redemer And in another place Lorde oure father arte thou thou arte the worke mayster we all be workes of thy handes Mat. vi Therfore pray we Our father which arte in heuen Father almyghtye God is almighty God is omnipotent all thynges are possyble vnto hym all thynges be in hys hande his power domynyon and beyng is euer lastynge and endles Therfore calle hym the Prophetes so often Dominum Zabaoth or exercituum a Lorde of hostes Itē Baruch speaketh Bar. iij. Ge. xvij Exo. xv and .vi Iudith xvi Iob. viij Luc. i. Apo. iiij Thou Lorde almightye God of Israel In the fyrst boke of Moyses I am the almighty God In the second boke of Moyses Almighty in hys name Itē in the boke of Iudyth The almightye Lorde had hyndered hym In Iob Yf thou wouldest pray to the almightye Item Iohā v. xiij xxi xxij xxiiij xxvij The Angel sayde Luce. i. with God is nothyng vnpossyble Item in the Reuelacions of saynt Ihon. Holy holy holy is the Lorde almighty whiche was and is and is to come Item in the .xi Gen. i Esaye xxxij xlvij lxv Chap. The Lorde the almighty God is theyr tempel Maker that hast thou in the firste boke of Moyses In the beginnynge made God heauen and earthe Reade thereof the xxxvij xl and xlv Chapit of Esay The scripture is full therof ¶ Here agayne marke the light of nature For nature can not vnderstōde the great wonderful workes of creation she can not comprehende howe oute of nought should become ought but the lyght of faythe vnderstondeth the creation Ebr. xi as saynt Paule witnesseth Nowe see howe blynde all sciences of the gentyls be Theyr chiefe poyntes be Of nothynge becometh nothynge The worlde hath lasted euer and alwayes The course of heauen hath nether begynnynge nor endynge The fyrste man neuer was the laste shal neuer be Gendryng and dyenge endureth for euer The soule hath no propre worke wherin she hath no nede of the body whatsoeuer dyeth ones that same thyng can no more come agayne Here doest thou see what an errouious vntrue thing Philosophie is for all the same is vntrewe and yet it is the chiefest that men learne oute of Aristotell Therfore is an old woman whiche beleueth hygher in the ryght Philosophye thē Aristotell She hath by her faythe That God hath created the worlde that Adam was the firste man that euen her owne body in the laste daye shal be raysed agayne that the soul of man as a cleare brightnes of the euerlastyng sonne which shall neuer ceasse to be but is immortall That the bodely dyeng beyng shal ceasse at the day of dome Therfore ought a yong christen man to be brought vp not in bokes of the gentylls but in oure boke of the Byble men learne nothyng in the heathen bokes but vngodly thynges whiche be cleane contrary to the scripture and the faythe and make vs erronious the sonne of god ⧠The second Article ☞ And in Iesu Christe hys onely sonne oure Lorde God hath but one naturall sonne of one beynge with the father in incōprehensyble wyse borne of the father from the eternyte Gal. iiij The father hathe not ben before the sonne they be coeternall The same sonne is sent in the fulfyllyng of the tyme Roma i and also temporally borne of a woman He was promysed by the Prophetes long before And euen by the eternall wysedome by the which God hathe fulmade the worlde Hebre. i by the same hath he brought her agayne from her heauy fall He is the ryght Messias redemer of the world whereof al the Prophetes haue writtē as he sayd vnto the womā of Samaria Ioh. iiij whan he said I knowe that Messyas shall come which is called Christe Then answered Iesus and sayde I that speake vnto the am he And the Samaritanes dyd also knowledge hym and sayde we knowe that thys is euen in dede Christ the sauyoure of the worlde Euen so doeth Peter and the other Apostles knowlege hym mat xvi Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god he is that blessed sede of Abrahā wherein God hath promysed to oure father Abraham to blesse al the nations of the earth Ge. xxij Gen. iij He is the seede of the woman that shoulde treade downe the heade of the infernall worme Onely by hym are we reconsyled to God As Paule sayth Rom. v. Through the fayth in Christe be we made ryghteous and saued Ebre vi i timo i Ebre ix i. Cor. i. Ioha iiij Ioh. xiiij Ioha iij Matth. xxvi he is oure Kyng and prieste for euer by whome we haue a sure intraūce vnto God he is oure onely mediatoure A mediatour of the newe testament Oure hope and oure redemption No man cometh vnto the father but by hym For he is the waye the trueth and the lyfe God hath therfore sent hym into the worlde that he shoulde saue vs whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall not be dāpned He hath geuen hys lyfe for the redemption of many Vvithoute fayth in the mediatoure Christ could no man be saued The fathers before hys byrthe beleued in hym that was to come Vve beleue in hym that is present hys name is Iesus Zach. ix