Ephe. 1. and therfore in the place aboue recited this spirit is called the spirit of promise because it doeth assertaine and assure vs of all the blessinges and promises of God that are made vnto vs. In the Actes it is sayde that Lydia a woman being a seller of purple came to heare Paul preach the Gospel but marke what Saint Luke saieth whose heart sayeth he the Lord opened that shee attended to the things which Paul spake So that except God open our closed and hard shutte hearts by the secret inspiration of this holy spirite in vayne shall we eyther preach or the people heare We haue neede then all of vs before we come to heare his word pray to God to giue vs grace to perceyue vnderstand his will and mysteries to soften our stony hearts that they may receiue the worde and to circumcise our eares to heare it This it that Dauid sayde O Lord open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Lawe and againe O giue me vnderstanding I wil keepe thy Lawe Now Dauid knewe very well that all these things were done by the operation of Gods spirite as Paul sayeth The spirit hath reuealed these things vnto vs 1. Cor. 2. for it is hee that helpeth all our infirmities Rom. 8. This is the marke whereby God doeth seale and print in the forehead to be seene of all men those that are his and without the which no man can truely assure him selfe that he belongeth vnto Christ for as the same Apostle witnesseth If any man haue not the Spirite of Christ the same is none of his Nowe how greatly this holy spirit is to be desired of all of vs there is no man that hath read the Scriptures but well vnderstandeth This made Eliseus a notable man the scholer of Elias when his master bad him to aske of him what he would that he might do it for him before he was taken away from him into heauen that he asked his spirite to bee doubled vpon him whereby he might the better serue the Lord and his Church in his vocation and calling 2. King 2. and so by this spirit he wrought wonderful miracles and did much good by it to the whole kingdome of Israel Wee see by this petition of this notable father godly man what we also shoulde especially desire of God in our prayers not riches or wealth so much which al do perish but this holy spirite which liueth remaineth for euer in them that haue him and can neuer be lost or taken away And this is the self same thing that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to aske in our praiers of God his father for speaking of praier to his disciples he sheweth that God his Father is most ready to giue vs our requests as soone as we aske of him as our earthly father is willing to bestow that vpon vs which he is able to giue And of all other things that God giueth he maketh mention of this spirit saying If ye which are euill can giue good giftes vnto your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy Ghost to thē that desire him Luk. 11. Signifying this Spirite to be the excellentest gift that God coulde giue or we desire of him We haue nowe heard the meaning of this article of the holy Ghost what it is and what are the wonderfull and comfortable effectes of it in the Church and howe the Lorde hath promised neuer to leaue his destitute of it vnto the worlds ende We haue seene also howe we must beleeue in him as the true and euerlasting God equally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne because he is the power and vertue whereby they doe worke and create all things Seeing therefore this heauenly spirit is so necessarie and so great a treasure let vs that are true Christians most duetifully thanke our heauenly Father for bestowing of him vpon his whole familie here in earth and vpon euery one of vs that are his seruants wherby we are knowen in the worlde and among our selues that wee are his owne And let vs also pray vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ the sender of this holy spirit to kindle and stirre him vp in our heartes dayly more and more that by his assistance we may haue an earnest feeling and lothing of our sinnes and so bee brought to doe his will and pleasure with a carefull keeping of all his commaundements vntill we all come to a full perfection in Iesus Christ euen vnto that hope which is layde vp for vs in the newe and heauenly Ierusalem which Christ hath purchased full dearely for vs with his owne precious heart blood To whom with his Father and the holy ghost three persons in trinitie and yet one God in vnitie be rendred all prayse honour glorie and thankes giuing both nowe and for euermore Amen The ninth Lecture vpon the ninth Article of our Christian fayth The holy catholike Church the communion of Saints WE haue declared alreadie vnto you three parts of this our Christian fayth the fyrst wherein we doe beleeue and confesse the Father to bee the Creator and maker of all things the seconde part wherein we acknowledge the Sonne Iesus Christ the redeemer of mankinde the thirde sheweth vnto vs the holy Ghost the comforter of our heartes and the confirmer of all these things which are conteyned in these former eyght articles which we haue proued all out of the euerlasting worde of GOD. Nowe followeth consequently the fourth part of our Christian beliefe which is concerning the Church the ninth article with other three which are annexed vnto the Church as the especiall blessings and benefites which flowe and issue out of the former partes and alwayes doe accompanie and followe the spouse of Christ The causes and matter of our saluation being alreadie handled the effect doeth followe which is the Church Otherwise in vayne shoulde God create and Christ redeeme and the holy Ghost inspire and confirme these benefites and giftes vnlesse there were some that myght bee partakers of those treasures brought out and founded by the blessed Trinitie Againe seeing the kingdome of Christ is euerlasting it is very necessarie and requisite that there be alwayes some which may acknowledge him for their King and gouernour To this ende hath Christ his continuall Church and shall haue to the ende of the worlde as he hath had euer from the first beginning The meaning therefore of this article is this I beleeue that God almightie hath alwayes had from the first creation of the worlde and hath presently and shall haue vnto the consummation of the worlde his Church here in earth which is the cōmunion of Saints that is to say a company and congregation of faythfull men and women which doe truely beleeue in Iesus Christ acknowledging him for their onely Sauiour and seruing him according to his worde receyuing his Sacraments and taking holde of all his mercies and benefites by fayth onely
