one summâ— whych fayth Adam Noe AbrahaÌ„ Mosâ—s and Dauid had And thys dyd they the more euideÌ„tly because they applyâ—d theÌ„ selues to opeÌ„ the lawe and to dryue awaye the mysvnderstandynge whyche was rysen vp among and in the people therfore poynte they euery where froÌ„ the letter vnto the sprete froÌ„ y â— outward sacrifice vnto christ Jesus from all ydolaâ—rye vnto the onely God whyche saueth vs thorow hys mercy only in the blessed sede horowe none of oure deseruinges This dyd Paul se therfore sayde he Roma iii. Thorowe the workes of the law shall no man be iustified in the syght of god For thorow the law coÌ„meth the knowlege of synne But nowe is the ryghteousâ—es of God declared wythoute the lawe for as muche as it is alowed by the â—estimoâ—y of the law the Prophetes The ryghteousnes of God coÌ„meth by the fayâ—h of Jesus Christ vnto al and vpoÌ„ al theÌ„ that beleue So sayeth Peter also in thâ— â–ª â—â— â–ª of the Actes All the prophetes from Samuell thence forth as many as haue spoken haue tolde of thâ—se dayes And in the. â— â–ª chapter â—â—oâ—hys Jesus Christ geue all the prophetes wiâ—nes that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall thorowe hys name recyeue forgâ—uenâ—sse of synnes Who so now is lerned in the wrytynges of the Prophetes knoweth well that there is nothyng red concernyng the Lord in the new Testament whych the prophetes haue not prophecyed of afore He that is then any thynge iustructe in the Prophetes hathe no doute consydred thys in the new testameÌ„t that the apostles proue all theyr doctrine of the Lorde Jesu out of the lawe and the Prophetes Yea that the Lord hym selfe confyrmeth hys owne doynges wyth the scriptures of the prophetes and that the EuaÌ„gelistes thorow out the holy gospell set vnto the doctrine and miracles of Christ these wordes And this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken dy the prophetes Neuertheles for theyr sakes that are not yet instructe I wyll nowe declare the principall articles of our Lord Jesu Christ out of the holy prophetes As touchyng the true godheade manhode of oure Lorde Jesu Christ and that he shulde be borne at BethleeÌ„ in the lande of Jewrye of a pure virgin and maide out of the kynred of Dauid the Prophetes testifie after thys maner Esaye in the. vâ—i Chapter â—ayeth Beholde a virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne and shall call hys name Emanuell that is to saye God wyth vs. Micheas saieth in the .v. chapter Though thou Bethleem Ephrata arte to small to be rekened amonge the pryncypall cyties of Juda yet oute of the shall there come one vnto me whych shalbe ruler in Israell whose forth goyng is from euerlastynge In the nynth Chapter of Esaye it is wrytten Unto vs is a chylde borne and to vs is geuen a sonne vppon whose shulders the kyngdome shall lye and he shalbe called after hys own name euen the wondefull counsaill geuer the myghty one of Israel the eternall father the Prince of peace hys kyngdome shall increace and of hys peace there shalbe no ende and he shall reigne vppon the seate of Dauid hys father In the. xxiii of Hieremy it is wrytten thus Beholde the tyme commeth sayth the Lorde that I wyl tayâ—e vp the ryghteous blossome of Dauid he shall be kyng and reygne and prospere iudgemente and ryghteousnesse shall he eâ—â—cute vpon earth In thys tyme shall Juda be saued and Israell shall dwell wythoute feare thys is the name wherwythe he shall be named euen God oure ryghteousnes Concernynge the commynge of John the baptist wâ—ych was the fore runner of oure Lorde Christ and prepared the people for hym Hath Malachy wrytteÌ„ in the thyrde chapter after thys maner Beholde I wyll sende my messaunger whych shall prepare the waye before me and the Lord whome ye longe for shall shortly come to hys temple and the messaunger of the couenaunt whome yâ— wolde haue Beholde he commeth sayeth the Lord zebaoth And after warde Beholde I wyll sende Helias the Prophete afore the commynge of the greate and fearefull Daye of the Lorde Of Christes preachynge of the grace of God of the forgeuing of synnes of the wonders also and tokens of the Lorde speaketh Esaye in the. lâ—i Chapter after thys maner The spirite of the Lorde god is vpon me and therfore hath the Lorde anoynted me to preache the Gospel to the meke harted hath he sente me to heale the broken harted to preache delyueraunce to the captyue to open the pryson to suche as are in bondes to proclame the yeare of Gods gracyous wyll and to brynge consolation to all them that are in heuynes In the .xxxiiii. chapter of Ezechiell it is wrytten thus Ouer my shepe wyll I rayse vp one onely shepherde whych shall fede theÌ„ eveÌ„ Dauid my seruaunt whych shall fede them and he shalbe theyr shepherde I the Lorde also wyll be theyr God and Dauid shalbe theyr prince euen I the Lorde haue spoken it In the .xxxv. Cha. of Esaye it is wrytten thus Saye vnto them that are of a feble hart Be stronge and feare not beholde oure god commeth to take vengeauÌ„ce reward God coÌ„meth hym selfe wyll delyuer you Then shall the eyes of the blynde be opened c. Then shall the lame man leape as an hert and the tonge of the Domne shall geue prayse Of the kyngdom of Christ in the which he hym selfe alone is kynge all the world beynge subiecte vnto hym declarynge hys dominion and royall maiestye wrytteth Esaye thus in the seconde Chapter And it shall come to passe in the last tyme that the hyll of the house of the Lorde shall be exalted vpon the hyght of mountaynes aboue all litsâ— hylles and all nacions shall come together vnto hym the people shall go to him and saye Come let vs go vp to the mount of the Lorde euen to the house of the God of Jacob that he maye shew vs hys waye and we wyll walke in hys pathes For the lawe shall come forth froÌ„ Sion and the worde of God from Hierusalem In the .vii. of Daniel it is writteÌ„ thus I sawe a vision in the nyght and beholde there came one in the cloudes of heauen like the sonne of man which came to the olde aged and they brought hym before hys presence And he gaue hym power glorie and the kyngdome and all people nacions and tonges must serue him his power is an euerlastyng power which shall not be taken from hys hys kyngdome shall not perishe Esaye sayeth in the ixii capter And the Heythen shall se thy righteousnesse all kynges thyne honoure and he shall call the by a newe name O Syon and the mouâ—h of God shall geue the name And thou shalt be a crowne of glorye in the hand of the Lorde and a royall crowne of the kyngdome in the hand of thy God And soone after it folowethe Make ready make ready the
