this Iesus seeing their faith sayde to the sicke of the palsie Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee You see howe that the cure of the man is ascribed to their faith and not to their good workes Likewise two blinde men came vnto him to be healed crying and saying O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. This verily was a good confession and worke of them Matth. 9. But what sayeth hee vnto them Beleeue ye that I am able to doe this they sayde Yes Then sayeth he According to your faith be it vnto you The woman that was deliuered from the bloodie yssue heard this of him Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole Matt. 9. When he raysed vp the rulers daughter he required but onely faith of him which thing the Papistes saye we can not prooue out of the Scripture In the eight of Luke therefore this worde onely is put to exclude all other things for saith he Beleeue only she shal be saued Now if Christ require this faith in the cure of the externall man that is of the bodie which is the lesse thing hee doeth much more require it in the healing of the inner man the soule which is the greater cure and of more valewe You haue then heard that faith in Christ cureth the body heare nowe also that Christ requireth faith especially to beleeue in him to euerlasting life The Gospell written by Saint Iohn is full of this matter almost in euery Chapter Speaking of Christ he sayeth on this wise He came among his owne and his owne receyued him not but as many as receyued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Iohn 1. Againe So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Ioh. 3. He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God In the fift of Iohn our sauiour saith Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life The sixte chapter is full of such godly and comfortable sayings I am that bread of life he that commeth vnto me shal neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life These things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Ioh. 20. It were infinite to recite all the places in Scripture that make for this matter and I should be tedious if I would rehearse them all Notable is that place in the sixtenth chapter of the Actes of the Apostles where the Iayler demandeth of Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saued they answered forthwith Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and all thine house I referre them that list to see moe places to the Actes 3 10 13. chapt Rom. 1 3 4 5 9 10 11. chapters Ephes 2. Out of these wordes wee gather this doctrine for vs that all the graces and benefites of Christ are made ours by faith in his blood and by faith onely wee take holde and laye hande vpon them for faith is as it were an hand or a mouth open to receiue meate into the soule and to feede it We must then open our hande and our mouth to receyue him as Dauid sayeth in his Psalmes speaking in the person of God I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt opeÌ„ thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. In that place the Lorde accuseth the incredulitie of the Israelites that did not open their mouthes in faith to receiue his benefites in such obedience as he powreth them out Againe if faith bee the meane to bee made partaker of Iesus Christ and to applie him to vs to heale our diseases then on the other side incredulitie of man is the stoppe or hinderance that letteth the Lord to powre down his blessings vpon vs. This lacke of faith doeth shut vp his beneuolence and good will from vs so that hee can not open heauen gates vnto vs and powre vs downe his blessing Of this the Prophets complayned in the olde time both Esai and Ieremie Behold sayeth Esai the Lords hand is not shortened that it can not saue neyther is his eare heauie that it can not heare but your iniquities haue made a separation betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Esa chap. 59. So Ieremie in his fift Chapter Your sinnes haue hindered good thinges from you And what sinne or iniquitie can bee greater or more detestable before the Lord then the sinne of incredulitie and vnbeliefe euen the mother and fountaine of all other sinnes This is that which the Euangelist Saint Matthewe reprehendeth in the Nazarites euen their incredulitie for when our Sauiour Christ came among them to preach and teache and to heale them that were sicke as hee did in other places they were offended with him and gaue him iust occasion to saye of them That a Prophete was not without honour saue in his owne countrey and in his owne house Then is it added in the ende of the Chapter He did not many great workes there for their vnbeliefes sake Matth. 13. So likewise our Sauiour Christ sayeth to the father of the childe that was lunatike considering his want of faith If thou couldest saith he beleeue all thinges were possible to him that beleeueth Marke 9. And this is the onely cause that barred the Israelites out of the land of Canaan For we see that they could not enter in because of vnbeliefe Hebr. 3. No more shall any enter at all into heauen which was figured by the holy lande of promes which beleeue not for Iohn sayeth that all the vnbeleuing shal haue their part in thâ—â—ake that burneth with fire brimstoâ—â—â—hich is the second death Reue. 21. Nowe when wee saye that faith alone in Christ doeth applie all his good workes vnto vs wee doe not speake against good workes that are done of the godly here in this life but our meaning is that our good deedes doe not saue vs which any man that hath read the Scriptures indifferently wil graunt Wee exclude not workes in life and maners here before men but wee exclude them froÌ„ any part or portion of iustification before the almightie God in whose presence nothing is perfite cleane or pure no not the sunne nor the moone nor the Angels but onely the works of that immaculate and vnspotted Lambe euen the man Iesus Christ whose woorkes are all made ours and imputed vnto vs
other aduersaries of Christ the which presently doe yet exercise tyrannie vpon all his members and holde them vnder their clawes chaynes and bondes But then we as people rauished with ioye shall saye this worde which is written O death where is thy victorie Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde The xl Article I beleeue that this maruaylous terrible and fearefull iudgement vnto the euill wicked and reprobate is very much desired and of great consolation vnto the good the faithfull and the elect because that then their whole redemption that is to saye of the bodie shall bee made an ende of and they shall receyue the fruite of their labours Then their innocencie shall openly bee declared and knowen to all the worlde and they shall see the vengeance and condemnation of the wicked which haue vsed them tyrannously afflicted and tormented them in this worlde whose iniquitie shall bee manifested by the Lorde and shal be clearely knowen of all to their great confusion and to the honour and glory of the righteous children of God the which shall be in peace and perfite tranquillitie and shall haue full reioysing and fruition of all that he hath promised and prepared for all those that loue him the which no eye hath seene no eare hath heard neyther can bee comprehended by the heart of man Therefore doe I abyde this great daye of retribution with a great desire as the same which shall bring and shewe vnto mee the selfe same good thing The xli Article I beleeue that we shall not all dye but that we shall bee chaunged in a moment that is to saye that in this last daye and iudgement generall some shall be founde aliue the which dyed not neyther shall they die as concerning the separation of the bodie from the soule but shall continue aliue eternally to the ende that Christ may be knowen to bee Lorde and Iudge of the liuing and dead and that his grace and merites may be found greater then the sinne of Adam For as sinne hath raygned vnto death so likewise must grace raygne thorowe Iesus Christ vnto eternall life The same neuerthelesse shall be changed transformed from corruption vnto incorruption from mortalitie vnto immortalitie from contempt and ignominie vnto glory after such sort that they shal be made partakers of all the giftes graces benefites the which the Lorde shall giue vnto those that before were dead in him the which shall not be before the others but all together shal be taken vp in the cloudes and in the ayre and shall all together be with the Lord. This is the second poynt of my faith touching Iesus Christ the seconde person in Trinitie and of his restoring and repayring of man let vs nowe come to the third poynt which is of the holy Ghost by whom man beyng restored is mayntayned and preserued in his integritie and perfection 3. I beleeue in the holy Ghost the holie Catholike Church the communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting Amen The xlii Article I beleeue that the holy Ghost is a diuine person distinct from the Father and the Sonne proceeding from them both in and through all thinges equall and coeternall with them by the which holy Ghost the Church hath alwayes bene is nowe and shall be ruled guyded directed and gouerned vnto the ende of the worlde By whome also all the Saintes Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christ haue spoken And therefore I do neither beleeue nor receiue any other Vicar or Lieutenant to Christ vpon earth within his Church then this holy Ghost which can not be receiued of the wicked The xliii Article I beleeue that the holy Ghost is the pledge and earnest of our heauenly heritage by the which we be assured ascertained and certainly perswaded in our consciences that we be the children of God brethren adoptiues to Iesus Christ and consequently coheires of eternal life The same holy Ghost also is the finger of God the which imprinteth in our heartes and spirites the faith of these things aforesaide It sealeth and confirmeth the promises of the Lord within our hearts thorowe his goodnes and grace because we should in no wise doubt The xliii Article I beleeue that this holy Spirit dwelling in vs through his grace and vertue doth regenerate vs into a newnesse change of liuing mortifying in vs all that is of vs and of the old man of the flesh and of the world and quickening al that is his in vs So that we liue not thenceforth after our own lusts but according to the wil of God Which holy Ghost also worketh in vs all good workes and doeth reprooue rebuke condemne the world of sinne of righteousnes iudgemēt The xlv Article I beleeue that the holy Ghost is the teacher of the ignorant which teacheth guydeth and leadeth vs vnto the knowledge of the trueth and by it onely are we brought deliuered out of darkenes set in the perfit light Likewise I beleeue that it is the comforter of the poore afflicted persecuted in all their troubles vexations and aduersities doeth so helpe strengthen comfort and assist all such that it will not suffer them to despaire as doe the wicked reprobate but maketh them to taste and feele the sweetenes goodnes mercy of God the Father which by persecution and diuers tribulations leadeth his owne vnto eternall glory The xlvi Article I beleeue that this holy Ghost is the spirit of life which quickeneth al other spirits as well heauenly as earthly that the same only of it selfe is holy that all others by it are made holy So that if any spirits be holy as there be either in heauen or in earth they are none otherwise holy but by the holines of the same holy Ghost and that is the cause why I beleeue in him that is to saye for that cause I put my whole faith hope trust affiance in him euen as I haue sayd before of the Father the Sonne This is the third poynt of my faith which is concerning the holy Ghost the third person in the holy Trinitie by the which holy Ghost after that we are made by the Father and repaired and restored by the Sonne wee are maynteyned and gouerned vnto the ende There remayneth nowe to entreate of the fourth poynt of my faith which is concerning the Church and of the things that concerne the same 4. I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saintes I beleeue and confesse one onely Catholike Vniuersal Church which is an holy congregation assemblie of all faithful beleeuers which are chosen predestinate vnto euerlasting life before the foundations of the worlde were layde of whose nomber I count my selfe beleeue that I am through the onely grace and mercy of the Father by the merits of my good Lord and Master Iesus Christ not
to performe all the duties of a faithfull minister of Iesus Christ vnto your honour I leaue to trouble you any furthet from other affayres of your Prince and countrey beseeching the Almightie to increase his gratious giftes in you to the honour of his holy name the profit of his Church and the consolation of your owne soule in the ende Which he graunt vnto your honour for his Christes sake Amen 1579. Your honours in the Lorde Iesus most humble to commande Iohn Baker To the Godly and Christian reader grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen I Haue for thy sake gentle reader set forth vnto thee briefly the meaning of al the articles of our Christian fayth which are necessary to saluation to this ende and purpose that as thou hast in English an exposition vpon the ten commaundements of almighty God and the Lordes prayer to knowe the better what they meane so thou mightest haue likewise in thy mother tongue some opening of these Christian articles which being well applyed to thy owne conscience by a liuely fayth thou shalt finde sweeter vnto thee then either hony or the hony combe a treasure to bee preferred before much gold yea the finest that may be And because sermons are not so common in euery parish Church as by the lawe of God and the prince they should be thou mayest therefore vse this booke priuately in thy house when thou shalt haue leasure as vpon the Sundayes and holy dayes at after noone The whole summe of thy faith is here set forth so plainely that thou mayest easily vnderstande it if the Lorde shall giue his grace to thee open thine eyes to see otherwise nothing can be easie to any man but an open booke shal be as sealed vnto men except the spirit reueale it vnto them which he will doe no doubt if thou seeke it by humble and earnest prayer to God in his sonnes name For surely this is the cause why many reading the Scriptures vnderstand them not because they come to them with vnprepared heartes not subdued with humilitie but presuming with their naturall witte to vnderstand the mysteries in them conteined But flesh blood doth not reueale these secret and hid thinges vnto vs. Other reade them without prayer to vnderstand them other some reade them but to dispute and talke of them with the learned and not to amende their liues being detected by them but onely to knowe them and let the practise goe But these men so doing can not be blessed Luke 11. cap. Wherfore dearely beloued Christian I exhort thee to reade the scriptures and all other bookes that tende to the declaration of the scriptures with a single eye and penitent heart not thinking or presuming any thing of thy selfe for the wind bloweth where it listeth as our sauiour sayth Iohn 3. And these diuine thinges are most commonly had from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened by the spirit vnto litle babes Matth. 11. that is to such as are humble in their owne conceyte and in their owne eyes For the holy Ghost sayth Them that be meeke will hee guide in iudgement and teach the humble his waye Psal 26. So then the humble shal be exalted and they all that exalt them selues shal be brought lowe Luk. 14. fare well deare brother and vse this booke as it was meant to thy good and comfort which Iesus Christ graunt vnto thee Amen Thy louing Brother in the Lord alwayes to pray for thee I. B. ¶ Sermons vpon the Creede or xii Articles of our Christian faith I Beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth 2 And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the holy Ghost 3 Borne of the Virgine Marie 4 Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed descended into hell 5 The third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almightie 7 From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8 I beleeue in the holy Ghost 9 The holy Catholike Church the cōmunion of Saintes 10 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 11 The resurrection of the body 12 And the life euerlasting Amen The first Sermon vpon the first article I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth BEfore we come to speake of the meaning of these wordes it shall not be amisse to cōsider in a word or two who made this Christian order and forme of our beliefe The generall and common opinion receaued with the whole consent of the Church is that the xii Apostles of our sauiour Iesus Christ made this Creede euery one an article as a godly writer of our time one Aretius in his booke of questions doeth shew Therefore it is called the Apostles Creede But whether it were they or no that made it or any other it is no great matter seeing it is all the vndoubted trueth of Gods worde euery poynt of it agreeth with the rest of the holy scriptures written with the Spirit of Christ We haue many bookes in the olde new Testament which are written for our consolation comfort and that by the finger of God but yet we knowe not the names of those men that wrote them as the booke of the Iudges the booke of Kinges and the Chronicles and such like and in the newe Testament the Epistle to the Ebrewes These all are the holy worde of God but yet we knowe not the authors of them And it seemeth that the holy Ghost woulde haue their names suppressed and vnknowen because we shoulde receiue all Scripture alike and with the same authoritie which proceedeth from the mouth of God making no differēce of persons or choyse of men when all is trueth that is written and that we shoulde not consider so much who speaketh or writeth a thing as what is spoken written vnto vs. Thus much for the writers of this worke Nowe let vs consider the thing it selfe This Creede hath foure partes the first is of our faith beliefe in God the Father the first person in Trinitie the seconde is of our trust and beliefe in God the Sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour the second person in Trinitie the third is of our faith in the holy Ghost the power of God which is the thirde person in Trinitie the fourth and last parte is of the holy and Vniuersall Church of Christ and of those things that are to be beleued concerning the same which are contayned in the last three articles which are annexed and ioyned vnto the Church as The remission of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting These are the benefites which followe the Church This is the diuision of the Creede Out of the first article we haue to note these two things first that we must beleeue in God secondly what maner of God it is in whome we doe beleeue
The meaning of these wordes is this I the seruant and childe of God I I say not another for me doe beleeue hope and trust in one almightie eternall euerliuing God which is not only a God of might vnto me to be able to do all thinges but a most mercifull father in Iesus Christ most willing and ready to helpe me in al troubles and aduersities of this life when I shall cry call vnto him First therefore we learne here to beleeue trust in God only and not in any creature whatsoeuer for they cannot helpe vs as Dauid sayeth in his Psalmes Vaine is the helpe of man It is thou that sauest me from mine aduersaries And here note that there is a great differēce betwene these three to beleeue God to beleeue there is a God to beleeue in God the deuils beleue the first the second that God is true of his word and promise which is to beleeue God they also beleeue there is one God and no moe and tremble as S. Iames the Apostle sayth Chap. 2. 19. but they beleeue not the third that is in God which is as much as to embrace acknowledge him for our good God and to sticke to him and to his worde only This is proper to the Elect children of God not to the deuils and reprobates which doe not trust in him For they lacke a true iustifying faith which is defined to be a sure trust in the mercies of God his promises made vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Sonne by whom he hath adopted vs that he wil be mercifull vnto vs forgiue vs all our sinnes This is faith this is it that we must haue when we say I beleeue in God For faith must looke vnto God not to any man or angel or saint in heauen Therefore Paul said to the iayler asking howe he might be saued when he had abused cruelly handled the Apostles Beleeue saieth he in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued Surely he could not haue sayde Beleeue in Christ vnlesse he had bene very God and marke howe he sayeth not Beleeue Iesus Christ but Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued as it is sayde here in our Creede I beleeue in God This that we must beleeue in God is warranted by our sauiour Christ saying to his disciples Beleeue in God let not your heartes be troubled Iohn 14. So that this doctrine to beleeue in God in no other is a doctrine of comfort to al the godly and to settle their hearts that they be not troubled or caried away with vaine persuasions of men and of Angels which Paul forbiddeth Colos 2. But here may a question be made why we say not as in the Lordes prayer in the plurall number Our Father and forgiue vs our trespasses so here also in like sort why say we not We beleeue in God First I answere that is a prayer to God this is a confession of our faith Then I say the case is not all one or alike For I may pray for another man and am commanded so to doe because we are al members of the same body of Christ so that my prayer may helpe and profit him But I can not beleeue for another man neither shal my faith and beliefe profit another man except he beleeue him selfe the promises of Christ for euery man shall be saued by his owne faith as the Prophet Habakuk saith Chap. 2. The iust man shal liue by his own faith And this notably confoundeth reproueth that fond and false opinion of the papistes which say that it is inough to beleeue generally as the church beleeueth not knowing how or what to beleeue This sentēce also reproueth and conuinceth another heresie of theirs which say that a man may be iustified by his owne works Here it is sayd The iust shall liue by his faith and not by his good workes or deedes And when Habacuk saith his faith he meaneth not that faith is of our selues but that faith which doth saue vs is within vs in our hearts not without vs in other men meaning neuerthelesse that faith commeth from God aboue and not of vs. As Iames chap. 1. And this doth teach vs to apply the mercies of God vnto our selues saying I beleeue as well as other men that God wil help me be my father This is a great cōfort which the godly only haue and not the wicked as Dauid saith The Lorde is his Lorde as wel as he is a lord to other Thus much on whō we must beleeue that is in God only Now secōdly consider with your selues in what maner of god you doe beleeue and trust not in such a one as the Paynims did that could not help them as Iupiter Apollo Diana and such like which did appoint a multitude of them to gouerne and guyde the worlde because they thought that one was not able ynough of himselfe and therefore made one for heauen as Iupiter another for the sea as Neptune One for hell as Pluto One for the fire as Vulcan Neither are wee taught here to beleeue in such a god as the wicked Israelites did called Baal which could not heare them when they cryed vnto him as it is in the booke of the Kings whō Elias reproueth 3. Kings 18. Chap. Of such Idols and gods the Prophet Dauid speaketh and derideth them their worshippers Psal 115. Saying they haue mouthes and speake not eares and heare not eyes see not noses and smell not hands and handle not feete and walke not neither make they a sound with their throte Neither haue we such pety gods of stone and wood as the papists haue their Images But our God in whō we do confesse that we beleeue is such a one as is a father for his goodnes and mercie and almightie for his strength and power This doth Dauid meane when hee doeth speake of his great God and setteth him against al other false gods of the idolaters saying as for our God he is in heauē As if he would say he is a most mightie God and both what soeuer hee will no man can hinder or let his power This as it is a great comfort to all the godly to haue such a God to ayde them at all neede so it is a terror to the wicked to consider that they haue to doe with such a God as is omnipotent able to beate them to peeces and powder when they resist him As hee did mightily destroy Pharao so did hee wonderfully deliuer his people and children the Israelites out of his handes from the read sea So he declared him selfe an omnipotent father We see then here as in other places how God ioyneth his power and iustice to terrifie and also his mercie and clemency to comfort I say they are put both together euen to terrifie the godly also that they should not commit sinne but feare to offende such a
