Life euerlasting 532 THE RESOLVTION OF THE CREEDE 〈◊〉 One of the Actions of faith which are To beleeve in God which hath three partes I. To beleeue God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his worde II. To acknowledge him in particular to be my God III. To put my confidence in him To beleeve a thing and this action hath two partes I. To acknowledge the thing II. To apply the thing to my selfe as to beleeue the Church is to acknowledge the Church that I am a member of it The second the Object which is God distinguished into 3. person I. The first is described by his I. Name Father II. Attribute Almightie III. Worke Creatour of heaven and earth II. The second is described by his I. Titles which are foure I. Iesus II. Christ. III. His Sonne IIII. Our Lord. II. Incarnation it hath 2. parts The conception where coÌ„sider the partes The personn all vnion The sanctification of that masse or lumpe wherof the body of Christ was framed The cause efficient the Hâ—ghâ—st The byrth where is meÌ„tioned the mother of Christ described by her Name Mary Qualitie a virgine III. Estate afterward of Humiliation set downe Generally in these wordes Suffered vnder c. where is noted the time of his suffering when P. Pilat was president of Iurie By partes which are 4. I. His crucifying II. His death III. His buriall IIII. His descending into hell Exaltation hauing 3. parts I. His resurrection II. His ascension III. His sitting at his fathers right hand it is set forth by the Place Heaven The effect his coÌ„ming to iudgement III. The third person described by his name Holy Ghost infolding his office The Church described by his Qualities Holy Catholicke Prerogatiues which are 4. I. Communion of saintes II. Forgivenesse of sinnes III. Resurection of the body IV. Life everlasting AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREEDE I beleeue in God c. NO man iustly can be offended at this that I begin to treate of the doctrine of faith without a text though some be of minde that in Catechising the minister is to proceed as in the ordinarie course of preaching only by handling a set portion of scripture therfore that the handling of the Creed being no scripture is not convenient Indeed I graunt that other course to be commendable yet I doubt not but in Catechising the minister hath his libertie to follow or not to follow a certaine text of scripture as we doe in the usuall course of preaching My reason is taken from the practise of the Primitive Church whose Catechisme as the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes sheweth was contained in sixe principles or grounds of religion which were not taken out of any set text in the olde Testament but rather was a forme of teaching gathered out of the most cleare places thereof Hence I reason thus That which in this point was the use and maner of the Primitiue Church is lawfull to be used of vs now but in the Primitiue Church it was the maner to Catechize without handling any set text of scripture and therefore the ministers of the Gospell at this time may with like libertie doe the same so be it they doe confirme the doctrine which they teach with places of scripture afterwarde Now to come to the Creed let vs begin with the name or title thereof That which in English we call the Apostles Creed in other tongues is called Symbolum that is a shot or a badge It is called a shot because as in a feast or banket euery man payeth his part which being all gathered the whole which we call the shot amounteth and so out of the seuerall writings of the Apostles ariseth this Creed or briefe coÌ„fession of faith It is a badge because as a soldier in the field by his badge livery is knowen of what band he is to what captain he doth belong eueÌ„ so by this beleefe a ChristiaÌ„ maÌ„ may be distinguished known froÌ„ all Iewes Turkes Atheists all false professors for this cause it is called a badge Againe it is called the Creed of the Apostles not because they were the penners of it conferring to it besides the matter the very stile frame of words as we haue them now set downe Reason I. there are in this Creed certaine words and phrases which are not to be found in the writings of the Apostles and namely these He descended into hell the Catholike Church The latter wherof no doubt first began to be in use when after the Apostles daies the Church was dispersed into all quarters of the earth II. Secondly if both matter and wordes had bene from the Apostles why is not the Creed Canonicall scripture as well as any other of their writings III. The Apostles had a summarie collection of the points of Christian religion which they taught and also deliuered to others to teach by consisting of two heades faith and love as may appeare by Pauls exhortation to Timothie wishing him to keepe the patterne of holesome words which he had heard of him in faith and love which is in Christ Iesus Now the Creede consists not of two heads but of one namely of faith only and not of loue also VVherefore I rather thinke that it is called the Apostles Creede because it doth summarily conteine the chiefe and principall pointes of religion handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles and because the pointes of the Creed are conformable and agreeable to their doctrine and writings And thus much of the Title Now let vs heare what the Creed is It is a summe of things to be beleeued concerning God and concerning the Church gathered foorth of the scriptures For the opening of this description First I say it is a summe of things to be beleeued or an abridgement It hath bene the practise of teachers both in the new and old Testament to abridge and contract summarily the religion of their time This the Prophets used For when they had made their Sermons to the people they did abridge them and penned them briefly setting them in some open place that all the people might reade the same So the Lorde bad Habakuk to write the vision which he saw and to make it plaine upon tables that he may runne that readeth it And in the new Testament the Apostles did abridge those doctrines which otherwise they did handle at large as may appeare in the place of Timothy afore named Now the reason why both in the old new Testament the doctrine of religion was abridged is that the understanding of the simple as also their memory might be hereby helped they better inabled to iudge of the truth to discerne the same froÌ„ falshood And for this end the Apostles Creed being a summary collectioÌ„ of things to be beleeued was gathered briefly out of the word of god for the helping of memory understanding of men I adde that this
Creede is concerning God and the church For in these two points consisteth the whole summe therof Lastly I say that it is gathered forth of the scripture to make a difference betweene it other writings and to shew the authoritie of it There be two kind of writings in which the doctrine of the church is handled they are either divine or Ecclesiasticall Diuine are the bookes of the old new Testament penned either by Prophets or Apostles And these are not only the pure word of God but also the scripture of god because not only the matter of them but the whole disposition thereof with the stile the phrase was set down by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost And the authoritie of these bookes is diuine that is absolute and soveraigne they are of sufficieÌ„t credit in and by theÌ„selves needing not the â—estimony of any creature not subiect to the ceÌ„sure either of meÌ„ or angels binding the coÌ„scieÌ„ces of all meÌ„ at all times being the only fouÌ„datioÌ„ of faith the rule canoÌ„ of all truth Ecclesiasticall writings are all other ordinary writings of the church consenting with scriptures These may be called the word or truth of God so far forth as their matter or substance is consenting with the written worde of God but they cannot be called the scripture of God because the stile and phrase of them was set downe according to the pleasure of man And therfore they are in such sort the word of god as that also they are the word of men And their authoritie in defining of trueth falshood in matters of religion is not soveraigne but subordinate to the former and it doth not stand in the authority pleasures of men councels but in the consent which they haue with the scriptures Ecclesiasticall writings are either generall particular or proper Generall are the Creedes and confessions of the Church dispersed over the whole world and among the rest the Creed of the Apostles made either by the Apostles themselues or by their hearers disciples apostolical men delivered to the Church conveyed from hand to hand to our times Particular writings are the confessions of particular Churches Proper writings are the books confessions of private men Now betweene these we must make difference For the Generall Creede of the Apostles other universall Creeds in this case not excepted though it be of lesse authoritie then Scripture yet hath it more authoritie then the particular and priuate writings of Churches and men For it hath bene received and approved by universall consent of the Catholike Church in all ages and so were neuer these in it the meaning and doctrine can not be changed by the authoritie of the whole Catholicke Church and if either the order of the doctrine or the wordes whereby it is expressed should upon some occasion be changed a particular Church of any cuntry can not doe it