righteousnesse house and lande or punyshe the shamefull blasphemers ydolaters and persecuters of the holy fayth and not suffre them to haue all their malycious wyll Neuertheles thys must be done by them to whome god hath committed the swerde For thus sayeth the Lorde Who so taketh the swerde shall perishe thorow the swerde Matthe .xxvi. But specially in the battayls of gods people and of the vnfaytfull it commeth to pas and is expresly set before our eyes that god sayde to the serpent at the begynnyng Genesi iii. I wyll put enemyte betwene thy sede and the womans sede For the righteous are the sede of Christe the vnrighteous and vnfaytfull are the sede of the deuell Betwene these now se we greate discorde but specially thys that the faythfull do alwaye treade the serpente on the headde though they them selues also be bytten in the hele For the right faythfull beleuers afore the birth of christe in the tyme of the promes had no lesse trouble and persecution not onely because of synne but also for righteousnes and faythes sake then the faythfull after Chrystes byrth in the tyme of grace and perfectnes Therfore haue they small knowlege of the doinges of the faythful which saye that the people of olde were a victoryous people and gouerued corporally but that the people after Christes comminge are borne to suffre and to no victory or gouernaunce Neuertheles in these wonderfull tymes in the whiche gods people hadde now victory and anone were subdued and oppressed the true fayth continued vpright and vnblemished from Josue forth thorowe out all the iudges vntyll the tyme and raigne of Dauid Dauid also was a man that suffred moch thorow dyuerse and long trouble thorow miserable distresse and vexacion and thorow sore persecution without ceâ—ssynge beynge proued tryed and prouoked afore he was kynge Wherof the bokes of Samuel and the more parte of the Psalmes beareth recorde But after that he was promoted vnto the kyngdome by God whiche sayde I haue founde a man after myne owne hert he auaunced set forth and magnified the true fayth righte delygently Here also to the honoure of oure Lorde Jesu Christe wyll I shortly and by the waye declare what knowlege and faith thys noble kynge and prophete had of our Lord Jesu Thys wyll I do with the declaracion of the .c. xi Psalme whose wordes are these The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde Syt thou at my ryght hande tyll I make thyn enemyes thy foote stole In the fyrste verse Dauid knowlegeth the personnes in the holy Trinite the godheade also and the eternall kyngdome of Christe Thus lykewyse dyd our Lorde Jesus Christ vnderstonde and alledge thys verse in the Gospell Mathe .xxii. knowledgynge two of the personnes in the one onely godhead For he sayeth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde Now is it certayne and vndenyable that he which speaketh he to whomought is spoken are not one but two personnes Yet is ther but one Lorde and god and they both the father that speaketh and the sonne to whome is spoken are the Lord therfore are they one of one substaunce and beynge they very true god Nether is the sonne lesse then the father There can also none be a father except he haue a sonne or a chylde Now is the euer lastyng father God therfore is the sonne also euerlastynge There is also but one onely euerlastinge without begynnynge Both the father and the sonne are eternal without begynnynge therfore are they one onely true God with the holy gooste Lyke as Johan also sayeth In the begynnynge that is to saye from euerlastinge was the worde and the worde was with God and the worde was god And immediatly therafter sayeth he that the worde is Jesus Christe our Lorde For it foloweth The worde became fleshe Therfore doth Dauid also call the sonne of god specially hys Lorde sayenge The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde And therfore calleth he Christe hys Lorde because he confesseth and beleueth that he is hys very naturall Lorde and god as Thomas also dyd knowlege My lord and my god Joh. xx Afterwarde calleth he hym hys Lorde because that after the nature of man he shulde be borne out of hys loynes For thorow out all the scripture is our Lorde Jesus called the soÌ„ne of Dauid And thus bothe Dauid knowlege two natures in Christ the nature of God and the nature of man That the kyngdome of Christ shall last for euer and that the kynde and nature of man shalbe exalted aboue all heauens aâ— Paul saieth hâ—b ii Dauid testifieth witâ— these wordes Syt thou at my ryghte haÌ„de tyl I make thyne enemies thy foâ—e stole For Marke sayeth in the .xvi. Chapter The Lorde was taken vp in to heaueÌ„ anâ— sytteth at the ryght hand of God â–ª Of thiâ— also fynde we i. Cor. xv Now he must â—â— des be very God in dede whyche reyâ—nethe for euer and to whome all enemâ—es muste be subdued yâ—a cast vtterly vnder hys fete Nowe foloweth the secondâ— verse The Lorde shall sende thy myghtye staf out of