Question 34

Three diuerse speeches are heere to bee obserued. 1. To beleeue that Christ is Lord. To beleeue this is not sufficient: for we beleeue also that the diuel is Lord, but not of al, nor ours, as wee doe beleeue Christ to bee Lorde of vs all. 2. To beleeue that Christ is Lord, and that of al, and also ours. Neither is it enough to beleeue this. For the Diuels beleeue also that Christ is their Lord, as he hath ful right and autority not only ouer all other thinges, but ouer them also, to determin of them whatsoeuer pleaseth him. 3. To beleeue in Christ our Lorde, that is, so to beleeue Christ to bee our Lorde, that in him wee place our trust and confidence, and bee thoroughly perswaded, that by him wee are wholy freed and deliuered from all euill, and are defended and safegarded against all our enemies: and this is it, which we especiallie ought to beleeue. Whenas therefore we saie, that wee beleeue in our Lorde, we beleeue, 1. That the Sonne of GOD Christ is Lorde of all creatures: 2. But especiallie of his Church, which beeing purchased with his owne bloode hee guideth, defendeth, and preserueth by his spirit. 3. And that I am also one of his subiectes, whom beeing redeemed from the power of the Diuell he mightilie preserueth, ruleth, maketh obedient vnto him, and at length enricheth with eternal glorie: that is, I beleeue that hitherto I haue bin by and for Christ preserued, and shal hereafter be preserued of him thorough al eternitie; & lastly that he vseth & wil vse his dominion & power, which hee hath as ouer all other creatures, so ouer me, vnto my saluation and his owne glory. But for the better vnderstanding of this that hath bin spoken, wee are to obserue these two things.

1 In what sense Christ is called Lord.
2 For what causes he is our Lord.

1 IN WHAT SENSE HE IS CALLED LORD

To bee a Lord, is, to haue right and power granted by Lawe, either diuine or humane, ouer some thing or person, as to vse and enioie it, and to dispose thereof at thy owne will and pleasure. Christ therefore is our Lord: First, because he hath care of vs, that is, ruleth, preserueth, and keepeth vs as his owne to eternall life and glorie, as beeing bought with his precious bloode. Iohn 17.12. None of them is lost, whom thou gauest me. Ioh. 10.28. None shal plucke them out of my hand. Secondlie, because wee are bound to serue him both in bodie and soule, that hee maie bee glorified by vs. 1. Cor. 6 20. Yee are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirite: for they are Gods. Hereof also wee maie vnderstande, that the woorde, Lorde, in the Creede, is not a name of the diuine essence, but of his office, and is referred to both natures of Christ, like as the names of Priest, King, and Prophet. Christ then is our Lorde, not onely in respect of his Diuinitie which created vs, but also in respect of his humanity which redeemed vs. For the humane nature of Christ is the price of our redemption: his diuine nature dooth giue and offer that price vnto the Father, and dooth by the vertue of his spirite effectuallie applie it vnto vs, sanctifie, rule, saue, and defend vs against our enemies, and dooth al these thinges, the humane nature beeing priuie thereunto, and most earnestlie willing it. Yea further, as hee is man also, hee hath power not only ouer men, but also ouer all creatures, and therfore ouer the Angels themselues. For the names of the office, benefits, & dignity of christ are affirmed of his whole person, to speak simply & properly, by communicating, but not by confounding the properties of both natures.

2 For what causes he is our Lord

CHRIST is Lord. 1. By right of creation & gouernment.¹ Of this rule and dominion it is said, Al things that the father hath, are mine. Ioh. 16.15. For by him, & in him are al things created, and by his mighty word, that is, by his forcible pleasure and wil, or prouidence they are susteined and gouerned, and whatsoeuer good is in al the creatures, that wholy proceedeth from him. And this is a most generall dominiō which extendeth it self vnto al creatures, euen vnto diuels & wicked men, albeit not altogether after the same maner to vs, & to al the wicked, & diuels. For. 1. he created vs to eternal life: but them to destruction. 2. The dominiō which christ hath ouer the wicked & diuels, cōsisteth in the right of requiring & cōmanding of exercising his power, & bridling his enimies: that is, hee hath right & power ouer the diuels and the wicked, to doe with them what him listeth, so that without his wil and pleasure they cannot so much as moue themselues: And he permitteth them, by bereauing and destituting them of the grace of his spirit, to run headlong into sin and eternal destruction. Hee hath also ouer vs right and power to do with vs what him listeth: but hee furthermore keepeth and gardeth vs as his owne flocke and proper people, whome hee hath purchased with his bloode; hee gouerneth vs also and guideth vs by his spirite: hee woorcketh in our heartes faith and obedience that wee maie doe things acceptable vnto him, and so fenceth vs against all the temptations of the Diuel and the flesh, that we may neuer fal from him. Therefore he is our Lord after a farre other sort, than the Diuels and the reprobates.

²2 Hee is our Lorde by right of redemption. For hee alone, paying the raunsome for vs, deliuereth vs from the power of the Diuel: by his spirit regenerateth vs, and causeth vs to beginne to serue him: and in this liberty, whereunto hee hath brought vs by his merite and power, hee also preserueth vs, against al both outward and inward enemies, euen to the end: and being raised from the dead he fully enfreeeth and deliuereth vs from all sin and miserie, and endoweth vs with eternal blisse and glorie. And seeing hee hath deliuered & freed vs, it is manifest that we were Seruants; and truely so wee were, and are by nature Seruantes and bound-slaues of the Diuell, from whose tyrannie Christ hath deliuered vs, and heereupon nowe are wee the Seruants of Christ: because vs, who were by nature his enimies and deserued to be destroied of him, hee notwithstanding preserued and deliuered. For³ serui, or seruants, were first so named by the Romans from seruando, which is in signification preserued, bicause, whē in the wars they might haue bin slain of their enemies, they were preserued. But this dominion of Christ ouer vs is speciall, that is, extendeth it selfe onely to the Church. Obiection. Jf we bee redeemed from the power of the Diuel: therefore a ransome hath bin paid him for our redemption: For from whose power wee are redeemed, vnto him is the price and ransome due: But God gaue not him the raunsome: Therefore wee are not redeemed from the power of the Diuel. Answer. From whose power we are redeemed as hauing bin supreme Lord ouer vs, and holding rightly his dominion ouer vs: vnto him the price & ransome is due. But the diuel is no supreme Lord, but the executioner of the supreme lord,⁴ which is God, who alone hath and holdeth by right dominion ouer vs. Wherefore in respect of God Christ redeemed vs; for vnto him he hath paid the price: But he hath deliuered vs or set vs at liberty in respect of the Diuell. For wee are giuen vnto Christ our redeemer to bee his owne, neither hath the Diuell nowe anie more right or power ouer vs. And this christs dominion and power ouer vs cost him enough, who therefore also hath care of it, and preserueth it. Of that Dominion we dispute especiallie in this place. For the Diuell dooth not acknowledge Christ to bee such a Lorde vnto him, as wee confesse him to bee vnto vs, because hee hath redeemed vs, and because hee guideth vs with his spirite.

3 In respect of our preseruation Christ is our Lorde,⁵ because he defendeth vs vnto the end, & keepeth & safegardeth vs to eternall life: not only by defending our bodies from enimies, but our soules also from sins. Of this Dominion himselfe speaketh: None of them are lost, which thou gauest mee. No man shal pluck my sheepe out of my hands. He keepeth the wicked to destruction, and defendeth their bodies only.

4 In respect of Gods ordinance:⁶ because the Father ordeined the woord and this person Christ, vnto this, that by him hee might woorke all thinges in heauen and in earth: The Father gaue vs vnto him, manifested him vnto vs, to bee our Prince, King, & Head, & hath made him heire of al. Now whereas he is our Lorde after a farre more excellent manner than others; we also are far more bound to his allegeance & obedience. For he is so our lord, that he doth indeed with vs what he wil, and hath full right and power ouer vs: but yet he vseth that his power to our saluation only. For wee receiue dailie of this Lord moe, and by infinite partes more excellent benefites, than doe any other thoroughout the whole world. And therefore wee ought alwaies to acknowledge the dominion and power, which Christ hath ouer vs. Which acknowledging of his dominiō is, 1. A profession of so great a benefit of christ, as, that he hath vouchsafed to be our lord, & to set free vs his enimies into this so fruitfull & glorious a liberty: 2. A confession of our bond & duty. For christ being so merciful a Lord vnto vs, we ought both in word and life to professe our selues as his seruantes to bee bound to faithfull subiection and obedience vnto him in all thinges, that he may bee magnified of vs for euer.

Footnotes

1. Christ our Lord 1 By right of creation. ↩

2. 2 By right of redemption. ↩

3. The reason of this deriuation of the name Seruant could not be expressed in English as it is in latine, from whēce our English word commeth. Serui (which signifieth, seruants) commeth from Seruando, that is, saued or preserued. ↩

4. Wee are saide to bee redeemed in respect of god; wee are deliuered, in respect of the Diuel. ↩

5. 3 By right of preseruation. ↩

6. 4 In respect of Gods ordinance. ↩