that hath made all for vs as good seruantes should be more carefull of their masters honour profite thē of their own Nowe let vs giue thankes to such a God that hath vouchsafed to giue vs faith to beleeue in him being so mightie a God and we so lowe and base children so mercifull a father vnto vs notwithstanding we are vnthankefull sonnes to him And let vs praye vnto him to confirme this faith and to encrease it in vs euery day till we come to a perfect man in Iesus Christ Let vs desire of him to giue vs grace to behold this his wonderful and diuine worke of his creation wherin hee hath shewed his wisedome power mercy and iustice vnto al men that we may magnifie it as it doth require worthyly with our heartes and set forth his honour and glory in these thinges with thankes giuing for all his benefites seeing they appertayne vnto vs our bodyes and soules which are fed and nourished by them This grace and mercy let vs desire him to continewe vnto vs for his Christes sake our sauiour who hath dearly bought vs to whom with the holy ghost his infinit power three persons and one euerliuing God bee rendred all power prayse glory honour and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euer Amen The seconde Lecture vpon the creede which is vpon the seconde article And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was conceiued by the holy Ghost WE haue seene in the first article going before the thinges which we haue to beleeue as concerning God the father in his creation now followeth consequently what we haue to beleeue of God the sonne Iesus Christ as concerning his incarnation and all the benefites of his death and passion which is the second part of the creede as we deuided it And here in this article you must vnderstande and repeate as in the former so in this also I beleeue in Iesus Christ that is I trust in him and put my whole confidence in him that hee is my onely sauiour and that God will for his sake forgiue me all my sinnes For it is not sufficient to beleeue in God the father to know him vnlesse we also beleeue in his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde and knowe him also As Iohn repeating the wordes of our sauiour Christ saith This is life eternal that they know thee to be the onely very God whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17. So that our sauiour Christ ioyneth and matcheth in one the knowledge of him selfe with the knowledge of the father as he sayeth also in another place Except ye beleeue that I am he ye shal die in your sins We see then that if we must beleeue in Iesus Christ he is one God with the father and a creator other wise it were idolatry to beleue in any that is not God And that we may beleue in him this is warrāted vnto vs by his owne commandement saying in the 19. of Iohns gospel to his disciples Let not your heart be troubled beleeue ye in God beleeue also in me A notable place to prooue this matter Where we may also learne that if we beleeue in God our hearts shal not be troubled nor wauer hither thither not hauing any place to rest in For therfore in our miseries dāgers are we vexed troubled out of measure because we put not our full trust in the father the sonne Nowe let vs see with what titles our Christ is beautified adorned with for our cōfort consolation first of all he is here called Iesus which is an Ebrew word soūdeth in English as much as Sauiour which name the Angell gaue vnto him by Gods appoyntment before he was conceaued in the wombe of the virgin Mary his mother As we reade notably set forth vnto vs in the first of Matth Shee shal bring foorth a sonne and cal his name Iesus or sauiour for he shall saue his people from their sinnes and offences And for this cause he came into the worlde as he testifieth of him self The sonne of mā came to saue that which is lost not to destroy soules but to saue and to giue his life a redemption for many Luk. 19. By this we learne that there is no other Sauiour appoynted for mā either in heauē or earth but only Iesus and they that wil haue saluation of God the father must haue it onely at his handes Therefore doeth the scripture pronounce of him that there is no other name giuen vnder heauen vnto men wherein they must be saued but only in the name of Iesus Christ For this is the stone which is become the head stone and the chiefe in the corner neither is there any saluation in any other Act. 4. We haue then to seek our saluation not in Angels not in saints not in men or in our selues but in him onely that hath the key of Dauid that shutteth heauen and no man openeth it and openeth it no man shutteth This is the first title of dignitie and honour that is giuen vnto him of his father the next is that hee is called Christ which is a Greeke word and signifieth in English Anoynted which doth more plainly effectually declare his office function giuen him of the father for vs. For he was anoynted for three especiall purposes first to bee our Prophet to teach vs secondly our priest to offer him selfe a sacrifice for vs and thirdly our king to rule to defēd vs from our enemies These things are al giuē vnto vs to vnderstande in this name Christ For as al the Prophets and priestes and kinges in the time of the olde law before the comming of Christ were anoynted with oyle by the commandement of God as God cōmanded Elias to anoynt Eliseus Prophet in his stead Moses was cōmaunded to anoynt Aaron hye priest and Samuel to anoynt Saul Dauid to be kinges so was Christ also anoynted not with oyle materiall as they but with spiritual oyle of gladnesse as Dauid saieth aboue his fellowes that is with the holy ghost aboue al mē for he had it without measure Ioh. 3. 34. So then as the Prophets priests kings were all figures shadowes of Christ anoynted with oyle to signifie that they must be gentle meeke soft to al their brethren so it was also necessary that Christ should performe al this that was prefigured by him And first we see that Christ toke vpon him the office of a Prophet to teach the people his fathers wil not thrusting in him selfe as the false prophetes did whom the Lord sent not at al but being thereto lawefully called authorised by his father from heauen saying Heare him that is to be our doctour and teacher our Prophete and Scholemaster Being thus ordayned a Prophet to teach vs he executed his office and calling most diligently most paynfully and faithfully for he taught them in season and out of season earely and late
sinne actual as murder adultery is that I was conceiued in sinne and can doe nothing els of my selfe but sinne euery houre as Paul also cōplaineth of himselfe Rō 7. O wretched mā that I am who shal deliuer me frō the bodie of this death and then cōmeth vnto Christ thanketh him that he hath deliuered him from it We haue thē to cōfort our selues in this that Christ was conceiued for vs borne for vs died for vs whatsoeuer he did he did it for our profite and cōmodity In that that Christ was conceiued we also vnderstand the verity of Gods promises made vnto vs in the prophtes which had lōg before prophecied of it As in Esai 7. Behold saith he A virgin shall conceiue beare a sonne and she shall call his name Immanuel So we gather that God hauing perfourmed this he is alwayes iust true in his promises that he maketh to a thousād generatiōs And furthermore that the Prophets spake not by their own wil as Peter saith but by the wil spirit of God euen as they were led moued by the holy ghost 2. Pet. 1. So the whatsoeuer God ether speaketh or promiseth to the good godly to their comfort it shal come to passe as here in Esai God promiseth the cōceptiō of Christ for a cōfort to Hierusalē besieged w̄t her enemies whē Achaz was king Esa 7. Likewise on the contrary part whatsoeuer the Lord of hosts threatneth to the wicked destroyers of his Church shal also in due time be fulfilled and accōplished to the vttermost as vpō the Iewes for murdering of Christ vpon the Romane Emperours for going about to ouerthrow his cōgregatiō flock Although it be many times long before the Lord doth either deliuer the godly or punish the reprobate yet it is most sure certaine because his mouth hath spokē it that can not lie or deceiue as Balaam saith of him Hath he spoken shal he not performe it said it shal he not make it good That were vnpossible When we say that Christ was conceiued in the wombe of the virgin Marie his mother by the operation and worke of the holy ghost we meane that to bee spoken according to his humanitie only and not according to his diuinitie for so hee is likened to Melchisedech without father as touching his flesh without mother as concerning his godhead and yet we say that Christ was conceiued because Christ both God mā was ioined together in one person Therfore we must wisely distingush make a differēce betweene y◠two natures properties of Christ his māhod Godhead Whē Christ saith he can of him self do nothing he iudgeth no mā he knoweth not the day of iudgemēt that the father is greater thē hee with such like sentēces in that Gospel you must vnderstand these things to be spokē as he was only man In that he saith he was before Abraham and the father and he are al one and that the scripture termeth him The first begottē of all creatures the lord of al things the brightnes of his father these sayings are all applied to Christ as he is the sonne of God and God himselfe that made al things as Iohn saith of him By him al things were made If we marke obserue these two points the diuinity of Christ his humanity we shal finde great light and easines in reading the newe testament and things which were hard before wil seeme plaine euident vnto vs by this rule Thus haue ye heard the meaning the good lessons that may be gathered out of this 2. article of our christiā faith y◠cōception most pure most cleane of our sauior Iesus Christ First that he was conceiued as the word doth testifie Secondly wherefore he was conceiued which was because he might become very man to redeeme and suffer for man offending the maiestie of the almightie God Nowe let vs giue most hūble and heartie thankes as we are bound to this Iesus Christ y◠being so hie he woulde vouchsafe to descende so lowe for vs poore wretches as to be conceiued in the wombe of a maide to make vs pure and let vs also pray vnto his Maiestie that seeing his conceptiō is pure vnspotted he would also make ours so to be with the free imputatiō of his conception all other benefites of his death and passion that he would kill sinne in vs more and more daily by his spirit of sanctification that we may liue here in righteousnes and holines before him without feare al the daies of our life whē the sinfull course of this trāsitorie life is ended we may haue that life which neuer shall haue ende whose ioyes neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of mā can possibly conceiue or thinke which God grant vnto vs for his Sonne Christs sake to whom with the holie ghost be rendred al power dominiō praise and thankesgiuing both now and for euer So be it The third Lecture vpon the third Article of our Christian fayth which is Borne of the virgin Marie IN this article is mentioned and set downe vnto vs the natiuitie and birth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ how that he was borne not after the cōmon sort of men but of a maide or virgin not a married woman which knewe any man so that the meaning of this article in moe wordes is this I that am a Christian man or woman doe beleeue also that as Iesus Christ was conceyued by the holy Ghost so was he borne likewise for mee of his mother Marie she notwithstanding remayning still a virgin Out of the which article we haue to note these three good lessons and poyntes for our instruction and consolation First the birth it selfe secondly the maner of it with all the circumstances of the same thirdly the profit and commoditie that we may reape by it beleeuing it truely as we ought to doe 1 As concerning his birth Esai in his seuenth and ninth Chapter saith The Lord him selfe shall giue you a signe Beholde a virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and she shall call his name Immanuel butter and honie shall he eate till he haue knowelege to refuse the euil and to chuse the good Likewise the ninth Chapter Vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and he shal call his name Wonderful Coūseller The mightie God The euerlasting Father The Prince of peace the increase of his gouernment and peace shal haue no end he shal sit vpō the throue of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with iudgement and with iustice from henceforth euē for euer The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this Thus we see howe euidently Esai long before prophesied of this birth to the comfort of the people in his time The like thing doeth Ieremie also declare vnto vs in
his prophesie of this wonderful natiuitie of our Sauiour Iesus saying in his Chap. 23. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch a king shal reigne prosper shal execute true iudgement iustice vpō the earth In his daies Iuda shal be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and fulnesse of time as the Apostle speaketh was come then God sent his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. God then as in this so in all other things is true and iust of his promise and couenant that he maketh to a thousand generatiōs as saith the Prophet For nothing can let him to bring his words to passe his power is infinit ouer all And although it be said that Marie was maried to Ioseph Ioseph tooke her home to him to be his wife yet she was a virgin for Ioseph knewe her not so that Christ was borne of her being a virgin Ioseph was spoused to her in this respect that he should be an aide and comfort for her in her trouble and paine in her flight into Egypt in her great pouertie for she was so poore that she had no chamber to be deliuered in but laid our Sauiour Christ in a manger For these causes was Ioseph called her husbande also that shee myght be voyde of suspition of fornication and Christ not thought to be borne out of wedlocke or in adulterie 2 Secondly for our instruction let vs consider the whole maner of Christs birth after what sort and fashion it was S. Luke doth declare the order of it very liuely saith that whē Ioseph Mary were at Bethlehem the dayes were accomplished that shee shoulde be deliuered she brought forth her first begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and layde him in a cratch or manger because there was no roume for thē in the Inne By these words we see the maner of Christs birth howe it was very poore and base in respect of the world nothing glorious in the eies of men or as myght beseeme so great a prince as he was He that might haue bene borne in a most magnificent and royall palace would be borne in a stable or oxe stall and he which could haue bene layde in a most sumptuous bed of doune with silke veluet wrought garnished yet notwithstanding woulde bee layde in a vile manger This doth passe the reach and capacitie of mans witte and doth expresse vnto vs how that the Lords waies are not our wayes nor his doinges as ours are For then surely woulde hee not haue had Christ his Sonne to bee borne so poorely and without al honour and estimation here in the earth But here we see the great loue of Christ towardes vs the woulde so be borne for our sakes So that in this is fulfilled that notable saying if S. Paul the Apostle 2. Corinth 8. Chap. 9. saying Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ y◠he beīg rich for your sakes became poore that ye through his pouertie myght be made rich A notable lesson to take pouertie in good part if the Lord for iust causes lay it vpon vs. And not only was he borne so poorely miserably but also liued so afterwarde all his life time while he was here vpon the earth for that space of 2. or 3. and thirty yeres insomuch that when he was borne he stedde into Egypt frō Herod that sought to kil him no doubt with trouble paine Afterward he liued with the beneuolence liberalitie of certaine good womē as of Mary Magdalene Ioanna that wife of Chuza Herods stewarde Susanna many other which ministred vnto him of their substance Luk. 8. 3. so that he himselfe doth pronounce to one that would folow him for gaine estimatiō in this life that the sonne of mā meaning him self hath not where to lay or hide his hed but is in worse case thē the foxes which haue holes or the birds of the aire which haue their nests Mat. 8. By this we learne to take pouerty patiently which the Lorde himselfe hath sanctified in his owne body neither to thinke it accursed And we learne thereby the contempt of this worlde for Christ had nothing glorious in the face and eyes of man hee was not riche but poore If wee haue riches let vs not thinke so much or highly of them or be puffed vp by them for Christ had them not If wee be poore let vs remember that Iesus Christ was poore also in this life It is sufficient for vs and enough if we may be riche after this life not that these riches and worldly thinges are ill if they be vsed to Gods glory but Christ would teache vs by his example that first his kingdome is not of this world then not to be greeued if we lacke these transitorye thinges for hee had them not at all wherefore if we haue meate and drinke and raiment we must be content The circumstances of his birth are the place of it and the tyme. As concerning the place Matthewe and Luke both agree in one that it was Bethlehem for so was it long before prophecyed of by the Prophet Micheas Chap. 5. saying And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art little to be among the thousands of Iuda yet our of thee shall come foorth vnto me one that shal be the ruler in Israel whose goings foorth shall be from the beginning and from euerlasting Where hee setteth foorth vnto vs plainely both the humanitie of Christ and also his diuinitie his humanitie in that hee sayth hee came out of Bethlehem and his diuinitie in that his going foorth was from euerlasting The place then was Bethlehem no great and famous citie as Ierusalem was but a poore and obscure towne nothing spoken of among men Here wee may see againe that as Christ shewed great humilitie in the maner of his birth so did hee also in chusing so poore and vile a place as Bethlehem was And this was done no doubt to confound the wisedome of the wise and mightie which woulde haue thought rather that Christ should haue bene borne at Ierusalem or some such like notable and excellent citie Well our sauiour Christ chose Bethlehem and made it famous through his birth and reiected all other cities so is fulfilled that saying of Paul God hath chosen the weake things of the worlde to confound the strong and vile things and things that are despised hath God chosen to bring to naught the thinges that are that no fleshe shoulde reioyce in his presence 1. Corinthians 1. Verses 27. 28 29. Let no man therefore be grieued or ashamed if he be borne in a poore and base village for so was Christ borne and hee is nothing the worse for it hee may come as soone to heauen as they that are borne in the greatest
noted vpon Christes birth the circumstances of it with the fruite that commeth vnto vs by it and howe wee shoulde vse this day and what is our duetie in it Let vs thanke our sauiour Christ that he woulde be thus borne for vs and pray vnto him that we may remember it and haue the ende of this his cōming in the flesh the saluatiō of our foules which he graūt vnto vs to whom with his father and the holy ghost be giuen all prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen The fourth Lecture vpō the 4. article of our Christian faith Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended into hell WE haue seene in the other two articles going before the cōception of Christ and his birth and what things were in them to be considered of now cōsequētly foloweth his death with certayne circumstances of it as what foloweth after it But here may a question be asked why there is no mention made of his life which went betweene his birth and death To this it may be answered that seeing the benefites of his life be cōprehended in his death for whatsoeuer he did in al his whole life we inioy it in his passion therefore his life is not here set down because we do beleeue it in his death This article of Christs death is very necessary for nothing had bene brought to passe for our saluation neither should we haue had any profite at al by Christ vnlesse he had bin crucified for vs. Therefore it is not sufficient to beleeue his conception natiuitie except we also confesse with our mouthes and beleeue in our hearts stedfastly his death and bitter passion for vs. Therfore Christ is alwayes to be cōsidered of a Christian man as he was crucified for his sinnes The meaning of this article is this in other words I that am a christian man or woman do beleeue confesse that Christ my sauiour suffered whē Pilate was deputy in Iurie was condemned by him most vniustly and that he was crucified vpō the crosse or tree for my sinnes to redeeme me that he died for me to bring me to life that he was buried and laide in the graue as other men suffered the tormēts of hell in body soule to acquit me before the iudgement seat of God his father In this article are fiue things noted vnto vs. First vnder whom he suffered what iudge condemned him secondly what maner of death he died he was crucified thirdly his death it selfe fourthly what was done after he was buried lastly what paines he suffered he descended into hel Al these things are expressed vnto vs in this one article first is declared vnto vs the name of him that condemned Christ which is Pilate a Romane as Iohn 19. And this his name is set downe not only for the credit of the historie to beleeue it the better but also because this appertained to the misterie of our redemptiō that we might knowe his death to bee ioyned with the condemnation of an earthly iudge For seeing that by the death of Christ not onely our sinnes must bee purged but also the condemnation for them to be taken away it was necessary that hee should die by the sentence of a iudge and no otherwise that we might be absolued before the great iudge of all the worlde If Christ had been killed by theefes or murdered in a tumult or sedition by priuate men there had bene no redemption for vs in such a death no kinde of satisfaction But when we reade in the Euangelistes in their Gospell that he was arraigned at the barre accused by witnesses and condemned by the sentence of Pilate although iniuriouslye hee pronouncing him iust once or twise confessing that he found no fault in him we vnderstand by those thinges that hee sustayned not the person of him selfe but of al vs most miserable sinners that should haue bene so condemned before his father if he had not suffered this vnder Pontius Pilate for vs. And here are two things to be noted of vs which are both confirmed by the testimonies of the Prophets and do also giue a notable consolation and confirmation to our fayth for when wee heare that Christe was sent to death from the iudgement seate and was hanged betwene the theeues wee haue a full accomplishment of that prophesie which is cited of the Euāgelist He was reckoned or counted among the wicked Esay 53. And why was this so truely that he might sustaine the condition and estate of a sinner and not of a iust man as hee suffered death not for righteousnes sake but for sin and the transgressions of the wicked Againe when we heare that he was pronounced innocent by the same man of whome he was condemned let vs remember that which another Prophet speaketh of him I restored that which I tooke not Psal 69. that is Christ payed for sin bought if full dearely which he neuer had nor committed for there was no guile found in his mouth And why did Pilate then condemne him Because he feared man more then God Cesars displeasure more then the wrath of God for when the people cryed If thou let him goe thou art not Caesars friend then he consented vnto them to crucify him against his owne conscience to pleasure the people to gratifye the Emperour Tiberius So we see that he was a parcial feareful vniust iudge had not the properties of a good iudge as is required Exod. 18. First that they should be mē of courage secondly fearing God thirdly men dealing truely fourthly hating couetousnes Let all Iudges take example warning by Pilate to execute iustice and iudgement indifferently to all men For Pilate afterward as histories recorde for anguish and sorowe of minde hanged himselfe as Iudas did before him And here wee see that as a Romane then condemned Christ and as alwayes afterwarde hee was persecuted by the Romaine Emperours so it is at this day by that great Antichrist of Rome the Pope and his adherentes he is still persecuted in his members This is the iust iudgement of God vpon them God giue them grace if it bee his will to repent to come to the knowledge of the trueth Amen Secondly let vs consider the maner of his death what it was It was the crosse most shamefull and accursed not onely in mans sight but also of God him selfe Deut. 21. The curse of God is on him that is hanged This Paul repeateth Gala. 3. and saith Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe being made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree Thus we see still in euery article and in euery point of our saluation that exceeding great loue of Christ our master to vs that not onely he was contented to suffer most grieous paine for vs but also shame and reproche ignominie and contempt of the worlde He was at the first taking
wherin he is inferior to his father Seeing then that in the crosse death buriall of Christ doth appeare a kinde of infirmitie and weakenes in respect of the world because these things in Christ seeme base to many wee haue to goe further for the full strengthening of our faith to his most glorious victorious resurrection ouer al his enemies for although we haue a ful accomplishment of our saluation in his death because that by it wee are reconciled to God and satisfactiō is made to his iustice for our sinnes so that the curse is taken away frō vs the punishmēt paid for our offēces yet for al this we are said to be begottē not by his death but by his resurrection into a liuely hope for these are the words of Saint Peter 1. Epist 1. Chap. Blessed be God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which according to his abūdant mercy hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ frō the dead to an inheritance immortall vndefiled that withereth not reserued in heauen for vs which are kept by the power of God thorow faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time meaning whē Christ shal come to iudgement and we shal rise in our bodies Wherefore as Christ by rising so triumphātly became cōquerour of death so the victory of our faith doeth consist especially in his resurrection euē as the holy Apostle doth plainly expresse it Rom. 4. 25. for he saith that Christ was deliuered from our sinnes but is risen againe for our iustificatiō as if he should say By his death was sinne takē away abolished but iustice and righteousnesse was restored renewed vnto vs by his resurrection from death For otherwise how could he haue deliuered vs from death by dying if he himself had bin swallowed vp of death or howe should he haue gotten vs the victorie that had lost it himself This thing the Prophete Osee foreseeing by the spirite of God spake prophetically as Dauid and other Prophets did of this resurrection of our sauiour saying O death I wil be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction Osee Chap. 13. verse 14. Wherfore we do in this sort distinguish the benefites of his death from the benefites of his resurrectiō By his death sinne is abolished by his resurrectiō righteousnes is restored by his death is death extinguished by his resurrection is life repayred to conclude by the one hel gates are brokē vp vāquished by the other the dores of heauē are vnshut opened vnto vs. These are the proper differences betweene his death resurrection although the one sometime is takē for the other al things are giuen and applied to his death whatsoeuer we inioy Here may be a question why Christ was three dayes in the sepulchre First I may say It was to fulfill the scriptures for Ionas was a figure signe of his resurrection now as Ionas was three daies and three nightes in the fishes belly so was Christ in the graue Agayne hee was there three dayes and did not rise by by immediatly after his death to confirme the certaintie of his death that he was dead in deede for if he should haue risen straight way mē might haue thought with thēselues that he had not bin throughly dead Againe although it be said that he was three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth yet was he there but part of thē for the scripture doth take a part halfe of a day for a whole day as also part of a mā for the whole mā Wheras it is saide there were so many soules in the ship with Paul it is meant so many men in al with bodies soules but the better greater excellenter part is vsually taken for the whole as in this place of three daies This article hath two principall poynts to be considered in it first the resurrectiō it self of Christ secondly the benefites that come vnto vs by it which are three in nūber First life righteousnes is restored vnto vs by his rising thē mortification newnes of life here amōg men is taught vnto vs by this resurrection lastly we are assured perswaded of our resurrectiō In that that Christ our head is risen again we also the members shall rise with him as Paul saith Whēsoeuer Christ which is our head shal appeare thē shal we also appeare that is rise with him in glorie that is a glorified body as his is Phil. 3. Colos 3. This can not be but great comfort vnto vs. As cōcerning his resurrection partly some thing was alledged before testimonies brought to confirme it but this may be saide more of it that it is so necessarie to be beleeued vnto saluation that without it no life can be had for how can he haue life that doth not or wil not beleeue the author giuer of life Iesus Christ to be aliue risen but dead how I say cā such an one haue any life in him at al Therefore our Sauiour willing to leaue a perpetuall memorie of this article to his Church seeing it was of such great waight importance after that he had suffered presented him selfe aliue to his Apostles disciples to the women also by many infallible tokens being seene of them by the space of fourtie dayes speaking of those things which appertayne to the kingdome of God To this ende that he might cōfirme strengthen thē in this true resurrection he did eate drinke with them after he rose Acts. 10. shewed thē his hands his feete bid them handle him see that it was euen he and none other Luk. 24. 39. Yea this point is so necessarie to obteyne euerlasting saluation that the Apostle S. Paul doth affirme that if Christ be not risen againe then is our preaching in vayne then is our faith in vayne then are we false witnesses of God thē are we yet in our sinnes and they that are fallē asleepe in Christ are perished and we of al men are most miserable All these absurdities and inconueniences do follow if we or any other beleeue not stedfastly that Christ is risen againe But dearly beloued Christ is risen againe as the Angel said to the women He is risen he is not here when they thought hee had not bene risen but there in the graue as hee was layde The Pharisees thought that if they could perswade the people from the beliefe of this his resurrection they should do well ynough with them and therfore they gaue large money to the souldiers to say that he was stollen away by his disciples by night They wel knew that if the people of the Iewes did beleeue this his rysing frō the dead they would easely beleeue all other mysteries of his death and passion with the articles going before The Euangelists al of them do inculcate make mentiō of no one