Syon thou shalâ— be Lord eueâ— in the myddes amonge thyne enemyes Here speketh he of the preaching of the holy Gospell and how the worlde shulde be conuerted vnto Christe and Chryste to reygne in the myddes of the worlde In the fyrste verse is spoken of the eternall kyngdome that he is very God lyuynge and reignynge for euer not onely in thys tyme but also after thys tyme eternally Bu here speaketh he specially of the kyngdome where as he reygneth here benethe thorow the Gospell For the staf the scepter the rodde of Chryste is the holy Gospell euen the power of god whych saueth all that beleue Roma i. Whyche maketh Christes enemies frendes and smyteth them downe that wyll not coÌ„uerte so that Chryste hath dominion and victory euen in the myddes amonge hys enemies It is he that wyth the spirite of hys mouthe slayeth the Antichristes Thys hys worde also and preachynges of the Gospell came forth fyrst from Syon or Hierusalem as Esaye Micheas Luke doth testifye Now foloweth the thyrd verse In the day of thy battayll or armye shall thy pâ—ople be well wyllynge the dew of thy byrth is vnto the in an holy maiestye oute of the wombe of the cleare mornynge Here with doth Dauid describe the glorious and victorious fayth of the christeÌ„ For whan the Gospell is preached there aryseth a conflicte betwene faith and infidelite betwene the sede of Christ and the serpent betwene ydolatrye and true godlynesse And the vnbeleuers persecute the Lorde Christe in hys membres that is to saye the faythfull but they are well conteÌ„t vtterly to geue ouer body honour and goodes theyr bloud and lyfe for gods truthes sake For the martyrs and they in the prymitiue Churche beynge gathered together of the Apostles and after the Apostles tyme haue thus kepte trueth fayth towarde the Lorde Christ and were wyllynge to dye â—or knowlegynge hym Afterward
beleue to folowe and to serue Contrarywyse he forsoke God and so came he vtterly in to the bondage of the Deuell and darknesse And thus haue we now the goodnesse and faythfulnesse of God Agayne the wyckednesse great vnfaythfulnesse of man ¶ The fyrste and ryght foundation of our holy Christen fayth HEre now had the iust god occasion and ryght to expell man to destroy hym to dampne hym and to leaue hym vtterly to the deuel And the same also dyd hys ryghteousnes true the requyre For he had sayde In what daye so euer thou eatest of the fruyte thou shalt dye the deeth Contrary wyse the goodnesse and mercye of God requyred not vtterly to suppresse man a poore and naked creature In the meane â—eason was there founde awaye wherby the ryghteousnesse and trueth of god shulde be satysfied and in the whyche the mercy of god shulde specyally be exercysed and declare it selfe that is to say Chryste Jesus whyche is geuen vs by the manyfeste grace of god was offered for our synnes satysfied and recompenced the ryghteousnesse of God and so delyuered vs out of the bondes of the Deuell For he dyed for vs all in asmuche as god sayd In what day so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalte dye the deathe Therfore dyed Christ for vs all that throw hys death we myght lyue and be taken out of the kyngdome of darknesse and be sette in the kyngdome of the deare beloued sonne of God Thys deuyse of gods wysdome whych no doubte was determynate from euerlastyng was also directly opened vnto AdaÌ„ after the fall in maner folowynge Whan man had eaten of the frute of the forbydden tree immedyatlye hys eyes were opened in so much that he was ashamed whaÌ„ he sawe that he was naked â–ª Hytherto had he lyued in innocencye therefore beganne he now to couer hym selfe but wyth symple clotynge whych they trusted not muche to lyke as it is a â— vnprofytable that man of hym selfe wyll couer hys synn wythal sauynge that they sled from the Lord and hyd them selues from hym But the Lord folowed vppon the fugytiue put hym in mynde of hys decaye mysery and the lyfe that he was fallen from and sayde Adam â—here art thou Or knowest thou what misery thou art fallen into from great felicite Nowe shuld man haue knowleged hys faute but he shewed hym selfe styfnecked â–ª And the Lorde moueth hym styll to se yâ— he wyll knowlege hys synne and sayd â—ho tolde the that thou art naked Yee to helpe hym in the matter and to make hym confesse hys synne he sayeth moreouer â–ª Hast thou not eaten of the tree of the which I â—orbade the â—â—â— thou shuldest not eate But man was lothe to knowleg his synne and layed it first â—â—on the woman hys companion â–ª and the same dyd he with so froward and vnaduised wordes that a man maye easely see that secretly in hys hart he wyckedly and vnreasonably layed the faulte vpon God For he sayd not onely The woman gaue me of the tre to eate but added proudly thereto The woman whyche thou gauest me c. As though he shuld say Thou thy selfe art in the fault If thou haddest not geuen me the woman I had not ben disceaued And yet the righteous God gaue not hym the woman to disceaâ—e hym but to be an helpe to hym Wherfore appeareth it here agayne that the synne of maÌ„ was the more wylfull and greuous Yet for al thys dyd the gracious God proceade further and woulde proue whether he myght fynde anye knowledge of the synne wyth the woman the begynnynge and occasyon of the synne But nothyng at all coulde he fynde The one persone was as the other and they hoth had no power Therfore lyke as Adam put all the fault to the woman euen so â—ayâ—â—â—he woman all the faulte vppon the serpente that is vppon the deuell Whyche nature doth yet to thys daye â—leue in man But what man whych hath well coÌ„sydrâ—d â—his forsayde matter by hymselfe woldâ— noâ— saye or durst thyâ—ke that any parte of the promes of ryghteousnes and saluation of man were to be ascribed to hys owne power and