Clauses 1–12

That the kingdome of Christ is offered vnto vs in the Articles of our faith; and that the faithfull are partakers of it, whilest they liue here

It is certaine, that there are two spirituall kingdomes, euen in this worlde: to wit, the kingdome of darkenes, and the kingdome of light: & it must needes be, that euery man be of one of these, whilest he liueth here. For so Christ the king himselfe speaketh to his elect vessell: Acts. 26. For this cause haue I appeared vnto thee, that I might appoynt thee a minister and witnes of those things which thou hast seene: And a little afterwards; That thou mightest open their eyes, that they might be turned from darknes to light, and from the power of Sathan to God, and might receaue remission of sinnes, & a lotte amongest the sanctified, through the faith which is in mee. So to the Colossians the first: Giuing thankes vnto God the father, who hath made vs fitte to be partakers of the lotte of the Saintes in the light: who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes, and translated vs into the kingdome of his dearely beloued sonne. Hereby it is cleare that there are two spirituall kingdomes, euen in this world: the kingdome of Christ, in which in very deede are all they that truely repent & beleeue in Christ, and are also baptized into his name: as also their children, vnlesse when they shalbe growen and come to age, through vnbeliefe they reiect the benifite offred: But the other the kingdome of Sathan and darkenes, in which all they are, which doe not repent, and beleeue not in Christ, these partly are not baptized, but open contemners of baptisme: as the Turkes and Iewes: and partly againe are baptized, but yet are impenitēt, & vnbeleeuers: these albeit they be baptized and ioyne themselues to the visible Church, remaine notwithstanding in very deede so long in the kingdom and power of darkenes, vntill they be conuerted and beleeue. Mat. 28.1. Cor. 6 vers. 8.9.10. 12. and 2. Cor. 12. vers. 21. Now forasmuch as the Articles of the fayth containe the summe of that doctrine deliuered by Christ the king to his Apostles: it is certaine, that in them the kingdome of Christ and all the priuiledges thereof are offred and exhibited to all them that repent and beleeue: & againe that we are taught by this confession, whence we may assure our selues, that we are true Citizens of the kingdome of Christ, yea and that in this life, & that we haue a partaking with Christ the king himselfe with all his benifites: to witte, if we beleeue with our heart, and confesse with our mouth. For that saying of the Apostle is sure, in the 10. to yᵉ Romanes: The worde is neare thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart. This is that worde of faith which we preach, to witte, that if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt beleeue in thy heart, that God hath raised him vp from the dead, thou shalt be saued. For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse, and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation. For the scripture saith: whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed.

What the kingdome of Christ is, and that the newe couenaunt is administred therein

