher with they were not a little cōforted in their miseries troubles against their aduersaries which were not able to resist them speaking with this holy spirite Act. 6. This spirit is sayd to haue diuers names appellations in the scriptures to comfort vs withal in tētations He is called the spirit of trueth to teache vs the trueth and to leade vs into all trueth He is called also the cōforter because he dothrefresh cōfort our hearts nothing more thē in tētations aduersities as Paul found it true in the 2. Cor. 1. Cap. he is called the power of God because he worketh al things nothing is vnpossible vnto him sōetime he is named the autor of light because he doth illuminate enlightē our darke blind hearts with the bright sunbeāes of his wil pleasure Briefely he is the wel foūtaine of al goodnesse whereat we must draw al things needeful for vs in this life This being so it stādeth vpō euery one of vs to labour by all meanes possible to haue this spirit dwelling abiding with vs for euer For surely the necessitie of him is great the vse of him aboue most precious gold siluer pearls Psal 19. Dauid vnderstoode this right wel to be so for hee prayeth that God woulde not take away his spirite from him but stablish him with his free spirit Psal 50. For where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie and freedome from the seruice of the deuill from the slauery of sin We are by nature al of vs the children of wrath damnatiō earthly minded alwayes groueling to the ground being ouerloden burdened with the weight of our sinnes except we be raysed lifted vp by this spirit euē as the soule maintaineth vpholdeth the weake brittle body It cōmeth to passe then in vs no otherwise thē we see it by experience in bladders the which if they be empty cast into the waters for the weight of thē they sinke foorthwith are drowned But if they be blowen filled with wind wherewith they be made light they flyt aboue the water swim Euē so it fareth with vs How heauie we are with sin our cōsciences if we examine thē wel wil tel vs. Wherefore we cānot but sinke being tossed in the waues of the sea of this world drowned with the inordinate desires passiōs affectiōs of this life being altogether voyde of this spirite which should beare vs vp frō these surges tēpests of this life But now if we be filled replenished with this heauenly spirit thē shall we swim aboue triumph ouer sin wickednesse not be drowned with it Wherfore Paul wel weying with himselfe this dāger if we were destitute of the holy ghost willeth vs that we should not be drūke with wine wherin is excesse which maketh vs so heauie drowsie that we sinke but saith that should be filled with the spirit which causeth vs to mount vp to heauē Therefore is it that he so oftē times cōmādeth vs to walke in the spirit to do the works of the spirite which are loue ioy peace long suffering gētlenes goodnesse faith meekenes tēperāce We are with out this spirit as a ship in the sea without a gouernour or as a mā without his eyes in most dangerous case for tell me I pray you what is the cause why so many now a dayes run headlong to all wickednesse abominatiōs some to whoredōe some to couetousnes some to drūkēnes some to pride some to theft robberies some to one sin some to another what is the reasō I say but only this because God hath not giuē his holy spirit vnto thē to defēd thē frō these euils mischiefs And this cause doth S. Iude render in his Epistle for hauing rekoned vp the natural properties conditions of the wicked reprobate namely that they were despisers of gouernment autoryty as the Anabaptistes are defilers of the fleshe liuing in pleasure murmurers complayners walking after their owne lusts speaking proud things flatterers such like In the end hee addeth this as the cause mother of al these sinnes the not hauing of the spirit meaning in deede that because God hath not giuen thē his holy spirit therfore they were such kind of mē as he there painteth forth in their colours such as we dayly se here with vs. And yet for al this God is not boūd to any man to giue him his spirit as Paul proueth Rō 11. neither do they humble thēselues to aske his grace by earnest hearty praier for thē should they haue it Iam. 1. By the lacke and want of this spirite in other men wee may easily see what a benefite we haue by him to keepe and defende vs so mercifully euery houre in all our waies and actions of our life If this spirit leaue vs neuer so litle while to our selues then we fal into an hundred mischāces and euils as we see in Moses a singular man being left to his owne will and choyse but a litle he fell twise together to doubt and distrust of the power of the Lorde whether he were
able to doe all thinges or no as to bring water out of the rocke and to feede the Israelites with flesh being sixe hundred thousand men for a moneths space Numb 11. 20. So Dauid being not vpholden with this spirit and left to his owne will fell by and by to adulterie and murther We had neede therefore to pray continually to Iesus Christ the giuer of this spirite that we may haue him with vs to direct our liues make them acceptable before the Lord. This spirit for diuers other effects that it hath is compared in the Scriptures to water to oyle to fire to winde to a doue To water it is likened both in the newe and olde Testament as in Esa 44. where the Lord sayth I wil powre water vpon the thirstie and floods vpon the dry grounde And what he meaneth by this water and dry grounde he afterwarde expoundeth in the ende of the verse saying I will powre my spirit vpon thy seede and my blessing vpon thy buddes In the newe Testament our Sauiour sayth If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke he that beleeueth in me as sayth the Scripture out of his belly shall flowe riuers of waters of life And that he meant this of the spirit Iohn immediately declareth saying This spake he of the spirit which they that beleeued in him should receiue Iohn 7. As water therfore doeth cleanse and purifie the filthie and vncleane in bodie being washed with it is very necessary for our life here so doeth this holy spirit of God much more clēse purifie our soules frō the infection filthines of sinne as Ezechiel fitly applieth it I will powre cleane water vpon you ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines from al your idoles wil I clense you And so by and by sayth I will put my spirit within you Ezech. 36. Of this pure water speaketh the Apostle to the Hebr. 10. chap. This spirit is moreouer likened to oyle for the supplenes gentlenes that is in it in thē that haue it Psal 45. To fire also is this spirit compared as we reade in Matth. 3. Act. 2. For Christ shal baptize with fire as Iohn saith which is the holy Ghost For euen as fire doeth consume scoure purge giue light so no doubt doeth the holy spirite of God consume the wicked scoure our filth purge our sinnes inlighten our ignorant hearts as Paul saith Arise thou that sleepest Christ shal giue thee light Ephe. 5. Lift thou vp the light of thy coūtenāce vpō vs Psal 4. Thirdly it is cōpared to a great mighty winde Act. 2. For as windes doe purge make wholsome the aire from his infectiō cōtagiousnes so doth the spirit work in the hearts of his this purging from their old corruption cōtagion of sinne by Adā and regenerateth and renueth vs againe by the immortall seede of the worde 1. Pet. 2. whereby we are borne anewe that we may enter into the kingdome of heauen Ioh. 3. The spirite of God is also likened vnto a winde in this respect that as nothing is able to resist or withstand the force of great whirlwindes but they beare down before them euery thing that stādeth against thē whether it be trees houses castels or towres so it is with the spirit of God whom no creature is able to withstande or resist but must needes fall vnder it and which destroyeth euery hie thing which is exalted against the knowledge of God casting downe strong holdes and the imaginations of mighty Princes bringeth into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ and hath ready vengeance against all disobedience This thing may be cōfirmed by diuers examples especially by that of the enchaunters and sorcerers of Egypt when they were compelled to saye that this was the finger of God to bring lyce out of the dust that they coulde not doe the like the spirite of God so confounded their wisdome and sorcerie Exo. 8. Other mo examples might be brought but I passe them ouer and leaue them to the diligent readers of the scriptures where they shall finde store of them Fourthly this holy spirite is likened to a doue as we reade of in the 3. of Matthewe descending downe from heauen lighting vpon our sauiour He is compared to a doue for these qualities and properties which are meekenesse and gentlenesse for this spirite doeth cause them to put off anger and wrath in whome it abideth and to vse brotherly kindenes one to another And the doue is sayd to be without gall and very chaste so is this spirite without all bitternes in the heartes of them whome it doeth possesse and teacheth them to kéepe their vessels in all puritie and holinesse of life and not in lust of concupiscence as the wicked doe which knowe not God For this spirit is called the spirite of sanctification of cleannesse of innocencie If this be so that this holy spirite is cleane pure and likened to a doue and furthermore our bodies are said to be the Temples and houses of the holy Ghost which dwelleth within vs as Paul sayeth Knowe ye not that your body is the tēple of the holy Ghost 1. Corinth 3. 6. 2. Cor. 6. Seeing this is so we must prepare our houses and sweepe them cleane to entertaine so honourable a ghest If this house which is our body be vncleane giuen to any vice then surely as doues depart from filthy houses so this most louing and most gentle doue the spirite of God departeth foorthwith from vs and then we are in a most miserable case yea God will destroye him that destroyeth this his holy temple Seeing then dearely beloued our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost and we haue such promises that he will dwell in them if they be holy and threates that they shal be destroyed if they be giuen ouer to sinne and wantonnesse let vs I praye you cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God putting off the workes of darkenes and putting on the armour of light and let vs walke honestly as in the daye time and make prouision to receyue this holy spirite into our hearts You knowe what great preparation you make both in your houses and in your bodies to haue your apparel neate cleane if you be to entertayne a Prince a noble man or any worshipfull friende of yours then consider with your selues that greater care and diligence is to be had by tenne thousand partes to lodge and receyue into your houses the Prince of princes euen the holy Ghost the power of God And seeing he will vouchsafe to abide with you take your preparation in good woorth first giue him thankes for this his so vnspeakeable courtesie and kindenesse and so vse and behaue your selues as he may long continue with you to your great good and comfort grieue not
