Baruch and Hieremie in whose daies Israel had such misfortune that Hierusalem with the Temple was destroyed and the people that remained over and perished not were caried away captive into Babylon In the same captivitie did Ezechiel and Daniel write their prophecies And after the captivitie when Israel was delivered againe and came home to Hierusalem then preached and wrote Esdras Haggeus Zacharias Malachias and Nehemias Beside these Prophets no doubt there were other moe of whom no mention is made But these are the chiefe by whom it pleased God to open unto us all that appertaineth to our salvation And though we had also the writings of the other yet should we reade no other thing in them than we finde in our owne Prophets for as much as these whom we have agree so together all in one Now whether they be our own Prophets whose writings we have or the other whose writings we have not yet have they all preached the summe of the doctrine and knowledged the faith that wee spake of afore and wrote in one summe which faith Adam Noe Abraham Moses and David had And this did they the more evidently because they applied themselves to open the Law and to drive away the misunderstanding which was risen up among and in the people therefore point they every where from the letter unto the spirit from the outward sacrifice unto Christ Iesus from all idolatry unto the onely God which saveth us through his mercy onely in the blessed seed and through none of our deservings This did Paul see and therefore said he Rom. 3. Through the workes of the law shall no man be iustified in the sight of God For through the law commeth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of God declared without the law for as much as it is allowed by the testimonie of the Law and the Prophets The righteousnesse of God commeth by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve So saith Peter also in the third of the Acts All the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as have spoken have told of these daies And in the 10. chapter To this Iesus Christ give all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeveth in him shall through his name receive forgivenesse of sinnes Who so now is learned in the writings of the Prophets knoweth well that there is nothing read concerning the Lord in the New Testament which the Prophets have not prophesied of afore He that is then any thing instructed in the Prophets hath no doubt considered this in the New Testament that the Apostles prove all their doctrine of the Lord Iesus out of the Law and the Prophets yea that the Lord himselfe confirmeth his owne doings with the Scriptures of the Prophets and that the Euangelists thorowout the holy Gospell set unto the doctrine and miracles of Christ these words And this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets Neverthelesse for their sakes that are not yet instructed I will now declare the principall articles of our Lord Iesus Christ out of the holy Prophets As touching the true Godhead and manhood of our Lord Iesus Christ and that he should be borne at Bethlehem in the land of Iewry of a pure virgin and maid out of the kinred of David the Prophets testifie after this manner Esay in the seventh chapter saith Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne and shall call his name Emanuel that is to say God with us Micheas saith in the fifth chapter Though thou Bethlehem Ephrata art too small to be reckoned among the principall cities of Iuda yet out of thee shall there come one unto me which shall be ruler in Israel whose forth-going is from everlasting In the ninth chapter of Esay it is written Vnto us is a childe borne and to us is given a sonne upon whose shoulders the kingdome shall lie and he shall be called after his owne name even the wonderfull counsell-giver the mighty one of Israel the eternall father the prince of peace his kingdome shall increase and of his peace there shall be no end and he shall reigne upon the seat of David his father In the 23. of Hieremie it is written thus Behold the time commeth saith the Lord that I will raise up the righteous blossome of David he shall be king and reigne and prosper iudgement and righteousnesse shall he execute upon earth In his time shall Iuda be saved and Israel shall dwell without feare and this is the name wherewith he shall be named even God our righteousnesse Concerning the comming of Iohn the Baptist which was the forerunner of our Lord Christ and prepared the people for him hath Malachy written in the third chapter after this manner Behold I will send my messenger which shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom yee long for shall shortly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant whom yee would have Behold he commeth saith the Lord zabaoth And afterward Behold I will send Helias the Prophet afore the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord. Of Christs preaching of the grace of God of the forgiving of sinnes of the wonders also and tokens of the Lord speaketh Esay in the 61. chapter after this manner The spirit of the Lord God is upon me and therefore hath the Lord anointed me to preach the Gospell to the meeke hearted hath he sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captive to open the prison to such as are in bonds to proclaime the yeere of Gods gratious will and to bring consolation to all them that are in heavinesse In the 34. chapter of Ezechiel it is written thus Over my sheepe will I raise up one onely shepherd which shall feed them even David my servant which shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd I the Lord also will be their God and David shall be their Prince even I the Lord have spoken it In the 35. chap. of Esay it is written thus Say unto them that are of a feeble heart Be strong and feare not behold our God commeth to take vengeance and to reward God commeth himselfe and will deliver you Then shall the eies of the blinde be opened c. Then shall the lame man leape as an Hart and the tongue of the dumbe shall give praise Of the kingdome of Christ in the which he himselfe alone is king all the world being subject unto him declaring his dominion and royall majestie writeth Esay thus in the second chapter And it shall come to passe in the last time that the hill of the house of the Lord shall be exalted upon the height of mountaines above all little hils and all nations shall come together unto him the people shall goe to him and say Come let us goe up to the mount of the