Esa lxii Ebre v. vi vij that is sauioure And Christus that is anoynted He is oure Kynge Bysshop as Zacharie sayth Lo thy Kynge cometh vnto the lowely Hys Priestly offyce withoute the whiche we come not vnto God declareth vnto vs Paul very connyngly The kynges of the worlde be annoynted with bodely oyle Esa lxi Luce. iiij Act. x but Christe oure Kynge whose kyngdome is not of thys worlde is annoynted of God through the holy Ghoste as stondeth in Esaye The spirite of the Lorde is vppon me for he hath annoynted me he hath sent me to preache the Gospell vnto the poore c. Iesus the sonne of Naue Lyke as Iesus the sonne of naue was an electe Lorde and Capitayne of the people of Israel whan they ware brought oute of Egypte that he shoulde brynge them into the lande promysed vnto them Euen so is oure Lorde Iesus Christe geuen of God and ordeyned that he brynge vs oute of the thicke Egiptysshe darkenes of oure lyfe oute of all erroure of thys worlde into the lande of the lyuinge as the Angell sayth Mathei i. He shal saue hys people from their synnes Therfore calleth hym the scripture in the newe Testament so often oure Lorde as the Epistles of Paule manifestly shewe That is the onely sonne of god wherevpon the hole scripture doth poynte and leade vs as vpon oure onely sauioure as Symeon nameth hym Luce. ij But wheras the scripture doth calle vs Christen beleuers also the sonnes of god That is spoken after another maner Christe is alone the ryght natura sōne of god frō the eternite as the scripture testifyeth Our herte muste haue suche a myghtye Lord where vpō it may surely truste which is
not lye nor faile Mar. x. Luce. xviij Mathei xxviij Mar. xvi Luce. xxiiij Iohan. xiiij xvi xx Act. i. ij iij. iiij v. x. xiij xvij xxiiij xxvi Paule Roman i. iiij v. vi vii viij x. xiiij xv i. Corinth vi xv and ij Corinth v. xiij Galat. i. iij. iiij v. Ephes i. ij iiij Phil. i. ij iij. Colloss i. ij iij. i. Thessalo iiij v. ij Thess i. ij iij. i. Tim. i. iij. ij Tim. i. ij Titu ij Ebre i. ij iiij vi vij x. xiij Petrus i. Pet. i. iij. v. Iohan. i. Iohan i. ij iiij The sixte Article Ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God the father almighty Christe ascended vp to heauen not that the eternall worde whiche is god hym selfe was not in heauen before For as muche as the worde is alwayes in heauen and abydeth in the father and is essentyally mightely and presently in all places But for to speake after the humanite say we that he is ascended into heauen the same was neuer in heauen before For because that the godly and humayne nature be so agreable inwardely in vnite of the personnes therfore vse we suche suche like maner of speakyng He sitteth on the ryght hande of God That is he is ordeyned of God a kyng and mightye lorde ouer all the goodes of God in heauen hell and earth Therfore is he able ynough to helpe hys faythful in all necessities Witnesse of the olde Testament In the Psalme hath the spirit of God goodly descrybed the glorinus triumphe of the ascention of Christe sayng pl. xlviij Thou arte gone vp an hye and haste led captiuite captine and hast receyued gyftes for menne Christ is gone vp to heauen by the power of the deite and hath euen there receyued all power and dignite of the father ouer all creatures and hath sent downe the holy goost with the treasure of al maner of gyftes through whome the gospel without feare is preached with power and the worlde conuerted christes ouercomynge The euill enemye hath taken men captiue for they were all synners he hath caryed them away with hys crafty subtelties from theyr Lorde God and brought them into his kyngdome of darkenes Iuce xi that is the feareful kyngdom of synne and death But there is yet come one stronger then he The stronge Lyon of the trybe of Iuda a ryght conqueror a stronge Sampson an ouercomer of death synne and hell And hath done to the deuyll a myghtye insullacyon in hys kyngdome And as a Kyng of glory destroyed the gates of hell spoylled the deuyll And hath brought agayne the princely spoyle with the triuÌ„phe of the crosse a Lorde of lyfe and of al thynges so that all they that beleue in Christe be delyuered from the power of synne death and the deuyll Reade more ouer the .i. xvij xxiiij xlvi xlvij xix and â—x Psalme ⧠Witnes of the newe Testament Thus sayth Christe Matthei xxvi Ye shal se the sonne of man sittynge on the ryght hande of power Item Marci xvi standeth thus He was receaued into heauen and is set downe on the ryght hande of God Item Luce. xxiiij Iohan. xvi I go to my father Iohan. xiiij Act. i. In the Actes of the Apostles is the story of the ascention very goodly described Euen there sayth Peter Actu ij and .v. The God of oure fathers raysed vp Iesus whome ye slewe hanged on the tree hym hath God lifte vp with hys ryght hande to be a ruler and a sauyoure for to geue repentaunce to Israel and