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 [Page] 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, [Page] which are contayned in the last three arti­cles, which are annexed and ioyned vnto the Church, as The remission of sinnes, the re­surrection of the bodie, and the life euer­lasting. These are the benefites which fol­lowe the Church. This is the diuision of the Creede. Out of the first article we haue to note these two things: first that we must beleeue in God: secondly, what maner of God it is, in whome we doe beleeue. The meaning of these wordes is this, I the ser­uant and childe of God, I, I say, & not ano­ther for me, doe beleeue, hope and trust in one almightie, eternall & euerliuing God, which is not only a God of might vnto me, to be able to do all thinges, but a most mer­cifull father in Iesus Christ, most willing and ready to helpe me in al troubles and ad­uersities of this life, when I shall cry & call vnto him. First therefore we learne here to beleeue & trust in God only, and not in any creature whatsoeuer, for they cannot helpe vs, as Dauid sayeth in his Psalmes, Vaine is the helpe of man. It is thou that sauest me from mine aduersaries. And here note, that there is a great differēce betwene these three, to beleeue God, & to beleeue there is a God, & to beleeue in God, the deuils beleue [Page] the first & the second, that God is true of his word and promise, which is, to beleeue God, & they also beleeue there is one God and no moe, and tremble, as S. Iames the Apostle sayth, Chap. 2. 19. but they beleeue not the third, that is, in God, which is as much as to embrace & acknowledge him for our good God, and to sticke to him, and to his worde only. This is proper to the Elect & children of God, not to the deuils and reprobates, which doe not trust in him. For they lacke a true iustifying faith, which is defined to be a sure trust in the mercies of God & his pro­mises, made vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Sonne, (by whom he hath adopted vs) that he wil be mercifull vnto vs, & forgiue vs all our sinnes. This is faith, & this is it that we must haue, when we say, I beleeue in God. For faith must looke vnto God, & not to a­ny man or angel, or saint in heauen. There­fore Paul said to the iayler, asking howe he might be saued, when he had abused & cruel­ly handled the Apostles, Actes 16. Beleeue, saieth he, in the Lorde Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saued. Surely he could not haue sayde, Beleeue in Christ, vnlesse he had bene very God: and marke howe he sayeth not, Be­leeue Iesus Christ, but, Beleeue in the [Page] Lord Iesus, and thou shalt be saued, as it is sayde here in our Creede, I beleeue in God. This that we must beleeue in God, is warranted by our sauiour Christ, saying to his disciples, Beleeue in God, let not your heartes be troubled, Iohn 14. So that this doctrine to beleeue in God & in no other, is a doctrine of comfort to al the godly, and to settle their hearts that they be not troubled or caried away with vaine persuasions of men and of Angels, which Paul forbiddeth, Colos. 2. But here may a question be made, why we say not, as in the Lordes prayer in the plurall number, Our Father, and for­giue vs our trespasses: so here also in like sort, why say we not, We beleeue in God? First I answere, that is a prayer to God, & this is a confession of our faith. Then I say the case is not all one or alike. For I may pray for another man, 1. Tim. 2. and am commanded so to doe, because we are al members of the same body of Christ, so that my prayer may helpe and profit him. But I can not be­leeue for another man, neither shal my faith and beliefe profit another man, except he be­leeue him selfe the promises of Christ: for euery man shall be saued by his owne faith, as y ^e Prophet Habakuk saith, Chap. 2. The [Page] iust man shal liue by his own faith. And this notably confoundeth & reproueth that fond and false opinion of the papistes, which say that it is inough to beleeue generally as the church beleeueth, not knowing how or what to beleeue. This sentēce also reproueth and conuinceth another heresie of theirs which say, that a man may be iustified by his owne works. Here it is sayd, The iust shall liue by his faith, and not by his good workes or deedes. And when Habacuk saith, his faith, he meaneth not that faith is of our selues, but that faith which doth saue vs, is within vs in our hearts, & not without vs in other men, meaning neuerthelesse, that faith com­meth from God aboue, and not of vs. As Iames chap. 1. And this doth teach vs to ap­ply the mercies of God vnto our selues, say­ing, I beleeue as well as other men, y ^t God wil help me, & be my father. This is a great cōfort which the godly only haue, and not y ^e wicked, as Dauid saith, The Lorde is his Lorde as wel as he is a lord to other. Thus much on whō we must beleeue, y ^t is, in God only. Now secōdly consider w ^t your selues in what maner of god you doe beleeue and trust: not in such a one as the Paynims did, that could not help them, as Iupiter, Apol­lo, [Page] Diana and such like, which did appoint a multitude of them to gouerne and guyde the worlde, because they thought that one was not able ynough of himselfe, and there­fore made one for heauen, as Iupiter, ano­ther for the sea, as Neptune. One for hell as Pluto. One for the fire as Vulcan. Nei­ther are wee taught here to beleeue in such a god as the wicked Israelites did, called Baal, which could not heare them when they cryed vnto him, as it is in the booke of the Kings, whō Elias reproueth, 3. Kings. 18. Chap. Of such Idols and gods the Pro­phet Dauid speaketh, and derideth them & their worshippers, Psal. 115. Saying, they haue mouthes and speake not, eares and heare not, eyes & see not, noses and smell not, hands and handle not, feete and walke not, neither make they a sound with their throte. Neither haue we such pety gods of stone and wood, as the papists haue their I­mages. But our God in whō we do confesse that we beleeue, is such a one as is a father, for his goodnes and mercie: and almightie, for his strength and power. This doth Da­uid meane, when hee doeth speake of his great God, and setteth him against al other false gods of the idolaters, saying, as for [Page] our God, he is in heauē. As if he would say, he is a most mightie God, and both what so­euer hee will, no man can hinder or let his power. This as it is a great comfort to all the godly, to haue such a God to ayde them at all neede, so it is a terror to the wicked to consider that they haue to doe with such a God as is omnipotent, able to beate them to peeces and powder, when they resist him. As hee did mightily destroy Pharao, so did hee wonderfully deliuer his people and children the Israelites out of his handes, from the read sea. So he declared him selfe an omnipotent father. We see then here as in other places, how God ioyneth his pow­er and iustice to terrifie, and also his mercie and clemency to comfort. I say they are put both together, euen to terrifie the godly al­so, y ^t they should not commit sinne, but feare to offende such a mightie Father. So it is said in the beginning of our prayer, Our fa­ther, to comfort vs, but it is said also, in hea­uen, to magnifie his power & greatnes ouer al things. Likewise in the giuing of y ^e Law it is saide, Heare O Israel, I am y ^e Lorde, great & terrible, no doubt, to put thē in mind to feare him reuerently, and not to presume vpon him. But yet he addeth comfort after­ward, [Page] saying, Thy God, to deliuer thee here­after, which hath bene thy God already. Thus we see that both must goe together, Gods iustice, and Gods mercie, as Dauid said, Thy rod & thy staffe, they cōfort me, Psal. 23. Wee call him father, not in respect of our creation, for so he is our Maker and Creator: neither in respect of our gouern­ment, for so he is our Lord and master: and those names are not so comfortable vnto vs, because hee is so, that is, a Lord and maker, euen to the wicked and reprobate. But wee call him father, first in respect of Christ, which is his onely begotten and beloued sonne: Then in that we are his children ad­opted in Christ our elder brother, which hath made vs all sonnes and children to his hea­uenly father, by his death and passion, by his obedience, by his fulfilling of the lawe, and by his satisfaction for our sinnes, as Iohn saith, Chap. 3. Behold what loue the father hath shewed vnto vs, that we should bee called the sōnes of God. This is a maruei­lous comfort, y ^t the God of the whole earth, the Lord of lords, is a louing father vnto vs. And this is in Christ Iesus, that wee haue this dignity & prerogatiue aboue others, not in our selues, nor by birth and nature, for so [Page] we are the sonnes of Gods ire & wrath, of cōdēnatiō, because of our sinful father Adā, transgressing Gods cōmandemēt. Whē we name him almighty, we do not cōceiue him to haue such a power which he doth not vse, but in saying this, we confesse and acknow­ledge, y ^t he hath al things & creatures vnder his power & obedience, euen y ^e deuils them­selues, as we see in y ^e Gospel, how they sub­mitted thēselues to Christ y ^e sonne of God, & how he asked leaue, before he could do any thing to Iob, Iob. 1. Again, we must needes graūt, that being omnipotēt, and almighty, he doth all things that are done, he ruleth & gouerneth heauen & earth, the sea and hel, & all things in them, the whole world at his beck doth bend & yeld it self. So y ^t our God being so mighty, is not an idle God in hea­uen, as y ^e wicked do imagine, but disposeth al things by his iust & wise prouidēce, how­soeuer they fal out: nothing cōmeth to passe w ^tout his wil and coūsel, no not the flight of Sparrowes. Mat. 10. For if y ^e Lord should not vphold heauen and earth, yea the whole world w ^t his power, it would fal to nothing, to dust & ashes: therefore it is said, y ^t Christ doth susteine all things by the worde of his might, Hebr. 1. And here our faith hath a [Page] double cōfort, by y ^e prouidence & omnipotē ­cie of God. First because it considereth, that God hath sufficient power to defende his Church. Secōdly, because he is willling to do it. It foloweth, maker of heauē & earth. This proueth, y ^t he is almighty, because he hath made heauē & earth of nothing, when it was not, Gen. 1. And this doth notably con­fute the wicked & false opinions of y ^e Philo­sophers, as Plato & Aristotle, who greatly to y ^e derogation & impairing of Gods glory & power, thought & held that the world was eternal frō y ^e beginnings, and neuer made, neither should haue ende. But this is false & blasphemous against God. We learne here another lesson in our faith, that y ^e world was made and had a beginning, and shall haue an ending, as Moses proueth the one, & Peter y ^e other, 2. Epist. 3. Chap. Now by making of heauē and earth, we vnderstand al things conteined in heauen & earth, as the sea. For Dauid saith, The sea is his, and he made it, 95. Psa. The things in heauē, as his angels, y ^e things in earth, men, beasts, fishes, foules, worms, & al other sensles creatures whatso­euer. It is therfore, as if we should say, ma­ker of al things, visible which we see, & inui­ble which we see not, as in y ^e Creed of y ^e coū ­sell [Page] of Nice in more fully expressed. And this was done, because of the Heretikes called y ^e Maniches, which did appoynt two beginnings of things created, the one good, which was God, and him they made the beginner of all good thinges, the other they imagined to be ill, which was the deuil, and him they set ouer the euill things, and sup­posed him the maker of them. But these men were deceiued, which thought any ill thing to be created and made ill at the first, for the scripture doth otherwise pronounce of al things, that they were exceeding good. Genes. 1. But in that any thing is ill, it is by deprauation and corruption, by the sinne of man, of Adam, and not by creation: for the deuill was made an Angel, but he fell and lost his first estate, and so became a de­uill and wicked spirit by his owne corrup­tion and will, as Peter proueth. 2. Epistle 2. Chap. Nowe if the deuill made some things, thē God made not al: but what saith y ^e scripture? The Lord hath made al things for his owne sake: he saith not some things, but al: nay he goeth further, & addeth, euen y ^e wicked for the day of euil. not y ^t he created them wicked: for hee made them in Adam perfit and good: but he hath appointed them [Page] to serue to his honour and glory: although they bee vessels of wrath, he is glorified in them after a sort, although not so as hee is glorified in the good. For therefore dyd he sturre vp Pharao King of Egypt, be­cause he woulde shewe his glory vpon him, Rom. 9. Seeing then God hath made hea­uen, he hath made also all the ornaments of heauen: as the heauenly spirits, the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres to gouerne the earth by their light. For in that we giue him the creation of the greater, wee must needes graunt the lesser, and hee that can make the great and huge heauens of no­thing, is able also to make the things con­teyned in them of lesse importance. As con­cerning the Angels, it is sufficient for vs to know, that they were all made of the Lorde for his wil and pleasure, to be his ministring Spirites, to execute his commandementes and iudgements against the wicked, and for to serue for those that shalbe heires of salua­tion, Hebr. 1. It is but curiositie to enquire of the time of the creation, or of the orders and estate in heauen. Moses telleth vs a good and short lesson, that heauen and earth were made perfect in sixe dayes, with al the hostes and furniture of them, and saieth no [Page] more of this matter, to teache vs sobrietie in these things, to wade no farther then we haue the warrant of the worde 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, Potentia Dei. 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 [Page] this creation generall, Sapientia Dei. 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 coū ­sell 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 [Page] 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 Bonitas Dei. 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 [Page] 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, as Dauid sayeth, If thou take away thy breath from them, That is, his power from his creatures, they dye. So that [Page] here we see Gods prouidence ouer vs, and all things. For he woorketh dayly by pre­seruing and keeping his creatures in their estate, as Christ saith, My Father hitherto woorketh, and I woorke, by maynteyning things created. For God is not like a car­penter that maketh an house, and setteth it vp in deede, but afterwarde neuer perad­uenture seeth it againe, but leaueth it to the dweller and owner of it, the master thereof, and careth no more for it. If God shoulde deale so with vs, it woulde be ill and wrong with vs: for the deuill woulde dayly destroy vs, if he did not keepe vs and all ours. For we are not able to keepe our selues, no not a minute of an houre. Here therefore ac­knowledge in the mercie of God, his Fa­therly care and prouidence ouer vs and all his creatures.

4 The last thing we learne of the creati­on of the worlde, is the iustice of God, how he gouerneth it rightly in equitie & iudge­ment, as the Prophet singeth, All the waies of the Lord are iudgement & equite. For vnlesse hee dyd execute his iustice vpon the wicked, they woulde destroy his Church: but he keepeth them vnder, as it were with a bridle, and hampereth euen the proude [Page] tyrants and deuils of hell, by his seuere iu­stice shewed vpon them. So that the Lorde is iust in all his wayes, yea his wil is a most perfite rule and patterne of iustice. Dauid often repeateth this lesson, to terrifie the wicked, Iust art thou, O Lorde, & right are thy iudgements, Psalm. 119. So sayde the Emperor Mauricius, being killed by Pho­cas. This do the wicked confesse thēselues, when they feele his heauy hand vpon them for their sinnes and offences, as Pharao did when the hayle destroyed the cattell of E­gypt, saying vnto Moses & Aaron, I haue nowe sinned, the Lorde is righteous, but I and my people are wicked, Exod. 19. Thus the reprobate, whether they will or no, must confesse the Lorde to be righteous in his workes. For as the Lord is merciful to For­give the sinnes of his children that are true­ly penitent, and not obstinate: so is he also a most iust Iudge ouer all the earth, to exe­cute his sharpe punishments vpon the mali­tous and wilful sinners. The Iudge of the worlde doeth according to iustice, as Abra­ham sayde of him, when he was about to de­stroy Sodoma, Gen. 18. I delite, sayth the Lorde, in iustice, mercy, and iudgement, Ierem. 9. Examples of his iustice he hath [Page] shewed in y ^e flood brought in vpon the wic­ked. Example of his mercie, in sauing Noe and his familie: so that his iustice and mer­cie goeth alwaies together, as Dauid saith, I will sing of mercie and iudgement, Psal. 101. representing the person of Christ, which should be in his kingdom, as wel iust as mercifull: a Lion of the tribe of Iuda, to teare in pieces the wicked, and a Lambe to preserue his with al gentlenesse & softnesse. Looke vpon Sodome, how the Lord shew­ed there his extreme and seuere Iustice vpō those miscreants, to consume them with fire and brimstone from heauen most terribly, Gen. 19. and as Peter sayeth, Made them an example for all ages and posterities to come, of his iustice against sinne and vn­cleannes, 2. Pet. 2. But yet then hee deliue­red iust Lot out of tentation and trouble. Note his mercy in it, to the good & godly. I might heere recken vp the examples of Sennacherib, of Achab, of Nabuchodono­zor, of Herode, of Iulian, and such other persecuting kings and Emperours against the Church of Christ: whome all God in his iustice hath ouerthrowen and vtterly destroyed. This we learne, that God doeth also preserue the state of mankinde by his [Page] iustice, that one doeth not ouerrunne ano­ther, as wilde beastes. Then by this wee learne to stand in feare of Gods iustice, if we sinne at any tyme desperately, least we be caught vp with it, and suddenly consu­med, If his wrath be kindled, yea but a li­tle, blessed are al they that put their trust in him, Psalme 2. For our God in his wrath and iustice is a consuming fire, as Hebr. 12. And it is an horrible thing, to fall into his handes. If he be angry, who may abide or stande in his sight, when the hilles melte away, and the sea is dried vp, and the hard rockes cleaue asunder? O that we had this consideration of his iustice be­fore our eyes continually, it would keepe vs from all sinne and vngodlines: for there­fore we sinne, because wee feare not this iustice of the Lordes. There is no feare of god (sayeth Dauid of the wicked) before their eyes, therefore they sinne. We see then what wee haue to note vpon this article of our Christian beliefe, and what commodity commeth vnto vs of the creation of all thinges by God, howe we gather and consider of his infinite great­nesse, by his wonderfull woorkes: for the heauens declare the glory of God, [Page] and y ^e firmament sheweth his handy worke. And this is one way to come to God, as to be without excuse before his tribunall seate in the day of iudgement, when the secretes of all heartes shall be disclosed, and all thoughts opened before the Lorde. By this creation the heathen men are without ex­cuse, and haue knowen him generally, as Paul sayeth, Romanes the first chap. That which may be knowen of God, is manifest in them, for God hath shewed it vnto them. For the inuisible things of him, that is, his eternall power and Godhead, are seene by the creation of the worlde, being considered in his workes, to the intent, that they should be without excuse, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neyther were thankefull, but became vayne in their imaginations, & their foolish heart was full of darknesse: when they professed themselues to be wise, they became fooles. God is knowen three wayes, by his works, God is kno­wen three wayes. by his worde, and by his holy spirit of adop­tion. Although God be knowen by all these wayes of his elect, yet he is knowen of the reprobate onely by his worde and workes, which see the workes, and heare his worde, but neuer haue his Spirite directing them [Page] aright, which is proper onely to his owne children. Of the first way speaketh Paul in this place, vnto the which the creation is a glasse, to bring vs to a full consideration of his greatnesse. Wel, we learne by the crea­tion of heauen and earth, his power, his wisedome, his goodnesse and iustice, and whatsoeuer else may be in God. This is great comfort to the godly, and bringeth great boldenesse vnto them, and trust in the last day, that they haue such a father, and do beleeue in such a God, as is maker of hea­uen and earth: this teacheth vs our duetie, to referre all our actions to his honour and glory, to cōfesse him alone, to acknowledge that he made vs, and not we our lelues, to liue to him, to dye to him, to do al things for his sake, that hath made all for vs, as good seruantes should be more carefull of their masters honour & profite, thē of their own. Nowe let vs giue thankes to such a God, y ^t hath vouchsafed to giue vs faith to beleeue in him, being so mightie a God, and we so lowe and base children: so mercifull a father vnto vs, notwithstanding we are vnthanke­full sonnes to him. And let vs praye vnto him, to confirme this faith, and to encrease it in vs euery day, till we come to a perfect [Page] man in Iesus Christ. Let vs desire of him to giue vs grace to behold this his wonder­ful and diuine worke of his creation, wher­in hee hath shewed his wisedome, power, mercy, and iustice vnto al men, that we may magnifie it (as it doth require) worthyly with our heartes, and set forth his honour and glory in these thinges, with thankes gi­uing for all his benefites, seeing they ap­pertayne vnto vs, our bodyes and soules, which are fed and nourished by them. This grace and mercy let vs desire him to conti­newe vnto vs, for his Christes sake our sa­uiour, who hath dearly bought vs: to whom with the holy ghost his infinit power, three persons and one euerliuing God, bee rendred all power, prayse, glory, honour, and thankesgiuing, both nowe and for euer. Amen.

The seconde Lecture vp­on the creede, which is vpon the seconde article: And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde, which was conceiued by the holy Ghost.

WE haue seene in the first article going before, the thinges, which we haue to beleeue as concerning God the father in his creation: now followeth consequently what we haue to beleeue of God the sonne, Iesus Christ, as concerning his incarnation and all the benefites of his death and passion, which is the second part of the creede, as we deuided it. And here in this article you must vnder­stande and repeate, as in the former, so in this also: I beleeue in Iesus Christ: that is, I trust in him, and put my whole confi­dence in him, that hee is my onely sauiour, and that God will for his sake forgiue me all my sinnes. For it is not sufficient to beleeue in God the father, & to know him, vnlesse we also beleeue in his only begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde, and knowe him also. As Iohn repeating the wordes of [Page] our sauiour Christ, saith, This is life eternal that they know thee to be the onely very God, & whom thou hast sent, Iesus Christ. Ioh. 17. So that our sauiour Christ ioyneth and matcheth in one, the knowledge of him selfe with the knowledge of the father, as he sayeth also in another place, Except ye be­leeue that I am he, ye shal die in your sins. We see then y ^t if we must beleeue in Iesus Christ, he is one God with the father, and a creator, other wise it were idolatry to beleue in any that is not God. And y ^t we may be­leue in him, this is warrāted vnto vs by his owne commandement, saying in the 19. of Iohns gospel to his disciples, Let not your heart be troubled, beleeue ye in God, be­leeue also in me. A notable place to prooue this matter. Where we may also learne, y ^t if we beleeue in God, our hearts shal not be troubled, nor wauer hither & thither, not ha­uing any place to rest in. For therfore in our miseries & dāgers are we vexed & troubled out of measure, because we put not our full trust in the father & the sonne. Nowe let vs see with what titles our Christ is beautified & adorned with, for our cōfort & consolati­on: first of all, he is here called Iesus, which is an Ebrew word, & soūdeth in English as [Page] much as Sauiour, which name the Angell gaue vnto him (by Gods appoyntment) be­fore he was conceaued in the wombe of the virgin Mary his mother. As we reade no­tably set forth vnto vs in the first of Matth: Shee shal bring foorth a sonne, and cal his name Iesus, or sauiour: for he shall saue his people from their sinnes and offences. And for this cause he came into the worlde, as he testifieth of him self: The sonne of mā came to saue that which is lost, not to de­stroy soules, but to saue, and to giue his life a redemption for many, Luk. 19. By this we learne, that there is no other Sauiour ap­poynted for mā, either in heauē, or earth, but only Iesus: and they that wil haue saluation of God the father, must haue it onely at his handes. Therefore doeth the scripture pro­nounce of him, that there is no other name giuen vnder heauen vnto men, wherein they must be saued, but only in the name of Iesus Christ. For this is the stone which is be­come the head stone, and the chiefe in the cor­ner, neither is there any saluation in any o­ther, Act. 4. We haue then to seek our salua­tion not in Angels, not in saints, not in men or in our selues: but in him onely that hath the key of Dauid, that shutteth heauen, and [Page] no man openeth it, and openeth it, & no man shutteth. This is the first title of dignitie and honour, that is giuen vnto him of his father: the next is, that hee is called Christ, which is a Greeke word, and signifieth in English, Anoynted, which doth more plain­ly & effectually declare his office & function giuen him of the father for vs. For he was a­noynted for three especiall purposes: first to bee our Prophet to teach vs, secondly, our priest to offer him selfe a sacrifice for vs, and thirdly, our king to rule & to defēd vs from our enemies. These things are al giuē vnto vs to vnderstande in this name Christ. For as al the Prophets, and priestes and kinges in the time of the olde law, before the com­ming of Christ, were anoynted with oyle by the commandement of God, as God cōman­ded Elias to anoynt Eliseus Prophet in his stead, & Moses was cōmaunded to anoynt Aaron hye priest, and Samuel to anoynt Saul & Dauid to be kinges: so was Christ also anoynted, not with oyle materiall as they, but with spiritual oyle of gladnesse, as Dauid saieth, Psal. 45. 7. aboue his fellowes, y ^t is, with y ^e holy ghost, aboue al mē, for he had it with­out measure, Ioh. 3. 34. So then, as y ^e Pro­phets & priests, & kings were all figures, & [Page] shadowes of Christ anoynted with oyle, to signifie y ^t they must be gentle, meeke, & soft to al their brethren: so it was also necessary, y ^t Christ should performe al this y ^t was prefi­gured by him. And first we see, y ^t Christ toke vpon him the office of a Prophet, to teach y ^e people his fathers wil, not thrusting in him selfe as the false prophetes did, whom the Lord sent not at al, but being thereto lawe­fully called & authorised by his father from heauen, Luk 9. 35. saying, Heare him, that is, to be our doctour and teacher, our Prophete and Scholemaster. Being thus ordayned a Prophet to teach vs, he executed his office and calling most diligently, most paynfully and faithfully: for he taught them in season and out of season, earely and late, at home & abroad, by sea and by land, as y ^e Euangelists doe sufficiently all of them record in their gospels, neither did he teach thē y ^e wil of his father publikely in y ^e synagogues only, but priuately also in families & houses: as when he was receiued into Marthas house, he sate & taught there Mary & others: whereby wee that are the Lordes Prophets & ministers, may learne by this good exāple, howe care­fully & readyly with al payne and diligence to behaue our selues in the preaching of the [Page] word of God his Gospell, not to cease at any time, but to doe as he hath done before vs. If then Christ be our Prophet (as Mo­ses sayth of him, A Prophet shall the Lord your God rayse vp vnto you of your bre­thren, like vnto me: him shal you heare in al thinges, that he shal speake vnto you, Deut. 18.) we must heare him alone, & not others that teach false doctrine, as the papists: for Christs sheepe heare his voyce, Ioh. 10. We learne againe, that no man beside Christe, was able to instruct vs in the will of his fa­ther, but hee alone, as Iohn sayth, Chap. 1. No man hath seene God at any time: the only begotten son of God, which is in the bosome of his father, he hath reuealed him vnto vs. Againe, we vnderstand that al men by nature are ignorant of the will of God, & their dutie, because we haue neede of Christ to informe vs in the right way, to leade vs in the trueth, least we be deceued with lyes. For of his fulnesse haue wee all receiued, Ioh. 1. Therefore is he called of Esay, The angel of great Counsell, and that the spirit of the Lord should rest vpon him, the spirit of wisedome & vnderstanding, the spirit of Counsel and strength, the spirit of know­ledge and of the feare of the Lord, Isa. 11. [Page] This is a great comfort to vs, to haue such a teacher and Prophet giuen to vs, as is made to vs of God, wisedome. 1. Corin. 1. But the wicked can haue here no part at all with him, for they do not heare his word and voyce, neither wil they receiue his doctrine & instruction. Nowe we see how faithfully Christ hath fulfilled this office of preaching, as Marke sayth of him, 1. Chap. Let vs goe into the next Townes, that I may preache there also, for I came out for that purpose. The ende of this prophecie and teaching is, that we shoulde bee made his disciples and schollers, Christs priest hoode. which God graunt vnto vs all. A­men. The second office that is in Christ for his Church, is his priesthode: for after hee had taught the people, (which thing he first tooke in hand) hee sealed his doctrine with his owne blood, and offered vp him selfe a sacrifice most perfect, sweete and accep­table to God his father, for vs al, to purge vs from our sinnes, to serue the liuing God. For this also was the duetie of the priests in the Leuitical lawe, that they should offer sa­crifices for the sinnes of the people, & pray to God for them. This hath Christ fulfilled by his death & passion, which was so effectu­al & meritorious to take away sinnes, y ^t the [Page] father saith of him, Psal. 110. 5. Thou art a Priest for e­uer, after the order of Melchiesedech. Of this sacrifice speaketh abundantly the Epi­stle to the Hebremes, but especially in the 9. Chap. Heb. 9. 14. saying, That Christ was once of­fered to take away the sinnes of many, and to put away sinne by the sacrifice of him­selfe. And againe, that the blood of Christ, which through y ^e eternal spirit offered him­selfe without fault to God, shall purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God, so that nowe he is become our mediatour betweene God & vs, & doeth ap­peare in the sight of God for vs. This is a great comfort for vs. But we see in this sa­crifice the vilenesse & greatnesse of sinne, & how lothsome & detestable it was in Gods sight, that nothing in heauen or earth could put it away or purge it, but the onely body & blood of Christ, this hie priest, most pure and immaculate. This doth teach vs to ab­horre sinne, seeing Christ payed so dearely for it. And this driueth vs to cōsider how we are indebted to our good sauiour Christ, for dying so mercifully for vs: so that wee are worse then beasts, vnlesse we giue him con­tinuall thanks for it. Nothing could pacifie Gods wrath conceiued against our sinnes, [Page] but only his deare sonne, for in him he was wel pleased, Matth. 3. So that nowe wee which were sometime farre off & strangers from the cōmon wealth of Israel, are made neere by y ^e blod of Christ, to offer our selues to him & al ours, our prayers, our thanks, & y ^t with boldnesse, without feare, as Zachary sayth, Luk. 1. The third office y ^t we consider in him, is his spirituall & euerlasting king­dom, for spiritual it is, & not carnal & earth­ly, as he himself said to Pilate, My kingdō is not of this world. And it is euerlasting, as y ^e Angel sayde to Mary, He shal reigne ouer the house of Iacob, & of his kingdom there shal be no end. So then he is a king, as Zachary also sayth, Behold, thy king cō ­meth vnto thee, meeke, O daughter Ieru­salem, Chap. 9. This kingdom, he last of al tooke vpon him, after that he had taught, and offered vp him selfe, euen then when hee as­cended, to sit at the right hand of God: that is, to haue all power and authority in hea­uen and earth. This kingdome doeth con­sist chiefly in gouerning his electe, and his Church by his holy spirite: for hee hath gotten this kingdome for vs, because hee armeth vs with power to resist sinne, and giueth vs of his princely treasures & gifts, [Page] and wil at the last himselfe lift vs vp thither, and set vs with him in glory and honour, to raine for euer & euer, as he saith, It is your fathers wil to giue you a kingdome, and he that ouercommeth, shall sit with mee in my kingdome, as I haue ouercome, & sit with my father in his kingdom. Reue. 3. Secōd­ly, this kingdom of Christ doth beat downe al force raysed vp against his kingdome: as the deuil, the Turke, the Pope, the wicked ones of this world. Here he sheweth himself a mighty king ouer al the earth, to preserue his Church, hauing so many enemies. For surely if he did not preserue it, it would bee swallowed vp euery houre, satan is so gree­dy to destroy it. What they haue don against it, we see, but they could neuer preuaile: for this is a comfortable saying, Matth. 16. The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it. Of this we gather y ^t Christ shall euer haue his Church, because his power in his kingdom is infinit to keep it: let y ^e wicked rage neuer so much, yet Christ is king of y ^e whole earth, yea the world. Thus much for his kingdō. It follow­weth, his only sonne. Here is declared vnto vs, y ^e Iesus Christ is the only sonne of God, & therfore God, because y ^e sonne is of y ^e same nature w ^t y ^e father: for he is one w ^t his father. [Page] This is the third title giuen to our sauiour Christ, y ^t he is y ^e only begottē sonne of God: but there may a question bee inade, How is Christ the only sonne of God, seeing we al­so are sōnes as he is, as Iohn saith, As ma­ny as beleeue in Christ, he gaue thē power to be y ^e sōnes of God? To this we answere, that Christ is the only sonne of God by na­ture & substance: and we by grace & adopti­on, which before were not. For as when a man hath no childrē, he maketh some by ad­option and fauor, whō he loueth, to enioy his lands and inheritāce, [...]ounting them as his owne: so it is with God and vs. He hath no moe sonnes but one onely by nature & sub­stance: but by his loue and grace he maketh vs his deare children by adoption in Christ: for all is done for Christes sake our elder brother, as Paul proueth, Ephe. 1. He hath predestinated vs to be adopted for sonnes in Iesus Christ. For this then, that we are sonnes to so high & great a God, a Lord and king, ought we not to be very thankeful? ought we not by all meanes to set forth his honor & glory more then our own? Surely we should do so: for how would I loue that king here in y ^e earth, or that Queene, or that noble mā that should make me a poore beg­ger [Page] borne, his louing sonne by adoption! Now much more ought I to loue the sonne of God, y ^t hath made me sonne to his father by his death & satisfaction. And whē Christ is called y ^e only begotten sonne of God, we must not imagine a carnall or grosse beget­ting, as is here among mē, but a diuine and heauenly, incomprehēsible and vnspeakable to our capacity, before al beginnings, most mystical & secret. The last title y ^t is giuē to Christ here, is the dignity & honor of a Lord. We cal him our Lord, & y ^t by right: for his we are who hath bought vs, & redeemed vs by his owne body from the deuill & sinne, & al other euils and mischiefes. And this is y ^t that the Apostle speaketh of, that therefore Christ died and rose agayne, that he might be lord of al, both dead & quicke, Rom. 14 and againe, Ye are not your own: for ye are bought with a price, 1. Cor. 6. And there­fore is he made lord and king of his father o­uer all the world, that al should worship and honour the sonne, as they honour the father him selfe: for he is not only the head of men, but of all the Angels in heauen, as it is said, Let all the Angels of God worship him, Heb. 1. Ephe. 1. Thus ye see how Christ is appoynted Lorde and heyre of all thinges: [Page] therefore is he called here our Lord, and we then confesse our selues to be his seruantes and subiectes, to do his wil and commaun­dement. He is called also our Lord, because we should conceaue comfort by it in trouble, that he will be a most gratious lord vnto vs also, as wel as vnto others: as Thomas said of him, so must we say and bee perswaded, My God and my Lord. Iohn 21. Which was conceiued by the holy Ghost.

Nowe foloweth his cōceptiō by y ^e holy ghost & not by y ^e seed of man: for if he had bin conceiued by man, he had not bene voyde of sinne, as Ioh chap. 3. ver. 6. Iob. 6. chap. 25. verse. 5, 6. and so shoulde he haue bene vnfit to deliuer vs from sinne. Therefore our sa­uiour saith, For them I do sanctifie my self. And such an high Priest it became vs to haue, which is holy, harmeles, vndefiled, se­perated from sinners, and made hier then the heauens. As that which went before, did proue vnto vs sufficiently his diuinitie and godhead, that he was yesterday, to day & for euer, as is proued in the Epistle to the He­brews, cha. 13. so this cōception in y ^e wombe of the virgin doth proue, that he is very and true man, & had a beginning according to his humanitie, as the scriptures doe witnes [Page] vnto vs, y ^t he was made of the seede of Da­uid, according to the flesh. Rō. 1. And, that God sēt his sōne into the world, made of a woman, Gal. 4. The maner of this concep­tion is described liuely vnto vs by S. Luk. Cha. 1. For after y ^t the Angel had told Ma­rie, that she should conceiue in her wōbe, and bring forth a sonne, and cal his name Iesus, she asked howe it should come to passe, say­ing, she knew no man: then y ^e Angel telleth her, that the holy ghost should come vpon her, & the power of y ^• most high should ouer­shadow her: therefore that holy thing which shalbe borne of thee, shal be called the sonne of God. So likwise in Matth. 1. we reade, that when Ioseph her husband would haue put her away priuily, thinking she had bene with child of some mā: the Angel called vn­to him being thus minded, in a dreame, say­ing, Ioseph, thou sonne of Dauid, feare not to take Mary for thy wife: for that which is conceiued in her, is of y ^e holy ghost. We see then that al flesh in Adam had corrupted his way before the Lord, & that the ordinary ge­neratiō of mā was vncleane, therfore it was necessary that Christ that should redeeme others from sinne, should not be subiect to it himself, but bee borne by an extraordinarie [Page] meane, to cleanse vs frō all our sinnes, both original & actual, which he was voyde of by reasō of this cōceptiō: wherfore Christ must be both mā & God to redeeme vs: Man, be­cause mā had offended, & our sinnes had de­uided him frō vs, as a cloude doth the bright sunne from our eies: & he must be God also, to make reconciliatiō to God his father for vs: for no Angel in heauen was able to do this office of mediation, but the only God & mā Iesus Christ y ^e true mediator, for al our sinnes past, present, or to come. Here cōsider the great loue of Christ toward mankinde, y ^t despised not our flesh, to take it vpō him, beeing God equall to his father, and hath inuested and couered himselfe with our na­ture, but yet without sinne. This doth teach vs our duety towards him in thākfulnes, & our duty towards our neighbors in yelding vnto them in matters for their behalf, & not to please our selues, but to beare with them, & debase our selues for them, as Christ hath done for vs already. Phil. 2. Let the same minde be in you, which was in Christ Ie­sus. We learne by the cōceptiō of Christ by the holy ghost, that he was thus cōceiued, to make our sinfull conception pure: For we are conceiued and borne in sinnes euery one [Page] of vs, euē the best of vs al, y ^t come of Adam. Dauid lamenteth y ^e impurity & imperfecti­on of his conception and birth, saying, Be­hold, Lorde, I was borne in iniquitie, & in sinne hath my mother conceiued me, Psal. 51. as if he would say, The cause of this my outward 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, y ^t 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 y ^e verity of Gods promises made vnto vs in y ^e 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 y ^t he maketh to a thou­sād generatiōs. And furthermore y ^t the Pro­phets spake not by their own wil, (as Peter saith) but by the wil & spirit of God, euen [Page] as they were led & moued by y ^e holy ghost, 2. Pet. 1. So y ^e whatsoeuer God ether spea­keth or promiseth to y ^e good & godly to their comfort, it shal come to passe: as here in Esai God promiseth y ^e cōceptiō of Christ for a cō ­fort to Hierusalē besieged w̄t her enemies, whē Achaz was king, Esa. 7. Likewise on y ^e 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 y ^e vttermost, as vpō y ^e Iewes for murdering of Christ, Luke 19. & vpon y ^e Romane Emperours, for going about to ouerthrow his cōgregatiō & flock. Although it be many times long before the Lord doth either de­liuer y ^e godly, or punish y ^e reprobate, yet it is most sure & certaine, because his mouth hath spokē it, y ^t 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 y ^e 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 [Page] mother as concerning his godhead, and yet we say, y ^t 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 y ^e fa­ther is greater thē hee, with such like sentē ­ces in y ^t Gospel, you must vnderstand these things to be spokē as he was only man. In y ^t he saith he was before Abraham, and y ^e 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 [Page] 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 hū ­ble 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, y ^t 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 w ^t 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 cō ­mon 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, [Page] 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 y ^e people in his time. The like thing doeth Ieremie also declare vnto vs in his prophesie, of this wonderful natiuitie of our Sauiour Iesus, saying in his Chap. 23. Behold, the daies come, saith the Lord, that I will raise vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch, & a king shal reigne & prosper, & shal execute true iudgement & iustice vpō the earth. In his daies Iuda shal be saued, and Israel shall dwell safely: and [Page] fulnesse of time, as the Apostle speaketh, was come, then God sent his Sonne made of a woman, and made vnder the Lawe, that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Law, that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes, Gal. 4. God then, as in this, so in all other things, is true and iust of his promise and couenant, that he maketh to a thousand generatiōs, as saith the Pro­phet. For nothing can let him, to bring his words to passe, his power is infinit & ouer all. And although it be said that Marie was maried to Ioseph, & Ioseph tooke her home to him to be his wife, yet she was a virgin, for Ioseph knewe her not: so y ^t Christ was borne of her being a virgin, & Ioseph was spoused to her in this respect, that he should be an aide and comfort for her in her trouble and paine, in her flight into Egypt, & in her great pouertie: for she was so poore, that she had no chamber to be deliuered in, but laid our Sauiour Christ in a manger. For these causes, was Ioseph called her hus­bande also, that shee myght be voyde of sus­pition of fornication, and Christ not thought to be borne out of wedlocke, or in adulterie.

2 Secondly, for our instruction let vs [Page] consider the whole maner of Christs birth, after what sort and fashion it was. S. Luke doth declare y ^e order of it very liuely, & saith, y ^t whē Ioseph & Mary were at Bethlehem, the dayes were accomplished that shee shoulde be deliuered, & she brought forth her first begotten sonne, and wrapped him in swadling clothes, and layde him in a cratch or manger, because there was no roume for thē in the Inne. By these words we see the maner of Christs birth, howe it was very poore and base in respect of the world, & nothing glorious in y ^e eies of men, or as myght beseeme so great a prince as he was. He that might haue bene borne in a most magnificent and royall palace, would be borne in a stable or oxe stall, and he which could haue bene layde in a most sumptuous bed of doune, with silke & veluet wrought & garnished, yet notwithstanding woulde bee layde in a vile manger. This doth passe the reach and capacitie of mans witte, and doth expresse vnto vs, how that the Lords waies are not our wayes, nor his doinges as ours are: For then surely woulde hee not haue had Christ his Sonne to bee borne so poorely, and without al honour and estima­tion here in the earth. But here we see the [Page] great loue of Christ towardes vs, y ^e woulde so be borne for our sakes. So that in this is fulfilled that notable saying if S. Paul the Apostle. 2. Corinth. 8. Chap. 9. saying, Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, y ^• he beīg rich, for your sakes became poore, y ^t ye through his pouertie myght be made rich. A notable lesson to take pouertie in good part, if y ^e Lord for iust causes lay it vp­on vs. And not only was he borne so poore­ly & miserably, but also liued so afterwarde all his life time, while he was here vpon the earth, for y ^t space of 2. or 3. and thirty yeres, insomuch that when he was borne, he stedde into Egypt frō Herod y ^t sought to kil him, no doubt with trouble & paine. Afterward, he liued with the beneuolence & liberalitie of certaine good womē, as of Mary Mag­dalene, & Ioanna y ^t wife of Chuza Herods stewarde, & Susanna, & many other which ministred vnto him of their substance, Luk. 8. 3. so y ^t he himselfe doth pronounce to one that would folow him for gaine & estimatiō in this life, y ^t the sonne of mā, meaning him self, hath not where to lay or hide his hed, but is in worse case thē y ^e foxes which haue holes, or y ^e birds of y ^e aire which haue their nests, Mat. 8. By this we learne to take po­uerty [Page] patiently, which the Lorde himselfe hath sanctified in his owne body, neither to thinke it accursed. And we learne there­by the contempt of this worlde, for Christ had nothing glorious in the face and eyes of man, hee was not riche, but poore. If wee haue riches, let vs not thinke so much, or highly of them, or be puffed vp by them: for Christ had them not. If wee be poore, let vs remember that Ie­sus Christ was poore also in this life. It is sufficient for vs, and enough, if we may be riche after this life, not that these riches and worldly thinges are ill, if they be vsed to Gods glory, but Christ would teache vs by his example, that first his kingdome is not of this world, & then not to be greeued if we lacke these transi­torye thinges, for hee had them not at all: wherefore if we haue meate and drinke and raiment, we must be content. The circum­stances of his birth, are the place of it, and the tyme. As concerning the place, Mat­thewe and Luke both agree in one, that it was Bethlehem, for so was it long before prophecyed of by the Prophet Micheas. Chap. 5. saying, And thou Bethlehem E­phrathah, art little to be among the thou­sands [Page] of Iuda, yet our of thee shall come foorth vnto me, one that shalbe the ruler in Israel, whose goings foorth shall be from the beginning and from euerlasting. Where hee setteth foorth vnto vs plaine­ly, both the humanitie of Christ, and al­so his diuinitie: his humanitie, in that hee sayth, hee came out of Bethlehem: and his diuinitie, in that his going foorth was from euerlasting. The place then was Bethlehem: no great and famous citie as Ierusalem was, but a poore and obscure towne, nothing spoken of among men. Here wee may see againe, that as Christ shewed great humilitie in the ma­ner of his birth, so did hee also in chusing so poore and vile a place as Bethlehem was. And this was done no doubt to con­found the wisedome of the wise and migh­tie, which woulde haue thought rather that Christ should haue bene borne at Ierusalem, or some such like notable and excellent citie. Well, our sauiour Christ chose Bethlehem, and made it fa­mous through his birth, and reiected all other cities: so is fulfilled that saying of Paul, God hath chosen the weake things of the worlde, to confound the strong, [Page] and vile things, and things that are despi­sed hath God chosen, to bring to naught the thinges that are, that no fleshe shoulde reioyce in his presence. 1. Corinthians 1. Verses 27. 28, 29. Let no man there­fore be grieued or ashamed, if he be borne in a poore and base village, for so was Christ borne, and hee is nothing the worse for it: hee may come as soone to heauen, as they that are borne in the grea­test cities. Neither let any man on the contrarye, bragge and boast himselfe, if hee were borne in a famous place: this maketh him not the better, or neerer to God. Wee may see also at this day, where Christ is most commonly to be founde: not in great cities, and princes courts so much, as in poore places, and obscure houses. The wise men sought him at Ierusalem the great citie, but Christ was found in poore Bethlehem. Here also learne, that the prophecies are ful­filled still: for Christ, as they had sayed, was borne in Bethlehem. Let vs there­fore beleeue the Prophets, either when they comfort vs, or threaten vs for sinnes, for they shall alwayes be ful­filled. The time of our Sauiours [Page] birth was in the dayes and raigne of He­rode the king, as Saint Matthewe sayth, Chapter. 2. and so had Iacob prophesi­ed before, that Christ should not be borne, vntill the kingdome did cease, and depart from the race of the Iewes, and was gi­to the nation of the Romanes, as Ge­nesis. 49. The scepter shall not depart from Iuda, nor a Lawegiuer from be­tweene his feete, vntil Shiloh come, and the people shalbe gathered vnto him. Meaning that Christ should not be borne and come among the Iewes, vntill such time as they had no kinges to rule a­mong them of their owne stocke, but of strangers, as Herode was at that time. Christ beeing borne in the tyme of king Herode, a wicked king, and a Tyrant, doeth shewe himselfe most fauourable to the Iewes his people, being in great bondage and miserye. For when They had most neede of a Sauiour and redee­mer, not only of their bodyes, but especial­ly of their soules and consciences, religion being corrupted among them, and his word reiected, then I say, Christ came, and was borne a deliuerer vnto them. So is God wont to deale in mercy toward his chil­dren, [Page] then, and not before to sende helpe, when they are at the last caste, and rea­dy to be deuoured, to teache them, that when there is no helpe and succour in them selues, then is there most pre­sent ayde and comfort in him as hee sayde to Paul, My power is made perfect, and is strong in weakenesse, that when wee are most weake and feeble, then is God most strong to deliuer vs from our e­nemies. He neuer deliuered the Israe­lites out of Egypt, vntill they were brought to the extremytie, then hee sent them Moses, and Aaron, and not before: for hee will humble man, and let him to vnderstand, that when hee doeth any thing for him, and deliuer him, or bestowe any gift vpon him in bodye or soule, it is not for any thing that is in him, but of his meere mercy and goodnesse, to make his praise the more to be seene, and men more thankefull vnto him. Let his praise therefore be continually in our mouthes, and let vs magnifie his name together, as sayeth the Prophet Dauid, Psalme. 103. Christ then visi­ted the Iewes, when all thinges were turned vpside downe, his seruice was de­faced [Page] by the traditions of men, as the Scribes, and Pharises, and Sadduces, who had corrupted the puritye of Gods worde and doctrine, and brought in their owne pelfe and maners, were altoge­ther vnreformed, the poore neglected, the Prophetes despised, and Gods laue set at nought. So that when our Sa­uiour came amongst them, hee respec­ted not any thing hee sawe in them, but their extreeme miserie and thraldome, which moued him to pitye them, and so much the more, because they had such a cruell Tyrant to rayne ouer them, as murdered a great many of their young infantes. So the Lorde came amongst vs of late: when his Gospell was layed aside, and deuices of men, in steade of it, were set vp, when his ministers were in euery place persecuted, and bur­ned: then he sent a deliuerer to purge re­ligion, to restore his trueth againe, to pull downe Antichrist, and to abolish Poperie: hee respected not any thing in vs, for wee like sheepe were all gone astray, euery man turned his owne way: but hee did this, being minde­full of his mercy and promes made [Page] freely vnto vs in Iesus Christ: I pray God wee may bee all truely thankefull, for so great and wonderfull a benefite bestowed vpon vs, as the like was neuer seene in our lande before. Surely good cause wee haue to remember the Lorde in our beddes, that giueth vs in the mid­dest of our enemies, such quietnes and rest from all perils and dangers. The thing that followed immediately vpon this birth of our sauiour, was the comming of cer­tayne wise and famous men from the East to worshippe him, being ledde with an extraordinary starre thereunto. Thus God the Father woulde adorne and magnifie the birth of his sonne, with the resort of these great and excellent men. And herein no doubt they be­ing Gentiles, and the first fruites of them, that came to our Sauiour, doe signifye that the Gentiles also aswel as the Iewes, shoulde be called to be the people of God, that there might be one folde and one shephearde, as our Sauiour telleth vs in the tenth Chaper of Iohns Gospel. This was comfortable for vs, being Hea­then men and Gentiles, and altoge­ther strangers from God, to be made [Page] the peculiar people of God, and to be translated from the kingdome of darke­nesse, into the euerlasting kingdome and inheritance of his welbeloued sonne. But see howe the declaration and shewing of this birth of so wonderfull a king, by the wisemen, was taken of Herode and the Iewes in Hierusalem: when they heard the king of the Iewes to be borne, it is sayde, that Herode and all Ierusalem was troubled with him. Thus wee see the nature and condition of the wicked, that when they shoulde be glad, and reioyce in the Lorde with thankesgiuing for his benefites, then they are troubled, they murmure, and are vnthankefull. Here all Ierusalem had great occasion gi­uen them to prayse God, and they con­sider not of it a whit, they had ra­ther sleepe in their dregges of sinne. May, Herode went about to kill him, that came to dye for him, and to saue him, if hee coulde haue beleeued it. This doeth also reproue our maner and doings at this day: for when wee should yeeld God prayse and thankes, wee giue him none, and when he is most ready to doe vs good, either wee consider not of it, [Page] or else vnthankfully refuse it, as the swi­nishe Gergesites did. Howe hath Christ visited vs in mercy, in giuing vs his ho­ly Gospel the foode of our soules, as much as euer hee did to the Iewes? and yet I say wee are troubled still in our mindes and soules, with y ^e cares of this world, which do choke the seede of his holy word. Wel (dear­ly beloued) let vs learne to be wise, and to consider thankfully of Gods benefites in time, lest they be takē from vs, as they were from the Iewes, and giuen to a nation that shal better receiue them, and make greater account of them. The third thing y ^t I saide was to be considered in the birth of our sa­uiour Iesus Christ, is the profite and com­fort y ^t we may take & apply to our selues, our soules and bodyes by it, and what due­tie is required of vs in this behalfe. The commoditie that ariseth to vs and al Chri­stians by his birth, is, that Christ came to saue that which was lost, as Paul doth no­tably expresse the ende of his comming in the fleshe, saying, This is a true saying, and by all meanes woorthy to bee receyued, that Iesus Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners, 1. Timothie 1. 15. Then we perceiue this, that Christ was borne to [Page] redeeme vs. If he had not bene borne, wee could not haue byn redeemed by him from the power of hell, and of Satan. This is a great matter, and a most excellent & won­derfull benefite. For we vnderstande now plainly & clerely by the word of the Lorde, that the seede of the woman hath broken y ^e serpents head, Gen. 3. that there is a Lion and a Lambe in diuers respectes, for his strength a Lion, and a Lambe by his meek­nes, found worthy to open the booke, & to loose the seuen seales of it, which no man was able to doe, neither in heauen nor in earth, nor vnder the earth, Reuel. 5. that there is a childe, as Esaie sayth, giuen vnto vs, vpon whose shoulders the gouernmēt of heauen and earth is laide, and doth cō ­sist. We may saye therefore, that a man is borne of the virgin Marie, the true and na­turall sonne of Adam, of Abraham, of Da­uid, which was promised in the lawe and Prophets, such a man I say, that hath con­quered hell and death, and damnation, & de­siuered vs from the wrath of his father to come. Of this, our faith may gather a dou­ble fruite and cōmodite; the one, that there is a mediatour betweene God & man, euen the man Iesus Christ: we haue this media­tor [Page] for vs in heauen already: the other, y ^t by the participation & vnitie of his nature w ^t ours, he receiueth & admitteth vs into the societie of him selfe, and all his riches and treasures are made ours, euen as the wife may say of her husband, that al her husbāds goods & lands are hers, because she is one with him: so may we say of our most gra­tious husband & bridegrome Iesus Christ, that all his store is now become ours: For we are bones of his bones, and flesh of his flesh, as Paul telleth vs plainly, Ephes. 5. If this be so, then wee ought to reioyce and be glad in our heartes, as Paul sayth, which is, in the Lorde, because that Christ the great iewell of God is sent into the worlde. If we greatly reioyce & triumphe, when wee haue a mortall sonne an heyre here borne in earth vnto vs, whō we knowe not whether he shall be good or ill, a cōfort or paine vnto vs: If (I say) we do reioyce at this vanity, what ought we to do (think ye) dearly beloued brethrē, whē we heare y ^t sōne of God to be borne for vs, & the heire of all things, a sonne that pacifieth his fathers wrath iustly conceiued against sinne, such a childe as maketh vs children, & bringeth vs into his heauenly possession & inheritance? [Page] Ought we not (trow you) vnspeakeably to reioyce, & thanke God and his sonne Christ continually? It is good reason so to do, see­ing it is our onely benefit, and not his: for he came and was borne for vs, and not for him selfe. The angels of God herein may teach vs our duety, howe thankfull we ought to be, and to reioyce for it, not with a worldly and carnal ioy, as many do, but with a spiri­tuall and heauenly ioy of minde and consci­ence, as few doe. At the birth of our sauiour, there was a company and multitude of hea­uenly souldiers praysing God, and saying, Glory be to God in the high heauens, and peace in the earth, and towards men good will, Luke 2. They reioyced in the Lord, & were thankful for it, & yet are: much more ought we to do the like, that his wil may be done in earth of vs, as it is in heauen a­mongst them, euen as we dayly pray. Thy wil be done in earth, as it is in heauen. We haue in deede a celebration of this natiuitie of Christ, which is miscalled of vs Christ­mas. As y ^e name is euil, called Christmas of the Papists, as if Christ should say Masse: so is the time in it spent as lewdly of vs for the most part, if not in massing, yet in masking, in carding and dicing, in dauncing, in bellie [Page] cheere, in excesse of apparrell, and in fond and foolishe playes & sportes, to passe the time away. In these sinnes and vanities, is the tyme of Christes natiuitie spent and consumed of vs. It were better to haue no day of it, then so to keepe it: and it is a great griefe to a godly mynde, to see that tyme which shoulde be imployed to the seruice of God, as it was in the primitiue Church, al­together wasted and dedicated to offer sa­crifices vnto the deuill: for it is in it, as it is vpon the Sundayes or Lordes day tho­roughout the yeere. The Sabbath which is appoynted for to heare Gods woorde, and to pray in, is turned altogether to play in, and made a day of all wicked sport and pas­time, which is far from the ryght vse of it, & yet no Magistrate doeth correct it. God giue an amendement one day of it, to his honour and glory. Amen. Well, so it is with this time of our Sauiours birth: we shoulde giue thankes in it, and wee neuer thinke of our duetie in it the most part of vs. If Emperours and Kinges haue cele­brated the memoriall of their birth dayes, then there is greater reason, why we should remember the ioyfullest birth day that euer was, or shalbe, I meane, of Iesus Christ [Page] our sauiour, borne so poorely and simply for vs. Not that we should so celebrate and keepe Christs birth day, as wicked Herode did celebrate his natiuitie, in feasting, in daunsing, in rash swearing, and last of all, in murdering the good saint of God, Iohn Baptist, Matth. 14. Mark. 6. I say, we must not so celebrate this birth day of Christ with him, least wee be partakers of his pu­nishment and payne. But yet I feare a great many doe keepe this time no better. Neither must we keepe this day of our bro­ther Christes birth, as Titus kept the birth day of his brother Domitian, in killing the Iewes for his pleasure, to triumphe, and so defiled his handes with innocent blood, surely we do not much better: for although we kill not with the sworde, yet we wound and kill our brethren with our tongues, we quarrel, we fight, and are contentious, wee sweare and blaspheme, and so reuile the li­uing Lorde, and this is done most of all at the birth day of our Sauiour, as also vpon this day of rest, the Sunday, with cardes and dice & bloody othes. Wel, the Lord one day will take an account of these things of vs, vnlesse we speedily repent and amende. Thus we haue heard the thinges that may [Page] be noted vpon Christes birth, the circum­stances of it, with the fruite that commeth vnto vs by it, and howe wee shoulde vse this day, and what is our duetie in it. Let vs thanke our sauiour Christ, that he woulde be thus borne for vs, and pray vnto him that we may remember it, and haue the ende of this his cōming in y ^e flesh, the saluatiō of our foules, which he graūt vnto vs: to whom w ^t his father, and the holy ghost, be giuen all prayse and glory, for euer and euer: Amen.

The fourth Lecture vpō the 4. article of our Christian faith:
Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate, was cruci­fied, dead, and buried, descended into hell.

WE haue seene in the other two ar­ticles going before, the cōception of Christ and his birth, and what things were in them to be consi­dered of: now cōsequētly foloweth his death with certayne circumstances of it, as what foloweth after it. But here may a question be asked, why there is no mention made of his life, which went betweene his birth and death. To this it may be answered, that see­ing [Page] the benefites of his life be cōprehended in his death (for whatsoeuer he did in al his whole life, we inioy it in his passion) there­fore his life is not here set down, because we do beleeue it in his death. This article of Christs death is very necessary; for nothing had bene brought to passe for our saluation, neither should we haue had any profite at al by Christ, vnlesse he had bin crucified for vs. Therefore it is not sufficient to beleeue his conception & natiuitie, except we also con­fesse with our mouthes, and beleeue in our hearts stedfastly his death and bitter passion for vs. Therfore Christ is alwayes to be cō ­sidered of a Christian man, as he was cruci­fied for his sinnes. The meaning of this ar­ticle is this in other words: I y ^t am a christi­an man or woman, do beleeue & confesse, y ^t Christ my sauiour suffered, whē Pilate was deputy in Iurie, & was condemned by him most vniustly, and that he was crucified vpō the crosse or tree for my sinnes, to redeeme me, & that he died for me, to bring me to life, & that he was buried and laide in the graue as other men, & suffered y ^e tormēts of hell in body & soule, to acquit me before y ^e iudge­ment seat of God his father. In this article are fiue things noted vnto vs. First, vnder [Page] whom he suffered, & what iudge condemned him: secondly, what maner of death he died, he was crucified: thirdly, his death it selfe: fourthly, what was done after, he was buri­ed: & lastly, what paines he suffered, he de­scended into hel. Al these things are expres­sed vnto vs in this one article: first is decla­red vnto vs the name of him that condem­ned Christ, which is Pilate a Romane, as Iohn 19. And this his name is set downe, not only for the credit of the historie to be­leeue it the better, but also because this ap­pertained to the misterie of our redemptiō, that we might knowe his death to bee ioy­ned with the condemnation of an earthly iudge. For seeing that by y ^e death of Christ not onely our sinnes must bee purged, but also the condemnation for them to be ta­ken away: it was necessary that hee should die by the sentence of a iudge, and no other­wise, that we might be absolued before the great iudge of all the worlde. If Christ had been killed by theefes, or murdered in a tumult or sedition by priuate men, there had bene no redemption for vs in such a death, no kinde of satisfaction. But when we reade in the Euangelistes in their Gos­pell, that he was arraigned at the barre, ac­cused [Page] by witnesses, and condemned by the sentence of Pilate, (although iniuriouslye, hee pronouncing him iust, once or twise, & confessing that he found no fault in him) we vnderstand by those thinges, that hee sustayned not the person of him selfe, but of al vs most miserable sinners, that should haue bene so condemned before his father, if he had not suffered this vnder Pontius Pilate for vs. And here are two things to be noted of vs, which are both confirmed by the testimonies of the Prophets, and do also giue a notable consolation and con­firmation to our fayth: for when wee heare that Christe was sent to death, from the iudgement seate, and was hanged betwene the theeues, wee haue a full accomplish­ment of that prophesie, which is cited of the Euāgelist, He was reckoned or coun­ted among the wicked, Esay. 53. And why was this so? truely, that he might sustaine the condition and estate of a sinner, and not of a iust man, as hee suffered death, not for righteousnes sake, but for sin and y ^e trans­gressions of the wicked. Againe, when we heare that he was pronounced innocent by the same man, of whome he was condem­ned, let vs remember that which another [Page] Prophet speaketh of him, I restored that which I tooke not, Psal. 69. y ^t is, Christ pay­ed for sin, & bought if full dearely, which he neuer had, nor committed: for there was no guile found in his mouth. And why did Pi­late then condemne him? Because he feared man more then God, & Cesars displeasure more then y ^e wrath of God: for when y ^e peo­ple cryed, If thou let him goe, thou art not Caesars friend, then he consented vnto them to crucify him against his owne conscience, to pleasure the people, & to gratifye y ^e Em­perour Tiberius. So we see, that he was a parcial, feareful, & vniust iudge, & had not the properties of a good iudge, as is requi­red, Exod. 18. First, that they should be mē of courage, secondly, fearing God, thirdly, men dealing truely, fourthly, hating coue­tousnes. Let all Iudges take example & warning by Pilate, to execute iustice and iudgement indifferently to all men. For Pilate afterward, as histories recorde, for anguish and sorowe of minde hanged him­selfe, as Iudas did before him. And here wee see, that as a Romane then condem­ned Christ, and as alwayes afterwarde hee was persecuted by the Romaine Empe­rours: so it is at this day by that great [Page] Antichrist of Rome, the Pope and his ad­herentes: he is still persecuted in his mem­bers. This is the iust iudgement of God vpon them. God giue them grace (if it bee his will) to repent, & to come to the know­ledge of the trueth, Amen. Secondly, let vs consider the maner of his death what it was. It was the crosse, most shamefull and accursed, not onely in mans sight, but also of God him selfe. Deut. 21. The curse of God is on him that is hanged. This Paul repeateth, Gala. 3. and saith, Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe, being made a curse for vs, for it is written: Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree. Thus we see still in euery article, and in euery point of our saluation, that excee­ding great loue of Christ our master to vs, that not onely he was contented to suffer most grieous paine for vs, but also shame and reproche, ignominie and contempt of the worlde. He was at the first taking, led away to Annas and Caiaphas, and then posted ouer to Pilate. Pilate sent him to Herode, and Herode sent him back againe with mockes and tauntes in a purple robe in mockage, & derision of him. And all this did our sauiour Christ for vs. This was [Page] much that I haue rehearsed already, but yet nothing to y ^e death of the crosse: for the crosse was as odious & shameful to them, as the gallowes is to vs, & yet Christ was wel contented with it, so wee might bee redee­med. This is that Paul speaketh of to the Heb. 12. willing vs to follow the great hu­militie of Christ in his suffering of shame, saith, Let vs also, seeing that we are com­passed with so great a cloude of witnesses, cast away euery thing that presseth down, and sinne that hangeth so fast on: let vs runne with patience, the race that is set before vs, looking vnto Iesus the author & finisher of our faith, who for the ioy that was set before him, endured the crosse, & despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider therfore him that endured such speaking agaīst of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your mindes. We see many men can abide to suffer paine and griefe, which yet notwithstanding are ouercome with shame and reproche, and can hardly abide it. One peraduenture could bee con­tented to suffer some trouble for his deare friende, but who will bee hanged for his friende? Let the same minde therefore [Page] dearely beloued be in you, that was euen in Christ Iesus, who being in the forme of God, thought it no robberie to be e­qual with God, but hee made himselfe of no reputation, and tooke on him the shape of a seruant, and was made like vnto men, and was found in shape as a man: he hum­bled himselfe, and became obedient vnto the death, euen the death of the crosse. You see out of this place, howe Christ for our sakes abased himselfe to shame, which consisteth in foure poyntes. It was much for him being God, to become man, whe­ther it had bene King, or Prince, or Lorde: but it was more to become a miserable man, a seruant vnto men: more then that, it was to die: but most of all was it worthy prayse and commendation, that he died the death of the crosse, not for his friendes, but for his foes. Many other thinges did our sauiour suffer of the people, y ^e Scribes, the Pharises, & the Iewes: as reuilings, & blas­phemies, bitter nippes, and tauntes, but al was nothing to this crosse, it surmounteth all: & yet for all this, we must not be asha­med of him, for hee is our glory, Galat. 6. 1. Corinth. 2. they that are ashamed of him here in earth before men, he wil be ashamed [Page] of thē in heauē before his father & his An­gels. Let vs therfore confesse and acknow­ledge Christ crucified for vs, and let vs ne­uer be ashamed of him, when hee commeth with his crosse, for he that taketh not vp his crosse dayly & followeth him, is not worthy to be his disciple, Luke 9. He might rather haue bene ashamed of vs, to see vs in that case we were, worser then wee can see any poore miserable begger, amongst vs here in earth. We see then, y ^t by Christ crucified, the blessing of Abraham is come vpon vs y ^t were Gentiles, Galat. 3. and y ^e the serpents head is broken, he being y ^• true serpēt lifted vp vpon y ^e crosse, to saue al those that hope vpon him by fayth, as the other brasen ser­pent lyfted vp by Moses in the wildernes, saued all those Israelites y ^e were stong, & looked vp vnto it, Numb. 21. verse. 9. Fur­thermore, by this crosse, y ^e hande writing of ordinances which was against vs, & which was cōtrary to vs, he, euē he tooke it out of y ^e way, & fastened it vpon the crosse, & hath spoyled y ^e principalities, & powers, & hath made a shew of thē opēly, & hath triūphed o­uer thē in y ^e same crosse, Col. 2. Of this cru­cifying, & lifting vp vpō y ^e crosse, was Isaac a figure, who was boūd & laid vpō y ^e altar, [Page] ready to be offered. And so were al the sinne offerings layde vpon the altar: for he was made of God his father sinne for vs, that wee might he made the righteousnes of God in him, which knewe no sinne, 2. Co­rinth. 5. But of all other types and sha­dowes of the ceremonial lawe, this taking away of sinne by Christ in his crosse, was most liuely set forth and represented vnto vs, as in a glasse, in the scaps goate. For the Lord commanded Aaron Leuit. 16. that he should take a liue hee goate, and present him quicke before the Lorde, to make re­conciliation by him, and that he should put his handes vpon the head of the goate, and confesse ouer him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their trespasses, & all their sinnes, putting them vpon the head of the goate, & should send him away, by the hande of a man appointed, into the wildernes: so the goate shall beare vpon him all their iniquities into the lande that is not inhabited. Here was our sauiour Christ figured, which bare in his body vpō the crosse, the iniquities of vs al, Esai. 53. 1. Pet. 2. and was wounded for our trans­gressions, and caried away al our sorowes, for by his stripes are wee healed. Esay. 53. [Page] Furthermore, this betraying and cruci­fying of Christ, and selling of him for thir­ty pence, was also forefigured in Ioseph. For as Ioseph was solde of his owne bre­thren into the handes of strangers: so was Christ betrayed and sold of his owne disci­ple, anddeliuered of his owne nation into the handes of Pilate and the Heathen. The third thing that followeth in this article, is his death. He was dead in deede, as the E­uangelistes doe report: for Luke sayth of him, that he cryed with a loude voyce and sayde, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And when he had thus sayd, he gaue vp the ghost, Luk 23. So for the cer­taintie of it, it is not onely said that he was crucified, but also that he died: for other­wise nothing had bene wrought for vs. God sayde to Adam, In what day soeuer thou shalt eate of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and euill, thou shalt die the death. Adam offended and brake this commandement: hee was not able to make satisfaction for it, to die the death of body and soule: therfore the second Adam Iesus Christ died the death of body, & suf­fered the death in soule, to redeeme vs, and to satisfie Gods wrath & displeasure, con­ceiued [Page] most iustly against our sinne in Adam. This death was signified in euery sacrifice of beastes in the olde lawe of Mo­ses, in the killing of bullockes, of calues, of sheepe, of goates, and such other things. For as the Apostle sayth, without shed­ding of blood was no remission of sinnes. This was verified in Christes blood, shed for vs in his death. Neither was this death of Christ to be seene onely shadowed in the ceremonies of the Leuiticall lawe, but also in diuers men. As Samson, who died him selfe to deliuer his people from the Phili­stims: so Christ, to deliuer vs from the deuils, died him selfe. Dauid also was a figure of him in many thinges. Here we see then, what a grieuous thing sinne was in Gods sight, that he could be pacified by no other meanes, then by the blood & death of his only and welbeloued Sonne Iesus. Surely our sinnes were as hard as the A­damant stone, which could not be brokē by any other meanes, then by the blood of the true goate Iesus Christ. Consider here the wonderfull & vnspeakeable loue of Christ: he would die for vs, y ^t we might escape: euē as y ^e Pelicane, which hauing brought forth [Page] her young ones dead, or being stong & kil­led by serpētes, she pecketh forth her heart blood to reuiue her young ones: so we, he­ing conceiued and borne in sinne, and alto­gether dead in our trespasses and offences, Ephes. 2. stong of that old and fiery serpent the diuell, which first beguiled our parents in paradise, and so hauing the rewarde of sinne which is death: we (I say) in this case are reuiued and quickened againe, by the blood of that true Pelicane Iesus Christ, which hee from his heart hath shead and powred out for vs. Thus we see how deep­ly we are indebted to Christ for his great loue to vs, in dying for our sinnes, and yet how fewe remember this death! Many, not once in a day, nay, not once in a weeke, or moneth, I feare, some, not once in a whole yeere doe remember it well: they are the more vnthākeful, & vnkind sonnes to God so good a father, & Christ so louing a bro­ther. It is y ^e only thing y ^t should especially be remēbred, although all other things be forgottē. Beleeue me (deare brethrē) Christ died not to this ende, y ^t his death should be forgotten, which was so cruell to him, or y ^t it should be lightly remēbred of vs, for y ^t he might haue vs to remēber it y ^e better, he in­stituted [Page] his last supper, in bread & wine: the bread brokē, to put vs in minde of his most pure & pretious body broken & bruised for our sinnes, & that it doeth nourish vs, as the bread doth nourish our bodies: for his flesh is meat in deede Iohn 6. The wine ordei­ned, to put vs in mind of his blood powred out for vs, to wash vs from al our sinnes, 1. Iohn 1. & that as y ^e wine doth quench our thirst, and refresh vs, & comfort our hearts being soroweful: so doeth y ^e blood of Christ al these things vnto vs, in greater measure and abundance. This doeth also teache vs vnitie & loue together, y ^t as many grapes make but one wine, and many graynes of corne & wheate make but one lofe of bread: so should we be but one in Christ our head, for we are all members of the same body. The other sacramēt also of Baptisme, doth put vs in minde of Christes death: for as y ^e water in baptisme doth wash the body: so doeth the blood of Christ wash our soules, and clense them frō their filthines. Which thing is represented vnto vs in our bap­tisme, a signe of our newe birth and rege­neration by the spirite of Christ. There­fore in our baptisme we ought to remem­ber this death, for wee are buried with him [Page] into his death, by this seale and sacrament of our baptisme, as Paul proueth, Rom. 6. Nowe we see, that to the ende we may re­member this great benefite of Christes death, we haue tokens of it, two in num­ber: the supper of Christ, and baptisme: for by thē we shew forth the Lords death, vn­til he come againe to iudgemēt, 1. Cor. 11. Nowe if any man marueile why we dye, since Christ hath died for vs, & tasted death once for all men, to make reconciliatiō for the sinnes of the people, & to satisfie Gods iustice: he may be answered, y ^t Christ hath taken away the second death of the soule, & not this first & naturall death of the body, which is common to all, for by it we enter into life: and although it be sometime grie­uous to Gods children, yet it is not deadly to them, nay rather, ioyfull, seeing by it they come to Christ their head, as it was to Paul: I desire, saith he, to be loosed, and to be with Christ, meaning, to die. For al­beit this death of the body dwelleth in vs, yet it hath no dominion ouer vs, by the force and efficacie of Christes death. And wee knowe that it is made nowe to the elect, a gate to passe by into heauen. We should not then feare death, seeing that [Page] the losse of this transitory life, is the high way into Gods euerlasting kingdome. And this may bee answered concerning sinne also. If any man aske, howe it com­meth to passe, that wee haue sinne still re­maining in vs, seeing Christ hath died for it to take it away: I answere, that Christ hath taken awaye the condemnation of sinne, that it shall not hurt vs, to bring vs to destruction, but the full abolishing of sinne shall cease in the latter day of iudge­ment, when all thinges shall bee restored againe to their perfection, Actes 5. So that now we may say, There is no condem­nation of sinne to them that are in Christ Iesus, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite, Rom. 8. For see the won­derfull working of God, that all the curses and paynes that were in Iesus Christ, are turned to our blessings and ioyes: his death is our life, his pouerty our riches, his shame our glory, his descension into hell, is made our ascension into heauen: and finally, his misery here in this life, is made our felicitie and happinesse in the life to come. This is the Lordes doing, and it is marueilous in our eyes. O that men would therefore prayse the Lorde for his goodnes, and de­clare [Page] the wonders that hee doeth for the children of men! This death of Christe hath two benefites in it: for first it causeth that wee shall not die in the life to come, and then here it mortifieth our earthly members, it killeth our olde man Adam within vs, that it bringeth not foorth his accustomed actions of sinne within vs. Thus much concerning his death. Let vs nowe consider briefly the fourth poynt in this article, which is his buriall. Christe was buried by an honourable Counseller, Ioseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Iewes, who begged his bo­dy boldly of Pilate, and buried it with o­dours, as the maner was, Iohn 19. His buriall is mentioned, to assure vs that hee died in deede, as when wee see a man bu­ried, wee doubt not but that hee is dead. The lesson that we learne by this buriall of Christ, is this, as the Apostle Paul teacheth vs, Rom. 6. and Colos. 2. that we should so through baptisme bee freed and buried from sinne, as he was buried in the graue, that like as Christe was raysed vp from the dead to y ^e glorie of his father: so we also should walke in newenes of life. So then, as we are crucified with Christ vnto sinne, [Page] and dead and buried thereto, so must wee rise againe with him vnto righteousnes. But of this, more (God willing) in y ^t 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 [Page] 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, Psal. 22. 1. to say and cry out: O my God, Matt. 27. 46. my God, why hast thou forsaken me? So that all the things that Christ suf­fered before, were nothing to this, y ^t now he suffered, whē he cryed out for very payne, & extreme sorowe of minde. For we must re­mēber, that Christ vpon y ^e crosse, did not on­ly suffer paines in body, (as they did which were crucified w ^t him, which were y ^e paines that y ^e Iewes did put him to) but farther, he suffered y ^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 shalbe made as white as wool, and like to snowe, Esay. 1. A notable & cō ­fortable place: for before, y ^e 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 [Page] 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, Iohn 8. 56. that Abra­ham reioyced to see his dayes, and sawe them: that is, reioyced in Christ, that he shoulde be his Sauiour. Actes 4. 12. 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 from thence, which dyed in his faith before his comming in the flesh, for they were in hea­uen already as concerning the soule, for the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them, Wisd. 3. Here then seeing Christ hath suf­fered and fulfilled all things for vs, we may saye to God as concerning his iustice, O righteous God, if shame, confusion and ignominie bee due to sinners for their euill desertes, if death bee the stipende and re­ward of sinne, Rom. 6. 23. If it deserue thy wrath and indignation most seuere, If it be worthy to be punished not onely with most sharpe paynes of body, but also extreeme torments of mynd and conscience: briefely, if it deserue hell and damnation for the vile­nesse [Page] and filthinesse of it: Then O most iust Father and God, Christ thy Sonne hath suffered all these thinges to the vtmost, hee hath paide al whatsoeuer thou canst require of mee, for sinne, Col. 2. 14. he hath perfourmed thy bande and obligation, and hath clearely can­celed the handwriting that was against me. For can there bee a greater burden with measure more heaped and full, and pressed downe, appoynted for sinne and iniquitie, then this was, which Christ Iesus thy be­loued & only Sonne, which was in thy bo­some, hath borne already for me? Therefore I beseeche thee most deare and tender Fa­ther, whensoeuer my sinnes shall come into thy sight, or question with thee, which my aduersarie the deuill layeth before thee and me, that then thou wouldest looke vpon Christ thy Sonne, which is thy true loo­king glasse, in whom thou shalt finde me to be most pure and innocent, and to be of the same white colour with him, and to shine most bryght in his righteousnesse, which he giueth vnto me by faith, if I beleeue in him, as I can perswade my selfe most certainely and vnfaynedly that I doe. Good Father, for his sake receiue me into mercie, and be­stowe thy heauenly blessings vpon me, be­cause [Page] hee hath deserued them well at thy handes. This prayer with boldnesse and confidence in Christes blood, may a true Christian man make to God the Father, when his sinnes shall begin to accuse him: and herein may he finde comfort, otherwise none at all. For God is not pleased, but in Christ and in his doings, as he saith, This is my welbeloued Sonne, heare him, Matt. 3. and 17. Where we note, that Christ is our onely reconciler to God, and our onely scholemaster to teach vs the trueth of Gods worde. Thus haue we heard in this article, the death of Christ, a wonderfull and vn­speakable mysterie, the circumstances of it, the cause of the same, the paines he suffered, and what comfort we haue and enioy by it. Nowe let vs giue to our heauenly Fa­ther most heartie, earnest, and continuall thankes for it, and likewise to Iesus Christ, that woulde vouchsafe to take it vp­on him for our sakes, such poore and mi­serable wretches as wee were. It is the greatest and most precious Iewel and Dia­monde that God coulde bestowe vpon vs. Let vs therefore pray vnto him, to make vs deepely consider of the valewe of it in our hearts and mindes, that we slightly esteeme [Page] not of so excellent a treasure, but that wee may sell all, and buy it. Let vs further­more desire of him, that by the death of his Sonne, hee woulde kill in vs all carnall and worldly lustes, and mortifie our earth­ly members, pride, concupiscence, ambiti­on, hatred, couetousnesse and such lyke sinnes, that wee walke in them no more. Nowe seeing Christ hath dyed for them, to put them all away, and hath fastned and nayled them to his Crosse, that we shoulde serue him (being deliuered from the handes of our enemies) without feare, all the dayes of our life, in holinesse and true righ­teousnesse before him: This God graunt vnto vs for Christs sake, to whome with the holy Ghost, one blessed God, be rendred all prayse, and glory, and thankes giuing for euer, and euer, Amen.

The fifth Lecture vpon the fifth article:
The third day he rose againe from the dead.