the head and thou shalt tread him on the heele Which is thus much to say Thou hast used the woman to the destruction of men so that from henceforth they bring death and by kinde and nature are damned when they are borne Therefore will I also use the woman but to salvation for of the woman shall a seed or childe bee borne which shall breake thy head power and kingdome sinne damnation and death howbeit in his manhood he shall be trodden down and bitten That is Man with his transgression hath deserved eternall death so that after the rigour of my justice hee should perish and belong to the Devill for ever neverthelesse I Will have mercie upon him and receive him to grace againe But to the intent that my truth and righteousnesse may be satisfied I will cause my Sonne to take the verie nature of man upon him Then will I that hee take upon himselfe the curse and damnation and die and with his innocent death to take away that noisome death and curse and so to set the generation of man out of death into life out of the dominion of the Devill into his owne kingdome out of darknesse into light Thus the right foundation or ground of our holy faith continueth fast and unmoved in so much as all the generation of man is whole and cleansed from sinne and delivered from the curse from the Devill and everlasting damnation onely through the mercie and meere grace of God by Iesus Christ As touching this Paul said when hee wrote to the Romans in the 8. Chapter God sent his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and through sinne that is to say through the sinne-offering and willing death of Christ he condemned sin in the flesh And in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the first Chapter the same Paul saith Christ Iesus is appointed of God to be our wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that as it is written who so glorieth and rejoyceth let him glorie and rejoyce in the Lord. But for as much as this is the first promise and the first sure Evangelion I will now speake of everie word in especiall First God calleth his Sonne our Lord Iesus the seed of the woman A seed because of the verie nature of man and because that our Lord should not take upon him a fantasticall but a verie true bodie But to these words there is added Of the woman For our Lord was not conceived and borne of mans seed but of the Holy Ghost out of the Virgine Marie Therefore cannot this sentence be understood of Eve but of the Virgine Marie Now whereas she is called a woman it is done because of the kinred For even the daughters also and maidens are reckoned in the womens kinred and yet continue undefiled virgins God also hath spoken here distinctly and said not I will put enmitie betweene thee and this woman but betweene thee and haischah the woman understanding some speciall woman no doubt even such an one as he afterward set forth cleerely by Esay saying Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne c. And this word seed was alway afterward in everie renewing of this promise concerning Christ Iesu among all the Patriarks and Prophets rehearsed used and expressed untill the time of David Of whom the Lord afterward was called a flower the root sprowting or blossome of David The holy Apostle Paul expoundeth this word seed clearely and plainly and saith it is Christ Gal. 3. Moreover it serveth to the praise of the Lords mother that God saith I will put enmitie betweene the woman and thee for he meaneth the difference of both their natures The Devill is proud subtill wicked false and untrue but the mother of Christ is lowly simple vertuous faithfull and upright chaste and cleane And the same pure virgin and gracious mother hath borne unto us him that trod downe the Serpents head The head of the Serpent is the power and kingdome of the Devill even sinne the curse and damnation All this hath that blessed seed broken for his faithfull All which things the holy Apostle Paul also hath taught with these words The Lord is become partaker of our flesh and bloud that he through death might take away the power from him which had the Lordship over death that is to say the Devill and to deliver them which through feare of death were all their life time in bondage For hee tooke not upon him the Angels but the seed of Abraham tooke hee upon him c. And to the same meaning doth this also serve that followeth And thou shalt tread him on the heele The heele is the lowest part in man and here it signifieth the most inferiour thing in Christ even his flesh This hath the old Serpent the Devill persecuted and trodden downe by his members Caiphas Annas Herod and Pontius Pilate For Peter saith Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh The Godhead is impassible and the soule immortall But by this treading downe of the Lord hath God trodden downe the kingdome of the Devill that is to say by his death hath he destroyed death and brought life againe to all them that beleeve Hereof commeth it that Christ saith himselfe Ioh. 12. Now is the judgement of the world now shall the Prince of this world be thrust out And I when I am lift up that is to say crucified from the earth will draw all things to me At the last saith the Lord that he will put enmitie betweene the Serpent and the womans seed This may wee see in the Devill and his members and acts how they are contrarie to Christ and his members and deeds But how strong soever the Serpent is yet shall he be trodden downe through Christ and his faithfull Hereof commeth it that Paul spake so comfortably to the Romans Rom. 16. The God of peace shall shortly tread downe the Devill under your