forgeuenes of synnes Ro. viij Paule sayth He is on the ryght haÌ„de of God and maketh intercessyon for vs. Eph. i. In the Epistle to the Ephesyans hast thou a goodly witnesse There sayth Paule on thys wyse God hath rayseth Christ from death and set hym on hys ryght hande in heaueÌ„ly thinges aboue al rule power might and domination and aboue all names that are named not in thys worlde onely but also in the worlde to come and hath put all thynges vnder hys fete and hath made hym aboue al thynges the heade of the congregacyon which is hys body and fulnes of hym that filleth all in all thynges In the iiij Eph. iiij Psalm lxviij Chap. There dothe Paul bryng in the saynge out of the Psalme He is gone vp an hyghe and hath ledde captiuite captiue and hath geuen gyftes vnto men That he ascended what meaneth it but that he also desceÌ„ded first into the lowest partes of the earth He that descended is euen the same also that ascended vp aboue all heauens to fulfyll all thynges Reade the Epistel vnto the Philippians Phi. i Colo. iij in what hyghnes or dignity he is set Lykewyse to the Colossians and Ebrewes in the .i. iiij vij ix x. Chapiters Peter sayth i. Pe. iij i. Ioh. iij Christe is on the right hande of god and is gone into heaueÌ„ angilles powers and myght subdued vnto hym Marke wel the two articles Comforte of the resurrectioÌ„ and ascentioÌ„ of christ of the resurrection and ascention of Christe For there in is great comforte For to beleue that Christ is rysen froÌ„ death and ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God is nothyng elles than to beleue That Christe by hys death hath ouercome the eternall death and hath taken vpon hym and put awaye the feruentire of God agaynst vs Rom. v. and reconsyled vs vnto hys heauenly father made vs parteners of hys innocencye that death from hencefurth shal haue no more domination neyther ouer hym nor yet ouer his electe membres so that by hys resurrection we haue receyued a great benefyte namely pardon or forgeuenes of all synnes Ioh. xvi Matth. xxviij Eph. i. i. Ioh. ij Eph. ij To sitte on the ryght hande of god is to sitte in the power and kyngdome as a Lorde Item al power in heauen and earth is geuen vnto hym God hath caste al thynges vnder hys fete Item he is now before the father our mediatour reconciliation Through hym we haue an open waye in vnto the father he hath the euerlastynge Priesthode lyueth for euer and can perfectly saue all them that go vnto God by hym The seuenthe Article From thens he shal come to iudge the quicke the dead The daye of dome That shall be at the daye of dome whiche shall be a ioyfull daye to all faythfull Christians as Christ hym selfe witnesseth in Luke whan he had rehersed the signes and tokens whiche shoulde come before the laste daye Luce. xxi Matth. xxiiij vnto hys discyples He sayde Vvhen all these thynges begynne to come to passe then loke vp and lyfte vp your heades for youre redempcioÌ„ draweth nyghe Here he speaketh of the blessed they shall reioyce in the last daye that oure blasphemous lyfe hath an ende and that Christ is declared in all hys membres who woulde not be gladde with all hys harte of hys redempcion
corne wynes shoulde not growe in the feldes yet see well ynoughe that with all theyr thought and care they be not able to put one cubite vnto their statures They be heathen Mat. vi and knowe not the care prouidence grace of God Two thynges doth the Scripture speake and touche concernyng ryches First it is daungerous to medle with them Rychesse The scripture calleth thē thornes He must nedes haue a fayre grace of God that doth not prycke hym selfe beynge amonge thornes They be wytche blynde and hynder a man very sore A certaine Iewe came vnto Christe whiche was counted before the worlde a ryght honest man But when Christe woulde teache hym the perfection and bad hym forsake hys goodes and possessyōs he went away mournynge for he had great possessyons Then sayde Christ vnto hys disciples Matth. xix Mar. x. Lu. xviij with what difficultye shal thei that haue ryches enter into the kyngdome of God The goodes are loued and man is blynded Secondarely the Scripture doth not therfore denye the kyngdome of heauen vnto the ryche but onelye sheweth them the daunger and ieopardye thereof and warneth them faythfully that they shoulde not suffre the goodes to be theyr mayster and Lord and haue none euyll concupiscence after that which is temporal Psa lxij And yf ryches do increase vnto them that they shoulde not sette theyr hertes vpon them and make an Idoll thereof The ryche man in S. Luke shoulde be a warnynge vnto them Luce. xij Verely the spirite of God which knewe very wel the perilles daungers thereof saith in sayncte Paul on thys wyse i. tim vi They that wil be ryche fall into temptation and snares and into many foolyssh noysome lustes which drowne men in perdicion and destruction