dead and buried he descended into hell the third day he rose againe from the dead he ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty from thence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead I beleeue in the holy Ghost the holy Catholique Church the Communion of Saintes the forgiuenes of sinnes the resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting What faith is SEing therefore Christ the king himselfe in the articles of the Christian faith which containe the summe of the Gospell offreth that same kingdome of his vnto vs and through faith by the vertue of his spirit doth effectually confederate himselfe vnto vs to the end he may raigne in vs goe to let vs briefly shewe what faith is Faith is to assent vnto God his will being knowen in euery worde of his as to the onely true omnipotent God and so to giue glory to God and not to consider any thing either in our selues or in any other of his creatures that seemeth to be against him and in this worde to behold as the speciall marke the promise of the Gospel for that the father truely offreth himselfe vnto vs in Christ and through his holy spirit freely iustifieth vs that are engrafted in Christ and more and more sanctifieth vs and preserueth vs by the same power through which Christ was raised from the dead whereby he hath all things subiect to himselfe that the hope of euerlasting life being founded in this truth and power it may be most certaine This description of faith first comprehendeth the whole life of man whose singular actions and moments must needes leane and rest vpon faith For surely that which is said to the Hebrues Without faith it is impossible to please God is most true in all and singular matters that are to be taken in hand Rom. 14. ver 23. Then after that it setteth forth that peculiar grace of iustification offred in Christ and that restoring to euerlasting life as the foundation of all beleeuers Now this same description of faith is specially taken out of the fourth Chap. to the Romanes from the sixtenth verse and out of the first Chapiter of the Ephesians from the 17. verse to the ende of both the Chapiters That which is put in the description of the will of God knowen is therefore done because Sathan is oftentimes woont to faigne another meaning of the worde of God besides the will of God Least therefore that faith should stray from the will of God we must indeuer that as the Apostle commandeth in the 12. to the Romanes all prophesying or interpretation of the scripture be according to the analogie or rule of faith least the interpretation fight with the foundation or with any article of faith We will shewe it also more familiarly after this manner this is faith to acknowledge that this is the vnchangeable will of God and to rest in it that freely he will giue vs that promised saluation by the Prophets and that through Christ the same is giuen in deede as the Articles of our faith witnesse that is to acknowledge that these things which are contained in them are freely giuen vnto vs of God according to the testimony of all the Prophets which were from the beginning of the worlde yea and of Christ himselfe and to rest in this constant will of God and giue this glory to God that hath now already shewed his omnipotent power in performing these promises fulfilling in deede the most part of the Articles of our faith and also as yet doth still exercise the same in the applying of those benefites and will certainly shewe it in those that remaine yet to be fulfilled in the Articles neither to consider any thing either in vs or yet without vs in any creature that seemeth contrary to that same grace and diuine truth promised vnto vs and already offred in Christ and at length fully to be accomplished The partition or diuision of the Creede THere are foure principall parts of the Creede The first containeth what we beleeue of God the father who as he hath chosen vs of his meere mercy in Christ before the foundations of the worlde were laide Ephe. 1. so there is set forth in the first part of the Creede the first fountaine of the couenant or reconciliation and therewithall is also taught what we must beleeue of the creation of all things The second what we must beleeue of Iesus Christ the sonne of God in which part is comprehended the whole summe of the couenant of our reconciliatiō The third what of the holy Ghost who by engrafting vs through faith in Christ maketh vs confederates with God applying vnto vs the mercy of the father and the redemption of the sonne The fourth part is concerning the people or of the Church with whom God had stricken his couenant which part containeth the effectes of all the former and the fruite of our faith aswell which we enioye in this life as also which we shall enioy euerlastingly being fully knitte both body and soule with Iesus Christ our heade Rules which shall helpe both our vnderstanding and faith in euery article of faith THe rules which we ought alwayes to haue before our eies aswel in the expoūding as also in the meditating of the Creede are these First that a mans minde knowe in euery of the articles not only the history which knowledge alone is not to saluation forasmuch as the deuills haue that and doe tremble Iames. 2. but also that the heart it selfe embrace through true faith the promise of God and the performance of the promise in Christ and for Christ which lyeth hidde in euery of the articles Acts. 13. vers 32. and the 39. Resolue therefore all the articles into the promises or into the performance of them so thou shalt haue in the articles of faith all the kindes of that wonderfull vnion that we haue with the father with the sonne Iesus Christ and with the holy Ghost which throughout all the Gospell is promised and giuen to the beleeuer 1. Iohn 14. and the 15. The second rule In the applying of the promise looke vpon the counsell of God to witte that to the sonne of God a body soule was so fashioned and fitted that those thinges that were done in them were done in the name of all beleeuers so done in deede that the obedience which was offred vp to the father in his person by the counsell and gift of the father are as truely thine as if they had bene offred vp in thy soule body and that by the same efficacie wherethrough that euerlasting word quickened from death that whole masse and glorified it shall also quicken and glorifie thee For this is the counsell of God this is his vnchangeable will wherevpon we may safely leane now it is made manifest in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles to the Hebr Cap. 10. out of the 40. Psalme Wherefore entring into
I haue also oftentimes thought of that same saying of Daniel that the reward of Christ his seruantes are laide vp for them in the heauens The teachers saith he shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that haue brought others vnto righteousnes shall shine as the starres in euerlasting times Let vs therefore content our selues in our calling with meane things and resigne ouer our selues to our heauenly father to be fed through Christ at his hands we our wiues and our children for he is the true father and will neuer be vnmindefull of compassion a fatherly care ouer vs and so much the lesse he will be vnmindefull by how much we shall be more mindefull of our calling We may therefore safely committe our selues and ours to his prouidence which ought to suffice for the ouercomming of all hinderaunces letts specially to them to whom God is all in all Farewell ¶ An Exposition of the Apostles Creede or rather of the articles of the Christian faith That the kingdome of Christ is offered vnto vs in the Articles of our faith and that the faithfull are partakers of it whilest they liue here IT is certaine that there are two spirituall kingdomes euen in this worlde to wit the kingdome of darkenes and the kingdome of light it must needes be that euery man be of one of these whilest he liueth here For so Christ the king himselfe speaketh to his elect vessell Acts. 26. For this cause haue I appeared vnto thee that I might appoynt thee a minister and witnes of those things which thou hast seene And a little afterwards That thou mightest open their eyes that they might be turned from darknes to light and from the power of Sathan to God and might receaue remission of sinnes a lotte amongest the sanctified through the faith which is in mee So to the Colossians the first Giuing thankes vnto God the father who hath made vs fitte to be partakers of the lotte of the Saintes in the light who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes and translated vs into the kingdome of his dearely beloued sonne Hereby it is cleare that there are two spirituall kingdomes euen in this world the kingdome of Christ in which in very deede are all they that truely repent beleeue in Christ and are also baptized into his name as also their children vnlesse when they shal be growen and come to age through vnbeliefe they reiect the benifite offred But the other the kingdome of Sathan and darkenes in which all they are which doe not repent and beleeue not in Christ these partly are not baptized but open contemners of baptisme as the Turkes and Iewes and partly againe are baptized but yet are impenitēt vnbeleeuers these albeit they be baptized and ioyne themselues to the visible Church remaine notwithstanding in very deede so long in the kingdom and power of darkenes vntill they be conuerted and beleeue Mat. 28.1 Cor. 6 vers 8.9.10 12. and 2. Cor. 12. vers 21. Now forasmuch as the Articles of the fayth containe the summe of that doctrine deliuered by Christ the king to his Apostles it is certaine that in them the kingdome of Christ and all the priuiledges thereof are offred and exhibited to all them that repent and beleeue againe that we are taught by this confession whence we may assure our selues that we are true Citizens of the kingdome of Christ yea and that in this life that we haue a partaking with Christ the king himselfe with all his benifites to witte if we beleeue with our heart and confesse with our mouth For that saying of the Apostle is sure in the 10. to the Romanes The worde is neare thee in thy mouth and in thy heart This is that worde of faith which we preach to witte that if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation For the scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed What the kingdome of Christ is and that the newe couenaunt is administred therein LEt vs then see what the kingdome of Christ is which beginneth in the faithful in this worlde which also in the same sense is named the kingdome of God and the kingdome of heauen Mat 3. vers 2. Luk. 4. vers 43. and Chapiter 7. vers 28. The kingdome of Christ in this worlde is the administration of saluation whereby Iesus Christ the king himselfe outwardly gathereth to himselfe through the Gospell and sacrament of baptisme a people or visible Church in which many hypocrites are mingled and calleth them to saluation and administreth and giueth himselfe the same saluation to which he calleth them in those whō he accounteth for his elect in this congregatiō whilest that he maketh this outward vocation effectuall that is to say calleth them to repentance and faith by which they aunswere to him that calleth and whom he thus calleth those also he iustifieth not imputing their sinnes vnto them whom he iustifieth those also he glorifieth purging them daily more and more from their sinnes and so instructing framing and perfecting them to all godlinesse righteousnesse and that to life euerlasting that the glory of Christ their king may shine in them vsing to that purpose the dispensation of his worde and sacraments by meete ministers and that both publique domesticall and priuate and therewithall also the diligent administration of his discipline aswell of repentance and ceremonies as of mans whole life The vniuersall administration of this kingdome of Christ is that same newe couenant that God hath promised in the last times to make with vs by Ieremy the Prophet not according to that same couenant he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the lande of Aegypt because they had made that couenant voide but that this should be the couenaunt that he would giue his lawe in the middest of vs and that he would write it in our hearts and that he would be our God and we should be his people and that we should knowe him because he would be mercifull vnto our iniquity and would not remember our sinnes any more Ierem. 31. And by Hoseas the Prophet Cap. 2. I will marry thee in faith and thou shalt knowe the Lord. This couenant Christ the king and priest of his Church hath ratified for euer by his merite betweene God and vs and euery day worketh in vs through his efficacie Daniel the 9. Verily by his merite seeing that Christ by his priesthoode that is by his intercession and sacrifice laying an euerlasting foundation vnto his kingdome hath satisfied the righteousnesse of God and so deliuereth vs from sinne and the cursse of the lawe and from the kingdome and power of the deuill and obtaineth the spirite of sanctification through which he may raigne in
out of my hand My father who hath giuen thē vnto me is greater then all neither can any man snatch them out of the hand of my father I and the father are one Here thou hast both the most constant truth of the word of Christ and also his omnipotencie And so thou must trust that God offereth himselfe vnto vs in Christ a true and almightie God in an euerlasting couenant And further should not this selfesame nature of God wherein he is true and almightie pricke vs forward to amendement and to lead a life through faith according to his will For whilest we heare that his truth is one and vnchangeable let vs know for a suertie that he will not for euer approue sinnes which he hath witnessed to detect by his word Psal 5. Moreouer that it is more possible that heauen earth should be ouerthrown then that those punishmentes should not fall out which he hath threatened in his word vnlesse we turne from our sinnes Mat. 5. vers 18. For the nature of God must be changed if his truth were subiect to change And the same reason is of his omnipotencie For who would not wholy addict himselfe vnto him and altogether depend vpon his becke and frame all thinges to his will in whose hand is life and death who hath power to cast both body and soule into euerlasting fire As Christ saith Feare not those which kill the body but can do nothing against the soule I say vnto you whom you must feare euen him that hath power to cast both body and soule into hell fire The infinite wisdome of God auaileth much for the establishing of our trust in him as for example thus that faith may ouercome whatsoeuer is obiected of the flesh and of sinne against the word and workes of God and that it may at once breake all the broyles assaultes of distrustes giue it selfe to rest it must needes be that the minde ascend vp to that infinitenes of the wisdome vnderstanding of God that it safely rest in that as doing all thinges wisely and well and be fully persuaded that God is the gouernor of the world and not men and that he doth so gouerne all thinges that we neither can nor ought to wish them wiselier or better done then they are or may be done of God Paule teacheth vs to rest in that same infinite wisdome of God in the 11. to the Romanes O the depth sayth he of the riches aswell of the wisdome as of the knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his waies past finding out Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who hath beene of counsel with him or who hath giuen vnto him first and he shal be recompensed againe for of him by him and in him are all thinges to him be glorie worldes without end Amen And Isai in the 40. chapter vers 13.14 and in the 104. Psal vers 24. O Lord of hoastes how are thy workes multiplied Thou