feet And herewithall is the dutie also of the faithfull in Christ shortly comprehended For as touching them that say Is it enough then and is all well when I knowledge that I am a sinner and saved through the blessed seed only To them it is here answered and cleerly given to understand that all they which put their trust in the blessed seed take upon them the kinde of the seed and hate the kinde of the Serpent that is to say sinne and blasphemie and fight alway more and more against the world and the Devill as long as they live yea and occupie themselves most faithfully about that which is Gods will And hereto now serveth it that followeth after For when the Lord had taken away the everlasting death he laid upon man a temporall punishment correction and discipline in the which hee should be exercised as long as hee lived upon earth And upon the woman he laid trouble sorrow and paine when she should beare and bring
him onely calling upon him and honouring him according to his word casting away strange worshipping of God service of Idols that shamefull blasphemous and ungodly living Then sent he them his helpe and delivered them in his power by the ministration of his appointed Captaines And such warring delivering and punishing was no fleshly unfaithfull worke whom no man ought to follow as some being wrapped with the unstedfast spirit of the Maniches and Anabaptists doe meane For Paul expresseth cleerely And what shall I say of Gedeon Barach Sampson and Iephtha David and Samuel and the Prophets which through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong became valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the Aliants Heb. 11. All which works the holy Apostle praiseth and commendeth as excellent works of faith Therefore are they no works of the flesh neither is it now contrarie to the holy faith if Christian rulers deliver their innocent people whom God hath subdued unto them from wrongfull violence and defend their libertie righteousnesse house and land or punish the shamefull blasphemers Idolaters and persecuters of the holy faith and not suffer them to have all their malicious will Neverthelesse this must be done by them to whom God hath committed the sword For thus saith the Lord Who so taketh away the sword shall perish through the sword Matth. 26. But specially in the battels of Gods people and of the unfaithfull it commeth to passe and is expressely set before our eyes that God said to the serpent at the beginning Gen. 3. I will put enmitie betweene thy seed and the womans seed For the righteous are the seed of Christ the unrighteous and unfaithfull are the seed of the Devill Betweene these now see we great discord but specially this that the faithfull doe alway tread the serpent on the head though they themselves also be bitten in the heele For the right faithfull beleevers afore the birth of Christ in the time of the promise had no lesse trouble and persecution not onely because of sinne but also for righteousnesse and faiths sake than the faithfull after Christs birth in the time of grace and perfectnesse Therefore have they small knowledge of the doings of the faithfull which say that the people of old were a victorious people and governed corporally but that the people after Christs comming are borne to suffer and to no victorie or governance Neverthelesse in these wonderfull times in the which Gods people had no victorie and anon were subdued and oppressed the true faith continued upright and unblemished from Iosue forth throughout all the Iudges untill the time and reigne of David David also was a man that suffred much through divers and long trouble through miserable distresse and vexation and through sore persecution without ceasing being proved tried and provoked afore he was King Whereof the bookes of Samuel and the more part of the Psalmes beareth record But after that he was promoted unto the kingdom by God which said I have found a man after mine own heart he advanced set forth and magnified the true faith right diligently Here also to the honour of our Lord Iesus Christ will I shortly and by the way declare what knowledge and faith this noble King and Prophet had of our Lord Iesus This will I doe with the declaration of the 110. Psalme whose words are these The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole In the first verse David knowledgeth the persons in the holy Trinitie the God-head also and the eternall kingdome of Christ Thus likewise did our Lord Jesus Christ understand and alleage this verse in the Gospell Matth. 22. knowledging two of the Persons in the one only Godhead for he saith The Lord said unto my Lord. Now is it certaine and undeniable that hee which speaketh and he to whom ought is spoken are not one but two Persons Yet is there but one Lord and God and they both the Father that speaketh and the Sonne to whom is spoken are the Lord therefore are they one of one substance and being the very true God Neither is the Sonne lesse than the Father There can also none be a father except he have a sonne or a childe Now is the everlasting Father God therefore is the Sonne also everlasting There is also but one only everlasting without beginning Both the Father and the Sonne are eternall without beginning therefore are they one only true God with the holy Ghost Like as Iohn also saith In the beginning that is to say from everlasting was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And immediatly thereafter saith he that the Word is Jesus Christ our Lord. For it followeth The Word became flesh Therefore doth David also call the Son of God specially his Lord saying The Lord said unto my Lord. And therefore calleth he Christ his Lord because hee confesseth and beleeveth that he is his very naturall Lord and God as Thomas also did knowledge My Lord and my God Ioh. 20. Afterward calleth he him his Lord because that after the nature of man he should be borne out of his loynes For thorowout all the Scripture is our Lord Iesus called the Sonne of David And thus doth David knowledge two natures in Christ the nature of God and the nature of man That the kingdome of Christ shall last for ever and that the kinde and nature of man shall be exalted aboue all heavens as Paul saith Hebr. 2. David testifieth with these words Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole For Marke saith in the sixteenth chapter The Lord was taken up into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God Of this also finde we 1 Cor. 15.15 Now must he needs be very God indeed which reigneth for ever and to whom all enemies must be subdued yea cast utterly unto his feet Now followeth the second verse The Lord shall send thy mightie staffe out of Sion thou shalt be Lord even in the middest among thine enemies Here speaketh he of the preaching of the holy Gospell and how the world should be converted unto Christ and Christ to reigne in the middest of the world In the first verse is spoken of the eternall kingdome that he is very God living and reigning for ever not only in this time but also after this time eternally But here speaketh hee specially of the kingdome whereas hee reigneth here beneath through the Gospell For the Staffe the Scepter the Rod of Christ is the holy Gospell even the power of God which saveth all that beleeve Rom. 1.16 Which maketh Christs enemies friends and smiteth them downe that will not convert so that Christ hath dominion and
seed promised afore may hereafter be borne of thee in his generation To this did Noe trust and was preserved of God through Christ Moreover when he was come out of the Arke he did sacrifice and thereby declared the thankfulnesse of his heart and beleeved how that he knew that he had all good of God which should also give him a seed that with sacrificing of himselfe should reconcile and pacific God For thus saith the Scripture Noe builded an Altar unto the Lord and tooke of all manner of cleane beasts and fowles and offered burnt sacrifice unto the Lord and the Lord smelled the sweet savour and said in his heart I will no more curse the earth for mans sake c. So saith Paul in the fifth to the Ephesians Walke yee in love like as Christ hath loved us and gaue himselfe for us an offering sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God Whereby every man may learne and see that the sweet smell of the outward sacrifice of Noe did not chiefly pacifie God and was pleasant but rather that through the bodily sacrifice was figured the sacrifice of Christ and for his sake he was mercifull unto the world For over Christ he said at Iordan when Christ was baptised This is my deare beloved Sonne in whom I am pacified or reconciled Besides this the Lord gave unto Noe certaine lawes but none other than even such as he had given to his fore-fathers and written in their hearts The first pertaineth to mariage and bringing up of children in the which is comprehended all that is written concerning nurture cleanlinesse and temperance of care and bringing up of children in the feare of God vertue obedience and learning The second forbiddeth violence and deceit namely that no man shall eat bloud For it is a figurative precept commanding that no man get his living by murther by oppressing the poore by usurie by extortion by falshood and deceit Moreover all things living were subdued unto him and all meats were permitted him In conclusion whatsoever concerned the love of God and their neighbour the same is here renued unto Noe and his children and required of them Of Noe came afterward all people yea among his three sonnes Iaphet Sem and Cham he had both the seed of God and of the froward serpent that is such as had respect unto God and them also that regarded the devill Of Cham came the Aegyptians Assyrians Babylonians by and from whom sprang idolatry offering to images and from whom false religion came up first and was brought in among other nations by the helpe of the old serpent as among the Greekes Romanes and other people By this it is good to understand that our holy Christian faith is elder than any other For here may we see clearely that after a thousand and certaine hundred yeeres almost in the eight hundreth or nine hundreth yeere came up the first beginning of the Heathens beleefe and offering to Images and yet came it of wicked cursed men For cursed Cham was the beginning of the Egyptians and Nimroth the ungodly extortioner and tyrant was the first founder of the kingdom of Babylon which kingdome with the building of a mighty tower set forth his pride Neverthelesse the hand of God declared it selfe immediatly as it is read in the eleventh chapter of Genesis Finally in the generation of Cham had the serpent great power howbeit in the posteritie of Iaphet also of whom the Almaines come and in the posteritie of Sem he had his issue likewise Of the progenie of Sem were borne Abraham Isaac and Iacob Gen. 11. And as it is said afore the sincere faith was somewhat darkned in Chaldea therefore did God call Abraham out from the idolatrie and renued with him the old true Christian faith begun with Adam and said Gen. 12. Get thee out of thy country and from thy kinred and from thy fathers house unto the land that I will shew thee and I will blesse thee and make a great nation of thee And in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Item in the 22. chapter speaketh God yet more clearely and saith In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed This doth Paul declare in the third to the Galathians and saith In thy seed which is Christ Therefore was the same now another renewing of the promise of Christ the blessed seed For first was he promised unto Adam afterward was the promise renewed with Noe and now with Abraham And all this now is but one promise one Saviour and one faith Abraham also beleeved in Iesus Christ and was saved by faith For Iesus Christ saith himselfe in the eighth chapter of Iohn Abraham saw my day and rejoyced What is now the day of Christ but the clearnesse of the holy Gospell This light had he not bodily but saw it with the eyes of faith and the same made him joyfull and saved him For Christ is the