his prophesie of this wonderful natiuitie of our Sauiour Iesus saying in his Chap. 23. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch a king shal reigne prosper shal execute true iudgement iustice vpō the earth In his daies Iuda shal be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and fulnesse of time as the Apostle speaketh was come then God sent his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. God then as in this so in all other things is true and iust of his promise and couenant that he maketh to a thousand generatiōs as saith the Prophet For nothing can let him to bring his words to passe his power is infinit ouer all And although it be said that Marie was maried to Ioseph Ioseph tooke her home to him to be his wife yet she was a virgin for Ioseph knewe her not so that Christ was borne of her being a virgin Ioseph was spoused to her in this respect that he should be an aide and comfort for her in her trouble and paine in her flight into Egypt in her great pouertie for she was so poore that she had no chamber to be deliuered in but laid our Sauiour Christ in a manger For these causes was Ioseph called her husbande also that shee myght be voyde of suspition of fornication and Christ not thought to be borne out of wedlocke or in adulterie 2 Secondly for our instruction let vs consider the whole maner of Christs birth after what sort and fashion it was S. Luke doth declare the order of it very liuely saith that whē Ioseph Mary were at Bethlehem the dayes were accomplished that shee shoulde be deliuered she brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and layde him in a cratch or manger because there was no roume for thē in the Inne By these words we see the maner of Christs birth howe it was very poore and base in respect of the world nothing glorious in the eies of men or as myght beseeme so great a prince as he was He that might haue bene borne in a most magnificent and royall palace would be borne in a stable or oxe stall and he which could haue bene layde in a most sumptuous bed of doune with silke veluet wrought garnished yet notwithstanding woulde bee layde in a vile manger This doth passe the reach and capacitie of mans witte and doth expresse vnto vs how that the Lords waies are not our wayes nor his doinges as ours are For then surely woulde hee not haue had Christ his Sonne to bee borne so poorely and without al honour and estimation here in the earth But here we see the great loue of Christ towardes vs the woulde so be borne for our sakes So that in this is fulfilled that notable saying if S. Paul the Apostle 2. Corinth 8. Chap. 9. saying Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ y◠he beīg rich for your sakes became poore that ye through his pouertie myght be made rich A notable lesson to take pouertie in good part if the Lord for iust causes lay it vpon vs. And not only was he borne so poorely miserably but also liued so afterwarde all his life time while he was here vpon the earth for that space of 2. or 3. and thirty yeres insomuch that when he was borne he stedde into Egypt frō Herod that sought to kil him no doubt with trouble paine Afterward he liued with the beneuolence liberalitie of certaine good womē as of Mary Magdalene Ioanna that wife of Chuza Herods stewarde Susanna many other which ministred vnto him of their substance Luk. 8. 3. so that he himselfe doth pronounce to one that would folow him for gaine estimatiō in this life that the sonne of mā meaning him self hath not where to lay or hide his hed but is in worse case thē the foxes which haue holes or the birds of the aire which haue their nests Mat. 8. By this we learne to take pouerty patiently which the Lorde himselfe hath sanctified in his owne body neither to thinke it accursed And we learne thereby the contempt of this worlde for Christ had nothing glorious in the face and eyes of man hee was not riche but poore If wee haue riches let vs not thinke so much or highly of them or be puffed vp by them for Christ had them not If wee be poore let vs remember that Iesus Christ was poore also in this life It is sufficient for vs and enough if we may be riche after this life not that these riches and worldly thinges are ill if they be vsed to Gods glory but Christ would teache vs by his example that first his kingdome is not of this world then not to be greeued if we lacke these transitorye thinges for hee had them not at all wherefore if we haue meate and drinke and raiment we must be content The circumstances of his birth are the place of it and the tyme. As concerning the place Matthewe and Luke both agree in one that it was Bethlehem for so was it long before prophecyed of by the Prophet Micheas Chap. 5. saying And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art little to be among the thousands of Iuda yet our of thee shall come foorth vnto me one that shal be the ruler in Israel whose goings foorth shall be from the beginning and from euerlasting Where hee setteth foorth vnto vs plainely both the humanitie of Christ and also his diuinitie his humanitie in that hee sayth hee came out of Bethlehem and his diuinitie in that his going foorth was from euerlasting The place then was Bethlehem no great and famous citie as Ierusalem was but a poore and obscure towne nothing spoken of among men Here wee may see againe that as Christ shewed great humilitie in the maner of his birth so did hee also in chusing so poore and vile a place as Bethlehem was And this was done no doubt to confound the wisedome of the wise and mightie which woulde haue thought rather that Christ should haue bene borne at Ierusalem or some such like notable and excellent citie Well our sauiour Christ chose Bethlehem and made it famous through his birth and reiected all other cities so is fulfilled that saying of Paul God hath chosen the weake things of the worlde to confound the strong and vile things and things that are despised hath God chosen to bring to naught the thinges that are that no fleshe shoulde reioyce in his presence 1. Corinthians 1. Verses 27. 28 29. Let no man therefore be grieued or ashamed if he be borne in a poore and base village for so was Christ borne and hee is nothing the worse for it hee may come as soone to heauen as they that are borne in the greatest
this holy spirite of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redēption by your corrupt communication proceeding out of your mouthes and seeing he will be content to tarry with you and make his abode in your houses let all bitternes and anger and wrath and euill speaking be put farre away from you with all wickednesse For surely if these thinges be among vs he will depart from vs and then he leaueth vs to our owne willes This can not bee but a great griefe of minde for if our friende shoulde goe away from vs by our vncourteous dealing and vsing of him we woulde be sory much more shoulde we be sorie when such a friende departeth and leaueth our companie because we are giuen to vice and naughtinesse whose presence was all ioye and whose absence from vs is extreme miserie and cursednesse Wherefore as this spirite was obtayned by the meanes of prayer so is he kept and preserued with vs by earnest prayer and hearing of the worde and other such godly exercises of the Christians in which they are commanded to walke in For the fruite of the spirite is in all goodnesse righteousnesse and trueth approouing that which is acceptable and pleasing the Lord. And here is another effect woorthie the nothing that this holy Ghost inhabiting within the elect and children of God doeth make now their workes and labours to be acceptable vnto him which before his comming vnto vs were abominable vnpleasant vnto God not that our good works deserue any thing at his handes but because we are ingraffed vnto Christ by the seale of his spirit Therefore that which was ill in vs before is nowe made good and accepted as if it were perfite yea through this spirite which doeth so season inwardly our actions that they are liked of God we become thereby not onely his faithfull seruants deare friends but that which is much more his welbeloued sōnes as Paul sheweth vnto vs Because ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirite of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Father father Wherfore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne Nowe if thou bee a sonne thou art also the heire of god through Christ If this be so that we be made the sonnes of God and haue receiued the adoption of children by this holy spirite