WE haue seene before three articles, concerning the person of our saui­our Christ, as his conception, his birth, his death: which we haue expounded as God hath giuē vs ability by his grace. Now foloweth the fift article concerning his re­surrection from the dead. And this doth fo­lowe orderly in the beliefe after his death & passion: for so did Christ alwaies ioyne these two together, his death and rising againe, saying to his disciples, Mat. 26. 21. Behold, we goe vp to Ierusalem, and the sonne of mā shalbe deliuered vnto the chiefe priests and scribes, and they shall condemne him to death, & shal deliuer him to the Gētiles, to mocke & to scourge & to crucifie, but y ^e third day he shal rise again. This was spo­ken to comfort them, y ^t although they cōcey­ued great care & sorow, in hearīg y ^t he should be killed, yet they might take as great com­fort againe to heare, that hee was risen from the dead. Christes enemies did in deede what they might and coulde, to keep him downe still: they layd a great stone and heauie vp­on his graue, they sealed y ^e stone, they made [Page] the sepulchre sure w ^t a watch of souldiers, Matth. 27. 66. But all was in vayne: for Christ must needes be true of his worde and promise, to arise againe the third day, as he had often foretolde and prophecied of to his Apostles, and of the which they were al wit­nesses, and as S. Paul saith, moe then fiue hūdred brethrē at once did see him. If any require testimonies of his resurrection out of scripture, let him read the 28. of Matth. the 16 of Mar. the 24. of Luke, the 20. & 21. of Iohn, the 1. Cor. 15. with many other places of scripture. Wherefore no man can doubt of the trueth of this article, being con­firmed by so many places of y ^e word of God. This resurrectiō was very necessary: for vn­lesse it had folowed, and Christ risen again, nothing had bene wrought concerning our saluation, neither had death bene conquered, nor satā destroied, nor we redeemed perfect­ly from the dolours of death. Therefore S. Peter saith, that God hath raised him vp, & loosed the sorowes of death, because it was vnpossible that he shoulde be holden of it, Acts 2. 24. as Dauid also proueth, Psa. 16. Thou shalt not leaue my soule in y ^e graue, neither shalt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. This article doth proue vnto [Page] vs, that Christ is both man and God:man, in that he did rise with his body in the which he fell and died before, for it is vnproper to say that God doth rise againe, for he doth neuer fall. His resurrection doth proue him to be God also, because he raysed vp himselfe the third day, as he testifieth, Destroy this tem­ple (meaning of his body) and in three daies I wil reare it vp agayne, Ioh. 2. 20. It is al­so saide, that he was raysed vp by the glorie of his father, but that is spokē as concerning his humanity, wherin he is inferior to his fa­ther. Seeing then y ^t in the crosse, death & bu­riall of Christ, doth appeare a kinde of infir­mitie and weakenes in respect of the world, because these things in Christ seeme base to many: wee haue to goe further for the full strengthening of our faith, to his most glo­rious & victorious resurrection ouer al his enemies: for although we haue a ful accom­plishment of our saluation in his death, be­cause that by it wee are reconciled to God, and satisfactiō is made to his iustice for our sinnes, so that y ^e curse is taken away frō vs, & the punishmēt paid for our offēces: yet for al this, we are said to be begottē (not by his death, but by his resurrection) into a liuely hope: for these are y ^e words of Saint Peter, [Page] 1. Epist. 1. Chap. Blessed be God, euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ, which ac­cording to his abūdant mercy hath begot­ten vs againe vnto a liuely hope, by the re­surrection of Iesus Christ frō the dead, to an inheritance immortall & vndefiled, & that withereth not, reserued in heauen for vs, which are kept by the power of God tho­row faith vnto saluation, which is prepared to be shewed in y ^e last time, (meaning whē Christ shal come to iudgement) and we shal rise in our bodies. Wherefore as Christ by rising so triumphātly, became cōquerour of death: so the victory of our faith doeth con­sist especially in his resurrection, euē as the holy Apostle doth plainly expresse it, Rom. 4. 25. for he saith, that Christ was deliuered from our sinnes, but is risen againe for our iustificatiō: as if he should say, By his death was sinne takē away & abolished, but iustice and righteousnesse was restored & renewed vnto vs by his resurrection from death. For otherwise, how could he haue deliuered vs from death by dying, if he himself had bin swallowed vp of death? or howe should he haue gotten vs the victorie, y ^t had lost it him­self? This thing the Prophete Osee foresee­ing by the spirite of God, spake propheti­cally [Page] as Dauid and other Prophets did, of this resurrection of our sauiour, saying, O death, I wil be thy death, O graue, I wil be thy destruction, Osee, Chap. 13. verse. 14. Wherfore we do in this sort distinguish y ^e be­nefites of his death from the benefites of his resurrectiō. By his death sinne is abolished: by his resurrectiō righteousnes is restored: by his death is death extinguished: by his re­surrection is life repayred: to conclude, by y ^e one, hel gates are brokē vp & vāquished, & by y ^e other, y ^e dores of heauē are vnshut & opened vnto vs. These are the proper differences be­tweene his death & resurrection, although y ^e one sometime is takē for y ^e other, & al things are giuen and applied to his death whatsoe­uer we inioy. Here may be a question, why Christ was three dayes in the sepulchre. First I may say, It was to fulfill the scrip­tures: for Ionas was a figure & signe of his resurrection: now as Ionas was three daies and three nightes in the fishes belly, so was Christ in the graue. Agayne, hee was there three dayes, and did not rise by & by immedi­atly after his death, to confirme y ^e certaintie of his death, that he was dead in deede: for if he should haue risen straight way, mē might haue thought with thēselues that he had not [Page] bin throughly dead. Againe, although it be said that he was three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth, yet was he there but part of thē: for the scripture doth take a part & halfe of a day for a whole day, as also part of a mā, for y ^e whole mā. Wheras it is saide, there were so many soules in the ship with Paul, Actes 27. 37. it is meant, so many men in al with bo­dies & soules: but the better, greater, & excel­lenter part is vsually taken for the whole, as in this place of three daies. This article hath two principall poynts to be considered in it: first, the resurrectiō it self of Christ, second­ly, the benefites y ^t come vnto vs by it, which are three in nūber. First, life & righteousnes is restored vnto vs by his rising: thē morti­fication & newnes of life here amōg men, is taught vnto vs by this resurrection: lastly, we are assured & perswaded of our resurrec­tiō. In that y ^t Christ our head is risen again, we also the members shall rise with him, as Paul saith, Whēsoeuer Christ which is our head shal appeare, thē shal we also appeare, that is, rise with him in glorie, (y ^t is) a glo­rified body as his is. Phil. 3. Colos. 3. This can not be but great comfort vnto vs. As cō ­cerning his resurrection, partly some thing was alledged before, & testimonies brought [Page] to confirme it, but this may be saide more of it, that it is so necessarie to be beleeued vnto saluation, that without it no life can be had: for how can he haue life, that doth not, or wil not beleeue the author & giuer of life, Iesus Christ, to be aliue & risen, but dead? how (I say) cā such an one haue any life in him at al? Therefore our Sauiour, willing to leaue a perpetuall memorie of this article to his Church, seeing it was of such great waight & importance, after that he had suffered, pre­sented him selfe aliue to his Apostles & dis­ciples, & to the women also, by many infal­lible tokens, being seene of them by y ^e space of fourtie dayes, & speaking of those things which appertayne to the kingdome of God. To this ende, y ^t he might cōfirme & streng­then thē in this true resurrection, he did eate & drinke w ^t them after he rose, Acts. 10. she­wed thē his hands & his feete, bid them han­dle him, & see that it was euen he and none o­ther, Luk. 24. 39. Yea this point is so neces­sarie to obteyne euerlasting saluation, that the Apostle S. Paul doth affirme, that if Christ be not risen againe, then is our prea­ching in vayne, then is our faith in vayne, then are we false witnesses of God, thē are we yet in our sinnes, and they that are fallē [Page] asleepe in Christ are perished, and we of al men are most miserable. All these absurdi­ties and inconueniences do follow, if we or any other beleeue not stedfastly, that Christ is risen againe. But (dearly beloued) Christ is risen againe, as the Angel said to the wo­men, Matth. 28. 6. He is risen, he is not here, when they thought hee had not bene risen, but there in the graue as hee was layde. The Pharisees thought, that if they could perswade the peo­ple from the beliefe of this his resurrection, they should do well ynough with them, and therfore they gaue large money to the soul­diers, to say that he was stollen away by his disciples by night. They wel knew that if y ^e people of the Iewes did beleeue this his ry­sing frō the dead, they would easely beleeue all other mysteries of his death and pas­sion, with the articles going before. The Euangelists al of them do inculcate & make mentiō of no one article so much as of this: for although Iohn and Marke doe make no mention of his byrth & conception, yet not­withstanding, they make diligent rehearsall of this resurrection in their Gospels, Marke 16. Ioh. 21. The Apostles after y ^e ascension of Christ, did especially preach this article to y ^e people in al sermōs & preachīgs of theirs. [Page] Peter in fiue Sermons together, the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. of the Actes of the Apostles, maketh especiall mention of this resurrection. So doth he in the Actes 10. And so doth Paul. Act. 13. and 17. and in euery Epistle of his. For in deede our whole faith dependeth vp­on it, which if it be once ouerthrowen, then can not our faith be sure & stable. Although the Apostles were chosen to be witnesses of all the doings and actiōs of Christ, Act. 10. verse. 39. yet were they especiall witnesses of his resurrection, because it seemed so incredible in the eyes of all men. For when as Peter made his Sermon immediatly after Christes ascension into heauen, in an vpper chamber in Ierusalem, to all the dis­ciples, and to the women which were there. which were in all, both men and women, sixe score, hee made mention of this to the rest, that there must one be chosen into the roume and place of Iudas the traytour, to be made a witnes of Christes resurrection, Act. 1. vers. 22. So that, although not only, yet especially the office of the Apostles was, to declare and testifie with all dili­gence and boldnes, the resurrection of Christ, to the people and Church of God. Belike then, this resurrection of Christ [Page] doeth conteyne in it some notable mysterie, and lesson for our instruction: and surely so it doeth. Seeing it is so, let vs come to the seconde poynt which I noted, that was, the benefite and great profite wee reape by his resurrection. This resurrection was great losse vnto Satan, but the same was our gayne. For by it, death is swallowed vp into victorie, and the bonds of the deuill, whereby hee helde vs captiues at his will, are all broken and dashed in pieces, by this victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda. And this is the first benefite, that eternall life, which is y ^• free gift of God, Rom. 6. is now giuen vnto vs. Then before this resurrec­tion, we were in the shadow of death, sitting in blindnesse and ignorance. Nowe ryghte­ousnesse is restored: then surely before, we were in our sinnes, as Paul saith, If Christ bee not rysen, then are you as yet in your sinnes, 1. Cor. 25. Well, nowe that he is ri­sen, all our sinnes, are put away. Let vs ap­ply this doctrine to our selues, for our owne consolation and comfort, agaynst Satan and all his tentations, and let vs say of it as Paul did, Galat. 2. I am crucified with Christ, but I liue, (meaning by his resur­rection) yet not I any more, but Christ li­ueth [Page] in me. And in that that I nowe liue in the flesh, I liue by the fayth in the Sonne of God, who hath loued me, and giuen him selfe for me. So must euery one of vs say, Christ hath rysen againe for me, & iusti­fied me, and saued me, in restoring life vnto my dead body againe. Here ariseth likewise out of this, our duetie and thankefulnesse to our Lord Iesus Christ for this great bene­fite, not to forget it at any time, but as Mo­ses sayeth, Deut. 6. 6. so must wee doe: for this is the precept and commaundement of the eternall God, These wordes or things which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children, and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thy house, and whē thou walkest by the way, and when thou lyest downe, and as thou rysest vp. So these benefites of Christ are alwayes to be remembred. Alas, dearely beloued brethren, if we woulde so thanke and remember a friende of ours but a mor­tall man, as we woulde neuer forget him, but speake continually of him, and prayse him to others, if hee shoulde bestowe vp­on vs a transitorie and temporall gift, which lasteth but for a time, as a thousande pound [Page] in money or goods, or an hundred pounde lande a yeere, if (I say) we would thinke this very much, and great loue: what shall wee thinke of Iesus Christ, and howe shall wee bee able to thanke him sufficient­ly, and remember him ynough, which hath bestowed vpon vs his owne goodes and treasures, farre better then siluer and golde, and all precious stones, yea, to the which these things are but doung? and not onely hath he giuen vnto vs his goods and iewels:but he hath also giuen vnto vs most faire and large possessions, euen the inheri­tance of the kingdome of heauē, immortall, vndestled, and which withereth not away, as these inheritances here belowe doe. These things come vnto vs by his resurrec­tion, and yet who almost of the hundred part of men remembreth these benefits, and receiueth them with thankesgiuing accor­dingly? Nay, who thinketh not more of his lands and possessions here belowe, then of those aboue? Wel, they are the more fooles and mad men, and altogether vnthankefull to our good and louing Sauiour Iesus Christ, which doeth offer these things vnto them, if they woulde receiue them. God make them and vs al, one day thankefull for [Page] them. Well, to conclude this point, let vs marke and beholde, that he is risen againe frō death, wherin did appeare greater force and power, then if he had at that time come downe from the crosse, whē the Iewes wil­led him so to doe: for he did so vanquish and ouercome death, striuing with him in the graue, that hee was not able with all his force, to keepe him vnder his rule and go­uernment. If hee had bene ouercome, he should not haue saued vs. For it had bene al one with vs, as with one ready to bee drow­ned, and some other man to help and suc­cour him, woulde couragiously leape into the water, who in the ende should be drow­ned him selfe, before he could releeue the o­ther: what help then could come to the man that first fell into the water? Truely no o­ther thing could ensue of this, but one euill to folowe an other, and the death of the se­cond man, to be added to the losse of y ^e first. But this was farre otherwise in Christ, who first deliuered him selfe from the ter­tors of death and hell, that he might the bet­ter perswade vs of our saluation, as a sure anker, by faith in him alone. The second be­nefit that commeth to vs by Christs resur­rection, is newnes of life, & that we should [Page] mortifie our former: lustes, in dying vnto sinne, and haue a newe life in all righteous­nesse and holinesse, as we see Christ did rise againe with a glorified body, not subiect to the like affections and passions as he was before, to hunger and thirst, to mortalitie and other miseries of the body, but had all things as it were newe: so shoulde we also ryse with him from this olde life of sinne, wherein wee haue liued too long, and put on a newe and a better life, that is, as Paul speaketh, to cast off concerning the con­uersation in time past, that olde man which is corrupted through the deceyue­able lustes: and that we should be renew­ed in the spirite of our minde, to put on the newe man, which after God is crea­ted vnto ryghteousnesse and true holi­nesse. This is the true image wherein Christ is rysen, and wherein we must also ryse: For surely (dearely beloued) as Christ was raysed from the dead to the glory of the Father, so we also shoulde walke in newe­nesse of life, Rom. 6. Then all they that doe not leade a newe life and a Christian, haue not yet risen with Christ, neither haue they part of his resurrection. For we must con­sider, that the scriptures of God do set forth [Page] vnto vs two resurrections: the one is of the body at the generall daye of iudgement, 1. Corin. 15. Of this we shall heare more in that article of y ^e resurrection, & this is com­mon to all, and is in the life to come, cal­led the seconde resurrection, where of Iohn speaketh, Reuel. 20. The other resurrection is of the soule from sinne, here in this life cōmon to y ^e elect and childrē of God, which are true members of Iesus Christ, and folowe him their head, and this is called the first resurrection, because it goeth before the other: and he that will haue his part of the seconde resurrection to life euerlasting, and not be hurt of the seconde death, must while he liueth here, indeuour to ryse from sinne. Of this resurrection Saint Iohn in the twentie of the Reuelation spake most playnely, saying, Blessed and holy is hee that hath his part in the first resurrection, for on such the second death hath no po­wer, but they shall be the Priestes of God and of Christ, and reygne with him a thousand yeeres: that is to say, not a thou­sande onely, but for euer and euer, as is most clearely in another place of the same Iohn expounded, Chapter 22. verse 5. in these wordes, The Lorde shall giue [Page] them lyght, and they shall reigne for e­uermore: Which by the way maketh a­gaynst the error of them, that imagined that Christ shoulde reigne but a thousande yeere with his elect, and that vpon the earth also. But to come to our matter againe, from the which wee haue a litle digressed: We see that there is also a resurrection to be sought for here in this life, from sinne. Of this resurrection spake S. Paul also Ephes. 5. speaking to them that where fal­len downe & asleepe, or rather dead in sinne: Awake thou that sleepest, and stande vp from the dead, and Christ shall giue thee light. In this resurrection from sinne and wickednes did Dauid arise, when hee had slept, and was almost dead in adulterie, and murder of Vrias, for the space of one whole yere and more: for when Nathan the Pro­phet came vnto him, and sharply rebuked him for it, he repented and amended, and so rose againe to a lewe life afterwarde. So did Saint Peter also rise in this resurrec­tion, when he had most wickedly and shame­fully denied & forsworste his master Christ: for he went forth and wept bitterly: So he rose againe, Mark. 14. And so doe all the godly:when they haue sinned, they are sory [Page] for it, and by and by they arise by repētance, and neuer intende to doe the like againe. And verely so must we all doe, euery one of vs from the hiest to the lowest, none must be exempted, if we wil be Christs scholers and disciples, or haue any part with him in his holy resurrection. When we haue offended our master Christ, let vs be most heartily so­rie for it, lament and amendc, and serue him better afterwarde, taking heede of the like offences againe: then shall wee haue our part in this resurrection, & so be blessed for euer. Nowe the wicked and reprobate, be­cause, when they haue sinned, they can not ryse agayne by repentance with Peter and Dauid, but rather lye still vnder the bur­den of their sinnes, and so fall to despayre: therefore they can haue no fellowshippe in this resurrection. As for example, wee see in Cain, haw he dispayred when he had sin­ned, Gen. 4. 14. and neuer repented or amended his life, Gene. 4. So did Saul: and so did king Pharao confesse he had sinned vnto y ^e Lord: but yet he hardened his heart, Exod. 8.8 and 9. 28. and continu­ed still in his sinnes to prouoke the Lorde, for he would not let Israel goe to serue the Lorde, who did not ryse in this resurrecti­on. The like we haue of Esau, Gen. 27.38. who wept in [Page] deede, but not in godly sorow that causeth repentance vnto saluation, not to be re­pented of, as y ^t Apostle speaketh of, 2. Cor. 7. But he lamented in worldly sorowe, that causeth death, because he amended not his sinfull life, Hebrew. 12. The like may bee sayde of Iudas, who fell as others of the godly dyd into sinne, but rose not agayne with them. Therefore the reprobate, when they fall away, can not ryse, because they can not bee renewed by repentance, seeing they crucifie to them selues the Sonne of God, and make a mocke of him, as Iulian that wicked Emperour & runnagate from Christ, after he fell away from him, neuer came to him againe. For it was vnpossible for him so to doe, as Paul sayeth, Hebr. 6. verse 4, 5, 6. But here let vs behold the per­uerse dealing of man, and the vanitie of his heart, when he shoulde be risen with Christ in his resurrection, he riseth with the deuil to the toppe of all sinne and wickednesse: when he should be aliue in al good workes, he is dead in them, and quicke in all abomi­nations: many rise, but not with Christ to y ^e glory of God, but to their owne glory, y ^e glo­of the worlde: some to promotions & prefer­mēts by vniust and vnlawful meanes, some [Page] to pride and ambition, some rise early, as Esay, 5. Chapter sayeth, But to followe drunkennesse, and to practise their wic­ked deuises, which they haue conceiued in their beddes. Thus they rise and haue a resurrection, but not in goodnesse, but in most filthie and abominable sinne. For where we shoulde be fresh and florishing as good and greene trees, to bring forth good fruite, left we be throwne downe and cast into the fire: we are dead & withered, & drie in al goodnes, corrupt trees without fruite, twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes. This is a very miserable thing, but yet common to many. Wee see then by these things, that the wicked liue in the thinges wherein they should dye, and die in y ^e things wherein they should be aliue before God, as faith, hope, and loue of God, and heauen and heauenly things: so that we may iudge, that as yet they haue not atteyned to this resur­rection, which Christ hath gotten and obtai­ned for vs by his rising again. Wel, to con­clude this lesson, let vs that are risen with Christ, seeke those thinges that are a­boue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, and let vs set our affections vpon heauenly thinges, and not earthly, for wee [Page] are dead, and our life is hidde with Christ in God, Colossians 3. vers. 1. and so let vs altogether mortifie our earthly mem­bers, and fleshly lustes, fornication, euil con­cupiscēce, vncleannes, inordinate affectiō, and couetousnes, which is of all vices the worst, & called Idolatrie: doing these things in the first resurrection, when Christ which is our life shal appeare, then shall we also in the seconde resurrection appeare with him in glory. The which assurance of our re­surrection is the thirde benefite, we haue to note in this resurrection of Christ: for by it we are made surc and certaine of the rysing againe of our bodies at the last and generall day of iudgement, when Christ shal come to iudge all the worlde in righteousnes. I say, that his rising is the earnest of our immor­talitie, not onely in our soules, but also in our bodyes. 2. Cor. 25. He is become the first fruits of thē that sleepe: and as in Adam we al die: so again by Christ and his resurrection, we shal al be made aliue at the great and last day, in as much as he is y ^e resurrectiō & the life, and he that beleeueth in him, although he were dead, yet shal hee liue, Iohn 11. And hee is the head that is risen, therefore the body and all the members of the same [Page] shal followe in due time. For as when a man hath fallen into some deepe and dangerous riuer, and hath nowe recouered his head from vnder the water, and swimmeth aboue out of danger with his head, although his o­ther parts & members of his body be not yet seene & discouered, yet wil al mē say, he is es­caped from death already: so is it with our head Iesus Christ, and with vs his body. Seeing he is escaped and tisē from y ^e deepe gulfe of death, (notwithstanding wee seeme as yet to be couered therein in this our mor­tall state) why may it not be iustly saide, that we are risen with him, being so neerely ioy­ned and vnited vnto him, vnlesse we will de­nie him to bee our head? Wherefore, if wee professe our selues to be his, wee must lyke­wise acknowledge that our resurrection is already begun in his, & that we do by hope, (which neuer maketh ashamed) in this life retaine y ^e assurance of that state, which here­after wee shall with ful possession & accom­plishmēt in heauen with him enioy for euer. This can not bee but a great and singular comfort to al the faithfull seruauntes of Ie­sus Christ, to consider that their bodyes shal not lie for euer in the graues, as the bodyes of beastes do, but that they shall rise againe [Page] with Christ, which is before entred into hea­uen, to prepare a place there for vs, that hee may come againe at the last day to receiue vs wholy vnto him selfe. If wee were by the death of any friende of ours, made sure by good and sufficient warrant of an hun­dred pounde lande a yeere, howe greatly woulde wee reioyce thereof both night and day! And how ought we to reioyce continu­ally, beyng put in assurance by Christes death and resurrection, not of landes and goodes here, which are but short and transi­torie: but of the possession of the euerlasting and immortall kingdome of God, where are pleasures without ende, and ioyes with­out any wearinesse. O howe ought this to stirre vs vp to be in loue with that life, but especially and aboue all things to loue him, that was the authour and purchaser of these things vnto vs, euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God, both God and man! I woulde to God we did thinke of these thinges and con­sider deepely with our selues, what is pre­pared for vs by his resurrection: surely then wee woulde not sinne, at the least we would not wallo we with the sowe, and delite in our sinnes as many men do, the more is the pi­tie. Wel, this is the greatest benefite we ob­teine [Page] by this resurrection, euen our owne ri­sing: if it were not for this, we were not bet­ter thē bruite beastes, yea farre worse, especi­ally the godly, who suffer many iniuries and tauntes, with mockings and paynes of the wicked: if they shoulde not be assured of this grace and happinesse, their life were ve­ry miserable, & they surely would despaire. But of these things which are very incident to the article of our resurrection, mo things (by Gods grace) shal be spokē, whē we come to that point. In the meane season (dearely beloued) let vs giue to Iesus Christ most humble and heartie thankes, for the benefits that we receiue of his gratious goodnes, by his victorious resurrection, in that hee hath gotten to vs life, and opened the gates of paradise vnto vs, which were shutte before. And with all, because we neede continually to craue many thinges at his handes, let vs meekely pray vnto him, that hee woulde vouchsafe to woorke so in our harde heartes by his holy spirit, that we may by his resur­rection, mortifie and kil all the wicked & vn­ruly desires of y ^e flesh, & other sinnes which are crept into vs, and beg we of him, that we may all of vs, leaue the olde finfull life of Adam, and walke in a newe life, and put on [Page] the newe man Iesus Christ, and to make no prouision for the vnbrydled flesh, to ful­fil the lustes of it, that we may walke before him, and serue him, not for a day, or weeke, or moneth, or yere, Luke 1. 75. but as y ^e holy ghost saith, al the dayes & times of our life, in holinesse and true righteousnesse, to his honour and glorie, to the profite and commoditie of his Church, our brethren, and in the ende, to the consolation and comfort of our own soules, which God graunt vs for his sonnes sake: to whom with the holy spirit, be rendred all praise, and glory, and wisedome, and thanks, and honour, and power, and might, for euer­more, Amen.

The sixt Lecture vpon the sixt article of our Christian fayth:
He ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty.

THis is the sixt Article of our Christian faith, yet but the fift of thē that appertaine to Christ & his benefites, from his concep­tion, to this his ascension into heauen: and it followeth consequently in order after his resurrection, not but that there was some time and space betweene: for Luke doeth recken fourty dayes, to this ende, that hee might instruct and confirme his disciples in the veritie of his resurrection: to the which ende he did eate and drinke with thē after he was risen. Nowe the meaning of this article in mo wordes (for the capacitie and vnderstanding of the simple and vn­learned) is this: I that am a Christian, doe beleeue, according to the scriptures, that Iesus Christ in the same body that he rose, is ascended into heauen, for to prepare a place for me, and to pray continually vnto [Page] God his father for vs, to bee mercifull vnto our sinnes. This is the true sense and meaning of this article. Now let vs consi­der what things wee haue to learne out of it, 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 y ^e 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 [Page] those are his very words in y ^e place. Like­wise S. Luke saith, Luke 24. 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 y ^e more euident to all the world, long before the cōming of Christ in the flesh, spake of it by y ^e spirit of prophecie, moued by the direction of y ^e 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 y ^e were blowē at y ^e solēne feasts of y ^e Iewes, Psal. 47. Also in the 68. Psal. Thou art gone vp on hie, thou hast led captiuitie captiue. We see then y ^e 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) y ^e is a Christiā, doubt of this, neither is it in controuersie betweene y ^e Papists & vs, as cōcerning his ascensiō (although in y ^e 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, [Page] 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, What it is to sit at Gods right hand. 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, Iohn 1. 18. and 4. 24. 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 y ^e 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 y ^e maner of men, & say, he repenteth y ^t euer he made [Page] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 1. Ephes. that God hath set him farre aboue all principalitie and power, & [Page] 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 [Page] 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 & spirit, & by his grace and godhead, which is euery where. For he sayeth, that he will not leaue vs father­les, but will come vnto vs: which he meant by sending his spirit, Iohn 14. We are not then to looke for Christes body here nowe vpon the earth, (as certaine heretikes do suppose) euen as he him selfe saith, Matt. 26. Me shal you not haue alwayes. Surely this saying can by no meanes be true, if his body be euery where, in euery place, at eue­ry sacrament: then is not his body departed [Page] from vs, then is he not ascended into hea­uen, but remaineth here still in the earth. But the Angell sayde to the women, that he was not there. That was some place, & then he had a glorified body. And it is said, that heauen must conteine him, vntill all things bee restored, Act. 3. Surely being now ascended in body, we neither reade of, nor beleeue any other descension in body, then that wherein he shall descēde to iudge at the latter day: as the Angels spake to y ^e disciples, This Iesus which is taken vp frō you into heauen, shall so come, as ye haue seene him go into heauen. So that vnles we see Christ so come down as he went vp, we will not beleeue y ^e papistes, y ^t say he is in the boxe or pixe, much lesse them that say, he is euery where, making him in deede to haue no body at all, but altogether swal­lowed vp by his diuinitie. For tell mee, I pray you, if Christ had meāt his body should alway remaine here vpon the earth, why did he say that he must depart from them? They cannot meane it of his diuinity, but of his humanitie. Againe, what needed his dis­ciples to bee so sorowefull for his going a­way, if they had had his body with them? Here they answere, The disciples had not [Page] his body visibly, but his body inuisible or not seene. But surely the disciples, if they had vnderstoode it so, as the Papistes say, of his inuisible body, they were not such children, but that they would haue conten­ted them selues, as well with his inuisible body, as his inuisible spirit, and grace after­wardes: therfore they would needes know howe they should be comforted when hee was gone from them. Christ told them, by his spirite, although inuisible, and not by his body inuisible, which surely would haue comforted them, although they saw it not, if it had then bene with them, as his spirite was: but Christ meant no such thing, and therefore promised euer his spirit to them, and all others after, and not his inuisible body. This is a plaine case, but I leaue to discourse of it any further, because I in­tend in this booke to edifie and instruct the simple readers, onely in the poyntes of Christianitie, concerning their faith, and not to make any treatise for the learned. Seeing then wee haue a great hie Priest, which is entred into heauē, euen Iesus the sonne of God, let vs hold fast our professiō, as the Apostle sayth, and let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace, that we may re­ceyue [Page] mercie, and finde grace to helpe in time of neede. For this was the third point, that I sayde was to be obserued of vs, to weigh with our selues, what pro­fit and commodity thereby doeth ensue to all the faythfull, that hee is in heauen. Surely, this cannot be but great comfort to al the faithful: for they all are assured by Christes ascension, that they also shall one day, euen at the resurrection of their bo­dies, ascende with him: for he is gone to prepare a place for them, as he testifieth in Iohn. 14. I goe to prepare a place for you, and if I goe to prepare a place for you, I will come agayne, and receyue you vnto my selfe, that where I am, there may ye be also. Christ by his ascension hath ope­ned the gates and doores of heauen, and Paradise for vs, which were shut against vs before, so that wee had no entrance thither. For this is most certayne and true, that if the head be there, then shall the body and members be there also: and if our captayne be there, then shall his souldiers, which are we, be one day with him, and the master will haue there his seruantes to wayte and attend vpon him in his house. And to be short, seeing Christ [Page] is in heauen, he wil haue his true Christi­ans to be with him. Is not this a great comfort in all troubles, and hurlyburlies in this life, to meditate vpon this, that one day we shall come into the presence of our louing Master Iesus Christ? Surely this would comfort any poore afflicted soule or body, if he did remember it: but we forget it, and then what ioy can wee haue in this vale of miserie? This comforted Dauid in his banishment, saying, When shal I come to appeare before the presence of God? This reioyced Paul greatly, when he sayd, A crowne of righteousnesse is layde vp for me in that day, when the Lord shal ap­peare, 2. Timothie 4. So then, this is the first, and one of the greatest benefites, that by Christes ascension, wee haue an assu­rance of our owne. For when Christ shall appeare, then shall we also appeare with him in glory, Colossians 3. But yet wee must remember, that as Christ first suffered shame and reproche, and bitter death also, and so in the ende entred into heauen, by diuers crosses and calamyties, so must wee also for the most part, enter in the same way with him: for by many tribulations must [Page] we enter into the kingdome of heauen, and all that wil liue godly in Iesus Christ, shal suffer persecution. For you knowe that the seruant must not looke to be better han­dled thē his master, or y ^e scholer, to be in bet­ter case then his teacher, nor we thē Christ. Againe, Christ by his ascension doth soli­cite al our sutes, causes, matters & iniuries, which we suffer, to God his father. For hee is our Atturney, & pleadeth for vs, as Iohn sayth, If any man sinne, we haue an aduo­cate with the father, Iesus Christ the righ­teous. Is it not a great comfort to a poore man, that can not make friendes, or come vp to the prince, because of costs and char­ges, to haue alway one of the priuy coun­sell to helpe and further his sutes as readi­ly and diligently, as if hee were there him­selfe? So surely it is with vs: wee haue al­wayes Iesus Christ at hand with God his father, being of his most priuy and secrete counsell, to make requestes to God for vs continually, to pardon our sinnes, to grant vs grace and all other thinges necessary. This is singular ioy to a godly heart, so y ^t wee neede not to seeke any other Media­tour, as the Papistes doe, as if hee were not sufficient of him selfe, or as mercifull [Page] to heare vs, as his mother, or Peter, or any other saynt in heauen. This is their folly, and madnes: let vs be contented with our only Mediatour Iesus Christ, because he is most able, and most willing to heare vs, yea biddeth vs to come to him for our causes, Matthewe 11. Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are laden, and I will refreshe you. Therefore we may boldly and safely goe vnto him in our neede and necessitye, and feare not. Which of vs is it, that if the prince did byd vs come at the first to her, and not to any other of her pri­uy chamber, but would come most wil­lingly, and be glad so to do? Why thē come wee not to God at the first, saying in his worde. Cal vpon me, in the day of thy trouble, and I will heare thee? Why come wee not to Christ, that so louingly biddeth euery one of vs? Wel, let vs holde this for an vnfallible principle: Christ being as­cended, is our onely spokesman, neither let any man thinke, that it is with Iesus Christ, the king of all kings, as it is with princes of the earth, that because he is so hie and in so great dignitie and maiestie, hee doth not therefore regarde, or respect vs here vpon the earth so lowe: nay, Dauid [Page] telleth vs the contrary, and meeteth with this obiection: for hee sayth, In deede the Lorde is hie aboue al nations, and his glo­ry aboue the heauens. But yet hee sayeth, that he abaseth himself to behold y ^e things in heauen and in earth: yea, he rayseth the needy out of the dust, & lifteth the poore out of the dounghill, to set him w ^t princes, Psal. 113. So we see, although the Lord be hye, yet he hath respect vnto the lowly. And Iesus Christ, notwithstanding he be in all pleasure, & blessednes, yet he thinketh vpon vs, because he hath sometyme felt y ^• like mi­series with vs: & we haue such an hie Priest, that can be touched with our infirmities, euen at this time also, as he sayde to Paul persecuting his sayntes, Saul, Saul, why doest thou persecute me? Christ counted himselfe then to be persecuted, although he were in heauen, because his poore mem­bers were afflicted, Actes. 9. In deede prin­ces here, and noble men with vs many tymes knowe not the misery of others, nay regarde it not, because they haue neuer felt the like smart, and knowe not what hun­ger, or thirst, or nakednes, or imprisōment, or banishmēt, or lacke of lodging meaneth, not hauing suffered the like themselues. [Page] But (I say) y ^e case is farre otherwise with Christ, who knoweth better what we lack, then we our selues doe, and hath borne the like burden with vs, and doeth not forget vs nowe in his glory and honor, as many do their poore friends, whē they are aduan­ced to any promotion & dignitie by others. Wherefore as Ioseph in all his rioltie and glory, remembred & did acknowledge his poore brethren before Pharao, and all his house: so doeth vndoubtedly our Sauiour Christ thinke vpon vs, his poore brethren, saying, I will declare thy name vnto my brethren, and he wil not be ashamed to confesse vs in heauen before his father, and all his holy Angels. For howe should the head be ashamed of his body, or the hus­band of his wife? Christ is not ashamed of vs his spirituall kinred, as we are ashamed of our kindred many times, when we are exalted aboue them: nay, hee is neuer asha­med of vs, vnlesse wee be first ashamed of him. For then in deede hee sayth, Hee that is ashamed of me and my sayings here in earth before men, I wil also be a­shamed of him in heauen before my fa­ther: and he that shal denye him here, hee [Page] wil deny him there: but hee that shal con­fesse him here, he will confesse him there. Mar. 8. Furthermore we are to vnderstand, that although Christ by his ascension hath taken away his body from the earth, which was not necessary for vs, yet he hath left vn­to his Churche, and giuen vnto it, as a most sure and firme pledge, and earnest pe­ny of his good will towardes vs, his holy spirit alway crying in our heartes, Father, father, & working in vs, that which is good & acceptable in his sight. This is the grea­test comfort that may be to the faythful in this lyfe, and therefore is this spirit often­times called by our sauiour Christ, The cō ­forter. And this great and singular benefit we haue by his ascension: for he sayde, that vnlesse hee went his way from them, the comforter would not come, but if he went, he would send him, as in deede he did after his ascension most plentifully, and doeth at this day vnto his giue his spirit, either in greater or lesser measure, to some more, to some lesse, as hee thinketh good. This benefite then doe wee enioy by his bodi­ly presence, departing for a time from vs. This gift is to our soules, the fountayne of life, and the very welspring & beginning [Page] of all our Christian regeneration and newe [...] in Christ, and so is called the spirit of Adoption, because it is proper to Gods chil­dren, and none other. This spirit doth leade vs into al trueth, mortifieth our euil deedes, killeth sinne in vs, reuiueth all goodnesse within vs, maketh vs merry in the Lorde, reioyceth vs in troubles, and doeth neuer leaue vs destitute altogether of some com­fort or other. For this pledge out of our hearts can neuer be taken away, all other worldly things may be taken away, as from Iob they were, who lost his goods & lands, wife, friendes and children: his bodye was afflicted, his soule tormented, yet in the middest of these calamities he had a comfort of this spirite, in that he coulde say in fayth, I knowe that my redeemer liueth: which he [...]therwise coulde not doe, but by the mo­tion: and helpe of the holy Ghost, as Paul [...]eacheth vs, to the first Corinthians the [...]el [...]t Chapter, in these wordes, I declare vnto you brethren, that no man can saye that Iesus is the Lorde, but by the holy Ghost, verse 3. Seeing then wee haue by Christs ascension the first fruites of his spi­rit, we ought also to ascende with him into [...], if not in body, yet in soule, in minde [Page] and heart, and all our affections. For where our treasure is, there shoulde our hear the also. Our treasure▪ and only treasure Christ Iesus is in heauen, therefore let our hearts he wholy with him, as Paul saith, Our con­uersation is in heauen, from whence wee looke for the Lord Iesus, who shall trans­fourme our vile body, that it may be made like to his glorious body▪ Phil. 3. So that as wee haue to learne by Christes resurrec­tion, a spirituall resurrection here in this life from sinne: In like sort we learne also by these wordes of Saint Paul, an holy and spirituall ascension into heauen by our desires and thoughts, that we may ioyne to him euen nowe in fayth and spirite, till wee all meete in body there at the fast day. And truely if we coulde keepe our mindes so as­cending vp into heauen, it woulde be very benificiall for vs, and ridde vs out of many daungers. Wee see and learne by experi­ence, that the byrde is neuer insnared and caught of the fouler, vntill he lyght and sit vpon the earth: whē he falleth to y ^e ground, then is hee subiect to gunshatte, or other snares and daungers. So it is with vs: if our mindes were fixed aboue, vpon heauen­ly things, Satan coulde not take vs in his [Page] trappes, but when they are altogether cast downewarde vpon the earth, and earthly pleasures, then we fall into his baytes, and are entangled in his grennes. Therefore as Christ is ascended, so let vs also ascende in minde & cogitation vnto him: for Christ doeth bidde vs tome vnto him, and this say­ing standeth in his full force nowe, as it did when [...]e spake it here with vs vpon y ^e earth: and we must come vnto him nowe. Let vs then come and resorte vnto him by our ear­nest and heartie prayer: for then wee talke with him▪ For prayer is sayd to be a speach and communication with God, and a lifting vp of our heartes vnto him in heauen. We shoulde remember then, that as often as we pray, we speake to the maiestie of God, and therefore shoulde come with feare and reue­rence. Let vs also come to Christ, to heare h [...] comfortable worde and Gospel. For when we heare his worde preached vnto vs, or reade it our selues, we must consider that God speaketh vnto vs: and therefore giue diligent and attentiue heede to the things thou hearest, lest they slip out of thy minde. Againe, let vs also ascend and come to him by heartie thanke sgiuing, for al benefits re­ceyued in our body and soule, both tem­porall [Page] and spirituall. This is to ascende vn­to Christ in this life. Seeing therefore y ^t by the blood of Iesus, we may be bold to enter into the holy place, by the new & liuing way which he hath prepared for vs, through the vaile, that is, his flesh, & seeing also we haue an high Priest, which is ouer the house of God, let vs all draw neere with a true heart in assurance of fayth, our hearts being pure from an euill conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water: Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering, and let vs ascende whither our forerunner Iesus Christ is entred and ascended for vs already, euen into the heauen of heauens. Another singular cō [...]ort [...]or to [...]ead our faith vpon by Christs ascension, is his power to strengthen our weakenesse: for we beleeue nowe, that Christ hath taken full possession of his most glorious kingdome, & is entred into glory, to whom as Saint Peter sayth, The angels, and powers, and myght are subiect, and whatsoeuer else. For God hath sayde vnto him, Sit thou at my right hande, vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole: the Lord shall send the [...]odde of thy power out of Sion, be thou buler in the middest of thine enemies▪ Psal. 110. [Page] So that wee may boldly saye as Dauid sayde sometime, The Lorde is our shep­hearde: yea, the Lorde Iesus is our King, therefore shall wee lacke nothing. For tel me I pray you, what good thing can we want, Christ being our heauenly King, and hauing nowe all power and authoritie giuen vnto him, and sitting at the ryght hand of the almightie Father? Surely his seruantes shall enioy all things, as he say­eth, He that ouercommeth shall inherit all things, and who is he that ouercommeth, but Iesus Christ, in whome we by his po­wer and vertue ouercome also? that as hee is made heyre of all things, so myght wee also bee made ioynt heyres with him. Wherefore wee knowe Christ no more in his mortalitie, and humilitie. Yea although wee had knowen Christ after the flesh, yet hence foorth knowe we him no more after the flesh, but after the woorking of his myghtie Spirite, whereby hee is able to subdue all things to him selfe, Philip. 3. For here we must consider, that Christ hath thus ascended into glorie for vs, and hath receyued giftes for men, euen great spoyles of the enemies, to enrich his Church. This is our reioycing which wee haue dayly in [Page] Christ Iesus: here is the ioy, patience, and victorie of the Saints of God, for he must reigne, vntill hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feete. Who then can he discoura­ged with any thing that befalleth vnto him, eyther of bodie, or griefe of minde, or losse of goods and friends? Is it not Christ that dyed for vs, and which is rysen againe, who is also at the ryght hande of God, and maketh request for vs? Who shall say any thing vnto our charge? who shal condemne vs? If Christ be on our side, as hee is most certaynely, being our head, who then can bee agaynst vs? howe can wee sacke any thing in this lyfe, when God hath giuen his Sonne for vs? What man or woman woulde thinke to lacke any thing earthly, that had a King to his Father, or a Prince to bee his brother? and shall wee bee of so litle fayth, to thinke that wee can lacke ought, hauing GOD the great King ouer al the world, to be our louing Father, and Iesus Christ his Sonne, the Prince of all princes to bee our owne brother? This were madnesse to thinke or conceiue: but yet if wee bee wauering through in­credulitie, let vs saye and waye with the man in the Gospel, Lorde helpe my vn­beliefe: [Page] and with the Apostles let vs saye, Lorde increase our fayth in vs, and make it strong agaynst all tentations of Satan. Seeing then that Iesus Christ is of that power, that he is able to bring to passe all thinges, Gods children may assure them selues of a singular de­fence agaynst all their enemies. For who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or perse­cution, or famine, or nakednesse, or peryll, or sworde? Nay (dearely beloued) I am certaynely perswaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principa­lities, nor powers, nor thinges present, nor thinges to come, nor heyght, nor depth, nor any other creature shall bee a­ble to separate vs from the loue of GOD, which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde: for in all these thinges wee are more then con­querours through him that loued vs, and this is our Christ that sitteth in the hea­uens for vs. By this his glorie and power euer since his ascending, hee hath mayn­tayned the estate and welfare of his Con­gregation, and will doe to the ende of the worlde. The last thing wee learne by Christes ascension, is this, that he is also [Page] ascended to leade captiuitie captiue, that is to say, to beate downe and ouerthrowe all his foes, and such as ryse vp heere a­gaynst him: so that as his power is a great comfort to his spouse, so it is as great a terrour and griefe to the wicked repro­bates, to thinke or to consider of it. For it maketh them to frette and fume, and to bee euer at their wittes ende for sorowe and griefe, that hee must ouercome in spite of their teeth. Then wee learne, that our enemies shall not alway tryumph ouer vs, they shall not still haue vs in their bandes, in pryson and thraldome, but one day they surely them selues shall come to confusion and shame. The Scriptures, when they will paynt out Christ vnto vs in mercie to­warde his Church, they giue him the name of a meeke and gentle Lambe, apparelled in white, making no sturre or cry in the streetes, not breaking a brused reede, nor quenching a smoking fla [...]e, Matthewe 12. But when the Prophets will sette foorth Christ in his maiestie and glorie, after his ascension, they giue him the name and pro­pertie of a fierce Lion, all apparelled in redde and bloody garmentes, with a rodde [Page] and scepter of iron in his hande to rule and gouerne all nations. And this no doubt is, to cause & make the enemies of his Church to quake, euen as hee shewed him selfe in a vision to Saint Iohn his beloued disciple, to comfort him no doubt, but to terrifie the enemies which were shortly to goe about to destroy the Church of God. Wee reade in the Reuelation 1. cha. that as Iohn turned backe to heare the voyce that spake w ^t him, Christ shewed him selfe vnto him in his ma­iestie, as he was able to conceiue: for he saw seuen goldē candlesticks, & in the midst of the seuen golden candlesticks, one like vn­to the sonne of mā, clothed with a garmēt downe to the feete, and girded about the pappes with a golden girdle: his head and heares were white as white wooll, and as snowe, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feete lyke vnto fine brasse, burning as in a furnace, and his voyce as the sound of many waters, and he had in his ryght hand seuen starres, and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged swoorde, and his face shone as the Sunne shyneth in his strength. This vision of Christ in his glorie was so fearefull, that it made Iohn him selfe afrayde, but the Lorde dyd shewe [Page] him selfe so, to comforte his seruauntes which should suffer persecution a litle after, but to threaten the enemies by his mightie power. This is that which the holy Ghost spake long since by Dauid, The Lorde reigneth, let the people tremble, hee fitteth betweene the Cherubims, let the earth be mooued, the Lorde is great in Zion, and he is hie aboue all people. The Lorde that is at thy ryght hande, shall wounde Kings in the day of his wrath, he shall bee iudge among the heathen, he shall fill all with dead bodyes, and smite the heades ouer great countreys. Here wee see howe Dauid speaketh most magnificently of this glorious kingdome of Christ, beyng nowe exalted aboue the heauens by his as­cension: howe hee assureth the enemies of destruction, but promiseth deliūerie to the godly in the Church. As Christ did alwayes deliuer his Church, euen from the begin­ning, Noah from the flood, drowning the rest, Lot from Sodome, when hee con­sumed the remnant with fire, the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, and the ty­ranny of king Pharao, ouerthrowing his euennes in the redde sea, for Christ was that [Page] great Angel that went before them: like­wise in destroying the Assyrians so many thousandes in one nyght, and sauing good king Hezekia and the rest, so did hee most wonderfully destroy great Babylon, and ransome thence his owne prisoners: finally, howe he destroyed the Edomites, the Am­monites, the Moabites, the Philistims, and the Canaanites, they that reade the hysto­ries of y ^e Bible, shal wel perceiue: as (I say) Christ hath done these thinges to his ene­mies before his incarnation, so especially after hee was receyued vp in glorie, hee hath done the like. Howe mightily did hee suppresse and beate downe the great rage and furie of Saul, beyng armed and sette as a fierce Tyger, or Lion, to destroy both man, woman and childe of Christs flocke? But the Lorde Iesus from heauen sub­dued him, and made him as tame as a Lambe, Actes 9. Did hee not cutte off in­lyke sort that cruell tyraunt Herode, that killed Iames, & had also taken Peter? It is sayd, that in his pryde he gaue not GOD the honour and glorye, and therefore was immediatly strooken of the angel, and most shamefully eaten vp of wormes, Actes 12. [Page] Howe Iulian the Emperour, that wicked forsaker and persecutour of the Christians, was handled by the iustice of God, and en­ded his life miserably. So Zomenus in in his sixt booke of his storie, the seconde Chapter, doeth sufficiently declare, that he was not killed by any of his enemies, but by one of his owne souldyers: And when he was strooken with the darte, and woun­ded to death, hee vnderstoode well the cause of it to bee, for persecuting Christ and the Christians: for hee tooke the blood out of his wounde, and flang it vp into the ayre, as if hee had seene Christ, and accused him of his death, as in deede hee was the chiefe authour of it, to punishe that wicked repro­bate, which had so before contemned and mocked his worde and Gospel. They that list to reade histories, either prophane or di­uine, shall see howe the tyrantes, and mur­dering Emperours of Christes Church, haue bene by Iesus Christ in his glory ta­ken miserably out of this life. Consider all the Emperours of Rome that persecuted the Church, what became of them, and howe they dyed. Was not Nero that monster, partly by himselfe, and partly by one of his owne men, thrust through with a dagger, [Page] as Suetonius, and others do report? Gal­ba, Otho, and Vitellius, did they not suf­fer the like? Did not Domitian destroy his owne brother Titus, and poisoned him? and was not Titus a persecuter of the Iewes? Domitian was miserably kylled by one Stephanus his man, Maximinus slayne by his owne armye, Commodus kylled of Narcissus, Macrinus thrust tho­rowe by his souldiers, Decius killed by his enemies, Valerianus pearsed with a speare of the Persians, Pilate after hee had crucified our Sauiour Christ, with­in fewe yeeres after, was hee not dryuen to hang him selfe for sorowe, as Iudas did before him? Dioclesian and Maximi­nian, which were the authours of the tenth and last persecution agaynst the Christi­ans, deposed them selues of their imperial function, by the secrete iudgement of God. Maxentius the sonne of Maximinian, dranke of the same cuppe with Pharao, be­ing both like enemies against Christ and his Church: for Maxentius was drow­ned in the water with his harnesse vpon his backe. The Popes of Rome, being as great persecutours as euer were any, [Page] of Christ and his Church, many of them haue had very wretched and shamefull endes. Alexander the sixt, was taken a­way with the deuill, by whome he aspyred to the papacie. Looke vpon our papistes in Queene Maries dayes, and see howe a great many of them dyed. Wee [...]acke not examples among vs euen fresh in memo­rie in those dayes. Let a men consider with himselfe, the vnhappie and vnfortunate endes of the last race of the kinges in Fraunce, and he shall say, that Christ euen in his glory doth marueilously defende his Gospel, with the professours thereof, & rewardeth their enemies according to their desertes. So that a man may iustly say and confesse with Dauid, Doubtees there is a God that iudgeth in the earth, surely there is a Christ that defendeth his Church: for hee shall treade downe our enemies vnder vs, and destroy them that rise vp against vs, Psalme. 60. By these examples then we may haue comfort & per­swade our selues that are the litle stocke of Christ, y ^• as he hath done already, so he will doe alway for his: for he is able still▪ and his hande is not shortned, but as long as it was, [Page] neyther is he chaunged. And let vs with Peter say and beleeue, that the Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of ten­tation, and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnder punishment. I woulde admonish therefore the wicked, and the obstinate, and persecuting Pa­pistes of Christes Gospel, to learne to take heede by these lessons aboue rehearsed, and not to goe on stil to prouoke and kindle the great wrath and anger of Christ against them, seeing hee is armed with vengeance and te [...]our agaynst them, and nowe sit­teth in his throne of maiestie. These are the thinges that wee haue to beare in minde vpon this article of our faith, concerning Christ his ascension. The first poynt was of the ascension it selfe, not into the ayre or cloudes, but into heauen, proued by the manifest woorde of God, the holy scrip­tures: the seconde, the glory and power of it, shewing the ende of it, which was, to sitte at Gods right hande, to gouerne all things: the thirde poynt was the great assurance of fayth that commeth to vs by it, and the comfort that we conceiue by his so glorious ascension into heauen for vs. Nowe let vs [Page] humble our selues before this Lorde Iesus Christ, in giuing him first most heartie and intire thankes for all his benefites bestow­ed vpon vs, especially for this, that hee hath ascended into heauen as a conquerour, and taken possession of heauen for vs alreadie: and let vs pray vnto him, that as hee is as­cended alreadie in body, so we in the meane while may thither ascende in minde and heart, where true ioyes are only to be found. And seeing he is made gouernour of heauē, and earth and al, pray we him, that he would gouerne and defende vs here in earth, by the assistaunce of his holy spirite, tyll wee all mee [...]e together at our generall ascensi­on in the vnitie of faith, and acknowledging of the Sonne of GOD, vnto a perfect man, vnto the measure of the age of the ful­nesse of him. And because hee is of power sufficient, let vs beseeche him, to brydle and stoppe the mouthes of [...], to confounde Antichrist, which seeketh by al meanes to extinguish his trueth, that hee would also hasten his [...] vnto iudge­ment for his elects sake, which grone vnder the crosse. These things he graunt vnto vs, which is able, euen Iesus Christ the onely [Page] wise, mighty, and immortall God, to whom with his father, and his holy spirite, be ren­dred all prayse, and glory, and dominion, for euer and euer: so be it.