Ephe. 1. and therfore in the place aboue recited this spirit is called the spirit of promise because it doeth assertaine and assure vs of all the blessinges and promises of God that are made vnto vs. In the Actes it is sayde that Lydia a woman being a seller of purple came to heare Paul preach the Gospel but marke what Saint Luke saieth whose heart sayeth he the Lord opened that shee attended to the things which Paul spake So that except God open our closed and hard shutte hearts by the secret inspiration of this holy spirite in vayne shall we eyther preach or the people heare We haue neede then all of vs before we come to heare his word pray to God to giue vs grace to perceyue vnderstand his will and mysteries to soften our stony hearts that they may receiue the worde and to circumcise our eares to heare it This it that Dauid sayde O Lord open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Lawe and againe O giue me vnderstanding I wil keepe thy Lawe Now Dauid knewe very well that all these things were done by the operation of Gods spirite as Paul sayeth The spirit hath reuealed these things vnto vs 1. Cor. 2. for it is hee that helpeth all our infirmities Rom. 8. This is the marke whereby God doeth seale and print in the forehead to be seene of all men those that are his and without the which no man can truely assure him selfe that he belongeth vnto Christ for as the same Apostle witnesseth If any man haue not the Spirite of Christ the same is none of his Nowe how greatly this holy spirit is to be desired of all of vs there is no man that hath read the Scriptures but well vnderstandeth This made Eliseus a notable man the scholer of Elias when his master bad him to aske of him what he would that he might do it for him before he was taken away from him into heauen that he asked his spirite to bee doubled vpon him whereby he might the better serue the Lord and his Church in his vocation and calling 2. King 2. and so by this spirit he wrought wonderful miracles and did much good by it to the whole kingdome of Israel Wee see by this petition of this notable father godly man what we also shoulde especially desire of God in our prayers not riches or wealth so much which al do perish but this holy spirite which liueth remaineth for euer in them that haue him and can neuer be lost or taken away And this is the self same thing that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to aske in our praiers of God his father for speaking of praier to his disciples he sheweth that God his Father is most ready to giue vs our requests as soone as we aske of him as our earthly father is willing to bestow that vpon vs which he is able to giue And of all other things that God giueth he maketh mention of this spirit saying If ye which are euill can giue good giftes vnto your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy Ghost to thē that desire him Luk. 11. Signifying this Spirite to be the excellentest gift that God coulde giue or we desire of him We haue nowe heard the meaning of this article of the holy Ghost what it is and what are the wonderfull and comfortable effectes of it in the Church and howe the Lorde hath promised neuer to leaue his destitute of it vnto the worlds ende We haue seene also howe we must beleeue in him as the true and euerlasting God equally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne because he is the power and vertue whereby they doe worke and create all things Seeing therefore this heauenly spirit is so necessarie and so great a treasure let vs that are true Christians most duetifully thanke our heauenly Father for bestowing of him vpon his whole familie here in earth and vpon euery one of vs that are his seruants wherby we are knowen in the worlde and among our selues that wee are his owne And let vs also pray vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ the sender of this holy spirit to kindle and stirre him vp in our heartes dayly more and more that by his assistance we may haue an earnest feeling and lothing of our sinnes and so bee brought to doe his will and pleasure with a carefull keeping of all his commaundements vntill we all come to a full perfection in Iesus Christ euen vnto that hope which is layde vp for vs in the newe and heauenly Ierusalem which Christ hath purchased full dearely for vs with his owne precious heart blood To whom with his Father and the holy ghost three persons in trinitie and yet one God in vnitie be rendred all prayse honour glorie and thankes giuing both nowe and for euermore Amen The ninth Lecture vpon the ninth Article of our Christian fayth The holy catholike Church the communion of Saints WE haue declared alreadie vnto you three parts of this our Christian fayth the fyrst wherein we doe beleeue and confesse the Father to bee the Creator and maker of all things the seconde part wherein we acknowledge the Sonne Iesus Christ the redeemer of mankinde the thirde sheweth vnto vs the holy Ghost the comforter of our heartes and the confirmer of all these things which are conteyned in these former eyght articles which we haue proued all out of the euerlasting worde of GOD. Nowe followeth consequently the fourth part of our Christian beliefe which is concerning the Church the ninth article with other three which are annexed vnto the Church as the especiall blessings and benefites which flowe and issue out of the former partes and alwayes doe accompanie and followe the spouse of Christ The causes and matter of our saluation being alreadie handled the effect doeth followe which is the Church Otherwise in vayne shoulde God create and Christ redeeme and the holy Ghost inspire and confirme these benefites and giftes vnlesse there were some that myght bee partakers of those treasures brought out and founded by the blessed Trinitie Againe seeing the kingdome of Christ is euerlasting it is very necessarie and requisite that there be alwayes some which may acknowledge him for their King and gouernour To this ende hath Christ his continuall Church and shall haue to the ende of the worlde as he hath had euer from the first beginning The meaning therefore of this article is this I beleeue that God almightie hath alwayes had from the first creation of the worlde and hath presently and shall haue vnto the consummation of the worlde his Church here in earth which is the cōmunion of Saints that is to say a company and congregation of faythfull men and women which doe truely beleeue in Iesus Christ acknowledging him for their onely Sauiour and seruing him according to his worde receyuing his Sacraments and taking holde of all his mercies and benefites by fayth onely
3 or to a family and shall the houshold and family be aboue the authoritie and will of the master shall the seruantes and children haue greater authoritie in their doings then the Lorde and father of the house Howe doe these thinges agree together And howe hath Satan the God of this worlde blynded the eyes of the Pope and his shauelings that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them But let vs heare their proofes and arguments for this authoritie The church say they hath allowed and approued the scriptures discerned the false from the true admitting the Gospell of Matthewe Marke Luke and Iohn and reiecting the Gospell of Nicodenius and Thomas with others therefore it is aboue the scriptures A goodly argument and reason As if they should argue thus I doe allowe and approue the authoritie of the prince therefore I am greater and aboue her authoritie If they would make this reason with her as they make the like with Iesus Christ they might peraduenture come short home and be found traitours to her as in the supremacie of the Pope they all are if they holde their owne doctrine mainteine it as they are to Iesus Christ their chiefe prince Againe one man telleth another which is the king and discerneth him from one that is not the king therefore he that doeth thus tel and discerne the king from another mā is greater then the king in authoritie This is their reason all one The church forsooth because it hath discerned the true writings of the holy Ghost from those that were coūterfaite and false therefore they will haue the church to be aboue this worde which is vtterly false and in no point foloweth They might by this reason proue them selues or others to be aboue God him selfe because many can discerne and tyre the true and liuing God from the forged and false gods and they can tyre and separate the true spirite from the lying spirite therefore they are greater in authoritie then this spirite of God is Who seeth not these things to bee so childish that they neede no refutation at all because if they be once examined by the touchstone they fall of them selues and do easely descrie what they are Well let vs holde this for a grounde most certaine and sure which can not bee shaken that the worde which Christ hath spoken in his fathers name the same shall iudge in the last day as hee him selfe sayth Iohn 12. verse 48. Then if the worde be iudge it is belike greater and aboue them that must be iudged by it which is the church in the latter daye euen as the iudge here is of greater authoritie then the partie whome he iudgeth And here by the way falleth to the ground another false positiō of theirs that say the interpretatiō of the scriptures must be according to the church nay it must be according to the word which is the iudge for if this be a matter of controuersie who shall determine and decide it but the ordinarie iudge as we see the lawes must bee interpreted not according to the censure and iudgement of them to whome they were giuen but after the will and meaning of