a newe and a better life that is as Paul speaketh to cast off concerning the conuersation in time past that olde man which is corrupted through the deceyueable lustes and that we should be renewed in the spirite of our minde to put on the newe man which after God is created vnto ryghteousnesse and true holinesse This is the true image wherein Christ is rysen and wherein we must also ryse For surely dearely beloued as Christ was raysed from the dead to the glory of the Father so we also shoulde walke in newenesse of life Rom. 6. Then all they that doe not leade a newe life and a Christian haue not yet risen with Christ neither haue they part of his resurrection For we must consider that the scriptures of God do set forth vnto vs two resurrections the one is of the body at the generall daye of iudgement 1. Corin. 15. Of this we shall heare more in that article of the resurrection this is common to all and is in the life to come called the seconde resurrection where of Iohn speaketh Reuel 20. The other resurrection is of the soule from sinne here in this life cōmon to the elect and childrē of God which are true members of Iesus Christ and folowe him their head and this is called the first resurrection because it goeth before the other and he that will haue his part of the seconde resurrection to life euerlasting and not be hurt of the seconde death must while he liueth here indeuour to ryse from sinne Of this resurrection Saint Iohn in the twentie of the Reuelation spake most playnely saying Blessed and holy is hee that hath his part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shall be the Priestes of God and of Christ and reygne with him a thousand yeeres that is to say not a thousande onely but for euer and euer as is most clearely in another place of the same Iohn expounded Chapter 22. verse 5. in these wordes The Lorde shall giue them lyght and they shall reigne for euermore Which by the way maketh agaynst the error of them that imagined that Christ shoulde reigne but a thousande yeere with his elect and that vpon the earth also But to come to our matter againe from the which wee haue a litle digressed We see that there is also a resurrection to be sought for here in this life from sinne Of this resurrection spake S. Paul also Ephes 5. speaking to them that where fallen downe asleepe or rather dead in sinne Awake thou that sleepest and stande vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light In this resurrection from sinne and wickednes did Dauid arise when hee had slept and was almost dead in adulterie and murder of Vrias for the space of one whole yere and more for when Nathan the Prophet came vnto him and sharply rebuked him for it he repented and amended and so rose againe to a lewe life afterwarde So did Saint Peter also rise in this resurrection when he had most wickedly and shamefully denied forsworste his master Christ for he went forth and wept bitterly So he rose againe Mark 14. And so doe all the godly when they haue sinned they are sory for it and by and by they arise by repētance and neuer intende to doe the like againe And verely so must we all doe euery one of vs from the hiest to the lowest none must be exempted if we wil be Christs scholers and disciples or haue any part with him in his holy resurrection When we haue offended our master Christ let vs be most heartily sorie for it lament and amendc and serue him better afterwarde taking heede of the like offences againe then shall wee haue our part in this resurrection so be blessed for euer Nowe the wicked and reprobate because when they haue sinned they can not ryse agayne by repentance with Peter and Dauid but rather lye still vnder the burden of their sinnes and so fall to despayre therefore they can haue no fellowshippe in this resurrection As for example wee see in Cain haw he dispayred when he had sinned and neuer repented or amended his life Gene. 4. So did Saul and so did king Pharao confesse he had sinned vnto the Lord but yet he hardened his heart and continued still in his sinnes to prouoke the Lorde for he would not let Israel goe to serue the Lorde who did not ryse in this resurrection The like we haue of Esau who wept in deede but not in godly sorow that causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of as that Apostle speaketh of 2. Cor. 7. But he lamented in worldly sorowe that causeth death because he amended not his sinfull life Hebrew 12. The like may bee sayde of Iudas who fell as others of the godly dyd into sinne but rose not agayne with them Therefore the reprobate when they fall away can not ryse because they can not bee renewed by repentance seeing they crucifie to them selues the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him as Iulian that wicked Emperour runnagate from Christ after he fell away from him neuer came to him againe For it was vnpossible for him so to doe as Paul sayeth Hebr. 6. verse 4 5 6. But here let vs behold the peruerse dealing of man and the vanitie of his heart when he shoulde be risen with Christ in his resurrection he riseth with the deuil to the toppe of all sinne and wickednesse when he should be aliue in al good workes he is dead in them and quicke in all abominations many rise but not with Christ to the glory of God but to their owne glory the glo-of the worlde some to promotions prefermēts by vniust and vnlawful meanes some to pride and ambition some rise early as Esay 5. Chapter sayeth But to followe drunkennesse and to practise their wicked deuises which they haue conceiued in their beddes Thus they rise and haue a resurrection but not in goodnesse but in most filthie and abominable sinne For where we shoulde be fresh and florishing as good and greene trees to bring forth good fruite left we be throwne downe and cast into the fire we are dead withered drie in al goodnes corrupt trees without fruite twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes This is a very miserable thing but yet common to many Wee see then by these things that the wicked liue in the thinges wherein they should dye and die in the things wherein they should be aliue before God as faith hope and loue of God and heauen and heauenly things so that we may iudge that as yet they haue not atteyned to this resurrection which Christ hath gotten and obtained for vs by his rising again Wel to conclude this lesson let vs that are risen with Christ seeke those thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and let vs set our affections vpon
heauenly thinges and not earthly for wee are dead and our life is hidde with Christ in God Colossians 3. vers 1. and so let vs altogether mortifie our earthly members and fleshly lustes fornication euil concupiscēce vncleannes inordinate affectiō and couetousnes which is of all vices the worst called Idolatrie doing these things in the first resurrection when Christ which is our life shal appeare then shall we also in the seconde resurrection appeare with him in glory The which assurance of our resurrection is the thirde benefite we haue to note in this resurrection of Christ for by it we are made surc and certaine of the rysing againe of our bodies at the last and generall day of iudgement when Christ shal come to iudge all the worlde in righteousnes I say that his rising is the earnest of our immortalitie not onely in our soules but also in our bodyes He is become the first fruits of thē that sleepe and as in Adam we al die so again by Christ and his resurrection we shal al be made aliue at the great and last day in as much as he is the resurrectiō the life and he that beleeueth in him although he were dead yet shal hee liue Iohn 11. And hee is the head that is risen therefore the body and all the members of the same shal followe in due time For as when a man hath fallen into some deepe and dangerous riuer and hath nowe recouered his head from vnder the water and swimmeth aboue out of danger with his head although his other parts members of his body be not yet seene discouered yet wil al mē say he is escaped from death already so is it with our head Iesus Christ and with vs his body Seeing he is escaped and tisē from the deepe gulfe of death notwithstanding wee seeme as yet to be couered therein in this our mortall state why may it not be iustly saide that we are risen with him being so neerely ioyned and vnited vnto him vnlesse we will denie him to bee our head Wherefore if wee professe our selues to be his wee must lykewise acknowledge that our resurrection is already begun in his that we do by hope which neuer maketh ashamed in this life retaine the assurance of that state which hereafter wee shall with ful possession accomplishmēt in heauen with him enioy for euer This can not bee but a great and singular comfort to al the faithfull seruauntes of Iesus Christ to consider that their bodyes shal not lie for euer in the graues as the bodyes of beastes do but that they shall rise againe with Christ which is before entred into heauen to prepare a place there for vs that hee may come againe at the last day to receiue vs wholy vnto him selfe If wee were by the death of any friende of ours made sure by good and sufficient warrant of an hundred pounde lande a yeere howe greatly woulde wee reioyce thereof both night and day And how ought we to reioyce continually beyng put in assurance by Christes death and resurrection not of landes and goodes here which are but short and transitorie but of the possession of the euerlasting and immortall kingdome of God where are pleasures without ende and ioyes without any wearinesse O howe ought this to stirre vs vp to be in loue with that life but especially and aboue all things to loue him that was the authour and purchaser of these things vnto vs euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God both God and man I woulde to God we did thinke of these thinges and consider deepely with our selues what is prepared for vs by his resurrection surely then wee woulde not sinne at the least we would not wallo we with the sowe and delite in our sinnes as many men do the more is the pitie Wel this is the greatest benefite we obteine by this resurrection euen our owne rising if it were not for this we were not better thē bruite beastes yea farre worse especially the godly who suffer many iniuries and tauntes with mockings and paynes of the wicked if they shoulde not be assured of this grace and happinesse their life were very miserable they surely would despaire But of these things which are very incident to the article of our resurrection mo things by Gods grace shal be spokē whē we come to that point In the meane season dearely beloued let vs giue to Iesus Christ most humble and heartie thankes for the benefits that we receiue of his gratious goodnes by his victorious resurrection in that hee hath gotten to vs life and opened the gates of paradise vnto vs which were shutte before And with all because we neede continually to craue many thinges at his handes let vs meekely pray vnto him that hee woulde vouchsafe to woorke so in our harde heartes by his holy spirit that we may by his resurrection mortifie and kil all the wicked vnruly desires of the flesh other sinnes which are crept into vs and beg we of him that we may all of vs leaue the olde finfull life of Adam and walke in a newe life and put on the newe man Iesus Christ and to make no prouision for the vnbrydled flesh to fulfil the lustes of it that we may walke before him and serue him not for a day or weeke or moneth or yere but as the holy ghost saith al the dayes times of our life in holinesse and true righteousnesse to his honour and glorie to the profite and commoditie of his Church our brethren and in the ende to the consolation and comfort of our own soules which God graunt vs for his sonnes sake to whom with the holy spirit be rendred all praise and glory and wisedome and thanks and honour and power and might for euermore Amen The sixt Lecture vpon the sixt article of our Christian fayth He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty THis is the sixt Article of our Christian faith yet but the fift of thē that appertaine to Christ his benefites from his conception to this his ascension into heauen and it followeth consequently in order after his resurrection not but that there was some time and space betweene for Luke doeth recken fourty dayes to this ende that hee might instruct and confirme his disciples in the veritie of his resurrection to the which ende he did eate and drinke with thē after he was risen Nowe the meaning of this article in mo wordes for the capacitie and vnderstanding of the simple and vnlearned is this I that am a Christian doe beleeue according to the scriptures that Iesus Christ in the same body that he rose is ascended into heauen for to prepare a place for me and to pray continually vnto God his father for vs to bee mercifull vnto our sinnes This is the true sense and meaning of this article Now let vs consider what things wee haue to learne out of it
the ground then is hee subiect to gunshatte or other snares and daungers So it is with vs if our mindes were fixed aboue vpon heauenly things Satan coulde not take vs in his trappes but when they are altogether cast downewarde vpon the earth and earthly pleasures then we fall into his baytes and are entangled in his grennes Therefore as Christ is ascended so let vs also ascende in minde cogitation vnto him for Christ doeth bidde vs tome vnto him and this saying standeth in his full force nowe as it did when â—e spake it here with vs vpon the earth and we must come vnto him nowe Let vs then come and resorte vnto him by our earnest and heartie prayer for then wee talke with him For prayer is sayd to be a speach and communication with God and a lifting vp of our heartes vnto him in heauen We shoulde remember then that as often as we pray we speake to the maiestie of God and therefore shoulde come with feare and reuerence Let vs also come to Christ to heare hâ—â— comfortable worde and Gospel For when we heare his worde preached vnto vs or reade it our selues we must consider that God speaketh vnto vs and therefore giue diligent and attentiue heede to the things thou hearest lest they slip out of thy minde Againe let vs also ascend and come to him by heartie thanke sgiuing for al benefits receyued in our body and soule both temporall and spirituall This is to ascende vnto Christ in this life Seeing therefore that by the blood of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh seeing also we haue an high Priest which is ouer the house of God let vs all draw neere with a true heart in assurance of fayth our hearts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and let vs ascende whither our forerunner Iesus Christ is entred and ascended for vs already euen into the heauen of heauens Another singular coÌ„â—ort â—or to â—ead our faith vpon by Christs ascension is his power to strengthen our weakenesse for we beleeue nowe that Christ hath taken full possession of his most glorious kingdome is entred into glory to whom as Saint Peter sayth The angels and powers and myght are subiect and whatsoeuer else For God hath sayde vnto him Sit thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole the Lord shall send the â—odde of thy power out of Sion be thou buler in the middest of thine enemies Psal 110. So that wee may boldly saye as Dauid sayde sometime The Lorde is our shephearde yea the Lorde Iesus is our King therefore shall wee lacke nothing For tel me I pray you what good thing can we want Christ being our heauenly King and hauing nowe all power and authoritie giuen vnto him and sitting at the ryght hand of the almightie Father Surely his seruantes shall enioy all things as he sayeth He that ouercommeth shall inherit all things and who is he that ouercommeth but Iesus Christ in whome we by his power and vertue ouercome also that as hee is made heyre of all things so myght wee also bee made ioynt heyres with him Wherefore wee knowe Christ no more in his mortalitie and humilitie Yea although wee had knowen Christ after the flesh yet hence foorth knowe we him no more after the flesh but after the woorking of his myghtie Spirite whereby hee is able to subdue all things to him selfe Philip. 3. For here we must consider that Christ hath thus ascended into glorie for vs and hath receyued giftes for men euen great spoyles of the enemies to enrich his Church This is our reioycing which wee haue dayly in Christ Iesus here is the ioy patience and victorie of the Saints of God for he must reigne vntill hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Who then can he discouraged with any thing that befalleth vnto him eyther of bodie or griefe of minde or losse of goods and friends Is it not Christ that dyed for vs and which is rysen againe who is also at the ryght hande of God and maketh request for vs Who shall say any thing vnto our charge who shal condemne vs If Christ be on our side as hee is most certaynely being our head who then can bee agaynst vs howe can wee sacke any thing in this lyfe when God hath giuen his Sonne for vs What man or woman woulde thinke to lacke any thing earthly that had a King to his Father or a Prince to bee his brother and shall wee bee of so litle fayth to thinke that wee can lacke ought hauing GOD the great King ouer al the world to be our louing Father and Iesus Christ his Sonne the Prince of all princes to bee our owne brother This were madnesse to thinke or conceiue but yet if wee bee wauering through incredulitie let vs saye and waye with the man in the Gospel Lorde helpe my vnbeliefe and with the Apostles let vs saye Lorde increase our fayth in vs and make it strong agaynst all tentations of Satan Seeing then that Iesus Christ is of that power that he is able to bring to passe all thinges Gods children may assure them selues of a singular defence agaynst all their enemies For who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peryll or sworde Nay dearely beloued I am certaynely perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heyght nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde for in all these thinges wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs and this is our Christ that sitteth in the heauens for vs. By this his glorie and power euer since his ascending hee hath mayntayned the estate and welfare of his Congregation and will doe to the ende of the worlde The last thing wee learne by Christes ascension is this that he is also ascended to leade captiuitie captiue that is to say to beate downe and ouerthrowe all his foes and such as ryse vp heere agaynst him so that as his power is a great comfort to his spouse so it is as great a terrour and griefe to the wicked reprobates to thinke or to consider of it For it maketh them to frette and fume and to bee euer at their wittes ende for sorowe and griefe that hee must ouercome in spite of their teeth Then wee learne that our enemies shall not alway tryumph ouer vs they shall not still haue vs in their bandes in pryson and thraldome but one day they surely them selues shall come to confusion and shame The Scriptures when they will paynt out Christ vnto vs
moone which doth represent the Church which taketh her light from the sunne Iesus Christ hath byn persecuted turned into blood and not giuen her light by reason of troubles and the starres which are likened to the preachers haue fallen away and otherwise stept aside These things and the lyke may put vs in minde that the cōming of Christ is not far off euen as when we see the trees begin to budde we know then that the spring time is neere We know furthermore that the time of this iudgement shal be very sudden as the lightnings or as the cōming of a thiefe and as the sudden crying out of a woman with childe For as it was in the dayes of the floud in Noes time the waters came and tooke them all away so shall the comming of the sonne of man be Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot they ate they dranke they bought they solde they planted they buylt they gaue in marriage and married wiues but in the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rayned fire brimstone from heauen and destroyed them all After these ensamples shall it be in the day whē the Sonne of man is reuealed And surely this day is hid from our eyes that we shoulde be prepared euery day not be secure or careles to differre repentance and put it off from day to day as a great many do among vs. Seeing then the time is at hand and yet vnknowē we ought to be prepared and be in a readines to follow our Masters counsel for he saith Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeting drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnwares for as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe that ye may stande before the Sonne of man This daye is as the day and time of our death as we knowe not when we shall die and yet it is most certaine that we shall die so it is with this day And whether a man shoulde looke for the day of his death or this day of iudgement first truely I can not tell they are both so vncertaine neither haue we longer warrant of time prescribed vnto vs in the scriptures of the one then of the other I praye God the Lord Iesus may finde vs as good seruants doing his will and woorke at his comming that wee may haue our candles burning in our handes with oyle in our lampes and the marriage garment on our backes ready to open the doore when he cōmeth and knocketh for vs. Happy shal we be if the Lord find vs so doing otherwise if he finde vs smiting our felow seruants eating and drinking being drunken he shal come vpon vs at vnwares and cut vs in pieces giue vs our portion with the vnbelieuers hypocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Let vs therefore I beseeche you brethren by the Lorde Iesus knowing the time is short and at hande euen in the doores gird vp the loines of our minde that when our Sauiour knocketh we may open vnto him immediatly Thus wee see what we haue to note and learne vpon the time of the comming of Christ vnto iudgement The place also is to be considered the nations and kinreds of the people that shall appeare that day are so many and innumerable that the earth shall not bee able to conteyne them all therefore Saint Paul saith that we shall be caught vp in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre So that all shall bee taken vp into the ayre as the place of iudgement But I come to the last poynt which is more materiall to our purpose for what ende this great and last day is reserued and kept in store It hath two endes or causes why it is ordayned of the Lorde the one is that the godly may be deliuered out of their miseries and troubles which they haue here stoutly endured for Christes sake and be receyued into euerlasting life The other is that the wicked reprobate and all the companie of infidels which haue herecontemned the Lord liued in pleasure and delites of the fleshe may be iustly punished as they haue well deserued with euerlasting fire brimstone which is the second death For it might seeme if there were no iudgement or life after this that the Lord were notiust in his doings for neither are the godly and ryghteous rewarded many times in this life neyther are the vngodly punished for their offences while they liue here for the most part Now God is most iust which will rewarde all godlines and vertue and seuerely punish vice and wickednes These two endes doth our Sauiour mention in the general iudgement the one sort saith he shall goe into euerlasting life and the other sort into euerlasting fire Matth. 25. Saint Paul likewise doth make mention of these causes in the second epist of the Thessalonians the first chapter shewing as well what the good shall haue as the bad saying on this wise It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shewe him selfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not knowe GOD and which obey not the Gospel of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power thus much for the wicked Now foloweth rewarde for the good when hee shall come the bee glorified in his saintes and to bee made marueylous in all them that beleeue in that day Here wee may haue a notable discourse as is in any place of scripture why our sauiour Christ shal come to iudgement both in respect of the good and bad yea the wicked angels and spirites them selues as Iude saith hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines of darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day This day is greatly desired and longed for of the godly and especially of the true ministers of Christes Gospell that their cause may bee knowen to bee good agaynst the wicked and their sayings veryfied concerning this iudgement for surely there is nothing almost seene of God or beleeued of the wicked vntyll that day Tell them of this day and terrifie them with it they make a mocke at it they count them for fooles and simple persons that liue a godly and Christian life but when this day commeth as it will come certainly it will make a recompence for all and they shall finde all our sayings threatnings to be most true Therefore the godly desire it in respect of Gods glorie chiefly which the wicked haue defaced A great many of them thinke that there