without Catholike consent of the whole Church yet particular writings coÌ„fessions made by some speciall Churches may be altered in the words in the points of doctrine by the same Churches without offence to the Catholicke Church Lastly it is receiued as a rule of faith amoÌ„g all churches to try doctrines interpretations of scriptures by not because it is a rule of it selfe for that the scripture is alone but because it boroweth his authority from scripture with which it agreeth And this honour no other writings of men can haue Here some may demaund the number of Creeds Answ. I say but one Creede as there is but one faith and if it be alledged that we have many Creedes as besides this of the Apostles the Nicene Creede and Athanasius Creede c. I answer the severall Creedes and confessions of Churches containe not seuerall faithes and religions but one and the same and this called the Apostles Creed is most ancient principall all the rest are not new Creedes in substance but in some points penned more largely for the exposition of it that men might better avoid the heresies of their times Futther it may be demaunded in what forme this Creed was penned Answ. In the forme of an answer to a question The reason is this In the Primitiue Church when any man was turned from Gentilisme to the faith of Christ and was to be baptised this question was asked him What beleeuest thou then he answered according to the forme of the Creede I beleeve in God c. And this manner of questioning was used euen from the time of the Apostles When the Eunuch was converted by Philip he said What doth let me to be baptised Philip said If thou doest beleeve with all thine heart thou maiest Then he answered I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God By this it appeares that although all men for the most part amongst vs can say this Creede yet not one of a thousand can tell the ancient and first use of it for commonly at this day of the simpler sort it is said for a prayer being indeede no prayer and when it is used so men make it no better then a charme Before vve come to handle the particular pointes of the Creed it is very requisite that we should make an entrance thereto by describing the nature properties and kindes of faith the confession and ground whereof is set foorth in the Creede Faith therefore is a gift of God whereby we giue assent or credence to Gods word For there is a necessarie relatioÌ„ between faith gods word The coÌ„mon property of faith is noted by the authour of the Hebrews when he saith Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the demonstration of things that are not seene For all this may be understoode not onely of iustifying faith but also of temporarie faith and the faith of miracles Where faith is said to be a ground the meaning is that though there are many things promised by God which men do not presently enioy but only hope for because as yet they are not yet faith doeth after a sort giue subsisting or being vnto them Secondly it is an euidence or demonstration c. that is by beleeuing a maÌ„ doth make a thing as it were visible being otherwise invisible abseÌ„t Faith is of two sorts either common faith or the faith of the elect as Paul saith he is an Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect which also is called faith without hypocrisie The common faith is that which both elect and reprobate haue and it is threefold I. is historicall faith which is when a man doth beleeve the outward letter and historie of the word It hath two partes knowledge of Gods worde and an assent to the same knowledge it is to be found in the deuill and his angels So S. Iames saith the devils beleeve and tremble Some will say what a faith haue they Answ. Such as thereby they understand both the Law and
Caesar in Iudea Where we must obserue the wonderful prouidence of God in that not onely the Iewes but the Gentiles also had a stroake in the arraignement of Christ that that might be true which the Apostle saith God shut vp all vnder sinne that he might haue mercie vpon all The fourth point is the matter of their accusation they accuse our Sauiour Christ of 3. things I. that he seduced the people II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he said he was a King Let vs well consider these accusations especially the two last because they are flat contrarie both to Christs preaching and to his practise For when the people would haue made him a King after hee had wrought the myracle of the fiue loaues and two fishes the text saith he departed from among them vnto a mountaine himselfe alone Secondly when tribute was demaunded of him for Caesar though he were the kings sonne and therefore was freed yet saith he to Peter least wee should offende theÌ„ go to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence that take and giue vnto them for thee and me And when he was called to be a iudge to deuide the inheritance betweene two brethren he refused to doe it saying Who made me a iudge betweene you Therefore in these two things they did most falsely accuse him Whereby wee learne that nothing is so false and vntrue but the slaunderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent the tongues of the slaunderers are sharpe swords venemous arrows to wound their enemies their throats are open sepulchers the poyson of aspes is vnder their lipps If a man speake gracious words his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit but as Saint Iames saith the tongue of the wicked is fire yea a worlde of wickednes and it is set on fire with the fire of hell therefore let this example be a caveat for vs all to teach vs to take heede of slandering for the deuill then speakes by vs and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell The fifth point is the manner of their accusation which is diligently to be marked for they doe not onely charge him with a wonderfull vntruth but they beseech Pilate to put him to death crying Crucifie him Crucifie him in so much that Pontius Pilate was afraid of them where wee may see how these shameles Iewes goe beyond their compasse and the bounds of all accusers whose dutie is to testifie onely what they know Now in the matter of this their accusation appeares their wonderfull inconstancie For a little before when Christ came to Ierusalem riding vpon an asse shewing some signes of his kingly authoritie they cut downe braunches from the trees and strawed them in the way crying Hosanna Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord but nowe they sing an other song and in stead of Hosanna they cry Crucifie him Crucifie him And the like inconstancie is to be found in the people of these our times They vse to receiue any religion that is offered vnto them for in the daies of King Edward the sixth the people of England receiued the Gospell of Christ but shortly after in Queene Maries time the same people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the Church of Rome And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospell by our gracious Prince the same people turned from poperie and imbraced the true religion againe And thus with the Iewes one while they cry Hosanna to Christ receiue his Gospell and shortly after they cry Crucifie him Crucifie him by imbracing idolatrous poperie Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God by the ficklenes of the Iewes that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space to acknowledge our inconstancie and weakenesse in the matter of religion whereby if God leaue vs but a little to our selues wee shall straight way forsake Christ his Gospell and all Thus much of the accusation Now followeth Christs examination before Pontius Pilate for when the Iewes had thus falsely accused him then Pontius Pilate tooke him and brought him into the common hall and asked him this question Art thou a King Nowe Christ beeing thus examined made as Paul also testifieth a good confession The summe thereof stands in foure heads The first is that he confesseth himselfe to be a King not such an one as they accused him to be yet a true King Whence we may learne diuers instructions First that euery Christian man in the midst of his misery afflictioÌ„ hath one that is most sufficieÌ„t euery way to defend him against all his enemies the world the flesh the deuill For this king can doe whatsoeuer he will therfore when the legion of deuils would enter into a herd of swine they could not without his leaue And when the Centurions daughter was dead he but spake the word and she arose And when Lazarus was dead and had liâ—n in the graue foure daies he but said Lazarus come forth he came forth bound hand and foote Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word nothing can resist his power And therefore he that is a true member of Christ needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great or so many And againe as Christ is able so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects which no king will doe and shedde his bloud for their redemption which hee would neuer haue done if he had not desired their saluation Secondly when as Christ is a mightie king which can doe whatsoeuer he wil let al such amoÌ„g vs that haue hitherto liued in ignoraÌ„ce by reason of ignoraÌ„ce liue in their sinnes at length begin to come vnto him do him homage with peniteÌ„t hearts fal down before him otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions let them know whosoeuer they be high or low that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces their soules shall smart for it as both Pilate Caiphas the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded for crucifying the Lord of life And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies be sure at the houre of death he wil breake thee in pieces like a potters vessel This must wee learne in regarde of the first point that hee saide plainly He was a King Now follows the second part of his confession namely that his kingdome was not of this worlde Where hee sets downe what kinde of king he is he is no earthly king his kingdome standes not in the power of men nor in earthly and outwarde gouernement but his kingdome