the iudge and lawe giuer which made them so the scriptures must bee interpreted by the scriptures and the worde by the worde and that which is spoken obscurely in one place by that which is declared and vttered more plainely in an other place As for example The papistes to proue that sinnes may be forgiuen hereafter in an other worlde in their fayned purgatorie bring this place out of the 12. chapter of Matthewe where our sauiour saith that he that speaketh a worde against the holy Ghost shall not bee forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come Ergo say they to establish their purgatorie some sinnes may be forgiuen after this life and where is that but in purgatorie but if they had read the thirde of Marke handling the same matter and conferred one place with an other they should haue seene there that our sauiours meaning was to shewe that the horriblenes of this sinne was so great that it should neuer be forgiuen for these are his verie wordes there Verely I say vnto you al sinnes shal be forgiuē vnto the childrē of mē blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme but he that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenes but is culpable of eternall damnation Mark 3. So likewise is that place in Matthewe of the keyes expounded in Iohn 20. by remitting or retaining of sinnes by all the Apostles and not by Peter only Nowe out of this note that Christ is the head and only great shepheard of his church commeth forth many good fruitfull branches for this whole church that is many good lessons for vs in doctrine maners For if Christ be the head of this congregation then it shal be perpetual and for euer because the head of it is for euer therefore the body must be so also As the Lord promiseth in Ieremie cha 31. saying This saieth the Lorde which giueth the sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the moone and of the starres a light to the night which breaketh the sea when the waues thereof roare his name is the Lord of hostes If these ordinances depart out of my sight sayeth the Lorde then shall the seede of Israel cease from being a nation before me for euer Thus sayth the Lorde If the heauens can be measured or the foundations of the earth be searched out beneath then will I cast off all the seede of Israel for all that they haue done sayth the Lorde By the which wordes the Lorde meaneth that his church shall continue for euer as the sunne moone starres doe which surely is very comfortable to all his to consider that they shall be for euer as their head is and haue immortalitie with him Againe if Christ be from the beginning then he hath had this church also from the beginning first in Adam then in Abel and Seth and so foorth in Noe. And this he hath and will preserue for they are his members whome he loueth and feedeth as a father doth his deare and owne children Psalm 103. And if Christ be the head of it it must needes be holy also as here we doe beleeue For howe should the body be vnholy when the head is so holy although this holines be not ful and perfite here for the church is in a continuail warrefare and fight against sinne and wickednesse yet it shall be perfited hereafter when it shal be fully ioyned with her head in heauen In the meane season it is called holy because it contendeth for holinesse and because the holinesse of Christ is imputed vnto it but this is not in it selfe for the church is taught to pray daily Forgiue vs our trespases and there is no man without sinne that liueth here in earth 1. Ioh. 1. yea this
14. Where we may note that the resurrection is sayde to be a recompence and a rewarde for the iust And surely so it is for otherwise the Lord might seeme to be vniust which many times doeth not here reward the Godly as he hath promised nor punish the vniust as he hath threatned them And if we trust in Christ only in this life we are sayth Paul of all men most miserable We hope therefore for another life and this is in the resurrection this is our ioy comfort I see then no cause why mē should be so sory to dye and depart frō this world seeing a better world is kept in store for thē I come to the newe Testament In the 6 of Iohn our Sauiour hath a notable place to confirme this matter vnto vs. Our Sauiour in that place speaketh of both the resurrections the one from sinne in this life in the 25. verse that the dead should heare his voyce that is they that were in minde and fayth dead should nowe heare his Gospel and be renewed vnto repentance and so liue a newe life This seemed a strange doctrine to the Iewes and they wondered all at it Our Sauiour then goeth farther with them telleth them of more strange things then these saying Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done ill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Martha a woman was wel perswaded of this article for she did beleeue that her brother Lazarus shoulde be raysed vp at the last day Iohn 11. Againe if all nations shall bee gathered together before Christ then all shall rise that they may bee iudged otherwise he can not be sayde to be the iudge of quicke and dead Neyther doth the remayning of some aliue till the latter day hinder this position but that all shall rise For they that dyd neuer die shall bee raysed vp with newe bodies which change shall be as the rysing from the dead for hauing weake and corruptible bodies they shal be glorified and made heauenly bodies If we consider the power of God whereby he is able to do all things euen what he list and greater thinges then wee can imagine then this will not seeme hard or absurde vnto vs. We doe beleeue and confesse that he is almightie in the first article and therfore we must needes confesse that hee can doe it as easily as he raysed vp the bodie of Christ wherein he hath giuen the assurance of the whole Church And he that made al things of nothing at the first by his onely worde is able also nowe to bring to passe that of dust and earth shall bodies be raysed vp againe Saint Paul coulde not bee brought from this perswasion by any meanes eyther by feare or displeasure of the Sadduces or of Agrippa or Festus but he protested that he had hope towarde God that the resurrection of the dead which dyd seeme an incredible thing vnto thē Act. 26. shoulde bee both of iust and vniust Act. 24. The hope of this resurrectiō made Saint Paul as it shoulde doe vs to do his duetie roundly for herein saieth he I endeuour my selfe to haue alwayes a cleare conscience towarde God and toward men For verely for this cause doe many men make shipwracke of fayth and conscience in their actions and affayres of this life because they haue quite forgottē this day of the resurrection wherein an account must be giuen not onely of wicked deedes and blasphemous wordes but of euery idle worde spoken as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 12. If wee woulde consider this howe wee must all stande naked before the hie tribunall seate of Christ Iesus it woulde surely make vs to tremble to quake euery veine and ioynt in vs when we thinke vpon it The day shal be fearefull and terrible I hope there is no man among vs that doubteth of the certaintie of this day although the day and houre it selfe be knowen to no man And this is to make vs alwayes to be in a readinesse for it For it shal come vpon a sudden 1. Thes 5. I should be long and ouer tedious and not seeme to write a Lecture to exhort teach but rather a treatise to conuince the aduersarie and wicked if I shoulde recken vp all the places that here myght be brought for the confirmation of this doctrine Let these therefore for this time suffice and if the diligent reader be disposed to see moe let him reade the 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians there he shall haue a goodly discourse handling of this whole matter of set purpose Paul prouing the resurrection by many reasons both diuine and humane and shewing moreouer with what qualities conditions and properties the bodies of the faythfull shall be raysed vp where he also answereth the obiections that may bee made to the contrary I conclude this part with the wordes of Saint Paul to the Philippians the thirde Chapter Let our conuersation be in heauen frō whence we looke for the sauiour euē the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euē to subdue al things vnto him selfe In these words he sheweth that Gods power is able to doe this and although our bodies bee vile they shall bee made fayre againe trees seeme to be dead and rotten in the winter which in the spring time come forth most florishingly with their fruite in due season so it is in the resurrection This made the fathers so carefully to burie the dead with their balmes odours knowing they should appeare againe Last of all I referre you to the 2. Pet. 7. Chap. Reue. 20. where this resurrection is most liuely as in a table before your eyes described It followeth in the second place to see to what ende this great resurrection shall be We haue seene the efficient and chiefe caus of this resurrection to be the power of God mightily woorking in him selfe The fourme of it is the ioyning and vniting together of the body soule for euer and the matter wherein this doeth stande is the soule and body of man which must bee repayred againe being once corrupted by sinne in our first grandfather Adam and also in vs his children springing of the same corrupt roote with him The finall cause why this resurrection shall bee is of two sortes the one is in the respect of the good and godly men who haue liued here in the feare of the Lord to his honour and glorie in these he will shewe his exceeding great mercie in making them vessels of honour to serue him whome he will rewarde with euerlasting life which yet notwithstanding they haue not of duetie deserued as the Papists say but in mercie doeth the Lorde bestowe it