is neyther hell nor heauen God nor Deuill and that all are but fables that wee speake of this day and so they growe to an vtter contempt of God and all godlines But as the Lord liueth they shall finde it true by experience which they woulde not here embrace by fayth yea they shall confesse themselues starke fooles and the godlie men to bee wise in deede Wisedome 5. Christ Iesus shall bee that great Lorde and riche master of the house which shall come to take an account of his seruantes talentes giuen vnto them to encrease and vse to his honour and glory and to the good and diligent seruauntes shall hee giue rewardes and ioy but to the vnprofitable seruauntes stripes and paine eternall This shal be the newe married bridegrome and husbande which shall come to make a choise of the wise and chaste virgins which haue kept them selues pure vnto him from the foolishe and vnchaste which haue defyled them selues with the wicked worlde In that day Christ shal be that good and diligent husbandman which shal come to gather the wheate in the time of haruest into his barnes for his owne vse but shall burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire And to conclude hee shall be that great shepheard which shall diuide the lambes and sheepe from the goates the one to sitte on his right hande in ioy the other to sitte on his lift hande in sorowe to this ende no doubt shall our sauiour Christe come and then shall it be saide O happie and thrise happie was hee that was a faithfull seruant a chaste virgin to Christ the good corne the meeke lambe of Iesus Christ But this of the wicked spoken then shal be too late and repentance at that time shal be in vayne I counsell all men therefore that will not there repent that euer they were borne as the wicked shall doe that they woulde in the name of Iesus Christe repent here betime and aske the spirite of the Lord to amende their liues that they put not off from day to day vntill they are olde or haue all thinges as they woulde The Lorde will come suddenly vpon such an one taking him away in his sinne If wee woulde lay the remembraunce of this iudgement day often before our eyes to sturre vp our selues withall and to awaken our dull spirites and senses it woulde keepe vs in great feare and awe before our Lorde GOD and drawe vs from much sinne and abomination which nowe for lacke of thinking vpon this day is committed euery where both at home and abroade as well in the countrey and base mens houses as in the court and great mens places Well wee shoulde doe as a godly father did in the primitiue Church that whether wee eate or drynke whether wee sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer wee doe wee shoulde thinke alwayes this day to be at hande and the voyce sounding in our cares arise yee dead and come to iudgement Notable of al others is that lesson that Solomon doth giue vnto vs in the booke of the preacher the 11 and last Chapters concerning this matter hee mocketh and derideth them that delite in sinne as you see men commonly doe and afterwarde threatneth and terrifieth them with this last iudgement saying Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thyne heart cheare thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eies Marke now what sosowre sauce foloweth this sweet meate but knowe sayth hee that for all these thinges GOD will bring thee to iudgement for God wil bring euery work into iudgemēt euery secret thing whether it be good or euill A notable glasse for all men to looke vpon is this finall iudgement Wee are taught by these thinges that our felicitie and pleasure consisteth not in this life neyther can we haue it here but it is in the lyfe to come layde vp for vs in Christ Here are confuted all worldlings which thinke there is no other lyfe after this no ioy or payne This day can not bee fearefull to the godly for it is called our blessed hope Titus 2. and the godly doe loue it 2. Timothie 4. If it bee fearefull and terrible to any as it is it is to those that haue no hope of heauen and to those that put their whole pleasure and felicitie here belowe in their money and ill gotten ryches To the fearefull and vnbeleeuyng and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and lyers and couetous persons this day shall bee fearefull and terrible yea it shall make them all to quake for feare for they shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone which is the seconde death Reuelation 21. This day and the cogitation thereof serueth most fitly to put men in mynde of their dueties and callyngs before the Lorde for so our Sauiour Christe applied it in his tyme in his Gospell saying to them that were worldely mynded What shall it profite a man though he should win the whole worlde if he lose his owne soule or what shall a mā giue for recompēce of his soule marke his reason why it is dangerous thus to hazarde and venture his soule for saith he the sonne of man shal come in the glory of his father with his angels and then shall hee giue to euery man according to his deedes Mat. 16. so doth Paul charge Timo. especially by this iudgement day saying I charge thee before God before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and in his kingdome Preach the worde be instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort with al long suffering and doctrine 2. Timothie 4. As if hee shoulde say in effect There is a day of iudgement kept in store therefore doe thy duetie diligently This day of iudgement shall make vs very carefull to shewe foorth all good woorkes For Christ shall pronounce the definitiue sentence vpon all men according to their workes not that the godly haue deserued or merited heauen by their good workes that is too great a thing to bee gotten by woorkes for Christ hath already deserued that for vs by his good workes if wee beleeue in him But Christ shall make mention of woorkes to shewe and to signifie to all the worlde that the godly haue not beene idle or vnfruitfull in this life as the hypocrites are whose sheepe skinnes then shall be plucked off and then shall they appeare to bee rauening wolues for this cause shall the iudgement bee according to workes to sturre men vp here while they heare this to good works and to make manifest to al men that the godly haue walked innocently and that the wicked haue followed the lusts of the flesh Our faith can not be seene and therfore Christ shal speake according to the effect and consequent of it which is seene and that is good woorkes Christ before sheweth the cause
because he hath all knowledge and vnderstanding This is the doctrine that we gather generally of this that the holy ghost is true very God For verily except he were God Christ would not cōmaunde his disciples to baptise in the name of the holy ghost putting him in equall condition and estate with the father and him selfe Not that we affirme that there be three Gods but this we meane In the one and inseparable diuine nature and essence of God we vnderstand three persons by them selues distinct one frō another But this mistery of the trinitie may better be beleeued and so it is of the faithfull then fitly expressed of any I leaue it therefore to speake any further of it vntill in the resurrection we shall see it as it is and perceiue that by sight euē face to face which nowe wee conceiue by our fayth onely Thus much of the holy ghost the third person in this trinitie Now let vs consider the wonderfull effectes of it which is a thing more profitable for vs. The effectes of the holy ghost are of two sortes eyther as they are considered in him selfe or as they are in the children of God the effects of the holy ghost in him selfe are the creation of the worlde the preseruation of it with al things therein from the beginning vnto this day Wherein we learne to giue thākes to this holy spirit for his goodnes extended vnto vs to pray to him cōtinually to mainteine vs by his power vertue that we fall not away from him For if hee take away his strength and operation from vs wee are as blynde men groping for the waye And this is that that Dauid speaketh of in his Psalme 104. If thou hide thy face they are troubled meaning all his creatures Agayne If thou sende foorth thy spirite they are created and thou renuest the face of the earth But our purpose is especially to speake here of those good giftes and effectes which this holy spirite doeth worke in men chiefly in the elect For there is no man but hath had some good gifte at one time or an other either in body or in soule from this holy spirit For strength beauty learning eloquence witte knowledge vtterance policie the gift of healing of tongues of miracles and such like are from aboue although these are common as well to the ill and reprobate as to the good and elect sonnes of God as Paul doth shewe and declare more at large in the 12. 13. 18. chapters of the 1. Corinthians Our meaning is to speake chiefly of the graces of Gods spirite in the hearts of his chosen as of fayth hope and loue vnfayned of the spirit of sanctification and adoption which are proper only to the elect and good are neuer cōmunicated to the wicked Of this spirit spake our sauiour Christ to his disciples that he would sende him vpon them and that the world could not receyue him This is that spirit by whome the father doeth place and put the elect in ful possession of all the goodes and inheritance of Iesus Christ and doeth keepe and preserue vs euery houre and doeth make vs partakers of all thinges necessary to saluation which thing it bringeth to passe when as it doeth create in our heartes and beget that excellent instrument of faith the chiefest worke of the spirit which bringeth foorth as a most fruitefull tree all other good fruites and workes of a Christiā man This faith doth the holy ghost ingender in our heartes when we heare the Gospel of Christ preached it is confirmed encreased in vs by the duely and reuerent receiuing of the sacraments of Christ By this faith after it is wrought in vs by the motion and operation of the holy spirite wee apprehend and take holde of all Christes benefites merites works and good deedes whatsoeuer and they are made accounted ours as if wee had done them our selues O wonderfull gift of the holy ghost that worketh so precious a iewel pearle in our heartes as farre surmositeth the price valew of euery thing beside This is the first effect of the holy ghost is marueilous in our eies An other property effect of this holy spirit is sanctification holines of life in the good godly only therfore he is called the holy spirit for this worke of holines in vs. For as it is proper to the father to create to the sonne to redeeme and rāsome so in like sort it is proper and peculiar to the holy Ghost to sanctifie Gods childrē effectually to moue their mindes to true holinesse And of this effect doth S. Paul speake in the 1. Cor. 6. shewing the Corinthians that they were wicked men as fornicatours idolatours extortioners couetous theeues such like but saith he you are washed but you are sāctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lorde Iesus and by the spirite of our God As if we would say those good graces gifts of God were wrought imprinted in their consciences hearts by the persuasion of the holy ghost Necessarily therfore after our beleefe in the father the sonne followeth our beleefe in the holy ghost For whatsoeuer cōmeth frō thē as all graces do they are signed sealed vnto vs by the warrāt of the holy ghost Wherefore it is fitly compared to a seale whereby al the promises of the blessings of God through Christ are deepely ingrauen in our hearts that they cā neuer thēce be rased out any more but shal cōtinue for euer As we see the writing to be to no effect without a mans hand seale no more are the graces of God vnto vs to any purpose vnlesse he sēd the earnest of his spirit into our hearts which doth cōfirme thē vnto vs and assertaine our cōsciences the we are his childrē he our father Rom. 8. This is a notable effect is in such sort tasted of the godly approued of thē as neither the wisedōe of that world nor the sense vnderstāding of man is able to cōprehend neither cā yet be perceiued by the eyes of mē for these things are spiritually iudged discerned therefore no maruel if godly mē hauing the spirit of God and speaking therewith are mocked and derided of the carnall men in this worlde which haue him not neither can iudge any thing of him 1. Cor. 2. This spirit although it be one the same not many or deuide 1. Cor. 12. Ephes 4 yet in respect of the diuers sundry effects operatiōs of him in the church of Christ hee is called termed by the name of seuē spirits that is of many for his manifold gifts As in the fourth of the Reuelat it is said There were seuē lāpes of fire burning before the throne which are the seuen spirites of God that is a seuen fold spirit of God This spirit is called A spirit of wisedome and vnderstāding a spirit of strength and
able to doe all thinges or no as to bring water out of the rocke and to feede the Israelites with flesh being sixe hundred thousand men for a moneths space Numb 11. 20. So Dauid being not vpholden with this spirit and left to his owne will fell by and by to adulterie and murther We had neede therefore to pray continually to Iesus Christ the giuer of this spirite that we may haue him with vs to direct our liues make them acceptable before the Lord. This spirit for diuers other effects that it hath is compared in the Scriptures to water to oyle to fire to winde to a doue To water it is likened both in the newe and olde Testament as in Esa 44. where the Lord sayth I wil powre water vpon the thirstie and floods vpon the dry grounde And what he meaneth by this water and dry grounde he afterwarde expoundeth in the ende of the verse saying I will powre my spirit vpon thy seede and my blessing vpon thy buddes In the newe Testament our Sauiour sayth If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke he that beleeueth in me as sayth the Scripture out of his belly shall flowe riuers of waters of life And that he meant this of the spirit Iohn immediately declareth saying This spake he of the spirit which they that beleeued in him should receiue Iohn 7. As water therfore doeth cleanse and purifie the filthie and vncleane in bodie being washed with it is very necessary for our life here so doeth this holy spirit of God much more clēse purifie our soules frō the infection filthines of sinne as Ezechiel fitly applieth it I will powre cleane water vpon you ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines from al your idoles wil I clense you And so by and by sayth I will put my spirit within you Ezech. 36. Of this pure water speaketh the Apostle to the Hebr. 10. chap. This spirit is moreouer likened to oyle for the supplenes gentlenes that is in it in thē that haue it Psal 45. To fire also is this spirit compared as we reade in Matth. 3. Act. 2. For Christ shal baptize with fire as Iohn saith which is the holy Ghost For euen as fire doeth consume scoure purge giue light so no doubt doeth the holy spirite of God consume the wicked scoure our filth purge our sinnes inlighten our ignorant hearts as Paul saith Arise thou that sleepest Christ shal giue thee light Ephe. 5. Lift thou vp the light of thy coūtenāce vpō vs Psal 4. Thirdly it is cōpared to a great mighty winde Act. 2. For as windes doe purge make wholsome the aire from his infectiō cōtagiousnes so doth the spirit work in the hearts of his this purging from their old corruption cōtagion of sinne by Adā and regenerateth and renueth vs againe by the immortall seede of the worde 1. Pet. 2. whereby we are borne anewe that we may enter into the kingdome of heauen Ioh. 3. The spirite of God is also likened vnto a winde in this respect that as nothing is able to resist or withstand the force of great whirlwindes but they beare down before them euery thing that stādeth against thē whether it be trees houses castels or towres so it is with the spirit of God whom no creature is able to withstande or resist but must needes fall vnder it and which destroyeth euery hie thing which is exalted against the knowledge of God casting downe strong holdes and the imaginations of mighty Princes bringeth into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ and hath ready vengeance against all disobedience This thing may be cōfirmed by diuers examples especially by that of the enchaunters and sorcerers of Egypt when they were compelled to saye that this was the finger of God to bring lyce out of the dust that they coulde not doe the like the spirite of God so confounded their wisdome and sorcerie Exo. 8. Other mo examples might be brought but I passe them ouer and leaue them to the diligent readers of the scriptures where they shall finde store of them Fourthly this holy spirite is likened to a doue as we reade of in the 3. of Matthewe descending downe from heauen lighting vpon our sauiour He is compared to a doue for these qualities and properties which are meekenesse and gentlenesse for this spirite doeth cause them to put off anger and wrath in whome it abideth and to vse brotherly kindenes one to another And the doue is sayd to be without gall and very chaste so is this spirite without all bitternes in the heartes of them whome it doeth possesse and teacheth them to kéepe their vessels in all puritie and holinesse of life and not in lust of concupiscence as the wicked doe which knowe not God For this spirit is called the spirite of sanctification of cleannesse of innocencie If this be so that this holy spirite is cleane pure and likened to a doue and furthermore our bodies are said to be the Temples and houses of the holy Ghost which dwelleth within vs as Paul sayeth Knowe ye not that your body is the tēple of the holy Ghost 1. Corinth 3. 6. 2. Cor. 6. Seeing this is so we must prepare our houses and sweepe them cleane to entertaine so honourable a ghest If this house which is our body be vncleane giuen to any vice then surely as doues depart from filthy houses so this most louing and most gentle doue the spirite of God departeth foorthwith from vs and then we are in a most miserable case yea God will destroye him that destroyeth this his holy temple Seeing then dearely beloued our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost and we haue such promises that he will dwell in them if they be holy and threates that they shal be destroyed if they be giuen ouer to sinne and wantonnesse let vs I praye you cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God putting off the workes of darkenes and putting on the armour of light and let vs walke honestly as in the daye time and make prouision to receyue this holy spirite into our hearts You knowe what great preparation you make both in your houses and in your bodies to haue your apparel neate cleane if you be to entertayne a Prince a noble man or any worshipfull friende of yours then consider with your selues that greater care and diligence is to be had by tenne thousand partes to lodge and receyue into your houses the Prince of princes euen the holy Ghost the power of God And seeing he will vouchsafe to abide with you take your preparation in good woorth first giue him thankes for this his so vnspeakeable courtesie and kindenesse and so vse and behaue your selues as he may long continue with you to your great good and comfort grieue not
of wickednes Mouing likewise the subiectes to rebell against their lawful and natural princes and magistrates discharging thē of their othes and obedience vnto their rulers I saye he that doeth these things and worse may wel doubt of his saluation for he hath nothing to do in the kingdom of God And so all his adherents folowing his steppes religion whose liues are altogether most filthie and wicked may be in the same case and state with their holy father the Pope But they say We can by no meanes be sure of our saluation because we can not be sure of our perseuerance in the faith of Christ vnto the ende But this is vtterly false for the scripture sayth that the godly shall continue and perseuere vnto the ende Paul was sure that he had the spirit of God and that caused him to be perswaded that neyther thinges present neither things to come shoulde be able to separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Then we may be sure that thinges to come shall not remoue vs from God Againe the loue of God is constant and perfite and whom he once loueth he loueth with an euerlasting loue euen vnto the ende as Christ is sayde to loue his Iohn 13. And to whome God hath giuen this spirite of adoption as he doeth to the Elect he neuer taketh it away but is stil a testimonie vnto their consciences that they shal be saued in the ende and cōtinue in the meane season in the faith and obedience of Christ Iesus their Lorde Yea Paul is persuaded of the Philippians and so must we be of our selues that he that hath begunne a good worke in vs wil performe it vntill the day of the Lord Iesus Christ Philip. 1. And he hath the like to the Corinthians that God wil confirme them vnto the ende 1. Cor. 1. And they that are elected shal continue For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. S. Iohn a man beloued of Iesus Christ and to be beleeued before our aduersaries doubted not to say and affirme for a trueth in his seconde Epistle to a vertuous Lady that the trueth which dwelleth in vs shal be with vs for euer If it shal remaine with vs for euer how should we doubt that it can forsake vs at any time either present or to come Proue your selues sayth Paul whether ye are in the faith examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobats Here he wil haue vs to be throughly perswaded that Christ dwelleth in vs so to be sure of saluation vnlesse we will be counted reprobates which God forbid If the Papists wil be counted reprobates let them then doubt of their saluation if not then let them recant be assured of it with vs and amend their religion and maners speedily Neyther is this doctrine as some ignorant persons terme it a doctrine of rashnesse and presumptuousnes vnles Gods worde teach vs presumption But this is a very comfortable doctrine as at all times so especially at the houre of death when our consciences doe accuse vs and Satan assault vs and the paynes of death come vpon vs I saye this doeth comfort weake and feeble consciences not to despaire and the other doctrine of theirs doeth leade men the hye way to desperation to doubt whether they shall be saued or no. They saye we must feare It is true but not feare to bee damned For there is no damnation to them that are in Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. Neither must this feare bee without faith and hope for then it is a slauish feare of the whippe and scourge and not a childes feare to feare to displease his louing father Wee must then haue the feare of sonnes not of hired seruantes to feare to offende and displease so mercifull and louing a Father and not to feare and doubt of our saluation for it standeth not in vs but in a surer rocke and grounde which is Iesus Christ and if we beleeue in him we shall haue euerlasting life Iohn 3. Act. 17. And yet here we must take heede of another extremitie which the Messalians certaine heretikes with the Libertines Anabaptists that wicked sect of the familie of loue falleth into for all these presume too much of this spirit of God and of their reuelations because they ioyne not the spirite of God with his word but separate it from the word of Christ and so it is but a fayned spirite of their own fantastical braynes and not from God Nowe as the Papistes take too litle so these men take too much and whatsoeuer commeth first into their idle heades by and by they attribute it to the spirit of God be it neuer so wicked and so these commōly contemne the outwarde worde and preaching of the Gospel with the administration of the Sacraments whereas we knowe that the spirite goeth and is giuen by the ministerie of the worde and is ioyned with it as Acts. 10. we reade that while Peter spake the worde the holy ghost fell on all them that heard the preaching not before the worde came for Christ giueth not his spirit but by the hearing of his Gospell first preached as Paul sayde to the Ephesians After ye heard the worde of trueth the Gospel of your saluation wherein also after that ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy Spirite of promise Ephes 1. Here we see if any would pretend the spirit without the worde he may bee refuted for they goe both together the worde of trueth with the spirite of promise For it is not our part to disseuer or disioyne those two things which God will haue coupled together in one And therefore the Prophetes which myght better haue vsed this prerogatiue of the spirit then they called alwayes the people to the worde of the Lorde God saying Heare the word of the Lord Thus sayeth the Lord and still The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esay 1. They pretende not the spirit without the worde although they speake most plentifully by him 2. Epist of Peter 1. Chapter For the prophecie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Furthermore another effecte of this Spirite is to moue the heart of man when the worde is preached vnto him for vnlesse Gods Spirite perswade and worke in our heartes within when the preacher soundeth in our eares the outward word he shal but speake as it were in the ayre beate the eare of man in vaine Paul well considering this sayde that he in deed had planted and Apollos another preacher had watered the worde but it is God sayeth he that giueth the increase And wee knowe that God woorketh all things in the heartes of his children by this spirite wherewith hee sealeth them after they haue heard and beleeued the worde preached
to Christ are gentle as sheepe not cruel as wolues for they shall not hurt nor destroy in al the mountayne of my holines saith the Lorde of hosts by his Prophet This name of the church excludeth y◠bloody church of Rome for they are as wolues cruell beastes deuouring the sheepe as well with vs appeared in Queene Maries dayes howe bloodthirstie they were in that the wolues slewe so many of the sheepe of Christ It is called the spouse of Christ therefore they that giue them selues to another head and husband as the false Romanes doe are not of this church It is also compared and likened to the moone because the churche taketh all her light and brightnes of Iesus Christ the true sunne of righteousnes as the moone doeth take of the sunne all her light which thing the Papistes doe not for they ascribe not all to Christ but some things to the Pope some to them selues and others And as the moone is not alway visible being in her change so is not this churche to the eye of man alwayes in a visible she we as the proude churche of Rome is but hath sometime warre and aduersitie sometime peace prosperitie It is moreouer like vnto a ship vpon the seas tossed in deede with the waues from one place to an other but yet neuer drowned because Christ Iesus is in it and holdeth the sterne with his hande These thinges vnto the which the church is likened doe very well conuince Rome to be no church of God at all for it is alwayes visible to the eie and in great wealth and prosperitie as Babylon was so it boasteth of her selfe as shee did It neuer at all mourneth or is in the pit of afflictiō as Christ said his church shouldbe Iohn 16. And as we reade in Ezechiel 9. this church of Rome doth alwayes laugh and reioyce and neuer feeleth the rodde which is a token of bastards and such reprobates and not of Gods children Heb. 12. This true church of Christ is but one For there is but one mediator one husband and therefore one spouse and one body as Paul proueth Ephes 4. and is called vniuersall because it is in all partes of the earth and the Lord hath of his church out of all nations and kinreds tongues Reuel 7. Which church yet notwithstanding is deuided into particular churches of euery coūtrey kingdom where as they al make but one general church For they are ioyned together in the same spirite fayth baptisme and Lorde Iesus which is one head to them all There was a particular church in the house of Philemon as Paul reporteth in that epistle and he also calleth the Corinthiās a church others too vnto whom he wrote meaning that they were speciall churches of this vniuersall church And here the ignorance of the Papistes is seene and manifested which make that to be general and catholike which is but particular special For although their Rome were a true church yet can it not be termed by any meanes Catholike except all the saintes and good men aliue vpon the earth were in it which can not be Here thē they are deceiued in the worde Catholike making that to bee generall which is but in part so Paul did neuer write to any church which hee called Catholike for if hee had meant so that Rome had bene the catholike church when hee wrote vnto it then could he not properly haue called Corinth a church at all The summe of all that we haue said hitherto is thus much that there is an holy church whose head is Iesus Christ alone to this end and purpose called of God by his woord that it should gloryfie him for his goodnesse For looke whatsoeuer our God doth he doth it in y◠behalfe of his holy church For this end doeth hee destroy sometymes mightie kingdomes and great Princes that hee might deliuer his church and verily for this ende doeth hee keepe and preserue so long this wicked worlde vntill the number of his elect be fulfilled He neuer destroyed any nation but it was for his churches sake Oh howe greatly are we then bound to the goodnes of this our Christ which worketh so great thinges for vs shall we not magnifie his grace shal we not yeelde him continuall thanks and that in the middest of the great congregation Beleeue me deare brethren we are elect ereated redeemed iustified sanctified preserued dayly by his power shal be gloryfied in the life to come with his holy angels and saintes that we should set forth his praise glory And this is y◠thing which the blessed Apostle S. Peter doth in his first Epistle the second Chapter so earnestly exhort vs vnto saying To the church of God the trewe christians of Pontus Asia Cappadocia Galatia and Bithynia and in them to vs all you are sayth he a chosen generation a roial priesthood an holy nation a people set at lybertie Marke nowe dearely beloued the chiefest poynt to what ende all these thinges are done vnto vs that yee shoulde sayth hee shewe foorth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse vnto his marueilous light Doe wee nowe shewe foorth his goodnesse with thankesgiuing then are we good Christians and serue to the ende whereunto the Lord hath made vs. Are wee not all carefull of this duety to praise God his name daily Surely we haue then transgressed and degenerated from the ende of our creation and calling The praise of God is such a thing so hye and so excellent that if all the Angels in heauen with their force and might and all the men in earth with all their speach and eloquence goe about to set it forth and declare it they shall not do it sufficienly and as it deserueth to be done We ought then to do what lieth in vs and this thing doth the triumphant church in heauen of Angels and Saints teache vs that we should neuer cease to exto his name at al times as they do for they cannot satisfy themselues with crying Holy holy holy is the Lorde God of hostes the whole worlde is full of his glory Esay 6. And in the Reuelation the fourth chapter the foure beastes and the Elders cease not day nor night crying Holy holy holy Lorde God almighty which was which is and which is to come And yet for all this wee here in earth can satisfy our selues and be contented to set foorth his praise either neuer a whit or els so negligently and by such startes as wee declare wee haue no great loue and care thereunto so colde is our zeale in this poynt and yet most hot in trifles and vanites apperteining to our pleasures profits in this life Wee haue nowe heard dearely beloued the meaning of this article concerning the Catholike Church what it is and who is the head of it what authoritye it hath by what signes it may bee alwayes knowē from the Romish or false Church We