then we may assure our selues of saluation vnlesse the obedient childe may doubt of the good will of his louing father Here then falleth to the ground the doctrine of the Papistes that teach men to doubt and stande in feare of their saluation For is not this a very absurd and a foolish Position that they mainteyne that we may call God Father and yet doubt whether he will bestowe the inheritance of children vpon vs Shall I call him father and doubt of this For these are the wordes of the holy Ghost vttered by S. Paul That the spirite of God witnesseth with our spirite that we are the sonnes of God This being so marke what Paul inferreth bringeth in vpon this poynt If we be childrē we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Iesus Christ Shall I now be made appoynted an heire by good sufficient warrant of the holy Ghost which lyeth not nor deceyueth and yet doubt of my inheritance that were a mad thing Can the seruant doubt whether he be his masters man or shall receyue his wages when he weareth his masters coate and cognisance or can one doubt of the writing to be authentical and good that hath the parties hande and seale vnto it Or may a man doubt hauing receiued earnest in part of payment but that he shall in tyme conuenient haue the whole hauing bargained with an houest man Or doe we receyue the witnesse of honest men of credite nere in matters politicall and shall not we receyue the witnesse of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which is greater and more to bee beleeued of vs when hee promiseth saluation to the beleeuers Surely if we doubt then we haue not faith for he that doubteth is not grounded in the faith but is like a waue of the sea tost of the winde and caryed away Iames 1. How can I haue hope of saluation as I am commaunded and yet be in despaire of it and doubt with my selfe A man can not hope for that whereof he doubteth Doeth not Saint Iohn say playnely We knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethrē He saith not We doubt of it And againe Hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs euen by his spirit which he hath giuen vs. And all this assurance commeth to passe by the testimonie and witnesse of this holie spirite which therefore is called the seale of God the earnest penie the spirite of trueth which can not deceyue or be deceyued And here I can not but maruayle at the ignorance and blindenesse of the Papists which while they go about to establish this doctrine of error they impugne and ouerthrowe another of their owne For they saye that a man may fulfill the Lawe of God perfitly nay they go further and say he may fulfil the Lawe and doe all that God hath commaunded in his worde written and more to which are workes of supererogation besides which he hath not commaunded and so in deede he hath not and these workes the Monkes and Friers doe bestowe vpon their friendes which lacke them for they haue ynough for themselues and these they sell to others which are the ouerplus and they call them the store of the Church Nowe thus standeth the case If they keepe the Lawe then they neede not doubt but that God wil giue them the rewarde of it which is life and saluation and why then doe they doubt if it be true they fulfill the commandementes then let them not distrust of their wages and hire Wherefore one of these two must needes follow If they keepe the Lawe then they neede not doubt of life If they doubt of saluation then it is certaine they keepe not the Lawe In one of these two they must needes bee founde lyers by their owne confession But in deede they are vntrue in both of them for it is false that they keepe the Lawe which is a yoke that can not be borne of any man except Christ seeing it is spiritual biddeth vs not to sinne neyther in deede neither in worde no not so much as once in thought Matth. 5. And the other is as false that we should doubt of our saluation But in deede the first author of this doctrine the Pope himselfe out of whose shop it came that great Antichrist and a man of all abominations that euer were might well teache this doctrine and doubt of his saluation liuing as he doth in filthy fornication with his Curtisanes and harlots at Rome sturring vp Christian Princes to warre one with another to mainteyne his vnsatiable ambition pride couetousnes with all maner
head and one house but one Lorde and master to rule it what wickednesse is it to say that the Pope of Rome is an vniuersall head ouer the Church Is not this to take away Christes roome and dignitie or rather is it not to make the Church a monster to haue two heades in one body But they say that the Byshope of Rome is the visible heade in Christes steade but this they can not shewe by Scripture neither doeth the Church require any such heade for Christ is present with it as he hath promised Mat. 28. I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the worlde If the Pope be a visible heade why is he not seene of al men why doeth he not gouerne all men in the Church and giue nourishment vnto them as the heade ought to doe This he doth not wherefore he is no visible heade as he doth pretende And surely to be the general head ouer al is too great a matter enterprise for any mortal man to take vpō him I am sure the Pope will graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholike Church If hee then bee a member howe can hee be an head except the same thing shal be both an heade and member which is very absurde monstruous If he say that as he is a member Christ is his head only and not another why shall not Christ bee as well a head for all These thinges wee see are very childish and fonde But yet they apply and say that Christ sayde to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde my Church First note hee sayth not vpon thee Peter will I builde but vpon this rocke meaning the fayth of Peters confession which confessed him to be Christ therefore by the rocke hee meant himselfe For when Peter had sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of God Christ sayd to him Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church and in that place hee giueth no more to Peter in the keys which is the binding and losing of sinners then he giueth to thē al els where as in Ioh. 20. when he said Receiue the holy Ghost whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted whosoeuers sinnes ye reteyne they are reteyned Here all haue as much as Peter and if they will beleeue the fathers which they brag of much they do neuer referre this vnto Peter alone but to the rest of the apostles to al faithful ministers of Iesus Christ As Origē in his 1. homi vpō Mat. so doth Cyprian Ambrose Ierome Augustine And what hath the pope to do with these woordes which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to see how they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is saide of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in deede they must prooue these three poyntes vnto vs if they wil haue the Pope to be the supreme head of the whole Church which they shall be neuer able to doe by the scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chiefe and head of all the Apostles Secondly that he was at Rome and sate there as Bishop generall Thirdly that hee left all the title and preeminence of this seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poyntes as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we shoulde graunt it them vnles they proue the third which they shall neuer be able to do that Peter hath left all his authoritie to his successours after him for euer Forasmuch