but if God leaue vs to our selues we shal not onely betray him but by our sinnes euen crucifie him a thousand waies Furthermore let vs bethinke our selues of this whether there be not alreadie condemned in hel who in their liues were not more grieuous offendours then we Esay calleth the people of his time a people of Sodom Gomorrha giuing the Iewes then liuing to vnderstād that they were as bad as the Sodomites as the people of Gomorrha on whome the Lord had shewed his iudgements long before If this be true then let vs with feare and trembling be thākful to his maiestie that he hath preserued vs hitherto frō deserued dānation The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold First seeing God hath elected some to saluation and hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy worde whereby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election we must therefore as Saint Paul counselleth vs giue all diligence to make our election sure In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of lands and goods to themselues and their posteritie what a shame is it then for vs that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God which is more worth then all the world beside and if we shall continue to be slacke herein the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be billes of accusation against vs at the day of iudgement to condemne vs. Secondly by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation he hath also appointed to liue in newnes of life as Saint Paul saith God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him And againe We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them And God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and faith of the truth The Elect are vessells of honour and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect must carrie themselues as vessells of honour For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be euen to the seruice of the deuill The sunne was ordained to shine in the day and the moone in the night and that order they keepe yea euery creature in his kind obserueth the course appointed vnto it by creation as the grasse to grow and trees to bring forth fruit now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world that we are indeede chosen to saluation we must be plentifull in all good works make conscience of euery euill way and to doe otherwise is as much as to chaunge the order of nature and as if the sunne should cease to shine by day and the moone by night Thirdly when God shall send vpon any of vs in this world crosses and afflictions either in bodie or in minde or any way else as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares and iudgement must begin at Gods house we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of mind For whome God knew before them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto his sonne But wherein is this likenes Paul saith in the fellowship of his afflictions and in a conformitie to his death And the consideration of this that afflictions were ordained for vs in the eternal predestination of God must comfort our hearts and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnder the burden of them Hence againe we learne that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie are farre deceiued For Saint Paul saith God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them Which beeing so then no man by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the loue of God Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vpon the bare 〈◊〉 and they which are pampered with the wealth of this worlde sooner forsake God and therefore are sooner forsaken of God then others Salomon saith No man knoweth loue or hatred that is by outward things for all things come alike to all the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust to the wicked and good to the pure and polluted Lastly it may be an offence vnto vs when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne or else despised and persecuted of the whole world but we must stay our selues with this consideration that nothing comes to passe by chance that God knowes who are his and that there must be some in the world on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice Againe Ministers of the Gospell may be discouraged when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours the people whome they teach remaining as blinde impenitent and vnreformed as euer they were But they must also consider that it is the purpose of God to chose some to saluation and to refuse others and that of the first some are called sooner some later and that the second being left to themselues neuer come to repentance To this Paul had regard when he saide If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish And againe We are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish Hitherto I haue deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion which also is the doctrine of the Church of England now it followeth that wee should consider the falshoode Sundrie Divines haue deuised and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination the effect and substance whereof is this The nature of God say they is infinite loue goodnes and mercie it selfe and therefore he propoundes vnto himselfe an ende answearable thereunto and that is the communication of his loue and goodnes vnto all his creatures Now for the accomplishing of this supreame absolute ende he did foure things First he decreed to create man righteous in his own image secondly he foresaw the fall of man after his creatiō yet so as he neither willed nor decreed it thirdly he decreed the vniuersall Redemption of all euery man effectually by Christ so be it they wil beleeue in him fourthly he decreed to call all euery man effectually so as if they will they may be saued This being done he in his eternall counsell foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ did thereupon Elect them
AN EXPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR CREED OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO THE TENOVR OF the Scriptures and the consent of Orthodoxe Fathers of the Church By William Perkins They are good Catholickes which are of sound faith and good life August lib. quaest in Matth. cap. 11. Printed by Iohn Legatt Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1595. And are to be solde at the signe of the Sunne in Pauls Church-yard in London TO THE RIGHT honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace c. RIght Honourable excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus To the pure all things are pure but to the impure and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled In which wordes he determines three questions The first whether things ordained and made by God may become vncleane or no his answeare is that they may his meaning must be conceiued with a distinction By nature things ordained of God are not vncleane for Moses in Genesis saith that God sawe all things which he had made they were very good yet they may become vnclean either by law or by the fault of men By law as when God forbids vs the things which in themselues are good without whose commaundement they are as pure as things not forbidden Thus for the time of the old Testament God forbad the Iewes the vse of certain creatures not because they were indeed worse then the rest but because it was his pleasure vpon speciall cause to restraine them that hee might put a difference betweene his owne people and the rest of the world that he might exercise their obedience and aduertise them of the inward impuritie of minde Now this legal impuritie was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are vncleane when they are abused and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained The second question is to whome things ordained of God are pure he answeres to the pure that is to them whose persons stand iustified sanctified before God in Christ in whome they beleeue who also doe vse Gods blessings in holy manner to his glorie and the good of men The third question is who they are to whome all things are vncleane his answeare is to the vncleane by whom he vnderstands all such I. whose persons displease God because they doe not indeede beleeue in Christ II. who vse not the gifts of God in holy manner sanctifying them by the word and praier III. who abuse them to badde endes as to riot pride and oppression of men c. Nowe that to such the vse of all the creatures of God is vncleane it is manifest because all their actions are sinnes in that they are not done of faith and a mans person must first please God in Christ before his action or worke done can please him Againe they vse the blessings