haue also declared that it is called Catholike because it is not tyed to any time persons or place whatsoeuer but is dispersed euery where as seemeth good to the Lord. We haue furthermore shewed vnto you what be the markes of it and what are not the trewe signes of it and that it consisteth not in multitude of people but in weight of trueth Last of al we haue made manifest to what end y◠Lord hath gathered a church together vnto himselfe here in earth which is that hee may be honoured and gloryfied in it accordingly by their good workes and christian conuersation Now let vs giue thankes to Iesus Christ the head of this Church in that hee hath vouchsafed to make vs the holy members of it which were before the firebrandes of hell and a generation of Satans broode Let vs moreouer prayse his name for as much as he doth daily preserue vs by his fatherly goodnes and diuine prouidence in this sheepefold of his from all wolues and rauening beastes which otherwise would deuoure vs. And because he doth feede vs in it with wholesome greene pastures of his holye worde and leadeth vs foorth to the waters of life and comfort to refreshe our soules let vs not be vnmindful or vnthankfull to him for this so great a benefit Now let vs most humbly pray vnto him that he would vouchsafe to keepe vs in this church of his vnto the ende lest we wander and go astray from it as lost sheepe and beseech we him that he would continue his graces heauenly promises made vnto vs so liberally in his Gospel that from day to day we may grow in holines toward him as becōmeth this church vntil the time come that our full redemption from him shall appeare This God graunt vnto vs not for our sakes but for Christ Iesus sake which hath purchased al these things for vs with the shedding of his most precious blood vpon the crosse for our sinnes To this Iesus Christ with the father and the holy Ghost his power be rendred all praise and glory honour dominion and thankesgiuing both now and for euermore Amen The tenth Lecture vpon the tenth article of our Christian fayth which is The Remission of sinnes IN the article going next before we haue heard what wee haue to beleeue concerning y◠church which is the house of Christ Now followe the ornaments and benefits which the Lord in mercy doth wil bestowe vpon this house which are in number three 1. Remissiō of sinnes in this life 2. Resurrectiō of our bodyes frō corruption at the last day of iudgement 3. And euerlasting happines in the life to come These benefites are great so inestimable that wee can not worthyly conceiue of them being couered with flesh and bloud and therefore wee are the lesse thankeful then otherwise we should be if we did or could deepely consider of them for they are such iewels as the Lord doeth only bestow vpon his children and none els and therefore they are put after the Church and communion of Saintes as thinges following the state of the church necessarily for none can haue them but such as abide in the church and are true liuely members of Iesus Christ ingraffed into his body by faith The first of these graces is the remission or forgiuenesse of all our sinnes The meaning therefore of this article for the capacity of the simple in moe wordes is this I that am a Christian doe stedfastly beleeue that almighty God both hath doeth and will of his mercie forgiue me all my sinnes both originall and actuall committed before and after baptisme howe many and great soeuer they be not for any woorke or merit of mine which am an vnprofitable seruant but for the sacrifices sake of Christes death and passion wherein hee is wel pleased by whose righteousnes because I am clothed and apparelled by beleeuing in him vnfeignedly I am sure and certayne that I am deliuered from euerlasting death and hel which is the reward of sinne Romanes 6. This is the playne and simple meaning of this Article and is proued and confirmed vnto vs out of scriptures aswel of the olde as of the newe Testamēt In the 31. of Ieremy we reade thus This shal be the couenant that I wil make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I wil put my law in their inward partes and write it in their heartes and I wil be their God and they shal be my people For I will forgiue their iniquitie wil remember their sinnes no more So likewise we haue the proofe of this in the second epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 5. God was in Christ and reconciled the world vnto himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them And in the second to the Colossians Ye which were dead in sinnes in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him freely forgiuing you all your trespasses We see thē this doctrine to be warranted with y◠testimonies of the holy ghost So that we neede not to doubt any thing at al of it Seeing then the the first entrance into the house of the Lord is by putting away of all our sinnes and because we haue nothing to do with God except our offences be blotted and wiped out of his remembrāce Let vs a litle I pray you dearely beloued brethrē in Christ marke what we haue to cōsider in this article for our instructiō edificatiō vnto a godly life We say here that we doe beleeue that there is a remission of sinnes for the children of God and seruants of Christ The first thing therefore that we ought to learne and beare in minde vpon this article is that we confesse and acknowledge most humbly and meekely our sinnes before God For if we say and graunt a remission of sinnes wee must also confesse that wee are sinners otherwise wee can not at all haue pardon of them Secondly we must cōsider by whom this remission doeth come vnto vs and for whose sake it is Thirdly by what meanes we are made capable and partakers of this so great a benefite As concerning the first poynt it is playne and euident that wee are all of vs miserable sinners before GOD which looketh vpon the hearts of men and tryeth them For who can iustly and truely saye of him selfe My heart is cleane I am no sinner Nay Salomon doeth tell vs that there is not a man that sinneth not 1. Reg. 8. Eccle. 7. And Saint Iohn sayeth playnely that if we say we haue no sinne we doe but deceyue our owne selues and there is no trueth in vs. We are begotten conceyued and borne in sinne we liue and are brought vp in sinne and shall any man be so impudent and shamelesse as to deny that he is a sinner God forbid The Apostle sayeth All men haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God Rom. 3. But we neede not to goe farre for the proofe of
him selfe a ransome for all If this bee so we may boldely come vnto him at his commaundement especially when hee calleth Come vnto mee all yee that doe labour and are laden and I will refresh you Matt. 11. The whole scriptures both of the newe and olde testament doe propounde no other redeemer vnto vs then Iesus Christ All the sacrifices were figures of remission of sinnes by Christ alone for it was vnpossible as the Apostle saith that the blood of goates and calues shoulde take away sinne but yet sinnes were taken away vnder the lawe It remayneth therefore that they shoulde bee taken away by Christ for Abraham reioyced to see his day and sawe it gladly Iohn 8. There was but one temple but one hie priest but one altar so there is but one Christ to men to take away sinnes for all these thinges were shadowes of him He is the true temple in whome wee must pray the hie priest that offereth his body for vs and the true altar vpon whom we must offer all our sacrifices of prayer and thankesgiuing if wee will haue them to please God and to be accepted of him Wee haue saith the holy ghost an altar meaning Christ whereof they haue no authoritie to eate which serue in the tabernacle meaning the vnbeleeuing Iewes Let vs therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruite of the lips which confesse his name Hebrews 13. Our sauiour Christ when he sent forth his apostles to preach willed not them to preach remission of sinnes but in his name onely Luke 24. and this doeth Peter in the Actes declare vnto vs chapter 10. Through his name euery one the doth beleue shal receiue remission of sins Healings of the body were done wrought in his name by y◠Apostles Actes 5. and therefore the clensing and curing of the soule which is by remission of our sinnes is much more to be looked for at his hands And as it was in Egypt in the great dearth and famine of corne none could haue any food of Pharao the king but by the hāds of Ioseph whō he had made ouerseer ruler of the land in his name for when they cryed to him for breade he sayde Goe yee to Ioseph and what he sayth to you do ye Genesis 41. so it is nowe in the famine and dearth of our soules for spirituall foode we can haue nothing to feed our hungry soules from the king of heauen but by the meanes of the true Ioseph which is Iesus Christ who is ordeined of his father to rule and gouerne all thinges in his name so that hee sendeth vs to his Sonne when wee aske any thing of him for in him hee is wel pleased and for his sake onely and for no mans else doeth hee bestowe this benefite vpon vs for GOD hath in deede giuen lyfe vnto the worlde but this lyfe is in his Sonne that all should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father And as among the Israelites none coulde bee healed that were stung of the fyerye Serpentes but all such as looked vp to the brasen Serpent which Moses made so it is as certaine that none can bee deliuered from the stinging of the olde serpent which is the deuill but they that looke vp to the sonne of God on hie in heauen they haue redemption by his blood that is the remission of sinnes Ephesians 1. There is no other name vnder heauen wherein we must be saued no other fundation whereupon wee must builde vp into heauen no other stone that coupleth the building together no other key that openeth heauē gates vnto vs but Iesus Christ Reuelation 5. Except therefore we beleeue that it is he that taketh away all our sinnes wee shall die in them Iohn 8. Neither is this doctrine onely confirmed vnto vs by the authorities of the worde but also by the examples of all the godly Dauid was ignorant in the way of the Lord but to whom doth he goe for knowledge Teach me O Lorde saith hee the way of thy statutes Psalme 119. Neither shall ye reade that he went at any time to any other in that his whole booke of prayers thankesgiuings saue onely to the Lorde he did knowe well ynough that all other scholemasters were vnlearned and domme and as Idoles that could not speake The woman of Canaan went at the first to Christ to haue her daughter cured Saint Paul praied to the Lorde to haue the messenger of Satan to depart from him 2. Cor. 12. Neither can there be any example brought of any that euer he went to any other then to the Lord onely to haue his sinnes and offences taken awaye By this that our sinnes are forgiuen in Christ alone we learne that we of our selues by nature are hatefull vnto God before we bee reconciled vnto him by the death of his Sonne so that except he behold and looke vpon our sinnes in the face and countenāce of Iesu Christ wee are but castawayes Wherefore brethren let vs looke vnto it that wee may perswade not men but our owne selues not in tongue and mouth onely but in heart and deede that we are surely members of Christ Furthermore we gather by this that the Papist the Turke the Iewe haue all gone astray for they seeke for remission of sinnes by other meanes then by the death of Christ The Papist by his satisfactorie woorkes of his owne deuice by pardons from the Pope when as no man can forgiue sinnes but God onely by his praying to Angels to Saints whome he maketh intercessors and mediators to God and so leaueth the waters of life Christ Iesus and diggeth such broken pittes and cisternes as can holde no water at all I see not therefore howe hee can haue remission of his sinnes seeing he seeketh it els where then in the blood of Christ and of Christ alone for they giue something vnto him but not all and so they make him but halfe a sauiour But eyther hee will bee a whole Sauiour vnto them that hee may haue all the glorie and prayse or else he will be none at all Christ can not abide any thing to be ioyned with him in the way to saluation and euerlasting life but he will bee the onely and whole Sauiour to men The Turke that hateth this name of Christ and goeth not about to haue remission of sinnes by it can clayme no part in the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen hee thinketh to bee saued by God the Father when hee honoureth not God the Sonne Agayne he trusteth to his Alcoran and his false prophet Mahomet and forsaketh the true and euerlasting Prophete Iesus Christ whome God sent into the worlde to giue life vnto it They can saye I beleeue in God the Father Almightie but they will not confesse that which followeth of Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God and therefore they are not vnder the Couenaunt of grace and saluation but stande all accursed before the lyuing
Lorde as beyng without Christ Thirdly the Iewes can haue or looke for no remission of sinnes because they haue reiected this Christ and go about to establish their owne righteousnesse by the workes of the Lawe whereas Christ is the full ende or perfection of the Lawe for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 10. They haue a zeale but not according to knowledge and thinking to bee saued by the Lawe they all stande accursed and also accursed iustly by the Law before the Lord For cursed sayeth he is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in this booke to doe them Galat. 3. They are detters then without Christ to keepe and perfourme the whole Lawe perfitly and absolutely vnto the Lorde which no man can doe no not they and therefore without a Sauiour they stande in a miserable case euen in the state of euerlasting damnation and perdition And last of all the false and Hypocriticall Christian which professeth with his mouth that hee knoweth and beleeueth in Christ and yet vtterly denyeth him in his whole life conuersation can hope for no remission of his sinnes continuing still as he doeth in disobedience and all kinde of abominations But the Lord hath dyed for sinners you wil saye and great and notorious sinners too trueth it is he hath done so but yet they are such sinners as repent and are sory for their former sinnes they lead not their life in voluntarie sinnes so that they shoulde delite dwel in sinne but they continue in the feare of the Lord. Briefely they are penitent sinners and not obstinate and wilfull persons that can not repent for whom the Lord hath died If we feele our selues to be such trembling sinners the Lorde hath a free remission of sinnes for vs whensoeuer we come vnto him for to whom doth the Lord looke Euen to him that is poore of a contrite spirit and trembling at his wordes But he that hardeneth his heart and goeth on still in his former wickednesse without remorse of cōscience at al he heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the daye of wrath and maketh his sinnes so heauie vnto himselfe that they will presse him downe to hell These men must amend their ill liues and be heartily sory for their sinnes not in hypocrisie as Pharao was who said I haue sinned vnto the Lorde neither in desperation as Iudas who repented but not in faith But herein let them followe Dauid in the olde Testament and Peter in the Newe who repented and wept most bitterly but yet in hope had remission of their sinnes These men by their repentance afterwarde changed and altered their olde liues and conuersation their olde man with his maners was put off and the newe man which after God was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse was foorthwith put on and so they walked all their dayes afterward in a newe life Many men can say now a daies Oh I nowe repent I am sory for my sinnes yet by and by or the next daye they fall to the same or like sinnes againe Shal we thinke such men repent nay verely they deceyue but themselues and the worlde for God they can not deceiue Repentance is in the heart and not in the mouth for it is a turning and chaunging of the minde from ill to good As long therefore as we see their liues not to bee at all chaunged wee may boldely saye they repent not truely and therefore remission of sinnes is excluded from them Hee that repenteth truely altereth his wicked life as wee see it came to passe in Paul who after that hee was called and repented of his former life neuer returned agayne to persecute the Church of Christ neyther did hee liue as before hee did Well to conclude this part if this remission of sinnes come vnto vs by Christ let vs be sure to bee in his loue let vs not profane his holy name by our vile blasphemies in our mouthes dayly as the wicked doe but let euery one that calleth vpon this name depart from all iniquitie 2. Timothie 2. chapter The thirde thing to bee considered in this remission of our sinnes was as I sayde before the meanes by the which it may bee applyed vnto vs and receyued from Iesus Christ the authour of it For vnlesse wee also knowe this it is to no purpose to knowe the former two poyntes And this may bee made playne vnto vs by this similitude The poore man that is an hungred although hee knowe whyther to goe to some riche man or other for his meate and almes yet except he vnderstand what meanes and waye to vse to obtayne this reliefe of the riche man all is in vayne for if he should vse stoute and sturdy words when hee ought to be gentle or if he should commaunde it when hee shoulde intreate for it hee were not like to speede or if the riche man did offer him meate to be receyued with the hande and hee put foorth his foule feete to receyue it it were a very preposterous order and such a thing as myght iustly cause this man to withdrawe his liberalitie from him so surely the case standeth betweene our Lorde Iesus Christ the Prince of all heauenly treasures and vs poore sinners and wretches Albeit we well perceyue that hee hath remission of sinnes for vs yet wee must knowe the waye to please him when wee come to haue our sute obtayned And this waye to please him and to take the benefite that hee offereth is onely faith in his name For without faith it is vnpossible to please him For he that commeth vnto him must beleeue that he is and that hee is a rewarder of all them that seeke him as sayth the holy Ghost the eleuenth to the Hebrewes When therefore the Lorde Iesus offereth this great benefite of saluation vnto vs in the free remission of all our sinnes wee must not offer out to him our foule feete that is to saye our woorkes which are with many sinnes polluted and defiled for so wee myght cause him to bee angrie with vs and to keepe backe his gracious benefites But we must as he hath commaunded and alwaies in the Gospell requireth when he is about to doe vs any good beleeue onely in him that is offer vnto him our hande that is true faith which is a fitte thing and instrument to receiue his blessinges Neyther is this our saying but the phrase and maner of speache in the Scriptures Our Sauiour Christ did neuer any miracle or cure vpon the bodies of men but hee required faith of them and they being healed hee alwayes attributed it to the faith and confidence that they had in him and not to any good worke of theirs In the ninth chapter of the Gospel after Saint Matthews wee reade there of a very charitable deede of foure men that brought one being sicke of the palsie to our sauiour Christ as hee laye on his bed but what sayde our sauiour Christ concerning
by the testimonies of all the Prophetes Marke his wordes wel for they proue our purpose and confirme the three points that we haue set downe in this article first that we al are sinners secōdly that Christ doth forgiue thē freely thirdly y◠by faith it is we lay holde on this remissiō His words are these euery one of them very effectuall To him saith hee meaning Christ of whom hee made that excellent sermon going before vnto the captaine Cornelius giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remission of sinnes Peter doeth shewe that this doctrine which wee teache is not newe or hereticall but catholike and such as the Prophetes them selues all long agoe did teache that by fayth in Christ euery one that beleeueth shall haue pardon of all his sinnes whether they be committed before or after baptisme whether they be actuall or originall or whether they be in thought or in worde or in deede if wee beleue stedfastly they shall all bee forgiuen vs for Christs sake I speake here nothing of that great and horrible sinne against the holy Ghost which is irremissible I hope in the Lorde wee shall neuer haue any thing to doe with it and therefore I will not intreate of it or what it is Let this bee our comfort that wee that haue any feare of God any loue to Iesus Christ our sweete sauiour any reuerence to heare his blessed worde and Gospell and to receiue his holy sacramentes we I saye that haue any motion to these thinges are farre off from this sinne and it shall not come nere our dwellings You haue heard nowe dearely beloued what it is we haue to learne and beare away vpon this article what is the meaning of it what partes of doctrine it doeth conteine in it This article and the beliefe of it is very comfortable yea the ioyfullest thing of all others in this life is to heare of the remission of sinnes and that of all when the least of them is able to plucke vs downe to hell and there to holde vs in chaynes of darkenesse for euer and euer without any hope of recouery were it not for his mercies in Iesus Christ The Lorde doeth in deede bestowe dayly many good and great blessings vpō vs in his mercy for the which wee ought continually to thanke him but this benefite of the washing away of all our sinnes in Christes blood doeth as farre passe and excell them all as either the Diamonde doeth the stone in the streate or els the purest and finest golde that may bee the filthiest drosse and durt that can be founde so great a grace is it in Christ freely to haue all our sinnes wiped out of Gods remembrance But nowe let vs giue as wee are dieply bounde most humble and hearty thankes to God the father for sending Iesus Christ his sonne into the worlde to take vpon him our sinnes and to beare them all away in his body and let vs withall thanke this good and bountiful sauiour Iesus Christ for vouchsauing to humble him selfe so farre for our sakes as to haue our sinnes imputed vnto him and to bee layde vpon his backe and to suffer the punishment dewe for them all And let vs also pray both night and daye vnto him to take them away from vs more and more and to kill this raging sinne within vs by the scepter of his holy woorde and operation of his mighty spirite that notwithstanding sinne be in vs as it shall be to the last daye yet it may not reigne in vs or be a tyrant ouer vs but that we may mortifie it from time to time vntill wee come to that state wherein it shall bee cleane put awaye and altogether destroyed which will bee when we shall meete together in the ioyfull and happy resurrection of our bodyes whereof we are to speake in the article following These thinges the Lorde God graunt vnto vs al for his sonnes sake to whome with the holy Ghost be rendred all prayse and glorie and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euer more Amen The eleuenth article of our Christian faith and the eleuenth lecture vpon it which is The resurrection of the body IN the fourth part of this our Christian beliefe which was of the church I declared that there were three consequents or benefites annexed vnto it The first you haue heard which was the remission of sinnes Now doth ensue the second which is the resurrection or rising againe of our flesh and bodie And this article doeth folowe in very good and apt order after the former for as by the first Adams sinne and ours our bodies became mortall subiect vnto death so hauing remission of our sinnes by Christ the second Adam our bodies shal hereafter be made immortall raised from death to an euerlasting better life thē that which we should haue had in Paradise if Adam we had cōtinued in our state of innocency This resurrection is the repairing and the renuing againe of the whole man to a most blessed and perfite estate of lyfe The meaning therefore of this article is thus much I that am a Christian do most certainely beleeue that not only my body but the bodyes of all men that euer haue bene from the beginning of the world to the end of it shall at the last day of iudgement by the power of Christ at his comming be raysed vp againe being the same in substance but not in qualities whether they be rotted in the graue or burnt in the flaming fire or consumed of beastes or drowned in the sea deuoured of fishes or els of birds And I moreouer beleeue that they shal be ioyned to their soules inseperably at the which resurrection the godly shall haue a full ende of all their miseries and paynes here with full possession of eternall life and that the wicked and reprobate shall goe into euerlasting hel fire which is prepared for the deuil and his angels This is the true sense and meaning of this article of the resurrection Now let vs see what good lessons may be gathered out of it for our instruction that wee may the better profite in the way of true godlinesse and Christianity Three things are to be cōsidered in this resurrectiō First that according to the scriptures there shall one day be a generall resurrection of good and bad Secondly to what ende this shal be Thirdly the consolation and comfort that wee may reape and inioy by this resurrection in the applying of it to our owne consciences I am not ignorant howe that very many thinges must be repeated here which haue bene spoken of before both in the article of Christes resurrection which is a playne confirmation and proofe of this and also in the other artice of his cōming agayne to iudgement which shal be then when this article shal be fully accomplished vnto vs. These thinges are so incident the one to the other I meane Christes