then as the Pope neither is nor cā be any ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone which is alwayes presēt with it euer walketh in the midst of the seuē golden cādlesticks so that he needeth no vicar general or vniuersal B. let vs dearly beloued as we loue the Lorde Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flee farre from the Pope and all his adherents traditions decrees and pardons lest hee make marchandise also of our soules as he doth of a great many both in Rome Spaine and els where This being set downe as a most certaine and sure principle that Christ is the head of this church it would be seene what authoritie this church hath and what rule or power is graunted vnto it If the Papistes will graunt as they can not deny but that this church is the wife chaste and obedient spouse to her Lorde and husband Iesus Christ If I say they will admit this this controuersie betweene them and vs of the authoritie of the Churche whether it be greater then the scriptures and worde of Christ shall not bee hard to discusse but soone ended For what authoritie iurisdiction a wise man wil graunt to his wife vnder him that libertie is to bee graunted to the church vnder Christ If it be reason and iust that a wife shoulde not controll or be superior and aboue her husbandes worde and commaundement hauing a wise and discrete husbande to gouerne and commaunde her then is it no reason or right whatsoeuer the papists say that the authoritie of the church which is the wife should be greater and of more force then the woorde and will of the husbande Christ seeing that S. Paul saith Eph. 5. 24. that the church is in subiection to Christ and from thence draweth an argument of the obedience and subiection of wiues to their husbands which surely can not be so in euery thing as Paul there willeth except the Church bee in subiection and vnder the authoritie of the will and commandement of the husbande in all things If they will not permit but thinke it vnreasonable vnles they goe against scripture that the wiues authoritie should bee either equall or superiour to the husband why then doe they suffer and teache that the decrees and constitutions of the churche to make articles lawes sacramēts and other rites and ceremonies are aboue the authoritie of the written worde and so consequently aboue Christ him selfe which can not be separated from his worde and will which hee will haue vs to receiue as him selfe For speaking of his Apostles and other ministers that brought his worde to the people he saith He that receiueth you receiueth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore when the aduersaries saye that the authoritie of the Church is greater then the woorde and scriptures of God what doe they saye els but that man is aboue God the wife aboue the husband The one is blasphemy and the other absurde Wee see then by these thinges that the authoritie of the church is to obey Christ in all things and to doe such workes and busines as he hath commanded in his worde except it bee in indifferent matters not repugning vnto the worde nor hindering godlines and being voyde of superstition and without clogge of conscience The Church is compared and likened to an house 1. Timoth.
3 or to a family and shall the houshold and family be aboue the authoritie and will of the master shall the seruantes and children haue greater authoritie in their doings then the Lorde and father of the house Howe doe these thinges agree together And howe hath Satan the God of this worlde blynded the eyes of the Pope and his shauelings that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them But let vs heare their proofes and arguments for this authoritie The church say they hath allowed and approued the scriptures discerned the false from the true admitting the Gospell of Matthewe Marke Luke and Iohn and reiecting the Gospell of Nicodenius and Thomas with others therefore it is aboue the scriptures A goodly argument and reason As if they should argue thus I doe allowe and approue the authoritie of the prince therefore I am greater and aboue her authoritie If they would make this reason with her as they make the like with Iesus Christ they might peraduenture come short home and be found traitours to her as in the supremacie of the Pope they all are if they holde their owne doctrine mainteine it as they are to Iesus Christ their chiefe prince Againe one man telleth another which is the king and discerneth him from one that is not the king therefore he that doeth thus tel and discerne the king from another mā is greater then the king in authoritie This is their reason all one The church forsooth because it hath discerned the true writings of the holy Ghost from those that were coūterfaite and false therefore they will haue the church to be aboue this worde which is vtterly false and in no point foloweth They might by this reason proue them selues or others to be aboue God him selfe because many can discerne and tyre the true and liuing God from the forged and false gods and they can tyre and separate the true spirite from the lying spirite therefore they are greater in authoritie then this spirite of God is Who seeth not these things to bee so childish that they neede no refutation at all because if they be once examined by the touchstone they fall of them selues and do easely descrie what they are Well let vs holde this for a grounde most certaine and sure which can not bee shaken that the worde which Christ hath spoken in his fathers name the same shall iudge in the last day as hee him selfe sayth Iohn 12. verse 48. Then if the worde be iudge it is belike greater and aboue them that must be iudged by it which is the church in the latter daye euen as the iudge here is of greater authoritie then the partie whome he iudgeth And here by the way falleth to the ground another false positiō of theirs that say the interpretatiō of the scriptures must be according to the church nay it must be according to the word which is the iudge for if this be a matter of controuersie who shall determine and decide it but the ordinarie iudge as we see the lawes must bee interpreted not according to the censure and iudgement of them to whome they were giuen but after the will and meaning of the iudge and lawe giuer which made them so the scriptures must bee interpreted by the scriptures and the worde by the worde and that which is spoken obscurely in one place by that which is declared and vttered more plainely in an other place As for example The papistes to proue that sinnes may be forgiuen hereafter in an other worlde in their fayned purgatorie bring this place out of the 12. chapter of Matthewe where our sauiour saith that he that speaketh a worde against the holy Ghost shall not bee forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come Ergo say they to establish their purgatorie some sinnes may be forgiuen after this life and where is that but in purgatorie but if they had read the thirde of Marke handling the same matter and conferred one place with an other they should haue seene there that our sauiours meaning was to shewe that the horriblenes of this sinne was so great that it should neuer be forgiuen for these are his verie wordes there Verely I say vnto you al sinnes shal be forgiuē vnto the childrē of mē blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme but he that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenes but is culpable of eternall damnation Mark 3. So likewise is that place in Matthewe of the keyes expounded in Iohn 20. by remitting or retaining of sinnes