to performe all the duties of a faithfull minister of Iesus Christ vnto your honour I leaue to trouble you any furthet from other affayres of your Prince and countrey beseeching the Almightie to increase his gratious giftes in you to the honour of his holy name the profit of his Church and the consolation of your owne soule in the ende Which he graunt vnto your honour for his Christes sake Amen 1579. Your honours in the Lorde Iesus most humble to commande Iohn Baker To the Godly and Christian reader grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen I Haue for thy sake gentle reader set forth vnto thee briefly the meaning of al the articles of our Christian fayth which are necessary to saluation to this ende and purpose that as thou hast in English an exposition vpon the ten commaundements of almighty God and the Lordes prayer to knowe the better what they meane so thou mightest haue likewise in thy mother tongue some opening of these Christian articles which being well applyed to thy owne conscience by a liuely fayth thou shalt finde sweeter vnto thee then either hony or the hony combe a treasure to bee preferred before much gold yea the finest that may be And because sermons are not so common in euery parish Church as by the lawe of God and the prince they should be thou mayest therefore vse this booke priuately in thy house when thou shalt haue leasure as vpon the Sundayes and holy dayes at after noone The whole summe of thy faith is here set forth so plainely that thou mayest easily vnderstande it if the Lorde shall giue his grace to thee open thine eyes to see otherwise nothing can be easie to any man but an open booke shal be as sealed vnto men except the spirit reueale it vnto them which he will doe no doubt if thou seeke it by humble and earnest prayer to God in his sonnes name For surely this is the cause why many reading the Scriptures vnderstand them not because they come to them with vnprepared heartes not subdued with humilitie but presuming with their naturall witte to vnderstand the mysteries in them conteined But flesh blood doth not reueale these secret and hid thinges vnto vs. Other reade them without prayer to vnderstand them other some reade them but to dispute and talke of them with the learned and not to amende their liues being detected by them but onely to knowe them and let the practise goe But these men so doing can not be blessed Luke 11. cap. Wherfore dearely beloued Christian I exhort thee to reade the scriptures and all other bookes that tende to the declaration of the scriptures with a single eye and penitent heart not thinking or presuming any thing of thy selfe for the wind bloweth where it listeth as our sauiour sayth Iohn 3. And these diuine thinges are most commonly had from the wise and men of vnderstanding and opened by the spirit vnto litle babes Matth. 11. that is to such as are humble in their owne conceyte and in their owne eyes For the holy Ghost sayth Them that be meeke will hee guide in iudgement and teach the humble his waye Psal 26. So then the humble shal be exalted and they all that exalt them selues shal be brought lowe Luk. 14. fare well deare brother and vse this booke as it was meant to thy good and comfort which Iesus Christ graunt vnto thee Amen Thy louing Brother in the Lord alwayes to pray for thee I. B. ¶ Sermons vpon the Creede or xii Articles of our Christian faith I Beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth 2 And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the holy Ghost 3 Borne of the Virgine Marie 4 Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buryed descended into hell 5 The third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almightie 7 From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8 I beleeue in the holy Ghost 9 The holy Catholike Church the cōmunion of Saintes 10 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 11 The resurrection of the body 12 And the life euerlasting Amen The first Sermon vpon the first article I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth BEfore we come to speake of the meaning of these wordes it shall not be amisse to cōsider in a word or two who made this Christian order and forme of our beliefe The generall and common opinion receaued with the whole consent of the Church is that the xii Apostles of our sauiour Iesus Christ made this Creede euery one an article as a godly writer of our time one Aretius in his booke of questions doeth shew Therefore it is called the Apostles Creede But whether it were they or no that made it or any other it is no great matter seeing it is all the vndoubted trueth of Gods worde euery poynt of it agreeth with the rest of the holy scriptures written with the Spirit of Christ We haue many bookes in the olde new Testament which are written for our consolation comfort and that by the finger of God but yet we knowe not the names of those men that wrote them as the booke of the Iudges the booke of Kinges and the Chronicles and such like and in the newe Testament the Epistle to the Ebrewes These all are the holy worde of God but yet we knowe not the authors of them And it seemeth that the holy Ghost woulde haue their names suppressed and vnknowen because we shoulde receiue all Scripture alike and with the same authoritie which proceedeth from the mouth of God making no differēce of persons or choyse of men when all is trueth that is written and that we shoulde not consider so much who speaketh or writeth a thing as what is spoken written vnto vs. Thus much for the writers of this worke Nowe let vs consider the thing it selfe This Creede hath foure partes the first is of our faith beliefe in God the Father the first person in Trinitie the seconde is of our trust and beliefe in God the Sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour the second person in Trinitie the third is of our faith in the holy Ghost the power of God which is the thirde person in Trinitie the fourth and last parte is of the holy and Vniuersall Church of Christ and of those things that are to be beleued concerning the same which are contayned in the last three articles which are annexed and ioyned vnto the Church as The remission of sinnes the resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting These are the benefites which followe the Church This is the diuision of the Creede Out of the first article we haue to note these two things first that we must beleeue in God secondly what maner of God it is in whome we doe beleeue
little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue vnto you the kingdome Luke 12. He shoulde haue sayde great flocke according to the Papistes opinion Againe when one asked our sauiour Christ whether there were fewe that shoulde be saued hee answered in effect that it was so saying Striue to enter in at the strayte gate for many I saye vnto you will seeke to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13. Here Christ sayeth flatly that many that is the multitude shall not enter in at heauen gates which yet notwithstanding must bee saued if the Church as the aduersaries saye consist of multitude for the Church shall bee saued Here Christ excludeth multitude from his Church and kingdome and in the 7. of Matthewe wee shall see that hee maketh paucitie and the small number to bee an argument of his Church quite contrarie vnto the blinde Papistes saying Strayte is the gate and narrowe is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it Are there fewe that finde this gate then are there but fewe of this Church of Christ Wherefore wee haue the more neede to watche to striue and to contende to be of this small companie for surely many are called to the Gospell but fewe and very fewe are chosen But let vs see the examples of the holy Scripture Was not Noah onely founde righteous with his housholde before the Lorde when the flood was brought in vpon the wicked worlde For all flesh had corrupted his way before God Genes 6. Was the greatest multitude in Sodome founde to be of this Church of God Surely if it had bene so Sodome had not bene destroyed But there were not ten righteous men to bee founde within it onely Lot with his wife and two daughters escaped the fire all the rest were wicked and therefore most fearefully cōsumed with fire and brimstone from heauen to make others to feare th◠like sinnes as Saint Peter sayeth Gen. 19. 2. Peter 2. There came but two into the promised lande of Canaan of all the sixe hundred thousande men beside women and children that came out of the lande of Egypt and they were Iosua and Caleb the rest iustly perished in the wildernesse for their vnbeliefe and disobedience But let vs see further when this Church was more increased in the times that followed Was not Elias onely against the foure hundred false prophetes of Achab and Iezabel 3. Reg. 18. And did not he thinke that there had bene none aliue that appertayned vnto the Lorde but he onely And although the Lorde sayd vnto him that he had reserued vnto himselfe seuen thousand that had not bowed the knee to the idole Baal yet was that to the multitude and number of y◠wicked that were then in Israel Againe was not the kingdom of Israel farre greater then the kingdome of Iuda and yet was the true worshippe and seruice of the Lorde onely with the Iewes in Ierusalem and not in Dan or Bethel where were the golden calues of Ieroboam Was not Micheas in his time onely one Prophete that was good against foure hundred lying prophetes of Achab He was ouercome there by multitude and yet hee had onely the trueth and worde of the Lorde on his side 3. Reg. 22. If wee list to come neerer the time of Christ vnder the Gospell we shall see the fewest to holde with him Was not the whole multitude of the Iewes with the chiefe Scribes and Pharises and hye Priestes against Christ and condemned him to death crying Crucifie him crucifie him Iohn 19. Afterwarde in the succession of the Church wee shall see the Christians to bee the smallest number Vniuersalitie then and multitude is no argument of the Catholike Church of Christ but rather the contrarie may bee affirmed the least number to be his Secondly they will haue Antiquitie to bee a note and token of this Church If they will stande to Antiquitie and long prescript and continuance of time euen here also must they needes fall For their Masse with her reliques was neuer heard of within the space of fiue hundred yeeres at the least after Christ as a godly and learned man doeth auouche vnto them which if they coulde prooue he woulde haue subscribed vnto them and