vpon them The other cause is in respect of the wicked and reprobate vpon whom the Lorde will shewe his perfite iustice against sinne and wickednes cōmitted of thē without repentance These will hee make vessels of his wrath which shal burne in thē with an vnquenchable fire without ende and mercie who because here they haue not bene throughly punished or sometimes not at all therefore the full measure of their punishment is reserued til that great day then to be powred out vpon them in fire and brimstone in that burning lake continually which neuer shall haue ende For these causes is this resurrectiō whereof wee speake ordayned To speake of the end for the godly first so it is that the Lord hath promised in mercie to reward all his faythfull seruants which commeth not manie times to passe in this life therefore there remaineth a life to come to be shewed in the resurrection of the flesh And if all godlinesse bee sure to bee recompensed with a promise of a good turne in the life to come as Paul declareth to Timothie the first Epistle and fourth Chapter Then out of all doubt very expedient and necessarie it is that there shoulde be a resurrection If any man say The soules of the faythfull are rewarded as soone as they depart from the bodie with this promise of life and therefore they seeme not to lacke a rewarde although there be no resurrection and so God is true of his promise I answere that as the bodyes of the faythfull while they liued well here haue bene temples of the holie Ghost to serue the Lord withall and as not onely in soule but also in body through diuers tentations and persecutions they haue bene afflicted for Christ and haue still bene vnder the crosse so surely they also with the soule shall be glorified and rewarded according to the things that they haue done And to this agree the wordes of the holy Apostle We must all sayeth he appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill 2. Corin. 5. Here he nameth expresly the body otherwise the rewarde were vnperfite if in one part onely it were bestowed The Lord will not suffer the giuing of a cuppe of colde water to his saints to goe vnrewarded much more therefore will he rewarde those that haue giuen their bodies to be consumed in the flames of fire for his cause and the Gospel so that if any lose his life for his sake in this worlde he shall finde it in the worlde to come with an hundred fold more with all happinesse and ioy restored vnto him If we looke vpon all the saints that haue bene from time to time we shall see that they had no felicitie nor happinesse in this life The Epistle to the Hebrewes speaking of the excellent fayth of the olde Patriarkes and ancient fathers sheweth vs what was their estate in this life for their good woorkes and deedes Some were racked and woulde not bee deliuered others were tryed by mockings and scourginges by bandes and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slayne with the sworde they wandered vp downe in goates skinnes and sheepes skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented wandring in wildernesses and mountaynes and dennes and caues of the earth If we aske the end why they suffered and endured such things of the wicked the same Apostle doeth make vs answere This they did that they might receiue a better resurrection And surely they had bene fooles to endure such tormēts of body if the body and soule had perished in their death and graue as doe the bodies of bruite beastes without any hope of the resurrection Consider ye the Apostles how they were rewarded here for their preaching and godly life did they not all for the most part in the ende suffer death and martyredome for their labour howe was Paul rewarded of the Lorde in this life did hee not whippe and scourge him when hee receiued him for his sonne yes truely And he confesseth what his whole life was after his conuersion nothing but a sea of troubles miseries fightings without and terrours within hunger and thirst colde nakednesse bandes and pouertie were the rewardes that the Lorde gaue him here insomuch that hee might seeme to be in worse case after his conuersion to Christ then before if hee had iudged of his afflictions by a worldly and carnal eye and not according to faith as did carnall Demas and therefore because hee felt miseries in this life in Christianitie reuolted from Paul and embraced this present euill worlde 2. Timothie 4. These things made Paul to say that vnlesse there were a resurrection his state had bene most miserable of al others for what saith hee aduantageth it me to suffer these things if the dead rise not agayne then let vs eate and drinke and liue in pleasure So we see the hope of the resurrection stayed him from running into condemnation with the wicked he confessed els where that his crown was not here in this life but was layde vp for him And al these vexations of the bodies of soules of mindes and consciences of men is to teach them that no blessednesse is to bee hoped for in this our vale of miserie but we looke for a citie to come whose builder and maker is God seeing wee haue none here that is permanent Our sauiour when he comforted his disciples agaynst persecutions to come when as they shoulde bee mocked reuiled taunted yea and killed for his sake willed them in that day to be glad and to reioyce for their rewarde was great in heauen Hee said not in earth that their mindes might be with drawen frō this life to the euerlasting rest out of this world And this can not be but in the resurrection of our bodies They that will haue their reward in this life in short transitorie pleasures of sinne for a season feasting sporting them selues in their wantonnes vngodly delites are impatiēt to looke wait for the heauenly promise of ioyes that shal haue no ende are like vnto the rich man both proude and gluttonous that fared deliciously euery day and went in purple and silke not regarding the poore estate of Lazarus and therefore nowe in hel receiueth paine punishment endles which in his life time receiued pleasure cōfort But they that with paciēce quiet minds can take al things in good worth whether it be sicknes or pouertie or shame ignominie which the Lord here sendeth to thē in this life for a trial of their faith can looke vp vnto y◠celestial life to come tarying the Lords leasure these men are like to poore Lazarus which in deed in his life time receiued paine but is now comforted beyond all mās expectation with an euerlasting comfort Luke 16. Dauid pronounceth thē blessed that
feare the Lord yet if we respect the presēt time it doth not so appeare to vs but rather the contrary for what blessednes is here either in the body or in the soule if we speake of a sounde perfit happines as he meāt it The soule is infected with sinne the vnderstanding is darkned the things we know not are moe in number then the things we know so that our knowledge which should beautifie and adorne out soule is vnperfect and this not onely in thinges naturall and ciuill but also in heauenly mysteries and matters of greatest waight importance so that Paul might well crye out and say O mortall man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Rom. 7. No happinesse therefore in this life of the minde of man but that which is is rather a shadowe and a visour then any true sight of happinesse For it doeth not yet appeare what we shal be although nowe we are the sonnes of God but this shall appeare when Christ shall come in glory Colos 3. Now if any griefe of mind which is inwarde come to the soule then it seemeth to bee in hell and this dolour surmounteth all the passions and paynes of the body Let any man consider the bodie and he will say that it can not bee happie in this life the diseases and sicknesses of it are so many in number that they haue passed the arte and skil of the best Physitions to heale them And if the diseases of the body were away yet were there calamities a thousand to proue it to be in a very wretched case as longe as it is subiect to sinne in this pylgrimage What crosses are shame to vs ignominie contempt and reproche which cause many most desperately to hang themselues What is pouertie with her children as lacke of friendes meate and drinke want of apparell which is necessarie lodging and house roome with such thinges These miseries a man may haue although hee had health of body although yet these thinges bring sickenes with them commonly What then are other externall dangers as the wounding and hurting of our selues the spoyling of our goods dangers vpon the land of theeues vpon the sea of drowning and if we scape that there is danger of vngodly Pirates These crosses being layde together and weyed in the balance of iustice wil coūterpeise ouerweigh al our pleasures that are or may bee inuented in this life so great is the heape of miseries in this life And these troubles that I haue aboue rehearsed as they are common to all so especially to the godly to make them not to bee in loue with this worlde seeing the Lorde hath reserued the blessed resurrection for them Wherefore dearly beloued call now to remembrance the dayes that are passed and consider the sayntes which after they had receiued light endured a great fight in afflictions as our martyrs did in Q. Maries dayes partly while they were made a gazing stocke both by reproches afflictiōs being tossed to fro suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods And knowe you deare brethren that ye haue in heauen a better and a more induring substance then al the golde siluer of princes Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward in this day of the resurrectiō of your bodies For ye haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the will of the Lorde yee may receiue the promise of eternall life For yet a very litle while and Iesus Christ the authour of this resurrection that shall come will come and will not tary Thus much for the ende of this resurrection in respect of the seruantes of Christ which then and not before shall fully be rewarded and made perfitely blessed in euery part both body and soule wherein they haue serued their Lorde faythfully when they were aliue Nowe let vs see the ende for the which all the wicked shall rise againe at that day which also standeth with the iustice of the Lorde to recompence them after their demerites As not onely the soules of the wicked haue offended their GOD by their sinnefull thoughtes and cogitations but also their bodyes haue bene slaues vnto sinne and haue giuen their members ouer to serue vnrighteousnesse so it standeth with equitie that not onely their mindes and consciences be tormented but also their bodyes by the which they here haue wrought all these abominations should feele the rewarde stipende of sinne which is the euerlasting death euen the seconde death of the soule and body together This punishment is deferred most commonly in this life and who in so good estate as concerning the bodie here as the wicked and such as contemne the Lorde In so much that their prosperitie wealth haue moued the godly to wonder at the secret iudgements of the Lord in this their case This thing mooued the Prophete Habakkuk to crye vnto the Lorde for vengeance agaynst the wicked being troubled with their prosperitie and successe Wherefore doest thou looke sayth hee vpon the transgressours and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then hee whereof they reioyce and are glad Habakkuk 1. This complaynt likewise made the prophet Ieremie in his time in the 12. of his prophecie saying O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let mee talke with thee of thy iudgementes wherefore doeth the way of the vngodly prosper why are they in wealth that rebelliously trāsgresse These were Ieremies words cōcerning the ill men but he addeth more Thou hast planted them and they haue taken roote they growe and bring foorth fruite thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reynes Dauid founde by experience the like successe of the wicked in his dayes also and therefore saith that hee fretted at the foolish when hee sawe the prosperitie of the wicked For saith hee there are no bandes in their death but they are lusty strong they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men Therefore pride is as a chaine vnto them and cruelty couereth them as with a garment their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart can wishe they are licentious speake wickedly of their oppression they talke presumptuously they set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth Here you haue a description of their life and of their prosperitie what the one is what the other is also their life is licentious and yet it goeth well with them for these transitorie goods but what doth Dauid confesse of him selfe which was the childe of God Daily saith he haue I bene punished and chastened euery morning Psal 73. Seeing this standeth so with the wicked shall wee not say that they shal be punished elsewhere Yes no doubt there is a iudgemēt day kept in store for them where they shall be punished although they haue liued in
remain to be accōplished the general iudgmēt the resurrectiō and this life euerlasting which shal al be fulfilled together The meanīg of this article is this I that am a true christiā do stedfastly beleeue that as I haue already a sure pledge of this life in me which is the holy ghost working in my heart full hope of it by the seede of Gods word so I shal in the world to come haue this blessed life most abundantly powred vpō me in ful measure of al happines both in body also in soule which shal neuer haue any terme of yeeres but shal cōtinue for euer as the Lord himself doth without ending in which state I shal prayse the Lord my God not in part as I did here and with the dregges of sinne but wtout all sinne neuer ceasing to praise him yet without al wearines Re. 21. As cōcerning the excellency of this eternal life if all the tongues of men of angels were ioyned vnited together all in one with all their knowledge eloquēce to expresse it if they should be about it a thousād thousād yeres yet notwithstanding they al shal not be able to expresse vtter the least part of it no not the ioy and pleasure of one quarter of an houre so great so inspeakable so incomprehensible are the thinges that the Lord Iesus hath layd vp for al them that loue serue him For although wee heare this life to be replenished with ioy happines pleasure yet these thinges are farre remoued frō the capacitie of our senses vntill the day come wherein we shall see him as he is he reueile his glory vnto vs euen face to face y◠we may see him perfectly Wherefore the prophets and Apostles seeing this blessed kingdome wherin wee shall be placed to be in it selfe inestimable not to be declared as it is in deede to giue them a taste of it whome they would sturre vp to be in loue with it they all haue described it by earthly pleasures cōmodities which heere we make great account of So our Sauiour vsed to expresse it by an earthly table of kinges princes furnished with all maner of deynties delicates to please both the eye the taste of mā saying to his disciples Ye are they which haue cōtinued with me in my tentations therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdōe as my father hath appointed vnto me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome sit on seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Luke 22 Here Christ expressed spirituall thinges by corporal and earthly blessings But this we must thinke If the Lord God do conteine in himselfe the fulnesse of all felicitie good things then we hauing the fruitiō of the Lord shal desire nothing besides him And this is that most great precious promise that Peter speaketh of which is giuē to vs That wee should be partakers of the diuine nature 2. Pet. 1. For the Lord shal be gloryfied in all his Saintes shal be made marueilous in thē that beleeu If thē the Lord God shall cōmunicate impart with his elect his glory his iustice his vertue his goodnes yea after a sort shal giue himselfe vnto thē wee may be sure that we shal haue ioyes infinite without ende such in deede as y◠eye hath not sene nor the eare heard nor the tōgue cā speak nor the heart mind of man cā possibly conceaue imagine which passe al vnderstanding so that they ought to make vs wōderfully amased astonied whē we cōsider of thē they do so far exceede our capacitie reach of wit The excellencie of this life may be seene in these 2. things first in the happines of our soule then in the welfare of our body As touching the soule it shal be most happy for it shal cease to sin shal be wholy ioyned to the Lord in faith truth neuer displease him any more What a great ioy is this Againe the things that thē shal beautify our soule shal be most perfit our knowledge our wisedome our vnderstanding which here is all darkned shal there be inlightned with the glory and light of the Lorde all vertues and ornaments of the minde shal abound in vs euen to the full and euery thing that is vnperfite shal be then done away no griefe of the minde no sorow of heart no torment of conscience any more but peace ioy and tranquillity euer to endure This is the Image wherein wee were first created and shall then be renewed to a more perfite estate of life then it was in before the fall of Adam Our soule there shall not be enemy to the body neither shall the spirit rebel agaynst the fleshe but it shall loue the Lord with all his might And if the ioy of the minde and soule be so great here many times in the childrē of God that they seeme to be in heauē what shal it be there thinke yee when it shal be in full possession of all his delights and spirituall pleasures euer singing and making sweete melody to the Lorde and yet without any wearynesse at al For olde things are al passed away and behold all things shal become new againe and the thinges that are there shal be eternall For Christ shall giue vnto all his eternall life Iohn 17. This is the happines of the soule Now let vs see the blessed estate also of the body and that shall the better appeare if we compare it with the state that it is in here Our bodies are nowe deformed there they shall be most faire and beautifull yea that which is more they shal be like the glorious and immortall bodie of Iesus Christ himselfe Here the body is many times maymed and vnperfit there it shal be perfite and in his integritie here it is in sickenesse in pouertie in nakednesse in woundes in stripes in botches in sores and in all incurable diseases there shall it bee whole and all sounde rich and glorious clothed with innocency and neuer able to feele any infirmitie any more For heere it is sowen in dishonour in weakenesse in corruption and there it riseth in honour in power in incorruption and immortalitie Here be many things that make it to offend agaynst God there is nothing that shall cause it to sinne it shall not as it did here lust against the spirit but be at peace and vnitie with it the sight of it most quicke in seeing and very perfite it shall be in all the senses in hearing in smelling in tasting in handling It shall haue all melody and musike to delite the eare euen angels singing continually it shall haue all sightes and shewes to delite and please the eye euen the perpetuall presence of the blessed Trinitie All odoriferous smels as it were of musks perfumes flowers the sweete incense of praise and thankesgiuing to smell delectably in the nostrels of the Lorde and ours shall not
there be wanting O what a ioye is this to the bodie to haue all thinges at commaundement that may well please and delight it The pleasures of Kinges and Queenes are nothing to those things wherof we speake yea the pleasures shal be so exceeding great that if all the ioyes pastimes of this life were compared vnto them they should be founde to be but pangues and torments Yea the cōtinuance of all our delites here for an hundred yeres is not like to the blessednes of one minute of an houre there nor worthy to be likened vnto it For verely to speake with Dauid I had rather be there but for one daye then here a thousand yeeres in all the triumphes that Emperours and Kings can make with all their power This is then the happines of the bodie Now howe great shall the blessednesse be when both the body and soule shal be conioyned together and raigne for euermore Surely as great as the glory of the Lorde is his excellent Maiestie which is infinite so great shall this glory of the Saintes be The loue of this life which is euerlasting should make me thinks kings princes to do their dueties to the Lord to raigne ouer gouerne their subiects in iustice equity and not to liue in pleasures The respect of these ioyes shoulde make Counsellers to speake the trueth boldely syncerely without flattering and dissimulation to princes considering what a rewarde is layde vp for them in heauen This shoulde make all Bishops and ministers of the worde to do their duetie in reprehending sinne stoutly and in contemning this vayne worlde in teaching the flock without lucre gayne seeing that when the great shepherd Iesus Christ shal appeare they shal receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory 1. Pet. 5. Finally the cōsideration of this life which is for euer might make euery estate and degree in their callings either hie or lowe to doe most cheerefully their seuerall dueties to all men that in the ende their parte may bee in the heauenly inheritaunce which fadeth not away O that our mindes were erected vp to these thinges they woulde not so lightly bee carryed away to sinne and wickednesse fearing least we shoulde leese these euerlasting ioyes This is the rewarde that Christ hath promised to them that followe him here in the regeneration that haue for his names sake forsaken houses brethren sisters father mother wyfe children and landes they shall inherite all things euen euerlasting life Matth. 19. This life shal be most happie and ioyfull eyther in respect of the persons with whome we shall be or else in respect of the place which is heauen the seate of God or in the consideration of the time which is for euer Although wee be here many times in a good place yet if our company be not good honest this can be no delite to a godly man Nowe in heauen we shall haue the glorious fruition of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost the societie of all the angels most excellent creatures the company of the Patriarkes the Prophets the Apostles the noble hoste of Martyrs briefly the fellowship of all the elect Saintes of God that euer haue bin This can not be but an vnspeakable delite to vs all when we consider of it Secōdly we shal be blessed in respect of the place for otherwise if the cōpany be good yet the place not correspondent vnto it in al things as not being large ynough or sweet or glorious there cā be no great delite there but this place is most answereable to the cōpany wide large faire sweete glorious euen the heauen of heauens the seate of the Almighty a place of ioy a place of cōfort a place of all spirituall delectation S. Iohn seeing it in the spirit hath described it as far forth as flesh blood can conceaue of it vnder earthly things I sawe saith he a newe heauen a new earth I saw the holy citie new Ierusalem come down from God out of heauē prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband Iohn compareth the place wherein we shal be to a citie most glorious excellēt whose shining was like to a stone most precious as a Iasper stone cleare as Chrystal whose wal was great hie which had twelue gates at the gates twelue angels The wal of the citie had twelue foūdations which were garnished with all maner of precious stones as Iaspers Saphires Emeraudes such like the building of the wall is of Iasper the citie was al of pure golde like vnto cleare glasse The twelue gates were twelue pearles and the streete of the citie is pure golde as shining glasse This Citie hath no neede of the sunne neither of the moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it the Lambe is the light of it The gates of it shall not bee shutte by day for there shal be no night there there shall be no death no sorowe no crying no payne for the first things are passed There shal be a pure riuer of water of life cleare as Christall and the tree of life bearing twelue maner of fruites And there shall be no more curse but Gods seruantes shall raygne there for euermore This is the place which Iohn hath shadowed out vnto vs as well as he could vnder these terrestriall benefites of golde and siluer and precious stones whereas in deede it can not be described as it is in it selfe because no man hath seene it and we beyng grosse and carnall must haue it by carnall and visible thinges set foorth vnto vs. Thirdly the excellencie of this life is seene in the continuance of it in that that it neuer decayeth or waxeth olde If here belowe we had all pleasures delites both for the soule and body yea although the place we were in were most excellent glorious and the company in al respects according to our desire good pleasant and honest yet if these thinges were but for a dayes or an houres continuance what great contentation of minde or recreation for the body might be here seeing wee must depart very shortly from these pleasures and then it had him as good if they had not bene at al. For all these thinges are like vnto pleasant musike in a sette of viols which when they cease once and cease needes must euery thing in this life be it neuer so pleasant then it is al one as if wee had neuer heard this musike so sweete and delectable to our eares there is no print or token of it left behinde but al vanisheth away with the very staying of it Euē as after the flying of a birde in the ayre or the passing of a ship in the sea there is no trace found after them Wis 5. But dearely beloued beleue me this life shal haue yeres without ende in vnspeakeable ioy in this so excellent a place we shal heare musike continually and yet it shal neuer cease
nor we be wearie to heare it And when we haue bene there in these delightes so long and so many thousande yeeres as there be eyther sandes in the sea or grasses vpon the whole face of the earth or starres in the skye which all are inmunerable to vs yet then we shal not come out or leaue these ioyes but still it is with vs as if it were to begin O the vnspeakable mercy of the Lord Iesus that he hath reserued for those that feare and loue him here What man therefore is so foolish so madde so beastlike in his conuersation that will not at all be mooued with these pleasures and ioyes For these things as the Angel sayd to Iohn are faithfull and true and therefore to be beleeued and they that beleeue them not their parte is in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is prepared for the vnbeleeuers Reuela 21. For from this roote of vnbeleefe proceede all the branches of all other sinnes wickednes whatsoeuer as lying stealing couetousnes adulterie and such like This life and the dignitie of it the Prophet Dauid in two wordes hath very well expressed in his 16. Psalme the latter ende Thou wilt sayeth he shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye and at thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore Here in fulnesse of ioye and pleasures for euermore is all happinesse contayned For these ioyes are the greatest that may be and their endurance is for euer Considering these things ought we not to say with Paul I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vnto vs Rom. 8. Why alas then dearely beloued what a great matter were it if we shoulde endure here afflictiōs al the dayes of our life which can not be aboue an hundred yeeres at the most so we might come in the ende to this eternall ioye and glory Paul considered this well and did so doe We faynt not sayth he but though our outwarde man perish yet the inwarde man is renewed dayly Marke well the wordes that followe and laye them vp in your mindes and you shall by the grace of God profite thereby For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weyght of glory whyle we looke not on the thinges which are seene but on the thinges which are not seene For the thinges which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall 2. Corinth 4. Shall we then for an houres pleasure here below leese the euerlasting weyght of glorie aboue God forbid we shoulde be so foolish and so besotted with this present lyfe Let this saying rather of our Sauiour Christ sounde continually in your eares What shall it profite a man if he winne the whole worlde and leese his owne soule And yet wee see howe many men do hazarde and venture their soule not for the whole worlde but for a piece of lande a litle golde or siluer or a litle credite or vayne estimation in this worlde If the whole earth then will not bee able to make a recompence or an exchange to redeeme our soules beyng once lost from the fauour of God howe much lesse then shall these beggerly things wherefore we striue so earnestly be able to doe it Nowe although this life be yet as it were hid from vs yet it is most certaine both because we haue a gage of it which is the Spirite it selfe of Christ and also inasmuch as it is hid in Christ which will keepe it well and is able to giue it to vs in due time In the meane season vntill it be reuealed from heauen we neede faith to beleeue it assuredly and hope to wayte for it with patience which hope neuer maketh a man ashamed but alwayes comforteth him euen in the middest of troubles of this life be they neuer so great For we do well knowe that when hee doeth appeare wee shall be like vnto him and no man neede to doubt but that there is such a life although it doeth not yet seeme so to vs for there is a Sunne when it is compassed in with cloudes and fire is within the ashes when it appeareth not to our sight so there is a life for the godly although deferred which Christ hath promised and spoken of Matth. 25. that it shal be giuen to his seruāts This life euerlasting being so deare a thing and precious the deuill goeth about by all meanes to defeate vs of it and to plucke it out of our hand Therfore we must lay hold on it as Paul willed Timothie and fight the good fight of faith against him This is our crowne which we must holde fast that no man bereaue vs of it For if we misse of life in the end we misse of all and if we haue this wee haue and possesse all thinges for all blessednesse whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder the name of euerlasting lyfe But the best comfort for vs is this that this life is in the custodie of Iesus Christ and wee beyng his sheepe no man is able to plucke vs out of his handes onely this remayneth for vs to looke vnto that we abide and continue in his fold Eternal life being the euerlasting inheritance of the kingdom of heauē the greatest treasure that the Lord hath to bestow vpon his seruantes no man must thinke that it commeth to him for his good works sake or that he doth deserue it at Gods hand this were to preiudice and ouerthrowe the bountifull goodnesse of the Lord. This benefite is the free gift of God for although wee deserue hell and death by our sinne and wickednes yet we merit not heauen by our good deedes but as Paul sayeth Euerlasting life is the free gift of God Rom. 6. And Christ telleth vs that this kingdome was prepared for vs long agoe euen before the worlde was made or we borne so that we coulde not step one foote vnto it of our selues when we were not Matth. 25. It is false then that the aduersaries of Christ the Papistes haue taught that wee may deserue this life by our good deedes and workes when as our good deedes are not pure in the sight of the Lorde In deede if our good workes were eyther perfect or as many as God commaundeth or if they were our owne and not Gods giftes in vs or if last of all wee were not bounde of duetie and by right to doe them then might wee with our owne good works deserue heauen but our deedes are vnperfite they are not our owne of duetie must we doe them therefore they deserue nothing as of duetie from the Lorde I graunt that euerlasting life is called by our Sauiour a rewarde but a rewarde is not of desert or merit but of curtesie A Noble man may rewarde his tenant for a thing not woorth a shilling by such a gifte as is worth twentie shillinges shall