creatures of God with euill conscience because so long as they are forth of Christ they are but vsurpers therof before God For in the fall of the first Adam we lost the title and interest to all good things and though God permit the vse of many of them to wicked men yet is not the former title recouered but in Christ the second Adam in whom we are aduanced to a better estate then we had by creation Hence it followes necessarily that to omit all other things Nobilitie though it be a blessing and ordinance of God in it selfe is but an vncleane thing if the inioyers thereof be not truly ingrafted into Christ and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The blood vnstained before men is stained blood before God by the fall of Adā if it be not restored by the blood of Christ the lambe of God And hence it followes againe that Nobilitie must not dwell solitarie but combine her selfe in perpetuall fellowship with heartie loue syncere obediēce of pure sound religion without the which all pleasant pastimes all sumptuousnes of building all brauerie in apparell all glistering in gold all delicate fare all delightfull musicke all reuerence done with cap and knee all earthly pleasures and delights that heart can wish are but as a vanishing shadow or like the mirth that begins in laughing ends in woe A happy thing were it if this consideration might take place in the hearts of all noble men it would make them honour God that they might be honoured of God with euerlasting honour and it would make them kisse the sonne least he be angrie and they perish in the way I speake not this as though I doubted of your Lordships care in this very point but mine onely meaning is to put you in minde that as you haue begun to cleane vnto Christ with full purpose of heart so you would continue to doe it still and doe it more and withall to manifest the same to the whole world by honouring Christ with your owne honour and by resembling him specially in one thing in that as he grew in stature and yeares he also grew in grace and fauour with God and men And for this very cause without any consideration of earthly respects I further present vnto you an Exposition of an other part of the Catechisme namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion taught by the Apostles imbraced by the ancient fathers sealed by the blood of Martyrs vsed by Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to end the controuersies of his time and hereupon it hath bin called the rule of faith the kaie of faith And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse I take my leaue commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie Ann. 1595. April 2. Your Lordships to command William Perkins The Contents of the booke The Creede pag. 1. Faith 3. God 19 The three persons 25 The Father 31 Gods omnipotencie 43 The Creation 52. 58 Gods counsell 54 The creation of heauen 68 The creation of Angels 73 The creation of man 81 Gods prouidence 91 Adams fall 106 The couenant of grace 118 The title Iesus 122 The title Christ. 129 The title Sonne 136 The title Lord. 145 The Incarnation of Christ. 148 Christs humiliation 174 Christes passion 176 Christes arraignment 182 Christes execution 226 Christes Sacrifice 260 Christes triumph 270 Christes buriall 287 The descension of Christ. 297 Christs exaltation 305 Christes Resurrection 307 Christes ascension 333 Christs sitting at the right hand c. 351 363 Christes intercession 355 Christes kingdome 367 The last judgement 372 Of the holy Ghost 397 The Church 420 Predestination 423 The mysticall vnion 477 The communion of Saints 506 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 516 The resurrection of the bodie 521
some may say wherein standes our vnbeleefe Answer It standes in two thinges I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God that is in giuing to little or no affiance to him or in putting affiance in the creature For the first fewe men will abide to be told of there distrust in God but in deede it is a common and rife corruption and though they soothe themselues neuer so yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe Goe thorough all places it shall be founde that scarce one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing VVhat is the cause that they can doe so Alas alas if there be any faith it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lorde of the house Againe if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to he could finde in his heart to wish for an other and if he had two worldes he would be casting for the thirde if it might be compassed the cause hereof is men haue not learned to make God their portion and to stay their affections on him which if they could doe a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough Such men will not yeilde that they doe indeede distrust the Lord vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience vvith a sense of their sinnes and be thoroughly humbled for the same but indeede distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother sinne the ground of all other sinnes and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall And for the second part of vnbeleefe which is an affiance in the creature reade the whole booke of God and we shall finde it a common sinne in all sorts of men some putting their trust in riches some in strength some in pleasures some placing their felicitie in one sinne some in an other VVhen King Asa was sicke he put his trust in the Phisitians and not in the Lorde And in our daies the common practise is when crosses and calamities fall then there is trotting out to that wise man to this cunning woman to this sorcerer to that wisard that is from God to the deuill and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe and confidence in vaine creatures let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will In a worde there is no man in the worlde be hee called or not called if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe hee shall finde his heart almost filled with manifolde doubtings and distrustings whereby hee shall feele him selfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God Therefore the duetie of euery man is that vvill truely say that hee beleeues in God to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe nor feele none more pitifull is their case For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe Secondly considering that wee professe our selues to beleeue in God wee must euery one of vs learne to knowe God As Paul saith Hovv can they beleeue in him of vvhome they have not heard and hovve can they heare vvithout a preacher therefore none can beleeue in God but hee must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright Let this be remembred of young and olde It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a prayer that will make a man a good beleeuer but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as hee hath reuealed him selfe partly in his worde and partly in his creatures Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stande together Therefore it stands men in hande to labour and takes paines to get knowledge in religion that knowing God aright they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him Thirdly because wee beleeue in God therefore another duetie is to denie our selues vtterly and to become nothing in our selues Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children if wee would beleeue The begger dependes not on the releefe of others till he finde nothing at home and till our hearts be purged of selfe-loue and pride wee can not depende on the fauour and goodnes of God Therefore he that would trust in God must first of all be abased and confounded in him selfe and in regard of him selfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God Fourthly in that we beleeue in God and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him wee are taught that euery man must commit his bodie his soule goods life yea all that hee hath into the handes of God and to his custodie So Paul saith I am not ashamed of my sufferings for I knowe whome I haue beleeued and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day A worthie saying for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lorde surely his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof But what mooues him to trust God surely his perswasion whereby hee knowes that God will keepe it And Peter saith Let them that suffer according to the vvill of God commit their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour Looke as one friende layeth dovvne a thing to be kept of another so must a man giue all that hee hath to the custodie of God Fevve or none can practise this and therefore vvhen any euill befalls them eyther in bodie or in goods or any other vvay then they shewe them selues rather beastes then men in impatience For in prosperitie they vvoulde not trust in God and therefore in aduersitie vvhen crosses come they are voyde of comfort But when a man hath grace to beleeue and trust in God then hee commits all into Gods handes and though all the worlde should perish yet hee would not be dismaide And vndoubtedly if a man will be thankefull for the preseruation of his goods or of his life hee must shewe the same by committing all he hath into Gods handes and suffer him selfe to be ruled by him Nowe followes the consolations and comforts which Gods Church and children reape hereby First he that beleeues in God and takes God for his God may assure him selfe of saluation and of a happie deliuerance in all daungers and necessities When God threatned a plague vpon Israel for their idolatrie good king Iosiah humbled him selfe before the Lorde and he was safe all his daies And so King Hezekiah when Senacherib the king of Ashur offered to inuade Iudah he trusted in the Lorde and praied vnto him and was deliuered VVhereby we see if a man trust in God he shall haue securitie and quietnesse as Iehosaphat saide to the men of Iudah And our Sauiour Christ when he was