their transsubstantiation was neuer spoken of before the Council of Lateran and so all their trumpery hath bene patched together by Popes and Councils at diuers times Whereas wee can prooue our holy Communion euen from Christ and his Apostles vsing it in the same order with bread and wine in a knowen tongue as he did to his Apostles If their Masse be of such great antiquitie as they beare vs in hande it is great maruayle that the very name of it can not once be founde or read of in the Scriptures but it is an vnknowen name for an vnknowen thing Here we see antiquitie doeth confute them although antiquitie be not alwayes a good argument to prooue a matter by For if it were then murder shoulde be good which is as auncient as Cain the seconde man that was here vpon the earth Gen. 4. From the first king of Israel which was Ieroboam after that the kingdome was deuided in Solomons time vntill the last king of the same kingdome which was Hoshea the golden calues were still mainteyned which were erected first of all by Ieroboam and continued for the space of three hundred yeeres or there about And yet for all this was not their religion good although they receyued it still by tradition custome from their fathers by the prescript of so many yeeres For the Prophetes notwithstanding did still reprehende the idolatrous and wicked kinges for their superstitious worshipping of these calues which they shoulde not haue done if the argument of our Papistes bee good to bring and alleadge their forefathers custome traditions Councils and antiquitie for then Achab might haue sayde vnto Elias if this be true why doest thou reprehende me for this worshippe I haue receyued it from the first king Ieroboam and my fathers haue liued and dyed in it and I haue antiquitie to pleade for mee But Elias knewe well ynough that this was no argument and therefore tooke him vp sharpely as we may our Papistes although they haue had their Masses these seuen or eyght hundred yeeres Agayne if antiquitie or custome bee a generall rule to confirme a doctrine in religion then myght the Pagans and Ethnikes haue alleadged agaynst the Apostles these thinges when they came to preache Christ Iesus crucified vnto them and to alter their olde religion wherein they had continued so long Wee see then that antiquitie fauoureth them not at all neither yet can they father their Church and religion which they haue at Rome vpon the succession ordinarie descent of their Bishops and Popes seeing trueth goeth not by succession inheritance but by the grace and mercy of God But if succession of bishops and hie Priestes as they fayne from Peter to this time doeth prooue
and how many pointes to marke for our instruction be in it There are three things in this article first his ascension secondly to what ende he is ascended lastly the benefites that come to vs by this his ascension into heauen These things well marked will be for our consolation and comfort against many temptations and troubles in this life which the deuill assaulteth vs with that we should despaire of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ But this will be a remedy for them all euen his ascension into heauen and that for vs. Christes ascending into heauen is manifestly proued vnto vs in the holy scriptures not in one or two places but in many that we may be the better confirmed in this behalfe either against thē that doubt of it or beleeue it not yea or against Satan that wil go about to perswade vs that he is not there S. Marke doth shew vs that after the Lord had spokē certaine things vnto his disciples in Bethanie he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God Mark 16. 19. for those are his very words in the place Likewise S. Luke saith And it came to passe that as he blessed thē he departed from thē was caried vp into heauen Neither do the Euangelists Apostles of Christ proue this only vnto vs which were after him had familiarity with him but the Prophet Dauid to make it the more euident to all the world long before the cōming of Christ in the flesh spake of it by the spirit of prophecie moued by the direction of the holy ghost saying God is gone vp with triumph euē the Lorde with the sound of the trumpet alluding in this ascension of Christ for the glory ioyfulnes of it vnto the trūpets the were blowē at the solēne feasts of the Iewes Psal 47. Also in the 68. Psal Thou art gone vp on hie thou hast led captiuitie captiue We see then the in the mouth of two or three witnesses this matter is proued vnto vs ought therfore to be beleeued of vs fully established But because no man doth as I thinde the is a Christiā doubt of this neither is it in controuersie betweene the Papists vs as cōcerning his ascensiō although in the maner of it there be cōtention I wil therefore come to the second point which is to consider how after what sorte he is ascended and remaineth in heauen and to what ende signified in these words and sitteth at the right hād of God the father almighty To sit at Gods right hande is to haue and to be aboue all rule power might and dominion euery name that is named not onely in this world but also in the worlde to come Ephe. 1. It is then as our sauiour Christ saith Matt. 11. and 28. To haue all things giuē vnto him al authoritie both in heauen and in earth For the right hand of God signifieth the euerlasting and infinite power of God Wee must not thinke that God being an infinite most blessed spirit and not a body hath either right hand or lefte eyes or armes or such like partes and members of a mās body but when the scripture giueth these properties speaches vnto God as it doth often it is for our weaknes and capacitie which are children and babes in Gods matters therfore can not vnderstand him in his maiestie speaking to mā vnles he lispe as it were vnto vs like a nurce vnto her young children For we are so grosse that we vnderstād not how greatly the Lord is angry with mā for his sinne wickednes vnles he speake after the maner of men say he repenteth that euer he made man Againe we vnderstād not or conceiue his wonderfull power and strength except it be by a great and mighty and stretched out arme or hande So by the eyes of the Lord is meant his carefull vigilant prouidence foresight ouer all his creatures and by his countenance is most commonly meant his terrible wrath and anger When the scripture giueth an eare to God whē the preachers saye in their Sermons that he hath an eare you must vnderstand that he heareth all things bee they neuer so secretly spoken of any man as by his eye hee seeth al things in this world although they be neuer so much hid and done in darke secret places as the wicked doe their euill workes As we see then that kings and noble men do place at their right hande such as are either their betters or equals or doe gouerne in their steade so is it here Christ is exalted and placed in that dignitie honour that his father is because he is equall vnto him And this latter part of the article to sit at Gods right hand being in the last chapter of Marke from whence it seemeth this was taken S. Paul doth expounde very well in the 1. Ephes that God hath set him farre aboue all principalitie and power might and domination And in an other place Philip. 2. hath highly exalted him and giuē him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus shoulde euery knee bowe both of things in heauē and things in earth things vnder the earth and that euery tongue shoulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto the glory of God the father This is the meaning of these words he sitteth at the right hand of God It is not of any corporall sitting for it may as wel be sayd that he stādeth at the right hand of God For so did Saint Stephen see him Actes 7. Therefore both by sitting and standing there is meant that he is aduaunced to great glorie as hath bene sayde already And here in this his ascension so glorious is his kingdome to be seene which hee did not take vpon him here in the earth So that although Christ did shewe great glorie in his resurrection all mortalitie being layde away yet by his ascension into heauen hee hath more notably declared his power for now he gouerneth all things and ruleth as a king ouer all the earth And this doeth the Apostle teache vs that he ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things For we see and reade how aboundantly and most miraculously he powred downe his holy spirit vpō his Apostles Act. 2. howe he hath increased his church and kingdome in euery part of the earth how he hath euer since his ascension mightily defended his sharply punished his enemies So that although he be in heauen according to his bodily presence and not in earth as the Lutheranes Papistes do imagine him to be in the communion contrary to this article he ascended which is to be meant only of his body not of his diuine nature which doeth fill all things needeth not to descend or ascend yet I say Christ is with vs as hee him selfe saith euen vnto the end of the world Mat. 28. 19. by his power