remain to be accōplished the general iudgmēt the resurrectiō and this life euerlasting which shal al be fulfilled together The meanīg of this article is this I that am a true christiā do stedfastly beleeue that as I haue already a sure pledge of this life in me which is the holy ghost working in my heart full hope of it by the seede of Gods word so I shal in the world to come haue this blessed life most abundantly powred vpō me in ful measure of al happines both in body also in soule which shal neuer haue any terme of yeeres but shal cōtinue for euer as the Lord himself doth without ending in which state I shal prayse the Lord my God not in part as I did here and with the dregges of sinne but wtout all sinne neuer ceasing to praise him yet without al wearines Re. 21. As cōcerning the excellency of this eternal life if all the tongues of men of angels were ioyned vnited together all in one with all their knowledge eloquēce to expresse it if they should be about it a thousād thousād yeres yet notwithstanding they al shal not be able to expresse vtter the least part of it no not the ioy and pleasure of one quarter of an houre so great so inspeakable so incomprehensible are the thinges that the Lord Iesus hath layd vp for al them that loue serue him For although wee heare this life to be replenished with ioy happines pleasure yet these thinges are farre remoued frō the capacitie of our senses vntill the day come wherein we shall see him as he is he reueile his glory vnto vs euen face to face y◠we may see him perfectly Wherefore the prophets and Apostles seeing this blessed kingdome wherin wee shall be placed to be in it selfe inestimable not to be declared as it is in deede to giue them a taste of it whome they would sturre vp to be in loue with it they all haue described it by earthly pleasures cōmodities which heere we make great account of So our Sauiour vsed to expresse it by an earthly table of kinges princes furnished with all maner of deynties delicates to please both the eye the taste of mā saying to his disciples Ye are they which haue cōtinued with me in my tentations therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdōe as my father hath appointed vnto me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome sit on seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Luke 22 Here Christ expressed spirituall thinges by corporal and earthly blessings But this we must thinke If the Lord God do conteine in himselfe the fulnesse of all felicitie good things then we hauing the fruitiō of the Lord shal desire nothing besides him And this is that most great precious promise that Peter speaketh of which is giuē to vs That wee should be partakers of the diuine nature 2. Pet. 1. For the Lord shal be gloryfied in all his Saintes shal be made marueilous in thē that beleeu If thē the Lord God shall cōmunicate impart with his elect his glory his iustice his vertue his goodnes yea after a sort shal giue himselfe vnto thē wee may be sure that we shal haue ioyes infinite without ende such in deede as y◠eye hath not sene nor the eare heard nor the tōgue cā speak nor the heart mind of man cā possibly conceaue imagine which passe al vnderstanding so that they ought to make vs wōderfully amased astonied whē we cōsider of thē they do so far exceede our capacitie reach of wit The excellencie of this life may be seene in these 2. things first in the happines of our soule then in the welfare of our body As touching the soule it shal be most happy for it shal cease to sin shal be wholy ioyned to the Lord in faith truth neuer displease him any more What a great ioy is this Againe the things that thē shal beautify our soule shal be most perfit our knowledge our wisedome our vnderstanding which here is all darkned shal there be inlightned with the glory and light of the Lorde all vertues and ornaments of the minde shal abound in vs euen to the full and euery thing that is vnperfite shal be then done away no griefe of the minde no sorow of heart no torment of conscience any more but peace ioy and tranquillity euer to endure This is the Image wherein wee were first created and shall then be renewed to a more perfite estate of life then it was in before the fall of Adam Our soule there shall not be enemy to the body neither shall the spirit rebel agaynst the fleshe but it shall loue the Lord with all his might And if the ioy of the minde and soule be so great here many times in the childrē of God that they seeme to be in heauē what shal it be there thinke yee when it shal be in full possession of all his delights and spirituall pleasures euer singing and making sweete melody to the Lorde and yet without any wearynesse at al For olde things are al passed away and behold all things shal become new againe and the thinges that are there shal be eternall For Christ shall giue vnto all his eternall life Iohn 17. This is the happines of the soule Now let vs see the blessed estate also of the body and that shall the better appeare if we compare it with the state that it is in here Our bodies are nowe deformed there they shall be most faire and beautifull yea that which is more they shal be like the glorious and immortall bodie of Iesus Christ himselfe Here the body is many times maymed and vnperfit there it shal be perfite and in his integritie here it is in sickenesse in pouertie in nakednesse in woundes in stripes in botches in sores and in all incurable diseases there shall it bee whole and all sounde rich and glorious clothed with innocency and neuer able to feele any infirmitie any more For heere it is sowen in dishonour in weakenesse in corruption and there it riseth in honour in power in incorruption and immortalitie Here be many things that make it to offend agaynst God there is nothing that shall cause it to sinne it shall not as it did here lust against the spirit but be at peace and vnitie with it the sight of it most quicke in seeing and very perfite it shall be in all the senses in hearing in smelling in tasting in handling It shall haue all melody and musike to delite the eare euen angels singing continually it shall haue all sightes and shewes to delite and please the eye euen the perpetuall presence of the blessed Trinitie All odoriferous smels as it were of musks perfumes flowers the sweete incense of praise and thankesgiuing to smell delectably in the nostrels of the Lorde and ours shall not
there be wanting O what a ioye is this to the bodie to haue all thinges at commaundement that may well please and delight it The pleasures of Kinges and Queenes are nothing to those things wherof we speake yea the pleasures shal be so exceeding great that if all the ioyes pastimes of this life were compared vnto them they should be founde to be but pangues and torments Yea the cōtinuance of all our delites here for an hundred yeres is not like to the blessednes of one minute of an houre there nor worthy to be likened vnto it For verely to speake with Dauid I had rather be there but for one daye then here a thousand yeeres in all the triumphes that Emperours and Kings can make with all their power This is then the happines of the bodie Now howe great shall the blessednesse be when both the body and soule shal be conioyned together and raigne for euermore Surely as great as the glory of the Lorde is his excellent Maiestie which is infinite so great shall this glory of the Saintes be The loue of this life which is euerlasting should make me thinks kings princes to do their dueties to the Lord to raigne ouer gouerne their subiects in iustice equity and not to liue in pleasures The respect of these ioyes shoulde make Counsellers to speake the trueth boldely syncerely without flattering and dissimulation to princes considering what a rewarde is layde vp for them in heauen This shoulde make all Bishops and ministers of the worde to do their duetie in reprehending sinne stoutly and in contemning this vayne worlde in teaching the flock without lucre gayne seeing that when the great shepherd Iesus Christ shal appeare they shal receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory 1. Pet. 5. Finally the cōsideration of this life which is for euer might make euery estate and degree in their callings either hie or lowe to doe most cheerefully their seuerall dueties to all men that in the ende their parte may bee in the heauenly inheritaunce which fadeth not away O that our mindes were erected vp to these thinges they woulde not so lightly bee carryed away to sinne and wickednesse fearing least we shoulde leese these euerlasting ioyes This is the rewarde that Christ hath promised to them that followe him here in the regeneration that haue for his names sake forsaken houses brethren sisters father mother wyfe children and landes they shall inherite all things euen euerlasting life Matth. 19. This life shal be most happie and ioyfull eyther in respect of the persons with whome we shall be or else in respect of the place which is heauen the seate of God or in the consideration of the time which is for euer Although wee be here many times in a good place yet if our company be not good honest this can be no delite to a godly man Nowe in heauen we shall haue the glorious fruition of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost the societie of all the angels most excellent creatures the company of the Patriarkes the Prophets the Apostles the noble hoste of Martyrs briefly the fellowship of all the elect Saintes of God that euer haue bin This can not be but an vnspeakable delite to vs all when we consider of it Secōdly we shal be blessed in respect of the place for otherwise if the cōpany be good yet the place not correspondent vnto it in al things as not being large ynough or sweet or glorious there cā be no great delite there but this place is most answereable to the cōpany wide large faire sweete glorious euen the heauen of heauens the seate of the Almighty a place of ioy a place of cōfort a place of all spirituall delectation S. Iohn seeing it in the spirit hath described it as far forth as flesh blood can conceaue of it vnder earthly things I sawe saith he a newe heauen a new earth I saw the holy citie new Ierusalem come down from God out of heauē prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband Iohn compareth the place wherein we shal be to a citie most glorious excellēt whose shining was like to a stone most precious as a Iasper stone cleare as Chrystal whose wal was great hie which had twelue gates at the gates twelue angels The wal of the citie had twelue foūdations which were garnished with all maner of precious stones as Iaspers Saphires Emeraudes such like the building of the wall is of Iasper the citie was al of pure golde like vnto cleare glasse The twelue gates were twelue pearles and the streete of the citie is pure golde as shining glasse This Citie hath no neede of the sunne neither of the moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it