Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	work_n	world_n	write_v	146	3	5.2896	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17218	Looke from Adam, and behold the Protestants faith and religion evidently proued out of the holy Scriptures against all atheists, papists, loose libertines, and carnall gospellers: and that the faith which they professe, hath continued from the beginning of the world, and so is the true and ancient faith. Herein hast thou also a short summe of the whole Bible, and a plaine manifestation, that all holy men who have pleased God, have beene saved through this Christian faith alone.; Alte Glaube. English	Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Coverdale, Miles, 1488-1568.	1624 (1624)	STC 4073; ESTC S108889	66,495	116

Looke from Adam And behold THE PROTESTANTS FAITH AND RELIGION EVIDENTLY PROVED OVT OF the holy Scriptures against all Atheists Papists loose Libertines and Carnall Gospellers and that the Faith which they professe hath continued from the beginning of the world and so is the true and ancient Faith HEREIN HAST THOU ALSO A SHORT SVMME OF THE WHOLE BIBLE and a plaine manifestation that all holy men who have pleased God have beene saved through this Christian Faith alone LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Thomas Pavier and are to be sold at his shop in Ivie Lane 1624. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER HAving divers times observed with my selfe most Christian Reader that the doctrine of the Gospell which hath beene now freely preached these many yeeres amongst us in this our flourishing Common-wealth is yet daily and ordinarily by sundry persons charged with noveltie as which being an upstart were not of sufficient standing or antiquitie I thought it not amisse in this respect either for the confutation of the obstinate adversarie or for the comfort of the weake and simple professour of religion to publish and set forth this little worke of M r. Miles Coverdale who for his integritie of life and fame in learning and other excellent gifts was so renowmed in the Church of Christ in his age that I doubt not but that his onely name will be a sufficient credit with any man that is not maliciously disposed for the full allowance and well-liking of any such monument of his as he of pure zeale and good affection hath commended to us his posteritie By which travels of his as hee hath generally shewed himselfe a notable member in the Church of God so hath he thereby especially well deserved of this his native Countrey Wherefore not willing to detain thee from better matter I wish thee to use this booke to thy profit and with mee to give thanks to our mercifull Father for this valiant Souldier as also for other worthie Martyrs of his time which after the battell by themselves fought have by Gods providence left spirituall children I meane their good bookes to make a supply that Christs Church may bee encreased to the utter confusion and overthrow of Antichrist Farewell in the Lord. Miles Coverdale TO ALL CHRISTIAN Readers wisheth grace mercy and peace from God the Father through our Lord and onely Saviour IESVS CHRIST LIke as the Almighty eternall God three in persons and one in substance of his tender mercy and love not only created man at the beginning after his owne similitude and likenesse but also when he was lost most graciously redeemed him and brought him out of bond age Even so when man neither regarding his wonderfull creation nor his most deare redemption gropeth in darknesse in vice and blindnesse lieth in the Devils prison and goeth in the way of damnation God alway setteth up his light before him sendeth the message of his word unto him sheweth him what case he is in giveth him warning openeth the prison doore calleth him out of the Devils service telleth him what danger it is to be his bondman or servant unto sinne This doth God alway afore he punish and plague the world This I say hath ever beene the worke of God since the beginning as the stories and prophesies of all the holy Bible doe testifie And though we had no writing of Gods acts in times past yet hath he practised this same his wonderfull worke of mercy upon us So that like as we must needs confesse that we are created of God and redeemed by his only mercy in his deare Sonne Iesus Christ So can we not denie but we have heard his holy message had no lesse preachings and warnings of dangers to come than other have had afore our daies Yea even the same mercifull God that sent Noe to preach righteousnesse unto the wicked world and converted the Ninivites by his word in the ministration of the Prophet Ionas hath done even so with us in every condition And some thanks be unto him therefore hath bee brought out of darknesse into his wonderfull light and out of the devils service into the kingdome of his deare Sonne But alas and woe to this unthankfull world For like as a great number that be in prison of Satan will not come forth when they are called and the doore set open but goe on still stumbling in darknesse when the lanterne of light is offered