hast done all thinges in wisdome And Psalm 147. vers 5. Our Lord is great and mightie in strength there is no number of his vnderstanding When therefore we heare our most wise yea our onely wise God who hath promised that he will shew himselfe such a wise God towardes vs who should not receiue his wordes with high reuerence and haue a contented minde in all and those most dayly workes of his prouidence as done most wisely an so rest in his wisdome The which diuine wisdome the Apostle wondring at doth therewithall praise it To the only wise God be glorie Romanes cap. 16. vers 37. Therfore also the wisdome of God doth incourage vs to cōfidence seeing he hath promised to shew himselfe such a one towardes vs. Also who knowing his wisdome doth not according to his word as the briefe rule of wisdom frame his his life Psal 119. Now after that we haue by faith layd holde vpon the omnipotencie and wisdome of God in all his workes hauing vtterly denied our owne wisdome of the fleshe Rom. 8. it followeth that he be acknowledged also to be good Now his goodnes is considered aswell in all effectes as in forgiuing of sinnes Concerning the first whatsoeuer is done of God it is good and thou must acknowledg it as verie good For how can any other thing but good proceede from him in whom there is nothing but good Therefore Dauid grauely and shortly saith Iehoua is good to all and his mercie is ouer all his workes Psal 145. Thou hast a singular vse and practise of this doctrine in the 107. Psalme Furthermore his goodnes mercy whereby amongest the rest of his workes he taketh away iniquitie wickednes ought so to reare vp our faith that if the flesh feare lest he should cast vs off for our iniquitie and wickednes faith ought fully to be resolued that this is the nature of God as Moses saith to take iniquitie and sinnes to witte from the beleeuers Now the nature of God is vnchangeable wherefore vndoubtedly he would take them from vs so that we beleeue This nature of God shineth in the face of Christ when he saith Be of good cheere my sonne Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Who therefore would not trust in him who also hauing heard of this so great goodnes would go on willingly and wittingly to offend him As the Apostle saith in the 2. to the Rom. vers 4.5 Doest thou despise the riches of his goodnes long sufferance and gentlenes not knowing that his goodnes doth prouoke thee to repentance But thou after thy hardnes and harte that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the iust declaration of the righteous iudgement of God Who also hauing heard of his mercie doth not feare to doe any man wrong or vniustly to oppresse his neighbour like as in verie deede by this his nature that he is merciful he turneth vs away from all hardnes of hearte and inhumanitie Exo. 22.26.27 If thou take the garment of thy neighbour for a pledge saith he before the sun go downe thou shalt restore it againe vnto him because it is his onely couering it is his garment to couer his skinne in which he should sleepe And when he shall crie vnto me to heare him I will heare him because I am mercifull Yea also the righteousnes of God doth so shine in the face of his Christ that also the most iust nature of God expressed in the lawe may comfort vs in Christ and confirme our hope which otherwise in our selues may worthily terrifie vs. For seing that God is most righteous and hath once called into iudgement the sinnes of all beleeuers and hath punished them in his sonne in the full rigour of his iustice the most righteous nature of God will not beare that the same debte once perfectly paide and clensed should be twise or againe repaide vnto him Againe forasmuch as God is so righteous that an innocent before him is not innocent
viuification or quickening because as Christ is iustified from our sinnes by rising againe and therewithall is quickened so he that beleeueth in Christ is both iustified and quickened as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 2. vntill the 11. verse Therefore Paul Rom. 5. calleth the same iustification of life and opposeth it to the fault of condemnation and maketh an antithesis or matching of contraries betwene sinne that raigneth to death and the righteousnes of Christ which whosoeuer receiue they raigne in life verses 17.18.21 And in deede so as not onely Christ worketh in vs not onely that same newe life but also Christ is that life himselfe as him selfe saith I am the way the trueth and the life Iohn 14.6 And Gala. 2.20 Nowe I liue no more But Christ liueth in me Viuification therefore is the seconde fruit of the resurrection of Christ to wit for that Christ himselfe alwayes liuing is become our life through faith and because by the vertue which we drawe from our heade Christe through the spirite of faith we arise in this life into newnes of life that by liuing purely and holily wee might wholy consecrate our selues to the will of God This thing the Apostle teacheth Col. 3. If yee be risen with Christ seeke those thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hande of God Care for heauenly thinges and not for earthly For this cause also the selfe same Apostle saith Rom. 6. that We are planted into the similitude of the death of Christ that being partakers of his resurrection we might walke in newnes of life In which wordes he not onely setteth out the resurrection of Christ as an example for vs to followe but also especially teacheth that this thing especially wrought in vs that by the vertue of the resurrection of Christ wee might rise agayne into a newe life Of the third fruit of the resurrection of Christ The thirde fruit which is ioyned with the second is the assurance of our perseuerance in faith and of full victorie against sinne and death For euen like as Christ dyeth no more but liueth the life which neuer can faile for in that he is dead he is once dead to sinne but in that he liueth he liueth to God death shal haue no further dominion ouer him Rom. 6. so they that are engraffed into Christ through faith do drawe out of him a spirituall life from which they can neuer fal and which no not in the verie separation of the body and of soule can bee extinguished as Christ saith If any man keepe my word he shall neuer see death Iohn 8.51 Therefore seeing the faithfull liue this life of Christ in an entrance or beginning the force and nature whereof shed into their minds from Christ is such as it can neuer altogether die they are also assured of the full consummation and perfecting of it The selfe same thing also Peter teacheth 1. Epist 1. Blessed be God and the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who of his great mercie hath begotten vs into a liuely hope through the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And verse 4. 6. he laieth the cause foundation of a liuely hope in the mercie of the father resurrectiō of Christ because as Christ after that hee arose in our name by the mercie of the father he alwaies liueth so hope also hath a permanent and indurable life in him partly regeneration being begone and partly it loketh for it in that same full consummation and finishing In the first to the Ephesians verses 19.20.23 there is a notable place most fit and agreeable vnto this doctrine to wit that God doeth shewe foorth that selfe same power in vs whiles he giueth vs faith which hee wrought and declared in his sonne when he raised him vp from the dead and that same substantiall word it selfe to be that which filleth all in all thinges The same also 1. Pet. 1. verse 3.5 2 Cor. 4.14.16 And from hence floweth that same certaintie concerning full victorie against sinne against the assaultes of sathan and death For like as that euerlasting worde in flesh which it tooke and which in it owne power it raised from the deade Iohn 10. ouercame our sinne imputed vnto him death so also that same euerlasting worde shall not cease dwelling by grace in the faithfull but vtterly to abolish in those also the remnauntes of sinne and death already ouercame by his vertue and power 1. Corinthians 15. vers 54.57.58 1. Iohn 5.4.5 For by no other vertue and power but by the verie same whereby that euerlasting worde in that receiued lumpe ouercame our sin and death we know also according to the promise the same worde also working in vs that wee shall vanquishe and ouercome Io. 4. Because he is mightier that is in vs then he that is in the worlde This certayntie of our perseueraunce in true faith and of a full victorie through faith bringeth to passe that we take all thinges from his hande whether they be thinges prosperous or full of aduersitie being fully persuaded that all those thinges doe hasten the fruition of that same victorie which now is gotten for vs by Christ 1. Cor. 15. Thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Jesus Christ The same is in the 2. Cor. 4.15 Concerning the last fruite of the resurrection of Christ SEing that not only our soules but also our bodies are mēbers of our head Christ through the bonde of the spirit of faith 1. Cor. 6. ver 5. 15. Rom. 8.11 therefore in the resurrection of our heade Christ our bodies haue a certaine pledge and seale that they are not onely raysed vp from sinnes in this life as was shewed in the second fruit but also the selfe same bodies which are yet mortall haue both nowe the right of euerlasting life and through that same quickening spirit of Christ are repaired to the fruition of him and to true immortalitie in the end of the world and that in the selfe same state and condition with the glorious body of Christe Phil. 3. Who shall transforme our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to that effectuall working whereby hee is made able to subdue all things vnto himselfe 1. Cor. 15.49 As we haue borne the image of the earthly Adam so shall we heare the image of the heauenly The last fruit therefore of the resurrection of Christ is tha◠immortalitie is adiudged vnto vs from God himselfe made in the raysing vp of the Messiah and offered vnto vs by the Gospell and sealed by the spirite of Christe 2. Tim. 1.10 Who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light thorough the Gospell To the Ephesians chap. 1. In which Christ also you haue hoped hauing heard the worde of trueth euen the gospell of your saluation in which also after that ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promise whiche is the
fruition shall follow saying Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shal not come into iudgement but he hath passed from death to life Iohn 5. vers 24 The Apostle out of the Prophete Esay 1. Cor. 1. doeth so shadowe out the full fruition and the enioying thereof as which can not be comprehended by any thought or vnderstanding in this life whiche the eye hath not seene c. There is a notable picture of it in the Apocalips chapter 21. where amongest other thinges he saith I haue not seene a temple in it for the omnipotent Lorde is the temple thereof that is the lambe Neither doeth this citie neede sunne or moone to shine in it For the glorie of God hath enlightened it and the lambe is the light thereof For God to whome in Christe wee shall then bee so fully ioyned and knit as the fountaine of all goodnes that beyond him there is nothing to be desired to the ende wee might bee truelie happie as hee saith to the father of all nations and so to all beleeuers Genesis 15. I am thy greate rewarde and Psalme 16. Dauid saith Iehouah is my portion This fountayne doeth plentifully powre out it selfe vppon vs after the resurrection of our fleshe as the Apostle teacheth that God shall bee all in all The scope or vse of this Article THe scope is that the faithfull may knowe that their full and stayed felicitie is not in this earth and that he that hath begune his worke in vs wil also perfect it Of which knowledge there is a threefolde vse First the remembrance of our departure hence into euerlasting life to that same chiefe high good will not suffer our heartes to bee fastened here to these earthly thinges as the Apostle sayth 2 Corinthians 5. And therefore we are alwaies of good comforte and wee knowe that seeing wee are straungers in body wee are hardely absent from the Lorde for wee walke by faith and not sight but we trust and rather desire to depart out of the body and to goe to dwel with the Lord. And for this cause we endeuour that both dwelling departing hence we may bee acceptable vnto him So in the 8. to the Rom. wee our selues which haue the first fruites of the spirite do grone with our selues waiting for the adoption that is the redemption of our bodies 1. Pet. 1. passe the time of your abiding here in feare hee calleth it an abiding here but not a dwelling The seconde vse is patience and constancie For this same full felicitie is propounded to be beleeued to this end that the faithfull when they shall marke that same taste of happinesse which they feele by the first fruites of the spirit and shall perceiue that they are farre of from the full fruition and enioying of it in respecte of the manifold strife which they haue with sundrie tribulations which God vseth as instrumentes to mortifie sinne and to conserue them to the head Christ they shoulde not in the meane season be any whit at al discouraged but turning the eyes of their mindes to that ful happines they should waite with a peaceable minde for the day of the reuelation For so saith Christ Luke 21. Ye shall be hated of al mē for my name sake but an heare of your heade shall not perish possesse your soules through patience And 2. Tim. 2. If any man striue he is not crowned vnlesse he striue lawfully Nowe this same second vse ought specially to arme the ministers of the worde with an inuincible fortitude against the vnthankefulnesse of the worlde to which they doe good against the will thereof against pinching pouertie banishmentes and to be short sundrie daungers that if so be that the courage of their minde be sometimes pressed downe vnder the burthen of calamities they remember that that same great weight of the glory prepared be put in the other scale of the ballance which without all doubt shall so ouerwey it that it shal make that same first to be most light For this cause wee are not sluggish saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. but though our outwarde man perish yet the inwarde man is dayly renewed For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a far most excellent and an eternall weight of glorie Let that same promise also brought by the Angel be alwayes in sight which albeit it be commō to all the faithful as all are prophetes yet it specially is directed to ministers in Daniel cap. 12. And the wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for euer euer Therefore Christ also saith Your reward is great in heauen Matth. 5. Let them also beleeue this themselues which teach others to beleeue The thirde vse is the certaintie of perseuerance in faith that is to say that we beleeue that the Lord will neuer suffer that we shall vtterly fall from grace because he will haue vs to beleeue euerlasting life If I must beleeue euerlasting life I trust not without cause also that I shal be kept in the way As Peter plainly teacheth 1. Epist 1.5 which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be showed in the last time And 1. Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye are called into the fellow shippe of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde to him be honor and glorie world with out end Amen FINIS Page Line Fault Correction 60 4  read not enough to saluation 63 6  read embrace him by 67 27  read and doth 29 1 liuing read lying 122 17 povver poore 124 1 same some 137 12  read be both 145 7  read be vpholden 153 16 5.3 53. 153 25  read God made 159 30 5.3 53. 160 1 5.3 53. 185 8 vvhen vvhome 189 26 vexed vrged 198 30 vvorld vvord 205 18  read hauing receiued of vs.