head and one house but one Lorde and master to rule it what wickednesse is it to say that the Pope of Rome is an vniuersall head ouer the Church Is not this to take away Christes roome and dignitie or rather is it not to make the Church a monster to haue two heades in one body But they say that the Byshope of Rome is the visible heade in Christes steade but this they can not shewe by Scripture neither doeth the Church require any such heade for Christ is present with it as he hath promised Mat. 28. I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the worlde If the Pope be a visible heade why is he not seene of al men why doeth he not gouerne all men in the Church and giue nourishment vnto them as the heade ought to doe This he doth not wherefore he is no visible heade as he doth pretende And surely to be the general head ouer al is too great a matter enterprise for any mortal man to take vpō him I am sure the Pope will graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholike Church If hee then bee a member howe can hee be an head except the same thing shal be both an heade and member which is very absurde monstruous If he say that as he is a member Christ is his head only and not another why shall not Christ bee as well a head for all These thinges wee see are very childish and fonde But yet they apply and say that Christ sayde to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde my Church First note hee sayth not vpon thee Peter will I builde but vpon this rocke meaning the fayth of Peters confession which confessed him to be Christ therefore by the rocke hee meant himselfe For when Peter had sayd Thou art Christ the sonne of God Christ sayd to him Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church and in that place hee giueth no more to Peter in the keys which is the binding and losing of sinners then he giueth to thē al els where as in Ioh. 20. when he said Receiue the holy Ghost whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted whosoeuers sinnes ye reteyne they are reteyned Here all haue as much as Peter and if they will beleeue the fathers which they brag of much they do neuer referre this vnto Peter alone but to the rest of the apostles to al faithful ministers of Iesus Christ As Origē in his 1. homi vpō Mat. so doth Cyprian Ambrose Ierome Augustine And what hath the pope to do with these woordes which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to see how they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is saide of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in deede they must prooue these three poyntes vnto vs if they wil haue the Pope to be the supreme head of the whole Church which they shall be neuer able to doe by the scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chiefe and head of all the Apostles Secondly that he was at Rome and sate there as Bishop generall Thirdly that hee left all the title and preeminence of this seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poyntes as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we shoulde graunt it them vnles they proue the third which they shall neuer be able to do that Peter hath left all his authoritie to his successours after him for euer Forasmuch then as the Pope neither is nor cā be any ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone which is alwayes presēt with it euer walketh in the midst of the seuē golden cādlesticks so that he needeth no vicar general or vniuersal B. let vs dearly beloued as we loue the Lorde Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flee farre from the Pope and all his adherents traditions decrees and pardons lest hee make marchandise also of our soules as he doth of a great many both in Rome Spaine and els where This being set downe as a most certaine and sure principle that Christ is the head of this church it would be seene what authoritie this church hath and what rule or power is graunted vnto it If the Papistes will graunt as they can not deny but that this church is the wife chaste and obedient spouse to her Lorde and husband Iesus Christ If I say they will admit this this controuersie betweene them and vs of the authoritie of the Churche whether it be greater then the scriptures and worde of Christ shall not bee hard to discusse but soone ended For what authoritie iurisdiction a wise man wil graunt to his wife vnder him that libertie is to bee graunted to the church vnder Christ If it be reason and iust that a wife shoulde not controll or be superior and aboue her husbandes worde and commaundement hauing a wise and discrete husbande to gouerne and commaunde her then is it no reason or right whatsoeuer the papists say that the authoritie of the church which is the wife should be greater and of more force then the woorde and will of the husbande Christ seeing that S. Paul saith Eph. 5. 24. that the church is in subiection to Christ and from thence draweth an argument of the obedience and subiection of wiues to their husbands which surely can not be so in euery thing as Paul there willeth except the Church bee in subiection and vnder the authoritie of the will and commandement of the husbande in all things If they will not permit but thinke it vnreasonable vnles they goe against scripture that the wiues authoritie should bee either equall or superiour to the husband why then doe they suffer and teache that the decrees and constitutions of the churche to make articles lawes sacramēts and other rites and ceremonies are aboue the authoritie of the written worde and so consequently aboue Christ him selfe which can not be separated from his worde and will which hee will haue vs to receiue as him selfe For speaking of his Apostles and other ministers that brought his worde to the people he saith He that receiueth you receiueth me and hee that despiseth you despiseth me And therefore when the aduersaries saye that the authoritie of the Church is greater then the woorde and scriptures of God what doe they saye els but that man is aboue God the wife aboue the husband The one is blasphemy and the other absurde Wee see then by these thinges that the authoritie of the church is to obey Christ in all things and to doe such workes and busines as he hath commanded in his worde except it bee in indifferent matters not repugning vnto the worde nor hindering godlines and being voyde of superstition and without clogge of conscience The Church is compared and likened to an house 1. Timoth.
3 or to a family and shall the houshold and family be aboue the authoritie and will of the master shall the seruantes and children haue greater authoritie in their doings then the Lorde and father of the house Howe doe these thinges agree together And howe hath Satan the God of this worlde blynded the eyes of the Pope and his shauelings that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them But let vs heare their proofes and arguments for this authoritie The church say they hath allowed and approued the scriptures discerned the false from the true admitting the Gospell of Matthewe Marke Luke and Iohn and reiecting the Gospell of Nicodenius and Thomas with others therefore it is aboue the scriptures A goodly argument and reason As if they should argue thus I doe allowe and approue the authoritie of the prince therefore I am greater and aboue her authoritie If they would make this reason with her as they make the like with Iesus Christ they might peraduenture come short home and be found traitours to her as in the supremacie of the Pope they all are if they holde their owne doctrine mainteine it as they are to Iesus Christ their chiefe prince Againe one man telleth another which is the king and discerneth him from one that is not the king therefore he that doeth thus tel and discerne the king from another mā is greater then the king in authoritie This is their reason all one The church forsooth because it hath discerned the true writings of the holy Ghost from those that were coūterfaite and false therefore they will haue the church to be aboue this worde which is vtterly false and in no point foloweth They might by this reason proue them selues or others to be aboue God him selfe because many can discerne and tyre the true and liuing God from the forged and false gods and they can tyre and separate the true spirite from the lying spirite therefore they are greater in authoritie then this spirite of God is Who seeth not these things to bee so childish that they neede no refutation at all because if they be once examined by the touchstone they fall of them selues and do easely descrie what they are Well let vs holde this for a grounde most certaine and sure which can not bee shaken that the worde which Christ hath spoken in his fathers name the same shall iudge in the last day as hee him selfe sayth Iohn 12. verse 48. Then if the worde be iudge it is belike greater and aboue them that must be iudged by it which is the church in the latter daye euen as the iudge here is of greater authoritie then the partie whome he iudgeth And here by the way falleth to the ground another false positiō of theirs that say the interpretatiō of the scriptures must be according to the church nay it must be according to the word which is the iudge for if this be a matter of controuersie who shall determine and decide it but the ordinarie iudge as we see the lawes must bee interpreted not according to the censure and iudgement of them to whome they were giuen but after the will and meaning of the iudge and lawe giuer which made them so the scriptures must bee interpreted by the scriptures and the worde by the worde and that which is spoken obscurely in one place by that which is declared and vttered more plainely in an other place As for example The papistes to proue that sinnes may be forgiuen hereafter in an other worlde in their fayned purgatorie bring this place out of the 12. chapter of Matthewe where our sauiour saith that he that speaketh a worde against the holy Ghost shall not bee forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come Ergo say they to establish their purgatorie some sinnes may be forgiuen after this life and where is that but in purgatorie but if they had read the thirde of Marke handling the same matter and conferred one place with an other they should haue seene there that our sauiours meaning was to shewe that the horriblenes of this sinne was so great that it should neuer be forgiuen for these are his verie wordes there Verely I say vnto you al sinnes shal be forgiuē vnto the childrē of mē blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme but he that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenes but is culpable of eternall damnation Mark 3. So likewise is that place in Matthewe of the keyes expounded in Iohn 20. by remitting or retaining of sinnes by all the Apostles and not by Peter only Nowe out of this note that Christ is the head and only great shepheard of his church commeth forth many good fruitfull branches for this whole church that is many good lessons for vs in doctrine maners For if Christ be the head of this congregation then it shal be perpetual and for euer because the head of it is for euer therefore the body must be so also As the Lord promiseth in Ieremie cha 31. saying This saieth the Lorde which giueth the sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the moone and of the starres a light to the night which breaketh the sea when the waues thereof roare his name is the Lord of hostes If these ordinances depart out of my sight sayeth the Lorde then shall the seede of Israel cease from being a nation before me for euer Thus sayth the Lorde If the heauens can be measured or the foundations of the earth be searched out beneath then will I cast off all the seede of Israel for all that they haue done sayth the Lorde By the which wordes the Lorde meaneth that his church shall continue for euer as the sunne moone starres doe which surely is very comfortable to all his to consider that they shall be for euer as their head is and haue immortalitie with him Againe if Christ be from the beginning then he hath had this church also from the beginning first in Adam then in Abel and Seth and so foorth in Noe. And this he hath and will preserue for they are his members whome he loueth and feedeth as a father doth his deare and owne children Psalm 103. And if Christ be the head of it it must needes be holy also as here we doe beleeue For howe should the body be vnholy when the head is so holy although this holines be not ful and perfite here for the church is in a continuail warrefare and fight against sinne and wickednesse yet it shall be perfited hereafter when it shal be fully ioyned with her head in heauen In the meane season it is called holy because it contendeth for holinesse and because the holinesse of Christ is imputed vnto it but this is not in it selfe for the church is taught to pray daily Forgiue vs our trespases and there is no man without sinne that liueth here in earth 1. Ioh. 1. yea this