them Even so if any play a wise mans part and doe as he is warned by Gods word hee shall have a sort of apish people a number of dizerds and scornfull mockers which because the man will not dance in the devils morrys with them nor keepe their company in the bondage of sinne and vice neither runne with them unto like confusion as S. Peter calleth it laugh him to scorne and bleare out their tongues at him even like fooles and cockscombs of the world And like as when a poore wretch commeth out of prison he shall have moe to stand gasing and gaping upon him than to doe him good or to helpe him to his fees Even so now that God of his mercy hath called us out of Satans prison and from the schoole of false doctrine my Lords foole with his companions standeth staring upon us and mocketh us because we sit not still with other prisoners There goeth a fellow of the new learning saith one there is one of these new-fangled Gospellers saith another that is one of the new brethren saith the third he followeth the new faith c. Wherefore in consideration hereof I have here set forth this booke partly because it sheweth the antiquitie and ancient age of our holy Christian faith and partly to give occasion unto all such as have received it not to be ashamed of it nor to shrinke from it for any opprobrious mockage or scornfull derision in this world The Apostle saith that the preaching or word of Christs crosse is foolishnesse to them that perish and that the thing which appertaineth to the spirit of God is foolishnesse to a carnall minded man Whereby like as we may learne that it is no new thing to be mocked and stared upon for holding with the doctrine that maketh so much of Christ his death and the true worshipping of God in the spirit even so may we see to the singular comfort of our conscience that no man mocketh us for it but such as perish and are carnally minded and that for all their derision and scorning it is yet the power of God 1 Cor. 1.18 and belongeth to his holy spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 and is not our owne doctrine neither of any other mans making This is now to us a comfort and consolation But because the world is angry with us for our faith and giveth us so euill report for teaching it it shall be expedient for us to declare what faith is and what faith we meane when we make mention thereof First

of his Epistle What would such an holy Apostle say to this wicked world wherein a great number pretending to be Christian men are given so to quarelling and fighting to voluptuousnesse and inordinate lusts to envie and indignation to unlawfull spending and consuming of that they may get to advoutrie to the despising of holy wedlocke to shamefull uncleannesse either not willing to marry or else putting away their wives for light occasions and for satisfying of their owne trifling lusts falling in love with the vaine friendship of this world taking part against God yea whereas by their profession oath and allegiance which they owe to their most high Soveraigne the King of heaven they should in a vertuous conversation maintaine all godlinesse are become even enemies suppressours and overthrowers thereof as well through their obstinate and cruell resisting of Gods word as by other wicked examples of their vicious and filthy living What would holy S. Iames say to such unthankfull bellies that knowing the truth live after such a sort Would he spare them though they were never so rich and wealthie Reade the fourth chapter of his Epistle and the first part of his fifth chapter and yee will judge the contrarie Wherefore most deare Readers whosoever of you hath beene slacke to follow the good life and godly conversation that S. Iames and all the other Scripture beside requireth to be in them which professe the old faith let them take better hold turne againe to the truth and follow that loving exhortation which holy S. Iames maketh in the latter end of his Epistle And if he hath at the first not enclined to Gods word nor received it unfainedly in meekenesse nor submitted himselfe to be ordered thereby and to cast away all uncleannesse c. But hath haply suffered it promoted it set it forth or taken a pretence of favour and love to it for some other purpose to obtaine any carnall profit gaines or libertie by it let him not put holy S. Iames or any other true messenger of God to the paines of rebuking him for so doing let him rather enter into himselfe reprove his owne fault and abuse in that behalfe abhorre it in any wise be angry displeased and discontent with himselfe sorie and repentant for it shame not to aske God mercie and by good workes from hence forward to labour that the glory of God and worship of his truth may be preferred and set up which he by such his unchristian living hath in times past caused to be hindred In conclusion Though there be never so many that recant and deny Gods holy word either in their living and conversation or in their words writing or preaching yet as many of us as are entered into the schoole of that wisdome which is from aboue let us be true scholers of