For couetousnes is the rote of all euyl whiche whyle some lusted after they erred from the fayth and tangled them selues with many sorrowes In the end of the same Epistle geueth he vnto the ryche a very goodly rule to lyue by and fayth Charge thē that are ryche in thys worlde that they be not excedyng wyse and that they truste not in the vncertayne ryches but in the lyuynge God whiche geueth vs aboundantly all thynges to enioye thē and that they do good and be ryche in good workes and ready to geue and to distribute layenge vp in store for themselues a good foūdation agaynst the tyme to come that they may obtayne eternal lyfe Mat. vi Men can not serue God Mammon together Ecclesi v. Reade in the preacher of Salomon of the ryche men of thys worlde Whosoeuer doth medle moche with goodes by the way of marchādyse customes or other wyse latte hym remembre that he medleth with thornes and forgette not the brotherly loue but accordynge to the lawe of nature as he would that men shoulde deale with hym truely and vprightly so let hym deale with hys neyghboure Tob. iiij Vvhatsoeuer ye woulde that men shoulde do to you mat vij euen so do ye to them Thys is the lawe and the Prophetes Luce. vi Geue and it shal be geuen vnto you sayth Christe Lende lokynge for nothynge agayne and youre rewarde shal be greate and ye shal be the chyldren of the hyest Deute xv Item in the fyfte boke of Moyses sayth the lawe Tourne not thyne eyes from thy poore brother handle not deceatfully and craftely with hym in hys necessities that thy Lorde God maye blesse the alwayes and in all thynges that thou goest aboute or takest in hande Deute xxiij xxiiij Geue vnto thy brother no money vpon vsury O Lorde God why do men rage so vnmanerly and abhominable for the temporall goodes seyng thei muste shortely departe from them when they dye They can not preserue them from death what shoulde it profite a man Matth xxvi though he shoulde wynne all the hole worlde yf he loose his owne soule Christe warneth you fatherly in Mathewe and sayeth Mat. vi See that ye gather you not treasure vppon the earth where ruste and mothes corrupte and where theues breake through and steale But gather ye treasures together in heauen where nether ruste nor mothes corrupte and where theues nether breake vp nor yet steale For where so euer youre treasure is there will youre hertes be also It can not well be done to followe the naked Christe and to beare his crosse where as so greate ryches and all plentie doth abounde Synne Synne is all what soeuer is against the commaundement of God There is thre maner of synnes The originall synne is an euill concupiscēce where of we be inheritours by byrthe descēdinge from Adā vpon all Adams children whiche prouoketh and enticeth to synne For it is written in the fyrst boke of Moyses The imagination of mannes herte is euyl Ge. vi and .viij euē from hys youthe Of thys synne complayneth Dauid sayenge Psal li. Rom. v Ephe. ij Beholde I was shapen in wickednes and in synne hath my mother conceyued me Thys synne bryngeth the chylde with hym euen from hys mothers wombe The deadly synne is euery synne agaynst the commaundement of god of her owne nature The daily synne The dayly synne is a synne of the Christen menne or of the saynctes is called daily for thys cause not that she is so small of her selfe but because she is forgeuen vnto the faythful thorough the mercyfulnes of God and is not imputed vnto hym for synne vnto death Briefely euery dede of man whiche is not through the faythe in Christe is a deadly synne For the frute is as the tree The tree is the carnal mā which spiritually is dead how shoulde he then of hymself bring furth a lyuing fruite that is a good worke Infirmitie For as muche as a Christen man doth not feare death he feareth much lesse bodely sickenes he escheweth only the infirmities of the soule that is to say synne The bodely infirmitye is vnto man a costely medecyne agaynst the synfull flesshe For man is neuer more righteous then when he is sicke when God scourgeth thē doth he heale Amendement of lyfe happeneth best in the tyme of all maner of tribulation Sickenes doth withdrawe him from the inordinate and vncomely loue of creatures that he begynneth to loke for the creatoure as for hym that onely can helpe on euery syde and quycken man in all hys aduersities whiche he muste suffre here It geueth also vnto man in tribulation a spirituall ioye and bryngeth a good confidence towardes god whā he thinketh accordinge as the scripture doth shewe Vvhome the lord loueth Ebr. xij hym he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receyueth Yf ye endure chastenynge God offereth hymselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes what sonne is that whome the father chasteneth not If ye be not vnder correction whereof al are partakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes Moreouer seynge we had fathers of our flesshe whiche