the Lambe is the light of it The gates of it shall not bee shutte by day for there shal be no night there there shall be no death no sorowe no crying no payne for the first things are passed There shal be a pure riuer of water of life cleare as Christall and the tree of life bearing twelue maner of fruites And there shall be no more curse but Gods seruantes shall raygne there for euermore This is the place which Iohn hath shadowed out vnto vs as well as he could vnder these terrestriall benefites of golde and siluer and precious stones whereas in deede it can not be described as it is in it selfe because no man hath seene it and we beyng grosse and carnall must haue it by carnall and visible thinges set foorth vnto vs. Thirdly the excellencie of this life is seene in the continuance of it in that that it neuer decayeth or waxeth olde If here belowe we had all pleasures delites both for the soule and body yea although the place we were in were most excellent glorious and the company in al respects according to our desire good pleasant and honest yet if these thinges were but for a dayes or an houres continuance what great contentation of minde or recreation for the body might be here seeing wee must depart very shortly from these pleasures and then it had him as good if they had not bene at al. For all these thinges are like vnto pleasant musike in a sette of viols which when they cease once and cease needes must euery thing in this life be it neuer so pleasant then it is al one as if wee had neuer heard this musike so sweete and delectable to our eares there is no print or token of it left behinde but al vanisheth away with the very staying of it Euē as after the flying of a birde in the ayre or the passing of a ship in the sea there is no trace found after them Wis 5. But dearely beloued beleue me this life shal haue yeres without ende in vnspeakeable ioy in this so excellent a place we shal heare musike continually and yet it shal neuer cease
to haue no ende To this saying of Christ agreeth that in Esay the 30. Chapter verse 33. Tophet is prepared of olde it is euen prepared for the King hee hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lorde like a riuer of brimstone doeth kindle it Here is a full description of hell For by Tophet he meaneth hell He declareth moreouer when it was made euen of olde for whom also for the King he meaneth the King of Babylon enemie to the Church signifying that God respecteth no mans person but that hell is as well prepared for Kings and Queenes for Lords and Ladies and for great men as well as the poore that doe not beleeue Yea the greatest part of men goeth this way in euery estate and degree so that we had neede to looke about vs to enter in at the straight gate for fewe there be that finde it but many that passe by the broade way Matt. 7. For this Tophet is deepe large to conteyne and to receyue many yea moe noble men shall go thither then to heauen The Prophete describeth the payne of it by fire burning with much wood the continuance is for euer because the breath of the Lorde which endureth for euer doeth kindle the fire as a riuer of brimstone The ioyes then of heauen are not so inspeakable but that the torments and pangs of hell are as intolerable Wherefore the wicked although they be not moued with the pleasures at the right hand of God to come vnto him by repentance yet in my iudgement the exceeding great tormentes of endlesse hell fire shoulde moue them to amende For surely dearely beloued if all the paynes that may be deuised in this life all the sicknesses that euer haue bene all the torments of tyrants all the griefes of minde that may be were all of them layde together and compared to this hell fire these paynes howe great soeuer they seeme to be here are but fleabytings yea rather pleasures in respect of this hellish fire it is so great And this fire although it be so great yet shall it burne for euer and euer not onely the body but also the soule the minde the conscience and all the inner parts of the damned sort And when they haue beene there as many hundred thousande yeeres as there are peeble stones in the sea shore yet shal they not then come out but continue still as if they were to beginne anewe For Christs wordes are true this fire is euerlasting and can neuer be quenched Matthewe 3. 25. It were well with Iudas if he myght come out of this wofull hell and paynes when he hath suffered them so many hundred thousande millions of yeeres as there are starres in the firmament but this can not be granted vnto him If men therefore woulde consider of these two extremities wherein is no meane of the ioyes of paradise which are endlesse and of the torments of hell and the wrath of God which also hath no ende then surely woulde they liue in feare and godlinesse in this present worlde For as heauen is full of ioy and mirth so hell is full of dolor and sorowe and as in heauen is continuall reioycing and peace of minde so is there in hell a perpetuall weeping with gnashing of teeth for woe and payne As the glorie of the Lorde shall inlyghten the elect with his gratious countenance so shall the great maiestie wrath of the Lorde presse downe the vngodly for euer Finally as in heauen the saintes shall haue all things to do them good that they can desire so in hell the damned spirits shal haue nothing to refresh them not so much as a droppe of colde water which is but a small thing to coole their tongue withall And as I sayde before of heauen and heauenly ioyes so may I speake of this seconde death that if all the men in the whole worlde woulde go about to expresse these tormentes with all their eloquence and learning yet shall they bee neuer able to doe it they are so vnspeakeable and not to be vttered of any man And these are the righteous iudgementes of the Lord that he to the wicked might be knowen to be a iust and a terrible God to rewarde impenitent sinners after their woorkes as they haue deserued For this ende sayeth the Lorde to Pharao I haue stirred thee vp that I myght shewe my great power and myght vpon thee in punishing thee accordingly Let the wicked therefore take heede for there will come a day that will pay for all and then what aduantage will it be to haue gotten an houres pleasure with the purchase of euerlasting woes But these things and these euils by the benefite of Iesus Christ are farre from vs and shall not come neere the dwelling of the righteous Wherefore wee ought with Paul to giue thankes alway to God because that from the beginning he hath chosen vs to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and beleefe of the trueth neyther hath he appoynted vs to wrath as he hath the wicked but to obtaine this euerlasting life whereof we speake by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ which died for vs that whether we sleepe or wake we shoulde liue together with him In the meane season it is our part to stande fast and not to bee remoued from this faith but to laye hande of this eternall life whereunto wee through the benefit of the Gospel preached are called freely of GOD with an holy calling not according to our workes but of his goodnesse Wee must also fight this good fight of faith and striue lawfully if we hope to bee crowned and to continue to the ende wee must endeuour that wee may bee saued for they that shrinke backe leese this excellent reward for the which we are commaunded to sell all that we haue and to bye it Matth. 13. We haue nowe heard the meaning of all the twelue articles of our Christian fayth which are necessarie to saluation First wee haue seene the article that concerneth our trust in God the Father what things we learne by it Secondly we haue declared the articles which conteine the mysteries of Christ Iesus with our redemption glorification and other benefits apperteining thereunto Thirdly the beleefe in the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie hath bene opened vnto vs and what comfort may thereof arise to the faithfull Fourthly and lastly the articles concerning the Church and the benefites thereto belonging haue beene expounded as God hath giuen vs grace These things are written that we might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world and that in beleeuing we myght haue life through this name Seeing then wee haue hearde these thinges let vs as the holy and blessed Apostle of Christ Saint Peter willeth vs be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the fayth and hope that is in vs
with meekenesse and reuerence And nowe let vs giue thankes as wee are continually bounde to our heauenly Father in that it hath pleased him to make vs Christians to beleeue these articles of our fayth to our great and endlesse comfort And let vs pray vnto him withall in the name of his welbeloued Sonne that he would giue vs grace to growe more and more euery day in this fayth that wee may not onely liue in it but also in the ende of our dayes die in it most constantly that so wee may bee blessed And that it woulde please him to giue this grace not only to vs but to all people nations of the earth especially to his vniuersall Church wheresoeuer it be dispersed abroade in all quarters of the earth And in this Church let vs pray for the state of all Kinges and Princes that wee may liue a godly and quiet life with all peace and honestie especially let vs commende to his fauour the Church of Englande desiring him to blesse it as hee hath done these many yeeres and to continue his holy Gospel amongst vs although wee for our vnthankfulnesse haue deserued to haue it taken away from vs long agoe Desyre wee of him in mercy still to beholde his seruant and handmaide our Queene and soueraigne that shee may bee still zealous to set forwarde the Gospell of Christ and to roote vp all superstition and idolatrie within her realme that shee may bee wise to foresee and preuent all mischiefes and dangers that are likely to hang ouer our heades that so shee may haue a long a blessed reigne ouer vs to his glory the profite and commoditie of all her louing subiectes Let vs likewise desire of God to blesse all her most honourable Counsell with true godlinesse and wisedome from aboue that they may boldly and stoutly minister to her maiestie the best aduice for the better ouerseeing and gouernment of this Christian common wealth wherein they liue that all their counselles and policies may especially