to beare vs out Seeing all other vaine questions are condemned of the Apostle Saint Paul Titus 3. The like is to be vnderstoode in making of the earth to comprehende all things in the earth whatsoeuer I doe see heare and vnderstande By the creation of these thinges celestiall and terrestiall I doe consider with my selfe these foure most excellent and diuine vertues in God which comprehende all the rest in them and to the which they may bee referred First by the great and wonderfull creation of the vniuersall worlde I learne to come to the consideration of his vnspeakeable power and greatnesse that he was able without and payne or labour at all yea with great ease and pleasure to create heauē and earth with his onely worde as the Prophet Dauid sayeth He spake the worde and it was done O what a great God is this to be feared ouer all the earth for his wonderfull greatnesse and Maiestie This doeth put vs in minde what a mighty God we do serue that wee may from our heart feare him The seconde thing to be considered in this creation generall is his infinite and inestimable wisedome in disposing so orderly and placing so seemely all thinges in their place and degree as it is most wonderfull to beholde with such beautie and proportion in euery creature that vnlesse we be too too blockishe we must crye out with Dauid and say and confesse O Lord howe wonderfull are thy workes in wisedome hast thou made them all And againe Great is our Lorde great is his power yea his wisdome is infinite To see the goodly order of heauen it will make a man to be astonied at the wisedome of his God more then the Queene of Saba was when shee came to see and heare the wisedome of Solomon For this wisedome by whome all thinges were made is the Sonne of GOD Iesus Christ the wisedome of his Father Iohn 1. Hebr. 1. And here we learne of this wisedome which he hath vsed and shewed in the creation a good lesson for our comfort that as the Lorde is almightie and able to deliuer vs his children and Church from the wicked so doeth hee knowe the wayes and meanes most perfitly and readily howe to doe it at all times For his knowledge passeth our vnderstanding farre Therfore Peter said The Lorde knoweth howe to deliuer the godly out of tentation and trouble and to punish the wicked 2. Pet. 2. So that when man can finde no way no deuice or meane how to shift him self out of daunger yet the Lord by his wisedome and knowledge hath diuers wayes to helpe Diuers examples of this are in the holy Scriptures when Moses and the Israelites were so entangled and compassed about that there seemed no way for them to escape so that Moses prayed to the Lorde most earnestly to deliuer them for he him selfe sawe no meanes howe to doe it being on euery side on the ryght hande and on the left compassed in with the hie hilles before them was the great redde sea behind them was the huge host of Pharao so that nowe all hope of life and succour was taken away then the Lorde founde a way in the middest of the sea to deliuer his people and to drowne his enemies so he declared his wisedome in preseruing them so miraculously So likewise when the virgin Marie dyd not see howe she shoulde conceyue and bring foorth a sonne being a mayde and not knowing any man and therefore sayde to the angel Howe shall this come to passe so strange and rare a matter the Lorde founde a readie way howe he brought it to passe that she conceiued by the operatiō of the holy ghost This made Solomon in his Prouerbs to say Chapter 21. There is no wisedome there is no vnderstanding there is no coūsell against the Lord. For he ouerthroweth the subtill fetches of the wisedome of this worlde as of Ieroboam in his politike counsel to make calues of Achitophel in his wilie practises The Pharisees in their snare that they had layde for our Sauiour Christ were taken them selues to their shame and reproche Thus the Lorde scattereth abroade the deuises of the wicked kings and princes of this worlde by his wisedome for theirs is foolishnesse to his 1. Cor. 3. Saint Paul is rauished with the consideration of this great wisedome and cryeth out saying O the depth of the riches wisdome and knowledge of God howe vnsercheable are his iudgements his wayes past finding our Rom. 11. Wee must then applie these things to our selues to receiue comfort and consolatiō by them When we looke vp into heauen downe in the earth or in the sea let vs thinke vpon the wisedome of the Lorde and glorifie him in it and say O Lorde howe wise art thou in all thy doings howe great is thy knowledge vnto me such knowledge is too excellent for me it passeth my reache and capacities So saide Dauid saye vnto God O how wonderful art thou in thy workes Unlesse we doe this we are vnthankefull beholders of Gods wisedome if we praise him not for it We may see it in our owne selues and in others euery day in our creation of our body and soule howe wise and wonderfull hee is These thinges we must meditate vpon dayly and thinke otherwise we are no better then bruite beastes which see them onely and beholde them but consider nothing in them Here we learne our duetie to our good God 3 Thirdly in the creation of the worlde we beholde as it were in a glasse the goodnesse of God his mercie towarde all men but especially to the elect and chosen that for them and their sakes he hath created these things and doeth dayly preserue by his prouidence euerye one of them so that hee hath not made them for him selfe I meane that hee needed not any of them being all sufficient in him selfe most happie and blessed which is meant by his name Shaddai which signifieth that hee is sufficient of his owne nature So that a true Christian man may say that his heauenly Father hath made all thinges for his vse and benefite heauen one daye to receiue him the earth to maynteyne him all creatures to serue him the Sunne Moone Starres to lyght him liuing creatures to feede him and to recreate him the angels to keepe and to preserue him in his wayes by his Fatherly appoyntment O what great benefites are here that we receiue of our mercifull Father by his creation of all things Here we learne our duetie to be thankful to God for them in the name of Iesus Christ his Sonne to vse these benefits to his honour and glorie to the profit and commodity of his Church and our brethren here with vs. And here I see by Gods goodnesse and mercie towarde me that hee hath not onely created these things at the first but he doeth preserue them euery houre by his power otherwise they woulde vanishe away and come to nothing
sinne actual as murder adultery is that I was conceiued in sinne and can doe nothing els of my selfe but sinne euery houre as Paul also cōplaineth of himselfe Rō 7. O wretched mā that I am who shal deliuer me frō the bodie of this death and then cōmeth vnto Christ thanketh him that he hath deliuered him from it We haue thē to cōfort our selues in this that Christ was conceiued for vs borne for vs died for vs whatsoeuer he did he did it for our profite and cōmodity In that that Christ was conceiued we also vnderstand the verity of Gods promises made vnto vs in the prophtes which had lōg before prophecied of it As in Esai 7. Behold saith he A virgin shall conceiue beare a sonne and she shall call his name Immanuel So we gather that God hauing perfourmed this he is alwayes iust true in his promises that he maketh to a thousād generatiōs And furthermore that the Prophets spake not by their own wil as Peter saith but by the wil spirit of God euen as they were led moued by the holy ghost 2. Pet. 1. So the whatsoeuer God ether speaketh or promiseth to the good godly to their comfort it shal come to passe as here in Esai God promiseth the cōceptiō of Christ for a cōfort to Hierusalē besieged w̄t her enemies whē Achaz was king Esa 7. Likewise on the contrary part whatsoeuer the Lord of hosts threatneth to the wicked destroyers of his Church shal also in due time be fulfilled and accōplished to the vttermost as vpō the Iewes for murdering of Christ vpon the Romane Emperours for going about to ouerthrow his cōgregatiō flock Although it be many times long before the Lord doth either deliuer the godly or punish the reprobate yet it is most sure certaine because his mouth hath spokē it that can not lie or deceiue as Balaam saith of him Hath he spoken shal he not performe it said it shal he not make it good That were vnpossible When we say that Christ was conceiued in the wombe of the virgin Marie his mother by the operation and worke of the holy ghost we meane that to bee spoken according to his humanitie only and not according to his diuinitie for so hee is likened to Melchisedech without father as touching his flesh without mother as concerning his godhead and yet we say that Christ was conceiued because Christ both God mā was ioined together in one person Therfore we must wisely distingush make a differēce betweene y◠two natures properties of Christ his māhod Godhead Whē Christ saith he can of him self do nothing he iudgeth no mā he knoweth not the day of iudgemēt that the father is greater thē hee with such like sentēces in that Gospel you must vnderstand these things to be spokē as he was only man In that he saith he was before Abraham and the father and he are al one and that the scripture termeth him The first begottē of all creatures the lord of al things the brightnes of his father these sayings are all applied to Christ as he is the sonne of God and God himselfe that made al things as Iohn saith of him By him al things were made If we marke obserue these two points the diuinity of Christ his humanity we shal finde great light and easines