true joy of troubled consciences Thus became Abraham the Father of all faithfull beleevers Rom. 4. And if we beleeve and doe as Abraham did then are we Abrahams children and shall rest with him in his bosome even in the kingdome of God Luke 13.28.16.22.19 Mat. 8.11 Paul also to the Galathians in the third chapter saith If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise Out of this faith in Christ did Abraham Christian workes for with a good will left he his owne native country all Idols and all Images all misfortune hunger and miserie tooke he patiently he was not hard against Loth his nephew but did jeopard his body and life for the oppressed he was liberall mercifull and harborous he praied fervently unto God for the poore sinners he suffred oppression violence and wrong and for Gods sake also he thought to sacrifice and offer up his owne most dearely beloved sonne Isaac Finally there is no reasonable good christian worke but thou seest it in the life of Abraham Therefore to us also for an example of our faith and conversation he is set forth of the Lord himselfe his Apostles throughout the New Testament Here also is it manifest that our holy faith is elder than the Iewish faith For the Iewes doe boast themselves of the Circumcision and because they are called Iewes and Israel and that the Law the Priesthood and Gods service was given unto them And yet Gen. 15.6 and 17.1 and Rom. 4.18 it is evident that Abraham was Gods friend and justified or made righteous or ever he was circumcised For when he was circumcised he was 99. yeere old Gen. 17. Now was the promise made unto him many yeeres afore The Scripture also saith plainly Abraham beleeved God and the same was counted unto him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. So was it many yeeres after or ever Israel and Iuda was borne of
Lord even to the house of the God of Iacob that he may shew us his way and we will walke in his paths For the Law shall come forth from Sion and the word of God from Hierusalem In the 7. of Daniel it is written thus I saw a vision in the night and behold there came one in the clouds of heaven like the sonne of man which came to the old aged and they brought him before his presence And he gave him power glory and the kingdome and all people nations and tongues must serve him his power is an everlasting power which shall not be taken from him and his kingdome shall not perish Esay saith in the 62. chapter And the heathen shall see thy righteousnesse and all kings thine honour and he shall call thee by a new name O Sion and the mouth of God shall give thee the name And thou shalt be a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord ad a royall crowne of the kingdome in the hand of thy God And soone after it followeth Make ready make ready the way gather up the stones out of the street and hang out the banner unto the people behold the Lord hath caused it to be proclaimed unto the end of the world Tell the daughter Sion behold the Saviour commeth loe his treasure and his reward bringeth he with him and his deeds goe before him And they that are redeemed of the Lord shall be called the holy people Zacharie saith in the ninth chapter Reioyce O daughter Sion be glad O daughter Hierusalem behold thy king commeth unto thee even the righteous and Saviour meeke and simple is he he rideth upon an asse and upon a young colt of the shee asse He shall preach peace unto the heathen his kingdome also shall reach from the one sea to the other and from the river unto the uttermost part of the earth Of the death and passion of Christ speaketh Daniel in the ninth chapter after this manner And after two and sixtie weekes shall Christ be slaine and put to death and yet shall they have no true testimony that he is guilty of death Esay in the 50. chapter saith thus The Lord God opened mine eare and I refused it not neither went I backward I gave my bodie to the smiters and my cheeks to the nippers and my face have I not turned from their shamefull intreating and spitting upon me The Lord God also shall helpe me therefore shall I not be confounded And therefore have I hardned my face like a flint stone and am sure that I shall not be confounded In the 53. chapter there is written of Christ after this manner He shall have neither beauty nor fairenesse we shall looke upon him but we shall have no desire unto him He is despised and contemned of men a man of trouble and one that hath had experience of infirmitie He is so despised that we shall hide our faces from him and have him in no estimation And yet hath he borne our unperfectnesse and felt our sorrowes We also thought that he should be wounded smitten and punished of God But he was wounded for our sinnes and slaine for our wickednesse sake And the punishment whereby we have peace is laid upon him and through his wounds are we made whole All we have gone astray like sheepe every one of us hath had respect unto his owne way and the Lord hath laid all our sinnes upon him Violence and wrong was done unto him he hath beene evill intreated and yet opened he not his mouth He shall be lead as a beast to be slaine and as a sheepe dumbe before the shearers so shall he not open his mouth c. The whole chapter describeth all the cause of Christ so clearely that holy Hierom said not in vaine Esay is not only a Prophet but also an Euangelist Zacharie describeth the Priesthood and sacrifice of Christ and testifieth that with the same only oblation he hath obtained grace for all sinne and therefore seven that is to say all eyes shall have respect unto him and shall seeke peace and rest of their consciences in him and shall finde it Heare now O Iosue thou high Priest thou and thy companions that sit before thee seeing yee are men of examples For loe I will bring my servant even the blossome For behold the stone which I have laid before Iosue will I bring To the same only stone shall seven eyes looke Behold I will digge it up and disclose it saith the Lord Zabaoth and the sinne of the earth will I take away in one day And in that day shall every