The seuenth Lecture vpon the seuenth article of our Christian faith:
From thence shall he come to iudge both the quicke and the dead.

THis is the seuenth article of our beliefe, but the sixt and last of thē that cōcerne y ^e person of Christ, and onely of all the rest of the fiue going before, remaineth to be fulfilled, and in his time accomplished. For as con­cerning the other articles of our sauiour Christes person, which are the fiue former, we beleeue most constantly, that they are al already perfourmed and verified: namely, first, that he hath bene conceiued, secondly, borne, thirdly, died, fourthly, risen, againe, fifthly, and ascended into heauen. Onely this we beleeue yet to be to come, that is, to iudge the quicke and the dead. The mea­ning of this article is this: I that am a [Page] Christian man, womā, or childe, do beleeue assuredly, that Christ shall come againe vi­sibly in the great and latter daye of iudge­ment, with glorie and power from heauen, as he was seene to go vp accompanied with his holy angels, to iudge al the world most iustly, both those that are already dead, and those that he shal finde aliue at his cōming, and that none shall escape his iudgement seate, 2. Cor. 5. to this ende, that the good may be rewarded with euerlasting life and immortalitie, & the wicked punished with euerlasting death and destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, 2. Thes. 1. The Lord Iesus euen in this life, doeth shewe and set foorth vnto all the worlde most wonderfull signes and tokens, both of his mercy to the elect, and iustice to y ^e reprobate: but because his king­dome is not of this worlde, therefore our faith must amount hier to consider of his last comming, wherein hee shall shewe as great glorie and maiestie, as he did humili­tie and meekenes in his first comming in the flesh. For as we doe beleeue that he is appointed of his father, to bee the sauiour and redeemer of mankinde: so doe we also [Page] confesse him to be ordeined the great iudge of the vniuersall world, & that it is he alone that shall iudge with vnspeakeable glory, both great and small at his appearance: so that although many men thinke that there is no generall iudgement, yet at the last, they shall feele that this iudge shal summō them all to appeare most fearefully before his imperiall throne of maiestie. And this iudgement of Christ standeth with good reason and iustice, that it should be openly seene and perceiued of all men at the last, lest either the wisedome of the flesh or mās reason, or the multitude of y ^e wicked should be able iustly to charge vs (as they do most vniustly) that we faine to our selues a God, a Lord, a Christ, and such an head as neuer sheweth him selfe, nor was seene of men. Wherefore to auoyde this slander and re­proche of the blasphemous mouthes which say, Where is now your God? let him shew him selfe: we (I say) doe beleeue, that one daye hee shall come to iudge the whole earth. For this is that, that Saint Iohn sayeth in his Reuelation, 1. 7. Beholde, he commeth with cloudes, and euery eye shal see him, euen they which pearced him [Page] through, and all kinreds of the earth shall wayle before him, euen so, Amen. Let the wicked men therefore, and the mockers of this iudgement, triumphe neuer so much, yet shall they not be able to hinder or disa­null the deuice and purpose of the Lorde. They doe in deede bende their tongues like bowes, to shoote out blasphemies a­gainst the Lord, saying, Where is the pro­mise of his comming? But let those men vnderstande, that as the Lorde Iesus was seene to goe vp into heauen, so shall hee come downe agayne from heauen, as the Angels of God reported, Actes 1. 11. And albeit they will not beleeue it, but make a iest of it, yet they shall feele it one daye to their great payne and sorowe. It is meete then, and requisite, that he that was (for our saluation before the iudgement seat of mā) vniustly condemned, shoulde shewe in the ende howe great his iurisdictiō and autho­ritie ouer al flesh is, and what his iustice re­quireth. Seeing then 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 cō ­sider [Page] 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, y ^e iudge, thirdly, the persons that shall bee iudged, fourthly, the maner of this iudgemēt, after what sort it shall be, fiftly, the time, sixtly, y ^e 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 y ^e par­ticular iudgement of God, euery mā is iud­ged in soule incontinently, as he departeth this life, but this is for the soule only. In y ^e generall iudgement, both the body & soule shalbe ioyned together, and so enter either into ioye, if they beleeue in Christ, or into [Page] 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, [Page] 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, shalbe 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 [Page] 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 shalbe 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e father. I neede not to bring ma­ny places for the proofe of this, the scrip­tures are full of it, that Christ is y ^e 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 [Page] & cōfort. The vse of this doctrine, y ^• Christ is our iudge, is two fold: either in respect of y ^e wicked, or els as concerning y ^e good. As concerning the good, y ^• Christ shall be their only iudge, they cā not but greatly reioyce & conceiue a wonderful comfort, y ^t their sa­uiour & brother shal be their iudge, who al­though he wil not iudge partially, yet sure­ly being a brother & sauiour, yea y ^e 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 to reioyce, because our redemp­tion draweth on. For how should we feare, whē Christ wil make vs iudges with him? as he sayth, Ye that haue folowed me in y ^e regeneratiō, shal sit vpō twelue thrones, & iudge y ^e twelue tribes of Israel. And Paul sayth, Doe ye not know, that y ^e saintes shal iudge the world? Not that we shale be iud­ges with Christ, but y ^t we shal allow & ap­proue his iudgemēt. For to speak properly, the elect shall not be iudged, but the wicked shall be iudged to euerlasting fire. This certainly is no smal comfort for weake cō ­sciences, to consider y ^t the prince shal iudge his owne people & subiectes, the head his [Page] members, & the aduocate his clients. How then can he condemne those, for whose safe­gard he doth come, & will ratifye y ^• promise of euerlasting blisse, which he hath promi­sed here in this life by his Gospel? We shal not thē be cited before any other tribunall seate, thē of our louing bridegrōe, who shal make himselfe ready to receiue his spouse & wife, vnto himselfe for euer. Reuelat. 21. This day is called the mariage day of the Lambe, and his supper: and his wife shall then be arayed with pure and fine linen and shining, which is y ^e righteousnes of sayntes. Let vs therefore be glad and reioyce, and giue glory to him y ^t sitteth vpon y ^e throne. There can be no day here so ioyful as this, yea al comfort is nothing to this, y ^t Christ shalbe our iudge. He cānot cast away thē for whom he hath died: he cannot deny himself. Paul whē he considered of this iudge and iudgemēt, reioyced euē in prisō, y ^t a crowne of righteousnes was laid vp for him, which the righteous iudge Christ Iesus would giue vnto him in y ^t day, 2. Tim. 4. And here we learne a very good lesson by the way, y ^t if Christ be our iudge, we must (whē we cā not haue redresse here, or iudgement equal­ly ministred vnto vs) referre our causes [Page] and matters of iniurie to him, who is able to reforme all things, and will at his com­ming. So that we must not, which are pri­uate men, reuenge our owne quarels and iniuries, but commit them al to him with­out murmuring, and hee will iudge them iustly. Then this doth teache vs patience, to wayte for this comming of Christ, to iudge all thinges orderly. And this good coun­sayle did Saint Iames giue in his time to the poore oppressed labourers & husband­men, which were defrauded by y ^e rich men, & had their hier and wages kept backe: hee doeth comfort them in this respect, y ^t Christ wil come to iudge their cause, saying, Be patient, brethren, vntill the comming of the Lord, and settle your heartes: for the comming of our Lorde draweth nere. Yea and our sauiour Christ sayde, Luk. 18. that God will auenge his elect, which cry day and night vnto him, and that shortly. Whereby we may gather also, that the day of iudgement is not farre off as the wicked doe suppose, but draweth on, euery day nee­rer then other. Let vs therefore, as our sa­uiour doth counsel vs, watch and pray con­tinually, that we may be able to stand be­fore him at his comming to iudgemēt. We [Page] see then that we must commit our causes to Christ, & offer our complaintes against the wicked to him, and then doutles with our eyes we shal behold & see the reward of the wicked, Psal. 91. As this is very comfortable doctrine to the godly, to heare that Christ is their iudge and auditor of al their causes: so is it as doleful and grie­uous a thing to the wicked and cast awaies, to wey with themselues, that Christ their e­nemy shalbe their iudge, whome they haue alwayes in their life time hated, made a mocke of, and had in vtter contempt, both him, his Gospel, and ministers of his word and sacraments. This shall pearce them to the very heart, to see him their iudge, whom they could neuer abyde: yea his sight, and presence shalbe so feareful, and terrible vn­to them all, that they shall curse the time, that euer they were borne: for they shal hide themselues in dennes, and rockes of the mountaines, and shall say to the hilles, Fall vpon vs, and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe: for the great day of his wrath is come, and who can stande? These and the like wordes shall they vtter for dolour and anguish of minde, and yet [Page] finde no comfort: for they haue refused the Lorde and God of all comfort here vpon the earth, and therefore shall not haue him there to be their comforter. And S. Iohn doeth tell vs who these are, to whome this iudge Iesus shalbe so fierce and cruel: euen the kinges of the earth, and the great men, and the riche men, and the chiefe captaines, and the mightie men, and e­uery bond man, and euery free man, Reuelation 6. not meaning all kings, and noble men, but some of euery state and sorte of men, yea, the greater part of euery degree of men, especially of great men: for not many noble, not many wise, not many mightie men are called to the know­ledge of y ^e Gospel, lest they should bragge: but rather the poore, the base, the vnwise are chosen, because they should not vant of their worthinesse, as Paul doeth tell vs in the 1. Corinthians. 1 Chap. most nota­bly. To conclude this part, seeing the Lord shal be iudge to the wicked, euen the Lord Iesus, to render flaming fire, and vengeance vnto them that know not God, and obey not his Gospel, this may teach them to feare and to liue somewhat more orderly, if not for the loue of God, of [Page] heauen, and vertue: yet for feare of hell, death and damnation, to auoyde y ^e punish­ment that wil light vpon sinne at that day. Let vs come to y ^e third poynt. The persōs that shall come before this iudge to be ex­amined and trìed in iudgement, they are sayde here to be the quicke and the dead, that is to say, al, both y ^e liuing and the dead. But here some may aske this question, Seeing it is appointed to al mē once to die, because they are mortal, how is it said here, that some shall be quicke and aliue at the comming of Christ? To this wee make answere, that they that shalbe aliue at the second comming of Christ to iudge­ment shall as it were dye, for they shall all be changed and renewed, and that sud­denly, as if they had bene long dead be­fore: and this is the meaning of Paul, 1 Corinth. 15. Wee shal not all dye, that is, wee shall not all be layde in the graue as others, but we shall all be in a moment altered, which shalbe in steade of a death vnto vs. So we see what we haue to an­swere to this question. The persons then y ^t are to be sūmoned & cited to appeare by y ^e voyce of y ^e Archangel & trūpet of God, in [Page] a woord generally are all men, that euer haue bene from the first man Adam, or shal­be to the last man that shalbe borne here vpon the earth. None can escape this iudge, or hide himselfe away from his sight, which seeth into the bottome of the sea, euen in­to the middest of the earth and hell: none shalbe forgotten, not the lest childe that is, for he hath all written in his bookes, both good and bad, great and small: for these are the wordes of the holy Ghost, We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ. And againe, As I liue, saith the Lord, euery knee shall bowe to me, and euery tongue confesse to me. None then shalbe missing: no not the great Monarches, Em­perours, and Kings of the earth shall helpe thēselues here or flee away, but they shalbe brought to iudgement, and stand at y ^e barre as others do, & be brought as lowe as the lowest. Wel, let vs apply this doc­trine for our vse, to profit by it. Of this doc­trine, that we must al come to iudgement, and none escape, Paul gathereth this ar­gument and lesson: that knowing the ter­rour of the Lorde, we should doe our duety, that both dwelling at home and remo­uing from home, wee may be acceptable [Page] vnto him. For it made Paul the more roūd­lie to doe his office and function in prea­ching, saying, We knowing this, perswade men, and are made manifest vnto God, and I trust also that we are made manifest vnto your consciences, 2. Corin. 5. Fourth­ly, let vs see the maner and order of this ge­nerall iudgement. Our Sauiour Christ doeth most liuely describe it in the 25. of Matthewes Gospel, saying, When the Sonne of man commeth in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit vpon the throne of his glory, and be­fore him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shephearde separateth the sheepe from the goates, and he shal set the sheepe on his right hand, and the goates on his left: then shall the king say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Fa­ther, take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you, from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and ye gaue me meate, I was thirstie, and ye gaue mee drinke, I was a stranger, and ye tooke me in vnto you, I was naked, and ye clothed me, I was sicke, and ye visited me, I was in prison, and ye came vnto me, and so forth. [Page] Then shal he say to them on his left hand, Depart frō mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the deuill and his angels: For I was an hungred, and yee gaue mee no meate, I thirsted, and yee gaue me no drinke, &c. And these shall goe into euerlasting payne, and the righ­teous into life eternall. Here wee see the fourme and order of this iudgement, de­scribed most liuely vnto vs in the person of Christ a King, putting some on the ryght hande, and some on the left hande. S. Paul also doth set it out vnto vs most excellētly, that the Lord Iesus shall descend frō hea­uen with a shoute, and with the voyce of the Archangel, and Trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall ryse first, and wee which remayne aliue, shall bee caught vp with them also into the cloudes, to meete the Lorde in the ayre: and so shall we bee euer with the Lorde. Where note, that he [...]etteth it out onely for the comfort of the godly, making no mention in this place of the wicked. Saint Peter saith, It shall be as a thiefe in the nyght, in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse, and the elementes shall melt with heate, and the earth with the woorkes that are [Page] therein, shalbe burnt vp. 2. Pet. 3. S. Iohn in the Reuelation doeth very effectually ex­presse this thing in like maner: for he saieth, that a great white throne was set which he saw, and one that sate vpon it, and the dead stood both great & smal before God, the bookes were opened, y ^e sea, and death, and hel gaue vp their dead, and euery man was iudged according to the things writ­ten in the bookes, Reuel. 20. Wee learne this good lesson by it, as Peter doeth teach vs, that seeing the maner of this great and last day of iudgement by Christ, shall be so terrible in respect of the alteration of the creatures, wee ought to be holy in all con­uersation and godlinesse, looking, and ha­sting for the comming of that day of the Lord Iesus to iudgement. And here fur­thermore wee gather, that heauen and earth shall be dissolued, and made newe, that this worlde nowe shall haue an ende, as it had a beginning, contrary to the false opinion of the Philosophers and wicked Atheistes of our time, which thinke that all things shall continue (as they doe) for euer. Thus much for the maner of the iudgement. Nowe as concerning the time, our Sauiour Christ hath forewarned vs, that it is not for vs to [Page] knowe the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power, Act. 1. For of that daye and houre, knoweth no man: no not the angels which are in hea­uen, neyther the Sonne him selfe, but my Father onely (saith Christ.) Which is to be vnderstoode, that Christ knoweth not the latter day as hee is man, but as he is the e­ternall God, and one with his Father, euen his wisedome, he knoweth it, and al things else. We see then, that the day and houre is most vncertaine, and yet the thing it selfe most certaine that it shall be. But although this day and houre be vnknowen, yet not­withstanding, our Sauiour Christ hath gi­uen vs signes and tokens of his comming, which may sturre vs vp the more warily to waite for his comming. These things our Sauiour sayd shoulde come to passe before he came, & we see they are fulfilled already: many shall come in his name to deceiue vs, saying, I am Christ, & shall deceyue many: we shall heare of warres: nation shall rise a­gainst nation, realme against realme, there shall be famine, earthquakes, and pestilence in diuers places: the godly shalbe afflicted, killed, and hated of al men for Christs sake: many shall bee offended at the Gospel, and [Page] betray one another: the father the sonne, and the sonne the father: the brother against the brother, shall rise, and put him to death: false prophets shall aryse and deceiue many, ini­quitie shalbe increased, and the loue of ma­ny shall bee colde, and the Gospel shall bee preached vnto all nations, and then shall the end come. Furthermore there shalbe signes in the sunne, and in the moone, and in the starres: y ^e sunne shalbe darkened, the moone shall not giue her lyght, and the starres of heauen shall fall: which things haue come to passe, whither you take them litterally, or allegorically: for both the sunne and moone hath beene eclipsed, and signes and won­ders haue appeared in the starres, and if ye take the sonne for the worde of God and Gospel, we see it hath bene darkened, and a­bused by the Papistes. The moone which doth represent the Church, which taketh her light from the sunne Iesus Christ, hath byn persecuted & turned into blood, and not gi­uen her light by reason of troubles: and the starres which are likened to the preachers, haue fallen away, and otherwise stept aside. These things and the lyke may put vs in minde, that the cōming of Christ is not far off, euen as when we see the trees begin to [Page] budde, we know then that the spring time is neere. We know furthermore that the time of this iudgement shalbe very sudden, as the lightnings, or as the cōming of a thiefe, and as the sudden crying out of a woman with childe. For as it was in the dayes of y ^e floud in Noes time, the waters came and tooke them all away, so shall the comming of the sonne of man be. Likewise also, as it was in the dayes of Lot, they ate, they dranke, they bought, they solde, they planted, they buylt, they gaue in marriage, and married wiues, but in y ^e day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rayned fire & brimstone from heauen, and destroyed them all. After these ensamples shall it be in the day whē the Sonne of man is reuealed. And surely this day is hid from our eyes, that we shoulde be prepared euery day, & not be secure or careles, to differre re­pentance, and put it off from day to day, as a great many do among vs. Seeing then the time is at hand, and yet vnknowē, we ought to be prepared and be in a readines, & to fol­low our Masters counsel: for he saith, Take heed to your selues, least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeting & drun­kennes, and cares of this life, and least that day come on you at vnwares: for as a snare [Page] shall it come vpon all them that dwell vp­on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray continually, that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe, & that ye may stande before the Sonne of man. This daye is as the day and time of our death, as we knowe not when we shall die, and yet it is most cer­taine that we shall die: so it is with this day. And whether a man shoulde looke for the day of his death, or this day of iudgement first, truely I can not tell: they are both so vncertaine, neither haue we longer war­rant of time prescribed vnto vs in the scrip­tures of the one, then of the other. I praye God, the Lord Iesus may finde vs as good seruants, doing his will and woorke at his comming, that wee may haue our candles burning in our handes, with oyle in our lampes, and the marriage garment on our backes, ready to open the doore, when he cō ­meth and knocketh for vs. Happy shal we be if the Lord find vs so doing: otherwise, if he finde vs smiting our felow seruants, eating and drinking, & being drunken, he shal come vpon vs at vnwares, and cut vs in pieces, & giue vs our portion with the vnbelieuers & hypocrites, where shalbe weeping and gna­shing [Page] of teeth. Let vs therefore I beseeche you brethren by the Lorde Iesus, knowing the time is short and at hande, euen in the doores, gird vp the loines of our minde, that when our Sauiour knocketh, we may open vnto him immediatly. Thus wee see what we haue to note and learne vpon the time of the comming of Christ vnto iudgement. The place also is to be considered, the nati­ons and kinreds of the people that shall ap­peare that day, are so many and innumera­ble, that the earth shall not bee able to con­teyne them all: therefore Saint Paul saith, that we shall be caught vp in the cloudes, to meete the Lord in the ayre. So that all shall bee taken vp into the ayre as the place of iudgement. But I come to the last poynt which is more materiall to our purpose, for what ende this great and last day is reser­ued and kept in store. It hath two endes or causes, why it is ordayned of the Lorde: the one is, that the godly may be deliuered out of their miseries and troubles, which they haue here stoutly endured for Christes sake, and be receyued into euerlasting life. The other is, that the wicked & reprobate, and all the companie of infidels, which haue herecontemned the Lord, & liued in pleasure [Page] and delites of the fleshe, may be iustly puni­shed as they haue well deserued, with euer­lasting fire & brimstone, which is the second death. For it might seeme if there were no iudgement or life after this, y ^t the Lord were notiust in his doings: for neither are y ^e godly and ryghteous rewarded many times in this life, neyther are the vngodly punished for their offences while they liue here, for the most part. Now God is most iust, which will rewarde all godlines and vertue, and seuerely punish vice and wickednes. These two endes, doth our Sauiour mention in the general iudgement: the one sort saith he, shall goe into euerlasting life, and the o­ther sort into euerlasting fire, Matth. 25. Saint Paul likewise doth make mention of these causes, in the second epist. of the Thes­salonians, the first chapter, shewing as well what the good shall haue, as the bad, saying on this wise, It is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you which are troubled, rest with vs, when the Lord Iesus shall shewe him selfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire, rendring vengeance vnto them that do not knowe GOD, and which obey not the Gospel of [Page] our Lorde Iesus Christ, which shalbe pu­nished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glorie of his power: thus much for the wicked. Now foloweth rewarde for the good, when hee shall come the bee glorified in his saintes, and to bee made marueylous in all them that beleeue in that day. Here wee may haue a notable discourse, as is in any place of scripture, why our sauiour Christ shal come to iudgement, both in respect of the good and bad: yea, the wicked angels and spirites them selues, as Iude saith, hee hath reser­ued in euerlasting chaines of darkenesse, vnto the iudgement of the great day. This day is greatly desired and longed for of the godly, and especially of the true ministers of Christes Gospell, that their cause may bee knowen to bee good agaynst the wicked, and their sayings veryfied concer­ning this iudgement: for surely there is no­thing almost seene of God, or beleeued of the wicked vntyll that day. Tell them of this day, and terrifie them with it, they make a mocke at it, they count them for fooles and simple persons, that liue a godly and Chri­stian life: but when this day commeth, (as it will come certainly) it will make a re­compence [Page] for all, and they shall finde all our sayings & threatnings to be most true. Therefore the godly desire it in respect of Gods glorie chiefly, which the wicked haue defaced. A great many of them thinke that there is neyther hell nor heauen, God nor Deuill, and that all are but fables that wee speake of this day, and so they growe to an vtter contempt of God and all godlines. But (as the Lord liueth) they shall finde it true by experience, which they woulde not here embrace by fayth: yea, they shall confesse themselues starke fooles, and the godlie men to bee wise in deede, Wisedome 5. Christ Iesus shall bee that great Lorde and riche master of the house, which shall come to take an account of his seruantes ta­lentes giuen vnto them to encrease and vse to his honour and glory, and to the good and diligent seruauntes shall hee giue re­wardes and ioy, but to the vnprofitable ser­uauntes, stripes and paine eternall. This shalbe the newe married bridegrome and husbande, which shall come to make a choise of the wise and chaste virgins, which haue kept them selues pure vnto him, from the foolishe and vnchaste, which haue defyled them selues with the wicked worlde. [Page] In that day Christ shalbe that good and dili­gent husbandman, which shal come to gather the wheate in the time of haruest into his barnes for his owne vse, but shall burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire. And to conclude, hee shall be that great shepheard which shall diuide the lambes and sheepe from the goates, the one to sitte on his right hande in ioy, the other to sitte on his lift hande in sorowe: to this ende no doubt shall our sauiour Christe come, and then shall it be saide, O happie and thrise happie was hee that was a faithfull seruant, a chaste vir­gin to Christ, the good corne, the meeke lambe of Iesus Christ. But this of the wic­ked spoken, then shalbe too late, and repen­tance at that time shalbe in vayne. I coun­sell all men therefore that will not there repent that euer they were borne, as the wic­ked shall doe, that they woulde in the name of Iesus Christe, repent here betime, and aske the spirite of the Lord to amende their liues, that they put not off from day to day, vntill they are olde, or haue all thinges as they woulde. The Lorde will come sudden­ly vpon such an one, taking him away in his sinne. If wee woulde lay the remem­braunce of this iudgement day often before [Page] our eyes, to sturre vp our selues with­all, and to awaken our dull spirites and senses, it woulde keepe vs in great feare and awe before our Lorde GOD, and drawe vs from much sinne and abomi­nation, which nowe for lacke of thinking vpon this day, is committed euery where, both at home and abroade, as well in the countrey and base mens houses, as in the court and great mens places. Well, wee shoulde doe as a godly father did in the pri­mitiue Church, that whether wee eate or drynke, whether wee sleepe or wake, or whatsoeuer wee doe, wee shoulde thinke al­wayes this day to be at hande, and the voyce sounding in our cares, arise yee dead and come to iudgement. Notable of al others, is that lesson that Solomon doth giue vnto vs in the booke of the preacher, the 11 and last Chapters, concerning this matter: hee mocketh and derideth them that delite in sinne, as you see men commonly doe, and afterwarde threatneth and terrifieth them with this last iudgement, saying, Reioyce O young man in thy youth, and let thyne heart cheare thee in the daies of thy youth, and walke in the wayes of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eies: Marke now what so­sowre [Page] sauce foloweth this sweet meate: but knowe, sayth hee, that for all these thinges, GOD will bring thee to iudgement: for God wil bring euery work into iudgemēt, & euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill. A notable glasse for all men to looke vpon, is this finall iudgement. Wee are taught by these thinges, that our felicitie and pleasure consisteth not in this life, ney­ther can we haue it here, but it is in the lyfe to come layde vp for vs in Christ. Here are confuted all worldlings, which thinke there is no other lyfe after this, no ioy or payne. This day can not bee fearefull to the godly, for it is called our blessed hope, Titus. 2. and the godly doe loue it, 2. Timothie 4. If it bee fearefull and terrible to any, as it is, it is to those that haue no hope of heauen, and to those that put their whole pleasure and felicitie here belowe in their money and ill gotten ryches. To the fearefull and vnbeleeuyng, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sor­cerers, and idolaters, and lyers, and coue­tous persons, this day shall bee fearefull and terrible: yea, it shall make them all to quake for feare, for they shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone, which is the seconde death, [Page] Reuelation 21. This day and the cogitati­on thereof, serueth most fitly, to put men in mynde of their dueties and callyngs before the Lorde, for so our Sauiour Christe applied it in his tyme in his Gos­pell, saying to them that were worldely mynded, What shall it profite a man, though he should win the whole worlde, if he lose his owne soule, or what shall a mā giue for recompēce of his soule? marke his reason, why it is dangerous, thus to ha­zarde and venture his soule: for, saith he, the sonne of man shal come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then shall hee giue to euery man according to his deedes, Mat. 16. so doth Paul charge Timo. especi­ally by this iudgement day, saying, I charge thee before God, & before the Lord Iesus Christ, which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing, and in his kingdome, Preach the worde, be instant, in season and out of season, improoue, rebuke, exhort with al long suffering and doctrine, 2. Timothie 4. As if hee shoulde say in effect, There is a day of iudge­ment kept in store, therefore doe thy due­tie diligently. This day of iudgement shall make vs very carefull to shewe [Page] foorth all good woorkes: For Christ shall pronounce the definitiue sentence vpon all men according to their workes, not that the godly haue deserued or merited heauen by their good workes, that is too great a thing to bee gotten by woorkes: for Christ hath already deserued that for vs by his good workes, if wee beleeue in him. But Christ shall make mention of woorkes, to shewe and to signifie to all the worlde, that the godly haue not beene idle or vnfruitfull in this life, as the hypocrites are, whose sheepe skinnes then shall be plucked off, and then shall they appeare to bee rauening wolues: for this cause shall the iudgement bee accor­ding to workes, to sturre men vp here, while they heare this, to good works, and to make manifest to al men, that the godly haue wal­ked innocently, and that the wicked haue followed the lusts of the flesh. Our faith can not be seene, and therfore Christ shal speake according to the effect and consequent of it, which is seene, and that is good woorkes. Christ before sheweth the cause of heauen for y ^• elect, not their works, but because they were blessed of his father, and that the king­dome was prepared for thē before they were borne, or did any good workes for it, yea, [Page] before the fundations of the worlde were layde, as Paul Ephes. 1, sheweth most no­tably. Wherefore good Christians, flee the corruption which is in the worlde, and giue great diligence to bring forth good works, for those are good and profitable vnto mē, and so ye shall be knowen to bee good and fruitfull trees. Ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith, & with vertue, knowledge, with knowledge, tēperance, with tēperāce, patience, with patience, godlines, with god­lines, brotherly kindnesse, & with brotherly kindnes, loue. For if these things be amōg you, and aboūde, they wil make you that ye neither shall be idle, nor vnfruitfull in y ^e ac­knowledging of our Lorde Iesus Christ: and he that hath not these things, is blinde, and can not see a farre off, and hath forgot­ten that he was purged frō his olde sinnes. Giue therefore diligence to make your cal­ling and election sure, for if ye doe these things, ye shal neuer fal: for by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you a­bundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ. We haue heard nowe the sixe articles that ap­pertaine to the person of Iesus Christ, and conteine the benefites he hath wrought for [Page] vs, wherein is our whole saluation. For if we seeke saluation, his name Iesus, doeth shewe it is in him alone. If we desire puri­tie, it is in his conception. If we require a kinde of familiaritie and gentlenes, where­with he hath made him selfe like vnto vs, we shall haue it in his natiuitie. Wouldest thou haue redemptiō for thy sinnes? looke it in his passion and death. If newnes of life, thou hast it in his resurrection. If inhe­ritance of the heauenly kingdome, it is in his ascension. If thou askest a full pos­session of it, thou shalt haue it when hee commeth to iudgement. To be briefe, If thou desirest the giftes of the holy ghost, absolution, remission of sinnes, satisfaction, and purgation for thy vnclennes, reconci­liation, mortification of the flesh, and at a worde, all treasures of euery heauēly gift, thou hast them all in Iesus Christ, as in a well euer springing, and a fountaine that is neuer drie. Of whose fulnes thou and all men haue receiued, and he is made of God the father vnto thee, wisedome, righteous­nesse, holinesse, and redemption, that thou shouldest glorie in him alone▪ Take heede therefore, that seeing he is all in all to thee, that thou goe not from him to any other, [Page] or ascribe any one part or portion, neuer so litle, of thy saluation to any creature what­soeuer. For if thou doe, thou marrest all, & Iesus Christ will haue all or neuer a whit, as Esaie sayeth, I will not giue my glorie to an other. Well, to conclude this article, let vs giue to Iesus Christ most humble and heartie thanks, that he wil one day come downe from heauen, to fetche vs vp thither vnto him, to immortall blessed­nesse: and let vs in the meane time desire of him the spirit of patience, to wayte for his comming to iudgement, for our full re­demption, that we may haue our oyle, our garmentes, and our lampes ready, that we may be waking when he shall knocke, and open the doore forthwith vnto him, that in so doing, we may enter in with him to the mariage, & there raigne perpetually with him in the glorie of his father. Which he graūt vnto vs for his sonnes sake, to whom with the holy ghost, three persons, and one immortall God in vnitie, bee rendred all prayse, glorie, and giuing of thankes, from this time forth, for euer more. Come Lord Iesus quickly, Amen, so be it.

The eight Lecture vpon the eight article of our Christian fayth:
I beleeue in the holy Ghost.

HAuing ended two partes of our Christian faith, y ^e one cōcerning God the father in the first arti­cle, the other concerning Iesus Christ, the second person in trinitie, con­teined in the sixe articles folowing: nowe foloweth in order y ^e third part, concerning our faith in God y ^e holy Ghost, which is the third person in trinitie. And this is y ^e eight article of our beliefe: I beleeue in the holy Ghost, that is to say, I that am a Christian man, do beleeue and trust in God the holy ghost, the third person in the blessed trini­tie, which proceedeth equally from the fa­ther and the sonne, being the naturall & es­sentiall power of them both, & of the same substance. Which spirite sanctifieth & com­forteth me in all troubles, and assureth me that I am the childe of God, and seruant of Iesus Christ, and shall haue his benefites plentifully powred vpō me. Out of this ar­ticle we learne two things, first, what is the [Page] holy ghost, secondly, what are his effects & workes, as well in it selfe, as in man, in whose heart it worketh, and moueth him forward to that which is good, to imbrace and followe it with all earnestnes, but to hate and abhorre from the heart, that which is naught and wicked. This holy ghost or spirit, is the euerlasting power and infinite might of God the father, which spirite is no creature but a creator of all things, and very God, because we are here taught to beleue in him, which suerly except he were very God, were idolatrie to do: for we must not beleue in any creature, or put our trust in any, but in God onely. And that the holy ghost is God, which certaine heretikes haue denied, it is manifest in the fift chap­ter of the Actes of the Apostles, where saint Peter speaking of the holy ghost, na­meth him God. For he reprehendeth Ana­nias and Sapphira his wife, for their hypo­crisy and dissimulation, and telleth them that they lyed vnto the holy ghost, and im­mediatly after sayth, that they lyed not vnto man, but vnto God. In the first of Genesis, it is sayde, that the spirite of the Lorde moued vpon the waters. This was the third person in trinitie, which ex­cept [Page] he had bene God, could not haue so moued vpon this great depth, and secretly by his power and maiestie, preserued and maintained it from falling to nothing. Dauid saieth, All things were made and created by the breath of his mouth. Ther­fore if he made al things, he was very God. For this is proper to God alone, to make & to create things. That argument of Paul in the 1. Cor. 2. chap. doth sufficiētly proue this matter vnto vs, where hee saieth, that this spirit searcheth al things, yea y ^e deepe things of God, and that no man knoweth the things of God, but the spirit of God. Now if y ^e spirit of God knoweth al things, searcheth al things, thē is he very God, for no creature doth this. If this be so, thē we rightly beleeue in the holy ghost, & here we gather this singular comfort, that we may pray to this holy ghost at all times for his helpe, & to impart some of his knowledge vnto vs, because he hath all knowledge and vnderstanding. This is y ^e doctrine that we gather generally of this, y ^t the holy ghost is true & very God. For verily, except he were God, Christ would not cōmaunde his disci­ples to baptise in the name of the holy ghost, putting him in equall condition and [Page] estate with the father, and him selfe: Not that we affirme that there be three Gods, but this we meane: In the one and insepa­rable diuine nature and essence of God, we vnderstand three persons by them selues, distinct one frō another. But this mistery of the trinitie, may better be beleeued (and so it is of y ^e faithfull) then fitly expressed of any. I leaue it therefore, to speake any fur­ther of it vntill in the resurrection, we shall see it as it is, and perceiue that by sight, euē face to face, which nowe wee conceiue by our fayth onely. Thus much of the holy ghost, the third person in this trinitie. Now let vs consider the wonderfull effectes of it, which is a thing more profitable for vs. The effectes of the holy ghost, are of two sortes: eyther as they are considered in him selfe, or as they are in the children of God: the effects of the holy ghost in him selfe, are the creation of the worlde, the pre­seruation of it with al things therein, from the beginning vnto this day. Wherein we learne to giue thākes to this holy spirit, for his goodnes extended vnto vs, & to pray to him cōtinually to mainteine vs by his pow­er & vertue, y ^t we fall not away from him.