the same and practise it both in our thought word and deed let us even enter into the nature and kinde thereof which as S. Iames saith Iam. 3. is pure peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercie and good fruits without judging and dissimulation Which thing if we doe then shall we follow no filthy doctrine nor counterfeited wisdome then shall we be no breakers of peace then shall we be as glad to forgive as we would be forgiven glad to be reformed rich and plentifull in the workes of mercie and good fruits of the old faith then shall we be no quarrell-pickers or dissemblers with any man Then shall wee not only be found the maintainers of peace and all good order but peaceably also and in all gentle manner shall we both in word and deed sow spread abroad and shew the fruit of that righteousnesse which commeth only of God through Iesus Christ If any of them that are gone of high or low estate pretending to be maintainers favourers setters forth or scholers of Christs doctrine hath in any condition dissembled therewith fallen from God misbehaved himselfe in the affaires of his Prince misgoverned his houshold maintained riot vice and sinne or brought the good word of God into any evill report by his ungodly conversation as I feare me it be too true let us beware by such mens fall Let us not receive the grace of God in vaine For like as they that harden their hearts at Gods word and spurne wilfully against it are sure of their damnation except they repent Even so they that dissemble withall shall finde their judgement Wherefore let us that have received the old true faith of Christ not only be content to abide any storme or trouble for it yea to be mocked scorned persecuted and put to death therefore if it so please God but also unfainedly every man to his power in his heart by fervent prayer in his mouth by good words and in all his bodie by vertuous conversation and good Christian workes helpe and labour that the blessed word of God may have the due honour belonging thereunto and that the same which it hath lost through ungodly behaviour of some may through the grace and goodnesse of God bee wonne againe in our good living That God may have of us better servants our Prince truer subjects and our neighbours more unfained lovers than many have been before us Amen AN EVIDENT DECLARATION OVT of the Holy Scriptures that the Christian faith hath endured since the beginning of the world and that through it only all vertuous men pleased God and were saved CHAP. I. I SVPPOSE plainly that many simple Christian men will not a little wonder at this mine enterprise they are so perswaded and thinke the Christian faith did first beginne under Tiberius the Emperour for as much as out of the Gospell of Luke it is certaine that in the fifteenth yeere of Tiberius Iohn Baptist beganne to preach the Gospell and all histories say with one accord that in the xviij yeare of Tiberius Iesus Christ did suffer Now it is true that all the Prophecies were then first fulfilled and the true salvation performed yea from that time forth were all the glorious treasures of Christ so richly declared and powred out among all people as they never were afore Notwithstanding the same salvation in Christ Iesus was promised long afore and so opened to the holy old Fathers that they have no lesse sight of Christ Iesus in the spirit than we and put their trust in him as well as we though among us it be cleere and open or performed and fulfilled that among them was somewhat darker and therefore looked for with hearts desire as a thing for to come Moreover it is not I that first bring forth this meaning concerning the antiquitie or oldnesse of our Christian faith for the holy Bishop Eusebius Cesariens which lived above eleven hundred yeeres agoe and likewise many other Christian Doctors hath also taught and written the same more cleerely before me For Eusebius in the first booke De Ecclesiastica historia saith plainly All

the head and thou shalt tread him on the heele Which is thus much to say Thou hast used the woman to the destruction of men so that from henceforth they bring death and by kinde and nature are damned when they are borne Therefore will I also use the woman but to salvation for of the woman shall a seed or childe bee borne which shall breake thy head power and kingdome sinne damnation and death howbeit in his manhood he shall be trodden down and bitten That is Man with his transgression hath deserved eternall death so that after the rigour of my justice hee should perish and belong to the Devill for ever neverthelesse I Will have mercie upon him and receive him to grace againe But to the intent that my truth and righteousnesse may be satisfied I will cause my Sonne to take the verie nature of man upon him Then will I that hee take upon himselfe the curse and damnation and die and with his innocent death to take away that noisome death and curse and so to set the generation of man out of death into life out of the dominion of the Devill into his owne kingdome out of darknesse into light Thus the right foundation or ground