please God for he that cometh to God must beleue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seke hym We saye not I see or I knowe Ebr. xi but I beleue Paule sayth Faythe is a sure confidence of thynges whiche are hoped for and a certaynte of thinges whiche are not sene For these articles be wonderfull secretes of God which thorough mennes witte can not be obtayned and vnderstonde but onely with the eyes of fayth Mannes wysedome can not vnderstonde that god is become man and frō death rysen agayne and rayseth also the dead in Christe that he ascended into heauen sitteth on the ryghte hand of God his father Item that Goddes naturall sonne be borne of a virgyn and suche lyke Wisedome of the crosse The wysedome of the crosse is hyden from al eyes of worldly wysedome it is a mistery which is knowen by fayth All worldly policye knoweth nothynge of it i. Cor. i. Euen thus sayth Paul we preache Christ crucifyed vnto the Iewes an occasion of fallyng and vnto the Grekes folisshnes but vnto thē whiche are called bothe of Iewes and Grekes we preache Christe the power of God and the wysedome of God It semeth vnto the Gentiles to be a folissh thyng that God shoulde dye beyng the incomprehensible maiestye They knowe nothynge of the mistery of the blessed manhode whiche God toke vpon hym for oure saluacyon from the beginnynge prouyded Ephes i and ordeyned Saynt Paul speaketh vnto the Corinthians When the world through their wisedome knowe not God in hys wysedome i. Cor. i it pleased God through folyshnes of preachynge to saue them that beleue thereon Luce. ij Here is set and erected the signe which is spoken agaynst and whiche is the fall and resurrection of many in Israel Esay xxviij Here is set the stone of stomblynge and rocke of offence as Esay sayth Vvhereon many shall be brused That is the wisedome of Christen men whiche saued vs. As for all the wysedome of the Gentiles was not able to comforte her teachers effectually in their smalest grefe Mat. xi The wysedō hath God hyd from the wyse and prudent and hath opened it vnto babes The Iewes wente about Rom. xi to be made and to come ryghteous to God throughe the lawe and throughe the dedes of the lawe but so coulde coulde they not be ryghteous Roma x They haue reiected Christe the precious corner stone which is the ende of the lawe in whome is made righteous he that beleueth Rom. ix But there is another ryghteousnes whereof the Iewes knowe not whiche is called the ryghteousnes of God that is no thynge elles then to beleue in hym that iustifyeth the synner accordynge as saynte Paul witnesseth Rom iiij If I beleue truely in Christe as in the very some of God myne onely redemer and saueour truely then shall thys fayth and truste be counted vnto me for ryghteousnes before God Fayth is not a slyght thynge whiche a man may geue vnto hym selfe or make it when he wyll But it is a great myghtye thynge whiche renueth man and leaueth hym not in hys olde opinyon Vvhat is fayth and in hys olde skynne and desyres To beleue is stedfastly to cleaue vnto the worde sf God whether it be wordes of threatenynges or of promyse that thou doest truste there vpon That can no man do of hym selfe Act. iiij the spirite of God must renue illumyne hys herte before A man maye make to hymfelfe an opinyon of God that he is good and merciful but it hath no efficacye for as sone as the earnest nede cometh it vanissheth awaye as a dreame A right fayth It is not ynowgh that we speake the articles of oure fayth euery daye fyue sixe or seuen tymes after the pater noster Thei must be written in the herte that lyuely not onely mumbled with the tōg that when the affliction beginneth that it be then euen as thou speakest Thou sayest I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes when the deuyll doth assayle the in necessyte of death for thy manyfolde synnes sake then arte thou abasshed and wylt dispayre Thereby do I see that thou spekest this article with thy mouthe but thy herte knoweth nothynge thereof Thou beleuest it not truely Thou saakest I beleue the resurrection of the body and the lyfe euerlastynge but whan death breaketh in and body soule must parte than arte thou so afrayde as though body and soule dyed altogether as yf it were cleane done with the Se yf there were a right fayth in the of this article that there were no doubtefulnes with the in it that thy body and soule woulde sone come together agayne thou shouldest not be so fearefull For fayth is kepte in necessite euen as golde in the fyre dayly prayer Thy daily and moost diligent prayer allwayes to god shal be O Lorde euerlastyng almighty God geue me the ryght true faythe loue and hope that I maye serue my neyghboure accordynge to thy pleasure AMEN ¶ The fyrste Artycle I Beleue in God the father almighty maker of heauē