[Page] For if hee take away his strength and operation from vs, wee are as blynde men groping for the waye. And this is that, that Dauid speaketh of in his Psalme 104. If thou hide thy face, they are troubled, mea­ning, all his creatures. Agayne, If thou sende foorth thy spirite, they are created, and thou renuest the face of the earth. But our purpose is especially to speake here of those good giftes and effectes, which this holy spirite doeth worke in men, chiefly in the elect. For there is no man, but hath had some good gifte at one time, or an o­ther, either in body or in soule, from this holy spirit. For strength, beauty, learning, eloquence, witte, knowledge, vtterance, po­licie, the gift of healing, of tongues, of mi­racles, and such like, are from aboue, al­though these are common, as well to the ill and reprobate, as to the good and elect sonnes of God, as Paul doth shewe, and declare more at large in the 12. 13. & 18. chapters of the 1. Corinthians. Our mea­ning is to speake chiefly of the graces of Gods spirite in the hearts of his chosen, as of fayth, hope, and loue vnfayned, of the spirit of sanctification and adoption, which are proper only to the elect and good, & are [Page] neuer cōmunicated to the wicked. Of this spirit spake our sauiour Christ to his dis­ciples, that he would sende him vpon them, and that the world could not receyue him. This is that spirit, by whome the father doeth place, and put the elect in ful possessi­on of all the goodes and inheritance of Ie­sus Christ, and doeth keepe and preserue vs euery houre, and doeth make vs parta­kers of all thinges necessary to saluation, which thing it bringeth to passe, when as it doeth create in our heartes and beget y ^t ex­cellent instrument of faith, y ^e chiefest worke of y ^e spirit, which bringeth foorth as a most fruitefull tree, all other good fruites and workes of a Christiā man. This faith doth y ^e holy ghost ingender in our heartes, when we heare the Gospel of Christ preached: & it is confirmed & encreased in vs, by y ^e duely and reuerent receiuing of the sacraments of Christ. By this faith (after it is wrought in vs by the motion and operation of the holy spirite, wee apprehend and take holde of all Christes benefites, merites, works, and good deedes whatsoeuer, and they are made & accounted ours, as if wee had done them our selues. O wonderfull gift of y ^e holy ghost, y ^t worketh so precious a [Page] iewel & pearle in our heartes, as farre sur­mositeth y ^e price & valew of euery thing be­side! This is y ^e first effect of y ^e holy ghost, & is marueilous in our eies. An other proper­ty, & effect of this holy spirit, is sanctificati­on & holines of life, in y ^e good & godly only, & therfore he is called y ^e holy spirit, for this worke of holines in vs. For as it is proper to y ^e father to create, to y ^e sonne to redeeme and rāsome: so in like sort it is proper and peculiar to y ^e holy Ghost, to sanctifie Gods childrē, & effectually to moue their mindes to true holinesse. And of this effect doth S. Paul speake in the 1. Cor. 6. shewing the Corinthians that they were wicked men, as fornicatours, idolatours, extortioners, couetous, theeues & such like, but (saith he) you are washed, but you are sāctified, but ye are iustified in the name of the Lorde Iesus, and by the spirite of our God. As if we would say, those good graces & gifts of God were wrought & imprinted in their consciences & hearts, by the persuasion of y ^e holy ghost. Necessarily therfore, after our beleefe in y ^e father, & y ^e sonne, followeth our beleefe in y ^e holy ghost: For whatsoeuer cō ­meth frō thē, as all graces do, they are sig­ned & sealed vnto vs, by y ^e warrāt of y ^e holy ghost. Wherefore, it is fitly compared to a [Page] seale, whereby al y ^e promises of y ^e blessings of God through Christ, are deepely ingra­uen in our hearts, y ^t they cā neuer thēce be rased out any more, but shal cōtinue for e­uer. As we see the writing to be to no effect, without a mans hand & seale, no more are y ^e graces of God vnto vs, to any purpose, vnlesse he sēd y ^e earnest of his spirit into our hearts, which doth cōfirme thē vnto vs, and assertaine our cōsciences, y ^e we are his chil­drē, & he our father, Rom. 8. This is a nota­ble effect, & is in such sort tasted of y ^e godly, & approued of thē, as neither y ^e wisedōe of y ^t world, nor y ^e sense & vnderstāding of man is able to cōprehend, neither cā yet be percei­ued by y ^e eyes of mē: for these things are spi­ritually iudged & discerned, & therefore no maruel, if godly mē hauing y ^e spirit of God, and speaking therewith, are mocked and derided of the carnall men in this worlde, which haue him not, neither can iudge any thing of him, 1. Cor. 2. This spirit although it be one & y ^e same, & not many, or deui­de, 1. Cor. 12. Ephes. 4: yet in respect of y ^e diuers & sundry effects & operatiōs of him in y ^e church of Christ, hee is called & ter­med by y ^e name of seuē spirits, y ^t is, of many, for his manifold gifts. As in y ^e fourth of y ^e Reuelat, it is said, There were seuē lāpes of [Page] fire burning before the throne, which are y ^e seuen spirites of God: that is, a seuen fold spirit of God. This spirit is called, A spirit of wisedome and vnderstāding, a spirit of strength and counsell, and the spirit of the feare of the Lord, because it giueth al these qualityes vnto men, and doeth teache vs, y ^e what good gift soeuer we haue, we haue it frō y ^e holy ghost, the giuer of al, and what­soeuer we lacke, we should seeke it likewise of the same spirit, & none other. The holy Apostle, rekoning vp the diuersities of the giftes of the holy spirit, affirmeth alwayes, That it is one and the selfe same spirit, that giueth these things, as y ^e gift of wisedome, of knowledge, of faith, of healing, of mi­racles, of prophecie, of discerning spirites, of tongues, of interpretation of tongues: al these thinges (sayethe he) worketh one and the same spirit, distributing to euery man seuerally as he wil, 1. Cor. 12. This doeth also teache vs, that this spirit hath most plentifull store of giftes, to enriche the bo­dy of the Church of Christ, and that there is no want or lacke in him. A great cōfort vnto vs to knowe, whither to resort incōti­nently for any good gifte, & to haue it forth­with: For Christ hath promised this holy [Page] spirit to them that seeke, aske and knock for it, Luke. 11. Doest thou feele thy selfe to lacke fayth, or hope, or loue, or sanctifica­tion of life, or any good and necessary gift to edifte Gods Church withall? Pray to this holy spirit, & vse the ordinarie meanes he willeth thee, as hearing the word, pray­er, labour and study, and this spirite shalbe giuen thee. This spirit was so necessary, y ^t our sauiour promised to send it aboue all things to his disciples, to comfort them w ^t, when he departed from them. For he brea­thed vpon them, and said, Receiue yee the holy ghost, Ioh. 20. And afterwarde sent it downe more plentifully vpon them, in the likenes of fire and clouen tongues, Act. 2. Wher with they were not a little cōforted in their miseries & troubles against their aduersaries, which were not able to resist them, speaking with this holy spirite, Act. 6. This spirit is sayd to haue diuers names & appellations in y ^e scriptures, to comfort vs withal in tētations. He is called the spi­rit of trueth, to teache vs the trueth, and to leade vs into all trueth. He is called also y ^e cōforter, because he dothrefresh & cōfort our hearts nothing more, thē in tētations & ad­uersities, as Paul found it true, in y ^e 2. Cor. [Page] 1. Cap. he is called y ^e power of God, because he worketh al things, & nothing is vnpossi­ble vnto him: sōetime he is named y ^e autor of light, because he doth illuminate, & enlightē our darke & blind hearts, w ^t the bright sun­beāes of his wil & pleasure. Briefely, he is y ^e wel & foūtaine of al goodnesse, whereat we must draw al things needeful for vs in this life. This being so, it stādeth vpō euery one of vs, to labour by all meanes possible, to haue this spirit dwelling, & abiding with vs for euer. For surely y ^e necessitie of him is great, & the vse of him aboue most pre­cious gold, siluer, & pearls, Psal. 19. Dauid vnderstoode this right wel to be so, for hee prayeth that God woulde not take away his spirite from him, but stablish him with his free spirit, Psal. 50. For where y ^e spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie and freedome from the seruice of y ^e deuill, & from y ^e slaue­ry of sin. We are by nature, al of vs y ^e chil­dren of wrath & damnatiō, earthly minded, & alwayes groueling to y ^e ground, being o­uerloden & burdened w ^t the weight of our sinnes, except we be raysed & lifted vp by this spirit, euē as y ^e soule maintaineth & vp­holdeth y ^e weake & brittle body. It cōmeth to passe then in vs, no otherwise, thē we see [Page] it by experience in bladders, y ^e which, if they be empty, & cast into y ^e waters, for y ^e weight of thē, they sinke foorthwith, & are drow­ned. But if they be blowen, & filled w ^t wind, wherewith they be made light, they flyt a­boue y ^e water, & swim. Euē so it fareth w ^t vs: How heauie we are w ^t sin, our cōsciences (if we examine thē wel) wil tel vs. Wherefore we cānot but sinke, being tossed in y ^e waues of y ^e sea of this world, & drowned with y ^e in­ordinate desires, passiōs, & affectiōs of this life, being altogether voyde of this spirite, which should beare vs vp frō these surges & tēpests of this life. But now if we be filled & replenished w ^t this heauenly spirit, thē shall we swim aboue, & triumph ouer sin & wic­kednesse, & not be drowned w ^t it. Wherfore Paul wel weying w ^t himselfe this dāger, if we were destitute of y ^e holy ghost, willeth vs y ^t we should not be drūke w ^t wine, wher­in is excesse, & which maketh vs so heauie & drowsie, y ^t we sinke: but saith, y ^t should be filled with y ^e spirit, which causeth vs to mount vp to heauē. Therefore is it, y ^t he so oftē times cōmādeth vs to walke in y ^e spirit, & to do y ^e works of y ^e spirite, which are loue, ioy, peace, long suffering, gētlenes, good­nesse, faith, meekenes, tēperāce. We are w ^t out [Page] this spirit, as a ship in the sea without a gouernour, or as a mā without his eyes, in most dangerous case: for tell me, I pray you, what is the cause why so many now a dayes run headlong to all wickednesse & a­bominatiōs? some to whoredōe, some to co­uetousnes, some to drūkēnes, some to pride, some to theft & robberies, some to one sin, & some to another? what is the reasō, I say, but only this, because God hath not giuē his holy spirit vnto thē, to defēd thē frō these e­uils & mischiefs? And this cause doth S. Iude render in his Epistle, for hauing rekoned vp the natural properties & conditions of the wicked & reprobate, namely, that they were despisers of gouernment & autoryty, (as y ^e Anabaptistes are) defilers of y ^e fleshe, liuing in pleasure, murmurers, complayners, wal­king after their owne lusts, speaking proud things, flatterers & such like. In y ^e end hee addeth this, as y ^e cause & mother of al these sinnes, the not hauing of y ^e spirit, meaning in deede, y ^t because God hath not giuen thē his holy spirit, therfore they were such kind of mē, as he there painteth forth in their co­lours, & such as we dayly se here w ^t vs. And yet for al this, God is not boūd to any man to giue him his spirit, as Paul proueth [Page] Rō. 11. neither do they humble thēselues to aske his grace by earnest & hearty praier, for thē should they haue it, Iam. 1. By the lacke and want of this spirite in other men, wee may easily see what a benefite we haue by him, to keepe and defende vs so mercifully euery houre, in all our waies and actions of our life. If this spirit leaue vs neuer so litle while to our selues, then we fal into an hun­dred mischāces and euils, as we see in Mo­ses a singular man, being left to his owne will and choyse but a litle, he fell twise to­gether to doubt and distrust of the power of the Lorde, whether he were able to doe all thinges or no, as to bring water out of the rocke, and to feede the Israelites with flesh, being sixe hundred thousand men, for a mo­neths space, Numb. 11. & 20. So Dauid, being not vpholden with this spirit, and left to his owne will, fell by and by to adulterie and murther. We had neede therefore to pray continually to Iesus Christ, the giuer of this spirite, that we may haue him with vs to direct our liues, & make them accep­table before the Lord. This spirit for diuers other effects that it hath, is compared in the Scriptures to water, to oyle, to fire, to winde, to a doue. To water it is likened [Page] both in the newe and olde Testament, as in Esa. 44. where the Lord sayth, I wil powre water vpon the thirstie, and floods vpon the dry grounde. And what he meaneth by this water and dry grounde, he afterwarde expoundeth in the ende of the verse, saying, I will powre my spirit vpon thy seede, and my blessing vpon thy buddes. In the newe Testament our Sauiour sayth, If any man thirst, let him come vnto me and drinke: he that beleeueth in me, as sayth the Scrip­ture, out of his belly shall flowe riuers of waters of life. And that he meant this of the spirit, Iohn immediately declareth, saying, This spake he of the spirit, which they that beleeued in him, should receiue, Iohn 7. As water therfore doeth cleanse and purifie the filthie and vncleane in bodie being washed with it, & is very necessary for our life here: so doeth this holy spirit of God much more clēse & purifie our soules frō the infection & filthines of sinne, as Ezechiel fitly applieth it: I will powre cleane water vpon you, & ye shall be cleane, yea from all your filthi­nes, & from al your idoles wil I clense you. And so by and by sayth, I will put my spirit within you, Ezech. 36. Of this pure water speaketh the Apostle to the Hebr. 10. chap. [Page] This spirit is moreouer likened to oyle, for the supplenes & gentlenes that is in it, & in thē that haue it, Psal. 45. To fire also is this spirit compared, as we reade in Matth. 3. & Act. 2. For Christ shal baptize with fire, as Iohn saith: which is y ^e holy Ghost. For euen as fire doeth consume, scoure, purge & giue light: so no doubt doeth the holy spirite of God consume the wicked, scoure our filth, purge our sinnes, & inlighten our ignorant hearts, as Paul saith, Arise thou that slee­pest, & Christ shal giue thee light, Ephe. 5. Lift thou vp the light of thy coūtenāce vpō vs, Psal. 4. Thirdly it is cōpared to a great & mighty winde, Act. 2. For as windes doe purge & make wholsome y ^e aire from his in­fectiō & cōtagiousnes: so doth y ^e spirit work in the hearts of his, this purging from their old corruption & cōtagion of sinne by Adā, and regenerateth and renueth vs againe by the immortall seede of the worde, 1. Pet. 2. whereby we are borne anewe, that we may enter into the kingdome of heauen, Ioh. 3. The spirite of God is also likened vnto a winde in this respect: y ^t as nothing is able to resist or withstand y ^e force of great whirl­windes, but they beare down before them e­uery thing that stādeth against thē, whether [Page] it be trees, houses, castels or towres: so it is with the spirit of God, whom no creature is able to withstande or resist, but must needes fall vnder it, and which destroyeth euery hie thing, which is exalted against the know­ledge of God, casting downe strong holdes, and the imaginations of mighty Princes, & bringeth into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ, and hath ready ven­geance against all disobedience. This thing may be cōfirmed by diuers examples, espe­cially by that of the enchaunters and sorce­rers of Egypt, when they were compelled to saye, that this was the finger of God, to bring lyce out of the dust, & that they coulde not doe the like: the spirite of God so con­founded their wisdome and sorcerie, Exo. 8. Other mo examples might be brought, but I passe them ouer, and leaue them to the di­ligent readers of the scriptures, where they shall finde store of them. Fourthly this holy spirite is likened to a doue, as we reade of in the 3. of Matthewe, descending downe from heauen, & lighting vpon our sauiour. He is compared to a doue, for these quali­ties and properties, which are meekenesse and gentlenesse: for this spirite doeth cause them to put off anger and wrath, in whome [Page] it abideth, and to vse brotherly kindenes one to another. And the doue is sayd to be with­out gall, and very chaste: so is this spirite without all bitternes in the heartes of them whome it doeth possesse, and teacheth them to kéepe their vessels in all puritie and holi­nesse of life, and not in lust of concupiscence as the wicked doe, which knowe not God. For this spirit is called the spirite of sancti­fication, of cleannesse, of innocencie. If this be so, that this holy spirite is cleane & pure, and likened to a doue: and furthermore our bodies are said to be the Temples and hou­ses of the holy Ghost, which dwelleth with­in vs, as Paul sayeth, Knowe ye not, that your body is the tēple of the holy Ghost? 1. Corinth. 3. & 6. 2. Cor. 6. Seeing this is so, we must prepare our houses, and sweepe them cleane, to entertaine so honourable a ghest. If this house which is our body, be vncleane, & giuen to any vice, then surely, as doues depart from filthy houses: so this most louing and most gentle doue, the spi­rite of God departeth foorthwith from vs, and then we are in a most miserable case, yea God will destroye him, that destroyeth this his holy temple. Seeing then (dearely beloued) our bodies are the temples of the [Page] holy Ghost, and we haue such promises that he will dwell in them, if they be holy, and threates that they shalbe destroyed, if they be giuen ouer to sinne and wantonnesse: let vs, I praye you, cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh and spirit, and finish our sanctification in the feare of God, putting off the workes of darkenes, and putting on the armour of light, and let vs walke ho­nestly, as in the daye time, and make proui­sion to receyue this holy spirite into our hearts. You knowe what great preparation you make both in your houses, and in your bodies, to haue your apparel neate & cleane, if you be to entertayne a Prince, a noble man, or any worshipfull friende of yours: then consider with your selues, that grea­ter care and diligence is to be had by tenne thousand partes, to lodge and receyue into your houses the Prince of princes, euen the holy Ghost, the power of God. And seeing he will vouchsafe to abide with you, & take your preparation in good woorth, first giue him thankes for this his so vnspeakeable courtesie and kindenesse, and so vse and be­haue your selues, as he may long continue with you, to your great good and comfort, & grieue not this holy spirite of God, (by [Page] whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redēp­tion,) by your corrupt communication pro­ceeding out of your mouthes: and seeing he will be content to tarry with you, and make his abode in your houses, let all bitternes, and anger, and wrath, and euill speaking be put farre away from you, with all wicked­nesse. For surely if these thinges be among vs, he will depart from vs, and then he lea­ueth vs to our owne willes. This can not bee but a great griefe of minde, for if our friende shoulde goe away from vs, by our vncourteous dealing and vsing of him, we woulde be sory: much more shoulde we be sorie, when such a friende departeth and leaueth our companie, because we are gi­uen to vice and naughtinesse, whose pre­sence was all ioye, and whose absence from vs, is extreme miserie and cursednesse. Wherefore as this spirite was obtayned by the meanes of prayer, so is he kept and pre­serued with vs by earnest prayer, and hea­ring of the worde, and other such godly ex­ercises of the Christians, in which they are commanded to walke in. For the fruite of the spirite is in all goodnesse, righteous­nesse, and trueth, approouing that which is [Page] acceptable and pleasing the Lord. And here is another effect woorthie the nothing, that this holy Ghost inhabiting within the elect and children of God, doeth make now their workes and labours to be acceptable vnto him, which before his comming vnto vs, were abominable & vnpleasant vnto God: not that our good works deserue any thing at his handes, but because we are ingraffed vnto Christ by the seale of his spirit. There­fore that which was ill in vs before, is nowe made good and accepted, as if it were per­fite, yea through this spirite, which doeth so season inwardly our actions, that they are liked of God, we become thereby not onely his faithfull seruants, & deare friends, but y ^t which is much more, his welbeloued sōnes, as Paul sheweth vnto vs, Because ye are sonnes, God hath sent foorth the spirite of his Sonne into your hearts, which cryeth, Father, father. Wherfore thou art no more a seruant, but a sonne. Nowe if thou bee a sonne, thou art also y ^e heire of god through Christ. If this be so, that we be made the sonnes of God, and haue receiued the adop­tion of children by this holy spirite: then we may assure our selues of saluation, vnlesse the obedient childe may doubt of the good [Page] will of his louing father. Here then falleth to the ground the doctrine of the Papistes, that teach men to doubt and stande in feare of their saluation. For is not this a very ab­surd and a foolish Position, that they main­teyne, that we may call God Father, and yet doubt, whether he will bestowe the inhe­ritance of children vpon vs? Shall I call him father, and doubt of this? For these are the wordes of the holy Ghost, vttered by S. Paul, That the spirite of God witnesseth with our spirite, that we are the sonnes of God. This being so, marke what Paul in­ferreth & bringeth in vpon this poynt, If we be childrē, we are also heires, euen y ^e heires of God, and heires annexed with Iesus Christ. Shall I now be made & appoynted an heire by good & sufficient warrant of the holy Ghost, which lyeth not, nor deceyueth, and yet doubt of my inheritance? that were a mad thing. Can the seruant doubt, whe­ther he be his masters man, or shall receyue his wages, when he weareth his masters coate and cognisance? or can one doubt of the writing to be authentical and good, that hath the parties hande and seale vnto it? Or may a man doubt, hauing receiued earnest in part of payment, but that he shall in tyme [Page] conuenient haue the whole, hauing bargai­ned with an houest man? Or doe we re­ceyue the witnesse of honest men of credite nere in matters politicall, and shall not we receyue the witnesse of God the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, which is grea­ter, and more to bee beleeued of vs, when hee promiseth saluation to the beleeuers? Surely if we doubt, then we haue not faith: for he that doubteth, is not grounded in the faith, but is like a waue of the sea, tost of the winde, and caryed away, Iames 1. How can I haue hope of saluation, as I am commaunded, and yet be in despaire of it, and doubt with my selfe? A man can not hope for that, whereof he doubteth. Doeth not Saint Iohn say playnely, We knowe that we are translated from death to life, because we loue the brethrē? He saith not, We doubt of it. And againe, Hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs, euen by his spirit which he hath giuen vs. And all this assurance commeth to passe by the testimo­nie and witnesse of this holie spirite, which therefore is called the seale of God, the ear­nest penie, the spirite of trueth, which can not deceyue, or be deceyued. And here I can not but maruayle at the ignorance and [Page] blindenesse of the Papists, which while they go about to establish this doctrine of error, they impugne and ouerthrowe another of their owne. For they saye, that a man may fulfill the Lawe of God perfitly: nay they go further, and say, he may fulfil the Lawe, and doe all that God hath commaunded in his worde written, and more to, which are workes of supererogation besides, which he hath not commaunded, (and so in deede he hath not,) and these workes the Monkes and Friers doe bestowe vpon their friendes which lacke them, for they haue ynough for themselues, and these they sell to others, which are the ouerplus, and they call them the store of the Church. Nowe thus stan­deth the case. If they keepe the Lawe, then they neede not doubt, but that God wil giue them the rewarde of it, which is life and sal­uation: and why then doe they doubt, if it be true? they fulfill the commandementes: then let them not distrust of their wages and hire. Wherefore one of these two must needes follow: If they keepe the Lawe, then they neede not doubt of life. If they doubt of saluation, then it is certaine they keepe not the Lawe. In one of these two they must needes bee founde lyers by their [Page] owne confession. But in deede they are vn­true in both of them: for it is false, that they keepe the Lawe, which is a yoke that can not be borne of any man, except Christ, see­ing it is spiritual, & biddeth vs not to sinne, neyther in deede, neither in worde, no not so much as once in thought, Matth. 5. And the other is as false, that we should doubt of our saluation. But in deede the first author of this doctrine, the Pope himselfe, out of whose shop it came, that great Antichrist, and a man of all abominations that euer were, might well teache this doctrine, and doubt of his saluation, liuing (as he doth) in filthy fornication with his Curtisanes and harlots at Rome, sturring vp Christian Princes to warre one with another, to mainteyne his vnsatiable ambition, pride, & couetousnes, with all maner of wickednes: Mouing likewise the subiectes to rebell a­gainst their lawful and natural princes and magistrates, discharging thē of their othes and obedience vnto their rulers. I saye, he that doeth these things, and worse, may wel doubt of his saluation: for he hath nothing to do in the kingdom of God. And so all his adherents, folowing his steppes & religion, whose liues are altogether most filthie and [Page] wicked, may be in the same case and state with their holy father the Pope. But they say, We can by no meanes be sure of our saluation, because we can not be sure of our perseuerance in the faith of Christ vnto the ende. But this is vtterly false: for the scrip­ture sayth, that the godly shall continue and perseuere vnto the ende. Paul was sure that he had the spirit of God, and that caused him to be perswaded, that neyther thinges present, neither things to come shoulde be able to separate him from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde. Then we may be sure, that thinges to come shall not remoue vs from God. Againe, the loue of God is constant and perfite, and whom he once loueth, he loueth with an euerla­sting loue, euen vnto the ende, as Christ is sayde to loue his, Iohn 13. And to whome God hath giuen this spirite of adoption, as he doeth to the Elect, he neuer taketh it a­way: but is stil a testimonie vnto their con­sciences, that they shalbe saued in the ende, and cōtinue in the meane season in the faith and obedience of Christ Iesus their Lorde. Yea Paul is persuaded of the Philippians, (and so must we be of our selues) that he that hath begunne a good worke in vs, wil [Page] performe it vntill the day of the Lord Iesus Christ, Philip. 1. And he hath the like to the Corinthians, that God wil confirme them vnto the ende, 1. Cor. 1. And they that are elected, shal continue: For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. 11. S. Iohn a man beloued of Iesus Christ, and to be beleeued before our aduer­saries, doubted not to say and affirme for a trueth, in his seconde Epistle to a vertuous Lady, that the trueth which dwelleth in vs, shalbe with vs for euer. If it shal remaine with vs for euer, how should we doubt, that it can forsake vs at any time, either present or to come? Proue your selues, sayth Paul, whether ye are in the faith: examine your selues: knowe ye not your owne selues, that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be re­probats? Here he wil haue vs to be through­ly perswaded, that Christ dwelleth in vs, & so to be sure of saluation, vnlesse we will be counted reprobates, which God forbid. If y ^e Papists wil be counted reprobates, let them then doubt of their saluation: if not, then let them recant, & be assured of it with vs, and amend their religion and maners speedily. Neyther is this doctrine, as some ignorant persons terme it, a doctrine of rashnesse and [Page] presumptuousnes, vnles Gods worde teach vs presumption. But this is a very com­fortable doctrine, as at all times, so especi­ally at the houre of death, when our consci­ences doe accuse vs, and Satan assault vs, and the paynes of death come vpon vs: (I saye) this doeth comfort weake and feeble consciences not to despaire, and the other doctrine of theirs doeth leade men the hye way to desperation, to doubt whether they shall be saued or no. They saye, we must feare. It is true: but not feare to bee dam­ned. For there is no damnation to them that are in Christ, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. 8. Nei­ther must this feare bee without faith and hope: for then it is a slauish feare of the whippe and scourge, and not a childes feare, to feare to displease his louing fa­ther. Wee must then haue the feare of sonnes, not of hired seruantes, to feare to offende and displease so mercifull and lo­uing a Father, and not to feare and doubt of our saluation: for it standeth not in vs, but in a surer rocke and grounde, which is Iesus Christ: and if we beleeue in him, we shall haue euerlasting life, Iohn 3. Act. 17. [Page] And yet here we must take heede of another extremitie, which the Messalians certaine heretikes, with the Libertines, Anabaptists, & that wicked sect of y ^e familie of loue, fal­leth into: for all these presume too much of this spirit of God, and of their reuelations, because they ioyne not the spirite of God with his word, but separate it from the word of Christ, and so it is but a fayned spirite of their own fantastical braynes, and not from God. Nowe as the Papistes take too litle, so these men take too much, and whatsoe­uer commeth first into their idle heades, by and by they attribute it to the spirit of God, be it neuer so wicked: and so these commō ­ly contemne the outwarde worde and prea­ching of the Gospel, with the administrati­on of the Sacraments, whereas we knowe that the spirite goeth, and is giuen by the ministerie of the worde, and is ioyned with it, as Acts. 10. we reade, that while Peter spake the worde, the holy ghost fell on all them that heard the preaching, not before the worde came: for Christ giueth not his spirit, but by the hearing of his Gospell first preached, as Paul sayde to the Ephesi­ans, After ye heard the worde of trueth, the Gospel of your saluation, wherein also [Page] after that ye beleeued, ye were sealed with the holy Spirite of promise, Ephes. 1. Here we see, if any would pretend the spirit with­out the worde, he may bee refuted: for they goe both together, the worde of trueth with the spirite of promise. For it is not our part to disseuer, or disioyne those two things, which God will haue coupled together in one. And therefore the Prophetes, which myght better haue vsed this prerogatiue of the spirit then they, called alwayes the peo­ple to the worde of the Lorde God, saying, Heare the word of the Lord, Thus sayeth the Lord: and still, The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, Esay 1. They pretende not the spirit without the worde, although they speake most plentifully by him, 2. Epist. of Peter 1. Chapter. For the prophecie came not in olde time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were mo­ued by the holy Ghost. Furthermore ano­ther effecte of this Spirite is to moue the heart of man, when the worde is prea­ched vnto him: for vnlesse Gods Spirite perswade and worke in our heartes within, when the preacher soundeth in our eares the outward word, he shal but speake as it were in the ayre, & beate the eare of man in vaine. [Page] Paul well considering this, sayde, that he in deed had planted, and Apollos another preacher had watered the worde, but it is God (sayeth he) that giueth the increase. And wee knowe that God woorketh all things in the heartes of his children by this spirite, wherewith hee sealeth them after they haue heard and beleeued the worde preached, Ephe. 1. and therfore in the place aboue recited, this spirit is called the spirit of promise, because it doeth assertaine and assure vs of all the blessinges and promises of God that are made vnto vs. In the Actes it is sayde, that Lydia a woman being a seller of purple, came to heare Paul preach the Gospel: but marke what Saint Luke saieth, whose heart (sayeth he) the Lord opened, that shee attended to the things which Paul spake: So that except God open our closed and hard shutte hearts, by the secret inspiration of this holy spirite, in vayne shall we eyther preach, or the people heare. We haue neede then all of vs (before we come to heare his word) pray to God to giue vs grace to perceyue & vn­derstand his will and mysteries, & to soften our stony hearts, that they may receiue the worde, and to circumcise our eares to heare [Page] it. This it that Dauid sayde, O Lord open thou mine eyes, that I may see the won­derfull things of thy Lawe: and againe, O giue me vnderstanding, & I wil keepe thy Lawe. Now Dauid knewe very well that all these things were done by the operation of Gods spirite, as Paul sayeth, The spirit hath reuealed these things vnto vs, 1. Cor. 2. for it is hee that helpeth all our infirmi­ties, Rom. 8. This is the marke whereby God doeth seale and print in the forehead, to be seene of all men, those that are his, and without the which no man can truely assure him selfe that he belongeth vnto Christ: for as the same Apostle witnesseth, If any man haue not the Spirite of Christ, the same is none of his. Nowe how greatly this holy spirit is to be desired of all of vs, there is no man that hath read the Scriptures, but well vnderstandeth. This made Eliseus, a nota­ble man, the scholer of Elias, when his ma­ster bad him to aske of him what he would, that he might do it for him before he was ta­ken away from him into heauen, that he as­ked his spirite to bee doubled vpon him, whereby he might the better serue the Lord and his Church in his vocation and calling, 2. King. 2. and so by this spirit he wrought [Page] wonderful miracles, and did much good by it to the whole kingdome of Israel. Wee see by this petition of this notable father & godly man, what we also shoulde especially desire of God in our prayers: not riches or wealth so much, which al do perish, but this holy spirite which liueth & remaineth for e­uer in them that haue him, and can neuer be lost or taken away. And this is the self same thing that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to aske in our praiers of God his father: for speaking of praier to his disciples, he she­weth that God his Father is most ready to giue vs our requests, as soone as we aske of him: as our earthly father is willing to be­stow that vpon vs which he is able to giue. And of all other things that God giueth, he maketh mention of this spirit, saying, If ye which are euill, can giue good giftes vnto your children, how much more shall your heauenly Father giue y ^e holy Ghost to thē that desire him? Luk. 11. Signifying this Spirite to be the excellentest gift that God coulde giue, or we desire of him. We haue nowe heard the meaning of this article, of the holy Ghost, what it is, and what are the wonderfull and comfortable effectes of it in the Church, and howe the Lorde hath [Page] promised neuer to leaue his destitute of it vnto the worlds ende: We haue seene also howe we must beleeue in him, as the true and euerlasting God, equally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, because he is the power and vertue, whereby they doe worke and create all things. Seeing there­fore this heauenly spirit is so necessarie and so great a treasure, let vs that are true Christians most duetifully thanke our hea­uenly Father, for bestowing of him vpon his whole familie here in earth, and vpon e­uery one of vs that are his seruants, wherby we are knowen in the worlde, and among our selues, that wee are his owne. And let vs also pray vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ, the sender of this holy spirit, to kindle and stirre him vp in our heartes dayly more and more, that by his assistance, we may haue an earnest feeling and lothing of our sinnes, and so bee brought to doe his will and plea­sure, with a carefull keeping of all his commaundements, vntill we all come to a full perfection in Iesus Christ, euen vn­to that hope which is layde vp for vs in the newe and heauenly Ierusalem, which Christ hath purchased full dearely for vs, with his owne precious heart blood. To [Page] whom with his Father, and the holy ghost, three persons in trinitie, and yet one God in vnitie, be rendred all prayse, honour, glorie and thankes giuing, both nowe and for euermore, Amen.

The ninth Lecture vp­on the ninth Article of our Christian fayth:
The holy catholike Church, the communion of Saints.