Let vs then see what yᵉ kingdome of Christ is, which beginneth in the faithful in this worlde; which also in the same sense is named the kingdome of God, and the kingdome of heauen. Mat, 3. vers. 2. Luk. 4. vers. 43. and Chapiter 7. vers. 28. The kingdome of Christ in this worlde, is the administration of saluation, whereby Iesus Christ the king himselfe, outwardly gathereth to himselfe through the Gospell and sacrament of baptisme, a people or visible Church, (in which many hypocrites are mingled,) and calleth them to saluation, and administreth and giueth himselfe the same saluation to which he calleth them, in those, whō he accounteth for his elect in this congregatiō, whilest that he maketh this outward vocation effectuall, that is to say, calleth them to repentance and faith, by which they aunswere to him that calleth: and whom he thus calleth, those also he iustifieth, not imputing their sinnes vnto them: whom he iustifieth, those also he glorifieth, purging them daily more and more from their sinnes, and so instructing, framing, and perfecting them to all godlinesse, righteousnesse, and that to life euerlasting, that the glory of Christ their king may shine in them: vsing to that purpose, the dispensation of his worde and sacraments by meete ministers, and that both publique, domesticall, and priuate, and therewithall also the diligent administration of his discipline, aswell of repentance and ceremonies, as of mans whole life. The vniuersall administration of this kingdome of Christ, is that same newe couenant, that God hath promised in the last times to make with vs by Ieremy the Prophet, not according to that same couenant he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the lande of Aegypt, because they had made that couenant voide: but that this should be the couenaunt, that he would giue his lawe in the middest of vs; and that he would write it in our hearts, and that he would be our God, and we should be his people, and that we should knowe him, because he would be mercifull vnto our iniquity, and would not remember our sinnes any more. Ierem. 31. And by Hoseas the Prophet: Cap. 2. I will marry thee in faith, and thou shalt knowe the Lord. This couenant Christ the king and priest of his Church, hath ratified for euer by his merite, betweene God and vs, and euery day worketh in vs through his efficacie. Daniel the 9. Verily by his merite, seeing that Christ by his priesthoode, that is, by his intercession and sacrifice, laying an euerlasting foundation vnto his kingdome, hath satisfied the righteousnesse of God, and so deliuereth vs from sinne and the cursse of the lawe, and from the kingdome and power of the deuill, and obtaineth the spirite of sanctification, through which he may raigne in vs: and through his efficacie or operation, whereby, as the king of his Church he first bringeth our heartes to the knowledge of their euill, and to the consideration of the diuine righteousnesse, and createth in them the studie of reconciling themselues to God, and conuerting them to his wil. Now afterwards, things thus set in order, he offreth the worde of reconciliation, and engendreth faith in them, through which he communicateth himselfe (after whom they thirst,) vnto them; to this ende, that hauing obtained through his merite, iustification, they may vse it to the euerlasting peace of their conscience, and may dayly also through his spirit be restored and builded vp. Lastly he exhorteth those that are reconciled, and thus endowed with his spirit, to bring forth workes, worthy those that repent, to the ende, that the glory of their king may shine in them. Rom. 8. ver. 29 30. These degrees, in the administration of the kingdome of Christ, and of his new couenaunt, the Lord comprehendeth in that same speach to Paule, when he saith, that thou mayst open their eyes: that is done, when through the working of that king Christ, their conscience is illuminated through the holy Ghost. (For it is he that maketh his ministerie effectuall) so as they knowe both themselues and their sinnes, and againe God, his holynesse and righteousnesse, to which they must be conformable, that through faith turning vnto him, they may receaue in Christ a double benefite, forgiuenes of their sinnes, & a lot amongest the sanctified, who daily studie (Christ exhorting them) to bring forth the worthy fruites of repentance. For whom he hath chosen, those also hath he called: whom he hath called, those also hath he iustified: whom he hath iustified, those also he hath glorified. First therefore let vs see how Christ our king by calling into his kingdome, doth engender in men a desire of being reconciled to God; then how he offreth vnto them the forgiuenes of their sinnes, or rather the free grace of reconciliation and iustification, and therewithall how he beginneth, their restoring to euerlasting life and glory: how daily he setteth it forward, and at length in the worlde to come doth fully finish the same.

How Christ the King engendreth in his elect the studie of reconciling themselues to God, and howe he preserueth and encreaseth in them which are reconciled, the studie of holding that reconciliation