and earth Here marke fyrste One god thre persons that there is but one God but they be thre personnes The father and the sonne and the holy goost as the scripture testifyeth The thre personnes be lyke euerlastyng lyke myghtye of one maiestye and beynge The sonne in the holy trinitye is sent vnto vs in the last tyme hath tagen vpō him humayne nature to thintent that he shoulde fulfylle the scripture and redeme vs accordynge to the good wyll of hys father And he hath also created all thynges with the father and the hooly goost after the Godheade in the beginnynge Deu. vi Thus sayth the scripture Heare Israel The Lorde oure God is an onely Lorde And thou shalt loue the Lord thy god with all thy herte with all thy soule with all thy mighte the nature beleueth not that there is one God The nature of mankynde is so euel so sore blynded through synne that she of her owne power and strengthe can not well comprehende thys article that there is one God yea althoughe she thynke there be somewhat that is God as the gentyle Cicero maketh mencion yet knoweth she nothyng sure of hym of hys power and wille It is easy to perceyue how littel the gentyls haue knowen of god thorough theyr own wittes thei haue made many Goddes Roma i and haue waxed ful of vanities in theyr imaginacions ād haue knowen nothynge truely of the almyghtynes of God The lyght of nature is to weake for suche hyghe matters The lyght of grace must shyne here in darkenes elles is it errour and ignoraunce God oure father God is called oure father that is a confortable thynge to the faythfull is he our father so be we hys children and heyres of hys kyngdome Euē so doeth also Esay calle hym Lord thou atre our father oure
He that through the sprete of faith vnderstandeth the great calamite of thys myserable lyfe Rom. ix and the blasphemye of god whiche through oure synfull lyfe dayly in the flesshe is committed reioyseth that thys calamitie sone ceasseth The vngodly But the vngodly whome Paul calleth vessels of ire where on God shal shewe hys strayght iudgement they woulde wysshe that this temporal lyfe myght laste for euer They woulde be content with a good wyl that god shoulde kepe hys heauenly kyngdome alone O how fearful shal be vnto them the face of Iesus Christe which shal shewe him self in the last day with such great glory maiestie Zach. ix vnto all men Angels and deuils His first comyng was despysed and a slight thynge before the world but then when god the father shal geue ouer vnto hym all hys enemyes into suche horryble euerlastynge and in tollerable paynes and punyshemētes Esa lxij And all the membres of Christe shall be sett from al calamitye and misery into all perfection ioye and glory ād in al certayntye withoute ende Verely then shall he ryde no more vpon an asse in mekenes and shewe no more necessite but all glorye then shall the greate daye of the Lorde be at hande the daye of wrath and sorowfulnes the day of myst and of stormy wynd as the Prophete Sophony wryteth Soph. i. He shall come to iudge the quicke that shall be founde and the dead that haue dyed Cyprian vnderstandeth that the lyuinge be the soules and the deade their bodyes But for as muche as Paule sayth i. tess iiij that we which lyue remayne in the comynge of the Lord shal be caught together with the deade also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayer and so shall euer be with the Lorde Truely so myght it be thought that there shal be some on lyue caught to the iudgement as also Saynt Ierome sayth vppon thys place They that be departed in Christe shall aryse fyrste and the sayntes whiche shal be founde lyuinge they shal be caught to gether with the fyrste Augustyn in the boke of the Citye of God sayth Lib. xxij Cap. xx That Paul here in this Epistle to Thessaloniens dyd not meane hymselues and those that lyued in hys daies But that he dyd meane those that Christe shal fynde on lyue He supposeth also that those whiche soon lyue shal be caught in the ayer to mete Christe shall together at one tyme in the same catchyng dye In Ecc. dog vi and .vij. and ryse agayn as he sayth in another place Nowe howe the same cometh to passe wil we committe to God it is not necessary for vs to knowe Witnesse of thys article out of th◠scripture Malachie descrybeth the comyng of Christe and the iudgemēt Mal. iij dan. vij Daniell dothe also note the comynge of the sonne of man to the iudgement Item of hys power and kyngdom that this power endureth foreuer Luce. i. Mic. iiij Matth. xxiiij and that his kingdō endureth vncorrupte as also Luke dothe writte and Micheas In Mathewe is descrybed the comynge of Christe whereas he saythe Euen as the lightenyng cometh oute of the easte and appeareth into the west so shall the commynge of the sonne of man be Then shal al the kynredes of the earthe mourne and they shall see the sonne of man commynge in the