must not looke to be taught by visions and dreames yet shall it not be amisse to obserue this caveat concerning dreames that by them we may gesse at the constitution of our bodies and often times at the sinnes whereunto we are inclined The last motiue which caused Pilate to absolue Christ was a speech of the Iewes for they said that Christ ought to die by their law because he saide he was the sonne of God And the text saith when Pilate hearde that hee was afraide Marke how a poore Painym that knew not Gods word at the hearing of the name of the sonne of God is striken with feare No doubt he shall rise in iudgement against many among us that without all feare rend the name of God in peeces by swearing blaspheming cursed speaking But let all those that feare the Lorde learne to tremble and be afraide at his blessed name Thus much for the causes that moued Pilate to absolue Christ as also for the second part of Christs arraignement namely his accusation Now followes the third part which is his condemnation and that is twofolde The first by the Ecclesiasticall assembly and councell of the Iewes at Ierusalem in the high priests hall before Caiphas The tenour of his condemnation was this He hath blasphemed vvhat have we any more neede of witnesses he is worthy to die The cause why they say not he shall die but he is worthy to die is this The Iewes had two iurisdictions the one Ecclesiasticall the other civill both prescribed and distinctly executed by the commaundement of God till the time of the Machabees in which both ioyntly togither came into the haÌ„ds of the priests but afterward about the daies of Herod the great the Romane Emperour tooke away both iurisdictions from the Iewes and made their kingdome a province so as they could doe no more but apprehend accuse and imprison as doth appeare by the example of Saul who gate letters from the high priest to Damascus that if hee found any either man or woman that beleeued in Christ hee might bring them bound to Ierusalem and imprison them but kill or condemne they could not By the fact of this counsell we learne sundry points first that generall counsels and the Pope himselfe sitting iudicially in his consistorie may erre If there were any visible Church of God at that day upon the face of the whol world it was no doubt the Church of the Iewes For Caiphas the high priest was a figure of Christ the Scribes and Pharises sate in Moses chaire and Ierusalem is called by Christ the holy citie Mat. 4.5 27.53 Yet for all this that which was foretold is now verified namely that the chiefe corner stone should be reiected of master builders For by the generall consent of the councell at Ierusalem Christ the head of the Catholike Church and the redeemer of mankind is accused of blasphemy and condemned as worthy of death Wherefore it is a meere dotage of mans braine to avouch that the Pope cannot possibly erre in giuing a definitive sentence in matters either of faith or manners Neither can the Church of Rome pleade priviledge for Ierusalem had as many prerogatiues as any people in the worlde coulde haue Againe by this wee see there is no reason why wee should ascribe to any man or to oecumenicall counsels themselves absolute and soveraigne power to determine giue iudgement in matters of religion considering they are in danger to be ouertaken with notable slippes and errours And therefore the soueraigntie of iudgement is peculiar to the sonne of God who is the only doctour and law-giuer of the Church and he puts the same in execution in and by the written word As for the speech of the Papistes calling the scriptures a dumb Iudge it is little to be regarded For they are as it were the letter of the living sent from heauen to his Church upon earth and therefore the scriptures speake as plainly and as sufficiently unto vs of all matters of faith as a man can speake unto his friend by letter so be it we haue the gift of discerning Yet doe weâ— not barre the Church of God from all iudgement For the ministeriall power of giuing iudgement both publiquely and priuately is graunted 〈◊〉 of God and that is to determine and giue sentence of matters in question according to the worde as the lawyer giues iudgement not according as he wil but according to the tenour of the law Thirdly we learne that personall succession is no unfallible marke of the true faith and of true pastours vnlesse withall be ioyned succession in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles For Caiphas held his office by succession from Aaron and yet in publike assembly condemned the Messias spoken of by Moses and the Prophets Therefore the succession of the bishops of Rome from Peter is of no moment vnlesse they can prooue that their religion is the religion of Peter which they can neuer doe And thus much for Christs first condemnation The second was by Pontius Pilate who sate in an other court as a civill iudge and the tâ—noâ—â— of his sentence was that the Iewes should take him and crucifie him Here we must consider the reasons that mooved Pilate to determine thus the first was the impatience of the Iewes he for his parte was loth to defile his hands with innocent blood but the Iewes cryed his blood be upon us and on our children which according to their wish came upon them within fewe yeres after and so remaineth still unto this day By which we are taught to take heede of imprecations against our selues our children or seruants or any other creatures for God heareth mens prayers two waies either in his mercy or in his wrath and anger If thou curse thy selfe or any other except thou turne unto the Lorde by speedie repentance hee may heare thy prayer in his wrath and verifie thy curse upon thee to thy utter confusion The second reason that mooued Pilate to condemne Christ was because he feared men more then God for being deputie vnder Tyberius Caesar ouer the province of Iudea for feare of loosing his office and of displeasing the Iewes hee condemned Christ after he had absolued him whereby wee see that it is a grieuous sinne to feare dust and ashes more then the living God And therefore S. Iohn saith that the fearefull shall have their portion in the burning lake that is such as are more afraid of man then of God And this sinne in Pilate wanted not his iust towarde for not long after hee lost his deputy-ship and Cesars favour and fledde to Vienna where liuing in banishment hee killed himselfe And thus God meetes with them that feare the creature more then the Creatour That we may therefore avoid the heauie hand of God let us learne to feare God aboue all els we shall dishonour God and shame the religion which we professe The
iustification sanctification and redemption then we must labour to be partakers of it to haue our bodies and soules purified and clensed by his blood and sanctified throughout by the holy Ghost that thereby we may be made fit to doe sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the vse which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christs priesthood in that place which also euery man should applie vnto himselfe for why should we liue in our sinnes and wicked waies euery houre incurring the daunger of Gods iudgements seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and clensed and at length freed from all woe and miserie Thus much of Christs sacrifice now follows his triumph vpon the crosse That Christ did triumph when he was vpon the crosse it is plainly set downe by the Apostle Paul where he saith that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled the principalities and powers and hath made shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse This triumph is set forth by signes testimonies of two sorts I. By signes of his glorie and maiestie II. by signes of his victorie on the crosse The signes of his glorie and maiestie are principally seauen The first is the title set ouer his head vpon the crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes The ende why titles were set ouer the heads of malefactours was that the beholders might know the cause of the punishment and be admonished to take heede of like offences and be stirred vp to a dislike of the parties executed for their offences And therefore no doubt Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggrauating of his cause and that with his owne hand Yet marke the strange euent that followed for when Pilate was about to write the superscription God did so gouerne and ouerrule both his heart and hand that instead of noting some crime he sets downe a most glorious and worthie title calling him Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes which words containe the very summe and pith of the whole Gospell of Christ deliuered by the Patriarkes and Prophets from age to age We must not thinke that Pilate did this of any good minde or vpon any loue or fauour that he bare to