deseruyng For asmuche as it is so manyfest how vnable aâ—â—â—â—stâ— man is of hym selfe whych doth nothynge but he peth synne vpon synne and dysohâ—dâ—ence vpon disobedience Agayn who is so blinde but he seyeth that all saluacion is to be ascrâ—bed to the onely merâ— grace and mercy of god For now foloweth it fyrst how god handled in thys matter Now whan all the complynt was made vpon the serpent the Lorde asketh and examineth the Serpente nothynâ—e at all for the dede was opeÌ„ nether was the serpent created of God to speake and wyth the deuyll was there no trueth Therfore doth the Lorde ryghteously curse â—hâ— serpent the deuell Unto the bodeâ—y sâ—rpeÌ„t also whom the deuell vsed as an instrumeÌ„t he geueth a sore curse and sayeth â–ª Uppon thy bely shalt thou go and erth shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy lyfe When thys was done it was ordeyned now first for man that accordinge to the righteousnes and trueth of God he shulde be punished also with the curse and with eternall death but for the causes expressed in the begynnyng of this chapter the curse was directed vnto Christ who also with cleare wordes was promised and so was lyfe in hym promised lykewise Therfore sayeth not the Lord now and cursed be thou maÌ„ because thou hast done agaynst my commaundement but And I will put enemyte betwene the and the woman betwene thy sede and hir sede the sâ—me shall treade the on the heade thou shalt treade hym on the ele Which is thus moche to saye Thou hast vsed the woman to the distruction of meÌ„ so that from hens forth they bring deth â–ª and by kynde nature are damned whan they are borne Therfore will I also vse the woman but to saluatioÌ„ for of the woman shall a sede or chyld be borne which shall breake thy beade power and kyngdome synne damnation and death howeâ—eit in hys manhode he shalbe troden downe and bytten That is Whan with his transgression hath deserued eternall death to that after the rigoure of my iustice he shuld perishe and belonge to the â—euell for euer neuertheles I will haue mercy vpon hâ—m and receaue hym to grace agayne â–ª but to the intent that my trueth and righteousnesse maye be satisfyed â–ª I wyll cause my sonne to take the very nature of man vpon hym Then will I that he take vpon hym selfe the curse and damnacion and dye and with his innocent death to take awaye that noysome deathand curse and so to set the generation of man out of death â–ª in to lyfe out of the dominion of the deuell in to his owne kyngdome out of darckneesse into light Thus â—â—e right foundation or ground of our holy fayth continueth fast and vnmoued in somoche as all the generation of man
is whole and clensed from synne and delyuered from the curse from the deuell and euerlastinge damnation onely thorowe the mercy and mere grace of God by Jesus Christ As touching this Paul sayde whan he wrote to the Romaynes in the ighte chapter God â—eet hys sonne in the simylitude of synfull fleshe and thorowe synne that is to saye thorow the synne offring and willyng death of Christ he condemned synne in the fleshe * And in the fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter the same P. sayeth Christ Jesus is appoynted of god to be oure wisdome and righteousnesse and sayntifieng redempcion that as it written who so glorieth reioyseth let hym glory and reioyse in the Lorde But for asmoche as this is the ferst promes and the first sure Euangelion â–ª I wil now speake of euery worde in especiall First God calleth his sone our lord Je sus the sede of the womaÌ„ A sede because of the very nature of man and because that our Lorde shâ—lde not take vpon hym a phantasticall but a very true bodye But to these wordes ther is added Of the woman For our Lord was not conceaued and borne of maÌ„s sâ—de but of the holy goost out of the virgyn Mary Therfore can not this sentence be vnderstonde of Eue but of the virgyn Mary Nowe where as she is called a woman it is done because of the kynred For euen the daughters also and maydens are rekened in the womens kynred and yet contynue vndefyled virgins God also hath spoken here distinctly and sayde not I will put enemyte betwene the and this woman but betwene the and haischah the woman vnderstand some speciall woman no doubte euen suche one as he afterwarde set forth clearly by Esaye sayeng Beholde a virgyâ— shall conceaue and beare a sonne c And this worde â–ª sede was alwaye afterwarde in euery renewynge of this promes concernynge Christ Jesu amonge all the patriarkes and prophetes rehearsed vsed and expressed vntyll the tyme of Dauid Of whome the Lord afterwarde was called a floure the rote sprâ—wâ—ing or blossome of Dauid The holy apostle Paul expoundeth this worde sede clearly and planely and sayeth it is Christ Gal. iii. More ouâ—r it serueth to the prayse of the Lordes mother that â–ª God sayeth I wyll put enemytie betwene the woman and the. For he meaneth the difference of both their na â—urs The deuell is proude sotle wicked false and vntrue but the mother of Christ is lowlye symple vertuous faythfull and vpright â—haist and cleane And the same pure vyrgin and gratious mother hath borne vnto vs hym that trode downe the serpentes heade The heade of the serpent is the power and kyngdome of the deuell euensynne the curse and damnation All thys hath that blessed sede broken for hys faythfull All which thynges the holy apostle Paul also hath taught with these wordes The Lorde is become partaker of our flesh bloude that he thorow death mighte take awaye the power from hym which had the lordshippe ouer death that is to saye the deuell and to delyuer them whiche throwe fear e of death were all their lyfe tyme in bondage For he toke not vpon hym the aungels but the sede of Abraham toke he vpon hym c. * And to the