man call his neighbour under his vine and figge tree The buriall and resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ hath the Prophet Ionas figured very excellently For thus saith our Lord Christ himselfe Like as Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales belly so shall the sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth Of the ascension of Iesus Christ and sending of the Holy Ghost hath Ioel also written in the second chapter and it is alleaged of S. Peter Act. 2. Of the calling and gathering together the Heathen and of every thing pertaining to the holy Church doth Esay write in the 49. chapter and so forth to the end of his prophecie Thus hast thou that the Prophets also in their time did preach Iesus Christ and pointed not the people to trust unto the works of the law and their owne deserving but unto Christ of whom they prophesied every thing that followed after Therefore did Peter speake right 1 Pet. 1. saying Ye shall receive the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules After which salvation have the Prophets inquired and searched which prophesied of the grace that should come unto you searching when or what time the spirit of Christ which was in them should signifie which spirit testified before the passions that should happen unto Christ and the glory that should follow after Vnto the which Prophets it was also declared that not unto themselves only but unto us they should minister the things which are now shewed unto you by them which have preached unto you the Gospell through the Holy Ghost that was sent unto them from heaven c. In the which testimonie the holy Apostle Peter had a speciall respect to the prophecie of Daniel which did not only record the passion and glory of Christ but also pointed to the time in the which Christ should come For like as God in greatest perils dangers and alterations hath alway renued and more clearely expressed his promise concerning the blessed seed as in the time of Noe when the world was destroyed in the time of Abraham when God would prepare himselfe a new people in the time of Moses when God received his people and caried them out of Egypt to bring them into the
did the Lord not eat the meat that hee might have eaten but fasted fortie daies and fortie nights Afterward came hee among the people and began to preach salvation saying The time is fulfilled and the kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeve the Gospell Herewith hath he healed all sores driven out Devils and raised up the dead testifying so by his acts that he is Lord of all things and the true Saviour And of them whom hee healeth asketh he nothing hee commandeth them not to build him a Temple neither to give him blocke or stocke hee requireth no bodily thing but onely stedfast faith and confidence And to them whom hee hath healed hee saith Goe thy way and sinne no more take heed that a worse thing happen not unto thee And herewithall doth hee teach in what thing the substance of true Religion lieth even in a right true faith and in an innocent life that in all our conversation wee keepe our selves from all filthinesse Yea the thing that some man taketh for Gods service refuseth hee as long babling prayers vaine-glorious fasting and like almes giving Hee nothing regardeth mens traditions diversities of sects long garments outward appearance their cleansing nor all their hypocrisie He goeth into the Temple overthroweth casteth downe powreth out every thing that is to bee sold in the Temple he driveth the buyers and sellers out of the Temple with a whip For the Temple was ordained for generall prayer thanksgiving and preaching and not for chopping and changing or other such like things These three points doth hee teach vs diligently to observe First that wee obtaine remission of sinnes true righteousnesse and everlasting life onely through him and by his Passion and death and else by none other meane For hee is the onely Mediatour Priest Intercessour Comforter the onely Righteousnesse Satisfaction Ransome Sanctifying the onely perpetuall Sacrifice the Suretie of grace and salvation Speciall testimonies hereof hast thou Iohn 3.6.14 and 16. Secondly that wee cannot serve and please God with exteriour sacrifices or any outward pompe but with such workes as proceed of love and mercie And thirdly that all the children of God are bound to keepe themselves from the workes of darknesse and to apply them to live in righteousnesse and in the light And herein also is comprehended all godlinesse that is all right good Christian workes So when hee had taught all righteousnesse and disclosed and overthrowen all hypocrisie in religion he offered up himselfe upon the crosse for the remission of all our sinnes For willingly and patiently put he himselfe into the hands of his enemies and of his betrayer suffered himselfe to be taken to be bound to be led from one Iudge to another to be laughed to scorne cried out upon to be spitted on and at the last to be adjudged unto death to be scourged and to be crowned with a crowne of thorne Hee himselfe bare his owne crosse to the place of execution where hee was crucified and hanged up betweene two murtherers Then lived hee in great paine from the sixth houre untill the ninth At the last he cried It is finished Father into thy hands commend I my spirit thus offered he himselfe for our sinnes and died that wee might live But soone after followed the things whereby the fruit of Christs passion might bee perceived For the vaile which in the Temple separated the holy from the most holy did rent from the top to the bottome whereby Christ testified that now with his death all ceremonies and figurative things were at an end and no more of value that the way to eternall salvation was opened that all things significative in the Tabernacle in sacrifices rites and observances were now fulfilled and abrogate that now the bare and onely crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ is altogether unto the faithfull that the heele of the Virgins seed is well trodden upon