Christ the King doth engender in his elect the studie of reconciling them selues to God: first of all by shewinge that all men are vnder sinne, and in the kingdome of darkenes, especially because that when all men haue the knowledge of God, naturally engraffed in them, and the worke of the lawe by nature written in their heartes, and by the thinges created are constreined to knowe God, notwithstanding doe not glorifie him, but doe sinne contrarie to the lawe of nature. Rom. 1. The which thing they witnes in their deedes, and their owne conscience doth conuince their thoughtes, either accusing or excusing them. Againe by vncouering all and euerie of their wickednesses, and in accusing them by the lawe written, and by the threatninges which are manifest euerie where throughout the whole prophetes, many wickednesses also being heaped together as plainely may be seene in the Epistle to the Romaines, Chap 3. vers. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. And also by shewing that this is the vnchangeable will of God, whereby he will not onely that all men be conformed to the lawe of nature, but also to the lawe written, otherwise that he will so long accounte them for sinners and enemies til they be conuerted, and through faith be reconciled vnto God. Iohn. 3 vers 36. Rom. 5. vers. 10, 11. Secondly by shewing what a great euil sin is. Such and so great an euil sin is, that it deserueth the euerlasting destruction of mā, yea verily so great an euil, yᵗ it cannot by the euerlasting destruction of man be cleansed. Wherevppon it foloweth that sinne is a greater euill, then mans euerlasting damnation, seeinge that the damned cannot by euerlasting paines cleanse or ouercome so greate an euill. To conclude, it is so greate an euill, to haue offended the maiestie of God but with one sinne, that the destruction of all creatures were a lesse euill. For certainly neither the destruction of all creatures, yea if they shoulde be brought to nothing, were a sufficient price for the cleansing of one onely sinne: which could not otherwise be cleansed, but by the death of the sonne of God. Thirdly by shewing that the nature of God is righteous, and therefore that it doth accurse all sinners, to wit as well theire bodies as soules, as well in this worlde as in the world to come, Deut. 28. vnlesse reconciliation be made. For so immutable is this righteousnes of God, and will to iudge sinnes, that not so much as one sinne amongst so many thowsandes, which dayly are committed, shall escape vnpunished. For either it is punished in vs or els in Christ: in Christ it is once perfectly punished, so that we repent and amende and beleeue in him: in our selues it shalbe punished, if we haue an vnbeleeuing hearte and such a a one as cannot repent, as Christ saith: verily I say vnto you, that men shall make accounte for euerie idle word in the day of iudgement. Also if this be done in yᵉ green wood, what shal be done in the dry? 1. Peter, 4. verse 17, 18. To be short, god is so righteous; and so great an euil is sin, yᵗ euen when he doth forgiue sinnes, he doth not yet alowe them: and that he may shew this thing he doth chastise them, in those that are conuerted, yea, after the forgiuenes thereof with most sharpe scourges, as in Dauid, yea, after God had spoken vnto him by Nathan the Prophet: The lord hath taken from thee thy sins: We see by how sharpe whips he declared that he did not allow yᵉ sin of Dauid, 2. Sam. 12. ver. 11.12.13. also 2. Sam. cap. 24 vers. 10.12. Fourthly by setting forth the execution of the righteousnes & iudgment of God, against yᵉ impenitent & vnbeleeuing. First in yᵉ examples which he hath exercised & dayly doth exercise: aswel in the wringing terrors of cōscience, wherwith the vnrepētant are afflicted: as also in those same temporal punishments which although they be great, yet are the onely signes of yᵉ wrath of God to come, farre greater, yea most great. For like as yᵉ patience & gentlenes of God is greater then yᵉ gentlenes of al creatures: so also his wrath doth exceede yᵉ wrath of al creatures. Secondly by setting before their eyes yᵉ day of this wrath or the euerlasting iudgement: as the scripture doth often times set the same aswel before the eyes of yᵉ faithful as of the vnfaithful. By these & the like reasons & meanes taken out of the word of god Christ the king doth engēder in yᵉ ministerie of yᵉ word through his spirite, in thē whō he hath first called, that same study of recōciling themselues vnto God: & in them which are effectually called & reconciled, he preserueth & increaseth that same studie of holding their reconciliation, and bringeth to passe that they greatly esteeme so great grace of reconciliation: and truly somuch they esteeme it, yᵗ denying them selues and all vngodlines, they wholly giue themselues through faith vnto him, who with so greate a price hath redeemed them from so many euills.

