Question 19

Whereby knowest thou that?

By the Gospell: which God first reueiled in Paradise, and afterwarde, did^a publish by the Patriarks and Prophets^b , shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies: and last of al,^c accomplished by his onely begotten sonne.^d

The vse

The vses of this doctrine of the Gospel are four: for first, hereby appeareth the antiquitie of the doctrine of Christ our only redeemer, so that to doubt of the truth, therof were to robbe God, for that it hath witnes from God himselfe, from the Fathers and the Prophets, led by the holy Ghost. whereunto also, the sacrifices and ceremonies did lead men, and whereof the Son of God himselfe, comming in the flesh bare witnes. Wherefore it behoueth vs, carefullie to vphold in the Church, and faithfully to expounde and retaine this doctrine, both for the worthines of it, as comming from God, and for the antiquity, and also for the necessitie and profit thereof. Another vse is, to know, that after Christ is once com, the shadows of the sacrifices haue an end, and that now after the Sunne is risen, there is no more place for the ceremonies of the Lawe, and that concerning the vse of them, they are fulfilled & abollished in the death of Christ. The third vse is, to learne, by despising the World & the transitorie delightes thereof, to desire with the whole affection of the heart, that soueraigne good that is offered vnto vs in the Gospel. and when it is offered, to lay hold on it. The fourth vse is, in al affliction, and euen in life and death, to comfort our selues by these glad tydings of saluation purchased by Christ, which far exceedeth all the ioyes of the wicked