Christ but onely as he was guided and ouerruled by the power of God for the aduancement of the honour and glorie of Christ. The like did Caiphas who though a sworne enemie to Christ yet he vttered a prophecie of him saying that it was necessarie that one should die for the people nor that he had any intent to prophecie but because the Lord vsed him as an instrument to publish his truth And when Baalam for the wages of vnrighteousnes would haue cursed the Lordes people for his life hee could not nay all his cursings were turned into blessings By this then it appeares that it is not possible for any man doe what he can to stoppe the course of the Gospell of Christ nay as we see God can raise vp the wicked sometime to spread abroad and to publish the truth though they themselues intend the contrarie Furthermore let vs marke that when the Iewes did most of all intend to bring disgrace and ignominie vpon our Sauiour Christ then did they most of all extoll and magnifie his name they could not for their liues haue giuen him a more renowmed title then this that he was king of the Iewes And the same is the case of all the members of Christ for let a man walke in good conscience before God and man he shall finde this to be true that when he is most disgraced in the world then commonly he is most honoured with God and men Further Pilate wrote this superscription in three languages Hebrew Greeke and Latine And no doubt the ende thereof in the prouidence of God was that the passion of Christ as also the publishing of his kingdome and Gospell might be spread ouer the whole world This shewes the malice of the Church of Rome which will not suffer the word of God to be published but in the latine tongue least the people should be intangled in errours Againe when Pilate had thus written the superscription the high priests and Pharisies offended thereat came to Pilate willing him to chaunge the title saying Write not the king of the Iewes but that he said I am the king of the Iewes but Pilat answeared them againe That which J haue written I haue written Though Pilate had bin ouerruled before to condemne Christ to death against his owne conscience yet will he not in any-wise condescend to change the superscription How comes this to passe Surely as he was ruled by the hand of God in penning it so by the same hand of God was he confirmed in not changing it Hence we learne sundrie instructions First that no man in the world let him endeauour himselfe to the vttermost of his power is able to stoppe the course of the kingdom of God it stands firme and sure and all the world is not able to preuaile against it Secondly whereas Pilate being but an heathen man was thus constant that he will not haue his writing chaunged we may note how permanent vnchāgeable the writings of the holy word of God are They are not the wordes of heathen men but were spoken by the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles as God gaue them vtterance The booke of Scripture therefore is much more immutable so as no creature shall be able to chaunge the least part of it till it be fulfilled Thirdly by Pilates constancie we learne to be constant in the practise and profession of the religion of Christ this is a necessarie lesson for these daies wherein mens professions doe fleete like water and goe and come with the tyde Many zealous professours to day but to morow as cold as water And the complaint of the Lord touching times past agrees to our daies O Ephraim what shall I say to thee thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe The second is the conuersion of the thiefe a most worthie argument of the Godhead of Christ. For by it when he was vpon the crosse and in the very middest of his passion he giues vnto all the world a liuely and notable experience of the vertue and power of his death so as his very enemies might not onely behold the passion it selfe but also at the same time acknowledge the admirable efficacie thereof And therefore with the passion of Christ we must ioyne the conuersion of the thiefe which is as it were a crystall glasse wherein we may sensibly behold the endles merit and vertue of the obedience of Christ to his father euen to the death of the crosse And therefore I will briefly touch the speciall instructions which are to be learned by it First let vs
last iudgement are the foundation namely of religion and againe that Christ is the foundation and that other doctrines consonant to the word are as gold and siluer laid thereupon Secondly persons erring are of two sorts some erre of weakenes beeing carried away by others or of simple ignorance not yet beeing conuicted and informed concerning the truth Some againe erre of obstinacie or affected ignorance which hauing bin admonished and conuicted still perseuere in their forged opinions This beeing said wee nowe come to the point If any man or Church shall hold an errour of the lighter kinde he still remaines a member of the Church of God and so must be reputed of vs. As when a Lutherane shall hold that images are still to be retained in the Church that there is an Vniuersall Election of all men c. for these and such like opinions may be maintained the foundation of saluation vnraced This which I say is flatly auouched by Paul If any man saith he build on this foundation gold siluer precious stones timber hay or stubble his work shall be made manifest by the fire c. and if any mans worke burne he shall loose but yet he shall be safe himselfe And therefore the hay and stubble of mens errours beside the foundation on which they are laide doe not debarre them from beeing Christians or members of the Church A man breakes downe the windowes of his house the house standes he breakes downe the roofe or the walles the house yet stands though deformed he pulls vp the foundation the house it selfe falls and ceaseth to be an house Now religion which we professe is like an house or building and some points thereof are like windowes dores walls roofes and some are the foundation and the former may be battered the foundation standing Againe if the errour be directly or by necessarie consequent euen in common sense against the foundation consideration must be had whether the Church or partie erreth of weaknes or malice if of weaknes the partie is to be esteemed as a member of the Catholicke Church And thus Paul writes vnto the Church of Galatia as to a Church of God though by false teachers it had bin turned a way to another Gospel and imbraced the fundamentall errour of iustification by works But when any man or Church shal hold fundamentall errours in obstinacie or affected ignorance we are then not bound to repute them any loÌ„ger as Churches or Christians but as such to whom condemnation belongs as Paul sheweth by the example of Iannes and Iambres And as IaÌ„nes and Iambres saith he withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith Yet withall this caueat must euer be remembred that we rather condemne the errour then the person that erreth because Gods mercie is like a bottomlesse sea whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners The second question is where at this day we may finde such visible Churches as are indeede sound members of the Catholick Church And for the resoluing of it we are to go through all countries and religions in the world And first to beginne with Turkes and Iewes wee are not in any wise to acknowledge their assemblies for Churches because they worship not God in Christ who is the heade of the Church As for the Assemblies of Papists which haue bin a great part of the world if thereby we vnderstand companies of men holding the Pope for their head and beleeuing the doctrine established in the councill of Trent in name they are called churches but indeed they are no true or sound members of the Catholick Church For both in their doctrine in the worship of God they race the very foundation of religion which will appeare by these three points First of all they hold iustification by works of grace auouching that they are not only iustified before god by the merit of Christ but also by their owne doings Which opinion flatly ouerâ—urneth iustification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians If ye be circumâ—ised Christ profiteth you nothing that is if yee looke to be iustified by the works of the ceremoniall law yee are fallen from Christ ioyne Circumcision Christ together in the matter of iustification and yee doe quite ouerthrow iustification by Christ. Now if this be true which is the word of God that can not lie then we say to the Papists If yee will needes be iustified by works of grace ye are fallen from grace The second point is that they maintaine a daily reall sacrifice of the bodie of Christ in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and dead And this is also a fundamentall heresie For Christs sacrifice on the crosse must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Masse-priest it is not perfect but imperfect The third point is that they worship the Images of the Trinitie and of Saints departed and their Breaden-god which is as vile an abomination as euer was among the Gentiles all beeing directly against the true meaning of the second Commandement and defacing the worship of God in the very substance thereof Thus then it appeares that the old Church of Rome is changed and is now at this day of a spouse of Christ become an harlot and therefore no more a Church of Christ indeed