cloudes of heauen with great power and glorye and he shal sende hys Angels with the great voyce of trōpettes And they shall gather together hys chosen from the foure wyndes from the one ende of heauen vnto the other Marci xij Luce. xxi Matthei xix xxv xxvi fyndest thou also such lyke ij ii iiij Paule i. Corinth iiij i. Thessa iiij ij Thessal ij Item to Timothe I testitye before God and the Lorde Iesu Christe which shall come to iudge the quycke and deade Ro. xiiij at hys appearynge in hys kyngdome And to the Romaynes Vve shal be al brought before the iudgement seate of Christe Esa xlv For it is written as truely as I lyue sayth the Lorde Al knees shal bowe to me and al tonges shall geue prayse to God ij Co. v Item to the Corinthians we muste al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery man maye receyue the workes of hys body accordyng to that he hathe done i. Pe. iiij whether it be good or bad Peter Vviche shal geue accomptes to hym that is ready so iudge the quycke and the deade Act. ◠In the Actes of the Apostles sayth Peter Christe hath commaunded vs to preache vnto the people and to testify that he is ordeyned of God a iudge of the quycke and the deade The eyghte Article ☞ I beleue in the holye goost Here speakest thou In the holy gost therewith doest thou confesse that the holy goost is God For to beleue a thynge is to sett there on thy truste hope and loue thys is an honour whiche pertayneth onely to God hys maiesty The holy goost is the thirde person in the eternal deite procedynge from the father and from the sonne through an vnknowen Matth. xxviij and inexplicable wyse In Mathew sayth Christe Go and baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goost Here is mightely shewed the deite of the holy goost for seynge he cōmanded to baptise in the name of the holy goost so must I beleue trust in the holy gost Shall I then truste beleue in hym then must he also surely be God for a man maye trust or beleue in none but onely in god Gen. i In the firste boke sayeth Moyses The spirite moued vpon the water There doeth Moyses geue and appropriate to the holy goost hys worke in the creation Psalm xxxiij Dauid sayth in the Psalme By the worde of the Lorde are the heauens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of hys mouth That is The heauens are made by the holy goost and al that is therein These wordes geue clearly that he is God seynge the creation is asscrybed vnto hym And in another Psalme Psalm cxxxix Whyther shal I go from thy spirite and whyther shal I flee from thy presence There geueth he also to vnderstande that he is euery where To be in all places belongeth onely to God and to no creature as Dauid sayeth Yf I clyme vp into heauē Psalm cxxxix thou arte there yf I go downe to hell thou arte there also Iohn sawe the spirite of god descende lyke vnto a doue Iohan. i and abyde vpon hym Christe sayeth in Iohan. I wyll praye the father Iho. xiiij and he shal geue you another conforter that he may abyde with you euer whiche is the spiryte of truethe The comforter whiche is the holy goost whome my father wil sende in my name he shall teache you all thynges Item in another place Iho. xvi yf I goo not awaye that
euen so the sonne quickeneth whome he wyll The father hath geuen power to the sonne also to iudge The houre shal come in the whiche all that are in the graues shal heare hys voyce and shal come forth they that haue done good to the resurrectyon of lyfe and they that haue done euyll vnto the resurrection of damnatyon In the Actes of the Apostles Act. xvij preacheth Paule vnto those of Athenes the resurrectyon of the deade Item in another place sayeth Paule act xxiiij I beleue all thynges which are writtē in the lawe and the Prophetes and haue hope towardes God that the same resurrection of death which thei loke for also shal be act xxvi bothe of iuste and vniuste Rom. vi Item to the Romaynes sayth he yf we be grafte in death lyke vnto hym Ro. viij euen so muste we be lyke in the resurrection yf we be dead with christ we beleue that we shall lyue with him ¶ Item to the Corinthians i. Co. vi God hath raysed vp the Lorde and shal rayse vs vp by hys power knowe ye not that youre bodyes are the membres of Christe yf they be the mēbres of Christe then muste they be glorifyed and claryfyed with theyr heade ⧠The fyfthene Chapyter in the fyrste Epystle to the Corinthyans haue dearly in commendation wherein Sayncte Paule so excellentely and commyngly writeth of the resurrection of Christe and of oure resurrection and maketh suche an argumēt and ground Christ is rysen frō death therfore shal we ryse also Vvherfore dyed he howe hath slayne hym Truely our synnes The father hath layed all oure synnes vpon hym therfore hath he satisfyed Esa liij as Esay sayth Nowe yf he were not rysen then were all oure doyng in vayne yea we were yet in synne and