After that Christ the King and Priest of his Church hath engendred in those whom he calleth, the studie of reconciling themselues vnto God he offereth, and giueth also vnto them that same reconciliation & that in the forme of a couenant, the summe whereof is conteined in the articles of the faith

Now as I haue saide alreadie, that same studie of reconciling themselues to God, in those that are called of Christ the King being wrought, he offereth and giueth to them reconciliation it selfe, and that in the forme of a free couenaunt, 2. Cor. 5. vers. 18.19.20.21. and chap. 6. vers. 15.16.17.18. Now the reconciliation of man with God, or rather this matter of saluation in sauing by his merite and power the elect, is therefore called a couenaunt, and also set foorth vnto vs in forme of a couenaunt from God, because there is no apter forme or meeter way of doing it, to make mutuall agreement betweene the parties and to yᵉ establishing of faith. For euen like as men after great enimities are then at length pacified in their mindes, when they haue bounde themselues by promises and by an oath each one to other, to imbrace peace; so also God, that our consciences might be quiet, hath not spared of his meere goodnes euen by an oath and couenaunt to binde himselfe vnto vs that are repentant and beleeue in him; and to seale the same wᵗ the seale of holy baptisme, yᵗ he might adopt vs freely to be his children, that he might cleanse vs through his bloode from all sinne, and being endowed with the holy ghost might renue vs to euerlasting life; yea and that freely, that wee againe being bound, vnto the faith and worship of this true God the sonne and the holy Ghost, we might set foorth and aduance this greate goodnes of his. Moreouer euen like as there are wonte to be propounded, in mens couenaunts certaine heades, which they call articles, by which peace is begunne and put in practise, both sides being sworne: so also that same diuine couenaunt, wherein God doth reconcile vs vnto himselfe for euer, is conteined in certaine heades or articles, which are the foundations of this holy reconciliation and where in God will haue eternall peace betweene him selfe and all beleeuers to be ratified. Now God had promised by Ieremie the Prophet that he woulde strike a newe couenaunt with vs, not according to that couenant which he had made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, because they had made that couenant voyde: but that this should be the couenant; that he would giue the lawe in the middest of vs, and write the same in our heartes, and that he would be our God, and we should be his people, and that we should knowe him, because he is mercifull vnto our sinnes and will remember our iniquities no more. Ieremy, 31, Esai. 53.54. Ozee. 2. This couenant the Lord hath made with vs through faith in Christ: and therfore we must knowe that the articles of our faith, containe yᵉ summe & as it were yᵉ heads of that couenant which standeth in faith between God and vs.

That the couenant betwene God and vs is free and vndeserued, and standeth only in faith: through which after that he hath put out the remembrance of our sinnes, he renueth the beleeuers to his owne image

That this couenant betweene God and vs is free and vndeserued, and leaneth vpon no condition of our worthinesse or merites, but standeth by faith alone, hence it may easily appeare. For in respect of God he properly maketh the couenant with vs, and he sealeth in our heartes by his holy spirit, that same promise of vndeserued reconciliation offred vnto vs in the Gospel. Titus 3. ver. 5.6.7. 2. Tim 1. ver. 9. Gal. 3. ver. 6.28.29. In respect of vs this couenant is receiued only by faith, whiles that freely and vndeseruedly the holy Ghost is giuen vnto vs, who bringeth to passe that both we will and are able to beleeue the free promise of reconciliation through Christ. Eph 1. Ioel. 2. Esay. 59. If you respect the mediator verely our heauenly father hath receiued of him the price of reconciliation, and we haue satisfied in him: notwithstanding because the mediator is freely giuen vnto vs, and imputeth also freely this merite vnto vs, euen by this reason also the couenant is free. And so this whole couenant is meerely free, and consisteth in faith alone: the oblation of promise of grace in Christ, and also the giuing of Christ himselfe in respect of God is free: yᵉ receiuing on our part is also free, because it is the worke of God in vs, whereby he sealeth his promise in our heartes, that being driuen we should worke, that is to say, that being made beleeuers by him we might beleeue. Ephe. 2. ver. 1.5.6.7.8.9.10. All these things are plainlie comprehended in that same promise of the new couenant, which euen now I brought out of the 31. Chapiter of Ieremy. Now the ende why God would haue this same couenant to be free by all meanes, is that the glory of God might returne to him alone: the which drift of his counsell he hath expressed in plaine wordes in the same Prophet. Chap. 33. And it shalbe to me a name of ioy, a prayse and an honour before all the nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe vnto them, &c. And to the Ephe. Chap. 1 ver. 5.6. An other end is the peace of our consciences. Rom. Chap. 4. For if they which are of the lawe are heires: faith is become voyd, and the promise is made of none effect, &c. Sith therefore God saith that this whole couenant is free and vndeserued, and that it consisteth in the knowledge of him, or rather by faith: through which also after that he hath abolished the remembraunce of our sinnes, he will renewe our heartes; which he calleth to write his lawes in our heartes: it is plaine and euident that in the articles of our faith, such a faith and knowledge of God is set forth vnto vs, which embraceth the free remission of sinnes in Christ, and also thereof engendreth the instauration or renewing of man according to the image of God. Therefore in the meditation of the articles of our faith we must especially turne our eyes to these two poyntes.