of our holy faith continueth fast and unmoved in so much as all the generation of man is whole and cleansed from sinne and delivered from the curse from the Devill and everlasting damnation onely through the mercie and meere grace of God by Iesus Christ As touching this Paul said when hee wrote to the Romans in the 8. Chapter God sent his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and through sinne that is to say through the sinne-offering and willing death of Christ he condemned sin in the flesh And in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the first Chapter the same Paul saith Christ Iesus is appointed of God to be our wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that as it is written who so glorieth and rejoyceth let him glorie and rejoyce in the Lord. But for as much as this is the first promise and the first sure Evangelion I will now speake of everie word in especiall First God calleth his Sonne our Lord Iesus the seed of the woman A seed because of the verie nature of man and because that our Lord should not take upon him a fantasticall but a verie true bodie But to these words there is added Of the woman For our Lord was not conceived and borne of mans seed but of the Holy Ghost out of the Virgine Marie Therefore cannot this sentence be understood of Eve but of the Virgine Marie Now whereas she is called a woman it is done because of the kinred For even the daughters also and maidens are reckoned in the womens kinred and yet continue undefiled virgins God also hath spoken here distinctly and said not I will put enmitie betweene thee and this woman but betweene thee and haischah the woman understanding some speciall woman no doubt even such an one as he afterward set forth cleerely by Esay saying Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne c. And this word seed was alway afterward in everie renewing of this promise concerning Christ Iesu among all the Patriarks and Prophets rehearsed used and expressed untill the time of David Of whom the Lord afterward was called a flower the root sprowting or blossome of David The holy Apostle Paul expoundeth this word seed clearely and plainly and saith it is Christ Gal. 3. Moreover it serveth to the praise of the Lords mother that God saith I will put enmitie betweene the woman and thee for he meaneth the difference of both their natures The Devill is proud subtill wicked false and untrue but the mother of Christ is lowly simple vertuous faithfull and upright chaste and cleane And the same pure virgin and gracious mother hath borne unto us him that trod downe the Serpents head The head of the Serpent is the power and kingdome of the Devill even sinne the curse and damnation All this hath that blessed seed broken for his faithfull All which things the holy Apostle Paul also hath taught with these words The Lord is become partaker of our flesh and bloud that he through death might take away the power from him which had the Lordship over death that is to say the Devill and to deliver them which through feare of death were all their life time in bondage For hee tooke not upon him the Angels but the seed of Abraham tooke hee upon him c. And to the same meaning doth this also serve that followeth And thou shalt tread him on the heele The heele is the lowest part in man and here it signifieth the most inferiour thing in Christ even his flesh This hath the old Serpent the Devill persecuted and trodden downe by his members Caiphas Annas Herod and Pontius Pilate For Peter saith Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh The Godhead is impassible and the soule immortall But by this treading downe of the Lord hath God trodden downe the kingdome of the Devill that is to say by his death hath he destroyed death and brought life againe to all them that beleeve Hereof commeth it that Christ saith himselfe Ioh. 12. Now is the judgement of the world now shall the Prince of this world be thrust out And I when I am lift up that is to say crucified from the earth will draw all things to me At the last saith the Lord that he will put enmitie betweene the Serpent and the womans seed This may wee see in the Devill and his members and acts how they are contrarie to Christ and his members and deeds But how strong soever the Serpent is yet shall he be trodden downe through Christ and his faithfull Hereof commeth it that Paul spake so comfortably to the Romans Rom. 16. The God of peace shall shortly tread downe the Devill under your feet And herewithall is the dutie also of the faithfull in Christ shortly comprehended For as touching them that say Is it enough then and is all well when I knowledge that I am a sinner and saved through the blessed seed only To them it is here answered and cleerly given to understand that all they which put their trust in the blessed seed take upon them the kinde of the seed and hate the kinde of the Serpent that is to say sinne and blasphemie and fight alway more and more against the world and the Devill as long as they live yea and occupie themselves most faithfully about that which is Gods will And hereto now serveth it that followeth after For when the Lord had taken away the everlasting death he laid upon man a temporall punishment correction and discipline in the which hee should be exercised as long as hee lived upon earth And upon the woman he laid trouble sorrow and paine when she should beare and bring