in reading the newe testament and things which were hard before wil seeme plaine euident vnto vs by this rule Thus haue ye heard the meaning the good lessons that may be gathered out of this 2. article of our christiā faith y◠cōception most pure most cleane of our sauior Iesus Christ First that he was conceiued as the word doth testifie Secondly wherefore he was conceiued which was because he might become very man to redeeme and suffer for man offending the maiestie of the almightie God Nowe let vs giue most hūble and heartie thankes as we are bound to this Iesus Christ y◠being so hie he woulde vouchsafe to descende so lowe for vs poore wretches as to be conceiued in the wombe of a maide to make vs pure and let vs also pray vnto his Maiestie that seeing his conceptiō is pure vnspotted he would also make ours so to be with the free imputatiō of his conception all other benefites of his death and passion that he would kill sinne in vs more and more daily by his spirit of sanctification that we may liue here in righteousnes and holines before him without feare al the daies of our life whē the sinfull course of this trāsitorie life is ended we may haue that life which neuer shall haue ende whose ioyes neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of mā can possibly conceiue or thinke which God grant vnto vs for his Sonne Christs sake to whom with the holie ghost be rendred al power dominiō praise and thankesgiuing both now and for euer So be it The third Lecture vpon the third Article of our Christian fayth which is Borne of the virgin Marie IN this article is mentioned and set downe vnto vs the natiuitie and birth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ how that he was borne not after the cōmon sort of men but of a maide or virgin not a married woman which knewe any man so that the meaning of this article in moe wordes is this I that am a Christian man or woman doe beleeue also that as Iesus Christ was conceyued by the holy Ghost so was he borne likewise for mee of his mother Marie she notwithstanding remayning still a virgin Out of the which article we haue to note these three good lessons and poyntes for our instruction and consolation First the birth it selfe secondly the maner of it with all the circumstances of the same thirdly the profit and commoditie that we may reape by it beleeuing it truely as we ought to doe 1 As concerning his birth Esai in his seuenth and ninth Chapter saith The Lord him selfe shall giue you a signe Beholde a virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and she shall call his name Immanuel butter and honie shall he eate till he haue knowelege to refuse the euil and to chuse the good Likewise the ninth Chapter Vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and he shal call his name Wonderful Coūseller The mightie God The euerlasting Father The Prince of peace the increase of his gouernment and peace shal haue no end he shal sit vpō the throue of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with iudgement and with iustice from henceforth euē for euer The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this Thus we see howe euidently Esai long before prophesied of this birth to the comfort of the people in his time The like thing doeth Ieremie also declare vnto vs in
of life So then as we are crucified with Christ vnto sinne and dead and buried thereto so must wee rise againe with him vnto righteousnes But of this more God willing in that article of his resurrection The last thing to be noted in this death of Christ is the paynes which he suffered which is called his descension into hell Although this bee last in wordes yet in sense it is to be ioyned with his crucifying and went before his death in body and buriall in the sepulchre The meaning therefore of this his descension is this that Christ our sauiour to redeeme vs both in body and soule which had offended God suffered the tormentes of hell the wrath infinite of his father for the time not onely in body but also in soule and did abide the most bitter and vnspeakeable sorowes of death in his minde and consciēce pressed downe with the burden of all our sinnes as if hee had bene forsaken of God his father In this hell and torment partly he was in his heauy agony in the garden when he swette as it were teares of blood trickling downe from his face his soule was verie heauie and sorowfull euen vnto the death so that there came an angel and comforted him from heauen Luke 22. This hell was so great vnto him that he prayed his Father if it were possible that the cuppe of his passion myght passe from him Yea which was most of all he was compelled for the very anguish and griefe of heart and soule to say and cry out O my God my God why hast thou forsaken me So that all the things that Christ suffered before were nothing to this that now he suffered whē he cryed out for very payne extreme sorowe of minde For we must remēber that Christ vpon the crosse did not only suffer paines in body as they did which were crucified with him which were the paines that the Iewes did put him to but farther he suffered the extreme wrath of God his father hanging vpon him heauier then heauen and earth which no angel was able to endure therfore that he might be able to endure and to cōquer it it was necessarie that he should be God also as well as man For he suffred for all the sinnes originall and actuall in thought worde and deede of all men that euer were or are or shall be from the beginning of the worlde from Adam vntill the ende of it I say he hath suffred sufficiently for them all and as great paynes and torments as any damned soules in hell can or shall suffer And was not this an hell trowe you vnto our Sauiour to abide in his bodie and soule all these torments which can not be vttered with any eloquēce or tongue of man Nothing had bene done for vs if Christ had dyed the common death of the body onely as other dyd It was necessarie therefore and very expedient that we might be perfectly redeemed in both partes both body and soule that hee shoule feele the seuere punishment of the vengeāce of God because he powred out his soule an offering for sinne and tooke vpon him our part which were the malefactors and offendors to bring vs vnto the fauour of God againe We must not thinke then yea God forbid we shoulde that he suffered no more payne then the Iewes put him to or the other two dyd which hanged with him For we see they cryed not out as Christ dyd for they felt not so much as he did which suffred for the whole worlde And all this was for our cause Let vs then applie it as a medicine to our wounds otherwise it will not heale vs. Take the shielde of fayth that when yee are in great torment and griefe for your sinnes as Satan doeth many times obiect them vnto you when yee are euen at the brinke of desperation then this will be a notable comfort vnto you to beare off all assaultes and grieuous tentations yea to quench the fiery dartes of the deuil to remember that our Sauiour Christ suffered the torments of hel euery one of them to deliuer you from thē This one lesson if it be well learned surely setled in our hearts will heale a wounded conscience will rayse vs vp from the gates of hel and will in our greatest distresse be very sweet vnto vs. Be our sinnes neuer so many either as the sands of the sea or as the starres of heauen as they can not be so many yet Christs mercy is aboue thē all greater thē they hath paide a sufficient price and ransome for them all If they were as redde as purple or as crimson yet they shal be made as white as wool and like to snowe Esay 1. A notable cōfortable place for before the Prophet sharply rebuked them of their grieuous sinnes and offences and nowe in these words promiseth them mercy if they will repent and amende and so turne to the Lord with their whole heart In this that Christ hath suffered the tormentes of hell for all we gather that all that are saued are saued by Christ alone from Adam vntill this time and to the ende of all the world for he is the lambe slayne from the beginning of the worlde Reuel 13. That is to say his death and passion was as effectuall to redeeme al that were before him that dyd beleeue in him that he shoulde come as it was auayleable afterwarde to saue all that are after him which do beleeue that he is come in the flesh already to saue them This is that that our Sauiour meant when he sayde that Abraham reioyced to see his dayes and sawe them that is reioyced in Christ that he shoulde be his Sauiour For none other is there giuen vnder heauen wherin we must be saued Actes 4. Thus wee see what is meant by these words descended into hell howe he suffered hellish tormentes for vs not that his soule went into hell after his death for it was in paradise in the hands of God as he commended it to his Father as the soules of the blessed are his body was in the graue Neither is there any place of scripture to proue any other discension thē this which is ful of trueth comfort They alledge y◠place of Dauid Psal 16. 10. But that doth proue vnto vs his resurrectiō that his body shoulde not be left in the graue as others were to see corruption and to rotte as Peter doeth apply it Act 2. 27. to proue his resurrection from death and not his descension into hell The place of 1. Peter 3. doeth shewe that the Spirite of Christ was in the dayes of Noe and preached by him to the wicked which were then rebellious and disobedient and are nowe damned soules in hell which he tearmeth spirites in pryson This is the meaning of Peter in that place as also good interpreters doe prooue Neyther did Christ descende into hell to fetch the godly Patriarkes