WE haue declared alreadie vnto you, three parts of this our Chri­stian fayth: the fyrst, wherein we doe beleeue and confesse the Fa­ther to bee the Creator and maker of all things: the seconde part, wherein we ac­knowledge the Sonne Iesus Christ the redeemer of mankinde: the thirde sheweth vnto vs the holy Ghost, the comforter of our heartes, and the confirmer of all these things which are conteyned in these former eyght articles, which we haue proued all out of the euerlasting worde of GOD. [Page] Nowe followeth consequently the fourth part of our Christian beliefe, which is con­cerning the Church, the ninth article with other three which are annexed vnto the Church, as the especiall blessings and be­nefites which flowe and issue out of the for­mer partes, and alwayes doe accompanie and followe the spouse of Christ. The causes and matter of our saluation being alreadie handled, the effect doeth followe, which is the Church: Otherwise in vayne shoulde God create, and Christ redeeme, and the holy Ghost inspire and confirme these benefites and giftes, vnlesse there were some that myght bee partakers of those treasures, brought out and founded by the blessed Trinitie. Againe, seeing the kingdome of Christ is euerlasting, it is very necessarie and requisite, that there be alwayes some which may acknowledge him for their King and gouernour. To this ende hath Christ his continuall Church, and shall haue to the ende of the worlde, as he hath had euer from the first beginning. The meaning therefore of this article, is this: I beleeue that God almightie hath alwayes had from the first creation of the [Page] worlde, and hath presently, and shall haue vnto the consummation of the worlde, his Church here in earth, which is, the cōmu­nion of Saints, that is to say, a company and congregation of faythfull men and women, which doe truely beleeue in Iesus Christ, acknowledging him for their onely Saui­our, and seruing him according to his worde, receyuing his Sacraments, and taking holde of all his mercies and bene­fites by fayth onely in his blood: and for this cause doe wee beleeue that there is but one true Catholique Church, and no moe which shall continue for euer, although Satan and his ministers goe about by all meanes possible to ouerthrowe and sub­uert it. Wee are then taught here to be­leeue, that there is an vniuersall Church of Christ, and not to beleeue and trust in it, as we doe in God: for that were idolatrie, to trust in men and put our confidēce in them. But wee must trust in GOD onely, and not in this Church, as the Papistes woulde beare vs in hande: because the Church is but the company of the elect and chosen, and are men. Nowe wee can not beleeue and put our hope in any thing [Page] that is a creature, for that were blasphemie to say, and wee are also accursed if wee do so, as the holy Prophete Ieremie hath by the mouth of the holy Ghost forewarned vs, saying, Thus sayth the Lorde, Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man, and ma­keth flesh his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lorde: for hee shall be like the heath in the wildernes, and shall not see when any good commeth, but shall inhabite the parched places in the wilder­nesse, in a salte lande and not inhabited, Ier. 17. By these woordes then of the holy ghost, we learne, not to beleeue in y ^e Church, but that there is an holy Church of Christe in this worlde euery where dispersed and scattered abroad through the face of y ^e whole earth. This article doeth declare vnto vs what the Church is, terming it the com­munion of Saintes, or fellowshippe of the godly, eyther with Christ, or els with themselues in loue: furthermore what ma­ner of Church this is, is here likewise set downe, that it is holy, by reason of Christ her head: & catholike, because it is not tied to any one place, as Rome, but generally is in all places of the earth, tossed as a ship vpon the sea frō one coast to another, as pleaseth God [Page] to dispose of it. To these things, two other pointes may be adioyned, to make vp the perfit discourse of it, and to the which all o­ther thinges incident to any maner questi­on of the Church, may bee easely referred. The one is, to consider who is the vniuer­sall head and gouernour of this catholique Church: the other, by what true markes, notes, signes, and titles, this Church may be knowen, and discerned from the false and counter faite synagogue of Satan, that is, from the whorishe and Babylonicall strum­pet of Rome, which falsly taketh vpon her the name of this chaste wife and spouse of Christe, being an vncleane and a most ad­ulterous harlot, which hath long agoe for­saken her bridegrome Iesus Christ, as it shall (God willing) hereafter better ap­peare, in the discourse and tract of this matter. Seeing the Church is likened to an house, 1. Timothie 3. and euery house is builded and gouerned of some man, Hebr. 3. it is necessarie that this house also, which is the Church of the liuing God, haue some builder & head of it to looke vnto it, which is both able to do it, & most ready to helpe it. The builder of this Chruch is Ie­sus Christ, Mat. 16. 18. & he is the only head [Page] of it, as S. Paul doth proue most manifestly vnto vs, both in the 1. & 4. chap. of y ^e epistle of the Ephesians, and the 1. chapter to the Colos. saying, God hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feet, and hath giuen him ouer al thinges to be y ^e head to the Church, which is his body, euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in al things. And againe, Let vs folow the trueth in loue, and in al things growe vp vnto him, which is the head, that is Christ, by whom all the body being cou­pled and knit together by euery ioynt, for the furniture thereof, according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part, receyueth increase of the bo­dy vnto y ^e edifiyng of it selfe in loue, Ephe. 4. So in the Colos. 1. 18. He is the head of the body of the Church. Out of this doeth the body of Christ which is his Church, re­ceyue a special and singuler comfort against al tētations, y ^t they shalbe defended & preser­ued for euer: for Christ cā not forsake his bo­dy, he cā not but loue it, & nourish it, w ^t those spiritual graces which come & proceede frō him y ^e head & fountaine. For as we see in the body naturall, how y ^t the head receiueth not meate for it selfe, but for the cherishing and increasing of the strength of the body, and [Page] the rest of the members: so the Lorde Iesus is not an head for himself, but for vs, neyther hath hee receyued all power and authoritie of his father, with the fulnesse of the holy Ghost, to keepe it to him selfe, but to giue and to impart it most louingly and liberal­ly to his true members, to make them to grow vp more and more, till they come to a perfection in him. If Christ therefore haue strength, holinesse, power, and all other good giftes and graces of the spirite, then may the Church assure her selfe of them all, because the wife may recken that all the goodes and landes of her husbande are hers: and wee knowe that the Church hath this dignitie and prerogatiue, which is in­estimable and full of wonderfull loue, that shee is counted and called, as shee is in very deede, the chaste wife and spouse of Christe here vpon the earth, to whome hee is ioyned with the coniunction and fellowshippe of his heauenly spirite. I haue (sayth Paul) prepared you for one husband, to present you as a pure virgin vnto Christ, 2. Corin. 11. Cantic. 4. Ezechiel 16. Ephesians 5. What noble man will bee content to take a poore wretched beggerwoman out of the streetes, full of ragges and filthinesse, [Page] to make her his wife? And yet the Lorde Iesus hath done greater thinges in mercie for vs, then this: for when hee passed by, hee looked vpon vs, and beholde, our tyme was as the time of loue, hee spredde his skirtes ouer vs and couered our filthi­nesse, yea, hee sware vnto vs, and entred into couenant with vs, and we became his owne. So is the Lorde in mariage become nowe our head, and wee his spouse: let vs then take heede that wee admitte no others into his loue, or defile our selues with whoredome and idolatrie, in giuing our faith and allegeance to straungers and false goddes, whome wee knowe not. Our husbande is very ielous ouer vs: hee can not abide another man to bee admitted vnto his bedde, for that were spirituall fornica­tion and adulterie before him, which hee wyll punishe most seuerely, as hee did in the Israelites which brake couenant with him, and betooke them selues to Idoles, and bowed downe to them in steade of him, as the Prophete declareth, Ezechiel 16. Seeyng then Christ is appoynted the head of his Church, and that one wife (as there is but one bodie, which is the Church) can haue but one husbande to bee her head, [Page] 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 shalbe both an heade and member, which is very absurde & monstruous? If he say, that as he is a mem­ber, [Page] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e pope to do w ^t [Page] 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 y ^t 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 w ^t it, & euer walketh in the midst of the seuē golden cādlesticks, so y ^t he needeth no vicar general, or vniuersal B. let vs, dearly beloued, as we [Page] 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 [Page] reason or right (whatsoeuer y ^e papists say) y ^t 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, [Page] 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. [Page] 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 y ^e church to be aboue this worde: which is vtterly [Page] 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 y ^e word, which is the iudge: [Page] 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 [Page] was so great, that it should neuer be forgi­uen: for these are his verie wordes there. Verely I say vnto you, al sinnes shalbe for­giuē vnto y ^e 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 y ^e head of this congregation, then it shalbe perpetual and for euer, because y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 shalbe fully ioyned w ^t her head in heauen. In the [Page] 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 church may, and hath erred, as euery mem­ber particularly may erre, as Peter did in the vocation of y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^t 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^e church, [Page] 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 y ^e spirit of Iesus Christ, are of y ^e 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 shalbe purged to bring forth more fruite: but as the branche, except it abide in the vine, dieth & withereth away without any [Page] fruit, and is cast into y ^e 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 y ^e Lord threatneth the false prophets, that his hand shalbe 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 shalbe deliuerance, as the Lord hath sayde. The like is in Abdie: but most notable is y ^t place in the second of y ^e 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, y ^t vnles they be in y ^e church, there [Page] 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 y ^e 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 w ^t the saintes, either in life or doctrine, nei­ther doe they relieue the poore and afflicted members of Iesus Christ with y ^e blessings which God hath bestowed vpon them: so that there is no communion of brotherly loue among them, whereby they should be knowen to be of this holy body. Now y ^t we know that Christ is y ^e head of this church, (as is proued) let vs come to y ^e secōd point, [Page] to see by what markes and tokens this true church may be discerned from y ^e false & hy­pocricall sinagogue of Satan. For this standeth vs greatly in hand to know, other­wise we may be deceiued in taking the one for the other. Two signes there are wherby y ^e church of Christ is knowen: y ^e one is the preaching of the word of God, contained in y ^e old & new Testamēt, & is deuided into y ^e law & Gospel: so that where this word is soūded out by y ^e preachers, purely & sound­ly, w ^tout mixture & corruptiō of mās tradi­tiōs, & receaued reuerētly, there is no doubt the church of Christ, as Christ himself doth witnes, My sheepe here my voice & follow me. This is thē y ^e first & principal note of y ^e church, to heare Christs word, Iohn 10. and where this word wanteth, there can be no church. For Christ doth sāctifie & clense it by y ^e washing of water through the word, Eph. 5. This made y ^e prophets in olde time to be careful y ^• they brought nothing but y ^e word of God to y ^e people, saying. Heare the worde of the Lord. The mouth of y ^e Lord hath spoken: and alwaies they brought the people when they were gone astray, to this worde & cōmandement of the Lord. This made S. Paul to say, y ^• he had deliuered no other thing to y ^e church of the Corinthiās, [Page] thē that he had receyued of y ^e Lord, 1. Cor. 11. Neither did Christ, when he sent his A­postles abroad to preach, giue thē liberty to preach what they list: But go and preach, (sayth hee,) teaching them to obserue all things, whatsoeuer I haue cōmanded you: restraining thē alwaies to his word, where­by y ^• church is gathered together, not the word vnwritten, which they call vnwritten verities, & y ^t traditions of the Apostles, and y ^• church, but the word written only. For of the other wee haue no certainty, yea their vnwritten verities are against the writ­ten veritie and worde of Christ, which is a thing very absurde. For the worde written doeth allowe all meates to be eaten with thankesgiuing without choyse, any apparel to be worne without differēce: neither doth it condemne matrimonie in any degree or estate of persons, as they do in the ministers of the woorde. Now their vnwritten veri­ties doe forbid al these things, and a great many moe, which are contrary to the word reueiled. Wel, let vs holde this poynt dili­gently, that the worde truely preached, is the first note to know this church by: the other note is the true vse & administration of y ^e sacramēts, instituted by Christ himself, [Page] which are two in number: the one is Bap­tisme, wherein we are admitted into the fel­lowshippe of this Church of Christ, and by the which we are assured of the remission of our sinnes by Christes blood, as wee are sure, that the water doeth outwardly wash the body and spottes of the flesh. This Sa­crament doth Paul call the washing of the new byrth, Titus 5. and sayth, that all they that are baptized vnto Christ, haue put on Christ. Furthermore the Lord Iesus doeth not thinke it sufficient, or ynough to admit vs onely into his house and familie, by this signe of Baptisme, but doeth also being ad­mitted, feede vs continually with heauenly and spirituall foode vnto euerlasting life, which is done with the other Sacrament of his precious body & blood, called the Com­munion or the Lordes Supper. So that as the shephearde doeth not onely gather his sheepe into his folde or sheepecote, but doth also prouide meat for them, and pasture: and as the master doeth not onely enterteine his seruant into his seruice, by giuing him his liuery coate and badge, whereby he is open­ly knowen to be his man, but doeth prouide and giue him meate & drinke dayly to feede him: so surely doth the Lord with vs in these [Page] Sacramentes. For by Baptisme doeth he admit vs to his seruice, and by the Supper doeth he feede vs, that wee perish not with hunger. So that where wee see these Sa­cramentes duely administred, without any inuentions of mans witte or brayne, the one with the word and water, the other with the worde, and bread and wine, without other superstions and additions, there we may acknowledge the Church of Christ to bee present, and he in the middest of them, accor­ding to his worde, as hee hath promised, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middes of them, Matth. 18. Now these Sacraments are in some thinges vnlike. Concerning the first, which is Baptisme, it is to bee vsed but once of a Christian man or wo­man, and not often: as the Iewes vsed but once to circūcise their children, which Cir­cumcision was a signe of our Baptisme, which we haue in steade of it: so this Bap­tisme of infantes is not to bee iterated. For euen as a man is borne but once, so once baptizing is sufficient, to signifie our newe byrth in Christ. Therefore they were ouerseene, which woulde haue it to bee iterated and done agayne, as Saint [Page] Cyprian was in that errour. The other Sacrament must bee often vsed of euery Christian man and woman, as the Iewes vsed many times and often, euery yeere to eate the Paschall Lambe or Passeouer: so must wee also often resort to the Lordes Table, but still with reuerence, repen­tance, and faith to eate and feede spiritu­ally vpon Iesus Christ his body and blood. For this Sacrament came in the place of the Passeouer: so that as they remem­bred their comming and deliuerie from the bondage and thraldome of Egypt and Pharao by this Lambe: In like sort must wee remember by this Sacrament our re­demption by Christ from the deuill and hell, from the slauery of sinne, whereof the Iewes deliueraunce both in Egypt and Babylon, were most liuely signes and figures vnto our eyes, to beholde that which Christ hath done for vs in dying for our sinnes vpon the crosse, that wee might bee made righteous in him, 1. Corinth. 1. Nowe the oftener wee re­mēber this which is done, especially in the Communion, the better it is for vs, alwaies remembring this, that wee come thither [Page] with examination of our selues, as the A­postle willeth, least we come to iudgement and condemnation. This then is not to be done at Easter onely, as the blinde custome of the Papists was, but at other times also, except they wil make it sufficient for a man to eate once in a yeere, to feede his bodie: wherefore as we often vse to eate corporall and earthly foode to feede the body, which otherwise would starue: so must we frequēt this Supper, which is holy, many times & often to feede our soule, which is more ne­cessary then the feeding of the body: and the meate of the one must bee had, and a great deale sooner then the prouision of the other, I meane, of the body, which is but mortall. These are 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, [Page] 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 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 descēt 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: [Page] but we know that a consent and agreemēt 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 cōsent of al the people of y ^• 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, Thē 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 ise and snowe? Were not the Dominican friers a­gainst the Franciscans about the conceptiō 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 frō [Page] Eusebius, some appointing mo, and some lesse? Are not fathers against fathers, and councils against councils, & Popes against Popes? a [...] regorie against them all, in the name of the vniuer sall bishop, which he iustly thinketh to be y ^e 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 coūcil of Cō ­stantinople, ordained that images should not be had in the church: after that, the coū ­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 thē in doctrine, not only in maners slip­ped from the truth. Ireneus, Victorinus, & Lactantius, subscribed to the opinion of the [Page] Millinaries, which thought that Christ af­ter the day of iudgement, should raigne w ^t 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^• 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 [Page] should they bee gathered together without his word and commandement? And this a­greeth to y ^• 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 thē fly to no­thing but to the scriptures. Otherwise, if they looke vnto other things, they shalbe 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 sacramēts, 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 y ^• false church. [Page] It is called y ^• sheepfold of Christ, doing vs to vnderstand, that those y ^• belong to Christ are gentle as sheepe, & not cruel as wolues: Esaie 11. for they shall not hurt nor destroy in al the mountayne of my holines, (saith the Lorde of hosts) by his Prophet. This name of the church excludeth y ^• bloody church of Rome, for they are as wolues & cruell beastes, de­uouring the sheepe, as well with vs ap­peared in Queene Maries dayes, howe bloodthirstie they were, in that the wolues slewe so many of the sheepe of Christ. It is called the spouse of Christ, therefore they that giue them selues to another head and husband, as the false Romanes doe, are not of this church. It is also compared and li­kened to the moone, because the churche taketh all her light and brightnes of Iesus Christ, the true sunne of righteousnes, as the moone doeth take of the sunne all her light, which thing the Papistes doe not: for they ascribe not all to Christ, but some things to the Pope, & some to them selues and others. And as the moone is not alway visible being in her change, so is not this churche to the eye of man, alwayes in a vi­sible she we, as the proude churche of Rome is, but hath sometime warre and aduersitie, [Page] sometime peace & prosperitie. It is more­ouer, like vnto a ship vpon the seas tossed in deede with the waues from one place to an other, but yet neuer drowned, because Christ Iesus is in it, and holdeth the sterne with his hande. These thinges, vnto the which the church is likened, doe very well conuince Rome to be no church of God at all, for it is alwayes visible to the eie, and in great wealth and prosperitie, as Babylon was, & so it boasteth of her selfe, as shee did. It neuer at all mourneth, or is in the pit of afflictiō as Christ said his church shouldbe, Iohn. 16. And as we reade in Ezechiel 9. this church of Rome doth alwayes laugh and reioyce, and neuer feeleth the rodde, which is a token of bastards, and such re­probates, and not of Gods children Heb. 12. This true church of Christ is but one: For there is but one mediator, & one hus­band, and therefore one spouse, and one body, as Paul proueth, Ephes. 4. and is cal­led vniuersall, because it is in all partes of the earth, and the Lord hath of his church out of all nations and kinreds & tongues, Reuel. 7. Which church yet notwithstan­ding, is deuided into particular churches of euery coūtrey & kingdom, where as they al [Page] make but one general church. For they are ioyned together in the same spirite, fayth, baptisme, and Lorde Iesus, which is one head to them all. There was a particular church in the house of Philemon, as Paul reporteth in that epistle, and he also calleth the Corinthiās a church, & others too, vnto whom he wrote, meaning that they were speciall churches of this vniuersall church. And here the ignorance of the Papistes is seene and manifested, which make that to be general and catholike, which is but par­ticular & special. For although their Rome were a true church, yet can it not be termed by any meanes, Catholike, except all the saintes and good men aliue vpon the earth were in it, which can not be. Here thē they are deceiued in the worde Catholike, ma­king that to bee generall, which is but in part so. Paul did neuer write to any church, which hee called Catholike, for if hee had meant so, that Rome had bene the catho­like church, when hee wrote vnto it, then could he not properly haue called Corinth a church at all. The summe of all that we haue said hitherto, is thus much: that there is an holy church, whose head is Iesus Christ alone, to this end and purpose called [Page] of God by his woord, that it should gloryfie him for his goodnesse. For looke whatsoe­uer our God doth, he doth it in y ^• behalfe of his holy church: For this end doeth hee de­stroy sometymes mightie kingdomes, and great Princes, that hee might deliuer his church, and verily, for this ende doeth hee keepe and preserue so long this wicked worlde, vntill the number of his elect be fulfilled. He neuer destroyed any nation, but it was for his churches sake. Oh howe greatly are we then bound to the goodnes of this our Christ, which worketh so great thinges for vs! shall we not magnifie his grace? shal we not yeelde him continuall thanks, and that in the middest of the great congregation? Beleeue me deare brethren, we are elect, ereated, redeemed, iustified, sanctified, preserued dayly by his power, & shalbe gloryfied in the life to come, with his holy angels and saintes, that we should set forth his praise & glory. And this is y ^• thing, which the blessed Apostle S. Peter doth in his first Epistle the second Chapter, so ear­nestly exhort vs vnto, saying, 1 Pet. 2. 9. To the church of God, the trewe christians of Pontus, Asia, Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, (and in them to vs all:) you are (sayth he) [Page] a chosen generation, a roial priesthood, an holy nation, a people set at lybertie. Marke nowe, dearely beloued, the chiefest poynt, to what ende all these thinges are done vnto vs, that yee shoulde (sayth hee) shewe foorth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse, vnto his marueilous light. Doe wee nowe shewe foorth his goodnesse with thankes­giuing? then are we good Christians, and serue to the ende, whereunto the Lord hath made vs. Are wee not all carefull of this duety, to praise God his name daily? Sure­ly we haue then transgressed, and degene­rated from the ende, of our creation and calling. The praise of God is such a thing, so hye, and so excellent, that if all the Angels in heauen, with their force and might▪ and all the men in earth, with all their speach and eloquence, goe a­bout to set it forth and declare it, they shall not do it sufficienly, and as it deserueth to be done. We ought then to do what lieth in vs: and this thing doth the triumphant church in heauen, of Angels, and Saints, teache vs, that we should neuer cease to ex­to his name at al times, as they do, for they [Page] cannot satisfy themselues with crying, Ho­ly, holy, holy is the Lorde God of hostes, the whole worlde is full of his glory, Esay. 6. And in the Reuelation the fourth chap­ter, the foure beastes, and the Elders cease not day nor night, crying, Holy, holy, holy Lorde God almighty, which was, which is, and which is to come. And yet for all this, wee here in earth can satisfy our selues, and be contented to set foorth his praise, either neuer a whit, or els so negligently and by such startes, as wee declare, wee haue no great loue and care thereunto: so colde is our zeale in this poynt, and yet most hot in trifles and vanites, apperteining to our pleasures & profits in this life. Wee haue nowe heard (dearely beloued) the meaning of this article, concerning the Ca­tholike Church, what it is, and who is the head of it, what authoritye it hath, by what signes it may bee alwayes knowē from the Romish or false Church. We haue also declared, that it is called Ca­tholike, because it is not tyed to any time, persons, or place whatsoeuer, but is dis­persed euery where, as seemeth good to the [Page] Lord. We haue furthermore shewed vnto you, what be the markes of it, and what are not the trewe signes of it, and that it con­sisteth not in multitude of people, but in weight of trueth. Last of al, we haue made manifest, to what end y ^• Lord hath gathered a church together vnto himselfe here in earth, which is, that hee may be honoured and gloryfied in it, accordingly by their good workes and christian conuersation. Now let vs giue thankes to Iesus Christ, the head of this Church, in that hee hath vouchsafed to make vs the holy members of it, which were before the firebrandes of hell, and a generation of Satans broode. Let vs moreouer prayse his name, for as much as he doth daily preserue vs by his fa­therly goodnes, and diuine prouidence, in this sheepefold of his, from all wolues and rauening beastes, which otherwise would deuoure vs. And because he doth feede vs in it with wholesome & greene pastures of his holye worde, and leadeth vs foorth to the waters of life and comfort to refreshe our soules, let vs not be vnmindful or vnthank­full to him, for this so great a benefit. Now let vs most humbly pray vnto him, that he would vouchsafe to keepe vs in this church [Page] of his vnto the ende, lest we wander and go astray from it as lost sheepe, and beseech we him, that he would continue his graces & heauenly promises made vnto vs so libe­rally in his Gospel, that from day to day, we may grow in holines toward him, as becōmeth this church, vntil the time come, that our full redemption from him shall appeare. This God graunt vnto vs, not for our sakes, but for Christ Iesus sake, which hath purchased al these things for vs, w ^t the shedding of his most precious blood vpon the crosse for our sinnes. To this Ie­sus Christ with the father, and the holy Ghost his power, be rendred all praise and glory, honour, dominion and thankesgi­uing, both now and for euermore. Amen.

The tenth Lecture vpon the tenth article of our Christian fayth, which is, The Remission of sinnes.

IN the article going next before, we haue heard what wee haue to beleeue concerning y ^• church, which is y ^e house of Christ: Now followe the ornaments, and benefits which y ^e Lord in mercy doth, & wil bestowe vpon this house, which are in number three. 1. Re­missiō of sinnes in this life. 2. Resurrectiō of our bodyes frō corruption at the last day of iudgement. 3. And euerlasting happines in y ^e life to come. These benefites are great & so inestimable, that wee can not worthyly conceiue of them, being couered with flesh and bloud: and therefore wee are the lesse thankeful, then otherwise we should be, if we did or could deepely consider of them: for they are such iewels, as the Lord doeth only bestow vpon his children, and none els, and therefore they are put after the Church, and communion of Saintes, as thinges following the state of the church [Page] necessarily, for none can haue them, but such as abide in the church, and are true & liuely members of Iesus Christ, ingraffed into his body by faith. The first of these graces is, the remission or forgiuenesse of all our sinnes. The meaning therefore of this article for the capacity of the simple, in moe wordes is this, I that am a Christian doe stedfastly beleeue, that almighty God both hath, doeth, and will of his mercie forgiue me all my sinnes, both originall and actuall committed before and af­ter baptisme howe many and great so­euer they be, Esa. 1. not for any woorke or me­rit of mine, which am an vnprofitable seruant: Luke. 17. but for the sacrifices sake of Christes death and passion, wherein hee is wel pleased, by whose righteousnes, be­cause I am clothed and apparelled by be­leeuing in him vnfeignedly, I am sure and certayne that I am deliuered from euer­lasting death and hel, which is y ^e reward of sinne, Romanes 6. This is the playne and simple meaning of this Article, and is proued and confirmed vnto vs out of scriptures, aswel of the olde as of the newe Testamēt. In the 31. of Ieremy [Page] we reade thus, This shalbe the couenant that I wil make, with the house of Israel after those dayes, saith the Lord, I wil put my law in their inward partes, and write it in their heartes, and I wil be their God, and they shalbe my people. For I will for­giue their iniquitie, & wil remember their sinnes no more. So likewise, we haue the proofe of this, in the second epistle to the Corinthians. Chap. 5. God was in Christ, and reconciled the world vnto himselfe, not imputing their sinnes vnto them. And in the second to the Colossians. Ye which were dead in sinnes, & in y ^c vncircumcisi­on of your flesh, hath he quickened toge­ther with him, freely forgiuing you all your trespasses. We see thē this doctrine to be warranted with y ^• testimonies of the ho­ly ghost: So y ^t we neede not to doubt any thing at al of it. Seeing then y ^e the first en­trance into the house of the Lord, is by put­ting away of all our sinnes, and because we haue nothing to do with God, except our offences be blotted and wiped out of his remembrāce: Let vs a litle I pray you, (dearely beloued brethrē in Christ) marke what we haue to cōsider in this article for our instructiō & edificatiō vnto a godly life. [Page] We say here, that we doe beleeue that there is a remission of sinnes, for the children of God and seruants of Christ. The first thing therefore that we ought to learne and beare in minde vpon this article, is, that we con­fesse and acknowledge most humbly and meekely our sinnes before God. For if we say and graunt a remission of sinnes, wee must also confesse that wee are sinners, o­therwise wee can not at all haue pardon of them. Secondly we must cōsider by whom this remission doeth come vnto vs, and for whose sake it is. Thirdly by what meanes we are made capable and partakers of this so great a benefite. As concerning the first poynt, it is playne and euident that wee are all of vs miserable sinners before GOD, which looketh vpon the hearts of men, and tryeth them: For who can iustly and truely saye of him selfe, My heart is cleane, I am no sinner. Nay, Salomon doeth tell vs, that there is not a man that sinneth not, 1. Reg. 8. Eccle. 7. And Saint Iohn sayeth playnely, that if we say we haue no sinne, we doe but deceyue our owne selues, and there is no trueth in vs. We are begotten, conceyued, and borne in sinne, we liue and are brought vp in sinne: and shall any man [Page] be so impudent and shamelesse, as to deny that he is a sinner? God forbid. The Apostle sayeth, All men haue sinned and are desti­tute of the glorie of God, Rom. 3. But we neede not to goe farre for the proofe of this matter: Our Sauiour Christ hath taught his to say dayly and hourely, euen as long as they liue, Forgiue vs our sinnes or tres­passes, Matth. 6. It is therefore a deuilish pride and presumption to say, whosoeuer he be, that he is no sinner: for surely thē Christ can not helpe him, for he came to saue sin­ners: And yet there are some in the world, and haue bene also, that haue denied this: So greatly that Satan bewitched them. Well, if these testimonies of scripture did not condemne them sufficiently, yet I am sure, their owne heart & consciences some time or other wil accuse thē, and their own mouth witnes against them. Iob telleth vs this thing plainely in his booke Chap. 9. If I would iustifie my selfe, my owne mouth would condemne me. We see thē that we are al of vs, euen the best, wretched sinners: Nowe as we are sinners, so we must also learne to confesse and acknowledge these sinnes, otherwise it is to no purpose, if a man be a sinner, and will not confesse it. If [Page] a man be sicke, and eyther doeth not, or will not acknowledge it, hee can not lyghtly bee healed of the Physitian: for he wil not seeke vnto him. Except a man feele his wound, he will not go to the Surgeon: and vnlesse a man be ignorant, and seeth the want of his knowledge that he ought to haue, he wil ne­uer desire to be further instructed, but conti­newe still in his ignorance and blindnesse. Who desireth meate, that is not hungry? or drinke, that is not thirstie? or clothes, that thinketh he hath apparel ynough? My mea­ning is this, It is not ynough for a man to thinke he is a sinner, vnlesse he hath an ear­nest and an effectual feeling of his sinnes in his conscience, & that they are as an heauy & grieuous burden vnto him. Thē if he come to Christ, he shall quickly haue remedy for thē. For he came not to cal the righteous, y ^• is, thē that thought themselues ryghteous, & boasted of it, for in deed there is none righ­teous before him: but he came to cal poore sinners to repentāce. And this agreeth with that notable saying of Paul, that Christ Iesus came into this world to saue sinners, wherof he cōfessed himself to be chiefe, 1. Tim. 1. There is a notable place cōcerning this matter in y ^e fourth of Luke, where our [Page] Sauiour Christ, entring into the Syna­gogue of Nazareth to reade and to preach on the Sabboth day, found y ^e place where it was writtē of him in y ^e 61. of Esay, saying, The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me, because he hath anointed me, that I should preach the Gospel to y ^e poore: he hath sēt me, that I shoulde heale the broken hearted, that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues, and recouering of sight to the blinde: that I shoulde set at libertie them that are bru­sed, and that I shoulde preach the accep­table yeere of the Lord. This place doeth shewe for whom Christ Iesus is sent and is meete, that is, for the poore, the broken hear­ted, the captiues in sinne, y ^e blinde in minde, the bruised in pryson. If we feele our selues to be such men, Christ is sent vnto vs: o­therwise hee is not for vs. And this is the cause that made our Sauiour to keepe companie most commonly with Publicans and sinners, and such as were infected with great sinnes & offences, as Marie Magda­lene, and Matthew, and Zaccheus: for these did willingly confesse their sinnes vnto him, and so he cured them. But on the con­trary side hee refused the company of the Scribes and Pharises, the hie Priestes and [Page] Doctors of the lawe, because, although they were sinners, yea, and grieuous sinners too, yet they had an opinion of holines and righteousnesse in them selues, aboue other men, and iustified them selues before our Sauiour Christ, as we see in the parable of the Publicane and Pharise that went vp both of them to praye into the Temple, Luk. 18. These Pharises our sauiour saide, they had no neede of the Physician, because they dyd not acknowledge their infirmitie and weakenesse vnto him. Christ in deede is meate, but for the hungry, Iohn 6. he is water and drinke, but for the thirstie, Esay 55. Iohn 7. he is a refreshing, but for them that are loden and burdened, Matth. 11. Doe wee giue almes at any time to a stout begger, that although he haue neede, yet wil not confesse it, and aske his almes gent­ly, acknowledging his pouertie? No more surely will the Lorde giue vnto any spirituall almes, vnlesse wee shall humble our selues before him, with true feeling of our pouertie and miserie. For verely here­in we must all of vs bee lyke vnto beggers, that, to mooue pitie and compassion, shewe not the best thinges they haue, (if they haue any) but the worst, as their ragges, their [Page] sores, their pouertie and nakednesse: And this moueth men the sooner to pitie them. Dearely beloued in Christ, the case standeth so, and no otherwise, betweene the Lorde and vs. If we will get any thing, it is by falling downe, and humbling our selues, and not by vaunting of any thing that is in vs: for he resisteth the proude, and giueth grace to the humble and lowly. Do we not see it so by experience? Is not the best pa­sture and meddowe grounde in the lowest places and valleyes, and the most barren grounde in the hyghest hilles and moun­taines? So the graces of the Lorde rest in the lowe stomacke and heart, and flee from the hye and loftie minde. Let therefore eue­ry hill and mountayne be layde lowe, Luke 3. A notable example of this meeke and humble confession of our sinnes, we haue in the Prophete Dauid, who, although he were a King, yet when he was reprehen­ded and reprooued sharpely of the Pro­phete Nathan for his adulterie and mur­der, sayd, without any replying or chec­king of the Prophete, most mildely, I haue sinned vnto the Lorde. And there­fore he heard incontinently that sweete an­swere from the Lorde, The Lorde also [Page] hath put awaye thy sinne, thou shalt not die, 2. of Kinges 12. Chapter. This thing Dauid reporteth of himself in the Psalme 32. Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto the Lorde, neyther hid I mine iniquitie: For I thought, I will confesse agaynst my selfe, my wickednesse vnto the Lorde, and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne. Looke in the Psalme 51. where hee describeth the same more at large. This lesson is to be learned of vs all, that when we commit sinne, we shoulde not cloke our sinne as the hypocrites doe. Looke vpon the poore Publicane, and vpon Peter: the one confessed them humbly, the other wept for them most bitterly. And surely so dyd all the good men doe from time to time. Howe often doe the Prophetes Esay and Daniel confesse their sinnes, and the sinnes of the people! Did not Tobiah do the like? and Paul him selfe doeth in many places confesse with griefe of minde, that he was a persecuter of the Church of Christ, 1. Cor. 15. yea, that he had the relikes of sinne still abiding in him, Rom. 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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. [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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, y ^e man Iesus Christ, 1 Timo. 2. and he hath giuen him selfe a ransome for all. If this bee so, we may boldely come vnto him at his com­maundement, especially when hee calleth, Come vnto mee all yee that doe labour and are laden, and I will refresh you, Matt. 11. The whole scriptures both of the newe and olde testament doe propounde no other redeemer vnto vs, then Iesus Christ. All the sacrifices were figures of remission of sinnes by Christ alone: for it was vnpossible (as the Apostle saith,) that the blood of goates and calues shoulde take away sinne: but yet sinnes were taken away vnder the lawe. It remayneth therefore, that they shoulde bee taken away by Christ: for Abra­ham [Page] reioyced to see his day, and sawe it gladly, Iohn 8. There was but one temple, but one hie priest, but one altar: so there is but one Christ to men, to take away sinnes: for all these thinges were shadowes of him. He is the true temple, in whome wee must pray, the hie priest that offereth his body for vs, and the true altar, vpon whom we must offer all our sacrifices of prayer and thankesgiuing, if wee will haue them to please God, and to be accepted of him. Wee haue (saith the holy ghost) an altar (meaning Christ:) whereof they haue no authoritie to eate, which serue in the tabernacle, mea­ning the vnbeleeuing Iewes. Let vs there­fore by him offer the sacrifice of praise al­wayes to God, that is, the fruite of the lips, which confesse his name, Hebrews. 13. Our sauiour Christ, when he sent forth his apostles to preach, willed not them to preach remission of sinnes, but in his name onely, Luke 24. and this doeth Peter in the Actes declare vnto vs chapter 10. Through his name euery one y ^e doth beleue, shal receiue remission of sins. Healings of y ^e body were done & wrought in his name by y ^• Apostles, Actes 5. and therefore the clensing and cu­ring [Page] of the soule, which is by remission of our sinnes, is much more to be looked for at his hands. And as it was in Egypt, in the great dearth and famine of corne, none could haue any food of Pharao the king, but by the hāds of Ioseph, whō he had made ouerseer & ruler of the land in his name (for when they cryed to him for breade, he sayde, Goe yee to Ioseph, and what he sayth to you, do ye, Genesis 41.) so it is nowe in the famine and dearth of our soules for spirituall foode, we can haue nothing to feed our hungry soules from the king of heauen, but by the meanes of the true Ioseph, which is Iesus Christ, who is ordeined of his father to rule and gouerne all thinges in his name, so that hee sendeth vs to his Sonne, when wee aske any thing of him, for in him hee is wel pleased, and for his sake onely and for no mans else, doeth hee bestowe this be­nefite vpon vs: for GOD hath in deede giuen lyfe vnto the worlde, but this lyfe is in his Sonne, that all should honour the Sonne, as they honour the Father. And as among the Israelites none coulde bee healed that were stung of the fyerye Serpentes, but all [Page] such as looked vp to the brasen Serpent which Moses made: so it is as certaine, that none can bee deliuered from the stinging of the olde serpent which is the deuill, but they that looke vp to the sonne of God on hie in heauen, they haue redemption by his blood, that is, the remission of sinnes, Ephesians 1. There is no other name vnder heauen, wherein we must be saued, no other fun­dation, whereupon wee must builde vp into heauen, no other stone that coupleth the building together, no other key that ope­neth heauē gates vnto vs, but Iesus Christ, Reuelation. 5. Except therefore we beleeue that it is he that taketh away all our sinnes, wee shall die in them, Iohn. 8. Neither is this doctrine onely confirmed vnto vs by the authorities of the worde, but also by the examples of all the godly. Dauid was ig­norant in the way of the Lord, but to whom doth he goe for knowledge? Teach me, O Lorde, (saith hee) the way of thy statutes, Psalme 119. Neither shall ye reade, that he went at any time to any other, in that his whole booke of prayers & thankesgiuings, saue onely to the Lorde: he did knowe well ynough, that all other scholemasters were vnlearned and domme, and as Idoles that [Page] could not speake. The woman of Canaan went at y ^e first to Christ, to haue her daugh­ter cured. Saint Paul praied to the Lorde, to haue the messenger of Satan to depart from him, 2. Cor. 12. Neither can there be any example brought of any, that euer he went to any other then to the Lord onely, to haue his sinnes and offences taken awaye. By this, that our sinnes are forgiuen in Christ alone, we learne y ^t we of our selues by nature are hatefull vnto God, before we bee reconciled vnto him by the death of his Sonne: so that except he behold and looke vpon our sinnes in the face and countenāce of Iesu Christ, wee are but castawayes. Wherefore (brethren) let vs looke vnto it, that wee may perswade, not men, but our owne selues, not in tongue and mouth one­ly, but in heart and deede, that we are surely members of Christ. Furthermore we ga­ther by this, that the Papist, the Turke, the Iewe, haue all gone astray, for they seeke for remission of sinnes by other meanes, then by the death of Christ. The Papist by his sa­tisfactorie woorkes of his owne deuice, by pardons from the Pope, when as no man can forgiue sinnes, but God onely: by his praying to Angels, to Saints, whome he [Page] maketh intercessors and mediators to God, and so leaueth the waters of life Christ Ie­sus, and diggeth such broken pittes and ci­sternes, as can holde no water at all. I see not therefore howe hee can haue remission of his sinnes, seeing he seeketh it els where then in the blood of Christ, and of Christ alone, for they giue something vnto him, but not all, and so they make him but halfe a sauiour. But eyther hee will bee a whole Sauiour vnto them, that hee may haue all the glorie and prayse, or else he will be none at all. Christ can not abide any thing to be ioyned with him, in the way to salua­tion and euerlasting life, but he will bee the onely and whole Sauiour to men. The Turke that hateth this name of Christ, and goeth not about to haue remission of sinnes by it, can clayme no part in the in­heritance of the kingdome of heauen: hee thinketh to bee saued by God the Father, when hee honoureth not God the Sonne. Agayne, he trusteth to his Alcoran, and his false prophet Mahomet, and forsaketh the true and euerlasting Prophete Iesus Christ, whome God sent into the worlde, to giue life vnto it. They can saye, I be­leeue in God the Father Almightie, but [Page] they will not confesse that which follow­eth of Iesus Christ the onely Sonne of God, and therefore they are not vnder the Couenaunt of grace and saluation, but stande all accursed before the lyuing Lorde, as beyng without Christ. Thirdly, the Iewes can haue or looke for no remission of sinnes, because they haue reiected this Christ, and go about to establish their owne righteousnesse by the workes of the Lawe, whereas Christ is the full ende or perfec­tion of the Lawe, for righteousnesse to e­uery one that beleeueth, Rom. 10. They haue a zeale, but not according to know­ledge, and thinking to bee saued by the Lawe, they all stande accursed, and also accursed iustly by the Law before the Lord, For cursed (sayeth he) is he that continu­eth not in all thinges that are written in this booke to doe them, Galat. 3. They are detters then (without Christ) to keepe and perfourme the whole Lawe perfitly and absolutely vnto the Lorde, which no man can doe, no not they, and therefore (without a Sauiour) they stande in a mi­serable case, euen in the state of euerla­sting damnation and perdition. And last of all, the false and Hypocriticall Christian, [Page] which professeth with his mouth, that hee knoweth and beleeueth in Christ, and yet vtterly denyeth him in his whole life & con­uersation, can hope for no remission of his sinnes, continuing still as he doeth in diso­bedience, and all kinde of abominations. But the Lord hath dyed for sinners you wil saye, and great and notorious sinners too: trueth it is, he hath done so, but yet they are such sinners as repent and are sory for their former sinnes, they lead not their life in vo­luntarie sinnes, so that they shoulde delite & dwel in sinne: but they continue in the feare of the Lord. Briefely, they are penitent sin­ners, and not obstinate and wilfull persons, that can not repent, for whom the Lord hath died. If we feele our selues to be such trem­bling sinners, the Lorde hath a free remissi­on of sinnes for vs, whensoeuer we come vn­to him: for to whom doth the Lord looke? Euen to him that is poore, & of a contrite spirit, and trembling at his wordes. But he that hardeneth his heart, and goeth on still in his former wickednesse, without remorse of cōscience at al, he heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the daye of wrath, and ma­keth his sinnes so heauie vnto himselfe, that they will presse him downe to hell. These [Page] men must amend their ill liues, and be hear­tily sory for their sinnes, not in hypocrisie, as Pharao was, who said, I haue sinned vn­to the Lorde: neither in desperation, as Iu­das, who repented, but not in faith. But herein let them followe Dauid in the olde Testament, and Peter in the Newe, who repented, and wept most bitterly, but yet in hope, & had remission of their sinnes. These men by their repentance, afterwarde chan­ged and altered their olde liues and conuer­sation, their olde man with his maners was put off, and the newe man, which after God was created in righteousnesse and true holi­nesse, was foorthwith put on, and so they walked all their dayes afterward in a newe life. Many men can say now a daies: Oh, I nowe repent, I am sory for my sinnes, & yet by and by, or the next daye, they fall to the same or like sinnes againe. Shal we thinke such men repent? nay verely, they deceyue but themselues and the worlde, for God they can not deceiue. Repentance is in the heart, and not in the mouth, for it is a tur­ning and chaunging of the minde from ill to good. As long therefore as we see their liues not to bee at all chaunged, wee may boldely saye, they repent not truely, and [Page] therefore▪ remission of sinnes is excluded from them. Hee that repenteth truely, altereth his wicked life, as wee see it came to passe in Paul, who, after that hee was called, and repented of his former life, neuer returned agayne to persecute the Church of Christ, neyther did hee liue as before hee did. Well, to conclude this part, if this remission of sinnes come vnto vs by Christ, let vs be sure to bee in his loue, let vs not profane his holy name by our vile blasphemies in our mouthes dayly, as the wicked doe: but let euery one that calleth vpon this name, depart from all iniquitie, 2. Timothie 2. chapter. The thirde thing to bee considered in this remission of our sinnes, was as I sayde before, the meanes by the which it may bee applyed vnto vs, and receyued from Iesus Christ the authour of it. For vnlesse wee also knowe this, it is to no purpose to knowe the former two poyntes. And this may bee made playne vnto vs by this similitude. The poore man that is an hun­gred, although hee knowe whyther to goe to some riche man or other for his meate and almes, yet except he vnderstand, what meanes and waye to vse to obtayne this [Page] reliefe of the riche man, all is in vayne: for if he should vse stoute and sturdy words, when hee ought to be gentle, or if he should commaunde it, when hee shoulde intreate for it, hee were not like to speede, or if the riche man did offer him meate to be re­ceyued with the hande, and hee put foorth his foule feete to receyue it, it were a ve­ry preposterous order, and such a thing as myght iustly cause this man to with­drawe his liberalitie from him: so surely the case standeth betweene our Lorde Ie­sus Christ, the Prince of all heauenly trea­sures, and vs poore sinners and wretches. Albeit we well perceyue, that hee hath re­mission of sinnes for vs, yet wee must knowe the waye to please him, when wee come to haue our sute obtayned. And this waye to please him, and to take the bene­fite that hee offereth, is onely faith in his name. For without faith it is vnpossible to please him. For he that commeth vnto him, must beleeue that he is, and that hee is a rewarder of all them that seeke him, as sayth the holy Ghost the eleuenth to the Hebrewes. When therefore the Lorde Iesus offereth this great benefite of sal­uation vnto vs, in the free remission [Page] of all our sinnes, wee must not offer out to him our foule feete, that is to saye, our woorkes, which are with many sinnes pol­luted and defiled: for so wee myght cause him to bee angrie with vs, and to keepe backe his gracious benefites. But we must as he hath commaunded, and alwaies in the Gospell requireth, when he is about to doe vs any good, beleeue onely in him, that is, offer vnto him our hande, that is, true faith, which is a fitte thing and instrument to re­ceiue his blessinges. Neyther is this our saying, but the phrase and maner of speache in the Scriptures. Our Sauiour Christ did neuer any miracle or cure vpon the bo­dies of men, but hee required faith of them, and they being healed, hee alwayes attri­buted it to the faith and confidence that they had in him, and not to any good worke of theirs. In the ninth chapter of the Gospel after Saint Matthews, wee reade there, of a very charitable deede of foure men, that brought one being sicke of the palsie to our sauiour Christ, as hee laye on his bed: but what sayde our sauiour Christ concerning this? Iesus seeing their faith, sayde to the sicke of the palsie, Sonne, be of good com­fort, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. You see [Page] howe that the cure of the man is ascribed to their faith, and not to their good workes. Likewise two blinde men came vnto him to be healed, crying, and saying, O sonne of Dauid, haue mercie vpon vs. This verily was a good confession, and worke of them, Matth. 9. But what sayeth hee vnto them? Beleeue ye that I am able to doe this? they sayde, Yes. Then sayeth he, According to your faith be it vnto you. The woman that was deliuered from the bloodie yssue, heard this of him: Daughter, be of good com­fort, thy faith hath made thee whole, Matt. 9. When he raysed vp the rulers daughter, he required but onely faith of him, which thing the Papistes saye, we can not prooue out of the Scripture. In the eight of Luke therefore this worde onely is put, to exclude all other things: for (saith he) Beleeue only, & she shalbe saued. Now if Christ require this faith in the cure of the externall man, that is, of the bodie, which is the lesse thing, hee doeth much more require it in the hea­ling of the inner man, the soule, which is the greater cure, and of more valewe. You haue then heard, that faith in Christ cureth the body: heare nowe also, that Christ re­quireth faith especially to beleeue in him to [Page] euerlasting life. The Gospell written by Saint Iohn is full of this matter almost in euery Chapter. Speaking of Christ, he sayeth on this wise, He came among his owne, and his owne receyued him not, but as many as receyued him, to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his name, Iohn 1. Againe, So God loued the world, that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life, Ioh. 3. He that beleeueth in him, is not condem­ned, but he that beleeueth not, is condem­ned already, because he hath not be­leeued in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God. In the fift of Iohn, our sauiour saith, Verely, verely I say vnto you, he that heareth my worde, and beleeueth him that sent me, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death to life. The sixte chapter is full of such godly and comforta­ble sayings: I am that bread of life, he that commeth vnto me, shal neuer hunger, and he that beleeueth in me, shall neuer thirst. Verely, verely I say vnto you, he that belee­ueth in me, hath euerlasting life. These [Page] things are written, that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God, & in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name, Ioh. 20. It were infinite to recite all the places in Scripture that make for this matter, and I should be tedious, if I would rehearse them all. Notable is that place in the sixtenth chapter of the Actes of the Apo­stles, where the Iayler demandeth of Paul and Silas, what he should doe to be sa­ued: & they answered forthwith, Beleeue in the Lord Iesus, and thou shalt be saued, and all thine house. I referre them that list to see moe places, to the Actes 3, 10, & 13. chapt. Rom. 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11. chapters. E­phes. 2. Out of these wordes wee gather this doctrine for vs, that all the graces and benefites of Christ are made ours by faith in his blood, and by faith onely wee take holde and laye hande vpon them, for faith is as it were an hand, or a mouth open, to receiue meate into the soule, and to feede it. We must then open our hande, and our mouth to receyue him: as Dauid sayeth in his Psalmes, speaking in the person of God: I am the Lord thy God, which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt, opē thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, Psal. 81. [Page] In that place the Lorde accuseth the incre­dulitie of the Israelites, that did not open their mouthes in faith, to receiue his bene­fites in such obedience, as he powreth them out. Againe, if faith bee the meane to bee made partaker of Iesus Christ, and to ap­plie him to vs, to heale our diseases: then on the other side, incredulitie of man is the stoppe or hinderance that letteth the Lord, to powre down his blessings vpon vs. This lacke of faith doeth shut vp his beneuolence and good will from vs, so that hee can not open heauen gates vnto vs, and powre vs downe his blessing. Of this the Prophets complayned in the olde time, both Esai and Ieremie: Behold (sayeth Esai) the Lords hand is not shortened, that it can not saue, neyther is his eare heauie, that it can not heare, but your iniquities haue made a separation betweene you and your God, and your sinnes haue hid his face from you, that he will not heare, Esa. chap. 59. So Ieremie in his fift Chapter: Your sinnes haue hindered good thinges from you. And what sinne or iniquitie can bee greater, or more detestable before the Lord, then the sinne of incredulitie and vnbeliefe, euen the mother and fountaine of all other [Page] sinnes? This is that which the Euangelist Saint Matthewe reprehendeth in the Na­zarites, euen their incredulitie: for when our Sauiour Christ came among them to preach, and teache, and to heale them that were sicke, as hee did in other places, they were offended with him, and gaue him iust occasion to saye of them, That a Prophete was not without honour, saue in his owne countrey, and in his owne house. Then is it added in the ende of the Chapter, He did not many great workes there, for their vn­beliefes sake, Matth. 13. So likewise our Sauiour Christ sayeth to the father of the childe that was lunatike, considering his want of faith: If thou couldest (saith he) be­leeue, all thinges were possible to him that beleeueth, Marke 9. And this is the onely cause that barred the Israelites out of the land of Canaan: For we see that they could not enter in, because of vnbeliefe, Hebr. 3. No more shall any enter at all into heauen, which was figured by the holy lande of pro­mes, which beleeue not: for Iohn sayeth, that all the vnbeleuing shal haue their part in th [...] [...]ake that burneth with fire & brim­sto [...] [...]hich is the second death, Reue. 21. Nowe when wee saye, that faith alone in [Page] Christ doeth applie all his good workes vnto vs, wee doe not speake against good workes, that are done of the godly here in this life, but our meaning is, that our good deedes doe not saue vs, which any man that hath read the Scriptures indifferently, wil graunt. Wee exclude not workes in life and maners here before men, but wee ex­clude them frō any part or portion of iusti­fication before the almightie God, in whose presence nothing is perfite, cleane or pure, no not the sunne, nor the moone, nor the Angels: but onely the works of that imma­culate and vnspotted Lambe, euen the man Iesus Christ, whose woorkes are all made ours, and imputed vnto vs, as if wee had done them, if wee doe but beleeue in him. Good workes must bee done of vs, for these three causes: first, because God hath com­manded them, secondly, because he is glo­rified by them, as our Sauiour sayeth Matthewe the fift, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in heauen. Thirdly, they must be done, because they profite and further our poore neyghbours and brethren, the needy mem­bers of Iesus Christ, and in helping [Page] them, wee helpe Iesus Christ himselfe, Matth. 25. For so doeth hee account it as done to himselfe. You may adde to these a fourth cause, why good workes are to bee done, although they saue vs not, be­cause they shall bee signes and tokens to men of our faith, which is hid and with­in vs, and shall declare that we are good Christians, euen as the tree is knowen by his fruite: for if wee haue no good workes, surely wee haue no good faith, but a deuils faith, as Iames sayeth, al­though wee bragge neuer so much of our faith. This faith doeth not saue, but is a dead faith, without any workes. The true faith that wee spake of before, it doeth not saue vs, in respect of the worthinesse or dig­nitie of it, but because it doeth looke vnto Christ his marke or obiect, and doeth appre­hende him with his workes. The Papistes saye, that faith alone can not iustifie vs, because it is vnperfect, as wee say workes are, which therefore can not saue vs. But we must vnderstand that the reason is not a­like: for we may haue a true & a liuely faith in Christ, although it be not in euery poynt perfit & absolute. No man can haue a perfit [Page] faith in this life, for it doeth stil increase, and growe in greater measure: but the children of God, they haue and may haue a true faith cleansed from hypocrisie and dissimulation. And this true faith doeth iustifie euery one that looketh vp to Christ, as well as a per­fite faith. Faith is likened to an hand, where­by a man doeth receiue any thing. Now we knowe by experience, that one with an vn­perfit hande, that either lacketh a finger, or a thumbe, or that hath his hand sore, or other­wise blemished, may as well with his lame hand receiue a good and fine piece of golde from a riche man, for his almes, as one that hath a whole or sounde hande: so may wee receyue from Christ, if wee beleeue but a litle, as much as a grayne of mustard seede in quantitie, wee may receyue remission of sinnes, and all other benefites of his death and passion, as well as he that hath a stron­ger faith and a greater. And nothing shall be vnpossible vnto vs, as Christ sayde to his disciples in the like matter, Matth. 17. Nowe faith is sayde to bee a firme and a constant assent of the minde to the wordes of God, wrought by the mo­tion of the holy ghost for the saluati­on of all the beleeuers. Seeyng then so [Page] many excellent thinges are giuen vnto vs, if wee abide faithfull, and beleeue in the Lorde: and seeing furthermore on the contrary part, wee are depriued of all these promises and giftes, if we haue no faith: it behoueth vs to looke about, and to examine well our selues, our hearts, our cōsciences, our inwarde parts and affections, to see whether we be in this faith or no, and whe­ther we cā vnfainedly persuade our selues before the Lorde, that wee haue this true faith in Iesus Christ: If we haue it, let vs continue and abide in it to the end, that we may be saued: let vs vse the godly meanes and exercises of Christianitie, whereby it may increase and waxe stronger in vs: let vs frequent the hearing of sermōs, and the worde of God, in reading it also priuatly, and let vs ioyne prayer to the Lord, for this excellent gift of faith. Likewise, the sacra­ments are to be vsed, which are an increa­sing of this faith vnto vs, but with reue­rence let vs often vse them. Finally the cō ­pany and societie of the godly shall helpe much to this matter. For as faith is gotten by these meanes, so is it continued in vs, and is lost, if these exercises bee away. If any feele him selfe voyde of faith, let him [Page] beseeche the Lord Iesus, the author of faith and giuer of it, and say with the Apostles, Lorde increase my faith, and let him vse y ^e wayes that I spake of euen now, for faith commeth by hearing of the word of God. which when we heare, the holy Ghost wor­keth in vs: yea, the holy Ghost it selfe then commeth into our heartes by hearing the worde, as it is reported in the Actes, that while Peter spake, the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the worde. Actes 10.