same meanyng doth thys also serue that foloweth And thou shalt treade him on the hele The hele is the lowest parte in man and here it singnifieth the mooste inferiour thinge in Christ euen his fleshe Thys hath the olde serpent the deuell persecuted and troden downe by hys meÌ„bres Cayphas Annas Herode and Poâ—teâ—s Pâ—late For Peter sayeth Christe hath suffred for vs in the flesh The godhead is impussible and the soule immortall But by this treadynge downe of the lord hath God troden dowen the kyngdome of the deuell That is to saye by his death hath he destroyed death and brought lyfe agayne to al them that beleue Her of commeth it that Chryst sayeth hym selfe JohaÌ„ xii â–ª Nowe is the iudgement of the worlde nowe shall the prynce of thys worlde be thrust out And I whaÌ„ I am lyfte vp that is to saye cruâ—yfied from the earthe wyll drawe all thynges to me At the last sayth the Lorde that he wyl put enemytie betwene the serpente and the womans sede Thys maye we se in the deuell and hys membres and actes how they are contrary to Chryste and hys membres and dedes But how strong so euer the serpent is yet shall he be troden downe thorow Chryst and hys faythfull â–ª Herof commeth it that Paul spake so comfortable to the Romaynes Roma xvi The God of peace shall shortly treade downe the deuell vnder youre fete And here wythall is the dewty also of the faytfull in Chryst shortly comprehended For as touchynge them that saye It is ynoughe then and is all well whan I knowlege that I am a synner and saued thorow the blessed sede onely To them it is here answered and clearly geueÌ„ to vnderstande that all they whych put theyr trust in the blessed sâ—de take vpon them the kynde of the sede and hate the kynde of the serpent that is to saye synne and blasphemy and fight alway more and more agaynste the worlde and the Deuyll as longe as they lyue yee and occupie them selues moost faythfully about that whych is gods wyll And here to nowe serueth it that foloweth after For whan the Lorde had taken awaye the euerlastynge death he layed vppon man a tempoâ—all punyshement correction discipline in the whych he shulde be exercised as longe as he lyued vpon earth And vpon the womaÌ„ he layed combre sorow and payne whan she shulde beare and bringe forth chyldren Subiection also and seruyce wyth feare obedieÌ„te which she oweth to the maÌ„ To man he enioyneth laboure for the Lord cursed the erth and sayde Wyth sorowe shalt thou get thy lyuynge all the dayes of thy lyfe Yee in the sweate of thy face shalte thou eate thy breade Moreouer he layed temporall death vpon them bothe and sayeth Earth thou arte and to earth shalte thou returne Of the fyrste doth Paull speake also .i. Timo. ii The woman shalbe saued by bearynge of chyldren yf she contynue in fayth and loue and in holynesse or clennesse and nurtoure Of the seconde speaketh the same Paul lykewyse to the Ephesians and Tessalonians Let noman vndermyne or dysceaue hâ—s brother in occupâ—enge and who so hath vsed falshed and dysceate let hym do it nomore but let hym rather labour wyth hys handes some honest thyng that he maye haue to distribute vnto such as haue nede And as touchinge death â–ª Paull also sayeth to the Hebrues in the .ix. Chapter Howe that it is oppoynted vnto men ones to dye and that euen to Chryste Jesus was offred vp and dyed ones for all Of Adam ¶ Of the fyrst faith full Christen Adam and Eue. ANd hytherto I trust we haue
Jordan whaÌ„ Christ was baptysed Thys is my deare beloued sonne in whome I am pacified or reconcyled Besydes thys the Lord gaue vnto Noe certayne lawes but none other then euen soche as he had geuen to hys fore fathers and written in their hertes The first pertayneth to mariage and bringynge vp of chyldren in the whiche is comprehended all that is written concernyng nurtour clenlynesse and temperaunce of care and bryngynge vp of chyldren in the feare of God vertue obedience and lerninge The seconde forbybddeth violence and diseate namely that no man shall eate bloude For it is a figuratyue precepte commaundynge that no man get hys lyuynge by murthur by oppressyng the poore by vsury by extorcion by falshode and disceate Moreouer all thynges lyuynge were subdued vnto hym and all meates were permitted hym In conclusion what soeuer concerned to loue God and their neyghboure the same is here renewed vnto Noe and his chyldren and requyred of them Of Noe came afterwarde all people yea amonge hys thre sonnes Japhet Sem and Cham he had both the sede of God of the froward serpent that is soche as had respecte vnto God and them also that regarded the deuell Of Cham came the Egipcians Assyrians Babylonians by and frome whome sprange ydolatrye offryng to ymages and frome whome false religion came vp first and was brought in amonge other nacions by the helpe of the olde serpent as amonge the Grekes Romaynes and other people By this is it good to vnderstande that our holy Christen faith is elder then anye other For here maye we se clearly that after a thousand and certayne hundreth yeares almoost in the eight hundreth or nyne hundreth yeare came vp the first begynnynge of the Heithens beleue offrynge to ymages and yet came it of wicked cursed men For cursed Cham was the begynnynge of the EgipciaÌ„s and Nimroth the vngodly extorcioner and tyrauÌ„te was the first founder of the kingdome of Babilon which kyngdome with the buyldinge of a mightie tower set forth his pryde Neuerthelesse the hande of God declared it selfe immedyatly as it is red in the eleuenthe chapter of Genesis Summa in the generation of Cham had the serpent great power howebeit in the posterite of Japhet also of whome the Almaynes come and in the posterite of Sem he had hys ysâ—ue lykewyse Of the progenie of Sem were borne AbrahaÌ„ Isaat and Jacob. Gene. xi