by all the Apostles and not by Peter only Nowe out of this note that Christ is the head and only great shepheard of his church commeth forth many good fruitfull branches for this whole church that is many good lessons for vs in doctrine maners For if Christ be the head of this congregation then it shal be perpetual and for euer because the head of it is for euer therefore the body must be so also As the Lord promiseth in Ieremie cha 31. saying This saieth the Lorde which giueth the sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the moone and of the starres a light to the night which breaketh the sea when the waues thereof roare his name is the Lord of hostes If these ordinances depart out of my sight sayeth the Lorde then shall the seede of Israel cease from being a nation before me for euer Thus sayth the Lorde If the heauens can be measured or the foundations of the earth be searched out beneath then will I cast off all the seede of Israel for all that they haue done sayth the Lorde By the which wordes the Lorde meaneth that his church shall continue for euer as the sunne moone starres doe which surely is very comfortable to all his to consider that they shall be for euer as their head is and haue immortalitie with him Againe if Christ be from the beginning then he hath had this church also from the beginning first in Adam then in Abel and Seth and so foorth in Noe. And this he hath and will preserue for they are his members whome he loueth and feedeth as a father doth his deare and owne children Psalm 103. And if Christ be the head of it it must needes be holy also as here we doe beleeue For howe should the body be vnholy when the head is so holy although this holines be not ful and perfite here for the church is in a continuail warrefare and fight against sinne and wickednesse yet it shall be perfited hereafter when it shal be fully ioyned with her head in heauen In the meane season it is called holy because it contendeth for holinesse and because the holinesse of Christ is imputed vnto it but this is not in it selfe for the church is taught to pray daily Forgiue vs our trespases and there is no man without sinne that liueth here in earth 1. Ioh. 1. yea this
them whereby they should be knowen to be of this holy body Now that we know that Christ is the head of this church as is proued let vs come to the secōd point to see by what markes and tokens this true church may be discerned from the false hypocricall sinagogue of Satan For this standeth vs greatly in hand to know otherwise we may be deceiued in taking the one for the other Two signes there are wherby the church of Christ is knowen the one is the preaching of the word of God contained in the old new Testamēt is deuided into the law Gospel so that where this word is soūded out by the preachers purely soundly wtout mixture corruptiō of mās traditiōs receaued reuerētly there is no doubt the church of Christ as Christ himself doth witnes My sheepe here my voice follow me This is thē the first principal note of the church to heare Christs word Iohn 10. and where this word wanteth there can be no church For Christ doth sāctifie clense it by the washing of water through the word Eph. 5. This made the prophets in olde time to be careful y◠they brought nothing but the word of God to the people saying Heare the worde of the Lord. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken and alwaies they brought the people when they were gone astray to this worde cōmandement of the Lord. This made S. Paul to say y◠he had deliuered no other thing to the church of the Corinthiās thē that he had receyued of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. Neither did Christ when he sent his Apostles abroad to preach giue thē liberty to preach what they list But go and preach sayth hee teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue cōmanded you restraining thē alwaies to his word whereby y◠church is gathered together not the word vnwritten which they call vnwritten verities that traditions of the Apostles and y◠church but the word written only For of the other wee haue no certainty yea their vnwritten verities are against the written veritie and worde of Christ which is a thing very absurde For the worde written doeth allowe all meates to be eaten with thankesgiuing without choyse any apparel to be worne without differēce neither doth it condemne matrimonie in any degree or estate of persons as they do in the ministers of the woorde Now their vnwritten verities doe forbid al these things and a great many moe which are contrary to the word reueiled Wel let vs holde this poynt diligently that the worde truely preached is the first note to know this church by the other note is the true vse administration of the sacramēts instituted by Christ himself which are two in number the one is Baptisme wherein we are admitted into the fellowshippe of this Church of Christ and by the which we are assured of the remission of our sinnes by Christes blood as wee are sure that the water doeth outwardly wash the body and spottes of the flesh This Sacrament doth Paul call the washing of the new byrth Titus 5. and sayth that all they that are baptized vnto Christ haue put on Christ Furthermore the Lord Iesus doeth not thinke it sufficient or ynough to admit vs onely into his house and familie by this signe of Baptisme but doeth also being admitted feede vs continually with heauenly and spirituall foode vnto euerlasting life which is done with the other Sacrament of his precious body blood called the Communion or the Lordes Supper So that as the shephearde doeth not onely gather his sheepe into his folde or sheepecote but doth also prouide meat for them and pasture and as the master doeth not onely enterteine his seruant into his seruice by giuing him his liuery coate and badge whereby he is openly knowen to be his man but doeth prouide and giue him meate drinke dayly to feede him so surely doth the Lord with vs in these Sacramentes For by Baptisme doeth he admit vs to his seruice and by the Supper doeth he feede vs that wee perish not with hunger So that where wee see these Sacramentes duely administred without any inuentions of mans witte or brayne the one with the word and water the other with the worde and bread and wine without other superstions and additions there we may acknowledge the Church of Christ to bee present and he in the middest of them according to his worde as hee hath promised Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middes of them Matth. 