to haue no ende To this saying of Christ agreeth that in Esay the 30. Chapter verse 33. Tophet is prepared of olde it is euen prepared for the King hee hath made it deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lorde like a riuer of brimstone doeth kindle it Here is a full description of hell For by Tophet he meaneth hell He declareth moreouer when it was made euen of olde for whom also for the King he meaneth the King of Babylon enemie to the Church signifying that God respecteth no mans person but that hell is as well prepared for Kings and Queenes for Lords and Ladies and for great men as well as the poore that doe not beleeue Yea the greatest part of men goeth this way in euery estate and degree so that we had neede to looke about vs to enter in at the straight gate for fewe there be that finde it but many that passe by the broade way Matt. 7. For this Tophet is deepe large to conteyne and to receyue many yea moe noble men shall go thither then to heauen The Prophete describeth the payne of it by fire burning with much wood the continuance is for euer because the breath of the Lorde which endureth for euer doeth kindle the fire as a riuer of brimstone The ioyes then of heauen are not so inspeakable but that the torments and pangs of hell are as intolerable Wherefore the wicked although they be not moued with the pleasures at the right hand of God to come vnto him by repentance yet in my iudgement the exceeding great tormentes of endlesse hell fire shoulde moue them to amende For surely dearely beloued if all the paynes that may be deuised in this life all the sicknesses that euer haue bene all the torments of tyrants all the griefes of minde that may be were all of them layde together and compared to this hell fire these paynes howe great soeuer they seeme to be here are but fleabytings yea rather pleasures in respect of this hellish fire it is so great And this fire although it be so great yet shall it burne for euer and euer not onely the body but also the soule the minde the conscience and all the inner parts of the damned sort And when they haue beene there as many hundred thousande yeeres as there are peeble stones in the sea shore yet shal they not then come out but continue still as if they were to beginne anewe For Christs wordes are true this fire is euerlasting and can neuer be quenched Matthewe 3. 25. It were well with Iudas if he myght come out of this wofull hell and paynes when he hath suffered them so many hundred thousande millions of yeeres as there are starres in the firmament but this can not be granted vnto him If men therefore woulde consider of these two extremities wherein is no meane of the ioyes of paradise which are endlesse and of the torments of hell and the wrath of God which also hath no ende then surely woulde they liue in feare and godlinesse in this present worlde For as heauen is full of ioy and mirth so hell is full of dolor and sorowe and as in heauen is continuall reioycing and peace of minde so is there in hell a perpetuall weeping with gnashing of teeth for woe and payne As the glorie of the Lorde shall inlyghten the elect with his gratious countenance so shall the great maiestie wrath of the Lorde presse downe the vngodly for euer Finally as in heauen the saintes shall haue all things to do them good that they can desire so in hell the damned spirits shal haue nothing to refresh them not so much as a droppe of colde water which is but a small thing to coole their tongue withall And as I sayde before of heauen and heauenly ioyes so may I speake of this seconde death that if all the men in the whole worlde woulde go about to expresse these tormentes with all their eloquence and learning yet shall they bee neuer able to doe it they are so vnspeakeable and not to be vttered of any man And these are the righteous iudgementes of the Lord that he to the wicked might be knowen to be a iust and a terrible God to rewarde impenitent sinners after their woorkes as they haue deserued For this ende sayeth the Lorde to Pharao I haue stirred thee vp that I myght shewe my great power and myght vpon thee in punishing thee accordingly Let the wicked therefore take heede for there will come a day that will pay for all and then what aduantage will it be to haue gotten an houres pleasure with the purchase of euerlasting woes But these things and these euils by the benefite of Iesus Christ are farre from vs and shall not come neere the dwelling of the righteous Wherefore wee ought with Paul to giue thankes alway to God because that from the beginning he hath chosen vs to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and beleefe of the trueth neyther hath he appoynted vs to wrath as he hath the wicked but to obtaine this euerlasting life whereof we speake by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ which died for vs that whether we sleepe or wake we shoulde liue together with him In the meane season it is our part to stande fast and not to bee remoued from this faith but to laye hande of this eternall life whereunto wee through the benefit of the Gospel preached are called freely of GOD with an holy calling not according to our workes but of his goodnesse Wee must also fight this good fight of faith and striue lawfully if we hope to bee crowned and to continue to the ende wee must endeuour that wee may bee saued for they that shrinke backe leese this excellent reward for the which we are commaunded to sell all that we haue and to bye it Matth. 13. We haue nowe heard the meaning of all the twelue articles of our Christian fayth which are necessarie to saluation First wee haue seene the article that concerneth our trust in God the Father what things we learne by it Secondly we haue declared the articles which conteine the mysteries of Christ Iesus with our redemption glorification and other benefits apperteining thereunto Thirdly the beleefe in the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie hath bene opened vnto vs and what comfort may thereof arise to the faithfull Fourthly and lastly the articles concerning the Church and the benefites thereto belonging haue beene expounded as God hath giuen vs grace These things are written that we might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world and that in beleeuing we myght haue life through this name Seeing then wee haue hearde these thinges let vs as the holy and blessed Apostle of Christ Saint Peter willeth vs be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the fayth and hope that is in vs
with meekenesse and reuerence And nowe let vs giue thankes as wee are continually bounde to our heauenly Father in that it hath pleased him to make vs Christians to beleeue these articles of our fayth to our great and endlesse comfort And let vs pray vnto him withall in the name of his welbeloued Sonne that he would giue vs grace to growe more and more euery day in this fayth that wee may not onely liue in it but also in the ende of our dayes die in it most constantly that so wee may bee blessed And that it woulde please him to giue this grace not only to vs but to all people nations of the earth especially to his vniuersall Church wheresoeuer it be dispersed abroade in all quarters of the earth And in this Church let vs pray for the state of all Kinges and Princes that wee may liue a godly and quiet life with all peace and honestie especially let vs commende to his fauour the Church of Englande desiring him to blesse it as hee hath done these many yeeres and to continue his holy Gospel amongst vs although wee for our vnthankfulnesse haue deserued to haue it taken away from vs long agoe Desyre wee of him in mercy still to beholde his seruant and handmaide our Queene and soueraigne that shee may bee still zealous to set forwarde the Gospell of Christ and to roote vp all superstition and idolatrie within her realme that shee may bee wise to foresee and preuent all mischiefes and dangers that are likely to hang ouer our heades that so shee may haue a long a blessed reigne ouer vs to his glory the profite and commoditie of all her louing subiectes Let vs likewise desire of God to blesse all her most honourable Counsell with true godlinesse and wisedome from aboue that they may boldly and stoutly minister to her maiestie the best aduice for the better ouerseeing and gouernment of this Christian common wealth wherein they liue that all their counselles and policies may especially bee directed to the honour of God Pray we him to blesse the state of the ministerie of this lande the Byshops and Pastours of his worde that not onely in worde but also in good and godly conuersation of life they may beautifie the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ beseech we him to roote out from his ministerie al rauening wolues papistes Atheistes blinde and vnlearned ministers and dumme dogges which seeke onely to fill their bellies and not to edifie the congregation that if it be his will he would giue to euery Church her faithfull and wise dispenser of the mysteries of Christ And because the schooles of good learning are as Nurses and well springes thereunto let vs desire Christ to giue his spirite amongst them also in the vniuersities that good learning and godlines may growe and increase dayly more and more Lastly for the whole body of this common weale let vs pray that God would keepe them al in his feare from the hiest to the lowest and giue them duetiful and obedient heartes towarde their prince and magistrates which are by his authoritie set ouer them for their welfare and happinesse These thinges and all other graces he onely graunt vnto vs which onely is able and wise and hath immortalitie which dwelleth in the light that no man can see to whom with his sonne Christ Iesus and the holy Ghost his infinite power bee rendred all prayse honour and glory for euer and euer Amen The Lorde be praysed ⧠A declaration of the holy Communion THe holy Communion called also the Lordes Supper was ordeined not of any mortall man but of the Lorde Iesus himselfe that as often as wee come vnto it for often it is to be receiued we shoulde remēber the great loue of our master Christ who loued vs so well that he gaue his body and blood for to redeeme vs from all our sinnes That this great benefite should neuer be forgotten of Christians he instituted that we shoulde receiue bread and wine in the remembrance of his death therfore this sacrament hath two partes the one is the outward signes bread and wine to put vs in mind that as bread doth nourish the body so doth Christs body nourish our soules receiued spiritually by faith into our heartes Ephe 3. 17. as wine doth refresh vs quēch our thirst so doeth his blood refresh our minds and wash them from sinne quench the spiritual thirst of our soules and this sacrament of Christes death is not giuen vs in bread onely but in wine also to teach vs that Iesus Christ is all in all vnto vs not only meate to feede vs Iohn 6. 35. but also drinke to quench our thirst as he saith Iohn 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke And so hee is also our apparell Put you on the Lorde Iesus Rom. 13. 14. The other part of this Supper is spirituall the remission of sinnes and heauenly graces receiued of vs as truely as wee receiue the signes of them if wee beleeue for this is to confirme our faith in this matter that we shoulde doubt no more of Gods fauour then we doubt whether we haue receiued the visible signes Nowe for the comming to this Supper that wee deceiue not our selues we must haue these two things first repentance of our former sinfull life to bee sorie for it which is done by trying and examining our selues whether wee bee heartily sorowfull or no for our offences secondly we must haue faith in Iesus Christ that yet we despaire not for our great sinnes but trust to haue mercy at his handes when we cal vpon him so that before we come vnto this banket wee must prepare our selues to come worthily reuerently in faith hope and loue this is the examination In receiuing of it our mindes must not bee on the bread and wine or vpon any other earthly thinges but vpon the body and blood of Iesus Christ in heauen signified vnto vs by these things belowe After wee haue receiued wee must giue vnto Christe most humble and heartie thankes for feeding vs with his body and blood and meditate and thinke vpon this continually not returne to our olde life againe Thus doing you shal be sure to come as the Lorde requireth and as a good Christian ought to do Which the Lorde graunt vnto you for his mercies sake Amen A briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith conteining an hūdreth articles according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles written by that learned and godly Martyr I. Hooper sometime Byshop of Glocester in his life time Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie THis Creede following being made by the reuerend Father Iohn Hooper is deuided into fiue principall partes The first whereof intreateth of God the father the second of God the Sonne the third of God the holy Ghost the fourth of the catholique Church the fift and last part
entreateth of the benefites or fruites which we receiue by the same fayth which he maketh in number three the first is the forgiuenesse of sinnes the second is the resurrection of the fleshe the third last fruit is life euerlasting Of these fiue parts he hath made an hundreth seuerall articles the first parte conteyneth 14. The second 27. The third 5. The fourth 41. The fifth and last part conteyneth thirteene articles the contents of which articles are handeled as followeth A briefe and cleare confession of the Christian faith containing an hundred articles according to the order of the Creede of the Apostles I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth The first Article I Beleeue in one God onely one in essence and substance three in person the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost I beleeue in the Father as the originall and beginning of all things as well visible as inuisible Of whome also they depende as well in their being as also in their conseruation and he dependeth vpon none but on him selfe being eternall and euerlasting without end or beginning I beleeue in the Sonne as the diuine worde and wisdome of the father which is eternally and before al worlde 's engendred of the father of his proper substance and nature because in him shineth his shape and proper Image which otherwise is inuisible vnto mortal man I beleeue in the holy Ghost as a vertue eternall power which neither is made nor created neither engendred but proceeding of the father and of the sonne eternally euen as a loue proceeding from both persons The second Article I beleeue that these three persons are of one and the selfe same essence and substāce nature authoritie power will goodnes wisdome and eternitie and that these three are but one spirituall substance eternall without ende or beginning true good iust mercifull of a souerayne power and wisdome hauing and containing in it selfe all goodnes not needing any thing The third Article I beleeue that this God which is one in essence and three in person ought onely to be serued honored feared loued worshipped and to be called vpon in all our necessities as he that onely can and will prouide therefore and none other And therefore I say and confesse that I beleeue in one God onely that is to say that I knowledge and receiue him for one onely Lord master and sauiour of whome proceedeth all that is good in me by whom I can do al things without whom I can do nothing In him onely doe I set mine affiance and set mine heart hoping that he assisting me with his holy spirit shall be with me against all mē and that he will deliuer me from al perils and daungers through his grace and mercie without any merites of mine owne and that he shall minister to me all things necessarie as well for my soule as body euen like a good father as hee hath promised by his holy word The fourth Article I beleeue that the same God almightie hath of nothing created from the beginning both heauen and earth and all things in them conteined that is to say all things as well heauenly as earthly visible as inuisible reasonable as vnreasonable sensible as insensible the which hee doth entertaine leade guide gouerne by his diuine wisdom without whose prouidēce nothing commeth to passe either in this world or in the other The fift Article I beleeue that the same God the father the sonne and holy Ghost after that hee had created all things did create and shape man to his own image likenes that is to say immortal good iust true wise mercifull and perfit in all things making him partaker of the goodnes iustice and other perfections of God hauing a will that could agree in all things vnto the will of his Lorde but all that thorowe grace without any kinde of merit The vi article I beleeue also that as the Lord hath created al things heauenly and earthly for the seruice of man and to the ende that by his creatures he might come to the knowledge of the creator euen so also hath he formed made man for thim selfe that of him and by him he might be knowen loued feared serued honored which is the greatest good thing that is or can be in man and that in him might shine the image of diuine vertues and perfections through good works the which God hath ordeined because wee should walke in them vnto his honour and praise to the confusion of the aduersary and that by this meane the fal of the Angels might be repaired and that mā might possesse the euerlasting kingdome made and prepared for him before the foundations of the worlde were laide The vii article I beleeue that the same man was ordeined of the Lord God a master ruler ouer all his creatures the which thing he hath lost through his sinne aswell for his owne part as also for al his posteritie The which rule Lordship I beleeue doth chiefly appertaine vnto Iesus Christ verely God man to those vnto whom he wil communicate the same as vnto his owne faithfull and not vnto the infidels and damned The viii article I beleeue that the first man through the craft and subtiltie of Satan did slide and fall from the excellencie wherein the Lord had created him consenting thorowe his owne free will which at that time he had vnto the subtil suggestion of the Serpent whereby he lost the graces that the Lorde had giuen him in such sort that of wise hee became foolish of iust vniust of true a liar of perfit altogether vnperfect hauing frō thenceforth a will wholly corrupted which neither could nor would agree with the will of God but altogether with the wil of the deuil the worlde the flesh sinne which could do nothing of him selfe but euill seeing that he is altogether carnal bond captiue and sold vnder sinne This is the free yea to say more truely the bond will that man hath in this present life The ix Article I beleeue that this disorder and corruption of nature was not only in Adam because of his sinne but is also in all men generally which come of him Iesus Christ only excepted and that in such sort that all men after their own nature are corrupt vniust lyers ignorant vnkind and imperfect in al things haue no power of their owne nature to do thinke speake or will any thing that may please God vntil that they be regenerate renewed by the spirit of the Lord. The x. Article I beleeue that this corruption of nature otherwise called original sinne is the fountayne roote of all other sinnes for the which all the miseries aduersities that wee endure in this present life aswell in bodye as soule do come vnto vs yea in the end double death that is to say both of bodie soule These be the fruites rewards of sinne But although the same
be due common to all men generally neuerthelesse the Lord through his mercy hath reserued to himselfe a certaine nūber which are onely knowne to himselfe the which he hath drawē from this corrupt heape hath sanctified clensed the same in the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ by meanes thereof hath made them vessels of election honour apt vnto all good workes The xi Article I beleeue that the Father in Iesu Christ his sonne thorow the holy Ghost hath elected chosē those y◠are his owne according to his good will before the foundations of the world were layed whō he hath predestinate vnto eternall life that there by they might be his children adoptiues ouer whom he hath without comparison a much greater care thē the best father can haue ouer the best child in the world for he suffereth not that any thing shall come to passe either on high in heauen or beneath on earth which shall not be for their good and great profite The xii Article I beleeue that the father through his sonne with the holy ghost hath alwaies frō the beginning intended to restore mā vnto whom after he had sinned he shewed him selfe promising vnto him that blessed seede by whome the heade of the serpent should be troden downe and by whome the faithful shoulde receyue blessing By this promise which hath since bene oftentimes ratifyed and confirmed to the holie fathers man which otherwise had dispayred in sinne is releeued holpen comforted and clothed with hope euen vnto the ful performing thereof The thirteenth Article I beleeue also that after this promise the Lorde hath prescribed and giuen the lawe of the commandements to man promising life to the obseruers therof death to the transgressours of the same and hee gaue them not to the ende that man should seeke iustification saluation or life therein but for the policie peace and tranquilytie of his people for the defence of the good for the chastenyng and punyshing of the wicked to preserue eche one in his office but especially that therebye man might the better know himselfe his disease his pouertie and imperfection and by meane thereof to take an occasion to humble himselfe before this lawe giuer to seeke remedy saluation life in some other that is to saie in the holie promised seede which is Iesus Christ For this cause the lawe is called a scholemaster to come to Christ the which also serueth vs for a glasse to knowe our sinnes by and to encrease the same knowledge in vs. Likewise it serueth vs for an accuser to accuse vs before the Lorde and for a seuere and cruell iudge to declare the wrath and iudgement of God ouer vs and his condemnation vnto eternall death and by this meane to make vs afraide and to bring vs vnto dispaire vntill we be comforted by the Gospell through faith in Iesus Christ wherby we are deliuered frō all these causes These are the offices of the lawe the which are turned into our good through fayth in the Gospell the which hath other offices and cleane contrary For the rest I confesse that the lawe of the Lorde is good iust holy and perfit and where the same doth not bring vs vnto perfection it is not long of it selfe but of vs which are altogether vnperfect and can in no wise accomplish the same no not to touch it with our litle finger The xiiii article I beleeue and confesse Iesus Christ to be the fulnes the ende and accomplishmēt of the Lawe to the iustification of all that beleeue thorow whom and by whom only all the promises of the father be accomplished yea euen to the vttermost the which also alone hath perfectly satisfied the Lawe in that which no other amōgst men coulde persourme for so much as the law doeth cōmaund things impossible y◠which neuertheles mā must accōplish not by working but through beleeuing For so is the lawe accomplished through faith and not through works by this meanes shal man find the righteousnes of faith to be auaileable before the Lord not the righteousnesse of works y◠which leadeth nothing vnto perfection As concerning the first poynt of my faith this is y◠which I beleeue of the father y◠things that are made by him consequētly of the holie Trinitie also of the soule of man Nowe let vs come to the second point which is of the Sonne of God and of the thinges done by him especially of the restoring repairing agayne of man 2 And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde which was cōceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descēded into hel the third day he rose againe frō the dead he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almightie from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead The xv Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ is veryly God and verily man hauing two natures comprehended in one person a nature diuyne after the which he is the onely naturall sonne of God equall with the father in all thinges and a nature humane after the which he is verye man in al things like vnto vs synne excepted The xvi Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ the sonne of God in the fulnesse of the tyme appointed of the father from the beginning was sent into the worlde by the father was made perfect man and was conceiued in the wombe of a woman being a pure virgine called Marie of her proper substance of her proper bloud so that he was found a perfect man descēding of the seede of Adā Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid other fathers vnto whome the promise was made The .xvii. Article I beleeue also that all this was done by the working of the holye Ghost without the worke of man to the ende that all that was wrought therein might be holye and without spot pure and cleane And that thereby our conception might be made cleane holy which of it selfe is altogether spotted and defyled with sinne The xviii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgyne Marye without any manner of sinne and without breach of her virginitie so that by his pure and holye natiuitie he hath purified and made holye ours which of it self is altogether vncleane defyled with sinne In this Natiuitie of Christ I see and consider the first estate condition of man with his fall which was y◠cause of Christ his cōming into the world Likewise in this I see and consider the fauour and inestimable loue of God the father which hath presented and giuen his onely sonne to serue vs. I see also and consider in this Natiuity the charytie of the sonne which hath abased humbled himselfe to lifte vs vp became poore to make vs riche became bonde to make vs free became the sonne of man to make vs the children of God