him and goe in his footsteps Out of all this is it easie to understand what faith and knowledge Adam had of our Lord Christ namely that he knew in him very Godhead and manhood and that he saw in faith his Passion and Crosse a farre off Moreover that the passion of Christ once done for all breaketh the kingdome of the devill and bringeth life againe to such as faithfully beleeve Secondly that it is to our living an example at the which wee ought to learne patience in adversitie and daily to die from all evill And hereto now serve all doctrines of patience of bearing the crosse of despising the world and mortifying or putting off the old Adam which thing is contained and with many and goodly words handled thorowout the Prophets and Apostles As for Adam and Eve they lacked none of these things though they had not the matter in writing For God spake it all to them himselfe and wrote it in their hearts Moreover our first Elders had no Church rites nor ceremonies save only the bodily offering a representation of the sacrificing of Christ and exercises or tokens of thankfulnesse For how should Cain and Abel else have knowne any thing of sacrifice if they had not received the same at the custome of their father who with his wife Eva the mother of us all was saved by none other worke or merit of man but only through and in the blessed seed our Lord Iesus Christ CHAP. V. That the holy Patriarks also were Christians and saved by Christ SUch faith in Christ Iesus as we now have spoken of did the holy father Adam no doubt teach his children that they also might plant in their children the promise of God his mercy and device concerning the Messias or Saviour that was for to come And truly Abel had such a notable faith in God that the holy Apostle Paul wrote of him after this manner Through faith did Abel offer a greater sacrifice than did Cain and thereby obtained he witnesse that he was righteous For God bare record to his gifts In as much then as it cannot be denied but that all they which are just and righteous be made righteous through the blessed seed And Abel was justified It followeth that he was made righteous through faith in Iesus Christ In that he did sacrifice it is a token and fruit of a heart that was thankfull and feared God It was no such enterprise that he would clense and make himselfe acceptable unto God through that outward sacrifice For certaine it is that no outward oblation purifieth man within But the grace of God granted unto us through Jesus Christ purifieth us aright And the outward sacrifices of the old fathers beside that they were tokens of thankfulnesse praise and magnifying of God as it is said afore were figures of the only perpetuall sacrifice of our Saviour Christ And in this behalfe they were even as much as sacraments of things to come Thus also and in like understanding have our first fathers done sacrifice as hereafter it shall follow more largely Now like as in Abel there is set forth unto us an example of Gods seed and of a regenerate true faithfull Christian man So is Cain a seed of the Serpent a childe of the Devill which despised the inspiration of God and harkened to the deceitfull Serpent And in these two brethren wee may see what God meaned when he said I will put enmitie betweene the seed of the woman and thy seed As though he would say There shall be two manner of people the one shall cleave unto Christ the blessed seed the other shall cleave unto the Devill And these two generations shall in no wise agree but be at variance in faith and religion I will endue my seed that they shall cleave only unto me feare me honour and worship mee seeke all salvation in me through the blessed seed live vertuously honestly and soberly Then shall the Serpent tempt their seed with hypocrisie not to love me nor serve mee aright not to hold of mee as they should not to trust in me but to love the world and to follow the lusts and temptations thereof All this finde wee here in these two brethren in whom beginneth the first difference of true and false beleevers For Abel was simple godly and of a constant faith in God And in as much as he tooke God for his refuge he brought him gifts of his best substance no doubt because he had first given over his soule and all his power unto God at whom alone hee sought all good without any hypocrisie He was also innocent vertuous and friendly and followed not his owne tentations And for this faiths sake did his sacrifice please God but Cains pleased him not for his heart was not right with God he was a dissembler greedie and vnfaithfull person which set his heart and minde upon earthly things alway despising Gods word and following his owne tentation Which thing was evident in this that he having no cause only of a wilfull heart and through