and his flesh well rent and slaine but that yet also in the meane season he hath trodden the serpent upon the head Therefore did the dead also arise and appeared vnto certaine at Hierusalem For the death of Christ is our life The earth quaked the stones burst asunder For the preaching of the death of the Sonne of God hath altered the whole world and many hard stonie hearts are moved to repentance faith and good works But when the side of the dead bodie of Christ was opened with the speare and the rocke as Zacharie saith was digged up there ran out water and bloud declaring manifestly thereby that unto us out of the death of Christ followeth life and purifying For water cleanseth in the bloud is the life of man And with the bloud of Christ is all bloud stanched and now is Christs bloud only available being sprinkled through faith in our hearts This oblation and passion of Christ the ransome for the sinne of the whole world was done in the 18. yeere of the Empire of Tiberius reckoning from the beginning of the world 4007. yeeres the 25. day of March. So the whole bodie of Iesus was taken downe from the crosse and honourably buried and on the third day after hee rose up againe so that his soule came againe to the bodie and his verie flesh was raised up from death howbeit now no more mortall and passible but glorified For hee is the first in the resurrection of the dead For like as by one man came death so by one man must come the resurrect on of the dead And like as in Adam wee all died in bodie and soule so shall wee be all together restored againe to life in Christ Iesus This hope unto life would the Lord print substantially in us with the resurrection And therefore after his resurrection hee continued fortie dayes with his Disciples that hee might well instruct them of his resurrection and that they should haue no doubt therein So when he had shewed and declared unto them his verie resurrection divers wayes and had performed al that the Father commanded him to finish hee ascended up unto heaven with bodie and soule from mount Olivet in the sight of his Disciples and is set at the right hand of God there to remaine corporally untill the last day in the which hee shall come againe bodily to judge the quicke and dead And all such as have walked in faith shall he take to him with bodie and soule into heaven like as hee himselfe is received into heaven And shall with bodie and soule condemne all them that have walked in the way of the old serpent and have noâ— converted from unrighteousnesse to the righteousnesse in Christ And thus shall salvation bee perfectly finished and Gods children shall live eternally with God through Iesus Christ To whom be praise for ever Amen CHAP. XI That also the elect Apostles preached this old faith and declared that all salvation is onely in Christ THus through Christ Iesus is all fulfilled that the
Mahumet it is manifest what the one hath taken in hand and done now more than 600. yeeres and the other upon a 900. yeeres It is evident yet also even now whereto his generall councels and parlamenrs doe extend But not regarding how he threatneth and faceth and how he garnisheth his new and wanton religions with false but dissembling titles boasting of many hundred yeeres many generall Councels Fathers holy men Doctors Vniversities Cloisters singing praying fasting almes-giving displying and telleth such like All his bragging set aside let us cast his religion from us and take upon us unfainedly the true old religion which hath endured since the beginning of the world by the which all holy men have ever loved worshipped and served God and knew nothing utterly of the Popes religion And if we must for this cause be hated and persecuted of the world well it hapned even so unto all holy Prophets before us likewise and specially unto Iesus Christ our Lord which shall come shortly to judgement and utterly destroy the kingdome of Antichrist whom he now killeth with the spirit of his mouth Our possession is not here upon earth the kingdome of heaven is our native country From thence looke we for the Saviour Iesus Christ our Lord which shall raise up our mortall and miserable body that he may make it like his excellent and glorified body according to the power whereby he may subdue all things unto himselfe To him be honour and praise for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The accustomed goodnesse of God God hath shewed no lesse kindnesse to us than he did to the old world They that follow Gods word are laughed to scorne The doctrine of Christ his faith is no new thing 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 1.14 None but reprobates deride the truth of Gods Gospell To us which are saved it is the power of God What faith is Hebr. 11.1 Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Ephes 2.8 Phil. 3.9 Iaco. 2.14 Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 Act. 15.9 1 Pet. 1.9 Gala. 5.6 1 Cor. 10.3 Heb. 11.4 Heb. 11.4 5. Iames 1 21 Would to God we had many such as Iames the Apostle was Iames 1. O unthankefull world Iames 2.25 Saint Iames would not spare to rebuke such Iames 3 17. Iames 4.1 Against such grosse vices would not Saint Iames spare to speake Iames 4. Iames 5.19 Let every man take the paines to rebuke his owne fault Iames 3.17 We must put on the nature of Gods doctrine Let the workes of God which are past be a warning to us The Christian faith is elder than 1600. yeeres Eusebius Acts 11.26 The first creation of heaven and earth The garnishing of heaven and earth The office of tâ—e creatures in tâ—â— firmament Fishes Fowles Beasts The creation of man The creation of the woman The request of the commandement The unthankefulnesse â—nd wâ—ckednesse of man The righteousnesse and mercy of God Gen. 2.17 The way of satisfaction before God is Christ Sinne. The frowardnesse of man Why God gave the woman unto man Grace We all are loth to knowledge our selves guiltie Punishment Genes 3.14 The promise Genes 3.15 The Serpents head The â—â—re foundation of our faith Rom. 8.3 1 Cor. 1.30 The Gospell of Iesus Genes 3.15 Esay 7.14 Gal. 3.16 A praise of the virgin Marie Heb. 2.14 Genes 2.15 Christs heele 1 Pet. 4.1 Ioh. 12.31 32. Rom. 16.20 Object Answ Gen. 3.17 Gen. 3.19 1 Tim. 2.15 1 Thessal 4.6 Ephes 4.25 Heb. 5.17 Gen. 3.20 Adams faith Gen 2.23 Comfort helpe and loving kindnesse in the mids of correction Gen. 3.22 Comfort and patience in Christ 1 Pet. 2.21 Adams faith Heb. 11.4 Outward sacrifice was a token of thankfulnesse Cain the father of wickednesse The first division in relâ—gion when it began Abel the first Martyr The world the citie of the Devill The difference of true and false faith The first decay of the faith was by cursed Cain Genes 4.25 Adam was not of the faith of Cain Seth the firâ—â— reâ—â—â—eâ— of the true faith The reparation of our faâ—th Gen. 4.26 Adams life To call upon the name of God what it is Hebr. 11.5 The number of the wicked ever greatest The wrath of God upon the wicked Noes Floud The first triumph of faith in Noe. 1 Pet. 3.21 Genes 6.18 The sacrifice of Noe. Genes 8.20 Ephes 5.2 Outward sacrifice the figure of Christs oblation Matth 3.17 The Commandements given unto Noe. Through Noe was the world replenished C ham the first Idolater after the Floud The faâ—th â—f Heathen â—s idolatry 〈…〉 Gen. 10. â— Gen. 11 â— Gen 11.10.27 Faith dâ—â—kned after the floud Gen. 12.1 Genes 22.18 Galath 3.8 The promise renewed to Abraham Abrahams faith Iohn 8.56 Rom. 4.16 Galath 3.29 Abrahams Christian workes The fâ—iâ—â— of the Ieweâ— Gen. 17 24. Gen. 15.6 Gal. 3.17 Hâ— wold the Christian faith iâ— Exod. 19.20 Gen. 32.28 Oâ— Israel came the Israeâ—â—â—â—s Gen. 28. Iacob saw that Christ onely is the way to heaven Iohn 1.51 Gen. 35.2 Gen. 49.10 The faith of Ioseph Ioseph a figure of Iesus The continuance of faith before the Law Heb 11 24. The faith of Moses Gen. 15.13 The Easter lambe Iohn 1.29 The delâ—verance out of Aegypt a figuâ—â— of our redemption by Christ The giâ—ing of the law The first table Matth. 22.37.39 The second Table The law written in stone 〈◊〉 no nâ—w thing The first Commandement 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Gen. 39.8 The law written in stone was fulfilled afore The Lawes given after the ten Commandements were by-Lawes Objection Answer Galath 3 15 Gods Testament Galath 3.17 Salvation by grace not by desert or workes Objection Answer Galath 3.19 Why the Law was given The Law was given to further the promise Gal. 3.19 20 21 22 23 24. The Law is the rule to live by Wisdom 16.6 7. The brasen Serpent a figure of Christ Iohn 3.14 15. 1 Cor. 10.1 2. Christ is the rocke Question Answer One altar wâ—at iâ— signified Note this well Why the ceremonies of the Law were given The godly consideration of the fathers Question Answer Wâ—y Gâ—◠〈…〉 among the 〈◊〉 God tendreth our weaknesse Lawes iudiciall Rom. 13.9 Matth. 7.12 The five originall bâ—â—kes of holy Scripture written by Moses The first bâ—oke of Moses Acts 7.22 The second booke of Moses The third booke The fourth booke The fifth booke The originall Scripture of our faith The Law written is no new thing Rom. 10.4 Gal. 3.23 The death of Moses Iosue was a figure of Christ Iosue fought at Gods commandement An heresie of the Anabaptists Heb. 11.32 Rulers must punish Matth. 26.52 Gen. 3.15 An errouâ— Of King David Acts 15.22 Psalm 110.1 The holy Trinitie Matth. 22.44 Iohn 1.1 Iohn 1.14 Matth. 22.24 The faith of David in Christ Iohn 20.20 Psalm 110.1 Marke 16.19 Psalm 110.2 The spirituall kingdome of Christ Acts 1.8.12 Psalm 110.3 A battell The birth of Christ Psalm 110.3 Psalm 110.4 The office of Christ Psalm 110.5 Christs cause shall forth Psalm 110.6 Christ shall destroy his enemies Psalm 110.7 Philip. 2.8 Psalm 133.6 The article of the holy Trinitie David was called Christs father Matth. 9.27 The waies of David 1 Kings 15.3 4 5. King Abia. 2 Kings 18.5 6. 2 Chro. 34.1 2 3. 1 Kings 6.1 The departing of Israel from Iuda King Iehu God alwaies 〈…〉 Pâ—â—phets The oldest Prophets The Prophets preached the old faith Rom. 3.20 21 22. The Law and the Prophets allow the righteousnesse of God that commeth by faith Act. 3.24 Act. 10.2 3. Matth. 21.4 The godhead and manhood of Christ Esay 7.14 Mich. 5.2 Esay 9. â— Ierem. 23.5 6. The righteous blossome Mala. 3.1 Iohn Baptist Mala. 4.5 Esay 61.1 The office of Christ Ezech. 34. Christ is called David The miracles of Christ Esay 2.2 Dan. 7.13 The kingdome of Christ Esa 62.2 Esay 62.10 Zach 9.9 The death of Christ Dan. 9.26 Esay 50.5 c. Esay 53.2 c. The sacrifice of Christ Zacha. 3.8 The buriall and resurrection of Chriâ—t Matth. 12.40 The Ascension The vocation of the Heathen 1 Pet. 1.9 c. The Prophets sought salvation in Christ A prophesie told unto Daniel The number of the yeeres Faith assailed and religion suppressed Antiochus God had eveâ— some vertuous men Zacharie Luk. 1.68 Simeon Luk. 1.29 All Gods elect were saved by Christ The old Testament is not to be refused Luke 24.13 The new Testament declareth the old The birth of Christ Luke 2.10 Tidings of Christs birth Luke 2.10 Genes 12.3 The grace of God Ierem. 31.33 Note well Chrâ—st the only salvaâ—ioâ— of all the wâ—râ—d Luke 2. The dutie of us 1 Tim. 1.5 Iohn Baptist Iohn 1.29 Iohn 1.26 1 Iohn 3.36 Matth. 11.2 Matth. 3.13 Matth. 3.17 Note this similitude Matth. 4.1 2. Matth. 4.17 The substance of true religion The speciall points of Christs doctrine The patient suffering of Christ Iohn 29 30. Luke 13.46 The fruit of Christs death Water and bloud The time of Christs Passion The buriall of Christ The power of Christ saveth all Iohn 15.14 15. Christ held nothing backâ— from his Apostles The Holy Ghost bâ—oughâ— no new doctrine Iohn 14.26 Marke 16.15 Acts 13.38 Baptisme Matth. 28.18 19. The Supper of the Lord. Matth. 26.26 Acts 15.9 The fruâ—t of the Sacraments 1 Cor. 11.17 Acts 15 28. The Apostles did not overcharge the people with Ceremonies Acts 2.1 Acts 15.20.29 The Apostles would not offend the weake Note The decay of Christs religion What inconvenience followed Note The Pope and Mahumet strive against Christ Let us doe as our oâ—dest fathers have done long bâ—fore us Philip. 3.20 21.