we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ to receiue euery man according to his woorkes which he hath done here in his body whether they be good or bad for the more orderly proceeding in this matter let vs cōsider howe many things are necessarily to be marked in this iudgement There are seuen points to be obserued in this matter first the iudgemēt it self secondly the iudge thirdly the persons that shall bee iudged fourthly the maner of this iudgemēt after what sort it shall be fiftly the time sixtly the place and last of all the finall cause or ende of this iudgement wherefore it is ordeined and reserued But before we speak of these things in order we must answere to an obiection which is cōmonly made of the vnskilfull and vnlearned against this iudgement for when they hear of this iudgemēt they aske to what ende it shall be seeing euery man that dieth is iudged already either to heauen or els to hel as soone as the breath is out of his body therefore it may seeme that this day is superfluous needeles To this we make answere that iudgement is of two sortes for there is a particular iudgement and a generall In the particular iudgement of God euery mā is iudged in soule incontinently as he departeth this life but this is for the soule only In the generall iudgement both the body soule shal be ioyned together and so enter either into ioye if they beleeue in Christ or into payne if they beleeue not For vntill this day the man is but vnperfit as hauing the soule onely in blisse and not his bodye which shall in this iudgement bee raysed vp and put vnto the soule To this ende is the generall iudgement and this article doeth proue vnto vs the resurrection of our bodies for if all must bee iudged euen in the bodyes also then the bodyes of the dead must rise agayne and come to iudgement to receiue in their bodies either euerlasting life to immortalitie if they haue done well here or els euerlasting death to their endles payne and griefe Agayne this daye is to make manifest vnto all men in the worlde euery mans estate eyther to saluation or condemnation for all shall appeare together before their iudge visibly The scripture doeth make mention of three commings of Christ The one was in the flesh among the Iewes in very poore estate base and simple when hee did redeeme vs this we doe beleeue to bee past and fulfilled already according to the Prophets against that wicked opinion of the Iewes which deny he is come in the flesh Another comming of Christ is by his holy spirite grace power and worde into our heartes and when his ministers doe come vnto vs in his name to preache his worde and Gospell vnto vs then is he sayde to come vnto vs. Of this cōming vnto euery faithfull mans conscience our sauiour speaketh of in the 14. of Saint Iohns Gospel on this wyse If any man loue me hee will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him And againe a litle before He that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I will loue him and will shewe mine owne selfe vnto him So we doe pray that his kingdome of grace may come vnto vs and wholy possesse our heartes and myndes But neither of these commings doe wee speake of in this place The thirde comming of Christ is to iudgement most royally in his glorious kingdome with all his mighty and holy Angels and whole number of his Saintes at the last daye when all shall appeare before him The last iudgement of Christ which was the first part of our diuision is most certayne and sure to come if any doubt of it let him reade these places for his confirmation for to recken thē all vp were too long and tedious a matter Matth. 24. 25. Mark 13. Luke 21. Iohn 5. Act. 1. 17. 10. chap. Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 5. Phil. 3. Colo 3. 1. Thes 4. 2. Thes 1. 1. Tim. 6. 2. Tim. 4 Titus 2. Heb. 9. Iam. 5. 8. 1. Pet. 1. 5. cha 2. Pet. 3. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Iude 14. Reuel 1. 20. chap. This iudgemēt of Christ shal be most iust and vpright although hee were most falsly iudged and condemned yet shall he iudge his enemies most truely Iohn 8. frō whose iudgement it shall not be lawful for any man to appeale Wee knowe saieth Paul that the iudgement of God is according to righteousnes Rō 2. And Abraham affirmed the like and so did Dauid The Lord shal iudge his people with equitie Although iudges here be corrupt and faulty as bribed with giftes affectioned with friendes lead with feare moued with fauour or by any other meanes induced to peruert iustice yet Christes iudgement shall haue none of all those corruptions and infirmities He shall haue most diuine yea infinite wisdome that hee be not deceiued not onely to see thinges open and manifest but also to iudge and to discerne the very secretes and thoughtes of the heart as Paul sayth Hee will lighten the things hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the heartes manifest 1. Cor. 4. His sentence shall be sincere and sounde not partial inclining more to one part then to another in whome neither the loue of friendes nor feare of foes nor bribery by giftes and rewardes shal haue any part or place For there is no respect of persons with Christ Roman 2. Seeing then beloued that this iudgement is so seuere and straight let vs be diligent that we may be founde of him in peace without spot and blamelesse as S. Peter doeth counsell vs. Thus much for the iudgement it selfe which was the first thing proposed Now let vs come to the second part to consider who is our iudge It is sayde that he shall come to iudge that is Christ for to him is al iudgement committted the father doth iudge in the person of his sonne Iohn 5. because all men shoulde honour the sonne as they honour the father I neede not to bring many places for the proofe of this the scriptures are full of it that Christ is the supreme iudge and I hope I neede not to perswade men in the doctrine Let vs rather see what we may gather out of this doctrine and apply it to our consciences for our consolation cōfort The vse of this doctrine y◠Christ is our iudge is two fold either in respect of the wicked or els as concerning the good As concerning the good y◠Christ shall be their only iudge they cā not but greatly reioyce conceiue a wonderful comfort that their sauiour brother shal be their iudge who although he wil not iudge partially yet surely being a brother sauiour yea the head of his body will iudge most mercifully therefore our sauiour biddeth vs when we see this iudgement drawe neere to lift vp our heades and
church may and hath erred as euery member particularly may erre as Peter did in the vocation of the Gentiles Act. 10. and in dissimulation in eating with the Gentiles withdrawing himself from them againe when Iames came to him and was iustly therefore reprehended of Saint Paul Gal. 2. Then if Peter erred so notable singular an Apostle others may erre also but yet returne with Peter yea the whole church at some time haue erred as al the Apostles doubted of Christes resurrection and yet they were the Church of Christ and the best men and most perfite that were then aliue Mark 16. verse 14. This I say to that ende that none should imagine such a perfection in the church as the Anabaptists doe and others which can not be attayned vnto in this life And therefore because they see some abuses some dissolute persons and some errors in the Church which is like a field that hath corne and tares in it they by and by depart from it and break and diuide the vnitie of the Church by their ignorance and frowardnesse not knowing that the kingdome of heauen which is the Church is cōpared of Christ himself to a net cast into the Sea that taketh both good and bad fyshes together in it Mat. 13. I speake not this to mayntayne any thing that is amisse if it may be reformed by order For I wish all thinges to be wel which are out of order in our church and I hope God will in his time cut off all disorders but I speake it to this ende that none should separate himself from hearing the woorde and receauing the Sacraments and from publicke prayers in the congregation If al things in the ministery be not so perfect as euery goodman would desire and as the word of God requireth it should bee we must in deede contend and indeuour for a perfection as much as lyeth in vs which I pray God may be earnestly sought for of euery one in his vocation But they that are priuate men must helpe with their prayers their teares and groninges and must seeke to further this woorke by continuall intercession to the Lorde and neuer to leaue off neyther to giue him any rest vntill he repayre and vntill hee set vp Ierusalem the prayse of the worlde And so for Sions sake they must not holde their tongue vntil the righteousnesse therof breake foorth as a light and the saluation thereof vs a burning lampe Which God put into the heartes and mindes of them that haue authoritie in the buylding and repairing of this spiritual Church vnto the Lord. For Christ himselfe frequented the temple at Hierusalem and there taught the people his fathers wil although the hie Priests the Scribes and Pharises had made it a dēne of theeues and wonderfully corrupted all things in it both by their doctrine and also by their manners neither did Paul separate himselfe from the church of the Corinthians although many abuses had crept in among them in so much that some denied the resurrection the chiefest poynt one of them in Christianitie yet notwithstanding all this hee called it a Church and the Corinthians sanctifyed in Iesus Christ And so wee see he did not withdrawe himselfe from them but vouchsafed thē the name of the church and goeth about as wee should all doe to bring them to the purity of the Gospel againe Thus much for this poynt let vs returne to our purpose Christ being the head of this church it shall not be hard for vs to discerne who are the members of it and who appertayne vnto the same This church is said to be holy and the communion of sayntes then all they that are holy sāctified by the spirit of Iesus Christ are of the nūber of this cōgregation for if they wil be of his body they must haue frō him holinesse which hath said Be ye holy for I am holy they ought to resēble him in their life cōuersatiō in godlines in integrity in innocēcie al other christiā vertues We see then howe we onght to endeuour to be like him these are the words of S. Iohn where that he sayth He that remayneth in him ought euen so to walke as hee hath walked That is he must be incorporated ingrafted to the body of Christ otherwise there is no saluation for him He is the true vine and we are the branches if we abide in him we bring forth much fruite wee shal be purged to bring forth more fruite but as the branche except it abide in the vine dieth withereth away without any fruit and is cast into the fire so is euery one that is not of the body of Iesus Christ Let vs therefore indeuour to be of this body for without the Church is no saluation as all perished by the waters which were not in the arke of Noe which was a true signe and figure of the church 1. Pet. 3. And as the hand cut off frō the body dieth and lacketh life so it is in the mysticall body of the Church no lyfe without the body of Christ and that is the thing that is meant in these places of holy scripture In the thirteenth chapter of Ezechiel the Lord threatneth the false prophets that his hand shal be vpon them that see vanity deuine lyes saying They shall not be in the assembly of my people neither shal they be written in the writing of the house of Israel neither shal they enter into the land of Israel Wherby he excludeth them frō his church So it is said in Ioel the second In mount Sion and Ierusalem shal be deliuerance as the Lord hath sayde The like is in Abdie but most notable is that place in the second of the Acts where it is sayd that the Lorde added to the church from day to day such as shoulde be saued giuing vs thus much to vnderstād that vnles they be in the church there is no saluation for them By this then we gather that if they only be mēbers of this church which beleeue in Christ and are holy then the Turkes Iewes which beleeue not in Christ but persecute him most deadly are not of the church because they are not vnited ioyned to this body Likewise all the Heretikes which haue broken the vnity peace of this Church some by denying the humanitie of Christ and some his diuinitie are not to be counted members of Christ neither they that haue departed from the felowship of the godly and sayntes of God to Antichrist can haue any part in this congregation or be heyres of life vnles they returne againe with speede to the Church Here likewise are all Atheists and vngodly liuers shut out from this church For they communicate not with the saintes either in life or doctrine neither doe they relieue the poore and afflicted members of Iesus Christ with the blessings which God hath bestowed vpon them so that there is no communion of brotherly loue among