dominacyon as depe as euer we were No man were poorer and more miserable then we christians yf we onely in thys shorte lyfe shoulde put oure trust in Christe and afterwarde all shoulde be at an ende Then the sinnes had ben to heauy and to stronge for hym But nowe is christe risen from death death hath no more power ouer hym Truely then hath he ouercome oure synne and death that they can beare no more rule ouer vs. He is become theyr myghtye and stronge Lorde And as by Adam all dye euen so by Christe shal all be made a lyue Therfore let vs be mery in the Lorde oure enemys synne death hell be layde downe Christ is a kynge myghtely hys kyngedome endureth for euer where as he is there shal we be also Vvhe haue a good cause to reioyce and with thankefulnes to be freeharted and blode in Christ oure ouercomer and Lorde and to be with death at defyaunce death is swallowed vp in victory The Lorde sayth O death Ose xiij I wil be thy death O hel I wil be thy stynge Death where is thy stynge Hel where is thy victory But thankes be vnto God whiche hath geuen vs the victory Through our Lord Iesus Christe In the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians sayth he ij Cor. i that we should not put oure trust in oure selues but in God which rayseth the dead to lyfe agayne Reade a goodly example the fyfth Chapiter in the same Epistle Item we knowe that ij cor iiij he whiche rayseth vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus ij co xiij Item we shall lyue with hym by the power of God Item to the Philippians Oure cōuersacyon is in heauen from whence aso we loke for the sauyour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ whiche shal chaūge oure vyle body that he maye make it lyke vnto hys gloryous body accordyng to the workyng whereby he is able also to subdue all thynges vnto hym selfe Colo. iij Item to the Colossyans ye be now rysen with Christe therfore seke those thynges whiche are aboue i. Th. iiij Item to the Thessalonyens sayeth Paule I would not bretheren that ye should not be ignorant concerning them whiche are fallen a slepe that ye sorrowe not as other doo whiche haue no hope For yf we beleue that Iesus dyed and ryse agayne euen so them also whiche slepe by Iesus wyll God brynge agayne wyth hym And thys saye we vnto you in the worde of the Lorde that we whiche lyue and are remainynge in the commynge of the Lorde shal not come yerre then they whiche slepe For the Lorde hym selfe shall descende from heauen with a showre and the voyce of the Archangell and trompe of God And the dead in Christe shall ryse fyrste then shall we whiche lyue and remayne be caught vp with them also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayer and so shall we euer be with the Lorde wherfore comforte youre selues one another with these wordes The twelfte Artikel And the lyfe euerlastynge The life here in thys worlde is called a calamitye for we haue no restynge place here neyther shall we abyde here alwayes as Paule sayeth Ebr. xiij Here haue we no contynuynge City but we seke one to come Heauen is oure home the lyfe euerlastynge thether long we in the lyfe euerlastynge Summa summarum there is all the desyre of man whiche can be satisfyed with nothynge elles than with beholdynge and browkynge of the godly essence as Dauid saith psa xvij I wyl beholde thy presence in ryghteousnes and I shal be satisfyed when I awake vp after thy lykenes The Philosophers and world wysemen haue taken great paynes to studye seke out what thyng it myght be Saluation of man wherein the harte of man without all calamytye and miserye were satisfyed and stedfastly rested an in the ende wherevnto it is ordeyned and whiche myght be oure saluacion But lyke as they coulde see no ryghte vertue by the naturall power withoute grace euen so coulde they not knowe also that thynge where in the saluacyon of man consisteth The one thought that health is the greatest good Another toke ryches for it Some haue named vertue the saluacyon Some dyd put theyr saluatiō in thre goodes namely the goodes of fortune as ryches honour power The goodes of the bodye as healthe strengthe The goodes of the soule as science and vertue But the blynde lyghte of nature knoweth nothyng of the ryght saluation and of the ryghte lyfe euerlastynge The spirit of God doth teache it vs by the scripture For thus sayth Iohn i. Ioh. v Ioh xvij Christe is very God and eternall lyfe Item thys is lyfe eternall that then myght knowe the onely true God and Iesus Christe whome thou hast sent That is oure heauen thether be we bounde sayng This is my rest for euer that is oure kyngedome Psalm cxxxij wherein Christ hath preipared for vs many maners of dwellinge places Ioh. xiiij Matth. xxv Matt. v Into that housse shal he sende the electe and shall saye Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kyngdome prepared for you from