the temptation of the serpent murthered his owne brother Whereby hee hath obtained to be the Arch-father of all murtherers which persecute and murther the seed of God that is to say the true beleevers only for their faiths sake Thus became Abel the first martyr and instrument of God and of Christ in the holy Church For these two brethren have set forth before us the whole battell and strife which the world the citie of the devill the children and citizens of the cursed citie wherein the Serpent is head and master and hath the dominion shall make against the citie and citizens in whom Christ is the head unto the end of the world The freemen of the citie of God and of Christ doe cleave only unto God serve him with all their heart build only upon Christ The citizens of the Serpent despise God and yet they boast of God to whom also they offer and doe service but not as they ought to doe Now when they perceive that their faith is not right and that their hypocrisie is espied and misliked then fall they to murthering to the which God is an enemie and forbiddeth it with his word For Cain also exhorted hee from his purpose and said Thou needest not to arme thee because of thy brother for thou hast none occasion to be angrie with him For if thou doest right thou shalt finde it and have joy thereof but if thou dost not right then is thy misfortune sinne and trespasse open and thou shalt shame and destroy thy selfe Thy brother goeth on without fault he shall doe thee no hurt nor harme he shall also not be Lord over thee nor minish thy right Yea he shall have respect unto thee and thou shalt have dominion over him and so keepe thy birth-right and still remaine the first borne although his sacrifice be acceptable unto mee and not thine Cease therefore

did the Lord not eat the meat that hee might have eaten but fasted fortie daies and fortie nights Afterward came hee among the people and began to preach salvation saying The time is fulfilled and the kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeve the Gospell Herewith hath he healed all sores driven out Devils and raised up the dead testifying so by his acts that he is Lord of all things and the true Saviour And of them whom hee healeth asketh he nothing hee commandeth them not to build him a Temple neither to give him blocke or stocke hee requireth no bodily thing but onely stedfast faith and confidence And to them whom hee hath healed hee saith Goe thy way and sinne no more take heed that a worse thing happen not unto thee And herewithall doth hee teach in what thing the substance of true Religion lieth even in a right true faith and in an innocent life that in all our conversation wee keepe our selves from all filthinesse Yea the thing that some man taketh for Gods service refuseth hee as long babling prayers vaine-glorious fasting and like almes giving Hee nothing regardeth mens traditions diversities of sects long garments outward appearance their cleansing nor all their hypocrisie He goeth into the Temple overthroweth casteth downe powreth out every thing that is to bee sold in the Temple he driveth the buyers and sellers out of the Temple with a whip For the Temple was ordained for generall prayer thanksgiving and preaching and not for chopping and changing or other such like things These three points doth hee teach vs diligently to observe First that wee obtaine remission of sinnes true righteousnesse and everlasting life onely through him and by his Passion and death and else by none other meane For hee is the onely Mediatour Priest Intercessour Comforter the onely Righteousnesse Satisfaction Ransome Sanctifying the onely perpetuall Sacrifice the Suretie of grace and salvation Speciall testimonies hereof hast thou Iohn 3.6.14 and 16. Secondly that wee cannot serve and please God with exteriour sacrifices or any outward pompe but with such workes as proceed of love and mercie And thirdly that all the children of God are bound to keepe themselves from the workes of darknesse and to apply them to live in righteousnesse and in the light And herein also is comprehended all godlinesse that is all right good Christian workes So when hee had taught all righteousnesse and disclosed and overthrowen all hypocrisie in religion he offered up himselfe upon the crosse for the remission of all our sinnes For willingly and patiently put he himselfe into the hands of his enemies and of his betrayer suffered himselfe to be taken to be bound to be led from one Iudge to another to be laughed to scorne cried out upon to be spitted on and at the last to be adjudged unto death to be scourged and to be crowned with a crowne of thorne Hee himselfe bare his owne crosse to the place of execution where hee was crucified and hanged up betweene two murtherers Then lived hee in great paine from the sixth houre untill the ninth At the last he cried It is finished Father into thy hands commend I my spirit thus offered he himselfe for our sinnes and died that wee might live But soone after followed the things whereby the fruit of Christs passion might bee perceived For the vaile which