the outward signes whereby the Church of Christ may bee knowen from the temple of idoles I am not ignorant that there are other signes as the holy Ghost and faith which because they are inwarde and knowen to God and euery mans owne conscience I let them passe I onely speake here of the visible signes and markes of the church whereby it is manifested vnto men such as the worde and Sacramentes be If then these be the signes of true Christians let vs that are English men vse them diligently let vs in season and out of season heare the worde with reuerence embrace it let vs withal confirme it in our hearts as with a seale by the reuerent receiuing of the sacraments of our Lorde Iesus Christ This ground being layde that the Church is knowen by the worde of Christ and his Sacramentes beyng vsed as hee ordayned them we can not acknowledge the Church of Rome to be this Catholike Church of Christ for shee hath not these markes in her forehead For it is most manifest that shee hath burned this worde of Christ in the fire and refused it and in steade of it sette vp the worde of man the decrees of Popes and constitutions of their owne as the liues of Saintes in their Legende which is full of abominable lies they mainteyne their own traditions aboue this worde and haue them in greater estimation so that the neglect of their owne trumpery as to eate flesh in Lent or to breake their fasting dayes is more seuerely punished by them and made a greater matter then the open contempt of Gods Lawes For the adulterie of their Priestes Friers and their Nunnes was counted but a light matter no sinne with them Here we see what all the worlde may iudge of them and these thinges to bee true experience it selfe doeth testifie And if at any time they gaue the people the worde which is called of Paul the sworde of God wherewith all Christians ought to fight and therefore shoulde be common as well to the laytie as the Cleargie as they tearme them If I saye they gaue it at any time vnto them yet they gaue it as a sworde in the sheath that is in the Latine tongue wherein they vnderstoode nothing at all contrarie to the expresse wordes of Paul saying That all thinges shoulde bee done to edification in the Church and that hee had rather speake fiue wordes in a knowen tongue then fiue thousande without the vnderstanding of the people 1. Corinth 14. I saye these men are guyltie of the death of the Lordes people which sende them out to fight with their enemies and yet take awaye their weapons and swordes from them and so leaue them naked and bare to the spoyle of the enemie This did the Churche of Rome when it first tooke away here with vs the scriptures and worde of God in English from the people and fedde them with toyes fables of Beuis of South Hampton and such like fabulous bookes which were inuented by the deuils instruments to keepe the people from reading of the holy Scriptures And no maruayle if they did so that is take away the worde from them for they knewe well ynough that if the people had the Scriptures in their owne tongue they woulde quickly see and perceiue their knauery and treacherie that they so closely vsed in corners But when they had put out the candle they played many sluttish partes and no man sawe them although the Lorde then winked not at them but hath in his good tyme disclosed them to their shame his name be praysed therefore We see then that this false church of Rome hath dealt with the Scriptures and the people as the Philistins handled Samson for they put out his eyes and then they led him whither they woulde so the Papistes when they had subtilly put out the eyes of the people in taking from them the light of Gods worde and the Gospell of Christ they brought them where they listed made thē beleeue what they woulde They thought good to be ill ill good they called sweete sowre and sowre sweete light darkenesse and darkenesse lyght and all because they had not the word which was the true light vnto their paths and a lanterne vnto their feete Psal. 119. Then was it altogether thought good and godly to goe on pilgrimage to offer to Saintes to praye to them to haue images in Churches to beare candles to kisse the Pax to goe on procession with a thousand such trumperies which we were delited with as yong children in toyes and trifles whereas now we willingly cōdemne them and are ashamed of them because we haue the light which hath made them manifest and sheweth vnto vs that we henceforth be no more children wauering caryed about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceite of men and with craftinesse whereby they lye in wayte to deceyue vs But let vs follow the trueth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ Ephes. 4. ver 14. 15. By these thinges we see that Rome is not the true Church because it hath forsaken the worde of God whereby the Church is gathered together as men to battell by the sound of a drumme or trumpet Nowe as they haue done in the word in mangling it so haue they in like maner corrupted and altered the true vse of the Sacramentes both in adding vnto them and taking away from them not being contented with the simplicitie and that order that Christ vsed them in To Baptisme haue they added of their owne spittle creame and salt with such like trash the cuppe haue they taken away from the common people and say it was ordayned for the Priestes onely when as our sauiour Christ sayde Drinke ye all of this Matth. 26. They say not al but the Priests onely so that when Christ sayth one thing they say another contrary vnto it Furthermore they worship the bread and say that it is turned into the bodie of Christ become God where they commit both idolatrie in worshipping a creature as the bread and blasphemie in that they say it is God Seeing then they haue not these marks for their church let vs see what markes they shewe vnto vs. First they say that their Vniuersalitie or multitude is a signe of the Catholike Church but this is vtterly false confuted both by the testimonies and authorities of the scriptures and also by many examples out of them For first if multitude make the Catholike Church then the Turkes and Pagans shall be the Church sooner and before the Papistes as the euent doeth shew for they are moe in number then the Christians or their pretended Catholikes which yet I thinke they will not graunt to be the Church But they will say Among the Christians the greatest number are the Church If this be so then sayde not our sauiour Christ truely when hee called his Church a little flocke saying Feare not
the Church by a lineall descent to be with them why then should not the hye Priests in Christes time as Annas and Caiaphas Ananias in the time of the Apostles be the true Church for they had their succession from Aaron the first hie Priest ordayned by God himselfe and might haue obiected this to Christ and did also their lineall desceÌ„t from Abraham and yet they were of the synagogue of Satan Christ doeth call them blinde guides generation of vipers hypocrites fooles and doeth not take them for his Church but whippeth them all out of it rather We see then that succession is nothing to prooue the Church by for then the Scribes Pharises and hye Priestes shoulde haue bene of the Church in Christes time They obiect furthermore a generall consent and agreement to prooue the Church vnto vs but we know that a consent and agreemeÌ„t without God and this worde is rather a conspiracy then a consent But to cut off this visour also in a worde was not there a general coÌ„sent of al the people of yâ— Iewes with the chiefe elders also the Scribes the Pharisees the hie priests with Herode and Pilate in the time of Christ to condemne him to crucifie him For Luke reporteth saying TheÌ„ al the multitude cried at once saying away with him and deliuer to vs Barabbas and the voices of them and of the hie priestes preuailed Luk. 23. Behold here was a whole and vniuersall consent agreement and yet for all that it was against the trueth euen Iesus Christ the author of al trueth But do they agree among them selues are they not at variance yet what purgatorie should be some appointing it to be fire some water some I se and snowe Were not the Dominican friers against the Franciscans about the conceptioÌ„ of the virgin Marie deuided Are they agreed about the matter of the sacrament some holding that he is there onely in qualitie some in qualitie quantitie too Doe they agree in the number order of their Popes and bishops Platina differing froÌ„ Eusebius some appointing mo and some lesse Are not fathers against fathers and councils against councils Popes against Popes aâ—â— regorie against them all in the name of the vniuer sall bishop which he iustly thinketh to be the name of Antichrist And yet shall we thinke they doe agree or that they can not erre or that these things aboue rehearsed as multitude antiquitie with custome consent traditions succession ancient fathers generall councils are sufficient proofes of the church to bee with them Councils haue erred and bene contrary one to an other for the couÌ„cil