18. Now these Sacraments are in some thinges vnlike Concerning the first which is Baptisme it is to bee vsed but once of a Christian man or woman and not often as the Iewes vsed but once to circūcise their children which Circumcision was a signe of our Baptisme which we haue in steade of it so this Baptisme of infantes is not to bee iterated For euen as a man is borne but once so once baptizing is sufficient to signifie our newe byrth in Christ Therefore they were ouerseene which woulde haue it to bee iterated and done agayne as Saint Cyprian was in that errour The other Sacrament must bee often vsed of euery Christian man and woman as the Iewes vsed many times and often euery yeere to eate the Paschall Lambe or Passeouer so must wee also often resort to the Lordes Table but still with reuerence repentance and faith to eate and feede spiritually vpon Iesus Christ his body and blood For this Sacrament came in the place of the Passeouer so that as they remembred their comming and deliuerie from the bondage and thraldome of Egypt and Pharao by this Lambe In like sort must wee remember by this Sacrament our redemption by Christ from the deuill and hell from the slauery of sinne whereof the Iewes deliueraunce both in Egypt and Babylon were most liuely signes and figures vnto our eyes to beholde that which Christ hath done for vs in dying for our sinnes vpon the crosse that wee might bee made righteous in him 1. Corinth 1. Nowe the oftener wee remēber this which is done especially in the Communion the better it is for vs alwaies remembring this that wee come thither with examination of our selues as the Apostle willeth least we come to iudgement and condemnation This then is not to be done at Easter onely as the blinde custome of the Papists was but at other times also except they wil make it sufficient for a man to eate once in a yeere to feede his bodie wherefore as we often vse to eate corporall and earthly foode to feede the body which otherwise would starue so must we frequēt this Supper which is holy many times often to feede our soule which is more necessary then the feeding of the body and the meate of the one must bee had and a great deale sooner then the prouision of the other I meane of the body which is but mortall These are
resurrectioÌ„ and his iudgment and our rising againe that they cannot â—e separated howbeit we will by Gods grace so speake of them all as they shall tend to godly edification and to the great comfort of all them that do nowe in these last and dangerous dayes mourne in Zion And albeit some places and reasons shal be nowe brought here in the proofe of this article which haue ben alleaged before yet it shall not be amisse to beare them againe and often that wee may the better remember them because wee are all dull in hearing and forgetfull of good thinges so fickle is our memorie In the Scriptures both in the Lawe and in the Prophetes and also in the newe Testament yee haue the same lessons giuen foorth often vnto you especially in the Psalmes where the latter part of the verse is either but a repetition or els a more playne declaration of the former part of the sentence Yea Saint Paul him selfe well vnderstoode this to bee a very profitable and good thing to heare one lesson many tymes and therefore sayde to the Philippians It grieueth mee not to wryte the same thinges to you and for you it is a sure thing chapter 3. Seeing this is so let vs then come to our purpose which is to proue that there shall bee a generall resurrection of all men This article is I graunt very harde to bee beleeued if wee iudge of it by flesh blood only as farre as naturall reason will extende but where fayth is planted there reason hath no place And all the woorkes of God if they did not passe our reason and capacitie then they were there not so wonderfull neither should theybe vnsearcheable or past finding out which S. Paul the Apostle affirmeth Romanes 11. saying O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! Many of the better sort of the heathen Philosophers as Plato Aristotle and Cicero although they were fully perswaded of the immortality of the soule yet they neuer did so much as once dreame or thinke of the immortalitie and resurrection of the fleshe which we beare about with vs. So incredible a thing did it seeme vnto them And therefore Saint Paul when hee came to Athens and there preached Christ Iesus vnto them and many other good poyntes of Christianitye of our fayth they heard him indifferently without any mocking at al but when he sayde and affirmed constantly vnto them that God had appoynted a day in the which he wil iudge the worlde in righteousnesse by that man whom hee hath appoynted wherof he hath giuen an assurance to all men in that he hath raysed him from the dead theÌ„ they mocked because they heard of the resurrection from the dead Actes 17. Well notwithstanding al this we that are Christians and trayned vp in the schole of Christ our master must beleeue this point For surely the ful perswasion of this one article comprehendeth many other articles of our fayth For if wee rise not agayne then is not Christ risen if Christ be not risen then are we in our sinnes and so the former article that went before falleth to the ground But if this be true then all the other going before are confirmed and out of doubt Let vs therefore heare and marke also some infallible testimonies and authorityes of the euerlasting true word of God to builde our fayth vpoÌ„ in this so hard strange a matter to reason to confirme vs against all tentations of Satan or of the wicked and carnal Atheists which wil goe about to vndermine the veritie of this article We haue in the third chapter of the booke Exodus a manifest proofe of the resurrection in these woordes where as God speaking to Moses sayeth on this wise I am the God of Abraham the God of Isahac and the God of Iacob Which woordes are so forcible that our sauiour Christ vsed no other argument agaynst the Sadduces which denied this resurrection For God cannot be sayde to be God of Abraham except he raise him againe and the bodye be ioyned to the soule For he calleth not himselfe the God of Abrahams soule but of Abraham meaning the whole man It was euident therefore that Abraham with the rest of the fathers shal rise againe Very excellent is the place of Iob in the nineteenth chapter of his booke I knowe sayeth he that my redeemer liueth and he shal stand the last on the earth and though after this skinne wormes shall deuoure this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see my eyes shall behold and none other for me though my reines are consumed with in me We see by this that Iob long before vs or before the newe Testament was written had a full hope of the resurrection that both body and soule should enioy the presence of God at the last day this is written as Paul sayeth for our instruction that wee shoulde haue the like hope and assurance as hee had in the happie and blessed resurrection of our bodyes after death This trust and fayth had the Prophet Dauid in the sixteenth psalme Thou shalt not leaue my body in the graue neither shalt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruptioÌ„ In the six and twentieth of Esay we read thus Thy dead men shall liue euen with my body shall they rise Awake and sing yee that dwell in dust for thy dewe is as the dewe of herbes the earth shal cast out the dead What can be spoken more playnly for this purpose Likewise vnder the vision of the dry bones which reuiued and tooke fleshe the Lord would shewe vnto Ezechiel that he was able to doe all thinges and to bring the people out of captiuitye which were as dry bones then rotten and consumed And this was a type of the resurrectioÌ„ to the house of Israel in their banishment being restored to their countrey agayne That place of Daniel in the twelft of his prophesie is most euident At that tyme shal Michael stand vp the great prince which staÌ„deth for the children of thy people and there shal be a time of trouble such as neuer was since there began to be a nation vnto that same time and at that time thy people shal be deliuered euery one that shal be written in the booke and many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to perpetuall shame and contempt And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Here is set foorth the rising of all men both good and bad the glorie of the one sort and the shame and confusioÌ„ of the other Looke Matthew 22. Marke 12. Luke 20. Our sauiour Christ exhorting rich men to make feastes and to prouide for the poore sayde that they should be recoÌ„pensed in the resurrection of the iust Luk.