are dead for the Lordes quarell but also principally as touching the cause fruites and vses thereof thereby to knowe the greatnesse of my sinnes the grace and mercie of the Father and the charitie of the Sonne by whome wee are reconciled vnto GOD deliuered from the tyrannie of the deuill and restored to the libertie of the spirite This is the glasse without spotte to teache vs to knowe our filthinesse the lauer or cleare fountayne to wash and clense vs the infinite treasure to satisfie all our creditours Of whome and by whome onely the diuine iustice is fully satisfied for all the sinnes of all that haue beene be nowe or shall bee vnto the ende of the worlde And therefore I doe beleeue and confesse that Christ his condemnation is mine absolution that his crucifying is my deliuerance his descending into hell is mine ascending into heauen his death is my life his blood is my clensing and purging by whome onely I am washed purified and clensed from all my sinnes so that I neyther receyue neyther beleeue any other Purgatorie eyther in this worlde or in the other whereby I may bee purged but onely the blood of Iesus Christ by the which all are purged and made cleane for euer The xxvii Article I beleeue that Iesus Christ by the sacrifice of his bodie which hee offered vpon the tree of the crosse hath defaced and destroyed sinne death and the deuill with all his kingdome and hath wholie performed the woorke of our saluation and hath abolished and made an ende of all other sacrifices So that from thence foorth there is none other propiciatorie sacrifice eyther for the liuing or the dead to bee looked for or sought for thē the same For by this one onely oblation hath he consecrated for euer all those that are sanctified The xxviii Article I beleeue that the holy Supper of the Lorde is not a sacrifice but onely a remembrance and commemoration of this holy sacrifice of Iesus Christ Therefore it ought not to be worshipped as GOD neyther as Christ therein conteyned who must bee worshipped in fayth onely without all corruptible elements Likewise I beleeue and confesse that the Popish masse is the inuention and ordinance of man a sacrifice of Antichrist and a forsaking of the sacrifice of Iesus Christ that is to say of his death and passion and that it is a stinking and infected sepulchre which hideth and couereth the merite of the blood of Christ and therefore ought the masse to bee abolished and the holy Supper of the Lorde to be restored and set in his perfection againe The xxix Article I beleeue also that as the Prophete Ionas was in the Whales bellie which is a place of corruption three dayes and three nyghtes without being corrupted and the thirde daye came out of him alyue without any maner of hurte Euen so Iesus Christ after hee was dead was layed and put in a newe Sepulchre which is a place of corruption in the which hee was three dayes and three nyghtes not touched with any kynde of infection of fylthinesse or corruption but continued in his perfection to declare the vertue of his blood to accomplish the wrytings of the holy Prophetes and to verifie the trueth aswell of his bodie as of his death with whome I beleeue that the lawe was buryed abrogated and abolished as touching the faythfull not as the acquiting of an obligation whereby they shoulde bee no more bounde to lyue and walke therein but onely as concerning condemnation that is to saye that the transgression of the Lawe condemneth them not before the iudgement seate of GOD because of their fayth which they haue in Iesus Christ And therefore with in one Sepulchre I doe comprehend three things to bee buried That is to saye Christ the Lawe and all the faythfull which ought to be crucified and buried with Christ through the mortification of their flesh The xxx Article I beleeue that as Iesus Christ was put to death for our sinnes so also hee rose agayne the thirde daye for our iustification vnto euerlasting life wherein hee hath openly declared him selfe both GOD and man obtayning the victorie ouer all his aduersaries and hath confounded and beaten downe all his enemies that is to say the worlde sinne death hell and Satan not for him selfe but for vs that beleeue in him knowing that his victorie is ours and that in him and by him wee ouercome the selfe same enemies obtayning the victorie ouer them vnto the honour of the Lorde and our great profite The xxxi Article I beleeue and consider this resurrection of Iesus Christ not onely as an hystorie as was that of Lazarus and other such like which miraculously were raysed vp by the vertue of the Lorde but also as the example and cause efficient of my rysing againe and as the earnest and first fruites of the generall resurrection of all that beleeue That as Iesus Christe was raysed vp the thyrde day after his death vnto eternall lyfe thorowe his diuine vertue Euen soe by the same vertue I hope one day to bee raysed vp in bodye and soule vnto eternall lyfe after that I haue here in this worlde beene raysed vp in spirite thorowe liuely and true faith in newnes of life mortifiyng and crucifiyng the fleshe with the affections and concupiscences of the worlde the which ought to bee dead and crucified to vs and wee to it For wee are buried with Christe in his death thorowe Baptisme to the ende that as hee is risen from death by the glorie of the father without dying any more euen so wee shoulde walke in newenesse of life without seruing of sinne any more searching alwayes principally for the thinges that are on high heauenly and eternall and forsaking the earthly and transitorie thinges of the worlde knowing that wee haue not here an abyding Citie but that we must seeke for that which is to come The xxxii Article I beleeue and confesse that Iesus Christ the fourtieth day after his resurrection visibly and before all his Apostles did ascende into heauen that is to saye in the maiestie of his father in glory and eternal felicitie in the which hee was before hee came into this miserable worlde to become man yea euen before the foundation of the worlde was layde that is to say from euerlasting The xxxiii Article I beleeue that he is ascended into heauen to accomplishe and to fynishe all thinges and to open heauen for vs that wee might ascende after him and followe him as our head to bee eternally knitte with him in glorie the which thing here wee beginne thorowe fayth In like maner hee hath done the same for the benefite of his Churche that hee might sende vnto his Apostles that comforter that hee promised them by the which they were comforted instructed and guided in all trueth and there by is his Church supported maintayned and defended against all the blastes of Satan and all the gates of Hell The xxxiiii Article I beleeue
by meanes of my good workes merites which in deede are none The xlviii Article I beleeue that this Church is inuisible to the eye of man is onely to God knowen that the same Church is not set compassed and limited within a certaine place or boundes but is scattered spread abroad throughout all the worlde but yet coupled together in heart will and spirite by the bond of faith charitie hauing and altogether knowledging one onely God one only head and Mediator Iesus Christ one faith one lawe one Baptisme one spiritual Table wherein one meate and one spirituall drinke is ministred to them vnto the ende of the worlde This Church contayneth in it all the righteous and chosen people from the first righteous mā vnto the last that shal be found righteous in the end of the world and therefore doe I call it Vniuersall For as touching the Visible Church which is the Congregation of the good and of the wicked of the chosen and of the reprobate generally of al those which say they beleue in Christ I doe not beleeue that to bee the Church because that Church is seene of the eye and the faith thereof is in visible things The xlix Article I beleeue that this Inuisible Church is the fielde of the Lorde God wherein is neyther darnell nor cockle it is the house and dwelling place of the holy Ghost and within that Church is neither Cain Iudas neither the wicked rich Gluttō That Church also is the fold of Christ wherein is no stinking and infected beastes but all cleane and vndefiled sheepe and lambes which bring forth their fruites in due time season The same Church is the body of Christ wherein there is neuer a rotten corrupt or infected mēber It is the Spouse of Christ which is pure cleane without wrinckle without spot It is holy without blame cleansed and sanctified in the blood and by the worde of her head and welbeloued spouse Iesus Christ for that cause they cā in no wise perish which by liuely faith are grafted therin The L. Article I beleeue that the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost are scattered and giuen vnto euery member of the same Church not so much for their particular profite commoditie as for the general profit commoditie of the whole Congregation Church and that thorow grace wholy without any merite according to the good pleasure prouidence of God to some more to some lesse that to the end we should know that one hath neede of another and that we should be ready to helpe one another in all necessities as wel bodily as spiritually euen as it becommeth members of one body The Li. Article I beleeue the Communion of Saintes that is to say I beleeue that all whatsoeuer our Lorde God giueth in this worlde whether it be benefites and blessings that concerne the body or the spirit he giueth the same singularly to the profit commoditie of the whole Church and therfore ought the same to be distributed communicated to all that are faithful but chiefely to those that are in necessitie that like as we doe communicate and are knitte in one God one faith one Lawe one Baptisme and be partakers of one spirituall Table euen so we may communicate be partakers together of and in those things which do proceede come vnto vs by meanes of the aforesayde thinges For otherwise we can not be Christians or faithfull stewardes of Christ Here vtterly I renounce and abhorre the Anabaptistes maner of making common goods wiues and such other like things and onely doe I allow the Apostles making of things common which hauing possessing any goods priuately vsed to distribute thereof to euery one according as the same had neede and as necessitie required The Lii Article I beleeue that this Church is like vnto the Arke of Noah within the which is safetie and life and without the same is but death decay and destruction For as Christ is and doeth raygne in his Church euen so Satan is and doeth raygne in and through all that are out of that Church The which true Church is mayntayned and vpholden by the Spirite of Christ is ruled and gouerned by his holy worde and is nourished and fedde with his holy Sacraments That Church shal alwayes haue enemies shall still be tormented in the sea of this world with the thunderings of Antichrist and by the wounds and tempest of Satan For all the gates of hell doe arme set out themselues against this Church But in these waues shee shall not be drowned but shall abide for euer because shee hath a good defence and foundatiō which is Iesus Christ the righteous And for this cause I cal her the Church militāt which wayteth for the triūph of those that be blessed which are where as is nothing but peace ioy and euerlasting consolation The Liii Article I beleeue that the Lord God hath giuen vs three principal signes and marks by the which we may knowe this his Church that is to say the word the Sacraments discipline I call that only the word which was reuealed by the holy Ghost vnto the holie Patriarks Prophets Apostles of Iesus Christ the which word is cōtained within the canonicall bookes of the olde new Testamēt by the which word we are made cleane thereby do receiue the selfe same thing as much as we do by the Sacramentes that is to say Iesus Christ by his worde which is the worde of faith giueth communicateth himselfe vnto vs aswell as by the Sacramēts albeit it be by another maner fashiō The Liiii Article I beleeue that the same worde of God is of a farre greater aucthoritie then the Church the which worde onely doeth sufficiently shewe and teach vs all those things that in any wise concerne our saluation both what we ought to do and what to leaue vndone The same worde of God is the true paterne and perfect rule after the which all faithful people ought to gouerne and order their liues without turning eyther to the right hand or to the left hand without chāging any thing thereof without putting to it or taking from it knowing that all the works of god are perfect but most chiefly his word The Lv. Article I beleeue that as onely Iesus Christ amongst all men is holie and true that all others are sinners and lyers euen so likewise the onely doctrine of the same Iesus Christ is holy and true al other doctrines are vnpure false This doctrine of Iesus Christ is a well a fountaine of life a lampe or pillar of fire to guyde vs the bread of the soule the power of God vnto saluation to al that beleeue And therfore whatsoeuer happeneth the same ought onely to bee aduaunced preached heard vnderstande receiued of all the worlde to the comfort and saluation of those that beleue to the greater damnation of
therefore they are not only Idolaters which worship and serue Idoles and strange Gods as the Ethnicks such like but also all those which worship and serue the true God of heauen after their owne fantasie or after the traditions of men without faith without the word of God otherwise thē God hath commaunded them And they only are Christians which do confesse and serue one onely God which is in heauen according to his word and commandement all whose woorkes aswell outwarde as inwarde corporall as spirituall bee the true seruice of the Lorde because the same are done in the fayth of the Sonne of God and according to the calling of the Lord after the which euery faythfull bodie ought to walke The Lxxxvi Article I beleeue and confesse that it is not lawfull for a Christian to be present eyther in spirite eyther in bodie at the idolatrous sacrifices neither to enter into their temples while they are in doing of their idolatries and sacrifices if it be not of purpose to rebuke and vtter their impietie and to teache the trueth as the holy Prophetes and Apostles did and not to dissemble as the hypocrites doe For if the bodie be the creature of God as it is in deede aswell as the soule and be the Temple of the holy Ghost and a member of the mysticall bodie of Christ and if it shall one day rise and possesse eternall life with the soule it must then followe of necessitie that it ought to be wholly dedicated vnto the ryght seruice of God in this worlde together with the soule and the spirite or else they can not at the generall resurrection be coupled together but must be separated asunder the one to be with God in heauen whome it loued and the other to be in hell with the deuill whom it serued the which thing is impossible for that cause I say that al such dissimulatiō is a plaine forsaking of Christ and of his Gospel Likewise I beleeue and confesse that all maner of such dissemblings by the which the trueth of the Gospel is hid the word of the Lord despised infidelitie and ignorance confirmed and the weake are offended the same can not be of God but of the deuill and altogether against the trueth of Gods worde And therefore there must be no halting on both sides but wee must goe and walke foorthryght and strayghtly before this great Lorde which seeth beholdeth and knoweth all things yea euen before they are begonne The Lxxxvii Article I beleeue also that the beginning of all Idolatrie was the fynding out and inuention of Images which also were made to the great offence of the soules of men and are as snares and trappes for the feete of the ignorant to make them to fal Therefore they ought not to be honoured serued worshipped neyther to bee suffered in the Temples or Churches neyther in any other places where Christian people doe meete together to heare and vnderstande the word of God but rather the same ought vtterly to bee taken awaye and throwen downe according to the effect of the second commandement of God and that ought to bee done by the common authoritie of the Magistrate and not by the priuate authoritie of any particular man For the wood of the gallowes whereby iustice is done is blessed of GOD but the Image made by mans hande is accursed of the Lorde and so is he that made it And therefore wee ought to beware of Images aboue all thinges This is that I beleeue of the Catholike faith and of the thinges that concerne the same and is for the fourth point of my faith Nowe resteth to speake of the fruites that proceed out of the same and what I receiue by the same faith which fruites are in number three whereof the first is The forgiuenesse of sinnes The Lxxxviii Article I beleeue that al those that are come and shall come of the race and lyne of Adam generally are conceiued borne in iniquitie and corruption except Iesus Christ only and that they are all sinners transgressers and breakers of the law and wil of the Lord and according to their nature they are corrupt the children of wrath worthy of Gods iudgement of condemnatiō eternal death all needing the grace and mercie of God and of Christes blood shedding For God hath wrapped all vnder sinne to the intent hee woulde haue mercie vpon all through Iesus Christ our Lorde The Lxxxix Article I beleeue that the knowledge of sinne proceedeth of the lawe but the remission and forgiuenesse of sinne commeth of the Gospel and is giuen vs by the onely grace and mercie of God in the blood of Iesus Christ through the faith wee haue therein whereby wee are counted righteous before God not through our good woorkes or deseruings neither by the merites of any other creature either in heauen or in earth For I knowe not neither do I alow any other merites but the merites of my good Lord master and onely sauiour Iesus Christ who hath merited and sufficiently satisfied for vs hath paide for his owne their dette in wiping out the hande writing and obligation which was against vs and in taking the same from vs hath fastened it vnto the Crosse The xc Article I beleeue that this iustifiyng faith is a meere and singular gift of God the which is commonly giuen by the hearing of Gods woorde whereupon onely it is builte and not vpon the doctrines and traditions of men I call a iustifiyng faith a certaine assurance and earnest perswasion of the good will loue grace bounteousnesse and mercy of God towarde vs whereby we are assured verily perswaded in our hearts of the mercy fauour and good will of God the father that he is on our side and for vs against all that are against vs and that he wil be a mercifull father vnto vs pardoning our sinnes and will giue vs his grace make vs his children by adoption and admitte vs for heires vnto eternal life and all this freely in his sonne by his only sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde and not for our merites or good workes This faith can doe all thinges and to it nothing is impossible the which faith is neuer perfect nor great ynough in vs and therefore ought wee alwayes to praye with y◠Apostles saying Lorde increase our faith helpe our vnbeliefe For that faith only doth comfort vs maketh vs holy maketh vs righteous and acceptable before the Lorde it declareth vs to be the children of GOD and heires of eternall life the which faith also is the mother the spring and roote of all good workes like as infidelitie is the fountaine and roote of all wickednes The xci Article I beleeue also that good workes are not superfluous vayne and vnprofitable but necessarie to saluation I call good workes not those which are done after the fantasie or commaundement of men but onely those that God by his woorde hath commaunded to bee done the which ought to be done
not to deserue or merite any thing thereby at Gods hande or by the same to escape eternall condemnation but onely because God hath commanded them and that they might testifie the loue that we haue vnto our Lord and our obedience to his holy woorde and commaundement and to the intent that in vs and by vs hee might be glorified and that our neighbours aswell the infidels vnbeeleeuers as the faithful might therby be edified and in like maner to shewe and to manifest the faith that we haue in God and in his worde as the good tree sheweth it selfe and is knowne by his fruite yea to make sure and certaine vnto vs our calling election predestination To these endes serue all the good works commaunded by God and who soeuer doeth them to any other ende doeth misuse them sinneth and doth iniurie to the blood of Christ and dishonoureth God and his word for in so doing he declareth Christ died in vayne The xcii Article I beleeue that there is none either in this worlde or in the other worlde eyther in heauen or in earth which can forgiue mee and pardon my sinnes but onely God which hath giuen power and authoritie to the ministers of his worde to declare to all faithfull beleeuers which are of a contrite heart and be truely penitent that all their sinnes through the free mercy of God are forgiuen them through the blood of Iesus Christe which was shedde for them yea to declare vnto them that they are pardoned of their sinnes and that the same is done by the ministery of the worde of the holy Church in the which this remission is exhibited and giuen and not otherwise But on our part is required perfecte repentance the which hath two partes The first is contrition that is to say the knowledging hating and abhorring of sinne the which thing is administred by the Lawe and bringeth vs to despaire if with the contrarie we be not holpen with a lyuely fayth and the mercie of GOD the Father thorowe the blood of Iesus Christ which proceedeth out of the Gospel This fayth comforteth vs maketh vs stedfast and causeth vs to fynde fauour before the iudgement seate of God The xciii Article I beleeue that sinne dwelleth stil in man yea in the very saintes and children of God after their newe birth through Baptisme and the holie Ghost the which sinne neuerthelesse shall not be laied to their charge because of the faith they haue in Iesus Christ for as al the sinnes of the infidels and reprobate bee damnable and shall not bee pardoned because of their infidelitie euen so all the sinnes of the faithfull and chosen bee veniall sinnes and forgiueable because of their faith And therefore I beleeue that there is one onely sinne that is mortall and irremissible which is vnbeliefe or infidelitie that is to say not to beleeue in the sonne of GOD. For where true faith in Christ is founde there all sinnes are hid couered and pardoned I beleeue the resurrection of the flesh which is the second fruite of my faith The xciiii Article I beleeue that there shall bee one resurrection which shall bee generall to all the worlde aswell of the good as of the badde which shall bee in the ende of the worlde by the power of Christ and through the ministerie of the angels the which with a great voice of a trumpette shal cal together all the worlde before the Lorde and shall gather together the electe and chosen from the foure windes euen from the highest of the heauens vnto the endes of the earth and deuide the euill from the good and the wicked shall they cast into the fierie fornace where is weeping and gnashing of teeth and then shall the righteous shine as the sunne in the kingdome of their father and shall bee together and bee companions with the Angels of God This is the seconde resurrection and blessed is hee that shall haue part of portion therein for the same shall not be touched with the seconde death The xcv Article I beleeue that this resurrectiō shal be of the flesh not of the spirit that is to say that the spirit or soule of mā shal not rise because it is immortal dieth not But the body which before aswel by the reasō of nature as also because of sinne was subiect vnto death and corruption to rotte and to be brought to ashes shall be raysed vp and shal be coupled with his owne proper soule and spirite and shall bee set in a more perfect estate then that wherein the first man was before hee sinned and shall be clearely exempted from al maner of corruption of sinne and so consequently from all maner of imperfections and shall bee fashioned like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ The xcvi Article I beleeue that I shall rise not in any other mans flesh and body but in myne owne that I brought out of my mothers wombe euen with the self same body and bones that I haue at this present but the same altered and chaunged made of mortall immortall of corruptible incorruptible of vile and contemptible glorious And therefore I doe waite for the comming of my sauiour Iesus Christ the which through his power will change my vile body which was but a cast-away to make it like vnto his owne glorious bodie according to the power whereby he is able to subiect all things to him selfe I beleeue eternall life which is the third and last fruite of my faith The xcvii Article I beleeue that I shal rise as I haue said with all the faithful and elect not to die any more as did they that miraculously were raysed vp from death as well by Christ the Prophets the Apostles and such other but vnto a life that is immortall euerlasting shall endure for euer to raygne eternally with God both in body soule And thereof I am sure and doubt nothing at all knowing that whosoeuer doubteth of his saluation by Christ the same shall not bee saued Wherefore as I am sure and certaine that Christ is dead and risen againe for me and therein do not doubt euen so am I sure and certaine of my saluation wrought by him and that without fayle I shall be saued and by him shall enter into eternall life The xcviii Article I beleeue that then I shal see him face to face whome now I see as thorow the glasse of faith and then shall knowe him perfitly whome now I know but in part who after that he hath destroyed and confounded al his aduersaries and hath made them his footestoole shall make all thinges newe for the glory of those that are his Thē shal he be an whole God in all and ouer al things Then shal none teach his brother saying Knowe the Lord for then all shall knowe him from the greatest vnto the least The xcix Article I beleeue also that as the spirites of the infidels wicked and reprobate after they are departed from their bodies incontinently do goe to hell vnto euerlasting fire their bodies neuerthelesse abiding in the earth corrupting and rotting euen so likewise the soules and spirites of the faithfull and chosen children of God incontinently after they doe depart from their bodies without any tarying are on high in heauen to be in glory with the Lord and there do stil wayte with an earnest desire for the comming and whole redemption of their bodies the which they haue left rotting and corrupting in the earth the which thing they shall obtayne at the last daye and not before Wherefore I refuse the fonde opinion of the Sleepers which affirme that the spirits of the saintes are not yet in heauen but do sleepe in a certaine place vnknowen to vs vntill they shal receiue their bodies at the last day At which day the mysticall body of Christ wholly perfectly and fully must enter into eternall glory The C. Article I beleeue for a conclusion that as the Saintes and the blessed when the iudgement is ended shall goe with Christ triumphantly through the aire in body and soule to dwell euerlastingly in glory with him his Angels euen so the wretched wicked and miserable damned shal go to hell in bodie and soule with the deuil and his angels eternally to dwel and to be tormented with him in the fire of hell which neuer shall be quenched whereas shall be continuall weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth stung to the quicke with the worme that neuer shall dye From the which the Lorde God of his great mercie and grace vouchsafe to preserue and keepe vs. Amen FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Anno 1581. Actes 16. 1. Tim. 2. Potentia Dei Sapientia Dei Bonitas Dei God is knowen three wayes Psal 45. 7. Luk 9. 35. Christs priest hoode Psal 110. 5. Heb. 9. 14. Matth. 16. Luke 19. Psal 22. 1. Matt. 27. 46. Iohn 8. 56. Actes 4. 12. Col. 2. 14. Actes 27. 37. Matth. 28. 6. Gen. 4. 14. Exod. 8.8 and 9. 28. Gen. 27.38 2. Cor. 25. Luke 1. 75. Luke 24. What it is to sit at Gods right hand Iohn 1. 18. and 4. 24. Esaie 11. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Esa 1. Luke 17.