of CoÌ„stantinople ordained that images should not be had in the church after that the couÌ„cill of Nice the second erected them and decreed that they shoulde bee had and worshipped They also go about to proue their church by the authoritie of Doctors of the Churche but it is manifest that they haue all erred bin deceiued in some point or other yea euen of doctrine so that they are not to be rules notes to knowe this church by for they are but men haue now or theÌ„ in doctrine not only in maners slipped from the truth Ireneus Victorinus Lactantius subscribed to the opinion of the Millinaries which thought that Christ after the day of iudgement should raigne with his for a thousand yeeres here vpon earth being deceiued with the place of Iohn Reuel 20. not wel vnderstoode where as hee doth interprete that M. yeere in another place for euer Reue. 22. Augustine thought that all children dying without baptisme were damned which is an heresie Epiphanius defendeth that it was a tradition of the Apostles six dayes before Easter to eate nothing but bread and salt Ierom condemned the second mariages of men and counted them al a thing most absurde and erronious no better then fornication By these things then the church is not discerned neither is glorie pompe honor riches externall beauty and outward successe and happines any note of this church of Christ as the Papistes will beare vs in hande by reason of their glistering and glorious church of Rome The contrary thinges are markes of Christs Churche as pouertie affliction no shewe to the eye or any externall felicitie For Christ hath sayde his churche shall be vnder the crosse and not in any beauty or gorgeousnes to the outward eye of the worlde The harlot strumpet goeth most commonly better trimmed and decked in apparell then the honest woman and matrone of an house so is the whorish church of Rome it hath all things for to please well the outward senses to allure men vnto her It hath for the eare her delicate musicke singing piping organs and ringing of bels and this in excesse also It hath for the nose sweet smels frankinsense and such like For the eyes it hath to please them goodly copes crosses of siluer and golde pictures of Christ and many images of saintes with such like baggage and foolish trashe and for the belly to delite idle lubbers and loyterers there was good chere kept in abbeyes and monasteries but in the meane season what was all this to feede the hungry soules surely nothing The worde of Christ was then gone from them yea Christ him selfe was shut out with them and his mother Marie more sought to more prayed to and more esteemed then he him selfe Here were al things for the body and by this they would proue vnto vs that they were yâ— true church Wel if we would know the church let vs thinke it to be there where two or three are gathered together in Christes name and howe should they bee gathered together without his word and commandement And this agreeth to yâ— saying of S. Augustine If they will here admit him He that will knowe saith he which is the true church of Christ he can not know it by any other meanes then onely by the scriptures We see here how resolute he is in this case Ex homilia 49. operis imperfecti in Matth. And againe he saith Christians willing to receiue the stedfastnes of a true faith let theÌ„ fly to nothing but to the scriptures Otherwise if they looke vnto other things they shal be offended and perishe not vnderstanding which is the true church and so they shall fall into the abomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the church How we may plainely vnderstand what are the signes of the true church and what also are the bodies of the church of Antichrist at Rome euen murdering of the saints of Christ contempt of the word and sacrameÌ„ts worldly prosperitie with a multitude of ill men with sworde to defend it Furthermore this church that it may be the better knowen of vs therfore hath it diuers and sundry names in the scriptures lest we should be deceiued by yâ— false church It is called yâ— sheepfold of Christ doing vs to vnderstand that those yâ— belong
7. Yea this confession acknowledging of our faults must sometime be made to our neyghbour or brother if we haue offended him and we must are commaunded to seeke reconciliation at his handes as our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the altar there remēbrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift And this is that thing that S. Iames meant in his Epistle 5. Chap. Acknowledge your faultes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed not so that wee allowe any papisticall shrift or a vaine confession of all our sinnes in the eare of a masmonging Priest which can do vs no good but rather taketh an occasion him selfe to bee ill when he heareth the lewde deedes of some But wee meane that an agreement is to bee sought for with submission one to another if any man be offended Neyther doeth this place of Iames prooue the Popish confession as they woulde haue it for hee speaketh not here of the Priest but of all Christians And if so bee they will haue this place to prooue it then must their Priest confesse as well his sinnes to the people as the people to him for so goe the wordes of the text One to another acknowledge your faultes Notwithstanding if any man feele him selfe grieued with his sinne and clogged in his minde and conscience if then hee resort to his godlie and learned Pastor or preacher in the parishe and tell it vnto him to haue comfort and his aduise what to doe hee can not iustly for this bee reprehended of any because it is both good and godly But to number vp al their sinnes to the minister as the papistes woulde haue it no man can doe for who knoweth howe oft hee offendeth as Dauid sayth Psalme 19. neyther is this thing warranted by any authoritie or example in scripture But to our purpose wee see then by these thinges that as we are sinners all the sort of vs so wee must not dissemble them if wee truely intende to haue remission of them but with our whole heart we ought to confesse them vnto the Lorde And here is to bee noted that in this article wee doe beleeue and confesse a remission or forgiuenesse of sinnes and not a satisfaction of vs for our sinnes as the aduersaries teach that wee must satisfie for our sinnes and purchase pardons from Rome by money by masses and such trumperies as going on pilgrimage barefoote by fastings and lying in hearecloth Surely if these things bee added to take away our sinnes then is not this our article true which sayth that there is a free remission of sinnes without paying any thing at all of our part euen as the detter when hee hath nothing to pay or discharge his dette some godly creditour doeth freely forgiue him Nowe if hee shoulde pay any thing or halfe of it then it is not freely forgiuen but partly forgiuen and partly payde but Iohn pronounceth that if any man thirst he may come and take of the well of the water of life freely Reuelation 20. 22. Esay 55. If wee may take away any of our sinnes by satisfying for them then all is not due to the blood of Iesus Christ but Iohn sayth that it is the blood of Christe and no other thing that doeth purge vs from all our sinne Wee with all our merites and good deedes can not satisfie Gods wrath and anger conceiued for one of the least of our offences for the least sinne that we committe deserueth euerlasting hell fire and howe then can wee satisfie except wee bee freely forgiuen This Dauid well vnderstoode saying If thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities O Lorde who may stande but marke what Dauid addeth and it confirmeth our position and purpose but mercie saith hee is with thee that thou maiest be feared Psal 130. Hee declareth vnto vs sufficiently that wee can not bee iustified before the most pure God but by forgiuenesse of sinnes and therefore pronounced that man blessed that had his sinnes forgiuen not that had satisfied for them Our sauiour doeth teach his to pray in humilitie Forgiue vs our sinnes and not to say Giue vs grace or might to satisfie for them Thus much for the first poynt that if wee will haue pardon of our sinnes wee must first confesse and acknowledge them for what should God forgiue vs if we were not sinners The seconde thing to consider in this article is to knowe to whome to come vnto for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and for whose sake they are remitted otherwise to knowe and beleeue a remission of sinnes is in vaine for as it is bootelesse for a man that is very hungrie to knowe and beleeue there is meate in the worlde except he knew the place the man that had it for him that he might resort vnto him and as it is in vayne to confesse thy disease and sickensse vnles thou know some good Physicion who may helpe thee so surely it shall profite vs nothing at all to knowe or to confesse our sinnes if wee bee ignorant of the mediatour that should take them away yea if the sicke person shoulde seeke out such a Physition as either could not or would not cure him his labour also were vnprofitable and all one as if the needy man shoulde goe to one for an almes that is as needy as hee him self Let vs therefore take diligent heede to this that being sicke of our sinnes in our soules we goe and runne to such a cunning Physition as we are sure both can and will for his abilitie and compassion cure and heale our infirmities and hath a salue for euery sore and maladie This cure and Physicke for all diseases resteth not in any creature whatsoeuer no not in the Angels for they neede a mediatour to holde them al vp not in the Saintes for eyther they are all sinners as those aliue here in the earth or els haue bene all sinners as they in heauen and therefore neede a mediatour as well as wee There is no creature therefore in this great cure of sinnes that can doe vs any good nay rather wee shall be woorse and woorse runnyng to them as the woman in the Gospell was with the issue of blood seeking vnto Phisitions vntill shee came to Christ who cured her immediatly Luke 8. for he is only the good Physition that came to cure our deadly woundes Matthewe 9. Will yee then knowe who this is that onely forgiueth sinnes Marke what the holy Ghost saith Ioh. 1. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Who is this onely lambe of God but Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD slaine from the beginning of the worlde for the sinnes of the people for there is but one mediatour betweene God man the man Iesus Christ 1 Timo. 2. and he hath giuen