heires of eternal life By whose comming the nature of man is repaired and made noble and man that was lost and destroyed was thereby releeued sette in his perfection and hath recouered all that he hath lost through sinne yea and more By the same meane also all the treasures graces and blessings of the Lorde are giuen communicated vnto man but all this through grace without any merites The nineteenth Article I beleeue also and confesse by the holy scriptures an other conception and birth of Iesus Christ which is spirituall the which I say is of no lesse dignitye then the first The which is that euery one that is faithfull ought to conceaue into his heart and spirite Iesus Christ through a trewe and liuely faith and to bring him foorth by open confessing of him with his mouth as often and when soeuer it shal be needefull I doe esteeme this conception and natiuitie to be so necessary to saluation that if the virgin Mary had not more blessedly borne Iesus Christ in her heart and spirit then in her belly her carnall motherhoode would haue profited her little By and for this cause are we called mothers brethren and sisters of Iesus Christ The twentieth Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ is verely Christ that is to say the Messias annoynted by the holy Ghost because he was y◠very king the Prophet and great sacrificer that should sacrifice for all that beleeue the which also is promised in the Law and is y◠same of whom al the Prophets haue spokē This annoynting of Christ is not corporall of a material and visible oyle as was that of the kynges Priestes and Prophetes in tymes past but it is spirituall of an inuisible oyle which is the grace giftes of the holy Ghost wherewith he is replenished aboue all others So that this anoynting is descended euen vnto vs which haue felt and proued the sweetnesse thereof and by it also we beare the name of Christiās that is to say anoynted The xxi Article I beleeue that this sacrificing of Iesus Christ was not Leuiticall or carnal to immolate offer vp and to sacrifice beastes kyne and other sensible thinges as did Aaron his successours but spiritual to offer and sacrifice himselfe that is to say his body bloud for the remission of the sinnes of the whole worlde Euen as likewise his kingdome is not of this world carnall but spiritual which consisteth in the guyding gouerning of his owne by his holy spirit ouer whome he raigneth by his worde and that to the destruction of al his aduersaries which are sinne death hell Satan and all infideles wicked and reprobate The xxii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ hath verely exercised these three offices that is to saye of a Prophete of a King and a sacrificer not onely in this worlde being a mortall man as we are but also that he exerciseth yet daily the same in heauen before the face of the father where he sitteth and appeareth continually for vs and from thence by his holy Spirit doeth teach helpe maynteine and defende his owne and therefore is hee called a Prophete a King and a great Sacrificator after the order of Melchisedek that is to say eternall and not after the order of Aaron which had his ende with the Lawe The xxiii Article I beleeue that the same Iesus Christ after that hee had preached the Gospel in the countrey of Iudea and Galilee by the space of three yeres or there about declared him self to be the naturall Sonne of God aswel by his marueilous workes as by his words and the writings of the Prophets was vniustly and falsely accused by the Priestes whom when they had taken and in their counsell vniustly had condemned him to death they brought him bound to Pilate the Prouost then at Hierusalem who at the instance of the sayde Priestes dyd vniustly wrongfully and without cause condemne him to death and that the most horrible and slaunderous death that coulde be imagined or deuised that is to saye to be put on the crosse crucified betweene two theeues as if hee had bene their Prince and Captaine The which thing hee suffered and endured willingly and innocently without deseruing the same For otherwise coulde he not haue satisfied for vs neither could his crosse haue profited vs. The xxiiii Article I beleeue also that while hee was vpon the sayd crosse dying and giuing vp his spirite vnto God his Father he descended into hell that is to say He did verily taste and feele the great distresse and heauinesse of death and likewise the paynes and tormentes of hell That is to say the great wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon him euen as if God had vtterly forsaken him yea as though God had beene his extreeme enemie so that hee was constrayned with loude voyce to crye My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This is simply my vnderstanding of Christ his descending into hell And besides I knowe well that this article hath not from the beginning bene in the Creede and that many others haue otherwise both vnderstanded and interpreted it which esteeme that Christ verely and in deede descended into hell to the place of the damned alledging the text of Saint Peter the which I confesse is yet couered and hid from me The Lorde vouchsafe to open the gate vnto vs and to giue vs an entrance into such mysteries The xxv Article I beleeue that all this was done not for him selfe which neuer committed sinne in whose mouth was neuer founde deceite nor lie but for the loue of vs poore and miserable sinners whose place he occupied vpon the crosse as a pledge or one that represented the person of all the sinners that euer were be nowe or shall be vnto the worldes ende And because they through their sinnes haue deserued to feele tast of the extreme paynes of death to be forsaken of God and of all creatures to feele the wrath and seuere iudgement of God vpon them Christ which was their pledge satisfying for them vpon the crosse hath fealt and endured all the same and that altogether to make vs free to deliuer vs from all these paynes from the wrath and iudgement of GOD from condemnation and eternall death And I doe clearely reiect and esteeme as fables all the Limbos of the fathers and of yong children Purgatorie and such other like to bee follyes mockeries and abuses which are inuented and founde out by man without the worde of the Lord. For I neyther beleeue nor receyue more then two places in the worlde to come that is to say heauen for the faythfull and elect with the angels and hell for the infidels reprobate with the deuils The xxvi Article I beleeue and consider this death and passion euen as I doe all other mysteries of Iesus Christ not onely as touching the historie as a paterne and example to followe as was that of the holy men and women which