in the Temple separated the holy from the most holy did rent from the top to the bottome whereby Christ testified that now with his death all ceremonies and figurative things were at an end and no more of value that the way to eternall salvation was opened that all things significative in the Tabernacle in sacrifices rites and observances were now fulfilled and abrogate that now the bare and onely crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ is altogether unto the faithfull that the heele of the Virgins seed is well trodden upon and his flesh well rent and slaine but that yet also in the meane season he hath trodden the serpent upon the head Therefore did the dead also arise and appeared vnto certaine at Hierusalem For the death of Christ is our life The earth quaked the stones burst asunder For the preaching of the death of the Sonne of God hath altered the whole world and many hard stonie hearts are moved to repentance faith and good works But when the side of the dead bodie of Christ was opened with the speare and the rocke as Zacharie saith was digged up there ran out water and bloud declaring manifestly thereby that unto us out of the death of Christ followeth life and purifying For water cleanseth in the bloud is the life of man And with the bloud of Christ is all bloud stanched and now is Christs bloud only available being sprinkled through faith in our hearts This oblation and passion of Christ the ransome for the sinne of the whole world was done in the 18. yeere of the Empire of Tiberius reckoning from the beginning of the world 4007. yeeres the 25. day of March. So the whole bodie of Iesus was taken downe from the crosse and honourably buried and on the third day after hee rose up againe so that his soule came againe to the bodie and his verie flesh was raised up from death howbeit now no more mortall and passible but glorified For hee is the first in the resurrection of the dead For like as by one man came death so by one man must come the resurrect on of the dead And like as in Adam wee all died in bodie and soule so shall wee be all together restored againe to life in Christ Iesus This hope unto life would the Lord print substantially in us with the resurrection And therefore after his resurrection hee continued fortie dayes with his Disciples that hee might well instruct them of his resurrection and that they should haue no doubt therein So when he had shewed and declared unto them his verie resurrection divers wayes and had performed al that the Father commanded him to finish hee ascended up unto heaven with bodie and soule from mount Olivet in the sight of his Disciples and is set at the right hand of God there to remaine corporally untill the last day in the which hee shall come againe bodily to judge the quicke and dead And all such as have walked in faith shall he take to him with bodie and soule into heaven like as hee himselfe is received into heaven And shall with bodie and soule condemne all them that have walked in the way of the old serpent and have no● converted from unrighteousnesse to the righteousnesse in Christ And thus shall salvation bee perfectly finished and Gods children shall live eternally with God through Iesus Christ To whom be praise for ever Amen CHAP. XI That also the elect Apostles preached this old faith and declared that all salvation is onely in Christ THus through Christ Iesus is all fulfilled that the

that he giveth unto us himselfe and all his riches cleanseth us feedeth and moystureth our soules with his flesh and bloud that he is at one with us and wee with him so that wee use and practise the Sacraments with a true faith For the outward enjoying of the Sacraments of it selfe alone doth not reconcile us with God but if they bee used with faith then as S. Peter saith Acts 15. through faith doth God purifie the hearts With the Sacraments pleased it him to leave behinde him a remembrance of his gifts and benefits to the intent that wee should never forget them but praise and thanke him therfore Moreover with visible Sacraments was it his will to gather us together and to marke us in his Church and people and to put us in remembrance of our dutie how we are one bodie together and ought to apply our selves to all righteousn●sse All which things are found at length in the Scriptures of the Apostles As for the Apostles they ministred the Sacraments diligently purely and simply and so without any addition distributed them unto the people of God Touching Baptisme there are many examples in the Acts of the Apostles The Supper of Iesus Christ had the Corinthians somewhat altered And when Paul pointed them againe to the true ordinance and right use he taketh the simple words and institution of Iesus Christ without any more addition and layeth those before them commandeth them to follow the same and holdeth him therewith well content 1 Cor. 11. And thus did the holy Apostles gather together all the Heathen people through the preaching of the Gospell and ministration of the Sacraments in the Church whose head is Christ in whom they are builded and preserved