bee directed to the honour of God Pray we him to blesse the state of the ministerie of this lande the Byshops and Pastours of his worde that not onely in worde but also in good and godly conuersation of life they may beautifie the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ beseech we him to roote out from his ministerie al rauening wolues papistes Atheistes blinde and vnlearned ministers and dumme dogges which seeke onely to fill their bellies and not to edifie the congregation that if it be his will he would giue to euery Church her faithfull and wise dispenser of the mysteries of Christ And because the schooles of good learning are as Nurses and well springes thereunto let vs desire Christ to giue his spirite amongst them also in the vniuersities that good learning and godlines may growe and increase dayly more and more Lastly for the whole body of this common weale let vs pray that God would keepe them al in his feare from the hiest to the lowest and giue them duetiful and obedient heartes towarde their prince and magistrates which are by his authoritie set ouer them for their welfare and happinesse These thinges and all other graces he onely graunt vnto vs which onely is able and wise and hath immortalitie which dwelleth in the light that no man can see to whom with his sonne Christ Iesus and the holy Ghost his infinite power bee rendred all prayse honour and glory for euer and euer Amen The Lorde be praysed ⧠A declaration of the holy Communion THe holy Communion called also the Lordes Supper was ordeined not of any mortall man but of the Lorde Iesus himselfe that as often as wee come vnto it for often it is to be receiued we shoulde remēber the great loue of our master Christ who loued vs so well that he gaue his body and blood for to redeeme vs from all our sinnes That this great benefite should neuer be forgotten of Christians he instituted that we shoulde receiue bread and wine in the remembrance of his death therfore this sacrament hath two partes the one is the outward signes bread and wine to put vs in mind that as bread doth nourish the body so doth Christs body nourish our soules receiued spiritually by faith into our heartes Ephe 3. 17. as wine doth refresh vs quēch our thirst so doeth his blood refresh our minds and wash them from sinne quench the spiritual thirst of our soules and this sacrament of Christes death is not giuen vs in bread onely but in wine also to teach vs that Iesus Christ is all in all vnto vs not only meate to feede vs Iohn 6. 35. but also drinke to quench our thirst as he saith Iohn 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke And so hee is also our apparell Put you on the Lorde Iesus Rom. 13. 14. The other part of this Supper is spirituall the remission of sinnes and heauenly graces receiued of vs as truely as wee receiue the signes of them if wee beleeue for this is to confirme our faith in this matter that we shoulde doubt no more of Gods fauour then we doubt whether we haue receiued the visible signes Nowe for the comming to this Supper that wee deceiue not our selues we must haue these two things first repentance of our former sinfull life to bee sorie for it which is done by trying and examining our selues whether wee bee heartily sorowfull or no for our offences secondly we must haue faith in Iesus Christ that yet we despaire not for our great sinnes but trust to haue mercy at his handes when we cal vpon him so that before we come vnto this banket wee must prepare our selues to come worthily reuerently in faith hope and loue this is the examination In receiuing of it our mindes must not bee on the bread and wine or vpon any other earthly thinges but vpon the body and blood of Iesus Christ in heauen signified vnto vs by these things belowe After wee haue receiued wee must giue vnto Christe most humble and heartie thankes for feeding vs with his body and blood and meditate and thinke vpon this continually not returne to our olde life againe Thus doing you shal be sure to come as the Lorde requireth and as a good Christian ought to do Which the Lorde graunt vnto you for his mercies sake Amen A briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith conteining an hūdreth articles according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles written by that learned and godly Martyr I. Hooper sometime Byshop of Glocester in his life time Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie THis Creede following being made by the reuerend Father Iohn Hooper is deuided into fiue principall partes The first whereof intreateth of God the father the second of God the Sonne the third of God the holy Ghost the fourth of the catholique Church the fift and last part
entreateth of the benefites or fruites which we receiue by the same fayth which he maketh in number three the first is the forgiuenesse of sinnes the second is the resurrection of the fleshe the third last fruit is life euerlasting Of these fiue parts he hath made an hundreth seuerall articles the first parte conteyneth 14. The second 27. The third 5. The fourth 41. The fifth and last part conteyneth thirteene articles the contents of which articles are handeled as followeth A briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith containing an hundred articles according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth The first Article I Beleeue in one God onely one in essence and substance three in person the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost I beleeue in the Father as the originall and beginning of all things as well visible as inuisible Of whome also they depende as well in their being as also in their conseruation and he dependeth vpon none but on him selfe being eternall and euerlasting without end or beginning I beleeue in the Sonne as the diuine worde and wisdome of the father which is eternally and before al worlde 's engendred of the father of his proper substance and nature because in him shineth his shape and proper Image which otherwise is inuisible vnto mortal man I beleeue in the holy Ghost as a vertue eternall power which neither is made nor created neither engendred but proceeding of the father and of the sonne eternally euen as a loue proceeding from both persons The second Article I beleeue that these three persons are of one and the selfe same essence and substāce nature authoritie power will goodnes wisdome and eternitie and that these three are but one spirituall substance eternall without ende or beginning true good iust mercifull of a souerayne power and wisdome hauing and containing in it selfe all goodnes not needing any thing The third Article I beleeue that this God which is one in essence and three in person ought onely to be serued honored feared loued worshipped and to be called vpon in all our necessities as he that onely can and will prouide therefore and none other And therefore I say and confesse that I beleeue in one God onely that is to say that I knowledge and receiue him for one onely Lord master and sauiour of whome proceedeth all that is good in me by whom I can do al things without whom I can do nothing In him onely doe I set mine affiance and set mine heart hoping that he assisting me with his holy spirit shall be with me against all mē and that he will deliuer me from al perils and daungers through his grace and mercie without any merites of mine owne and that he shall minister to me all things necessarie as well for my soule as body euen like a good father as hee hath promised by his holy word The fourth Article I beleeue that the same God almightie hath of nothing created from the beginning both heauen and earth and all things in them conteined that is to say all things as well heauenly as earthly visible as inuisible reasonable as vnreasonable sensible as insensible the which hee doth entertaine leade guide gouerne by his diuine wisdom without whose prouidēce nothing commeth to passe either in this world or in the other The fift Article I beleeue that the same God the father the sonne and holy Ghost after that hee had created all things did create and shape man to his own image likenes that is to say immortal good iust true wise mercifull and perfit in all things making him partaker of the goodnes iustice and other perfections of God hauing a will that could agree in all things vnto the will of his Lorde but all that thorowe grace without any kinde of merit The vi article I beleeue also that as the Lord hath created al things heauenly and earthly for the seruice of man and to the ende that by his creatures he might come to the knowledge of the creator euen so also hath he formed made man for thim selfe that of him and by him he might be knowen loued feared serued honored which is the greatest good thing that is or can be in man and that in him might shine the image of diuine vertues and perfections through good works the which God hath ordeined because wee should walke in them vnto his honour and praise to the confusion of the aduersary and that by this meane the fal of the Angels might be repaired and that mā might possesse the euerlasting kingdome made and prepared for him before the foundations of the worlde were laide The vii article I beleeue that the same man was ordeined of the Lord God a master ruler ouer all his creatures the which thing he hath lost through his sinne aswell for his owne part as also for al his posteritie The which rule Lordship I beleeue doth chiefly appertaine vnto Iesus Christ verely God man to those vnto whom he wil communicate the same as vnto his owne faithfull and not vnto the infidels and damned The viii article I beleeue that the first man through the craft and subtiltie of Satan did slide and fall from the excellencie wherein the Lord had created him consenting thorowe his owne free will which at that time he had vnto the subtil suggestion of the Serpent whereby he lost the graces that the Lorde had giuen him in such sort that of wise hee became foolish of iust vniust of true a liar of perfit altogether vnperfect hauing frō thenceforth a will wholly corrupted which neither could nor would agree with the will of God but altogether with the wil of the deuil the worlde the flesh sinne which could do nothing of him selfe but euill seeing that he is altogether carnal bond captiue and sold vnder sinne This is the free yea to say more truely the bond will that man hath in this present life The ix Article I beleeue that this disorder and corruption of nature was not only in Adam because of his sinne but is also in all men generally which come of him Iesus Christ only excepted and that in such sort that all men after their own nature are corrupt vniust lyers ignorant vnkind and imperfect in al things haue no power of their owne nature to do thinke speake or will any thing that may please God vntil that they be regenerate renewed by the spirit of the Lord. The x. Article I beleeue that this corruption of nature otherwise called original sinne is the fountayne roote of all other sinnes for the which all the miseries aduersities that wee endure in this present life aswell in bodye as soule do come vnto vs yea in the end double death that is to say both of bodie soule These be the fruites rewards of sinne But although the same