The Articles of faith or that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede

I Beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth: and in Iesus Christ, his only sonne our Lord, which was conceaued by the holy Ghost, borne of the virgin Mary, suffred vnder Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried: he descended into hell, the third day he rose againe from the dead, he ascended into heauen, and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty: from thence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead: I beleeue in the holy Ghost, the holy Catholique Church, the Communion of Saintes, the forgiuenes of sinnes, the resurrection of the body, and the life euerlasting.

What faith is

Seing therefore Christ the king himselfe in the articles of the Christian faith, which containe the summe of the Gospell, offreth that same kingdome of his vnto vs: and through faith, by the vertue of his spirit doth effectually confederate himselfe vnto vs to the end he may raigne in vs: goe to, let vs briefly shewe what faith is. Faith is to assent vnto God, his will being knowen, in euery worde of his, as to the onely true & omnipotent God, and so to giue glory to God: and not to consider any thing either in our selues or in any other of his creatures, that seemeth to be against him: and in this worde, to behold as the speciall marke the promise of the Gospel, for that the father truely offreth himselfe vnto vs in Christ, and through his holy spirit freely iustifieth vs that are engrafted in Christ, and more and more sanctifieth vs, and preserueth vs by the same power, through which Christ was raised from the dead, whereby he hath all things subiect to himselfe, that the hope of euerlasting life being founded in this truth and power, it may be most certaine. This description of faith, first comprehendeth the whole life of man: whose singular actions and moments, must needes leane and rest vpon faith. For surely, that which is said to the Hebrues, Without faith it is impossible to please God, is most true, in all and singular matters that are to be taken in hand. Rom. 14. ver 23. Then after that it setteth forth that peculiar grace of iustification offred in Christ, and that restoring to euerlasting life, as the foundation of all beleeuers. Now this same description of faith is specially taken out of the fourth Chap. to the Romanes, from the sixtenth verse, and out of the first Chapiter of the Ephesians, from the 17. verse, to the ende of both the Chapiters. That which is put in the description, of the will of God knowen, is therefore done, because Sathan is oftentimes woont to faigne another meaning of the worde of God, besides the will of God. Least therefore that faith should stray from the will of God, we must indeuer, that as the Apostle commandeth in the 12. to the Romanes, all prophesying or interpretation of the scripture, be according to the analogie, or rule of faith: least the interpretation fight with the foundation or with any article of faith. We will shewe it also more familiarly after this manner: this is faith, to acknowledge that this is the vnchangeable will of God, and to rest in it, that freely he will giue vs that promised saluation by yᵉ Prophets, and that through Christ the same is giuen in deede, (as the Articles of our faith witnesse,) that is, to acknowledge, that these things which are contained in them, are freely giuen vnto vs of God, according to the testimony of all the Prophets which were from the beginning of the worlde, yea, and of Christ himselfe, and to rest in this constant will of God, and giue this glory to God, that hath now already shewed his omnipotent power in performing these promises, fulfilling in deede the most part of the Articles of our faith: and also as yet doth still exercise the same, in the applying of those benefites: and will certainly shewe it, in those that remaine yet to be fulfilled in the Articles: neither to consider any thing either in vs, or yet without vs in any creature that seemeth contrary to that same grace and diuine truth promised vnto vs, and already offred in Christ, and at length fully to be accomplished.