And as it is sayd afore the syncere fayth was somewhat darkyned in Caldea therfore dyd God call Abraham out from the ydolatrie and renewed wyth hym the old true Christen fayth begonne wyth Adam and sayde Genesis .xii. Get the out of thy couÌ„tre and from thy kynred in to a laÌ„de that I wyll shewe the and I wyll blesse the and make a greate nacyon of the. And in the shall all the nacion of the earth be blessed Item in the. xxii Chapter speakethe God yet more clearly and sayeth In thy sede shall all the nacyons of the earthe be blessed Thys dothe Paull declare in the iii. to the Galathiaus and sayeth In thy sede whyche is Christe Therfore was the same now an other renewyng of the promesse of Christe the blessed sede For fyrst whaÌ„ he promised vnto Adam afterwarde was the promes renewed wyth Noe and now wyth Abraham And al thys now is but one promes one sauioure and one fayth AbrahaÌ„ also beleued in Jesus christ and was saued by fayth For Jesus christ sayeth hym selfe in the eyghte Charter of Johan Abraham sawe my daye and reioysed What is now the daye of Chryste but the clearnesse of y e holy gospell This lyght had he not bodely but sawe it wyth the eyes of fayth and the same made hym ioyfull and saued hym For Chryste is the true ioye of troubled consciences Thus became Abraham the father of all faythfull beleuers Roma iiii And yf we beleue and do as AbrahaÌ„ dyd then are we Abrahams chyldren and shall rest wyth him in hys bosome eueÌ„ in the kyngdome of God Luke .xiii. xvi xix Mat. viii Paull also to the Galathians in the .iii. chapter sayeth Yf ye be Chrystes then are ye Abrahams sede and heyres accordynge to the promes Out of thys fayth in Christ dyd AbrahaÌ„ ChristeÌ„ workes For with a good wyl left he hys own natyue countre all ydols and all ymages all mysfortune honger miserye toke he paciently he was not harde agagynst Loth hys neuye but ioparde his body and lyfe for the oppressed he was liberall mercyfull harberous he prayed ferueÌ„ty vnto God for the poore synners he suffred oppresion violence wronge and for Gods sake also he thought to sacrifice and offre vp hys own moost dearly beloued sonne Isaac Summa there is no reasonable good Christen worke but thou seyst it in y e lyfe of AbrahaÌ„ Therfore to vs also for an ensample of oure fayth and conuerâ—acion he is set forthe of the Lorde hym selfe and hys apostles thorow out the new Testament Here also is it manifest that our holy faith is elder then the Jewish faith For the Jewes do boaste them selues of the Circumcision and because they are called Jewes and Israel and that the lawe the presthode and the gods seruyce was geuen vnto them And yet Gene xv and .xvii. and Roma iiii is it euydent that AbrahaÌ„ was gods frende and iustified or made righteous or euer he was circuÌ„cysed For whan he was circuncysed he was 99. yeare old Gene. xvii Nowe was the promes made vnto hym many yeares afore The scripture also sayeth planely Abraham beleued God the same was couÌ„ted vnto him for righteousnesse Genesi xv So was it many yeares after or euer Israel Juda was borne of whome they haue taken their name The lawe also was geuen 430 yeares after the promes as Paull made the rekenynge Gala. iii. It foloweth therfore that oure christen fayth is 2048. yeares elder then the CircuÌ„cision and. 2449. yeare elder then the lawe the presthode ceremonies of the Jewes For from Adam vnto the floud were 1656. yeares And froÌ„ the floude vntill the departynge of Abraham out of Caldea 363. yeares From that tyme are rekened 430. yeares vntyll the departynge of Israel out of Egipte And on the. 50. daye after the departinge was the lawe geuen vnto Israel vpon mounte Sina Exo. 19. 20. And after certayn dayes was the presthode ceremonies appoynted them Where as God then made a couenaunt with AbrahaÌ„ whan he ordeyned the circuncision It serueth more to the coÌ„firmacion of oure holy christen faith then to the mayntenaunce of the Jewish ceremonyes Isaac and Jacob were Abraham chyldren not onely after the flesh but also after the sprete For they had the fayth of their father and graundfather Abraham put their trust onely in god thorow Jesus Christ and lyued a sober vertuos lyfe Of thys doth the scripture beare them recorde thorow out Jea Jacob whome the Lorde also called otherwyse Israell of whome
that the scriptures of the new Testament hang all together and referre them selues to the scriptures of the olde Testament so that these can not be right vnderstoÌ„d without the other nomore theÌ„ the glose without the text The text is the lawe and the prophetes the expositioÌ„ are the Euangelistes Apostles Now wyll we se what the worke of grace of the new Testament is In the .xlii. yeare of the empyre of Augustus after the begynning of the world 3974. yeares was Jesus christ the blessed promised sede borne of the vndefyled virgin and mayde Mary at Bethleem in the lande of Jewrye And though he as a very man was wrapped to clothes and layed in the cryb yet apeareth the angell of the Lord in greate clearnesse vnto the shepherdes and sayeth Feare ye not beholde I bryng you tidinges of great ioy which shall happen vnto all people For this daye is borne vnto you the sauyoure euen Christ the lord in the citie of Dauid The first newes and tydinges of the commynge of our Lord Jesê° Christ must the angell brynge and geue to the intent that it mighte be the more accepte of all the worlde All the holy men from the begynnynge of the worlde dyd hytherto longe sore after the promysed sede Therfore saieth the aungell now that he bringeth them tydinges of great ioye no doubte to them that were gone deed past to them also that now lyued to them that were to come afterward The ioye is this that Jesus Christ the sauiour is borne eueÌ„ the promised sede whiche