be placed in their roumes to put ordayne others that are better in their places The other power is temporall that is to say the magistrate which hath authority ouer externe and ciuill thinges to render according to right to euery man that which of right to him appertayneth The lxxviii Article I beleeue that the magistrate is an ordinance of God set in his church for the defence of the good godly and to chasten punish the wicked And also to the magistrate must be giuen tribute honour reuerence obedience in all thinges that be not in any wise contrary to Gods worde And I doe vnderstand this not only of the faithful Magistrate but also of the infidell wicked Tyrant vnto whome wee must obey as vnto the Lorde in all thinges so that he command nothing contrary to the word of God For then wee ought rather to obey God then man after the example of the Aposâ—les Peter and Iohn The Lxxix Article I beleeue that to the magistrate it doeth appertaine not onely to haue regarde vnto the common wealth but also vnto ecclesiasticall matters to take away and to ouerthrowe all idolatrie false seruing of God to destroy the kingdome of Antichrist and all false doctrine to promote the glorie of God to aduance the kingdome of Christ to cause the word of the Gospel euery where to be preached and the same to maintayne vnto death to chasten also and to punish the false prophets which lead the poore people after idoles and strange gods and in steade of the Gospell preache and teach the fables and traditions of men to the dishonour of God and Christ his Sonne and to the great decay of the whole Church To such a magistrate euery person of what estate degree or condition so euer hee bee ought to be subiect and him in all honest and reasonable things to obey because he representeth the person of a great Lord before whom euery knee ought to bowe And the same must not be forgotten in our prayers to the ende that the Lord may vouchsafe to guide and direct all his wayes that vnder him we may liue in godly peace tranquillitie The Lxxx. Article I beleeue that the magistrate as also the vse of othes and such like is the ordinance of the Lord for to leade the imperfection of man in his corrupt nature after his fall The which the faythfull after that hee hath assaied all other meanes may holily iustly vse in matters of controuersie which may chance betweene him and his neighbour to set an order and to make peace in al things And therefore hee that in necessitie will not vse this way ought rather to be iudged an Anabaptist then a Christian The Lxxxi Article I beleeue that the Magistrate holily may minister an othe vnto the faithfull in iudgement for the knowledge of the trueth and to make an ende of all controuersies matters in variance betweene man and man the which othe ought to bee taken in the onely name of the liuing God because it is the thirde commandement of the first table And albeit the perfection required to be in a Christian ought simply to vse yea yea and nay nay without any swearing neuerthelesse the faithfull may holily vse an othe in place time with discretion in the feare of the Lord for things honest iust and true for the verifying of the trueth when the honour of God or the sauing of a mans neyghbour dependeth vpon it or else not For the man that accustometh to sweare shall be filled with iniquitie and his house shall not bee without the plague And I confesse also that as euery othe vowe and promise made according to Gods worde be it to God or to men doeth binde and ought to be kept and obserued without breaking euen so those that are made without and contrary to Goos worde and commandement as are the religious vowes and such like which promise things impossible and contrary to the word of God doe not binde a man in any wise but with a good conscience may bee violated and broken For in wicked promises in foolish and vndiscrete vowes the faithfull wise and sage may change their purpose The Lxxxii Article I beleeue and confesse that marriage is an honorable estate amongst all men and the bedde vndefiled is holy and ought not to be broken It is instituted and ordayned of God for the bringing forth of children and to eschew fornication from the which estate of marriage none ought nor can be restrayned if there be no iust and lawfull let by the word of God but the same ought to be free to euery bodie of what estate sort or condition soeuer the same bee of for it is much better to marrie then to burne And for that cause all what soeuer they be men or women which haue not the gift to liue vnmarried ought to marry to the intent the Temple of the holy Ghost that is to say our bodies may not bee polluted and defiled The Lxxxiii Article I beleeue also that the forbidding of marriage for certaine persons likewise the forbidding of certaine meates the difference of dayes garmentes and such like is the deuilish doctrine of Antichrist and wholie against the Christian libertie of the Gospell taught by Iesus Christ the which deliuereth vs from all outwarde ceremonies of the lawe and setteth vs at libertie to vse all things with giuing GOD thankes So that it bee not done to the hurt of our neyghbour For all thinges are made holy by the worde of God and prayer to him that knoweth and receyueth the trueth Therefore to compell the Christians to these things is but to take from them and to robbe them of their Christian libertie and by tyrannie to set them vnder the curse of the lawe from the which Christ by his death passion hath deliuered them and it is one true marke and note to knowe Antichrist by The Lxxxiiii Article I beleeue that the pure and true seruice of God doeth not consist in these ceremonies outward things neither in babbling much and mumbling of long prayers neyther in crying and braying in the Church like Asses or the Priests of Baal but in spirituall things as liuely and true faith in God and his worde taught by Iesus Christ his onely Sonne which is of power and worketh through charity toward our neighbour true and perfect calling vpon Gods name with due obedience to his commandementes in humblenes of spirit according to his worde For as God is a Spirit so will he be worshipped and serued in spirite and trueth The Lxxxv. Article I beleeue that all Gods seruices without Gods worde and contrary to his commandement is idolatrie and iniquitie I cal idolatrie after the fashion of the Prophets not onely that which is done vnto the honor of an Idole or strange gods but also that which is done to yâ— honouring of the liuing God contrary to his word and commandement And