The partition or diuision of the Creede

There are foure principall parts of the Creede. The first containeth what we beleeue of God the father, who as he hath chosen vs of his meere mercy, in Christ before the foundations of the worlde were laide: Ephe. 1. so there is set forth in the first part of the Creede the first fountaine of the couenant, or reconciliation: and therewithall is also taught what we must beleeue of the creation of all things. The second, what we must beleeue of Iesus Christ the sonne of God: in which part, is comprehended the whole summe of the couenant & of our reconciliatiō. The third, what of the holy Ghost, who by engrafting vs through faith in Christ, maketh vs confederates with God, applying vnto vs the mercy of the father, and the redemption of the sonne. The fourth part is concerning the people, or of the Church with whom God had stricken his couenant: which part containeth yᵉ effectes of all the former, and the fruite of our faith, aswell which we enioye in this life, as also, which we shall enioy euerlastingly, being fully knitte both body and soule with Iesus Christ our heade.

Rules which shall helpe both our vnderstanding and faith, in euery article of faith

The rules, which we ought alwayes to haue before our eies, aswel in yᵉ expoūding, as also in the meditating of the Creede, are these. First that a mans minde knowe in euery of the articles not only the history (which knowledge alone is not to saluation, forasmuch as the deuills haue that and doe tremble: Iames. 2.) but also that the heart it selfe embrace through true faith the promise of God, and the performance of the promise in Christ and for Christ, which lyeth hidde in euery of the articles. Acts. 13. vers. 32. and the 39. Resolue therefore all yᵉ articles into the promises, or into the performance of them, & so thou shalt haue in the articles of faith all the kindes of that wonderfull vnion that we haue with the father, with the sonne Iesus Christ, and with the holy Ghost, which throughout all the Gospell is promised and giuen to the beleeuer. 1. Iohn. 14. and the 15. The second rule; In the applying of the promise, looke vpon the counsell of God to witte, that to the sonne of God a body & soule was so fashioned and fitted, that those thinges that were done in them, were done in the name of all beleeuers: & so done in deede, yᵗ the obedience, which was offred vp to the father in his person, by the counsell and gift of the father, are as truely thine, as if they had bene offred vp in thy soule & body, and yᵗ by the same efficacie, wherethrough that euerlasting word quickened from death that whole masse and glorified it, shall also quicken and glorifie thee. For this is the counsell of God, this is his vnchangeable will, wherevpon we may safely leane: now it is made manifest in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles: to the Hebr, Cap. 10. out of the 40. Psalme. Wherefore entring into the world he said, Sacrifice & oblatiō thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou framed vnto mee, &c Thē I said, Loe I am present (in the beginning of the booke it is writtē of me) that I should do thy will O God. And a little after, Through which will we are sanctified, through the oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once made. Vpō this counsell of God also, leaneth the reason of the Apostle in the 10. to yᵉ Romains, whilest he saith, the righteousnesse which is of faith, so he saith: Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heauen: For this is to fetche Christ out of heauen: or, who shall goe downe into the deepe? this is to bring Christ from the deade? But what saith he? The word is neare thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart. This is that worde of faith, which we preache, to witte, if thou shalt confesse the Lord Iesus with thy mouth: and shalt beleeue in thy heart, that God hath raised him vp from the deade, thou shalt be safe. For we beleeue with the heart to righteousnesse, but we confesse with the mouth to saluation. See the 1. Corinth. 1. vers. 30. Luk. 1. vers. 10. to the Hebr. 2. vers. 14.15. to the Romans, 5. vers. 12.15.16 17.18. Also 1 Cor. 15. vers. 20.21.23. 1. Thess. 4. vers. 14. and Chapiter. 5. vers 3.