Moreover they did not load them sore with any ceremonies For in the Acts of the Apostles the second chapter where as a perfect shape of a right Christian Congregation is described wee have first the sending of the Apostles among whom Peter did first preach the Gospell that is to say repentance and forgivenesse of sins in Christ Iesus Then baptized hee them that were become the people of God Afterward followeth it that they which were become Christians continued in the doctrine of the Apostles in prayer in breaking of the bread in the fellowship Here are the right substantial points of the Christian Church sufficiently expressed the doctrine of amendment of life and remission of sinnes Baptisme the continuing and increasing in Christs doctrine prayer the holy Supper of the Lord and the fellowship that is love kindnesse and workes of mercie Now whereas Acts 15. it is ordained that the Heathen should eat no blood nor strangled it endured but for a time their meaning was thereby to avoid offending of the weake Otherwise have the Apostles everie where especially Paul verie earnestly exhorted men to continue by the doctrine that was shewed and delivered them and to be at a point in themselves to avoid such learning as was new and brought up by men because they lead men farre from the truth as we finde Col. 2.6 Philip. 3.15 1 Tim 4.6 and 6.2 and Tit. 1.9 And thus it is manifest that the Apostles taught all nations no new nor strange thing but even the same that they had received of the Lord. CHAP. XII A conclusion that this faith is the right true old faith which alway shall stand sure THis holy undefiled faith which the Lord planted and set up in all nations by the Apostles immediatly after the Apostles decease was sore attempted by sundry uncleane persons which brought up false customes and misbeleefes and made perillous sects Beside this also was it sore persecuted with the sword of tyrants But in all such dangers the truth overcame and had the victory For though the citizens of the devils citie according to the disposition of their Patriarke Cain did murder and although false Prophets brought up evill counsell yet the citie of God triumpheth and the bloud of innocent Abel and his brethren speaketh yet But after that the persecution was somewhat ceased and the persecutors sore and horribly punished for their bloudshedding the heresies also being well brought downe by faithfull shepherds in the same rest also was our holy faith not a little hurt For rest put away feare brought idle felicitie voluptuousnesse and fleshly seeking of riches and dominion and so through covetousnesse and ambition there was powred great poyson into the Church whereby religion sore decaied For while the Ministers of the word laboured more after riches than to performe their of●●ce and charge and to edifie the Church they were pleased with superstitiousnesse in stead of true religion Of this then followed it farther that the singlenesse of faith was forgotten new lawes made the old rites and customes either perverted or else utterly overthrowne and abused whereby men came farre from the doctrine and Christian ceremonies from the way of truth into errour foolishly and partly into ceremonies of idolatry Hereof commeth it that we have now the abomination of the Popes power of Pardons of Masses for the dead and quicke of merits power and intercession of Saints in heaven of worshipping their bones upon earth of Idols and vaine ornaments pompe and pride of the Church of hired singing and praying in the Temple and of the whole swarme of idle religions All which things with other moe like fondnesse are nothing but new alterations pervertings and contrary to all old ordinances having no ground in Gods word and are cleane against God though many hardnecked people are yet in a fury and brawle for such things and will make all the world beleeve that this their foolishnesse alteration and perverting of Gods ordinance is the old faith And yet wote they or will not know that their babling hath very little ground and that they if they considered the matter as it is are very naked and miserable And though this papisticall religion hath endured prevailed and triumphed now certaine hundred yeares yet hath God alway sent his faithfull servants and had a little holy flocke of his owne like as afore-time in the dayes of the iudges of the Kings of Iuda and Israel and in the captivity of Babylon though it was almost at the worst afore and at the comming of Christ Like as it is also with us the nigher the second comming of Christ the worse it is in the world Neverthelesse as I said afore God alway set forth his word and doth yet Contrarywise the Pope with his multitude and Mahumet with his as it seemeth and becommeth very Antichrists have hitherto undertaken to suppresse the old religion and to set up his owne ordinance unknowne to our fathers of old time to bring it into possession and under the name of God and his holy Church to spread it upon all Christendome For out of the acts and statutes of the Pope and his wanton spiritualty and out of the lawes of