shulde saue all the world from the power of the deuell cleÌ„se them from synne and delyuer them from damnacion Therfore sayeth the aungell moreouer Which shal happen vnto all people For vnto Abraham it was sayd In thy sede shall all nactons of the erth be blessed The same sayeth the angell is borne in the citie of Dauid euen out of Dauids kynred out of the whiche the prophetes testified that he shulde be borne whiche prophetes also for the same cause called him Dauid and the blossome of Dauid And this is now the grace of God that where as we poore synners beloÌ„ged vnto death and were in the deuels boÌ„des he sente his sonne to lowse and delyuer vs out of captiue This is the new Testament For Hieremy also testifieth heâ—of and sayeth This is the Testament that I will make I wâ—ll be their God and they shall be my people I wyll be mercifull to their vnrighteousnes and synnes wyll thynke vpon them nomore Hiere xxxi This full and perfecte forgeuenesse is not therfore called the newe Testamente as though their had bene no remission of synnes promes made longe afore vnto the fathers is now confirmed and renewed and the old figures that represented the same are abrogate Thus the Lord Jesus alone is set for the for the onely saluacion of all the worlde so that not onely we but all they which afore or after hys appearauÌ„ce or incarnacioÌ„ beleued on him were saued And at the birth of Christ there coÌ„meth to the foresaide angell the whole heauenly hoost which praysed God sayde Glory and prayse be vnto God in the height and peace vpon erth to men a good wyll And by this they teach vs what the dewtye thankfulnesse and knowlege of men is or ought to be in this behalfe that god hath done so great good forman Namely howe that they oughte to prayse God to haue a sure trust in hym and to be freÌ„dly and louynge one to another And the fulfilllyge of the lawe is loue from a pure hert out of a good conscience and of an vndissembled or vnfayned fayth i Timoth. â— In the fyftenth yeare of the Empire of Tâ—erius from the begynnynge of the worlde 4004. yeares came the worde of the Lorde to John the sonne of the preyst zachary in the wyldernesse and he went and preached vnto the people of Israell amendement of lyfe and forgeuenesse of synnes in Jesu Christ To whom he bare recorde that he was the fulfyllyng of the lawe the prophetes very God and man the onely and euerlastyng sauiour whych wyth the sacrifice of hys own body shuld clense the world from synne yea he poynted vnto hym wyth hys fynger and sayd Beholde thys is the lambe of God that takethe awaye the synne of the worlde And so perfectiye and wholy hangeth he all saluacion onely in Christe Jesus that he saieth planely Out of his fulnesse haue all we receyued grace c. Joh. i. Item who so beleueth in the son of God hath euerlastynge lyfe who so beleueth not in the sonne shall not se lyfe but the wrathe of God abydeth vppon hym Therfore dyd he also sende all hys disciples from hym and coÌ„maunded them to cleue vnto Christ He maketh no menâ—ion at all of any ceremonyâ—s figures nor oblations as necessary poyntes to saluacion but preacheth Christ purely and clearly Thys is manifest Johan i and .iii. Mat. iii. and Luk. iii The Lorde hym selfe also came vnto John was baptised And whan he had receyued baptime the heauen opened and the holy goost appeared in the fourme of a doue and there was a voyce heard â–ª from heauen saynge Thys is my beloued sonne in whome I am pacified to the intent that all the worlâ—e shuld haue wytnesse of Chryste the true sauyour not onely now by the aâ—ngels and by Johan the holyesâ—â— man of all but also from heauen and of God hym selfe and that we myght be the bolder to committe our selues wholy vnto hym WhaÌ„ he had receyued the testymony he wente in to the wyldernesse And lyke as our disease beganne in paradise by teÌ„tation Euen so at the tentatioÌ„ in the wyldernesse beganne the Lord our health and lyke as the father of vs al dyd eate the for bydden meate So dyd the Lorde not eate the meate that he myghte haue eaten but fasted fortye dayes and fourtye nyghtes Afterwarde came â—e amonge the people and beganne to preache saluacion sayng The tyme is fulfylled and the kyngdome of God is at hande repeÌ„t and beleue the Gospell Here wyth hath he healed all sores dryueÌ„ out deuels raysed vp the deed testifienge so by hys actes that he is Lord of all thynges and the true sauioure And of them whome he healleth asketh he nothyng he coÌ„maundeth them not to buylde hym a temple nether to geue hym blocke or stocke he requyreth no bodely thing but onely â–ª stedfast fayth and coÌ„fidence And to them whom he hath healed he sayeth go they waye and synne no more take hede that a worse thynge happen not vnto the â–ª And herewith all doth he teache in what thynge the substaunce of true religion lieth euen in a right true fayth and in an innocent lyfe that in oure conuersation we kepe our selues from all filthines Yee the thynge that some maâ— taketh for gods seruyce refuseth he as longe bablynge prayers vayne glorious