then the carkasse of a deade man that weareth a liuing mans garment is a liuing man though he looke neuer so like him And whereas they pleade for themselues that they haue succession from the Apostles the answeare is that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine which they want and we see that Heretikes haue succeeded lawfull Ministers Secondly whereas it is alleadged that in the Popish assemblies the Sacrament of Baptisme is rightly for substance administred and that also it is a note of a Church three things may be answered First that Baptisme seuered from the preaching of the Gospel is no more a signe of a Church then the seale seuered from the Indenture is of force and that is nothing Circumcision was vsed in Colchis yet no Church among the Samaritans yet no people SecoÌ„dly Baptisme is in the assemblies of the Church of Rome as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thiefe indeed it doth no more argue them to be churches then the true mans purse argues the thiefe to be a true man For baptisme though it be in their assemblies yet doth it appertaine not vnto them but vnto an other hidden Church of God which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the midst of them Thirdly though they haue the outward Baptisme yet they by necessarie consequent of doctrine ouerturne the inward baptisme that stands in iustification and sanctification Moreouer whereas it is alledged that they maintaine the booke of the old and new Testament
penned by the Prophets and Apostles the answear is that they doe it with adding to the Canon and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation and therefore they are but as a lanthorne that shews light to others and none to it selfe Fourthly it is further said that they hold the Creede of the Apostles and make the same confession of faith that we doe I answeare that in shew of wordes they doe so indeede but by necessarie consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede And herein they deale as a father that in outward shew tenders the bodie of his child and will not abide the least blemish vpon it and yet by secret conveiances inwardly annoies the heart the braine or the liuer and so in truth destroies the same Fifthly it is alledged that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God that is the Church therefore say some that desire an vnion between vs and the Papists popish assemblies are true Churches but the argument is not good For it is one thing to be in the Church an other thing to be of it And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church not as a member thereof but as an vsurper or as the pyrate in the ship of the marchant heÌ„ce it cannot be prooued that assemblies of Papists are Churches but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the midst whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth though himselfe hath no part therein Lastly whereas some being no Papists think their Churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of soares and wounds froÌ„ the head to the foot the throat also cut yet so as life is still remaining we may better thinke their foule errours considered their worship of God which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme that it is a rotten and dead corps void of spirituall life And therefore we haue seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vpon iust cause neither are we schismaticks in so doing but they rather because the grouÌ„d the proper cause of the schisme is in theÌ„ As for the Assemblies of Anabaptists Libertines Antinomies Tritâ—eits Arrians Samosaâ—eniaÌ„s they are no churches of God but conspiracies of monstrous heretikes iudicially condemned in the primitiue Church and againe by the malice of Satan renewed and revived in this age The same we are to thinke and say of the Familie of loue As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes they are to be reputed of vs as the true Churches of God Though their Augustane Confession haue not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches yet haue they all the same enemies in matter of religion and doe alike confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of the office of the Mediatour of faith and good works of the Word the Church and the Magistrate are all of one iudgement They differ indeede from vs in the question of the Sacrament but it is no sufficient cause to induce vs to hold theÌ„ as no Church for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lordes supper wee all agree and wee ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that hee doth truly feede vs with his very bodie and blood to eternall life and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hande of faith they adding therto the corporall whereby they imagine themselues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie And though to maintaine this their opinion they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a dispaâ—ition whereby his bodie being visible becomes invisible yet in the maine points we agree that Christ ascended into heauen that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vs that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might and that whatsoeuer good thing we haue or doe proceeds wholly from the grace of his spirit Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reviveth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith but that was priuate to some men as Brentius and others and was not receiued of whole Churches and whereas the men were godly and learned and we are vncerten with what affection and how long they held this errour we rest our selues in condemning it leauing the persons to God Againe Popish Transubstantiation and Lutherian Consubstantiation are both against the truth of the manhoode of Christ yet with great difference Transubstantiation is flat against an article of faith for if Christs bodie be made of bread and his blood of wine which must needes be if there be a conuersion of the one into the other then was not he conceiued and borne of the Virgin Marie for it can not both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the Virgin Againe it abolisheth the outwarde signe in the Lordes supper and the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified but Consubstantiation doth not so neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion but onely a maine point in Philosophie which is that A body doth occupy only one place at once Furthermore the Churches of Heluetia Savoie the free cities of France the low Countries Scotland are to be reuereÌ„ced as the true churches of God as their ConfessioÌ„s make manifest And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland For we hold beleeue and maintaine and preach the true faith that is the auncient doctrine of saluation by Christ taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles as the Booke of the articles of faith agreed vpon in open Parliament doe fully shewe withal now we are and haue bin ready to testifie this our faith by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power and especially the Spainard and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giue vnto vs the hand of fellowship And whereas sundrie among vs that separate and indeed excommunicate themselues giue out that there is no Church in England no Ministers no Sacraments their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient grounde are but as paper-shot They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities Ansvv. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished and they be either in doctrine or manners Againe corruptions in doctrine must be further distinguished some of them are errours indeed but beside the foundation some errors directly against the foundation and these ouerturne all religion wheras the former do not Now it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raceth the foundation and consequently annihillateth the
truth of Gods Church Indeed there is controuersie among vs touching the point of Ecclesiasticall regiment but marke in what manner VVee all ioyntly agree in the substance of the regiment confessing freely that there must be preaching of the word administration of the sacraments according to the institution and the vse of the Power of the kaies in admonitions suspencions excommunications the difference betweene vs is onely touching the persons and the manner of putting this gouernment in exequution and therefore men on both parts though both hold not the truth in this point yet because both hold Christ the foundation they still remaine brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners they make not a Church to be no Church but a badde Church When as the wicked Scribes and Pharisies sitting in Moses Chaire taught the things which he had written the people are commaunded to heare them and to doe the thinges which they say not doing the thinges which they doe And whereas it is saide that we hold Christ in word and denie him in deede that is answeared thus deniall of Christ is double either in iudgement or in fact deniall in iudgement ioyned with obstinacie makes a Christian to be no Christian deniall in fact the iudgement still remaining sound makes not a man to be no Christian but a badde Christian. When the Iewes had crucified the Lord of life they still remained a Church if any vpon earth and notwithstanding this their fact the Apostles acknowledged