This fayth is our wedding garment, & without it, wee shall be excluded and shut out from the marriage of the Lambe. It is the oyle which we must alwayes haue in our lampes in a readinesse, against the bridegrome come at midnight. As the fire goeth out for lacke of wood, so is fayth extinguished in vs for lacke of the worde of God, and earnest & hearty prayer, wherby it is mainteyned. The Iewes were cut off for their meredulitie. Well we stand yet by faith: let vs take heede, least in thinking we stande, we fall. If the true and naturall oliues were not spared, how shal we escape that are the wilde oliues, if we prouoke the Lord? These things although partly they haue bene touched already, yet they cannot [Page] be spoken of too much, seeyng they are the dueties of of all Christians, & the cōmande­mēts of the Lord. This doctrine of faith in Christ Iesus, y ^t we are iustified by it alone, & by it obtaine remission of sinnes without the works of y ^e law, is not priuate to some, but cōmon to al that do vnfeynedly beleeue it, whether they be rich or poore, prince or begger, bond or free, Iew or Gētile, in this countrey or that, al are one in Christ Iesus who is brother to all alike, and there is no respect of persons with God, Actes 10. which is a father alike to all that call vpon him in faith and trueth. This, as it is ioy­full and comfortable to all, so is it most specially to all them that are afflicted in minde, to them whose calling is but base and abiect in the worlde, to such whom the worlde maketh no account of, briefly to all that are in pouerty and miserie, forsaken of the worlde for Christes sake. Neyther is this doctrine new or strange as the aduer­saries doe falsely slaunder it, which say it was neuer heard of before the time of Lu­ther: It is not so, this doctrine is as ancient as the Prophets of God are, & all they are witnesses vnto it, and was in the primitiue Church taught of the Apostles. For what [Page] els do we say, but that we receiue remission of sinnes through faith in Christes name? And doth not S. Peter in y ^e Actes the tenth chapter say the very same, and confirmeth it by the testimonies of all the Prophetes? Marke his wordes wel, for they proue our purpose, and confirme the three points that we haue set downe in this article, first, y ^t we al are sinners, secōdly, y ^t Christ doth forgiue thē freely, & thirdly, y ^• by faith it is, we lay holde on this remissiō. His words are these, euery one of them very effectuall: To him (saith hee) meaning Christ, of whom hee made that excellent sermon, going before vnto the captaine Cornelius, giue all the Prophets witnesse, that through his name, all that beleeue in him, shal receiue remis­sion of sinnes. Peter doeth shewe that this doctrine which wee teache, is not newe or hereticall, but catholike, and such as the Prophetes them selues all long agoe did teache, that by fayth in Christ, euery one that beleeueth, shall haue pardon of all his sinnes, whether they be committed before or after baptisme, whether they be actuall or originall, or whether they be in thought or in worde, or in deede: if wee beleue sted­fastly, they shall all bee forgiuen vs for [Page] Christs sake. I speake here nothing of that great and horrible sinne against the holy Ghost, which is irremissible: I hope in the Lorde, wee shall neuer haue any thing to doe with it, and therefore I will not in­treate of it, or what it is. Let this bee our comfort, that wee that haue any feare of God, any loue to Iesus Christ our sweete sauiour, any reuerence to heare his blessed worde and Gospell, and to receiue his holy sacramentes: we (I saye) that haue any motion to these thinges, are farre off from this sinne, and it shall not come nere our dwellings. You haue heard nowe (dearely beloued) what it is we haue to learne and beare away vpon this article, what is the meaning of it, what partes of doctrine it doeth conteine in it. This article, and the beliefe of it is very comfortable, yea, the ioyfullest thing of all others in this life, is to heare of the remission of sinnes, and that of all, when the least of them is able to plucke vs downe to hell, and there to holde vs in chaynes of darkenesse for euer and euer, without any hope of recouery, were it not for his mercies in Iesus Christ. The Lorde doeth in deede bestowe dayly many good and great blessings vpō [Page] vs in his mercy, for the which wee ought continually to thanke him: but this bene­fite of the washing away of all our sinnes in Christes blood, doeth as farre passe and excell them all, as either the Diamonde doeth the stone in the streate, or els the purest and finest golde that may bee, the filthiest drosse and durt that can be founde, so great a grace is it, in Christ freely to haue all our sinnes wiped out of Gods remembrance. But nowe let vs giue (as wee are dieply bounde) most humble and hearty thankes to God the father, for sen­ding Iesus Christ his sonne into y ^e worlde, to take vpon him our sinnes, and to beare them all away in his body, and let vs with­all thanke this good and bountiful sauiour Iesus Christ, for vouchsauing to humble him selfe so farre for our sakes, as to haue our sinnes imputed vnto him, and to bee layde vpon his backe, and to suffer the pu­nishment dewe for them all. And let vs also pray both night and daye vnto him, to take them away from vs more and more, and to kill this raging sinne within vs, by the scepter of his holy woorde, and opera­tion of his mighty spirite, that notwith­standing [Page] sinne be in vs, as it shall be to the last daye, yet it may not reigne in vs, or be a tyrant ouer vs, but that we may mortifie it from time to time, vntill wee come to that state, wherein it shall bee cleane put awaye, and altogether destroyed, which will bee when we shall meete together in the ioyfull and happy resurrection of our bodyes, whereof we are to speake in the ar­ticle following. These thinges the Lorde God graunt vnto vs al for his sonnes sake, to whome with the holy Ghost, be rendred all prayse and glorie, and thankesgiuing, both nowe and for euer more. Amen.

The eleuenth article of our Christian faith, and the ele­uenth lecture vpon it, which is, The resurrection of the body.

IN the fourth part of this our Christian beliefe, which was of the church, I declared that there were three consequents or bene­fites annexed vnto it. The first you haue heard, which was the remission of sinnes: Now doth ensue y ^e second, which is the re­surrection, or rising againe of our flesh and bodie. And this article doeth folowe in very good and apt order after the former: for as by the first Adams sinne and ours, our bo­dies became mortall & subiect vnto death: so hauing remission of our sinnes by Christ the second Adam, our bodies shal hereafter be made immortall, & raised from death to an euerlasting & better life thē that, which we should haue had in Paradise, if Adam & we had cōtinued in our state of innocency. This resurrection is the repairing and the renuing againe of the whole man to a most blessed and perfite estate of lyfe. [Page] The meaning therefore of this article is thus much: I that am a Christian, do most certainely beleeue, that not only my body, but the bodyes of all men, that euer haue bene from the beginning of the world to the end of it, shall at the last day of iudge­ment, by the power of Christ at his com­ming, be raysed vp againe, (being the same in substance, but not in qualities) whether they be rotted in the graue, or burnt in the flaming fire, or consumed of beastes, or drowned in the sea, & deuoured of fishes, or els of birds. And I moreouer beleeue, that they shalbe ioyned to their soules insepera­bly, at the which resurrection the godly shall haue a full ende of all their miseries, and paynes here; with full possession of e­ternall life, and that the wicked and re­probate shall goe into euerlasting hel fire, which is prepared for the deuil and his an­gels. This is the true sense and meaning of this article of the resurrection. Now let vs see what good lessons may be gathe­red out of it, for our instruction, that wee may the better profite in the way of true godlinesse, and Christianity. Three things are to be cōsidered in this resurrectiō. First that according to y ^e scriptures, there shall [Page] one day be a generall resurrection of good and bad. Secondly, to what ende this shal­be. Thirdly, the consolation and comfort, that wee may reape and inioy by this re­surrection, in the applying of it to our owne consciences. I am not ignorant, howe that very many thinges must be repeated here, which haue bene spoken of before, both in the article of Christes resurrection, which is a playne confirmation and proofe of this, and also in the other artice of his cōming agayne to iudgement, which shalbe then when this article shalbe fully accompli­shed vnto vs. These thinges are so incident the one to the other, I meane Christes re­surrectiō, and his iudgment and our rising againe, that they cannot [...]e separated: how­beit, we will by Gods grace so speake of them all, as they shall tend to godly edifica­tion, and to the great comfort of all them that do nowe in these last and dangerous dayes mourne in Zion. And albeit some places and reasons shalbe nowe brought here, in y ^e proofe of this article which haue ben alleaged before: yet it shall not be a­misse to beare them againe and often, that wee may the better remember them, be­cause [Page] wee are all dull in hearing, and forgetfull of good thinges, so fickle is our memorie. In the Scriptures both in the Lawe and in the Prophetes, and also in the newe Testament, yee haue the same lessons giuen foorth often vnto you, especially in the Psalmes, where the lat­ter part of the verse, is either but a re­petition, or els a more playne declara­tion of the former part of the sentence. Yea, Saint Paul him selfe well vnder­stoode this to bee a very profitable and good thing, to heare one lesson many tymes, and therefore sayde to the Phi­lippians, It grieueth mee not to wryte the same thinges to you, and for you it is a sure thing, chapter 3. Seeing this is so, let vs then come to our purpose, which is to proue that there shall bee a generall resurrection of all men. This article is (I graunt) very harde to bee beleeued, if wee iudge of it by flesh & blood only, as farre as naturall reason will extende, but where fayth is planted, there reason hath no place. And all the woorkes of God, if they did not passe our reason and capacitie, [Page] then they were there not so wonderfull, neither should theybe vnsearcheable or past finding out, which S. Paul the Apostle affir­meth, Romanes. 11. saying, O the deepe­nesse of the riches, both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! Many of the bet­ter sort of the heathen Philosophers, as Plato, Aristotle and Cicero, although they were fully perswaded of y ^e immortality of y ^e soule, yet they neuer did so much as once dreame or thinke of the immortalitie, and resurrection of the fleshe, which we beare about with vs. So incredible a thing did it seeme vnto them. And therefore Saint Paul, when hee came to Athens, and there preached Christ Iesus vnto them, and ma­ny other good poyntes of Christianitye, & of our fayth, they heard him indifferently without any mocking at al: but when he sayde and affirmed constantly vnto them, that God had appoynted a day, in y ^e which he wil iudge the worlde in righteousnesse, by that man whom hee hath appoynted, wherof he hath giuen an assurance to all men, in that he hath raysed him from the dead, thē they mocked, because they heard of y ^e resurrection from the dead, Actes 17. [Page] Well, notwithstanding al this, we that are Christians and trayned vp in the schole of Christ our master, must beleeue this point. For surely the ful perswasion of this one article, comprehendeth many other articles of our fayth: For if wee rise not agayne, then is not Christ risen: if Christ be not ri­sen, then are we in our sinnes, and so the former article that went before, falleth to the ground. But if this be true, then all y ^e other going before are confirmed, and out of doubt. Let vs therefore heare, and marke also some infallible testimonies, and au­thorityes of the euerlasting & true word of God, to builde our fayth vpō in this so hard & strange a matter to reason, & to confirme vs against all tentations of Satan, or of the wicked and carnal Atheists, which wil goe about to vndermine the veritie of this article. We haue in the third chapter of the booke Exodus, a manifest proofe of the resurrection in these woordes, where as God speaking to Moses, sayeth on this wise, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isahac, and the God of Iacob. Which woordes are so forcible, that our sauiour Christ vsed no other argument agaynst the [Page] Sadduces which denied this resurrection. For God cannot be sayde to be God of A­braham, except he raise him againe, and the bodye be ioyned to the soule. For he calleth not himselfe, the God of Abrahams soule, but of Abraham, meaning the whole man. It was euident therefore that Abraham with y ^e rest of y ^e fathers, shal rise againe. Ve­ry excellent is y ^e place of Iob, in the nine­teenth chapter of his booke. I knowe (sayeth he) that my redeemer liueth, and he shal stand the last on the earth, and though after this skinne wormes shall deuoure this body, yet shall I see God in my flesh, whom I my selfe shall see, & my eyes shall behold, and none other for me, though my reines are consumed with in me. We see by this, that Iob long be­fore vs, or before the newe Testament was written, had a full hope of the resur­rection, that both body and soule should en­ioy the presence of God at the last day. this is written (as Paul sayeth) for our in­struction, that wee shoulde haue the like hope and assurance as hee had, in the happie and blessed resurrection of our bodyes after death. This trust and fayth had the Prophet Dauid, in the sixteenth [Page] psalme, Thou shalt not leaue my body in y ^e graue, neither shalt thou suffer thy ho­ly one to see corruptiō. In y ^e six and twen­tieth of Esay we read thus, Thy dead men shall liue, euen with my body shall they rise. Awake, and sing yee that dwell in dust, for thy dewe is as the dewe of herbes, & the earth shal cast out the dead. What can be spoken more playnly for this purpose. Likewise vnder the vision of the dry bones, which reuiued and tooke fleshe, the Lord would shewe vnto Ezechi­el, that he was able to doe all thinges, and to bring the people out of captiuitye, which were as dry bones then rotten and consu­med. And this was a type of the resurrectiō to the house of Israel in their banishment, being restored to their countrey agayne. That place of Daniel in the twelft of his prophesie is most euident, At that tyme, shal Michael stand vp, the great prince, which stādeth for the children of thy peo­ple, and there shalbe a time of trouble, such as neuer was since there began to be a nation vnto that same time, and at that time thy people shalbe deliuered, e­uery one that shalbe written in the booke▪ and many of them that sleepe in the [Page] dust of the earth, shall awake, some to e­uerlasting life, and some to perpetuall shame and contempt. And they that be wise, shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament: and they that turne many to righteousnesse, shall shine as the starres for euer and euer. Here is set foorth the rising of all men, both good and bad, & the glorie of the one sort, and y ^e shame and confusiō of the other. Looke Matthew 22. Marke 12. Luke 20. Our sauiour Christ exhorting rich men to make feastes, and to prouide for the poore, sayde, that they should be recō ­pensed in the resurrection of the iust, Luk. 14. Where we may note, that the resurrec­tion is sayde to be a recompence and a re­warde for the iust. And surely so it is: for o­therwise y ^e Lord might seeme to be vniust, which many times doeth not here reward the Godly, as he hath promised, nor punish the vniust, as he hath threatned them. And if we trust in Christ only in this life, we are (sayth Paul) of all men most miserable. We hope therefore for another life, and this is in the resurrection: this is our ioy & comfort. I see then no cause why mē should be so sory to dye, and depart frō this world, seeing a better world is kept in store for thē. [Page] I come to the newe Testament. In the 6 of Iohn our Sauiour hath a notable place to confirme this matter vnto vs. Our Sa­uiour in that place speaketh of both the re­surrections, the one from sinne in this life, in the 25. verse, that the dead should heare his voyce, that is, they that were in minde and fayth dead, should nowe heare his Gos­pel, and be renewed vnto repentance, and so liue a newe life. This seemed a strange doc­trine to the Iewes, and they wondered all at it. Our Sauiour then goeth farther with them, & telleth them of more strange things then these, saying, Maruell not at this: for the houre shall come, in the which all that are in the graues, shall heare his voyce, and they shall come foorth, that haue done good, vnto the resurrection of life, and they that haue done ill, vnto the resurrection of condemnation. Martha a woman was wel perswaded of this article, for she did beleeue that her brother Lazarus shoulde be raysed vp at the last day, Iohn 11. Againe, if all nations shall bee gathered together before Christ, then all shall rise, that they may bee iudged: otherwise he can not be sayde to be the iudge of quicke and dead. Neyther doth the remayning of some aliue till the latter [Page] day hinder this position, but that all shall rise. For they that dyd neuer die, shall bee raysed vp with newe bodies, which change shall be as the rysing from the dead, for ha­uing weake and corruptible bodies, they shalbe glorified and made heauenly bodies. If we consider the power of God whereby he is able to do all things, euen what he list, and greater thinges then wee can imagine: then this will not seeme hard or absurde vn­to vs. We doe beleeue and confesse, that he is almightie in the first article, and therfore we must needes confesse that hee can doe it, as easily as he raysed vp the bodie of Christ, wherein he hath giuen the assurance of the whole Church. And he that made al things of nothing at the first by his onely worde, is able also nowe to bring to passe that of dust and earth shall bodies be raysed vp againe. Saint Paul coulde not bee brought from this perswasion by any meanes, eyther by feare or displeasure of the Sadduces, or of Agrippa: or Festus, but he protested, that he had hope towarde God, that the resur­rection of the dead, which dyd seeme an incredible thing vnto thē, Act. 26. shoulde bee both of iust and vniust, Act. 24. The hope of this resurrectiō made Saint Paul, [Page] as it shoulde doe vs, to do his duetie round­ly: for herein (saieth he) I endeuour my selfe to haue alwayes a cleare conscience towarde God, and toward men. For vere­ly, for this cause doe many men make ship­wracke of fayth and conscience in their acti­ons and affayres of this life, because they haue quite forgottē this day of y ^e resurrecti­on, wherein an account must be giuen, not onely of wicked deedes and blasphemous wordes, but of euery idle worde spoken, as our Sauiour sayeth, Matth. 12. If wee woulde consider this, howe wee must all stande naked before the hie tribunall seate of Christ Iesus, it woulde surely make vs to tremble & to quake euery veine and ioynt in vs, when we thinke vpon it. The day shal be fearefull and terrible, I hope there is no man among vs that doubteth of the certain­tie of this day, although the day and houre it selfe be knowen to no man. And this is to make vs alwayes to be in a readinesse for it. For it shal come vpon a sudden, 1. Thes. 5. I should be long and ouer tedious, and not seeme to write a Lecture to exhort & teach, but rather a treatise to conuince the aduer­sarie and wicked, if I shoulde recken vp all the places that here myght be brought for [Page] the confirmation of this doctrine. Let these therefore for this time suffice: and if the di­ligent reader be disposed to see moe, let him reade the 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, there he shall haue a good­ly discourse & handling of this whole mat­ter of set purpose, Paul prouing the resur­rection by many reasons, both diuine and humane, and shewing moreouer with what qualities, conditions and properties the bodies of the faythfull shall be raysed vp: where he also answereth the obiections that may bee made to the contrary. I conclude this part with the wordes of Saint Paul to the Philippians the thirde Chapter: Let our conuersation be in heauen, frō whence we looke for the sauiour, euē the Lord Ie­sus Christ, who shall change our vile bo­die, that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able euē to subdue al things vnto him selfe. In these words he sheweth that Gods power is able to doe this, and although our bodies bee vile, they shall bee made fayre againe: trees seeme to be dead and rotten in the winter, which in y ^e spring time come forth most florishingly with their fruite in due season: so it is in the resurrec­tion. [Page] This made the fathers so carefully to burie the dead with their balmes & odours, knowing they should appeare againe. Last of all, I referre you to the 2. Pet. 7. Chap. & Reue. 20. where this resurrection is most liuely, as in a table before your eyes, descri­bed. It followeth in the second place, to see to what ende this great resurrection shall be. We haue seene the efficient and chiefe caus of this resurrection, to be the power of God mightily woorking in him selfe. The fourme of it is, the ioyning and vni­ting together of the body & soule for euer: and the matter wherein this doeth stande, is the soule and body of man, which must bee repayred againe, being once corrupted by sinne in our first grandfather Adam, and al­so in vs his children, springing of the same corrupt roote with him. The finall cause why this resurrection shall bee, is of two sortes: the one is in the respect of the good and godly men, who haue liued here in the feare of the Lord, to his honour and glo­rie: in these he will shewe his exceeding great mercie, in making them vessels of ho­nour to serue him, whome he will rewarde with euerlasting life, which yet notwith­standing they haue not of duetie deserued, [Page] (as the Papists say) but in mercie doeth the Lorde bestowe it vpon them. The other cause is in respect of the wicked and repro­bate, vpon whom the Lorde will shewe his perfite iustice against sinne and wickednes, cōmitted of thē without repentance. These will hee make vessels of his wrath, which shal burne in thē with an vnquenchable fire, without ende and mercie, who because here they haue not bene throughly punished, or sometimes not at all, therefore the full mea­sure of their punishment is reserued til that great day, then to be powred out vpon them in fire and brimstone, in that burning lake continually which neuer shall haue ende. For these causes is this resurrectiō (where­of wee speake) ordayned. To speake of the end for the godly, first, so it is that the Lord hath promised in mercie to reward all his faythfull seruants, which commeth not ma­nie times to passe in this life, therefore there remaineth a life to come to be shewed in the resurrection of the flesh. And if all godli­nesse bee sure to bee recompensed with a promise of a good turne in the life to come (as Paul declareth to Timothie the first Epistle and fourth Chapter) Then out of all doubt very expedient and necessarie it [Page] is, that there shoulde be a resurrection. If any man say. The soules of the faythfull are rewarded as soone as they depart from the bodie, with this promise of life, and there­fore they seeme not to lacke a rewarde, al­though there be no resurrection, and so God is true of his promise: I answere, that as the bodyes of the faythfull while they li­ued well here, haue bene temples of the ho­lie Ghost, to serue the Lord withall, and as not onely in soule, but also in body through diuers tentations and persecutions they haue bene afflicted for Christ, and haue still bene vnder the crosse: so surely, they also with the soule shall be glorified and re­warded, according to the things that they haue done. And to this agree the wordes of the holy Apostle: We must all (sayeth he) appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ, that euery man may receyue the things which are done in his body, accor­ding to that he hath done, whether it bee good or euill, 2. Corin. 5. Here he nameth expresly the body, otherwise the rewarde were vnperfite, if in one part onely it were bestowed. The Lord will not suffer the gi­uing of a cuppe of colde water to his saints to goe vnrewarded, much more therefore [Page] will he rewarde those that haue giuen their bodies to be consumed in the flames of fire for his cause and the Gospel: so that if any lose his life for his sake in this worlde, he shall finde it in the worlde to come, with an hundred fold more, with all happinesse and ioy restored vnto him. If we looke vpon all the saints that haue bene from time to time, we shall see that they had no felicitie, nor happinesse in this life. The Epistle to the Hebrewes, speaking of the excellent fayth of the olde Patriarkes and ancient fathers, sheweth vs what was their estate in this life, for their good woorkes and deedes: Some were racked and woulde not bee deliuered, others were tryed by moc­kings and scourginges, by bandes and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were hewen asunder, they were tempted, they were slayne with the sworde, they wandered vp & downe in goates skinnes, and sheepes skinnes, being destitute, af­flicted and tormented, wandring in wil­dernesses, and mountaynes, and dennes and caues of the earth. If we aske the end, why they suffered and endured such things of the wicked, the same Apostle doeth make vs answere, This they did, that they might [Page] receiue a better resurrection. And surely they had bene fooles to endure such tormēts of body, if the body and soule had perished in their death and graue, as doe the bodies of bruite beastes, without any hope of the resurrection. Consider ye the Apostles, how they were rewarded here for their preaching and godly life: did they not all for the most part, in the ende suffer death and martyre­dome for their labour? howe was Paul re­warded of the Lorde in this life? did hee not whippe and scourge him when hee receiued him for his sonne? yes truely. And he con­fesseth what his whole life was after his conuersion: nothing but a sea of troubles & miseries, fightings without, and terrours within, hunger and thirst, colde, nakednesse, bandes and pouertie were the rewardes that the Lorde gaue him here, insomuch, that hee might seeme to be in worse case af­ter his conuersion to Christ, then before, if hee had iudged of his afflictions by a world­ly and carnal eye, and not according to faith, as did carnall Demas, and therefore because hee felt miseries in this life, in Christianitie reuolted from Paul, and embraced this pre­sent euill worlde, 2. Timothie 4. These things made Paul to say, that vnlesse there [Page] were a resurrection, his state had bene most miserable of al others, for what (saith hee) aduantageth it me to suffer these things, if the dead rise not agayne, then let vs eate and drinke, and liue in pleasure. So we see the hope of the resurrection stayed him from running into condemnation with the wic­ked, & he confessed els where, that his crown was not here in this life, but was layde vp for him. And al these vexations of the bodies, of soules, of mindes and consciences of men, is to teach them that no blessednesse is to bee hoped for in this our vale of miserie: but we looke for a citie to come, whose builder and maker is God, seeing wee haue none here that is permanent. Our sauiour, when he comforted his disciples agaynst perse­cutions to come, when as they shoulde bee mocked, reuiled, taunted, yea and killed for his sake, willed them in that day to be glad and to reioyce, for their rewarde was great in heauen. Hee said not in earth, that their mindes might be w ^t drawen frō this life to y ^e euerlasting rest out of this world. And this can not be, but in the resurrection of our bo­dies. They y ^t will haue their reward in this life, in short & transitorie pleasures of sinne for a season, feasting & sporting them selues [Page] in their wantonnes & vngodly delites, & are impatiēt to looke & wait for y ^e heauenly pro­mise of ioyes, that shal haue no ende, are like vnto the rich man both proude and glut­tonous, that fared deliciously euery day, and went in purple and silke, not regarding the poore estate of Lazarus, and therefore nowe in hel receiueth paine & punishment endles, which in his life time receiued pleasure & cō ­fort. But they y ^t with paciēce, & quiet minds can take al things in good worth, whether it be sicknes or pouertie, or shame & ignominie, which y ^e Lord here sendeth to thē in this life, for a trial of their faith, & can looke vp vnto y ^• celestial life to come, tarying the Lords lea­sure, these men are like to poore Lazarus, which in deed in his life time receiued paine, but is now comforted beyond all mās expec­tation w ^t an euerlasting comfort, Luke 16. Dauid pronounceth thē blessed that feare y ^e Lord, & yet if we respect y ^e presēt time, it doth not so appeare to vs, but rather y ^e contrary: for what blessednes is here, either in y ^e body, or in y ^e soule, if we speake of a sounde & per­fit happines, as he meāt it? The soule is infected w ^t sinne, the vnderstanding is darkned, & the things we know not are moe in number, then y ^e things we know: so y ^t our knowledge [Page] which should beautifie and adorne out soule, is vnperfect: and this not onely in thinges naturall and ciuill, but also in heauenly my­steries, and matters of greatest waight & im­portance: so that Paul might well crye out and say, O mortall man that I am, who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death. Rom. 7. No happinesse therefore in this life of the minde of man, but that which is, is rather a shadowe and a visour, then any true sight of happinesse. For it doeth not yet appeare what we shal be, although nowe we are the sonnes of God: but this shall appeare when Christ shall come in glory, Colos. 3. Now if any griefe of mind which is inwarde, come to the soule, then it seemeth to bee in hell, and this dolour sur­mounteth all the passions and paynes of the body. Let any man consider the bodie, and he will say that it can not bee happie in this life: the diseases and sicknesses of it are so many in number, that they haue pas­sed the arte and skil of the best Physitions to heale them. And if the diseases of the body were away, yet were there calamities a thousand to proue it to be in a very wretched case, as longe as it is subiect to sinne in this pylgrimage. What crosses are shame [Page] to vs, & ignominie, contempt and reproche, which cause many most desperately to hang themselues? What is pouertie with her chil­dren? as lacke of friendes, meate and drinke, want of apparell which is necessarie, lodg­ing, and house roome, with such thinges? These miseries a man may haue, although hee had health of body, although yet these thinges bring sickenes with them common­ly. What then are other externall dangers, as the wounding and hurting of our selues, the spoyling of our goods, dangers vpon the land of theeues, & vpon the sea of drow­ning? and if we scape that, there is danger of vngodly Pirates. These crosses being layde together, and weyed in the balance of iustice, wil coūterpeise & ouerweigh al our pleasures that are, or may bee inuented in this life: so great is the heape of miseries in this life. And these troubles that I haue a­boue rehearsed, as they are common to all, so especially to the godly, to make them not to bee in loue with this worlde, seeing the Lorde hath reserued the blessed resurrection for them. Wherefore (dearly beloued) call now to remembrance the dayes that are pas­sed, and consider the sayntes, which after they had receiued light, endured a great [Page] fight in afflictions, as our martyrs did in Q. Maries dayes, partly while they were made a gazing stocke, both by reproches & afflictiōs being tossed to & fro, & suffered w ^t ioy the spoyling of their goods. And knowe you deare brethren, that ye haue in heauen a better and a more induring substance then al the golde & siluer of princes. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward in this day of the re­surrectiō of your bodies. For ye haue neede of patience, that after ye haue done the will of the Lorde, yee may receiue the promise of eternall life. For yet a very litle while, and Iesus Christ the authour of this resurrecti­on that shall come, will come, and will not tary. Thus much for the ende of this resur­rection in respect of the seruantes of Christ, which then, and not before shall fully be re­warded, and made perfitely blessed in euery part, both body and soule, wherein they haue serued their Lorde faythfully, when they were aliue. Nowe let vs see the ende, for the which all the wicked shall rise againe at that day, which also standeth with the iustice of the Lorde, to recompence them after their demerites. As not onely the soules of the wicked haue offended their [Page] GOD by their sinnefull thoughtes and cogitations, but also their bodyes haue bene slaues vnto sinne, and haue giuen their members ouer to serue vnrighteous­nesse: so it standeth with equitie, that not onely their mindes and consciences be tor­mented, but also their bodyes, by the which they here haue wrought all these abomina­tions, should feele the rewarde & stipende of sinne, which is the euerlasting death, euen the seconde death of the soule and body to­gether. This punishment is deferred most commonly in this life, and who in so good estate, as concerning the bodie here, as the wicked and such as contemne the Lorde: In so much that their prosperitie & wealth, haue moued the godly to wonder at the se­cret iudgements of y ^e Lord in this their case. This thing mooued the Prophete Habak­kuk to crye vnto the Lorde for vengeance agaynst the wicked, being troubled with their prosperitie and successe. Wherefore doest thou looke (sayth hee) vpon the transgressours, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then hee, whereof they reioyce and are glad. Habakkuk 1. This complaynt likewise made the prophet [Page] Ieremie in his time, in the 12. of his prophe­cie, saying, O Lord, if I dispute with thee, thou art righteous, yet let mee talke with thee of thy iudgementes: wherefore doeth the way of the vngodly prosper? why are they in wealth, that rebelliously trāsgresse? These were Ieremies words cōcerning the ill men: but he addeth more, Thou hast plan­ted them, and they haue taken roote, they growe and bring foorth fruite: thou art neere in their mouth, and farre from their reynes. Dauid founde by experience the like successe of the wicked in his dayes also, and therefore saith that hee fretted at the foo­lish, when hee sawe the prosperitie of the wicked: For (saith hee) there are no bandes in their death, but they are lusty & strong: they are not in trouble as other men, nei­ther are they plagued with other men. Therefore pride is as a chaine vnto them, and cruelty couereth them as with a gar­ment: their eyes stand out for fatnesse: they haue more then heart can wishe: they are licentious, & speake wickedly of their op­pression: they talke presumptuously: they set their mouth against heauen, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Here you haue a description of their life, and of [Page] their prosperitie, what the one is, & what the other is also, their life is licentious, and yet it goeth well with them for these transi­torie goods: but what doth Dauid confesse of him selfe, which was the childe of God? Daily (saith he) haue I bene punished and chastened euery morning, Psal. 73. Seeing this standeth so with the wicked, shall wee not say, y ^t they shalbe punished elsewhere? Yes no doubt, there is a iudgemēt day kept in store for them, where they shall be puni­shed, although they haue liued in pleasure here: otherwise the Lorde should not bee iust. Looke vpon the 21. chap. of Iob, and you shall see, y ^t long before Dauid, he tooke vp the like complaint, then, when he sawe y ^t wealth & ease in this life of the godlesse, & contemners of religion. We see howe the Iewes, the children of God were stil afflic­ted of their enemies, & kept vnder the rod, when as their persecutors, the Assyrians, y ^• Caldeans, the Persians, the Grecians, the Romanes, with the rest, liued in al wealth, peace and worldly prosperitie. It remay­neth therfore, that they one day should feele the rewarde of sinne in their bodies which haue sinned: the which thing seldome com­meth to effect in this present state of life. [Page] The Lord hath said by Esaie his Prophet in the 65. chap. Behold, my seruants shal eate, and ye shal be hungry: behold, my seruāts shall drinke, and ye shalbe thirsty: behold, my seruants shal reioyce, and ye shalbe a­shamed: behold, my seruants shal sing for ioy of heart, and ye shall crie for sorow of heart, and shal houle for vexatiō of minde. Although this be somewhat accomplished, euen here vnder the kingdome of grace, wherby the godly do reioyce, & the wicked are somewhat quailed: yet shall it especially be seene in the kingdome of glory, when the elect shalbe fully set in sure possession of all ioyes, and the wicked haue full measure of all their deserued punishments. To end thē this matter, the vse of this doctrine is this: seeing the wicked shalbe rewarded seuen fold into their bosome, and shall make and giue an account very strait of all their life wickedly & vngraciously spent vpon y ^e earth: let not vs freat at them before the time, as Dauid counselleth vs, neither let vs enuy their hie & so prosperous estate, for they shall soone be cut down like grasse, & shall wither as y ^e greene herbe. Lo, see their cōtinuance, & to what thing it is likened of the holy Ghost, Psal. 37. The third thing in [Page] this resurrection, is y ^e comfort that thereby doth ensue to y ^e godly, when they thinke & meditate vpō it, which surely is very great. For they y ^t are wel perswaded in minde of y ^e resurrectiō of their bodies, can not but at y ^e last houre of death depart ioyfully & merri­ly out of this life, yea & desire this day, as y ^e faithful and godly do, as Paul did: I desire (saith he) to be losed, & to be w ^t Christ. The hope & great cōfort of y ^e resurrection made him to pray so. But they y ^t are not fully per­suaded of this true article, die very vnwil­lingly, & with griefe & sorow of mind, thin­king they shal lose all pleasure here, & inioy none in the life to come, as the Epicures & belly gods do imagine, whose liues & say­ings are most liuely set forth in the second of Wisdom, which chapter I would great­ly wishe to be read of all men. Againe, the sure beliefe of this doth comfort vs, when we haue here lost our deare friends and ac­quaintance, because one day we shal inioye their company againe. So did Paul com­fort the Thessaloniās, y ^t they should not be fory for them that were dead, as those that haue no hope, that they shal see thē againe: as the heathens did, who lamēted out of al measure for their friēds, as in deede hauing [Page] no hope at al of the resurrectiō, as we see it came to passe in Cicero, who could not be comforted for the death of his daughter Tulliola, whom he loued so well, although his friend Seruius wrote most comfortably vnto him. The cogitation hereof doeth arme vs against all persecutions, to suffer all thinges with a quiet and ioyfull mynde, as the martyrs did endure all kindes of tormentes in their bodies, because they knewe their bodies should bee after a more excellent and glorious sort, restored to thē againe in an other life. Furthermore, this will cause vs to abstaine from all vnlaw­full pleasures of the flesh and of sinne, con­sidering we shall haue pleasures in the re­surrection without ende, and that wee shall reape there ioy without wearines, if wee faint not here. With this resurrection did Iob comfort him selfe in his greatest extre­mities, saying, I knowe that my redeemer liueth, and that I shall see him in my flesh, Iob 19. This was the comfort of Paul in all his persecutions that hee suffered for y ^e Gospel of Christ, that the dead should rise againe, y ^e good to glorie, y ^e wicked to shame and reproche, 1. Cor. 15. Our sauiour ex­horted rich men in this lyfe, to giue almes [Page] to the poore, because they should be recō ­pensed in the resurrection of the iust, Luk. 14. Esay cōforteth y ^e afflicted church in his time with hope of the resurrection, saying, Thy dead shal rise, euē with my body shal they rise, Esaie 26. And what is els the cō ­fort of the godly at this day in such sorow­full times, and dangerous dayes of sinne, but onely the sure hope of this blessed re­surrectiō. This is a comfort to euery god­ly man, when he thinketh vpon it. For this day is called the restoring of all things a­gaine to their former perfection, Act. 3. It would greatly reioyce the lame mā or cree­ple, to heare that all his limmes should bee restored againe perfectly as they were at y ^e first. Likewise, it would make glad y ^e heart of the naked, to heare that he should be clo­thed with most pretious garments of silke and gold. And why then should not we re­ioyce ten thousand times more, to heare that we shall be restored to all integritie of body and soule, and clothed with most per­fite and pure innocency of life for euer and euer? For our comfort, this day is likened to the pleasant time of haruest, wherein the godly shall be gathered into the barne of Christ as pure wheat, and the wicked cast [Page] out into the fire, as the vnprofitable chaffe good for nothing, Matth. 13. So that they which sowe here in teares, shall there reape in ioy. This day is also termed by Christ & Paul, the day of the redemption of our bo­dies from all miseries: for they shall bee no more sicke, weake, deformed, lame, na­ked, hungry, thirsty, and that which is the greatest of all, they shall cease from sinning any more, for they shal be like the glorious body of Iesus Christ, without spot or ble­mish. And is not this a singular comfort? The finest body here, is but a carion in re­spect of the foulest there. In this day, the righteous shall haue dominion ouer the wicked, Psalm. 49. Dauid when he consi­dered of this day so ioyfull, sayde, that his heart did reioyce, because his body should not for euer be left in the graue, Psalm. 16. This day is called of Paul to Titus 2. The blessed hope, of the effect which it hath to make vs there all blessed without ende in ioy vnspeakeable. This resurrection, which leadeth vnto euerlasting life, may well be likened to the last doore, that in the court or palace of kings, leadeth into the princes priuy chamber, or the chamber of presence: (for a mā can haue no accesse thi­ther, [Page] vntill he haue passed through many o­ther doores and houses:) so surely it is in the life to come. We can not come or enter into the kingdome of heauē, euen the priuy chamber of Iesus Christ, and there behold his presence, except we first passe by many doores in this life, which doe leade vs thi­ther: as for example, we must first passe by our election, then by our creation, thirdly, by our redemption, wrought by Christ vp­on the crosse, fourthly, by iustification, fift­ly, by sanctification of life, and last of all, we must come to the resurrection, as the last doore, if we will haue our finall glorifi­cation, which is euerlasting life, to beholde and inioy the sweete and louing counte­nance of the Lorde. Yea Paul goeth fur­ther, and sayth, that by many tribulations, as strayte doores and gates, which wring vs, wee must enter into the kingdome of God. Needes therefore must the resurrec­tion be ioyfull, whē as it leadeth vs directly to such a palace of pleasure, as shall neuer ende, & therefore is called of Peter, the time of refreshing, both of bodye and soule, in the presence of the Lorde, Actes 3. The holy Apostle willed y ^e Thessalonians to cō ­fort them selues with y ^e ioyfull remēbrance [Page] of this day. 1. Thess. 4. For it shalbe vnto vs as a new birth, or natiuitie in al purenes, And if wee so celebrate the dayes of our birth, wherein we were borne into a vale of myserye and troubles, howe ought wee to celebrate and keepe holy this day, wherein we shall be exempted from all curses of this present life! This day is termed our marriage day: if we reioyce here when we are married to a mortall creature, perad­uenture to our greater payne, and trouble thē before, oh dearely beloued, how should we be affected, & what tokens of ioy ought we to shewe foorth, when wee shalbe mar­ryed to the sonne of God Christ Iesus for euer in fayth and trueth, with a band which neuer shalbe broken! as the Lord speaketh in Ose 2. chapter, and Reuelat. 19. In this day shall the gates of heauen be set wide open vnto vs, which were shut vp before, & our bodies shall so much excell the bodyes which we now beare about with vs, as the sunne doeth passe and ouercome the moone in brightnesse and light. O what a ioye is this to haue our estate like vnto the blessed Angels of God, most pure and diuine cre­atures! If this cannot moue vs, I see no­thing y ^t may doe it. I am sure this reward [Page] so moued good Moses, that hee forsooke the kingdome in Egypt, and suffered paine with the people of God, to come to this life in the ende, Hebr. 11. Yea, this hope of life to come, made Abraham to leaue his coū ­trey, and to goe to the land of Canaan as a poore stranger, Gen. 12. This made Paul to go through thicke and thinne in this life, that he might attayne to the resurrection, when he had seene the ioyes and pleasures, that were shewed vnto him in Paradise, when hee was taken vp thither, 2. Cor. 12. Of this ioy, our Sauiour gaue his disciples a tast in the Mount, when hee was trans­figured before them: but it was nothing in respect of this. Nowe as these thinges are most comfortable to y ^e godly, to heare y ^t their bodyes shall be raysed vp to such glory: So is this day most fearefull to the vngod­ly, which haue here liued a dissolute life: For they shall say at that day to the hilles, Fall vpon vs, and to y ^e mountaynes, Couer vs. but this shall not preuayle, for they shalbe raised vp, but to their shame and confusion for euer, as Daniel saith, Cha. 12. They shal come forth (as our sauiour sayth,) but to the resurrection of condemnation, and so to be punished from the presence of y ^e Lord [Page] Iesus, with the worme of cōscience, which shal neuer leaue to bite thē, & with y ^e fire which shal not be quenched: So they shal perish worthily through their owne corrup­tion, and receiue the wages of vnrighteous­nesse, as they which count it pleasure, dayly to liue dilitiously. These men would wil­lingly wishe that this day might neuer be: but it shal come vpon them, and that sud­denly, and they shalbe taken and snared, & not escape this iudgement. For they must yeeld an accoūt of al their vngodly works, wherby they haue both displeased the Lord, and euil intreated his sayntes here vpon earth. Thus you haue heard (dearely belo­ued brethren) the treatise of the resurrecti­on by the scriptures discoursed. First how that there is a generall rising of all fleshe. Secondly, the endes wherefore it is orday­ned: and then the cōfortable doctrine, that the godly by this may lay hold on, in all miseries of this life. Nowe it remayneth for a finall conclusion, that while we liue here, we indeuour to haue our part in the first resurrection with Christ, that we may by this come to the second, and be blessed with him. Let vs therefore giue thankes to our Lord Iesus Christ, who is the resur­rection [Page] and the life, in that he hath vouchsa­fed to giue vnto vs an assurance of it, in his owne person, in that he rose againe from y ^e dead. And let vs likewise pray vnto him, y ^t we may so liue, as we may be children of this happy resurrection to life, hauing an effectual fayth, with charitie which wor­keth by loue in vs, that al our actions what­soeuer, may be seasoned & powdered with it, preparing our selues against this day, with mortifying of our flesh: & seeing wee shal meete so victorious & glorious a Lord, comming in the cloudes, let vs purge our selues from all filthinesse of the fleshe and spirit, for no vncleane thing shall enter in with him. God for his sonnes sake, giue vs the grace to doe these things: to the which blessed and immortall God with the sonne, and the holy Ghost, be rendred all prayse, glory and thankesgiuing, for euermore. Amen.