AN EXPOSITION of the Symbole of the Apostles or rather of the Articles of Faith In which the chiefe points of the euerlasting and free couenant betweene God and the faithfull is briefly and plainly handled GATHERED OVT OF THE catechising Sermons of GASPER OLEVIAN TREVIR And now translated out of the Latine tongue into the English for the benifite of Christ his Church By IOHN FIELDE AT LONDON Printed by H. Middleton for Thomas Man and Tobie Smith ANNO. 1581. To the right honorable and my very good Lord Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Master of the Queenes Maiesties Ordinance Knight of the noble order of the Garter one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie counsell I. Fielde his faithfull seruant wisheth with his heart grace from God the Father by Iesus Christ and constancie in the trueth of the Gospell to the ende Amen OF all the faultes that we fall into in these dayes of our vanity right honorable my very good Lord I know none that deserue greater blame than to be vnthankfull where we haue receaued benefites And this is the cause that I hauing takē some paines in this profitable worke which I am bolde vnder your honours name to offer to the whole Church of God I thought good to leaue it in lieu of thankefulnesse as a testimony both of your honours loue towards the truth of God and of my humble duety againe towards your honor and the whole Church of God to all posteritie for who am I that I should not whiles life lasteth liue to the profite of the Church and who are you with all your honour auctority wealth and libertie all the gifts which God in mercie hath bestowed vpon you that you should not employ all to the maintenance of the truth and defence of the Church vnder her Maiestie wherein both high and lowe receaue the assuraunce of spirituall blessings sealed in the hope of an euerlasting kingdome And as the glory of God is shewed most herein that he defendeth his spowse hath bewtified her with giftes from aboue that she might be a pure and vndefiled spowse chast and holy vnto him selfe so this is our greatest glory of what state or condition so euer we be to be members of this Church by the Communion whereof we are his members For he is the onely head of his Church to giue it gifts to gouerne it to lead it to that great and euerlasting saluation There is no life but from this head nor any saluation but in this Church wherein as syncere doctrine is professed and out of his worde shineth and dwelleth so that holy obedience of children towards their father and of seruauntes towards their Lord framed and conformed to his will alwayes appeareth and sheweth it selfe And therefore it is called his howse because he is the husband of it the housholder and master that ruleth in it setting down his owne orders to his children and familie wherein it is intollerable presumption if not blasphemie for any man to dare to alter or chaunge the least iote against his will He is the Kinge and Pastor of it Luke 12.4 and his friendes stande and heare him Io. 10.4.5 his sheepe followe his voice and will not goe after a straunger They loue him that keepe his wordes and he beautifieth them not onely as guestes strangers but as Citizens and Saintes Ephes 2.19 and such as are of his owne housholde These are they that flie as the cloudes such is the multitude of them dispersed vpon the face of the earth and they mounte vp as Doues to his windowe Esay 60.8 And this is both called is the Church of the liuing God 1. Timot. 3.15 the foundation and piller of truth the body of Christ the house of the highest the keeper teacher of the Gospell the mother of the faithfull clensed of Christ and pretious vnto him This is no particular synagogue whorish and disobedient impure and filthy full of rebellion and falsehood as is that synagogue of Rome which hath departed from her first faith and loue which although the Papists would aduāce aboue the skies alwaies like Cuckowes singing one the same songe and shamelesly begging that which they shoulde chiefly proue yet they shall neuer be able though they burst their harts for it to proue it to be either the Catholique Church of Iesus Christ or a member of it For they maintaine another head besides Christ another worde besides the worde of Christ vnwritten verities or rather absurde vntruthes preferring the commaundements of a sinnefull man before the vnchaungeable and euerlasting trueth of God And truely I do not a little wonder what madnesse is entred into their braines that with such Owles faces they dare in the open lighte of the Gospell schritch forth their olde absurdities as though now after the great instruction of the truth they were able to thrust forth vnto vs as in times past when they lead vs in the darke their counterfaite ware to deceaue vs and so turne vs away from the glorious lighte of our saluation We had thought they had receiued their aunswere long agoe would neuer haue durste to looke the trueth in the face againe but nowe as they are continually instructed from that same enemy of truth so they bring forth their olde rotten stuffe and their new Iesuites haue furbushed ouer their olde arguments of their blinde predecessors as if they were spicke spanne newe they offer them vnto vs. But we finde them all of one metall This onely is the difference that whereas they were wont to speake in their owne language and like themselues nowe they speake in an other dissembling voyce and being in case to couch for feare of the whippe they haue turned their rustie roughnes into some smoothnes and like Angels of lighte that they may haue some entertainment amongest vs and to the end they may infect the lande againe with their idolatries and turne vpside downe the quiet peace the blessing of the Gospell hath brought vs and drinke vp our bloud as together with Antichrist their head they haue done in times past and in the countries where they haue had entertainment rounde about vs with strong flatterie they prepare euen to creepe into our bosomes And hēce are those speaches vsed by Parsons Howlet in that fraudulent and doubling Epistle that he of late hath presumed to whoope in the eares of her Soueraigne Highnes wherewith because I haue dealt more fully in another place now I do but touch it But as there is greatest daunger when foes beginne to faigne so haue we greatest cause to distrust these enemies of God and of the common weale when they haue made their tongues most glyb and smoothe to deceaue withall August in Psal 9. that as one saith verie well they may binde mēs soules in their sinnes For a sinner delighteth to doe those things wherein not onely the reprouer is feared but also the praiser is heard There are
in them which are effectually called reconciled he preserueth increaseth that same studie of holding their reconciliation and bringeth to passe that they greatly esteeme so great grace of reconciliation and truly somuch they esteeme it that denying them selues and all vngodlines they wholly giue themselues through faith vnto him who with so greate a price hath redeemed them from so many euills After that Christ the King and Priest of his Church hath engendred in those whom he calleth the studie of reconciling themselues vnto God he offereth and giueth also vnto them that same reconciliation that in the forme of a couenant the summe whereof is conteined in the articles of the faith NOw as I haue saide alreadie that same studie of reconciling themselues to God in those that are called of Christ the King being wrought he offereth and giueth to them reconciliation it selfe and that in the forme of a free couenaunt 2. Cor. 5. vers 18.19.20.21 and chap. 6. vers 15.16.17.18 Now the reconciliation of man with God or rather this matter of saluation in sauing by his merite and power the elect is therefore called a couenaunt and also set foorth vnto vs in forme of a couenaunt from God because there is no apter forme or meeter way of doing it to make mutuall agreement betweene the parties and to the establishing of faith For euen like as men after great enimities are then at length pacified in their mindes when they haue bounde themselues by promises and by an oath each one to other to imbrace peace so also God that our consciences might be quiet hath not spared of his meere goodnes euen by an oath and couenaunt to binde himselfe vnto vs that are repentant and beleeue in him and to seale the same with the seale of holy baptisme that he might adopt vs freely to be his children that he might cleanse vs through his bloode from all sinne and being endowed with the holy ghost might renue vs to euerlasting life yea and that freely that wee againe being bound vnto the faith and worship of this true God the sonne and the holy Ghost we might set foorth and aduance this greate goodnes of his Moreouer euen like as there are wonte to be propounded in mens couenaunts certaine heades which they call articles by which peace is begunne and put in practise both sides being sworne so also that same diuine couenaunt wherein God doth reconcile vs vnto himselfe for euer is conteined in certaine heades or articles which are the foundations of this holy reconciliation and where in God will haue eternall peace betweene him selfe and all beleeuers to be ratified Now God had promised by Ieremie the Prophet that he woulde strike a newe couenaunt with vs not according to that couenant which he had made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt because they had made that couenant voyde but that this should be the couenant that he would giue the lawe in the middest of vs and write the same in our heartes and that he would be our God and we should be his pepple and that we should knowe him because he is mercifull vnto our sinnes and will remember our iniquities no more Ieremy 31 Esai 53.54 Ozee 2. This couenant the Lord hath made with vs through faith in Christ and therfore we must knowe that the articles of our faith containe the summe as it were the heads of that couenant which standeth in faith between God and vs. That the couenant betwene God and vs is free and vndeserued and standeth only in faith through which after that he hath put out the remembrance of our sinnes he renueth the beleeuers to his owne image THat this couenant betweene God and vs is free and vndeserued and leaneth vpon no condition of our worthinesse or merites but standeth by faith alone hence it may easily appeare For in respect of God he properly maketh the couenant with vs and he sealeth in our heartes by his holy spirit that same promise of vndeserued reconciliation offred vnto vs in the Gospel Titus 3. ver 5.6.7 2. Tim 1. ver 9. Gal. 3. ver 6.28.29 In respect of vâ— this couenant is receiued only by faith whiles that freely and vndeseruedly the holy Ghost is giuen vnto vs who bringeth to passe that both we will and are able to beleeue the free promise of reconciliation through Christ Eph 1. Ioel. 2. Esay 59. If you respect the mediator verely our heauenly father hath receiued oâ— him the price of reconciliation and we haue satisfied in him notwithstanding because the mediator is freely giuen vnto vs and imputeth also freely this merite vnto vs euen by this reason also the couenant is free And so this whole couenant is meerely free and consisteth in faith alone the oblation of promise of grace in Christ and also the giuing of Christ himselfe in respect of God is free the receiuing on our part is also free because it is the worke of God in vs whereby he sealeth his promise in our heartes that being driuen we should worke that is to say that being made beleeuers by him we might beleeue Ephe. 2. ver 1.5.6.7.8.9.10 All these things are plainlie comprehended in that same promise of the new couenant which euen now I brought out of the 31. Chapiter of Ieremy Now the ende why God would haue this same couenant to be free by all meanes is that the glory of God might returne to him alone the which drift of his counsell he hath expressed in plaine wordes in the same Prophet Chap. 33. And it shal be to me a name of ioy a prayse and an honour before all the nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe vnto them c. And to the Ephe. Chap. 1 ver 5.6 An other end is the peace of our consciences Rom. Chap. 4. For if they which are of the lawe are heires faith is become voyd and the promise is made of none effect c. Sith therefore God saith that this whole couenant is free and vndeserued and that it consisteth in the knowledge of him or rather by faith through which also after that he hath abolished the remembraunce of our sinnes he will renewe our heartes which he calleth to write his lawes in our heartes it is plaine and euident that in the articles of our faith such a faith and knowledge of God is set forth vnto vs which embraceth the free remission of sinnes in Christ and also thereof engendreth the instauration or renewing of man according to the image of God Therefore in the meditation of the articles of our faith we must especially turne our eyes to these two poyntes The Articles of faith or that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede I Beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth and in Iesus Christ his only sonne our Lord which was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Mary suffred vnder Pontius Pilate crucified
can receiue any hurt of thē but so farre as God being their moderator shall vouchsafe to giue thē place who maketh that same hurt to worke together with him their good Ps 27.1.3 psa 91. He shall couer thee with his winges and vnder his winges thou shalt be safe His truth is thy shield and helmett Thou shalt not feare for the feare of the night Also Psal 118. vers 6. Rom. 8. vers 31.38 So Dauid humblie beholding the nature of God hopeth that Simeies railinges should turne to his good 2. Sam. 16. vers 12. Perhappes the Lord will behold my affliction and render me good for his cursing this day By what a wonderfull prouidence was Paule saued with all the rest that were in the shippe with him where euen in the middest of the waues of the sea and in roaring of the windes al things to the shew were confused there appeared euident and vndoubted printes of the diuine prouidence which draue the shippe thither whence they might safely escape Acte 27. which thing vndoubtedly from thencefoorth brought great securitie to Paule against all the hurt of all creatures and then especially when he must come before Nero and should wey with himselfe with how greate prouidence of God contrarie to his owne determination and counsaile he was brought thither Moreouer he conceiued greater securitie for the time to come by his deliuerance in his first defence as he writeth in the 2. Tim. chap. 4. No man assisted me but all forsooke me the Lord lay it not to their charge but the Lord was present with me and strengthened me that through me the preaching should be fulfilled and all the Gentiles heare And I was deliuered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord will deliuer me from euerie euill worke and will keepe me to his heauenly kingdome to whom be glorie worlde without end Amen This is euen that couenant that the faithfull that are confederate to God the creator haue also necessarily with all creatures because without the will of the creator they cannot somuch as moue whereof Hoseas speaketh in the 2. chap. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING THE sonne and our reconciliation And in Iesus Christ Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles ESay 9. A childe is borne vnto vs A sonne is giuen vnto vs whose gouernment shal be vppon his shoulder his name shal be called Wonderful Counsailor the mightie God father of eternitie Prince of peace Matt. 1. She shal bring forth a sonne thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from their sinnes Furthermore all this is done that that might be fulfilled which the Lord hath spoken by his Prophet saying Beholde a virgine shall be with childe shal bring foorth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Emanuell which is if thou interprete it God with vs. Luk. 1. The Angel saith vnto Marie thou shalt call his name Iesus This man shall be great and shall be called the sonne of the highest And the Lorde God shall giue him the seat of Dauid his father he shal raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shall be no ende Why we beleeue in Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God WE beleeue also in Iesus Christ the onelie begotten sonne of God First because the sonne of God is of one substance glorie together with the Father Io. 1. We sawe his glorie as of the onely begotten sonne of the father Therfore in the first Chapter to the Hebrues he is called the brightnes of his glorie and engrauen forme of his person Ioh. 10. I and the Father are one Further because the Father hath commanded that we beleeue in the sonne Psalm 2. Kisse ye the sonne And in the end of the same Psalme Blessed are al they which trust in him Also This is my beloued sonne in whome I rest heare him Nowe we so heare the sonne expounding the commandement and promise of the father Io. 6. This is the wil of that my father who hath sent me that whosoeuer seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life And I wil raise him vp in that last daie And in the 14. of Ioh. he saith Ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me And this is so seuerely commanded that a most greeuous punishment is denounced against such as refuse the benefite offered in Christ He that beleeueth not the sonne shal not see life but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Io. 3. Also the 8. Vnlesse you beleeue that I am he ye shal die in your sinnes And the 1. Io. 2. Therefore I confesse that I beleeue in the sonne of God verie God begotten of very God before all worldes To the Hebrues 3. Prouerb 8. And that from my hearte I submitte my will to this commandement and promise of the father that I am throughly persuaded although I be a wretch that yet for this eternal sonne of God I am indeede receiued neither would he I should adde this the greatest sinne to my great and manifolde sinnes that I should reiecte the sonne of God freely offered but that his desire is that with all my soule I should resist all vnbeliefe and should deliuer my selfe altogether deuoide of saluation to be saued to this sonne forasmuch as our heauenlie father hath so commanded Why the sonne of God is named Iesus THe sonne of God manifested in the flesh is named Iesus because he hath saued vs through his desert and yet still saueth vs by his power from all our sinnes Mat. 1. Acts 4. Hebr. 7 Nowe the fruite that comes vnto me by this knowledge is this Seeing God that can not lie Tit. 1. hath giuen this name Iesus from heauē to his sonne manifested in the flesh that is to saye of a sauiour I knowe and vndoubtedly assure my selfe that he fully and perfectly saueth me wholy both in soule and body and in this faith I call vpon him As often as I heare therefore the name of Iesus I ought to remember the promise of the Gospell that lyeth hidde in it that he through his merite hath saued me from my sinnes and by his power mortifieth the remnants of sinne in me vntill he fully deliuer me from them that he also quickeneth me through his holy spirite and that he euerlastingly keepeth for me that same saluation purchased with so great a price 1. Pet. 1. and so he beareth that worthy name for my sake which was giuen vnto him by the father from heauen that he might shewe the truth of his name in truth and effectually aswel in my saluation as in the saluation of al beleeuers He is faithful that beareth that notable name of sauiour and he that hath promised shall doe it Christ Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles TO the Sonne he saith Thy throne O God Psal 45. is for euer and euer thy scepter a right scepter the scepter of thy kingdome Thou hast loued righteousnesse and
which he sware vnto Abraham our father that he woulde giue vnto vs c. to the end of the Chapter Therefore I vnderstand that by the title of Christe or annointed the office of the mediator of the couenaunt is expressed to wit by what way and meanes the heauenly father leadeth vs to saluation promised and sworne in the couenaunt by the hande of the mediator that is to say by his merite and vertue Nowe the meane is because the father hath annointed this Iesus to be the prophet or teacher who can informe vs of this free couenaunt of God to be the Priest who confirmeth and ratifieth this couenaunt by his intercession and sacrifice and to be a king who maintaineth his couenaunt made and enricheth and defendeth his faithful confederate ones so that in the whole businesse of saluation wee flie by faith vnto Christ as to him whom the father hath signed as Christ himselfe speaketh of him selfe Ioh. 6. And first for that which concerneth the Propheticall office of Christ I thinke that to pertaine to the couenaunt in such sort to wit that firste of all men bee instructed of the free couenaunt of saluation and therefore When in times past God spake after sundrie sortes and wayes by the Prophetes nowe at length hee woulde speake vnto vs by his sonne Heb. 1. to wit clothed with mans nature For otherwise the sonne also spake by the Prophetes 1. Pet. 1. Wee must therefore fullie resolue that the euerlasting Sonne of God who is in the bosome of the father was sent a legate vnto vs and taking our fleshe vppon him was annointed with the spirit of wisedome and power that he might cleerely and fully laie open vnto vs that same euerlasting Counsel of entring into league and couenaunt with vs might declare that same good and vnchangeable will of God towards vs whereby he hath freely chosen vs to himself in the sonne and might frame vs to true amēdement to beleue the Gospel yea might also confirme his doctrine by miracles as by healing the blind by raising vp the dead c which neither the diuel nor anie creature can followe That he might also adioyne the sacramentes as holy signes to the renewed couenaunt to wit baptisme and the Lords supper Moreouer concerning the priestlie officie I thinke it so to belong to the couenant that euen like as the Propheticall office of Christ instructeth vs of the couenaunt and of a full reconciliation with God in Christ so the priestly office goeth further and offereth vp the verie price of this reconciliation to wit a perfect sacrifice with intercession wherby the mediator of Gods righteousnes doeth perfectly satisfie for our sinnes which did let and keepe of the couenaunt and without the clensing whereof that same prophetical ambassadge frō heauen had beene taken in vaine to intreate of the couenaunt seeing neither wee can satisfie for our sinnes our selues neither would God denie his owne righteousnes Last of all concerning that kingly office forsomuch as it was not enough for a mediator to haue taught vs of the couenaunt and to haue sanctified it by the offering vp of his body and bloode vnlesse hee likewise should defend maintain the couenant against the assaults of the enemie should throgh his might build vp a people in himself day by daie more and more repaire frame the same being endewed with spiritual giftes to euerlasting life therefore the heauenlie father would that the same mediator should be the head and giuer both of the conseruation of grace gotten and of an effectual communicating and mainteining the same Ephes 1.23.24 His onelie begotten Sonne Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles FOr he receaued of God the Father honour 2 Pet. 1. and glorie when there came such a voice vnto him from the excellent glorie This is my beloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased And this voice we heard when it came from heauen when we were together with him in the holie mountaine and we haue a most sure worde of the Prophets to the which ye do wel that you take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntil the day dawne and the daie starre arise in your heartes so that ye first know this that no prophesie of the scripture is of any priuate interpretation For the prophesie came not in olde time by the will of man but holie men of God spake as they were moued by the holie Ghost Psalm 2. I wil shewe out of the decree The Lorde of hoastes hath saide vnto me Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I wil giue the nations for thy possession the endes of the earth I say for the right of thy possession And a little after Kisse the sonne that he be not angrie And in the ende Blessed are al which trust in him Al these thinges agree not to Dauid but to the sonne who is appointed heire of all things And to the Heb. 1. Hee hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne by whome also hee hath made the worlde who being the brightnes of the glorie and the engraued forme of his person and bearing vp all thinges by his mightie worde c. And a little after Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou arte my sonne This day haue I begotten thee c. And in the same place And againe when he bringeth his first begotten sonne into the worlde he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Psa 97. ver 7. Io. 1. We haue seene his glorie as the glorie of the only son of God ver 10. He was in the world the world was made by him but the world knew him not He came vnto his owne his owne receaued him not But as manie as receaued him to them he gaue power that they should bee made the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name What the meaning of these wordes is His onely begotten sonne THe ende of these wordes is that our faith shoulde be stable first that we beleeue in the true God when wee beleeue in his onlie begotten sonne who is begotten of the substaunce of the father and therefore by nature is verie God as before is shewed Then also that we be no lesse vndoubtedly persuaded of the wonderfull loue of God towardes vs surmounting the loue of all creatures who hath so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Io. 3. And so God not only dealeth with vs by promises and by oath but also by giuing his son in whom all the promises are yea and Amen To be short that all thinges which he hath suffered for our saluation and whatsoeuer thinges followe in the other articles of faith be esteemed of the worthinesse of this person which is the onely begotten sonne of God Galat. 4. vers 4.5 Mat. 3. vers
must needes be therefore that Christe this king be of the substance and loines of Dauid and continue an euerlasting kinge and very man not onely in name but in the very substance and properties of a naturall fruite sprong from the loines of Dauid and abiding and raigning worlde without end in the throne of Gods maiestie in the highest heauens Hebr. 1. Which thinge bringeth vs exceeding ioye in euerlasting life for that we shall behold our nature in our brother and heade Christ to be adorned with so great glorie in all eternitie Causes for which it must needes be that the mediator of the couenant be very God with all the properties of God THe causes for which it is necessarie that the mediator be not onely very mā but also very God be these The chiefe cause is because God would declare his infinite loue And this is the meaning of that So God loued the worlde so I say that he gaue his only begotten sonne c. The second cause is next vnder this because he had receaued a commandement of the father that required an almightie worker to wit a commandement by his merite and vertue to saue the elect Nowe there is but one Almightie euen God Ioh. 10. vers 18. Out of this same second cause which properly belongeth to Christ these endes are deriued The first concerning desarte For therefore must the Mediator be verie God that that same obedience of Christ whereby so great a person which is equal to the father humbling himselfe in the nature of man that the curse might be made in it might be from the beginning of the world for al eternitie to come a matchable price or rather a price of redemption for the sinnes of all the elect of the whole worlde euen that the price might wey downe our sinnes Therefore in the 20. of the Actes it is saide That God redeemed his Church with his bloud And in the 9 to the Hebrues Also grace hath abounded aboue the fault This obedience of the Sonne when it is made a sacrifice for vs it surmounteth all obedience of Angels and al other creatures The second end is that seeing he must be a Sauiour no lesse in vertue then in merite he must first in himselfe ouercome our sinne the wrath of God and death Nowe that the waight of the infinite wrath of God in the manhoode might stand ouercome and moreouer that he might raise himself frō death it was necessary that he that should suffer should be very man in such sort that he might together be infinite that is the true and euerlasting God that is that his manhod should be personallie inseperablie vnited to his godheade of which it should vpholden that our saluation might not by any meane be in danger seeing it is impossible that that vnion should be dissolued For God alone could not die as one of the auncient fathers haue wittilie said neither could man alone ouercome death Therefore to the Romans Ca. 1. he saith that he is declared to be the sonne of God by the power of his resurrection Moreouer by his power it behoued him also to ouercome sinne and death in vs Ioh. 5. to witte by giuing faith whereby that merite might be applied vnto vs and the holy Ghoste through whō he might restore in vs the image of God and quicken vs euerlastingly and also maintaine that saluation so gotten Now forasmuch as all these things are of nature belonging to him who is almightie it was necessary that he by nature should be God almightie For who could haue performed that but he through whom man in the beginning was made after the image of God Coloss 1.3 who could haue giuen the holy Ghost which is God but he which is God himselfe who could haue restored euerlasting life but that same word the sonne of God in whō life is from the beginning Io. 1. Finaly forasmuch as God hath said I am the Lord besides me there is no sauiour it was necessarie that our sauiour Christ which by the decree of God was appointed to obtaine and bestowe saluation should be very God with all the properties of the Godhead omnipotencie eternitie infinite maiestie and glorie without which he could neither be a Sauiour nor abide for euer Why those same two natures must be vnited in the Mediator THat the foundation of that same couenant of grace or rather of that coniunction betwixt God and vs might be firme GOD would haue these two natures in Christ to be knit together after a wonderful manner to wit by the vnion of persons Now when we say that the diuine and humaine nature of Christe are personallie knit together we vnderstand that the sonne who is God hath taken mans nature into the vnitie of his person and so God is manifested in the flesh and made man but in the person of the sonne and so as the proprieties of both natures remaine safe aswel that the saluation of men might be obtained by that meane that he had appointed as also that it might be maintained and continued for euer For saluation could not haue ben obtained vnlesse mans nature and the nature of God had bene knit together in a personall vnion First because it had not beene the bloude of the Sonne of God that was to be shed and so it had not bene a sacrifice worthie enough for the sinnes of the whole worlde Moreouer the humanitie could not haue beene able to sustaine the wrath of God neither haue abolished the sinnes that were laide vpon it vnlesse the diuinitie had ben coupled vnto it into the vnitie of the person by a most firme and altogether vnlooseable knotte both which that same man Christ by the power of his diuinitie being personally knitte vnto him hath perfourmed Acts 20. Philip. 2. Hebr. 19.14 Coloss 1. vers 14.15 And much lesse also might saluation nowe obtained be maintained vnlesse they were knit together and might so remaine for euer For euen like as it was required for the entry to that priesthoode and for the prouiding of full satisfaction that there should be the body and soule of the sonne of God in which there might be satisfaction so also that the priesthoode might be euerlasting and an euerlasting intercession be made for vs it must be that that same humane nature be properly belonging to the sonne of God which he must shewe before the face of the father in heauen in which as our sinnes are once cleansed so it might be the pledge of our reconciliation for euer Psal 110.1 and the 4. Matth. 22. vers 44. Moreouer that same man Christ could not by his vertue and power be a sauiour vnlesse also he had the diuine nature ioyned vnto him into the vnitie of person from which together as also from the father proceedeth the holy ghoste who bringeth vs into the possession of Christ engraffeth vs into Christ and begetteth vs againe into euerlasting life 1. Cor. 15. verse 21.45 Rom. 8. verse 8.9
And surely as they can not any more fall from euerlasting life whiche are truely once engraffed into Christe by the holy Ghoste so that very worde the euerlasting Sonne of God of the substance of the Father to wit that same very fountaine of life in which life was from the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1. taken in the nature of man to endure euerlastingly must dwell bodily that is to say personally For seeing that same highe maiestie of God was moste farre separated from our wretched condition and yet notwithstanding hee had appointed for his infinite loue toward vs moste wretched castawayes through grace to ioyne his diuinitie which is the fountaine of all happines to the end it might endure for euer it was needefull that hee should also ioine our humane nature taken out of the lumpe of mankinde vnto his diuinitie by a personal vnion Col. 1. verse 9.10 Otherwise we should not haue had neerenes enough nor sufficient stedfast kinred as it were with God which might assure our faith that God doth truely dwel with vs that Christ is and euerlastingly should be Immanuel that is God with vs. Isai 7. Mat. 1. What the personal vnion is and wherefore it is that the properties of both natures must remaine whole and sound in it THe personall vnion is the knitting together of two natures in Christ to wit of the diuine and humane in which admitte that the one be and remaine the maker and without beginning and the other be and remaine created and therefore haue a beginning one be of the same substance together with the Father the other be of the same substance with vs one be almightie because it is God the other be not almightie because the creature is not the creator neither are there two almightie ones but one almightie one one be and remaine infinite but the other be not infinite but finite hauing a finite head armes feete c. Admitte I say that these natures are most diuerse and remaine euerlastingly distinguished in their properties for as much as the creator will euerlastingly remaine distinct from all creatures yea from that same lumpe which it hath taken yet notwithstanding they are so coupled together that they make one Indiuiduum to wit Christe All this may be seene by the conception in which that same personall vnion was once perfectly made neither was it euer afterwardes otherwise made Ioh. 1.3 cap. 14. Hebr. 2.16 Seeing therfore that the couenant of saluation betweene God and men is euerlasting it must needes be concluded that in the person of Christ as in the foundation these two natures are so euerlastingly vnited together that in meane season the trueth of either nature remaine for euer with their properties and that neither be swallowed vp of the other vnlesse we would haue the couenant to be weakened and plucked vp from the very foundations For euen like as for the entring into the couenant and reconciliation with God that both those natures in the mediatour must be true and sound keeping their properties so also forasmuch as the couenant conjunction must endure in all euerlastingnes that this same our true and very flesh and bones may enioye the same happines that after our resurrection Philip. 3. it behoueth also that in the foundation to wit in the mediator vpon whome the office of sauing vs is euerlastingly laide there remaine for euer the same whole humaine nature both soule and body flesh and bones For the nature of any one beeing ouerthrowen or the properties thereof denied the couenant it self falleth that is it can neither be entred into nor be preserued as before is shewed Suffred vnder Pontius Pilate Testimonies out of the Prophets Apostles whereby it is shewed that Christ must not die by tumult but must suffer vnder a iudge and that when a straunge magistrate should exercise iudgement Isai 53. HE was reckoned amongest the wicked Therfore be must not perish by tumult but must be iudged or reputed amongest the wicked Wherto also that belongeth He was woūded for our iniquities smitten for our wickednesses The chastisemēt of our peace was vpon him and in his stripes we were healed And in the same place He was taken away by iudgement Therefore he must come into iudgement With these Propheticall sayinges agreeth truely that Propheticall explication of Christ which is extant in the 18. of Luke Beholde we goe vppe to Hierusalem and all thinges shal be fulfilled that are written by the Prophetes concerning the sonne of man He shal be deliuered vp to the nations and shal be mocked and euill entreated of them And after they shall haue whipped him they shall kill him and the third day he shall rise againe And Luke the 24. To those that went to Emaus he saith O fooles and slowe of hearte to beleeue all things which the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered these thinges and to enter into his glorie And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets he interpreted in all the scripture those thinges which were concerning him Acts 4. They gathered themselues truely together against thy holy sonne Iesus whom thou anointedst Herode also and Pontius Pilate with the nations people of Israel to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and Counsel had first determined should be done Now that he must suffer when a straunge magistrate executed iudgement the which thing the very mention of Pontius Pilate sheweth these Prophesies witnesse Genes 49. The Prophesie of the Patriarch Iacob The scepter shall not depart from Iudah till Schiloh come is throughly fulfilled when the scepter was translated from Iudah and when Pilate in the name of Caesar executed iudgement And the Prophesie of Zachary in the 6. cap. that a braunch shall builde a Temple the glory wherof should become greater then the glorie of the first Tēple And then must altogether be fulfilled as Ezechiel also in the 21. Cap. the 26. ver hath plainly prophesied when the golden crownes should be taken from the heades of the Kings of Iudah But when Pilate was president the Iewes acknowledge that they haue no other king but Caesar and so they professe that the crowne was taken from the heades of the Kinges of Iudah therefore now the time was come that they should destroy the temple of the bodie of Christ and that that same branch should reedifie it againe or that he should raise it vp the 3. day The glorie of which temple namely of the body of Christ raised vp from the dead in which the Deitie dwelleth bodily doth surpasse at this day and shal doe euerlastingly the glorie of the first temple according to the prophesie of Haggai in the second Chap. Why Christe must be condemned by a iudge before the iudgement seate THou must looke vpon God him selfe the Iudge exercising iudgement by the mouth of Pilate Christe is set before the tribunal seate of GOD here in earth laden with thine and mine wickednesses ready to
receaue the sentence of the iudgement of GOD and to beare the paine of condemnation For seeing that we must haue beene set before the tribunall seate of the heauenlie iudge and there be condemned it behoued Christe for as much as he translated all our guiltinesse from vs to him selfe to be set in our person as a wicked person before the tribunall seate and to be condemned by God exercising iudgement by Pilate thinking nothing lesse Now the end of this is that all our sinnes being condemned at once of God himselfe exercising a righteous iudgement and being punished in his sonne with the greatest rigor of righteousnes wee might not be farther called into iudgement for them before Gods iudgement seate and much lesse be condemned for them The scripture teacheth vs that our mindes are to be lifted vp to God himselfe the president or Iudge of this most heauie sentence that we might haue sure consolation that wee if we beleeue in Christ are fully exēpt from the iudgement of GOD. And that thing doeth that horror of Christe declare when he crieth Let this cuppe passe from mee c. because he knewe that hee must appeare before the iudgement seate of God must drinke of that cup of condemnation for vs. Isay 5.3 God woulde by weakening him bruise him and treade him vnder To the Romans 8. For that which was impossible to the lawe inasmuch as it was weake because of the fleshe this did God sending his sonne in the similitude of sinnefull fleshe and for sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe And againe in the same place God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all And 2. Cor. 5. Him who knewe no sinne God and made sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him God made Christ sinne that is to say a sacrifice for sinne Loe God made him And Act. 4 28. Why Christ by the mouth of the Iudge was condemned as an euil doer and by the same iudges mouth was pronounced innocent BOth these make for a notable confirmation of our faith For in that he is condemned and accounted amongest the wicked our heauenly father doth wittnesse vnto vs that he doth beare our person and in the same is made guiltie of the father for vs to the ende that hee taking that condemnaon vppon himselfe that laie vppon our heades hee might deliuer vs from it Againe whilest he is declared innocent by the same iudges mouth by which he was condemned the father witnesseth by the mouth of the iudge that he suffered not for his owne faults but for ours Ioh. 8. vers 21.24 For the father would not that his sonne should suffer in vaine but either for his owne or for others sinnes to witte for ours But he suffered not for his owne which were none by the testimony of the iudge him self and by the testimonie of the Prophets Psal 69 he paid that which he toke not and Esay 53. Why therefore doe wee distrust seeing Christ suffered not in his owne sinnes but in ours Crucified Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles CHrist saith in the 3. of Iohn out of the 21. of Numbers As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that all that beleeue in him perish not but may haue life euerlasting For so God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. And Iohn 12. Now is the iudgement of this worlde and the Prince of this worlde shall be cast foorth And if I shall be lift vp from the earth I will drawe all vnto my selfe Nowe he spake this saith the Euangelist signifying what death he shoulde die And in the 3. of the Act. vers 18. Gala. 3. wherein that same diuine sentence is cited out of the 21. chap. of Deut. Christ hath redeemed vs from the cursse of the lawe whilest he is made the cursse for vs. For it is written Curssed is euerie one that hangeth vpon the tree that the blissing of Abraham in the nations might appeare in Iesus Christ Mark 15. They crusified also with him two theeues one at his right hande another at his left And that scripture was fulfilled which saith and he was numbred with the wicked 1. Pet. 3. out of Esay 52. hee that did no sinne neither was any guile founde in his mouth And a little after Who beare our sinnes in his owne bodie vpon the tree c. 1. Pet. 1. ver 10.11 Why Christ must rather bee crucified then suffer anie other kinde of death THe death of the crosse was accurssed of God Gal. 3. Therefore God pronounced the sentence of a curse by Pilates mouth against Christ The ende is that he might take away our cursse and the blessing promised to Abraham might come vnto vs. When God said in the law Curssed is he that hangeth vppon tree he knewe that his sonne shoulde be hanged vpon the tree Therefore Christ suffered not this kinde of punishment at aduenture or by the onely will of the Iewes but by the singular prouidence and counsaile of God Actes 2. For seeing that an execrable and curssed kinde of death was due to our wickednesses horrible offences and this same death of the crosse was accursed not onely by mens iudgement but by Gods owne sentence Deut. 21. It must needes be that Christ our pledge must vndergoe this kinde of death that by satisfieng hee might free vs from the cursse So Paul admonisheth vs that Christe had taken away our cursse that he might communicate his blessing vnto vs whilest he was hanged vppon the tree Gala. 3 Wherefore we more cleerely vnderstande by the crosse as the signe of cursse that the burden of the crusse wherewith wee were oppressed was laide vppon him which we could not vnderstande by any other kinde of death That Christ was truely and in deede made a cursse for vs neither yet for all that is there any contumely or reproch offered vnto him by vs for so saying CHrist was truely and not seignedlie made a cursse for vs as the holy ghost speaketh Gala. 3 And that verie thing the Apostle proueth by that voice of God Curssed is euery one that hangeth on tree And verilie God did not onely know what manner of death his sonne shoulde die when he spake that but also the death of the crosse which he pronounceth there accurssed was determined and decreed euen then to the son For in that consisteth all our hope in that appeareth the infinite loue of God that our God hath powred foorth truly and not feignedly all his wrath vpon Christ his sonne that he hath curssed truely and in deede without any figure that he might truely receaue vs into fauour so that indeed vnlesse Christ had also beene God he had remained in that cursse for euer whereby it passed from vs. For otherwise if the wrath of God had ben faigned then also had the obedience of the sonne beene faigned and also the hope of
of Christ For it is the proceeding of his death The first fruit therefore of this article is the cōfirmation of our faith that wee doubte not Christ being deade in deede and buried for vs that he was so farre foorth humbled that neyther death nor buriall can hurte vs forasmuch as the wrath of the father is truely and and indeede pacified For euen like as Ionah who was a figure of Christ being once cast into the sea the storme ceased and a great calme followed euen so Christe foretolde that hee shoulde be cut of frō the number of those that liued and should be placed in the heart of the earth that he might reconcile the father vnto vs being angrie for our sinnes Which thing forasmuch as Christ the mediatour of the couenaunt hath in deede fulfilled as is contayned in this article wee doe worthilie beleeue it And this in deede is the firste fruite of Christ his buriall The seconde This article also maketh to repentaunce and amendement of life For like as Christ deade by sinne resteth in the graue so wee by the vertue of that communion which wee haue with Christ deade and buried wee ought altogether to esteeme our olde man by the power of faith and by the testimonie of Baptisme to be buried together with Christ that true rest being restored to our consciences wee maye rest from our workes that is from our sinnes and so beginne heere that euerlasting Sabbaoth vntill by the vertue of Christe it bee fully accomplished in vs. So Paule when hee sayde in the 6. to the Romanes that wee are baptised into the death of Christ hee by and by addeth that wee are also buried with Christ by baptisme into death to witte that hee might expresse that by the vertue of that communion wee haue with Christe it is brought to passe in a continuall course and proceeding that wee mortifie our olde man And besides these principall endes and fruites whereof we haue spoken this is also to be added that buriall is an euident signe that Christ was deade in deede Vpon his death depended satisfaction for sinnes and therefore it behoued that to be most certaine and no place to be left of doubting Nowe all doubtinge of his death is taken away when he was buried as other dead men are and that according to the scriptures Isay 53. vers 9. Notwithstanding the principall and proper endes are those wee haue before mentioned He descended into hel Testmonies out of the Prophets and Apostles SAint Peter citeth the 16 Psalme in the second of the Acts of Christ his descending into hell saying This man being deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God after you had taken with wicked hands you haue crucified and slaine whom God hath raised vp loosing the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that he should be holden of it For Dauid saith concerning him I beheld the Lord alwaies before mee For he is at my right hande that I should not be shaken Therefore did