heires of eternal life By whose comming the nature of man is repaired and made noble and man that was lost and destroyed was thereby releeued sette in his perfection and hath recouered all that he hath lost through sinne yea and more By the same meane also all the treasures graces and blessings of the Lorde are giuen communicated vnto man but all this through grace without any merites The nineteenth Article I beleeue also and confesse by the holy scriptures an other conception and birth of Iesus Christ which is spirituall the which I say is of no lesse dignitye then the first The which is that euery one that is faithfull ought to conceaue into his heart and spirite Iesus Christ through a trewe and liuely faith and to bring him foorth by open confessing of him with his mouth as often and when soeuer it shal be needefull I doe esteeme this conception and natiuitie to be so necessary to saluation that if the virgin Mary had not more blessedly borne Iesus Christ in her heart and spirit then in her belly her carnall motherhoode would haue profited her little By and for this cause are we called mothers brethren and sisters of Iesus Christ The twentieth Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is verely Christ that is to say the Messias annoynted by the holy Ghost because he was y◠very king the Prophet and great sacrificer that should sacrifice for all that beleeue the which also is promised in the Law and is y◠same of whom al the Prophets haue spokē This annoynting of Christ is not corporall of a material and visible oyle as was that of the kynges Priestes and Prophetes in tymes past but it is spirituall of an inuisible oyle which is the grace giftes of the holy Ghost wherewith he is replenished aboue all others So that this anoynting is descended euen vnto vs which haue felt and proued the sweetnesse thereof and by it also we beare the name of Christiās that is to say anoynted The xxi Article I beleeue that this sacrificing of Iesus Christ was not Leuiticall or carnal to immolate offer vp and to sacrifice beastes kyne and other sensible thinges as did Aaron his successours but spiritual to offer and sacrifice himselfe that is to say his body bloud for the remission of the sinnes of the whole worlde Euen as likewise his kingdome is not of this world carnall but spiritual which consisteth in the guyding gouerning of his owne by his holy spirit ouer whome he raigneth by his worde and that to the destruction of al his aduersaries which are sinne death hell Satan and all infideles wicked and reprobate The xxii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ hath verely exercised these three offices that is to saye of a Prophete of a King and a sacrificer not onely in this worlde being a mortall man as we are but also that he exerciseth yet daily the same in heauen before the face of the father where he sitteth and appeareth continually for vs and from thence by his holy Spirit doeth teach helpe maynteine and defende his owne and therefore is hee called a Prophete a King and a great Sacrificator after the order of Melchisedek that is to say eternall and not after the order of Aaron which had his ende with the Lawe The xxiii Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ after that hee had preached the Gospel in the countrey of Iudea and Galilee by the space of three yeres or there about declared him self to be the naturall Sonne of God aswel by his marueilous workes as by his words and the writings of the Prophets was vniustly and falsely accused by the Priestes whom when they had taken and in their counsell vniustly had condemned him to death they brought him bound to Pilate the Prouost then at Hierusalem who at the instance of the sayde Priestes dyd vniustly wrongfully and without cause condemne him to death and that the most horrible and slaunderous death that coulde be imagined or deuised that is to saye to be put on the crosse crucified betweene two theeues as if hee had bene their Prince and Captaine The which thing hee suffered and endured willingly and innocently without deseruing the same For otherwise coulde he not haue satisfied for vs neither could his crosse haue profited vs. The xxiiii Article I beleeue also that while hee was vpon the sayd crosse dying and giuing vp his spirite vnto God his Father he descended into hell that is to say He did verily taste and feele the great distresse and heauinesse of death and likewise the paynes and tormentes of hell That is to say the great wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon him euen as if God had vtterly forsaken him yea as though God had beene his extreeme enemie so that hee was constrayned with loude voyce to crye My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This is simply my vnderstanding of Christ his descending into hell And besides I knowe well that this article hath not from the beginning bene in the Creede and that many others haue otherwise both vnderstanded and interpreted it which esteeme that Christ verely and in deede descended into hell to the place of the damned alledging the text of Saint Peter the which I confesse is yet couered and hid from me The Lorde vouchsafe to open the gate vnto vs and to giue vs an entrance into such mysteries The xxv Article I beleeue that all this was done not for him selfe which neuer committed sinne in whose mouth was neuer founde deceite nor lie but for the loue of vs poore and miserable sinners whose place he occupied vpon the crosse as a pledge or one that represented the person of all the sinners that euer were be nowe or shall be vnto the worldes ende And because they through their sinnes haue deserued to feele tast of the extreme paynes of death to be forsaken of God and of all creatures to feele the wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon them Christ which was their pledge satisfying for them vpon the crosse hath fealt and endured all the same and that altogether to make vs free to deliuer vs from all these paynes from the wrath and iudgement of GOD from condemnation and eternall death And I doe clearely reiect and esteeme as fables all the Limbos of the fathers and of yong children Purgatorie and such other like to bee follyes mockeries and abuses which are inuented and founde out by man without the worde of the Lord. For I neyther beleeue nor receyue more then two places in the worlde to come that is to say heauen for the faythfull and elect with the angels and hell for the infidels reprobate with the deuils The xxvi Article I beleeue and consider this death and passion euen as I doe all other mysteries of Iesus Christ not onely as touching the historie as a paterne and example to followe as was that of the holy men and women which
also that hee is ascended into heauen to bee our Patrone intercessour mediatour and aduocate and that hee nowe appeareth for vs before the face of the father obtayning for vs grace and abundance of all good thinges in such sorte that I neither knowledge nor receiue anye other mediatour betwixt GOD and man neyther any other aduocate or intercessour before GOD the father then his onely sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde To him doe I resorte with him doe I holde my selfe contented and none other doe I search for neyther will I fearyng to blaspheme the name of GOD by giuyng that vnto the creature that appertayneth onely to the Creator and to the seruant that which onely apperteyneth vnto the master The xxxv Article I beleeue that all they which demaunde seeke for or receyue any other mediator intercessour or aduocate towardes GOD the father then Iesus Christ his Sonne the same blasphemeth agaynst God and doeth dishonour vnto Iesus Christ and vnto the saintes by whom he prayeth For as God the father wil bee knowen serued loued feared and honoured in his Sonne and by his onely sonne Iesus Christ and not by any other meanes euen so will hee be prayed vnto and called vpon in his and by his onely Sonne Iesus Christ and none other wise In this I will neither dispraise nor thinke or speake euil of the blessed Saintes which are in heauen with the Lord but I wil haue them in honour and reuerence them as the faythfull saints of the Lord as the Temple of the holy Ghost as the true members of Christ and haue them as glasses paterns before myne eyes to followe them aswel in their honest life good conuersation as also in their faythfull and holy doctrine And as concerning them or by thē I do vnderstand none other thing knowing that al my good my helpe and succour proceedeth of God onely by the meane of Iesus Christ alone which hath made the Saintes worthie of his glorie by his onely grace by the which also I beleeue hee will make mee worthie with them to bee their companion in glory that wee all together shoulde giue vnto him onelyall honour prayse and glorie for euermore The xxxvi Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is set on the right hande of God the father almightie that is to say that he reigneth in one and the same maiestie and equall power with God his father by the which hee so gouerneth his owne vnto the worldes ende that the power of none aduersarie can annoye them without his permission and will I beleeue also that the Father hath made him Lorde and ruler ouer all creatures as well heauenly as earthly giuing vnto him all power ouer heauen and earth and that he hath lift him vp aboue all rule power and Lordship and aboue euery name that is named not onlie in this worlde but also in the worlde to come and hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all thinges to bee the head of his Church which is his body Ephe. 1. 