that the couenant the promises still belonged vnto them and they neuer made any separation from their Synagogues till such time as they had bin sufficiently conuicted by the Apostolicall ministerie that Iesus Christ was the true Messias Thus wee see where at this day we may finde the true Church of God Nowe I come to the third question and that is at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church Answeare So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ wee must make no separation from it and when it separates from Christ wee may also separate from it and therefore in tvvo cases there is vvarrant of separation The one is when the vvorshippe of God is corrupt in substance And for this we haue a commandement Be not saith Paul vnequally yoked with infidels for what fellowshippe hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes or what communion hath light with darknes or what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidell or what agreement hath the temple of God with idoles wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord. And we haue a practise of this in the old testament When Ieroboam had set vp idoles in Israel then the Priests and Leuites came to Iudah and Ierusalem to serue the Lorde The second is when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance as Paul saith If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is acdording to godlines he is puffed vp from such separate your selues A practise of this wee haue in the Apostle Paul who beeing in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Iewes spake boldly for the space of three moneths disputing and exhorting to the thinges which concerne the kingdome of God but when certen men were hardned and disobeied speaking euill of the way of God he departed from them and separated the disciples of Ephesus and the like he did at Rome also As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church they are no sufficient warrant of separation vnlesse it be from priuate companie as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul and by the examples of Dauid and Lot By this which hath beene saide it appeares that the practise of such as make separation from vs is very badde and scismaticall considering our Churches faile not either in the substance of doctrine or in the substance of the true worship of God Now to proceede in the Creede The Church is further set forth by certen properties and prerogatiues The properties or qualities are two holines and largenes That the Church is holy it appeares by Peter which cals it an holy nation and a chosen people and by Saint Iohn who calls it the holy citie And it is so called that it may be distinguished from the false Church which is tearmed in Scriptures the Synagogue of Satan and the malignant Church Now this holines of the Church is nothing els but a created qualitie in euery true member thereof whereby the image of God which was lost by the fall of Adam is againe renewed and resâ—ored The author of it is God by his word and spirit by little and little abolishing the corruption of sinne and sanctifying vs throughout Ioh. 17. vers 17. Father sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is truth And holines must be conceiued to be in the Church on this manner it is perfect in the Church Triumphant and it is onely begunne in the Church Militant in this life and that for speciall cause that we might giue all glorie to God that we might not be high minded that we might worke ouâ— saluation with feare and trembling that we might denie our selues and wholly depende vpon God Hence wee learne three things first that the Church of Rome erreth in teaching that a wicked man yea such an one as shall neuer be saued may be a true member of the Catholicke Church for in reason euery man should be answearable to the qualitie and condition of the Church whereof hee is a member if it be holy as it is hee must be holy also Secondly we are euery one of vs as Paul saith to Timothie to exercise our selues vnto godlines making conscience of all our former vnholy waies endeauouring our selues to please God in the obedience of all his commaundements It is a disgrace to the holy Church of God that men professing themselues to be members of it should be vnholy Thirdly our dutie is to eschewe the societie of Atheists drunkardes fornicatours blasphemers and all wicked and vngodly persons as Paul saith Be no companions of them and haue no fellowship with the vnprofitable workes of darknes And he chargeth the Thessalonians that if any man among them walke inordinately they haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed The largenes of the Church is noted in the worde Catholicke that is generall or vniuersall And it is so called for three causes For first of all it is generall in respect of time because the Church hath had a beeing in all times and ages euer since the giuing of the promise to our first parents in Paradise Secondly it is generall in respect of the persons of men for it standes of all sortes and degrees of men high and lowe rich and pore learned and vnlearned c. Thirdly it
childe layeth wormewoode or some other bitter thing vpon her brest to make the childe loathe the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the miseries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this worlde and fixed in heauen As raw flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euerie sinner and unmortified man loathsome unto God till the Lorde by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this worlde But when a man is afflicted how shall hee be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lorde hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus wee reade that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs ' daughter and choosed rather to suffer adversitie vvith the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with Gods people in the land of Goshen Here then behold a notable president for us to follow In which wee are taught that the best way to indure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring unto us a cup of affliction and bid us drinke a draught thereof to the verie bottom the meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse endlesse mercie towardes mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all thinges in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let us receiue this as from the Lorde and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnesse If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this verie cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of life euerlasting euen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer wee be it had bene better for us that we had neuer bene borne or that we had bene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an end of their miserie but man if hee loose everlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeeres to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended hee is as farre from the ende of his miserie as hee was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirite concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another life till the last gaspe But we must not suffer satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnesse I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to drawe to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne us for heretikes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creed which is an epitome of the scriptures and the verie keie of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the invocation and intercession of saintes c. which are the greatest pointes of religion It is true indeed we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuils perswading our selues that if they indeed had beene Apostolicall and the verie grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue bin left forth of the Creed For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creed we beleeue the Church so consequētly are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and avouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here ment which we denie unlesse they can proue a particular Church to be vniversall or Catholicke Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with us as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches councels for many hundred yeres after Christ. Secondly the Creed serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therfore guide and preserue his owne workemanship by his prouidēce minister all things needfull unto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer the H. ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouermuch carefull for this life that Christ being our Lord will not forsake us being the seruāts in his own house but will prouide things needfull for us II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore hee is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnesse sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friends are to comfort themselues in the cōmunion of saints and that they haue God the father Christ and the holy ghost for their friends IIII. Against bodily captivitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseases we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shalbe abolished VI. If a man feare the death of the body let him consider that hee beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance