Clause 2

Testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles

To the Sonne he saith, Thy throne O God,¹ is for euer and euer, thy scepter, a right scepter, the scepter of thy kingdome. Thou hast loued righteousnesse, and hated iniquitie: therefore hath God euen thy God anointed thee, with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes. Dan. 9. The holy of holy shalbe anointed. Afterwardes he saith, The Messias shallbe cut of; and then the people shall destroye the Citie and the Sanctuary, with that Captaine that shall come. The Angel witnessed the fulfilling of this anointing, Hierusalem yet standing, Luke 2. Behold, I bring you glad tidinges of great ioye, that shalbe to al the people: that a Sauiour is this day borne vnto you in the citie of Dauid, which is Christ the Lord. The whole multitude of the heauenlie hostes, witnesseth the same thing, praising God and saying, glorie to God in the highest heauens, and in earth peace, and towardes men a good will. Mat. 2. The starre and the wise men, witnesse Christ, or the anointed of the Lorde to be sent: and in the second of Luke Symeon and Anna the prophetesse from the 25. verse, to the 41. where also the prophesie of Esaias is sene fulfilled, Ca. 8. ver. 14. A notable prophesie of Isaias in the 61. Cap. is fulfilled. Luke. 4. Iesus came to Nazareth where he had ben brought vp, and entred as he was wont vpon the sabboth day into the synagogue and rose vp that he might reade. Then was giuen vnto him the Booke of the Prophet Esaie, and when he had opened the booke, he found a place in whiche it was written, The spirite of the Lorde is vpon me, because that he annointed me that I should preach gladde tidinges, he sent me to heale the broken in heart, that I should preach deliuerance to captiues, and recouerie of sight to the blinde, that I should set them at libertie that are distressed: And that I should preach the acceptable yeare of the Lorde. And when he had restored the booke closed vnto the minister he sate downe: and the eies of all that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. Then he began to say vnto them, This day is the scripture fulfilled in your eares. Also Acts the 10 vers. 38. The vniforme praier of the Apostles witnesseth the prophesie in the 2. Psalme, to be fulfilled in our Lorde Iesus. For so also Luke writeth in the 4. of the Actes: The man was aboue fortie yeare olde, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. Nowe being let goe, they came to their companie, and shewed what the cheefe of the priestes, and the Elders had saide vnto them. And when they heard it, they lift vp their voices with one accorde to God, and saide: O Lord, thou art the God which hast made heauen and earth, the sea, and all thinges that are in them: Who hast saide by the mouth of thy seruant Dauid: Whie did the Gentiles rage, and the people imagine vaine thinges? The kinges of the earth stoode vp, and the princes were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ? For they were gathered together in deede, against thy holie sonne Iesus, whom thou hast annointed: both Herode, & Pontius Pilate, with the nations and peoples of Israel, that they might do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsel had determined before to be done. These are the testimonies out of the Prophets and Apostles that Iesus is the Christ, or the annointed Messias.

What we are taught by the name of Christ or anointed

By the terme of Christ or anointed, is taught that this person came with the commandement of the father, and that the same was ordained of him, that he shold erect that Priestly kingdom, by the scepter of his word & power of his spirite in this life, and should finishe it in the life euerlasting. For like as anointing wherby at Gods commandement Kinges, Priestes, and prophets were appointed amongst his people, with an outwarde and visible oyle, was a publike testimonie, that God would gouerne & efend his people by this person, & also kepe & vpholde his diuine worshippe, and likewise teach his people: and this person had commandement of this thing, that they might suffer themselues to be gouerned, clensed, and taught: so the sonne of God manifested in the fleshe, concerning his manhoode is anointed, with the holy Ghoste without measure (which is the truth of that outward anointing) and so is ordained and giuen of the father to be the king, priest, and prophet of his Church. First of all therefore the name Messias, or Christ, serueth for a notable confirmation of our faith, to witte, whilest we vnderstand by anointing, that the sonne of God hath commandement, in the very same that he is Christ or anointed; by his kinglie power to keepe vs by his euerlasting sacrifice to reconcile vs to the Father, and to open vnto vs al the will of the father: to be short not to rest, vntil he haue beautified his Church with glorie and euerlasting life. Ioh. 6. verse 27. cap. 10.18. Psalme. 43.6.7. to the Heb. 2. ver. 8.9. Also cap. 5. ver. 4.5 Heb. 1. ver. 9. And forasmuch as the sonne of God, that same annointed of the Lord, hath his solemne commandement, it is certaine, that he wil execute it most faithfully.

Of the frute or consolation; which the faithful receaue thereby

The first fruite is, that our faith hath a certaine obiect or matter to respecte, to wit, this same certaine person sent, and appointed from the Father with commandement, which now beginneth in vs that same spiritual and euerlasting kingdome, which is righteousnes, peace and ioie in the holie Ghost, in the sted of sinne, euerlasting heauines and death; and shal finish it afterwardes: and seeing that he holdeth vnder his gouernement and iron scepter al thinges created, both his and our enemies, that is, both wicked men and diuels, that they hurt not either his glorie, or our saluation, but rather that euen against their willes, they aduance both. Hence peace and ioye arise in the heartes of beleeuers, who are citizens of this kingdome. For as it must needes bee that al they be made sadde, that doubt vnder what Lorde they are in this life, whether vnder Christe or Satan: so on the contrarie it can not be, but all they must be filled with ioye, who by the inwarde testimonie of the anointing of faith, and by the outwarde of holie baptisme are assured, that they are vnder Christe the King of righteousnes, and are translated out of the kingdome of darkenesse into the kingdome of Christ, Coloss. 1. and haue the kingdome of the sonne of GOD euen begone in them, as Christ saith, the kingdome of God is in you, or amongst you. The Angel exhorteth vs to this ioye, in yᵉ verie manifestation of this king. Luk. 2. verse 10.11. Be not afraide: For beholde I bring you glad tydinges of great ioye, that shal be to all the people, to wit yᵗ this daie a Sauiour is borne vnto you, in the citie of Dauid, which is Christ the Lorde. Hence is the same peace and good will in the heartes of beleeuers, of which afterwardes that same multitude of heauenly hostes doe mention in their songe: Glorie in the highest heauens to God, peace to the earth, A good wil in men. Like as therefore in times past when Salomon by the commaundement of God was annoynted, there was publike ioye amongest the people of God: because they knewe that God woulde doe them good, and defend them by the hande of a king: so also we when wee heare out of the worde of God, that our Lorde Iesus is Christ, that is, that same annoynted of the lorde, we ought together with the Angels to be filled with an exceeding ioye of minde: being surely persuaded that euen in this verie thing that the heauenly father, hath appointed, and in verie deede giuen his owne sonne Christ, that is annointed to be our king, that he doeth openly from heauen declare, that hee by this sonne will become the euerlasting restorer and defender of his Church.

Why Christ was annointed, not onelie to be king, but also Priest?

It followeth that we declare, whie he was not onely annointed to bee a king, but also a Priest. The reason is because the kingdome of Christ was so to bee established, that he must satisfie for euer, the righteousnes of God; and so this begonne peace & promised grace might staie vppon a sure and sound foundation. Now the foundation is the euerlasting priesthood of Christ, that is, that same gift which not onely by commaundement, but also by solemne oth, in a wonderful wisedome and mercie, is from the father laide vpon this certaine person, whereof these are partes. First the prayer of so great a person, most pure and most holy, together with a sacrifice matchable with the sinnes and wickednesses of all beleeuers. Io. 17. Heb. 7. the other, the shewing of himselfe before the face of the father in the heauens, after this sacrifice is offered vp. Hebr. 9 vers. 24. Because it was ordained of God by an oath, and by an vnchangeable decree of God, which we may surely trust to, that Christ should shewe himselfe (to witte his owne bodie and soule taken into the vnitie of his person, in which all our sinnes were punished) without ceasing before the face of the father, that alwayes the efficacie of that Sacrifice once offered vp, might florish and be of force before the father.

Of the profite that we take by this that Christ was anointed to be a priest

The chiefe profite is, that I haue a certaine person, which hath sacrificed for mee, and continually maketh intercessiō for me that yᵉ force of his intercessiō made, & sacrifice offred vp in earth, might alwaies be of force in the sight of God, as it is saide in the Psalme 110. The Lorde hath sworne and will not repent him: Thou art a Priest for euer. Nowe an euerlasting priest is not without an euerlasting vse and fruite of his priesthoode towarde his faithfull. But wee will speake more aswell of the kingdome, as of the Priesthoode in the article of sitting at the right hand of God.

Why also was he annointed to be a Prophet?

The reason why hee was annointed to bee a Prophet, is because that same priestly kingdome, in which euerlasting righteousnes and peace should florish, was to bee established by the scepter of his worde, that is by the preaching of the Gospell, and in the power of the spirite whereby he was annointed. And truelie so was it foretold by Esay, The spirit of the Lord is vpon me, because he hath annointed me, that I should preach glade tydinges vnto the power; he hath sent me, that I shoulde heale the contrite in heart, as our Lorde affirmeth in the 4. of Luke that it was fulfilled in him. Therefore hee saith vnto Pilate, that his kingdome was not of this worlde, that he came into the worlde, that he might giue testimonie vnto the truth. I vnderstande Christ therefore, so to be annointed a Prophet that hee being sent out of the bosome of his heauenly father, in mans nature, was annointed with the fulnes of the holy Ghost, that being ful of grace and trueth, hee might cleerly and manifestly set forth vnto vs that same mysterie hidde from the beginning, the euerlasting will and counsell of God concerning the redemption of mankinde. Iohn 1. The onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father, he hath shewed it vnto vs. Furthermore also, that the same Christ may effectuallie teach vs to the end of the worlde: For which cause hee also hath promised his presence by the office of teaching: Beholde I am alwayes with you euen to the end of the worlde.

Of the fruite of Christes propheticall office

The Lorde Iesus is anointed with the spirite of prophesie, to this end, that we should by no meanes doubt of the vnchangeable wil of the father towarde vs. Heb. 1. God in times past, at sundrie times and in diuerse maners, spake vnto our fathers by the Prophetes, but in these last times he hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne. Further, who dareth to say, howe shall I knowe the will of God towardes beleeuers? seeing the sonne him selfe to whome the minde, and will of the father is throughly knowen, hath opened the will and promise of the father in the Gospell. The other fruite is nowe declared, for that it teacheth vs effectuallie to the end of the worlde, and transformeth vs into that, which we are taught of him, 2. to the Corinth. 2. vers. 17.18.

Howe far forth those things which are spoken concerning the office of Christ, or of the priestly & prophetical kingdome of Christ, agree with the doctrine of the free couenaunt

Bvt same man will say, that same priestly kingdome, that thou hast said, to be established by that same Messias or annointed of the Lord, by the scepter of the word and power of the spirite, is it not that same euerlasting couenaunt or worke of saluation that standeth in the free forgiuenesse of sinnes and vndeserued gift of the holy Ghost and euerlasting life? Yes verilie. For that same couenant of saluation made with Abraham, was renewed with Dauid and to him was promised, out of his seede an euerlasting king, who shoulde be the mediator of this couenaunt. Psalme 89. And in the first of Luke the Angel saith to Marie, This shall be great, and he shal he called the sonne of the most high, and the Lorde God shall giue vnto him the seate of Dauid his father, and he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and there shall bee no end of his kingdome. And a little after Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptiste, being full of the holy Ghost, prophecied saying, Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel, because he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath lifted vp an horne of saluation vnto vs, in the house of Dauid his seruaunt, as he hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which were since the world began, that it should come to passe, that he would saue vs, from our enemies, and out of the hande of all that hate vs: that he shoulde shewe mercie towardes our fathers, and be mindfull of his holy couenaunt, of the oath which he sware vnto Abraham our father, that he woulde giue vnto vs, &c. to the end of the Chapter. Therefore I vnderstand, that by the title of Christe or annointed the office of the mediator of the couenaunt is expressed, to wit by what way and meanes the heauenly father leadeth vs, to saluation, promised and sworne in the couenaunt by the hande of the mediator, that is to say, by his merite and vertue. Nowe the meane is, because the father hath annointed this Iesus to be the prophet or teacher, who can informe vs of this free couenaunt of God: to be the Priest, who confirmeth and ratifieth this couenaunt by his intercession and sacrifice: and to be a king, who maintaineth his couenaunt made, and enricheth and defendeth his faithful & confederate ones: & so, that in the whole businesse of saluation, wee flie by faith vnto Christ, as to him whom the father hath signed, as Christ himselfe speaketh of him selfe. Ioh. 6. And first for that which concerneth the Propheticall office of Christ, I thinke, that to pertaine to the couenaunt in such sort: to wit, that firste of all, men bee instructed of the free couenaunt of saluation, and therefore When in times past God spake after sundrie sortes and wayes by the Prophetes, nowe at length hee woulde speake vnto vs by his sonne. Heb. 1. to wit, clothed with mans nature: For otherwise the sonne also spake by the Prophetes 1. Pet. 1. Wee must therefore fullie resolue, that the euerlasting Sonne of God, who is in the bosome of the father, was sent a legate vnto vs, and taking our fleshe vppon him was annointed with the spirit of wisedome and power, that he might cleerely and fully laie open vnto vs, that same euerlasting Counsel of entring into league and couenaunt with vs, & might declare yᵗ same good and vnchangeable will of God towards vs, whereby he hath freely chosen vs to himself in yᵉ sonne, and might frame vs to true amēdement, & to beleue the Gospel: yea might also confirme his doctrine by miracles, as by healing the blind, by raising vp the dead &c, which neither the diuel nor anie creature can followe. That he might also adioyne the sacramentes as holy signes to the renewed couenaunt, to wit baptisme, and the Lords supper. Moreouer, concerning the priestlie officie, I thinke it so to belong to the couenant: that euen like as the Propheticall office of Christ, instructeth vs of the couenaunt and of a full reconciliation with God in Christ; so the priestly office goeth further, and offereth vp the verie price of this reconciliation, to wit a perfect sacrifice with intercession, wherby the mediator of Gods righteousnes doeth perfectly satisfie for our sinnes, which did let and keepe of the couenaunt, and without the clensing whereof that same prophetical ambassadge frō heauen had beene taken in vaine to intreate of the couenaunt: seeing neither wee can satisfie for our sinnes our selues, neither would God denie his owne righteousnes. Last of all concerning that kingly office, forsomuch as it was not enough for a mediator to haue taught vs of the couenaunt, and to haue sanctified it by the offering vp of his body and bloode, vnlesse hee likewise should defend & maintain yᵉ couenant against yᵉ assaults of yᵉ enemie, & should throgh his might build vp a people in himself day by daie more and more repaire & frame the same, being endewed with spiritual giftes to euerlasting life: therefore the heauenlie father would that the same mediator should be the head and giuer, both of the conseruation of grace gotten, and of an effectual communicating, and mainteining the same. Ephes. 1.23.24.

Footnotes

1. Psal. 45. ↩