21. And therfore I neither receiue neither acknowledge any other Head of the Church but onely Iesus Christ which hath giuen his blood to wash away the filthines and to heale the woundes thereof and the same to preserue nourish defende and gouerne by his holy spirite The same is the onely Head and foundation of the Church whereon euery one ought to builde according to his vocacion The xxxvii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen and that hee is there corporally that is to say in fleshe in body and in soule after such sorte that hee neither is nor can after the same meane and fashion be here beneath on earth with vs for as much as his body although it bee glorious can not bee in diuers and many places at one time but be so in one place after the nature of a glorified bodie that it can not bee in an other otherwise it shoulde not bee a true and naturall bodie but phantasticall that is to say a thing apparant and not in deede which is false and wholye agaynst our faith And therefore doe I saye and confesse that the true and naturall bodye of Christe is in heauen and that from thence hee shall not come vntyll hee hath made all his enemies his footestoole and then shall hee come to iudge the quicke and dead The xxxviii Article I beleeue that when the number of the electe children of GOD shall bee accomplished the Lorde Iesus in the selfe same bodie in the which hee suffered and was crucified with the which hee rose and ascended into heauen in the selfe same shall hee come with great power and Maiestie visiblye in a cloude euen as hee ascended and that to iudge both the quicke and the dead and shall render vnto euery one according to iustice vnto the good that hee shall finde amongst them according to their goodnesse and vnto the euill according to their wickednesse This iudgement shall bee general that is to saye all shall bee called and personally summoned therevnto by the voyce of an Angell at the which all shall appeare as well the good as the euyll the electe as the reprooued to the ende that euery one maye render an accompt and reckonyng before the iudgement seate of Christe of all that hath beene done by them in this worlde whether it be good or euill yea euen of their idle woordes the which they esteeme no sinne Then shal be saued all those that are founde written in the booke of life The xxxix Article A beleeue that then shal be made the total and last separation of the good from the euill of the elect from the reprobate the which now are all mingled together as the good and the euil fish in one nette the chaffe and the corne the cockle with the wheate but when the haruest commeth hee which hath the fanne in his hand shal make a separation and shall gather the corne into his garner but the chaffe and cockle he shal cast into the fire to burne eternally Then shall perfitly be declared and knowen the iustice and mercy of the Lorde and likewise the fruite of the crosse blood of Iesus Christ the which thing nowe we knowe onely but in parte but then the good and elect shall knowe the Father vpon whome they haue buylded their hope and shal not be confounded in like maner the wicked shal knowe the Father against whome they haue stumbled whom they haue refused contemned and despised and shal be confounded Then shall the Lorde make an ende of his office and ministerie for his mysticall body shall then be wholly finished and accomplished with all his members and he shal render vp his kingdome and his espouse which is the Church vnto God his Father altogether glorious irreprehensible and acceptable without spotte or wrinkle Then shall perfectly be ouercome destroyed and confounded Satan and hell sinne and death and all
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
blasphemers despisers of God heretikes all other that make sects to deuide themselues from the people thereby to breake the vnitie of the Church all that are periured all that resist and are disobedient to father mother and their superiours all sedicious persons murtherers quarrellers sowers of discord whoremongers theeues couetous persons drunkardes gluttons generally all those that leade a wicked and a slaunderous life For such maner of people haue no parte nor portion of the kingdome of God and for that cause such ought to be cast thrust out of the Church For with such it is not lawfull to keepe any company to eate drinke or to haue any frendship except it be for the wynning of them and bringing of them to repentance The lxxi Article I beleeue that the Popish masse is not neither can be the holy supper of the Lord but the meere inuencion of men which were both lyers and wicked yea it is as contrary to the holy supper as the nyght is vnto the day and Belial to Christ as it may appeare to al people more cleare thē the noone day by conferring comparyng the institution of the holy supper as the same is recyted written by the Euangelist and especially by the Apostle Saint Paul vnto the celebration of the masse And therefore the Masse can be no remembrāce of true sacrifice that is to say of the death passion of Christ as the holy supper is But the Masse is an vtter forsaking of the same because it doeth attribute and ascribe to it selfe that which doeth appertayne only to the bloud of Christ shedde vpon the Crosse that is to say satisfaction purgation and remission of sinnes with the increase of grace and because men are compelled to do godly honour vnto the creature in stead of the Creator to a morsell of bread in the steade of Iesus Christ our only Lord Sauiour and redeemer The lxxii Article I beleeue that the third marke or cognisaunce of the Church which is ecclesiastical discipline is very cōmodious profitable yea very necessary to the catholike church for the comfort of the good for the punishmēt of the euil the which also I do receiue and to the same doe submit my selfe because I knowe that it is the ordinance of Christ in his Church in like maner the same was practised by the Apostles in the primitiue Church that because all should be done honestly in good order which is a thing honest necessary for euery congregation The lxxiii Article I beleeue that the power to binde and loose to excommunicate and to absolue that is commonly called the keyes of the Church is giuen of God not to one or two or to some particular person but to the whole Church that is to say to all the faythfull and beleeuers in Christ not for to destroy vndoe or cast away but to edifie to aduance al And therefore I say confesse that excommunication absolution ought not neither can it be giuen at the lust and pleasure of some particularly but by the consent of all the Church or at the least by the greater or most sound part of the same when they be congregated assembled together in the name of Christ and the same to be done with prayer The lxxiiii Article I beleeue that this excommunication exercised and executed rightly according as Iesus Christ hath declared and commāded the same in the Gospel is of so great authoritie strength power that it may shut vp heauen from men in such wise that all those that are worthyly excommunicated are cast out of the Church militant and also shal be cast out of the Church triumphāt which is heauē except they repent It is the sword that is so sharpe to cut off the rotten members of Christes mystical body which is his Church It is the key to shut vp the Heauens from the wicked It is a rodde to chasten them which neuerthelesse is not vsed to confound them but as a spirituall medicine to amend them to receyue them to make thē whole bring them againe to the same estate frō the which they are fallen The .lxxv. Article I beleeue that this excommunication which is the last rodde of the Church ought not neither can it be exercised towarde any maner of person which first hath not receyued professed the faith and religion of Christ And euen likewise the same can not be pronounced for smal matters as for money debts such like neither ought it to be executed towarde all sinners but only against open rebellious and obstinate sinners when brotherly correction commanded by Christ in the gospel doeth take no place And therefore al they do generally abuse this rodde which doe excommunicate the Christians for small trifles without vsing first brotherly correction And likewise do they also that excommunicate the Iewes Turkes the Heathen and other infidels yea and bruite beastes meaning thereby to thrust cast out of the christian church those that neuer were in it The lxxvi Article I beleeue herewith that the vnity of the spirit peace concord and charytie that is to say true amytie and brotherly loue the sweet friendly helping supporting one of an other is also one of the works signes of the true catholique Church of the faithful children of God by the which they are knowen to be of the schoole and of the number of Iesus Christ his disciples And wee must not glory in our selues in the title of christianitie or of the faith saying I beleeue I beleeue if wee haue not this charitie peace loue and true vnity of heart together agreeing one with another in all good workes For the true faith neuer goeth without these things by the which also it declareth and many festeth it self to all These are the signes and markes of the true christian Church vnto the which it is linked and bound and not vnto any certayne place time or personages And there is the Church perfect where these markes are found and vsed and on the other part if any one of the same be lacking then is not the same perfect And albeit that this whole perfection for the estate of this present world cannot be founde in the Church militant neuerthelesse the fault thereof must be acknowledged before the Lord and the remedy and ordering thereof be committed to him The lxxvii Article I beleeue and receyue in this Church two swords that is to say two powers the one is ecclesiasticall and spirituall the which lyeth and consisteth in the only administration of the woorde and of the Sacraments the which beareth neither rodde nor staffe other then the tongue neither doeth vse any other knyfe then the sworde of the spirite which is the word of God Likewise I confesse that all those that haue this sword in their handes ought to be without blame aswell in their lyuing as in their doctrine otherwise they ought to be deposed others to