waye gather vp the stones out of the strete and hang out the banner vnto the people beholde the Lorde hath caused it to be proclamed vnto the ende of the worlde Tell the daughter Syon beholde the sauyoure commeth lo his treasure and his rewarde bringeth he with him his dedes go before him And they that are redemed of the Lord shalbe called the holy people zachary sayeth in the .ix. chap. Reioyce O daughter SioÌ„ be glad O daughter Hierusalem beholde thy kyng coÌ„meth vnto the euen the righteous and sauyoure meke and symple is he he rydeth vpon an asse vpon a yong colt of the she asse He shal preach peace vnto the Hevthen his kyngdome also shall reach from the one see to the other from the ryuer vnto the vttermost parte of the erthe Of the death and passion of Christ speaketh Daniel in the .ix. chapter after this maner And after two and sixtye wekes shall Christ be slayn put to death and yet shall they haue no true testimonye that he is giltye of death Esaye in the .l. chapter sayeth thus The Lorde God opened myne eare and I refused it not nether wente I bacwarde I gaue my body to the smiters and my chekes to the nyppers and my face haue I not turned from theyr shamefull intreatinge and spittynge vpon me The Lorde God also shall help me therfore shall I not be confounded And therfore haue I hardened my face lyke a flynt stone and am sure that I shall not be confounded In the liii chapter there is writteÌ„ of Christ after this maner He shall haue nether bewtye ner fayrnesse we shall loke vpon him but we shall haue no desyre vnto hym He is despysed and conteÌ„ned of meÌ„ a maÌ„ of trouble and one that hath had experience of infirmyte He is so despysed that we shall hyde our faces from him and haue hym in no estimation And yet hath he borne oure vnperfectnesses and felt oure sorowes We also thought that he shulde be wounded smyâ—ten and punished of God But he was wounded for our synnes and slayne for oure wyckednesse sake And the punishment wherby we haue peace is layed vpon him and thorow his woundes are we made whole All we haue gone astraye lyke shepe euery one of vs hath had respecte vnto hys owne waye and the Lorde hath layed all our synnes vpon hym Uiolence and wrong was done vnto hym he hath bene euell intreated yet opened he not his mouth He shall be led as a beest to be slayen and as a shepe domme before the sherers so shall he not open hys mouth c. The whole chapter descrybeth all the cause of Christe so clearly that holy Hierome sayd not in vayne Esaye is not onely a Prophet but also an Euangelist zachary descrybeth the presthode and sacrificie of Christ and testifieth that with the same onely oblacion he hath opteyned grace for all synnes and therfore seueÌ„ that is to saye all eyes shall haue respecte vnto him and shall seke peace rest of theyr consciences in hym and shall fynde it Heare nowe O Josue thou hye prest thou and thy coÌ„panyons that syt before the seynge ye are meÌ„ of ensamples For lo I wil bring my seruauÌ„t eueÌ„ the blossome For beholde the stone whiche I haue layed before Josue wyll I brynge To the same onely stone shall seueÌ„ eyes loke Beholde I wyll dyg it vp and dssclose it sayeth the Lorde zabaoth and the synne of the erth wyll I take awaye in one daye And in that daye shall euery man call hys neghboure vnder hys vyne and fygâ—tre The buryall and resurrection of oure Lord Jesu Christ hath the prophet Jonas figured very excellently For thus sayeth oure Lorde Christ hym selfe Lyke as Jonas was thre dayes and thre nyghtes in the whalles belye so shall the sonne of man be thre dayes and thre nightes in the hert of the erthe Of the ascension of Jesu Christ and sendynge of the holy gooste hath Joel also written in the .ii. chapter and it is alledged of S. Peter Act. ii Of the callynge gathering together the Heythen and of euery thynge pertaynynge to the holy church doth Esay wryte in the .xlix. chap. and so forth to the ende of his prophecye Thus hast thou that the prophetes also in their tyme dyd preach Jesus Christe poynted not the people to truste vnto the workes of the law their own deseruing but vnto christ of whome they prophecied euery thinge that folowed after Therfore dyd Peter speake right .i. Pet. i. sayenge Ye shall receaue the ende of your fayth euen the saluacion of your soules After which saluacion haue the prophetes enquyred and searched whiche prophecyed of the grace that shulde come vnto you searchinge whan or what tyme the sprete of Christ which was in them shuld signifye which sprete testified before the passions that shuld happen vnto Christ and the glory that shulde folowe after Unto the which prophetes it was also declared that not vnto them selues onely but vnto vs they shuld ministre the thynges which are now shewed vnto you by them which haue preached vnto you the gospel thorow the holy goost that was senâ—e vnto them from heauen c. In the which testimony the holy Apostle Peter had a speciall respecte to the prophecye of Daniel whiche dyd not onely recorde the passion glory of Christ but also poynted to the tyme in the which Christ shuld come For lyke as God in the greatest parels daungers and alteracions hath alwaye renewed more clearly expressed hys promes conceruyng the blessed sede as in the tyme of Noe whan the worlde was destroyed in the tyme of Abraham whan God wolde prepare hym selfe a new people in the tyme of Moses whaÌ„ God receaued his people and caryed them out of Egipte to bringe them in to the lande of Canaan in the tyme of Dauid whan all thynges stode so well and it must nedes be auoyded leste any man shulde thynke Dauid were the blessed sede Before the captiuite of Babylon also and in the tyme of the prophetes which as it is sayde afore preached and wrote that no man shulde doute in gods promes as who saye they were geuen vp and cast a waye though the temple were broken the cytye brent though the people of whome Christ shuld be borne were led awaye in to captiuite Euen so nowe also in the captiuite whan the faythfull might all moost haue thought that the promes of God concernynge Messia were cleane gone Euen than dyd God shewe hys seruaunt Daniel a more cleare vision of Christ after thys maner The people shalbe let go agayne out of captiuite and shall come home to HierusaleÌ„ buylde the temple and cytie agayne but with a sore tyme. And after that the cytye is buylded vnto the tyme of Christe shall be .lxix. wekes that is c. xâ—viii .iii. yeares And euen so was it from the. xxxâ—i yeare of Darius