my hearte receiue comfort and my tongue reioysed and so my flesh doth rest in hope Because thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Thou hast made the waies of life knowne vnto mee and thou shalt replenish me with gladnesse in thy sight Of the false vnderstanding of this article where also is entreated of Lymbus and of the first beginning of the error thereof THat it followeth in the Creede that Christe descended into hell shal we say that it hath hath this sense that Christ descended into Lymbus in which place there is neither ioie nor sorrowe that he might deliuer the fathers from thence or els that he descended into the place of the damned No not so For first it is euident that the fathers also before the death of Christ had ioye and comfort as it appeareth Luk. 16. in Abraham and Lazarus Besides that the word Hell is not taken for Lymbus in any place of the scripture Nowe the beginning of the error concerning Lymbus is that many thought and yet doe thinke that sinnes were not forgiuen before that Christ suffered And the passion of Christ had his effect and power from euerlasting For Christ yesterday and to day for euer and the same world without end Hebr. 13.8 And Paule to the Romanes 4. defineth iustification by Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen Therefore in the time of Dauid before Christ had suffered sinnes were forgiuen by confidence and trust in that sacrifice of Christ to come And in the same Chapter he saith that we obtaine happines and remission of sinnes by no other meanes then whereby Abraham obtained it who is the father of all beleeuers So Math. 8. Many shall come from the East and from the West and shal sit with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the kingdome of Heauen Seeing therefore that this same errour preuaileth against the Scripture that the Fathers had not remission of sinnes before Christ suffred from thence sprang this other errour concerning Lymbus For it was too harde to thrust the fathers downe into hel because as they cōfesse there is no redēption out of hel to place them in euerlasting felicitie they dust not because Christ hauing not yet suffered they thought their sinnes were not yet forgiuen They found out therfore a middle place in which there was neither felicitie nor sorrowe which in the schooles they called Lymbus as if they should say the porch of hell And so the diuell endeuoured to darken the greatnes of the efficacie of Christes sacrifice whiles he denied that the Fathers had remission of sinnes in the olde Testament by faith in the sacrifice to come and therefore he deuised vnto them Lymbus euen like as hee faigned Purgatorie for those faithful ones who were dead after the suffering of Christ That to the same ende also the power of cleansing from sinnes might be withdrawen from the passion of Christe against the manifest worde of God I. Iohn 1.7 2. Neither is it to be suffered in any case that we say that Christe descended into hell that is to the place of the damned that there he should ouercome death and the diuel for vs or that he should suffer any newe tormentes for that he both ouercame Sathan by his death and after death suffered no more sorrowes by which he should deliuer vs from the power of Sathan the Epistle to the Hebrues doth witnes chapter 2. That he might by death abolish him which had the power of death that is the diuel might set as many free as by the feare of death throgh al their life were subiect vnto bondage Also to the Coloss 2.14.15 And Luke the Euangelist witnesseth that he deliuered vp his spirite to the keeping of his father Neither can it fitly be taken of the shewing forth of the victorie of Christ in hell for that belongeth to that exaltation which at length he began in his resurrection nowe the descending of Christe
Iesus hath God raised vp whereof we are all witnesses The figure of Ionah Cap. 2 is manifest and expounded of Christ himselfe Math. 12. â—9 40. Esay 53.8 He was taken out from prison and iudgement and who shall reckon his age and generation And in the 10. verse when he shall make his soule an offeringe for sinne he shall see the seede that shall prolong his daies and the will of Iehouah shall prosper in his handes There is also cited of Paul Acts 13. the 55. Chapter of Esay and the 2. Psal and the 16. to the ende hee may shewe that Christ must rise againe that he might declare himselfe to be the very sonne of God Rom. 1. and that that same couenant of God made with Dauid might be firme and euerlasting Nowe Paules sermon is on this sorte Men and brethren you sonnes of the stocke of Abraham and those amongest you that feare God to you is this worde of saluation sent For the inhabitantes of Jerusalem and their rulers because they knewe him not nor yet the wordes of the prophetes which are read euery Sabboth day they haue fulfilled them in condemning him and though they found no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate to kill him And when they had fulfilled all thinges which were written of him they put him beeing taken downe from the tree into a sepulchre but God raised him from the dead and he was seene many daies of them which came vp with him from Galile to Hierusalem which are his witnesses vnto the people And we preach vnto you that touching the promise made vnto the fathers God hath fulfilled it vnto vs their children in that he raised vp Iesus euen as it is written in the second Psalme Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Nowe in asmuch as he hath raised him vp from the dead and he shall no more returne into corruption he hath saide I will giue you those same firme and good things of Dauid Wherefore he saith also in an other place Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption Howbeit Dauid after he had serued his time by the counsaile of God he slept was laide with his fathers sawe corruption but he whom God raised vp sawe no corruption Be it knowne vnto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenes of sinnes and from all things from which you could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Beware therefore least that come vpon you which is spoken of in the Prophet Daniel and other Prophetes foreshewe both that both the Messias is to be cut of and yet notwithstanding that he shall raigne for euer Therefore he must be quickened againe For abiding in death he raigneth not Daniel 7. and 9. Iohn 2. Destroy this Temple and I will raise it vp againe in three daies where also is prophesied concerning the fulfilling of that prophesie in the 2. of Aggei Iohn addeth when he was arisen from the deade his disciples remembred that he had saide this vnto them and they beleeued the scripture and the word which Iesus had spoken vnto them 1. Cor. 15. doth witnesse at large the resurrrection of Christ and the fruite of it And the Euangelistes they beare witnesse concerning the resurrection they set it out and confirme it by the testimonies of Angels Math. 28. Mark 16. Iohn 20. 21. Luk 24. The meaning of this article The third day he rose againe from the dead I Beleeue that it was impossible that that same holie Iesus the Christ and annointed of God should be holden of death which entred into the worlde for sinne onely Actes 2. aswel because he was pure in himselfe from all blot of sinne as also because he abolished our sinnes which were laide vpon him and also because the humanitie beeing personally vnited to the diuine nature or to that same substantial quickening worde and that therefore the bondes of death beeing loosed that he arose againe the thirde day by his diuine power and appeared againe to his disciples in life deuoide of al passion and mortalitie and so declared himselfe in verie deede the conquerour of our sinne and of death Matth. 28. Marke 16. Of the vse or fruite of the resurrection of Christ THe vse or fruite whereof we be partakers of the resurrection of Christ is fourefold The first is that the resurrection of Christe is a publike testimonie that by the Messias as Daniel speaketh there is brought a perfect and euerlasting righteousnes vpon all and ouer all that doe beleeue For seeing that he is deade not in his owne but in our sinnes that were laide vpon him and that out of them he is arisen againe to a life that shall neuer die hence there shineth to the mindes of all beleeuers a wonderfull light that not so much as one of all their sinnes remained vnwashed or vnsatisfied For if so be that there had remained but one of all their sinnes which none excepted Christe tooke vpon him either not thoroughly punished or imperfectly punished then could not Christ our pledge and truce-maker rise againe for asmuch as where there is but one sinne there of necessitie must death be for so hath the vnchangeable trueth and righteousnes of God decreed Rom. 6. The wages of sinne is death Neither yet doth the resurrection of Christ so make to our iustification as it is onely a publike testimonie thereof but also in a more highe consideration and that sound perfect euerie manner of waie to wit that that same raising vp of the Sonne is as I may say an actual remission from the sinnes of all them which beleeue For euen as the Father by deliuering Christ to death hath in deede condemned our sinnes in Christ Rom. 8. verse 3. so also by raising him from death he hath in the same deed absolued Christ from our sinnes and vs in Christ There is a most sure demonstration of this doctrine in the 1. Cor. 15. If Christ saith he be not risen againe in vaine is our faith ye are yet in your sinnes that is to say ye are yet guiltie before God Therefore because Christ is arisen we are not any longer in our sinnes that is we are in very deede absolued from them in this very thing that the father hath raised him from the dead that they might not be laide to our charge 2. Cor. 5.19 So also is that same place to be taken Ro. 4. For it was written not for Abraham alone for that this was imputed vnto him but also for vs to whome it shoulde come to passe that it should be imputed that is to say to them which beleue in him who hath raised vp our Lorde Iesus from the dead who was deliuered for our sinnes raised vp againe for our iustification What hath the father done by deliuering Christ to death He hath deliuered him for our sinnes he hath punished our
a most wise and mightie heade Christ and a defence against the enemies This kingdome when it was in this worlde beganne in humilitie as he saith repent amend for the kingdome of God is at hand The exaltation therefore in this kingdome is that same placing in highest degree of honour to the end the sonne may shew himself openly before the Angels blessed men in great light to be the king and heade of all the elect and by shedding his power euen vnto vs with a greater efficacie then when he was in his body in the earth he may restore and repare life and saluation by the worde and spirit in his electe and may defend thē against al enemies Eph. 1.21.22 The father hath placed Christ at his right hand in the heauens far aboue all power principality might and dominion euery name that is named not in this worlde onely but in that which is to come and he hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feet and hath appoynted him to be heade ouer all thinges to the Church which is his bodie and the fulnesse of him which fulfilleth al in al things Ioh. 16.7 I speak the truth vnto you it is expedient for you that I goe away for vnlesse I goe that comforter shall not come vnto you but if I depart I will sende him vnto you And this was because it was so appointed by God his decree that Christ being exalted in his kingdome should sende him What fruits we are partakers of by the exaltation of Christ in his kingdome LIke as Christ was borne and died for vs so also he sitteth at the right hande of God for vs. Nowe the first fruite is that onely Christians doe rightly knowe God call vppon him and praise him For therefore the father placed Christ at his right hande that hee might be acknowledged worshipped and praised both of Angels and men as their onely God and Lorde And contrariwise God doeth abhorre all other worshippes which are not directed vnto Christ in whome onely hee will bee acknowledged called vppon and praysed Peter inferreth Acts 2. of the sending of the holy Ghost out of the testimony of Dauid concerning the sitting of the Messias at the right hand of God Therefore let all the house of Israel knowe for a suretie that God hath made him both Lorde and Christ this Iesus I say whome ye haue crucified And Phil. 2.9.10.11 Wherefore God hath also highlie exalted him and giuen him a name aboue euerie name that at the name of Iesus shoulde euery knee bow both of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth and that euery tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto the glorie of God the father And Psa 97. ver 7. Apo. 5. ver 7.9.12.13 1. Cor. 1. ver 2. Act. 7. ver 59. cap. 9. ver 14. The second and the third fruite THE other fruits are knowen by their ends For therefore Christ is exalted in his kingdome that inwardly hee maye enrich his Church and without he may defend it against enimies yea and also may bridle those that are deadly and inwarde enemies the seconde fruite therefore is that the father for and by this Christ doeth assuredly giue the holy ghost to them that aske it doeth gouerne and quicken the faithful by the ministerie of the Gospel both beautifieth the whole Church with diuerse gifts and also giueth to euery mēber so much giftes as are sufficient for the glorie of the head for the edificacion of the whole body and the saluation of that same member but hee leaueth none of them without necessarie gifts or letteth them to be emptie Actes 2.33 Christ exalted to the right hand of God and hauing obtained of his father the promise of the holy Ghost hath shed forth this which ye nowe see and heare And to the Eph. 4.7 To euery one of vs grace is giuen according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And a litle after He therefore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some pastors and teachers for the repairing of the Saintes for the worke of the ministery and for the edification I say of the body of Christe till wee all meete together in the vnitie of faith and that acknoweledging of the Sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Also Let vs altogether growe vp in him which is the heade to wit Christ by whome all the bodie fitly knitte and compact together by all the ioynts for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euerie part the whole receaueth increase of the bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue Christ therefore raigneth vnto vs at the right hande of the father that powring out the holy Ghost vpon vs he might be effectual by the ministerie and through the spirite might make vs his mēbers and might aduaunce his spirituall kingdome day by day in vs vntill he might fully ioyne vs vnto himselfe being perfectly regenerate and washed againe from sinne and corruption and so he might be God all in all 1. Corinthians 15. The thirde fruite THE thirde fruit is the defense of the Church against all our enemies sinne the flesh the worlde tyrantes diuels all which our heauenly father calleth the enemies of Christ and in verie deede he sheweth dayly examples of his power in ouerthrowing them Psal 110. The Lorde hath said to my Lord sit at my right hande vntill I make thine enimies a footestoole vnto thy feete Iehoua shall sende the scepter of thy strength out of Sion rule in the middest of thine enimies Surely a wonderful consolation that we are his brethrē yea his members to whome all power is giuen in heauen and in earth without whose will power neither the Turkes nor antichrist can deuise any thing against the Church no nor conclude or moue so much as a finger for the executing of their counsailes so that Christe raigneth in such sort in the middest of his enemies that he will not be shut out no not out of their most secrete counsailes Yea we are the brethren and members of that Christ by whose most present diuine power all men are gouerned and all creatures in heauen and in earth so that wee may saye with full securitie of minde with the Apostle Romanes 8. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation shall anguish shall persecution shall hunger shal nakednes shall danger shall the sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter yea but in al these thinges we are more then conquerours through him that hath loued vs. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor hight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separat vs