The twelfth Lecture vp­on the twelfth article of our Christian fayth, which is, The life euerlasting.

THis is the last article of our Christiā faith, & y ^e last & grea­test benefite y ^t God doth be­stow vpō his church, which is y ^• third benefit of thē that followe y ^e church: for after remission of sinnes, and the resur­rection of our bodyes, followeth this free gifte of life, which is the ende of all our fayth, as S. Peter calleth it, 1. Pet 1. The re­surrection going before, giueth a passage vnto this endlesse life: for except that re­surrection come, we cannot fully haue this benefit. As remission of sinnes by Christ is the greatest gifte, that God doeth bestowe vpon his children in this life: so in y ^e world to come, this euerlasting life doeth so far surmount all the rest, as y ^e earth in cōpasse doth passe y ^e bignesse of a tennys bal. This article shal then haue his effect whē Christ shal come to iudgment, & not before. For of al the articles of our faith, these three on­ly remain to be accōplished, y ^e general iudg­mēt, y ^e resurrectiō, and this life euerlasting, [Page] which shal al be fulfilled together. The mea­nīg of this article is this: I y ^t am a true chri­stiā, do stedfastly beleeue, y ^t as I haue alrea­dy a sure pledge of this life in me, which is y ^e holy ghost working in my heart full hope of it, by y ^e seede of Gods word: so I shal in y ^e world to come haue this blessed life most abundantly powred vpō me, in ful measure of al happines both in body & also in soule, which shal neuer haue any terme of yeeres, but shal cōtinue for euer, as y ^e Lord himself doth, without ending, in which state I shal prayse the Lord my God, not in part as I did here, and w ^t the dregges of sinne, but w ^t ­out all sinne, neuer ceasing to praise him, & yet without al wearines, Re. 21. As cōcer­ning y ^e excellency of this eternal life, if all y ^e tongues of men & of angels, were ioyned & vnited together all in one, with all their knowledge & eloquēce to expresse it, if they should be about it a thousād thousād yeres: yet notwithstanding, they al shal not be a­ble to expresse & vtter y ^e least part of it, no not y ^e ioy and pleasure of one quarter of an houre: so great, so inspeakable, so incom­prehensible are y ^e thinges y ^t the Lord Iesus hath layd vp for al them that loue & serue him. For although wee heare this life to be [Page] replenished w ^t ioy, happines & pleasure, yet these thinges are farre remoued frō y ^e ca­pacitie of our senses, vntill the day come, wherein we shall see him, as he is, & he re­ueile his glory vnto vs, euen face to face, y ^• we may see him perfectly. Wherefore the prophets and Apostles, seeing this blessed kingdome wherin wee shall be placed, to be in it selfe inestimable, & not to be declared, as it is in deede, to giue them a taste of it, whome they would sturre vp to be in loue with it, they all haue described it by earth­ly pleasures & cōmodities, which heere we make great account of. So our Sauiour vsed to expresse it by an earthly table of kinges & princes, furnished w ^t all maner of deynties & delicates, to please both y ^e eye & y ^e taste of mā, saying to his disciples, Ye are they which haue cōtinued with me in my tentations: therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdōe, as my father hath appointed vn­to me, that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome, & sit on seates, and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel, Luke. 22 Here Christ expressed spirituall thinges by corporal and earthly blessings. But this we must thinke: If the Lord God do conteine in himselfe y ^e fulnesse of all felicitie & good things, then we, hauing y ^e fruitiō of y ^e Lord, [Page] shal desire nothing besides him. And this is y ^t most great & precious promise, y ^t Peter speaketh of, which is giuē to vs, That wee should be partakers of the diuine nature, 2. Pet. 1. For y ^e Lord shalbe gloryfied in all his Saintes, & shalbe made marueilous in thē y ^t beleeu. If thē y ^e Lord God shall cō ­municate & impart w ^t his elect, his glory, his iustice, his vertue, his goodnes, yea after a sort shal giue himselfe vnto thē, wee may be sure y ^t we shal haue ioyes infinite, & with­out ende, such in deede, as y ^• eye hath not sene, nor y ^e eare heard, nor y ^e tōgue cā speak, nor y ^e heart & mind of man cā possibly con­ceaue & imagine, which passe al vnderstan­ding: so y ^t they ought to make vs wōderful­ly amased & astonied, whē we cōsider of thē, they do so far exceede our capacitie, & reach of wit. The excellencie of this life may be seene in these 2. things: first in y ^e happines of our soule: then in y ^e welfare of our body. As touching y ^e soule, it shalbe most happy, for it shal cease to sin, & shalbe wholy ioyned to y ^e Lord in faith & truth, & neuer displease him any more. What a great ioy is this! A­gaine, y ^e things y ^t thē shal beautify our soule, shalbe most perfit: our knowledge, our wise­dome, our vnderstanding, which here is all darkned, shal there be inlightned w ^t y ^e glory [Page] and light of the Lorde: all vertues and or­naments of the minde shal abound in vs e­uen to the full, and euery thing that is vn­perfite, shalbe then done away, no griefe of the minde, no sorow of heart, no torment of conscience any more, but peace, ioy and tranquillity euer to endure. This is the I­mage wherein wee were first created, and shall then be renewed to a more perfite e­state of life, then it was in before the fall of Adam. Our soule there shall not be e­nemy to the body, neither shall the spirit rebel agaynst the fleshe, but it shall loue the Lord with all his might. And if the ioy of the minde and soule be so great here many times in the childrē of God, that they seeme to be in heauē, what shal it be there (thinke yee) when it shalbe in full possession of all his delights and spirituall pleasures, euer singing and making sweete melody to the Lorde, and yet without any wearynesse at al? For olde things are al passed away, and behold, all things shal become new againe, and the thinges that are there, shalbe eter­nall. For Christ shall giue vnto all his e­ternall life, Iohn 17. This is the happi­nes of the soule. Now let vs see the blessed estate also of the body, and that shall the [Page] better appeare, if we compare it with the state that it is in here. Our bodies are nowe deformed, there they shall be most faire and beautifull, yea that which is more, they shal be like the glorious and immortall bodie of Iesus Christ himselfe. Here the body is ma­ny times maymed and vnperfit, there it shal be perfite and in his integritie: here it is in sickenesse, in pouertie, in nakednesse, in woundes, in stripes, in botches, in sores, and in all incurable diseases: there shall it bee whole and all sounde, rich and glorious, clo­thed with innocency, and neuer able to feele any infirmitie any more. For heere it is sowen in dishonour, in weakenesse, in cor­ruption: and there it riseth in honour, in power, in incorruption and immortalitie. Here be many things that make it to offend agaynst God: there is nothing that shall cause it to sinne: it shall not, as it did here, lust against the spirit, but be at peace and v­nitie with it: the sight of it most quicke in seeing, and very perfite it shall be in all the senses, in hearing, in smelling, in tasting, in handling. It shall haue all melody and mu­sike to delite the eare, euen angels singing continually: it shall haue all sightes and shewes to delite and please the eye, euen the [Page] perpetuall presence of the blessed Trinitie. All odoriferous smels, as it were of musks, perfumes, flowers, the sweete incense of praise and thankesgiuing, to smell delec­tably in the nostrels of the Lorde, and ours, shall not there be wanting. O what a ioye is this to the bodie, to haue all thinges at commaundement, that may well please and delight it! The pleasures of Kinges and Queenes are nothing to those things wher­of we speake, yea the pleasures shalbe so ex­ceeding great, that if all y ^e ioyes & pastimes of this life were compared vnto them, they should be founde to be but pangues and tor­ments. Yea the cōtinuance of all our delites here for an hundred yeres, is not like to the blessednes of one minute of an houre there, nor worthy to be likened vnto it. For vere­ly to speake with Dauid, I had rather be there but for one daye, then here a thou­sand yeeres, in all the triumphes that Em­perours and Kings can make with all their power. This is then the happines of the bo­die: Now howe great shall the blessednesse be, when both the body and soule shalbe con­ioyned together, and raigne for euermore▪ Surely as great as y ^e glory of the Lorde is, & his excellent Maiestie, which is infinite: [Page] so great shall this glory of the Saintes be. The loue of this life, which is euerlasting, should make (me thinks) kings & princes to do their dueties to the Lord, to raigne ouer, & gouerne their subiects in iustice & equity, and not to liue in pleasures. The respect of these ioyes shoulde make Counsellers to speake the trueth boldely, & syncerely with­out flattering and dissimulation to princes, considering what a rewarde is layde vp for them in heauen. This shoulde make all Bi­shops and ministers of the worde, to do their duetie in reprehending sinne stoutly, and in contemning this vayne worlde, in teaching the flock without lucre & gayne, seeing that when the great shepherd Iesus Christ shal appeare, they shal receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory, 1. Pet. 5. Finally, the cōsi­deration of this life, which is for euer, might make euery estate and degree in their cal­lings, either hie or lowe, to doe most cheere­fully their seuerall dueties to all men, that in the ende their parte may bee in the hea­uenly inheritaunce, which fadeth not a­way. O that our mindes were erected vp to these thinges, they woulde not so light­ly bee carryed away to sinne and wicked­nesse, fearing least we shoulde leese these [Page] euerlasting ioyes. This is the rewarde that Christ hath promised to them, that followe him here, in the regeneration, that haue for his names sake forsaken houses, bre­thren, sisters, father, mother, wyfe, children and landes, they shall inherite all things, euen euerlasting life, Matth. 19. This life shalbe most happie and ioyfull, eyther in re­spect of the persons, with whome we shall be, or else in respect of the place, which is heauen, the seate of God, or in the conside­ration of the time, which is for euer. Al­though wee be here many times in a good place, yet if our company be not good & ho­nest, this can be no delite to a godly man. Nowe in heauen we shall haue the glorious fruition of the Father, the Sonne, & the ho­ly Ghost, the societie of all the angels, most excellent creatures, the company of the Pa­triarkes, the Prophets, the Apostles, the no­ble hoste of Martyrs, briefly the fellowship of all the elect & Saintes of God, that euer haue bin. This can not be but an vnspeaka­ble delite to vs all, when we consider of it. Secōdly, we shalbe blessed in respect of the place, for otherwise, if the cōpany be good, & yet the place not correspondent vnto it in al things, as not being large ynough, or sweet, [Page] or glorious, there cā be no great delite there: but this place is most answereable to the cō ­pany, wide & large, faire, sweete & glorious, euen the heauen of heauens, the seate of the Almighty, a place of ioy, a place of cōfort, a place of all spirituall delectation. S. Iohn seeing it in the spirit, hath described it as far forth as flesh & blood can conceaue of it, vn­der earthly things. I sawe (saith he) a newe heauen & a new earth, & I saw the holy ci­tie new Ierusalem, come down from God out of heauē, prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband. Iohn compareth the place wherein we shalbe, to a citie most glorious & excellēt, whose shining was like to a stone most precious, as a Iasper stone, cleare as Chrystal, whose wal was great & hie, which had twelue gates, & at the gates twelue an­gels. The wal of the citie had twelue foūda­tions, which were garnished with all maner of precious stones, as Iaspers, Saphires, Emeraudes, & such like, the building of the wall is of Iasper, & the citie was al of pure golde, like vnto cleare glasse. The twelue gates were twelue pearles, and the streete of the citie is pure golde, as shining glasse. This Citie hath no neede of the sunne, nei­ther of the moone to shine in it, for the glory [Page] of God did light it, & the Lambe is the light of it. The gates of it shall not bee shutte by day, for there shalbe no night there, there shall be no death, no sorowe, no crying, no payne, for the first things are passed. There shalbe a pure riuer of water of life, cleare as Christall, and the tree of life bearing twelue maner of fruites. And there shall be no more curse, but Gods seruantes shall raygne there for euermore. This is the place, which Iohn hath shadowed out vn­to vs, as well as he could vnder these ter­restriall benefites of golde, and siluer, and precious stones, whereas in deede it can not be described as it is in it selfe, because no man hath seene it, and we beyng grosse and carnall, must haue it by carnall and vi­sible thinges set foorth vnto vs. Thirdly, the excellencie of this life is seene in the continuance of it, in that, that it neuer de­cayeth or waxeth olde. If here belowe we had all pleasures & delites both for the soule and body, yea although the place we were in, were most excellent & glorious, and the company in al respects according to our de­sire, good, pleasant and honest: yet if these thinges were but for a dayes, or an houres continuance, what great contentation of [Page] minde, or recreation for the body might be here, seeing wee must depart very shortly from these pleasures? and then it had him as good, if they had not bene at al. For all these thinges are like vnto pleasant musike, in a sette of viols, which when they cease once, (and cease needes must euery thing in this life, be it neuer so pleasant) then it is al one, as if wee had neuer heard this musike, so sweete and delectable to our eares, there is no print or token of it left behinde, but al va­nisheth away with y ^e very staying of it: Euē as after the flying of a birde in the ayre, or the passing of a ship in the sea, there is no trace found after them, Wis. 5. But dearely beloued, beleue me, this life shal haue yeres without ende in vnspeakeable ioy, in this so excellent a place, we shal heare musike con­tinually, and yet it shal neuer cease, nor we be wearie to heare it. And when we haue bene there in these delightes so long, and so many thousande yeeres, as there be eyther sandes in the sea, or grasses vpon the whole face of the earth, or starres in the skye, which all are inmunerable to vs: yet then we shal not come out, or leaue these ioyes, but still it is with vs, as if it were to begin. O the vnspeakable mercy of y ^e Lord Iesus, [Page] that he hath reserued for those that feare and loue him here! What man therefore is so foolish, so madde, so beastlike in his conuer­sation, that will not at all be mooued with these pleasures and ioyes! For these things, as the Angel sayd to Iohn, are faithfull and true, and therefore to be beleeued, and they that beleeue them not, their parte is in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is prepared for the vnbeleeuers, Re­uela. 21. For from this roote of vnbeleefe, proceede all the branches of all other sinnes & wickednes whatsoeuer, as lying, stealing, couetousnes, adulterie, and such like. This life and the dignitie of it, the Prophet Da­uid in two wordes hath very well expressed in his 16. Psalme, the latter ende, Thou wilt (sayeth he) shewe me the path of life: in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioye, and at thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore. Here, in fulnesse of ioye and pleasures for euermore, is all happinesse contayned. For these ioyes are the greatest that may be, and their endurance is for euer. Considering these things, ought we not to say with Paul? I count that the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the glory that shalbe shewed vnto vs, Rom. 8. [Page] Why, alas then (dearely beloued) what a great matter were it, if we shoulde endure here afflictiōs al the dayes of our life, which can not be aboue an hundred yeeres at the most, so we might come in the ende to this eternall ioye and glory? Paul considered this well, and did so doe. We faynt not, (sayth he) but though our outwarde man perish, yet the inwarde man is renewed dayly. Marke well the wordes that fol­lowe, and laye them vp in your mindes, and you shall, by the grace of God, profite thereby. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent, and an eternall weyght of glory, whyle we looke not on the thinges which are seene, but on the thinges which are not seene. For the thinges which are seene, are temporall, but the things which are not seene, are eternall, 2. Corinth. 4. Shall we then for an houres pleasure here below, leese the euerlasting weyght of glo­rie aboue? God forbid we shoulde be so foo­lish, and so besotted with this present lyfe. Let this saying rather of our Sauiour Christ sounde continually in your eares: What shall it profite a man if he winne the whole worlde, and leese his owne soule? [Page] And yet wee see, howe many men do hazarde and venture their soule, not for the whole worlde, but for a piece of lande, a litle golde or siluer, or a litle credite or vayne estima­tion in this worlde. If the whole earth then will not bee able to make a recompence or an exchange to redeeme our soules, beyng once lost from the fauour of God, howe much lesse then shall these beggerly things, wherefore we striue so earnestly, be able to doe it? Nowe although this life be yet as it were hid from vs, yet it is most certaine: both because we haue a gage of it, which is the Spirite it selfe of Christ, and also, inas­much as it is hid in Christ, which will keepe it well, and is able to giue it to vs in due time. In the meane season, vntill it be reuealed from heauen, we neede faith to beleeue it assuredly, and hope to wayte for it with patience, which hope neuer maketh a man ashamed, but alwayes comforteth him euen in the middest of troubles of this life, be they neuer so great. For we do well knowe, that when hee doeth appeare, wee shall be like vnto him, and no man neede to doubt, but that there is such a life, although it doeth not yet seeme so to vs: for there is a Sunne, when it is compassed in with [Page] cloudes, and fire is within the ashes, when it appeareth not to our sight: so there is a life for the godly, although deferred, which Christ hath promised and spoken of, Matth. 25. that it shalbe giuen to his seruāts. This life euerlasting, being so deare a thing and precious, the deuill goeth about by all meanes, to defeate vs of it, and to plucke it out of our hand. Therfore we must lay hold on it, as Paul willed Timothie, and fight the good fight of faith against him. This is our crowne which we must holde fast, y ^t no man bereaue vs of it. For if we misse of life in the end we misse of all, and if we haue this, wee haue and possesse all thinges, for all blessednesse whatsoeuer is comprehen­ded vnder the name of euerlasting lyfe. But the best comfort for vs is this, that this life is in the custodie of Iesus Christ, and wee beyng his sheepe, no man is able to plucke vs out of his handes: onely this re­mayneth for vs to looke vnto, that we abide and continue in his fold. Eternal life being the euerlasting inheritance of the kingdom of heauē, the greatest treasure that the Lord hath to bestow vpon his seruantes, no man must thinke, that it commeth to him for [Page] his good works sake, or that he doth deserue it at Gods hand: this were to preiudice and ouerthrowe the bountifull goodnesse of the Lord. This benefite is the free gift of God, for although wee deserue hell and death by our sinne and wickednes, yet we merit not heauen by our good deedes, but as Paul sayeth, Euerlasting life is the free gift of God, Rom. 6. And Christ telleth vs, that this kingdome was prepared for vs long agoe, euen before the worlde was made, or we borne, so that we coulde not step one foote vnto it of our selues, when we were not, Matth. 25. It is false then that the ad­uersaries of Christ, the Papistes, haue taught, that wee may deserue this life by our good deedes and workes, when as our good deedes are not pure in the sight of the Lorde. In deede, if our good workes were eyther perfect, or as many as God com­maundeth, or if they were our owne, and not Gods giftes in vs, or if last of all wee were not bounde of duetie and by right to doe them, then might wee with our owne good works deserue heauen: but our deedes are vnperfite, they are not our owne, of duetie must we doe them, therefore they de­serue nothing, as of duetie from the Lorde. [Page] I graunt that euerlasting life is called by our Sauiour a rewarde, but a rewarde is not of desert or merit, but of curtesie. A No­ble man may rewarde his tenant for a thing not woorth a shilling, by such a gifte as is worth twentie shillinges: shall he therefore saye, that is the poore man, that, because he hath this rewarde, he hath deserued it? If he so do, he doth very vnthankfully. When the seruant hath done his duetie, can he clayme any thing of his master by merite? I trowe no, sayeth our Sauiour Christ, Luke 17. Neyther doeth the master thanke him: So we, if we had done all things commaunded vnto vs, (as we are farre from performing the least of them) yet we are vnprofitable seruants: and what doth an vnprofitable ser­uant deserue at the Lordes handes? Surely not the kingdome of heauen: if he deserue a­ny thing, it is stripes. Let vs not therefore thinke, that we can deserue ought at Gods handes, or gratifie and pleasure him, so that he shoulde be beholding to vs, & of duetie to do any thing for vs. This is a very deuilish opinion. Christ hath deserued at Gods hāds all thinges necessarie for vs: therefore if we be in Christ, we shall haue all thinges wee can desire. The lande of Canaan, [Page] which was but a type & figure of heauē, the Iewes coulde not get by their owne righte­ousnes, but only by y ^e free promes of God, in mercy made vnto them. It seemeth they had some opinion of their own deseruings, as y ^e Papistes haue now, & therefore Moses gaue thē oftētimes in charge, to attribute al to the fauour of y ^e Lord, & not to their good works, as appeareth in y ^e 7. 8. & 9. of Deut. but especially in y ^e 9. chap. wheras he saith, Heare, O Israel, thou shalt passe ouer Ior­den this day, to go in and possesse nations greater & mightier then thy selfe, & cities great and walled vp to heauen. A people great & tall, euen the children of the Ana­kims, whō thou knowest, & of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stande before the children of Anak? vnderstād therfore, that this day the Lord thy God is he, which go­eth ouer before thee, as a cōsuming fire, he shall destroy them, & he shall bring them downe before thy face: so thou shalt cast them out, & destroy them suddenly, as the Lord hath said vnto thee. Speake not thou in thy heart, after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them out before thee, saying, For my righteousnes the Lorde hath brought me in to possesse this land: but for the wic­kednes [Page] of these nations the Lord hath cast thē out before thee. For thou entrest not in to inherit their land, for thy righteousnes, or for thy vpright heart, but for the wic­kednes of these nations the Lord thy God doeth cast them out before thee, & that he might performe the word which the Lord thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, & Iacob. Vnderstād therfore that y ^e Lorde thy God giueth thee not this good land to possesse it, for thy righteousnes, for thou art a stifnecked people. Thus you see how in many words y ^e Lord throweth down all their worthinesse, and extolleth his onely goodnes towards thē. Now if they were not able to get & purchase this tēporal land of y ^e earth: how shal we gel heauē? & if a man cā not builde an house and finish it, except the Lord builde it, Psal. 127. How can any man buylde an house for himselfe in heauen? The Israelites were taught to saye, that their abundāce in meate & drinke, & other blessings of this life, came frō the Lorde, & not frō their owne power or strēgth, Deut. 8. vers. 17. And shall we be so iniurious to God, so vnthākful to Christ, so presūptuous against y ^e holy ghost, as to say, we haue gottē to our selues euerlasting life? God forbid [Page] that this foolishnesse shoulde enter into the heart of any man. Seeing then al these smal things come not for our owne deserts vnto vs, but for his Christes sake, much more must we ascribe to his goodnesse this great benefite of life euerlasting. As concerning this life to come, to aske, as many do fondly and curiously, rather then godlily, whether wee shall knowe one another, or whether we shal all be alike in degree: I thinke these questions to be such as S. Paul willeth vs to eschew & put away farre frō vs. This is certaine, our knowledge there shall be most perfite and absolute: for then shall I knowe as I am knowen, and no ignorance of any thing that is necessarie, shall be in vs, and e­uery man shall bee contented, and haue his full ioye in all measure of his quantitie, so that the least pynte potte shall be as full for his measure, as the greatest tunne is with his quantitie. All men there shall haue fulnesse of ioye, Psalme 16. The Lord sende vs thyther, and we will be con­tent with the lowest roune, as Dauid pro­fessed of himselfe. The best question for al to aske, especially of the simple and vnlearned, is, to know throughly the way that bringeth vs thither, which is onely Iesus Christ, [Page] the way, the trueth, and the life, Iohn 14. And so dyd our Sauiour answere: for be­ing curiously demaunded of one, howe many shoulde be saued: he tolde him the meanes howe he shoulde be saued. And so must wee doe also, and not feede the fan­cies of men, or delite their vaine humors. I am sure there bee many men that will aske what we shall doe in heauen, and what we shall eate and drinke, or whether we shal be clothed there: which can not tell howe to come thither, if they were demaunded the question. And what a madnesse is this, to striue for the shadowe, and to let the body goe? to enquire to knowe things which we are not commaunded to search after, and to let goe those things which we are bound to knowe? And this vice is most common to them whom we terme fine witted felowes, which contemne common and necessarie questions, to seeke out deepe and profound questions, nothing at all tending to godli­nesse, but rather to the subuersion and ouer­throwe of all religion and honestie. These men the holy Ghost doeth wil vs to auoide, and seeing they are fooles, to answere them with silence to their foolish questiōs. These things breede strife and controuersie about [Page] words, and they are like to that serpent Hidra, which of one idle head, bring foorth a great manie to destruction. Here is no men­tion made of hel or of death, because all that is in this confession of fayth, is set downe for the onely comfort of the godly, and not for their terrour. Notwithstanding as there is a life, and a great rewarde for the godly after this race is ended: So is there a hell, and seconde, death prepared of olde for the wicked and reprobate. For our Saui­our Christ speaking of this life, speaketh also ioyntly of the euerlasting destruction in fire, which is for the deuill and all his an­gels, and those that in this life haue serued him here with their bodies and soules, and all their members. These (sayeth Christ) shall goe into euerlasting payne, Matt. 25. Where Origen and all those that thought this payne should not be for euer, are most playnely confuted: for Christ affirmeth it to haue no ende. To this saying of Christ agreeth that in Esay the 30. Chapter, verse 33. Tophet is prepared of olde, it is euen prepared for the King, hee hath made it deepe and large: the burning thereof is fire and much wood: the breath of the Lorde like a riuer of brimstone, doeth [Page] kindle it. Here is a full description of hell: For by Tophet he meaneth hell. He decla­reth moreouer when it was made, euen of olde, for whom also, for the King, he mea­neth the King of Babylon, enemie to the Church, signifying that God respecteth no mans person, but that hell is as well pre­pared for Kings and Queenes, for Lords and Ladies, and for great men, as well as the poore, that doe not beleeue. Yea, the greatest part of men goeth this way, in eue­ry estate and degree: so that we had neede to looke about vs, to enter in at the straight gate, for fewe there be that finde it, but many that passe by the broade way. Matt. 7. For this Tophet is deepe & large to con­teyne and to receyue many, yea moe noble men shall go thither then to heauen. The Prophete describeth the payne of it, by fire burning with much wood: the continuance is for euer, because the breath of the Lorde which endureth for euer, doeth kindle the fire, as a riuer of brimstone. The ioyes then of heauen are not so inspeakable, but that the torments and pangs of hell are as into­lerable. Wherefore the wicked, although they be not moued with the pleasures at the right hand of God, to come vnto him by re­pentance: [Page] yet in my iudgement the excee­ding great tormentes of endlesse hell fire shoulde moue them to amende. For surely (dearely beloued) if all the paynes that may be deuised in this life, all the sicknesses that euer haue bene, all the torments of ty­rants, all the griefes of minde that may be, were all of them layde together, and com­pared to this hell fire, these paynes howe great soeuer they seeme to be here, are but fleabytings, yea rather pleasures, in respect of this hellish fire, it is so great. And this fire although it be so great, yet shall it burne for euer and euer, not onely the body, but also the soule, the minde, the conscience, and all the inner parts of the damned sort. And when they haue beene there as many hun­dred thousande yeeres, as there are peeble stones in the sea shore, yet shal they not then come out, but continue still, as if they were to beginne anewe. For Christs wordes are true, this fire is euerlasting, and can neuer be quenched, Matthewe 3. & 25. It were well with Iudas, if he myght come out of this wofull hell and paynes, when he hath suffered them so many hundred thousande millions of yeeres, as there are starres in the firmament: but this can not be granted [Page] vnto him. If men therefore woulde consi­der of these two extremities, wherein is no meane: of the ioyes of paradise which are endlesse, and of the torments of hell and the wrath of God, which also hath no ende: then surely woulde they liue in feare and godli­nesse in this present worlde. For as heauen is full of ioy and mirth: so hell is full of do­lor and sorowe: and as in heauen is continu­all reioycing and peace of minde: so is there in hell a perpetuall weeping, with gnashing of teeth for woe and payne. As the glorie of the Lorde shall inlyghten the elect with his gratious countenance: so shall the great maiestie & wrath of the Lorde, presse downe the vngodly for euer. Finally, as in heauen the saintes shall haue all things to do them good that they can desire: so in hell the damned spirits shal haue nothing to refresh them, not so much as a droppe of colde wa­ter, (which is but a small thing) to coole their tongue withall. And as I sayde before of heauen and heauenly ioyes, so may I speake of this seconde death: that if all the men in the whole worlde woulde go about to expresse these tormentes, with all their eloquence and learning, yet shall they bee neuer able to doe it: they are so vnspeake­able [Page] and not to be vttered of any man. And these are the righteous iudgementes of the Lord, that he to y ^e wicked might be knowen to be a iust and a terrible God, to rewarde impenitent sinners after their woorkes, as they haue deserued. For this ende, sayeth the Lorde to Pharao, I haue stirred thee vp, that I myght shewe my great power and myght vpon thee, in punishing thee accordingly. Let the wicked therefore take heede, for there will come a day that will pay for all: and then what aduantage will it be, to haue gotten an houres plea­sure, with the purchase of euerlasting woes? But these things, and these euils, by the benefite of Iesus Christ are farre from vs, and shall not come neere the dwelling of the righteous. Wherefore wee ought with Paul to giue thankes alway to God, because that from the beginning he hath chosen vs to saluation, through sanctifica­tion of the spirite, and beleefe of the trueth: neyther hath he appoynted vs to wrath as he hath the wicked, but to obtaine this euerla­sting life, whereof we speake, by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ, which died for vs, that whether we sleepe or wake, we shoulde liue together with him. In the meane sea­son [Page] it is our part to stande fast, and not to bee remoued from this faith, but to laye hande of this eternall life, whereunto wee through the benefit of the Gospel preached, are called freely of GOD, with an holy calling, not according to our workes, but of his goodnesse. Wee must also fight this good fight of faith, and striue lawfully: if we hope to bee crowned, and to continue to the ende, wee must endeuour that wee may bee saued: for they that shrinke backe, leese this excellent reward, for the which we are commaunded to sell all that we haue, and to bye it, Matth. 13. We haue nowe heard the meaning of all the twelue articles of our Christian fayth, which are necessarie to saluation: First, wee haue seene the article that concerneth our trust in God the Father, & what things we learne by it: Se­condly, we haue declared the articles which conteine y ^e mysteries of Christ Iesus with our redemption & glorification, and other benefits apperteining thereunto. Thirdly, the beleefe in the holy Ghost, the third per­son in Trinitie, hath bene opened vnto vs, and what comfort may thereof arise to the faithfull: Fourthly and lastly, the articles [Page] concerning the Church and the benefites thereto belonging, haue beene expounded as God hath giuen vs grace. These things are written, that we might beleeue that Ie­sus Christ is the Sonne of God, and Sa­uiour of the world, and that in beleeuing we myght haue life through this name: See­ing then wee haue hearde these thinges, let vs, as the holy and blessed Apostle of Christ, Saint Peter, willeth vs, be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the fayth and hope that is in vs, with meekenesse and reue­rence. And nowe let vs giue thankes as wee are continually bounde, to our heauen­ly Father, in that it hath pleased him to make vs Christians to beleeue these arti­cles of our fayth, to our great and endlesse comfort. And let vs pray vnto him withall in the name of his welbeloued Sonne, that he would giue vs grace to growe more and more euery day in this fayth, that wee may not onely liue in it, but also in the ende of our dayes, die in it most constantly, that so wee may bee blessed: And that it woulde please him to giue this grace, not only to vs, but to all people & nations of the earth, especially to his vniuersall Church, [Page] wheresoeuer it be dispersed abroade in all quarters of the earth. And in this Church let vs pray for the state of all Kinges and Princes, that wee may liue a godly and quiet life, with all peace and honestie: espe­cially, let vs commende to his fauour the Church of Englande, desiring him to blesse it as hee hath done these many yeeres, and to continue his holy Gospel amongst vs, al­though wee for our vnthankfulnesse haue deserued to haue it taken away from vs long agoe. Desyre wee of him, in mercy still to beholde his seruant and handmaide, our Queene and soueraigne, that shee may bee still zealous to set forwarde the Gospell of Christ, and to roote vp all superstition and idolatrie within her realme, that shee may bee wise to foresee and preuent all mis­chiefes and dangers, that are likely to hang ouer our heades, that so shee may haue a long & a blessed reigne ouer vs to his glory, the profite and commoditie of all her louing subiectes. Let vs likewise desire of God, to blesse all her most honourable Counsell with true godlinesse and wisedome from aboue, that they may boldly, and stoutly minister to her maiestie the best aduice, for [Page] the better ouerseeing and gouernment of this Christian common wealth wherein they liue, that all their counselles and poli­cies, may especially bee directed to the ho­nour of God. Pray we him, to blesse the state of the ministerie of this lande, the By­shops, and Pastours of his worde, that not onely in worde, but also in good and godly conuersation of life, they may beautifie the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ: be­seech we him to roote out from his ministe­rie al rauening wolues, papistes, Atheistes, blinde and vnlearned ministers, and dumme dogges, which seeke onely to fill their bel­lies, and not to edifie the congregation: that if it be his will, he would giue to eue­ry Church her faithfull and wise dispenser of the mysteries of Christ. And because the schooles of good learning, are as Nurses and well springes thereunto: let vs desire Christ, to giue his spirite amongst them al­so in the vniuersities, that good learning and godlines may growe, and increase day­ly more and more. Lastly, for the whole bo­dy of this common weale, let vs pray, that God would keepe them al in his feare, from the hiest to the lowest, and giue them dueti­ful [Page] and obedient heartes towarde their prince and magistrates, which are by his au­thoritie set ouer them, for their welfare and happinesse. These thinges and all other graces, he onely graunt vnto vs, which one­ly is able and wise, and hath immortalitie, which dwelleth in the light that no man can see, to whom with his sonne Christ Ie­sus, and the holy Ghost his infinite power, bee rendred all prayse, honour and glory, for euer and euer. Amen.

The Lorde be praysed.