Ioel And it shall be in the last day saith God I will powre out of my spirite vppon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie c. Esay 59.20 21. And the redeemer shall come to Syon and vnto them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob saith Iehouah and I will make this my couenant with them my spirit that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord frō hence forth euen for euer Ioh. 14. verses 16.17.18.19 c. I will pray the father and he shall giue you an other comforter that hee may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whome the worlde can not receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leaue you fatherles but I will come to you yet a little while and the worlde shall see me no more but ye shall see mee because I liue ye shall liue also At that day shall yee know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you Manie moe testimonies were aledged when wee entreated of the trinitie The meaning of this article I Beleeue that the holy Ghost is verie true euerlasting God and of the same substance together with the father and the son and yet notwithstanding a person distinct from both as proceeding from them both And therefore forasmuch as he is verie God I place my confidence and trust in him as in the father and in the sonne and I trust in him that he will worke al that in me being emptie of all good that hee himself hath promised in his word for which cause he is sent of the father the sonne Now his effectes they are many and diuerse For first of all he is giuen that he may witnes the loue of the father in our hearts Gal. 4. that he may lighten the eyes of our minde with the knowledge of Christ that through faith he may so engraft me into Christ as a brāch into the vine may make me a partaker of Christ al his benefits Ioh. 15. This coniunction with Christ his benefits which the holy ghost doeth worke in vs the scripture doth expresse with great force when he saith that the holy ghost doeth sprinkle vs with the blood of Christ 1. Pet 1. doth make vs members of Christ 1. Cor. 6. doth feede vs with Christ Ioh. 6. doth make vs drinke of Christ 1. Cor. 10. the 12. and doth build vs vpon Christ Eph. 2. In which the office and end of the holy ghost giuen vnto vs is shewed that through faith it may most neerely knit vs vnto Christ and may work the like things both in the mēbers head seing it is the same spirit that is to say the very same life glory Rom. 8. I beleeue that the holy ghost as the true very God wil worke these thinges in me which he hath promised vnto me that beleue euē as these his peculiar epithetons names do declare that he is the water flowing vnto euerlasting life Iohn 4.7 A water which shal cleanse me Ezek. 36. 1. Corinthians 6. An annoynting which shal remaine in vs 1. Iohn 2. the seale and earnest of inheritance in all which it is promised vnto vs that he is giuen vnto vs to comforte vs in all aduersities to helpe vs in our infirmities to make intercession for vs with sighes and grones that can not be expressed forasmuch as we knowe not to pray as we ought and so that he be our true comforte or aduocate who suffereth not vs to be destitute of his counsaile and helpe but handleth our cause himselfe to the ende he may be in vs and remaine with vs for euer Iohn 16. To him I trust to him I wholy deliuer my selfe to be gouerned comforted and quickened in the father and in Iesus Christe his sonne who through the holie Ghost make their abiding with vs. The applying of this doctrine to the couenant of grace THat same euerlasting couenant that God hath stricken with Abraham the Sonne of God in mans nature taken of the seede of Abrahā hath confirmed by satisfying the righteousnes of God perfectly in manner as I haue confessed in the former articles of faith Nowe it resteth that the holie Ghost engraffe vs into Christ through faith the true seed of Abraham and so powre out that blessing promised to Abraham and his seede vpon vs and by the earnest of an euerlasting inheritance Paule saith in the third to the Galathians that in the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham is extant in Christ Iesus that we might receaue the promise of the spirit through faith And a little after Now to Abraham and to his seede were the promises made he saith not to the seedes as speaking of many but and to thy seede as of one which is Christ Also And if yee be Christs then are yee Abrahams seede heires by promise And Rom. 9.8.2 Cor. 1.21.22 How the holy Ghost is giuen and howe we know whether we haue it or no. THe holy Ghost is giuen by the ministery of the Gospel as by an ordinary meane Gal. 3. This onely would I learne of you receiued ye the spirit by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of faith preached Also Ephesi 1. verse 13. and 1. Cor. 12. verse 13. Now thou shalt knowe by the working of the holy Ghost that thou art a partaker of the holy Ghost For euen like as thou seest not the winde but dost feele his operation so the holy Ghost is knowen by his working as Christ teacheth Iohn 3. These are the principall and chiefe workes of the holy ghost in vs faith inuocation grones 1. Cor. 12. No man can say Lord Iesus but by the holy Ghost and the 2. Cor. 4. because we haue the same spirit of faith according to that which is written I beleeue and therfore I speake so we also beleeue and for that cause we also speake Ro. 8. Because we are sonnes therefore God hath giuen the spirit of the sonne into our heartes by which we crie Abba Father And in the same place The spirit maketh intercession for vs with grones that cannot be vttered Besides these the being displeased with our selues and the hatred of sinne or rather the battell against sinne is a sure and vndoubted token that we haue the holie Ghost that we are ingraffed into Christ For the flesh fighteth not against it selfe Rom. 8. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus which walke not after flesh but after the spirite THE FOVRTH PARTE OF the Creede I beleeue the holie Catholike Church the communion of Saintes Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles GEnesis 9. God enlarge Iapheth that he may dwell in the
tabernacles of Sem. Esaie 54. Reioyce O barren which doest not bring forth breake forth into praise and reioyce which diddest not bring foorth because moe are the Sonnes of the desolate then of the married wife saith the Lorde Enlarge the place of thy tentes and let them spread out the curtaines of thy habitations And a little after For he that made thee is thy husband whose name is the Lord of hostes and thy redeemer is the holie one of Israel who shal be called the God of the whole world Also to the Galathians 4. verse 27. and Esaie 60. ver 1.2 c. Arise be enlightened because thy light commeth and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee For behold darknes shal couer the earth thicke darknes the people but the Lorde shall arise vpon thee and the nations shal walke to thy light and Kinges to the brightnesse of thy rising Ezech. 37. verses 22 24. and Chapt. 10. And there shal be one sheepeheard and one sheepfolde Iohn 11. verse 52. And not that Iesus should die for that nation onely but also that he shold gather together in one the chidren of GOD which were scattered Apoc. 59.10 Thou hast redeemed vs vnto God through thy bloud out of euerie tribe and tongue people and nation What this part conteineth THE fourth part conteineth the effect of all that went before For except we will that the Father haue sent his sonne in vaine and that his sonne also hath suffered and is risen againe in vaine that the holie Ghost was promised and sent in vaine we must needes beleeue that the effect of all these is that the Father in Christ by the power of the holie Ghost doth builde vp a newe people vnto himselfe whom before he had freely chosen with whom he doeth enter into a free couenant and to which he doth communicate him selfe and all his benefites Esaie 53. When he shal laie down his soule a sacrifice for transgression he shal see the seede that shal prolong his daies and the will of Iehouah shal prosper in his hand c. Eph. 2. ver 6. The meaning of these wordes I beleeue the Catholike or vniuersal Church THe meaning is that the sonne of God euen from the beginning Matt. 11. ver 12. gathereth and buildeth vp a people vnto himselfe from the whole bodie of mankinde elected before all worldes whom Christ raiseth vp beeing dead in sinnes and reconcileth vnto him selfe by the ministerie of his worde and renueth by faith to life euerlasting Iohn 5. vers 8. Ephes 2. ver 1.2.3 and Chap. 5. vers 26. which he adioyneth vnto himselfe as his spouse or wife that all the true members of this people may haue true fellowship with Christe and mutuall amongest them selues both in this and in the life euerlasting 1. Iohn 1. Amongest which people I trust my selfe to be enrolled and neuer to be blotted out from them Iohn 10. 17. Why the Church is called Holy BEcause none can be vnited vnto God vnlesse he be holie and pure euen as God is holie pure therefore I doe vndoubtedly beleeue that God doth iustifie and also purge those whom he hath chosen to this inseparable vnion to holinesse and innocencie of life that the glorie of God may shine in them Rom. 8. Ephes 5. Nowe the Church is holy two maner of waies by renouation and by imputation By renouation in it selfe that same holinesse is onely begun Rom. 7. Of this same first manner of holinesse it is saide 2. Cor. 7. Working your sanctification and 1. Thes 4. ver 7. But by imputation her holines is most perfect in Christ as he saith I sanctifie my selfe for them In this second manner of holinesse I beleeue that there is no sinne no death in the Church that is to say that no fault or punishment is imputed to the true members of the Church Because they that beleeue in Christ are not sinners are not guiltie of death but are simply holie and righteous Lords ouer sinne and death in Christ and liue for euer Ro. 5. ver 8.9 and Heb. 10. ver 14. Colo. 2. ver 10. Ro. 8.1 Thess 5.10 Why the Church is called Catholike THe Church is caled Catholike or vniuersal because that like as there is one head of the Church to wit Christ so the vniuersal members thereof scattered throughout the worlde doe growe vp into one bodie by the same spirite Ephes 4.1 Cor. 10. and 12. Communion of Saintes Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles LEviticus 26. and 2. Cor. 6. verse 17. Ye are the Temple of the liuing God as God hath saide I will dwell amongest them and I will walke there and I will be their God and they shal be my people Wherefore Esay 52. Come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lorde and I will receiue you I will be a father vnto you and ye shal be my sonnes and daughters saith the almighty Also Ioel 2. vers 32. 1. Tim. 3. verse 15.16 That thou maist know howe thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God the piller and ground of trueth 1. Cor 12. verses 13.14 For by one spirite we are all baptised into one bodie whether we be Iewes or Grecians whether we be bonde or free and haue beene all made to drinke into one spirite 1. Cor. 10.17 Because we that are many are one loafe and one bodie who are partakers of one and the same bread Also to the Heb. 3. verse 13 c. 1. Iohn 1. That which we haue seene and which we haue heard we declare vnto you that you also may haue fellowship with vs that our felowship also may be with the Father with his sonne Iesus Christ these things write we vnto you that your ioie may be full Acts. 2.47 And the Lorde added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued The meaning of these wordes THe communion of Saintes signifieth both that same outward fellowship wherby the people as members of the visible Church thorough the ministerie of the doctrine both of the Prophets and Apostles and also of the sacramentes are called into one bodie and also that same inwarde coniunction whereby those whome the Lorde hath alwayes chosen in this visible congregation that is to say the true beleeuers are knit and vnited together with the father with Iesus Christ his sonne and mutuallie one with another amongest themselues Concerning that same outward vnion we must knowe that the truth of the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine is an vndoubted token of the visible Church 1. Tim. 3. Besides all that professe that same trueth wheresoeuer they shal come in the world to any visible companie of the Church they haue right to communicate in hearing the worde in prayers and receiuing of the sacraments Esai 2.2.3 yea all the faithful haue commandement that wheresoeuer there is a visible assemblie of the Saints that they ioyne themselues
vnto it and by no meanes separate them selues from that cōmunion The Church also is bound to receiue them and to the vttermost of her power with a cheerefull minde to communicate those meanes which are committed vnto her such as all bodily and spiritual helpes are to the common saluatiō And as touching that same inward vnion or fellowship it hath as it were these degrees First all the electe haue the same right of the children of God that is common to all and so the same Father in heauen Rom. 8. Secondly all the elect are endued with the same faith whereby euen from the beginning they were engraffed into the sonne of God and yet are engraffed which is a forcible and an effectuall calling Thirdly the same fauour of iustification in Christ is common to all vnder the olde newe Testament Fourthly glorification is also common to the whole bodie so that the inhabitation of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost was alwaies the same vnder either testament to which scope and end al the gifts of the holie Ghost tend bestowed for the common building vp of the whole bodie that at length the glorie of the king may fully shine in the whole bodie I beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles IEremie 31. I will haue mercie vpon their iniquities and I will not remember their sinnes any more Chapter 33. also Psal 103. O my soule blesse thou Iehouah and forget not all his benefites who forgiueth al thine iniquities who healeth all thine infirmities And a little after He hath not dealt with vs according to our sinnes neither hath he rewarded vs according to our iniquities For as the heauens are high aboue the earth so hath his mercie preuailed towardes those that feare him As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he put our offenses from vs. And 1. Iohn 1. The bloud of his Sonne Iesus Christ hath purged vs from all our sinne The benefites which Christ communicateth vnto his Church by the vertue of the holie Ghost are set out a little more fully in these last articles Nowe his benefites are to be considered two manner of waies First in respect of the possession which we haue in this life and in which we stande Moreouer in respect of the full enioying and perfection of them which vndoubtedly we shal be partakers of in the life to come I vnderstand the possession of the benefits of Christ which we nowe haue in this life thus that euen like as there is no saluation without the Church which is the bodie of Christ so also all they which are his true and liuely mēbers now haue do vndoutedly possesse true happines all which we comprehend in the Creed vnder the forgiuenesse of sinnes as the Apostle proueth Rom. 4 out of the 32. Psalme Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered The meaning of this Article I Beleeue that whatsoeuer is sinne and so called whether it be originall or by birth as transgression in the loines of Adam the corruption that folowed of it which I beare about in my flesh or whether it be actuall sinne as thoughtes wordes and wicked deedes which spring from thence I beleeue I say that all that through faith whereby I am engraffed and dwell in Christ in the free and vndeserued goodnesse of God is freely forgiuen me and so freely that all memorie aswell of the fault as of the punishment like as if I had neuer sinned or had no sinne is taken away from before God and therefore I trust that I am now already blessed Nowe for asmuch as nothing is more harde then to beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes goe to let vs see what are the causes of this certaintie concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes The chiefe and principall cause is because the couenant and oath of God which conteineth this article in it is confirmed by the death of the testator himselfe which is Iehouah that God will not be any longer mindefull of our sinnes of the testator I say euen of God himselfe which had made that couenant Nowe what can be a greater confirmation of this couenant and testament then when that personall worde who is the true and euerlasting God vouchsafeth to confirme by his death which he took vpon him in the flesh the same thing that he promised Now it is plaine out of the 31. Chapter of Ieremy that it is Iehouah himself that maketh that testament or couenant And in the eight Chapter of Hebrues verses 15.16 and againe in the 9. it is plainely taught that it is the same Iehouah which by his death hath confirmed the same testament Where there is a Testament saith he there must be the death of him that made the Testament In which place he also saith that the same Christ which died was the maker of that same Testament promised in Ieremie Also Act. 20. Now what may be said or thought greater in heauen or in earth then that this article I beleeue forgiuenesse of sinnes should be confirmed by the death of God himselfe That sinne is forgiuen not that it should not be but that it should not be laide to our charge BVt whether may we say that our sinnes are so forgiuen that no remnants therof remain in vs No in no case for although sinnes be in vs and shal be euen vntill our death yet notwithstanding we beleeue that they shall not bee laide to our charge but for the merite of Christ shal be forgiuen vs. And therefore Saint Paul with the Prophet pronounceth not them blessed in whome there are no sinnes but whose sinnes are couered The whole matter tendeth to this that we vndoubtedly beleeue that the Church which is the mysticall bodie of Christ and euerie member of it doth possesse in this life not an vncertaine and temporall but a firme and an euerlasting forgiuenesse not of one or another sinne but of all sinnes with which they must struggle which haue ioyned with it an incredible peace and quietnes of conscience and therefore happines it selfe For this is the meaning of the Prophet when he saith that nowe God doth crowne vs with mercie compassion And Iohn 5. He that beleeueth in me hath passed from death to life But God forbid that we should take occasion hereof to sinne because we beleeue that our sinne is forgiuē vs. For as many as are truly engraffed into Christ through true faith besides that benefite of forgiuenes with which the image of Sathan is couered we begin to possesse therwithal another to wit the restoring of the image of God which consisteth in the mortification of the old man and quickening of the spirit Rom. 6. Now both these benefites are freely giuen vs of the father for Christ into whom whilest he doth engraft vs by his holy spirit first he couereth our sinnes by the imputation of the perfect obedience and satisfaction of Christ then he doth further begin
in vs by the same spirit that same newe obedience which is an vndoubted testimony of our engraffement into Christe and therefore of the forgiuenes of sinnes Rom. 8. in the beginning of the Chapiter For the free couenant of God doth containe these two partes as may be seene in the 31. Chapiter of Ieremy And hereof it commeth to passe that it is euerlasting because both he writeth his lawe in our heartes that is through his spirite he beginneth a newe obedience that we depart no more from God Ieremy 32.40 and because that being vnperfect he will remember our sinnes no more Where these two are there is sure friendshippe a constant and euerlasting couenant The resurrection of the flesh Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles DAniel 12. verse 2. And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shal awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetual contempt Iob 19. verse 25. I knowe that my Redeemer liueth and he shal stand in the last day vpon the earth and I shal be clothed againe with my skinne and shall see God in my flesh I shal see him my selfe none other for me Paul 1. Cor. 15. as it were with the finger pointing at those same bodies which we carrie about saith on this wife that this corruptible that this mortal this I say and none other must put on incorruption and immortalitie The meaning of this article THe articles that followe conteine the consūmation or perfecting of those same benefites of Christ to wit that same blessed life which we shal liue both in bodie and soule in the kingdome of our heauenly Father beeing fully ioyned with our head Christe beeing fully regenerate and transformed into his image and glorie 1. Cor. 15. Philip. 3. For our soules as soone as they shall passe out of this life shal enter into the rest of their Lorde for that whiche was spoken vnto the beleeuing theefe is also spoken to all the faithfull Nowe in the end of the worlde their bodies being taken againe they shall enioy full happinesse And certainly the verie same bodies which hauing put off al infirmitie shal put on incorruption incomprehensible power glorie a taste whereof Christe gaue vnto his Apostles in the mount Matth. 17. for he was transformed before them and his face did shine as the sunne and his garments were glistering as the light That the dead aswell righteous as vnrighteous must needes rise againe THe resurrection of the dead hath most sure and certaine foundations First of all the infinite power of God whereby he could create our bodies of nothing and whereby he can bring all thinges vnder subiection to himselfe Gene. 1. Rom. 4. Philip. 3. Further his vnchangeable will wherein he hath declared his righteousnes vpon which foundation the reason of the Apostle 2. Thess 1. leaneth For it is a righteous thing with God saith he to render affliction vnto them which afflict you and to you who are afflicted release together with vs when the Lorde Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen with the Angels of his power The righteousnes of God requireth that not other bodies but euen the verie bodies of the wicked be afflicted and that the bodies of the godlie receiue that promised release nowe whatsoeuer God can and will that of necessitie is done That the same bodies which we beare here shal rise againe THese verie same bodies and none other concerning the substance shall rise againe For God is the fountaine of life who hath taken into his couenant not halfe man but whole man and therefore shal quicken our bodies that are confederats vnto him For the God of Abraham of Isaak and of Iacob who is also our God is not the GOD of the liuing but of the deade like as Christ himselfe proueth the resurrection by the couenant Therefore these verie same bodies in respect of the substance shall rise againe But if any man will aske concerning the qualities there is a great diuersitie and so is that same voice of Christe to be vnderstoode Matth. 22. that in the resurrection we shal bee as the Angels of God in heauen And Christ saith Matthewe 13. Then the righteous shall shine as the sunne For this cause the bodies of the faithfull are called clarified bodies of the clearenes of the heauenlie light wherewith they are enlightened and they are called glorious bodies of that same glory which appeareth in that same clearenes as in the face of Moses spiritual bodies of the spirit of Christ by which they are quickened bewtified not to returne againe to nothing Now the cause of this our glorious resurrection is set forth in the third fruite of the resurrection of Christe Indeede the bodies of the wicked shall also rise againe as I shewed before when I sette foorth the foundations of the resurrection And Paule expresseth this Actes 24. But in a condition and qualitie diuerse from the godly For infirmitie shame corruption and misery shall not be taken from the bodies of the vngodly but like as they rise in shame so by the iudgement and power of God they shal bee confirmed in shame and corruption so that they shal be made immortall and incorruptible in corruption and death it selfe not to bee consumed with any tormentes but as it were hot burning yron they shall burne for euer Daniel 12. Some shal rise to euerlasting shame and Math. 25. The reason is because not onely the first death but also the seconde which is euerlasting is the punishment of sinne cōmitted aswell in body as in soule against the infinite maiestie of God And life euerlasting Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles ESay 64. verse 4. And since the beginning of the worlde they haue not heard nor vnderstoode with the eare neither hath the eye seene another God beside thee which doeth so to him that waiteth for him The which place Paul citeth 1. Cor. 1. which the eye hath not seene which the eare hath not heard c. And in 21. of the Apoc. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrowe nor crying The meaning of this article THE meaning is I beleeue that the same life which is in Iesus Christ shall be reuealed also in mee Coloss 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ our life shall be made manifest then shall you also be made manifest in glorie The name of euerlasting life comprehendeth in it all that same happinesse and gladnesse both of soule and body which the soules enioye by and by after this life through Iesus Christe and which also the bodies ioyned to the soules shall enioye with them when they shall be taken vp into the aire that they may bee alwayes with the Lorde 1. Thess 4. I confesse not onely this euerlasting life but I trust that it is prepared proper to me Christ confirmeth this prorietie and feeling begun thereof which a ful
earnest of our inheritaunce whiles we are redeemed into libertie to the praise of his glorie Although therefore wee die yet we shall rise againe into an immortall life because both the right of life is adiudged vnto vs in the raising vp againe of the sonne and wee are ingraffed into this Christ raysed vp as branches vnto the vine both by the outwarde testimonie of the Gospell and also by the inwarde witnesse of the holy Ghost 1. Corinth 15. If Christ bee risen againe we also shall rise againe Hitherto also belongeth it that he calleth him the firste fruits of them that rise againe because the whole haruest of all the faithfull from the beginning of the worlde was sanctified vnto God by the raysing vp of that lumpe which the sonne of God had taken of vs to a blessed resurrection Hitherto also it belongeth that he is called the first begotten from amongest the dead Colossians 1. as else where it shall bee declared more largely Seeing therefore that in raysing vppe of the sonne the right of life is brought to light vnto vs and that same quickening spirite of Christ is giuen vnto vs hauing heard the Gospell that same spirit I say of faith through which not onely our soules but also our bodies are members of our head Christe therefore wee haue an vndoubted pledge in the resurrection of our heade Christe that our bodies are to bee repayred and restored to immortalitie He ascended into heauen Testimones out of the Prophetes and Apostles THE Apostle in the fourth Chapter to the Ephesians citeth a prophecie out of the 68. Psalme concerning the ascension of Christ but vnto euerie one of vs grace is giuen according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith when hee ascended vp on high he led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And the prophecie in the hundred and tenth Psalme of the sitting of the Messias at the right hand of God comprehendeth in it a prophecie of the ascension into the heauens as it were an entrie of that glorious exaltation at the right hande of God the which thing is confirmed by the testimonie of the holy Ghost himselfe by the mouth of Peter Actes 2.34 Since then that he by the right hande of God hath ben exalted and hath receaued of his father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shedde foorth this amongest you which you see and heare For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but hee saith The Lorde saide to my LORDE sitte at my right hande vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole So also Markâ— the Euangelist in the sixteenth Chapter ioyneth the entrie with the sitting it selfe at the right hand so after the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God And Christ Iohn 14. foresheweth his ascension into heauen let not your heart be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in mee In my fathers house are many dwelling places otherwise I woulde haue tolde you I goe to prepare a place for you And seeing I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my self that where I am there you may be also The Euangelists describe a sure manifest fulfilling of these foresayinges concerning the ascension of Christ Marke in the place nowe aledged and Luke in his Euangelicall historie chapter 24. Loe I doe sende the promise of my father vppon you but tarie ye in the citie of Ierusalem vntill yee bee indued with power from on high Now he ledde them out into Bethaniah and lifting vp his handes he blessed them And it came to passe that whiles he blessed them being separate from them heâ— was carried vp into heauen and they worshipping him returned to Ierusalem with great ioye and were continually in the temple lauding and praysing God And in the first of the Actes And when he had spoken these thinges while they behelde hee was taken vp and a cloude tooke him out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towardes heauen beholde two men stoode by them in white apparell who saide Yee men of Galilie why stande yee gasing into heauen This Iesus which is taken from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen And Peter Actes 3 And nowe brethren I knowe that through ignorance ye did these thinges as also did your gouernours but those thinges which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophetes that Christe shoulde suffer he hath thus fufilled Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and when he shall send Iesus Christ which before was preached vnto you whom the heauen must containe vntill the time that all things bee restored which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The meaning of these wordes He ascended into heauen THE meaning is I beleeue Christe who according to his diuine nature was alwayes in the heauens Iohn 1. and 3. after that he had fulfilled the office of ambassage and by the space of fourtie dayes had instructed his disciples concerning the trueth of his resurrection in that same true bodie of his that was taken out of the substance of Marie the virgine that it hanged vppon the crosse was deade and buried that being glorified rose againe that in the selfe same body I say together with a very humaine resonable soule he ascended into the heauens where the seat is of euerlasting felicitie The scripture in the first Chapter of the Actes doeth set out the matter most liuely before our eyes And in an other place he saith the same things that CHRIST departed from his disciples and was lifted vp into heauen Luke 24. that hee went from them Iohn 14. that hee left this worlde Iohn 16. that hee was taken awaye Actes 15. from vs Luke 24. into those same holy tabernacles not made with hands Hebrewes 9. into heauen it selfe Mark 16. that he is there continually and without any interruption Hebrewes 10. that heauen must holde him vntill the time of the restoring of all thinges Act. 2. Howe Christ being absent is yet present BVT if that Christ went from vs hath left this worlde howe is that promise of Christ fulfilled Beholde I am alwayes with you vnto the ende of the worlde Matthew 28. Surely it is so fulfilled euen like as that same other word of Christ was fulfilled Verilie I say vnto you that before Abraham was I am Iohn 8. For like as hee fulfilled that by the presence not of his fleshe but of his diuinitie and yet feared not to say I admit that he vnderstoode it onely of the presence of his diuinitie so also according to his maiestie according to his prouidence according to his vnspeakeable and inuisible grace that saying was fulfilled of him Beholde I am with you alwayes euen to the ende of the