Question 52

In this Article three common places fal in one and meet together, which are diuerse in themselues, namely of Christes second comming, of the ende of the woorlde, and of the last iudgement. Of these places we wil speake iointly, as which are linked betweene themselues: yet so, that the chiefe of them is that of the last iudgement. For to little purpose were it for vs to think of christs second comming, except we did furder cōsider to what end he should come. I beleue in christ who shall come to iudge the quick and the dead: that is, I beleeue 1. That at the second comming of Christ shall follow the renuing of heauen and earth. 2. That the selfesame Christ shall come who for vs was borne, suffered, and rose againe. 3. That he shall come gloriouslie to deliuer his church, whereof J am a member. 4. That hee shal come to abiect and cast awaie the wicked. By these wee receiue great and sound comfort also and consolation. For seeing there shal be a renouation or renuing of heauen and earth, we haue a confidence and trust that our state also shal be at length other, and better than it now is: seeing christ shall come; wee shall haue a fauourable iudge: for he shal come to iudge, who hath merited righteousnesse for vs, who is our Brother, Redeemer, Patron and Defender: seeing hee shal come gloriouslie, he shal also giue a iust sentence and iudgement, and shal bee mighty enough to deliuer vs: seeing hee shall come to deliuer his church, great cause, why we should cheerefully expect him: seeing he shall abiect and cast awaie the wicked into euerlasting tormentes, let vs suffer patientlie their tyrannie. To conclude, seeing he shall deliuer the godlie, and cast awaie the wicked, hee wil also either deliuer or cast away vs: and therefore it is necessarie that wee repent, and bee thankefull in this life, and flie fleshely securitie, that we maie bee in the number of them whome hee shall deliuer.

The chiefe Questions of the last iudgement.

1 Whether there shall be any iudgement.
2 What that iudgement is.
3 Who shal be iudge.
4 Whence and whither he shal come to iudge.
5 How he shal come.
6 Whom he shal iudge.
7 What shal be the sentence and execution of this iudgement.
8 For what causes this iudgement shal bee.
9 When it shal be.
10 Why god wil haue vs certaine of the last iudgement.
11 Why he would not haue vs certaine of the time.
12 Wherefore God differreth that iudgement.
13 Whether it is to be wished for.

1 WHETHER THERE SHALL BEE ANIE IVDGEMENT

This Question is necessarie. For the Scripture also hath foretold that there shal come in the later times mockers, who shal account this Article for a fable. The last iudgement cannot indeede be demonstrated out of Philosophy: but neither is there any thing in Philosophie against it. But the whole certainty thereof is grounded on diuine Prophecies, or of the doctrine of the church. For although the Philosopher perhaps woulde say somewhat, as seeing a litle through a mist: as, That it is not likely that man was born to this miserie: yet by reason that man hath lost the knoweledge of the righteousnesse, goodnesse, & truth of God, we cānot know out of philosophy, that any iudgement shal be: muchlesse with what circumstances it shall be. The arguments, which Philosophy yeeldeth, are forcible indeed in themselues, but are not made knowen but in diuinity: and therefore the argumentes themselues are onely made forcible & of strength in diuinity. Wherefore we wil draw reasons & proofs out of diuinity or the doctrine of the gospel, by which it may appear that there is a last iudgement.

The first proof is drawn from expresse & plaine testimonies of sacred Scripture: As out of the prophecy of Dan. Likewise out of the prophecy of Enoch, alleadged by the Apostle Jude, vers. 14. & 15. Behold the Lord cōmeth with thousands of his saints, To giue iudgement against all men. Moreouer, out of the sermons of Christ, especiallie in Mat. 24. vers. 25. Likewise out of the sermons of the Apostles. Acts. 17.31. He hath appointed a daie in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath appointed. 1. Thes. 4.16. The lord himselfe shal descend frō heauen with a shout, & with the voice of the Archangel, & with the trumpet of god. Neither is the certainty of the last iudgemēt apparāt only by these & the like plain testimonies of Scripture, but is deduced also out of other places by good consequence: & hence are made those forcible argumēts, which the Philosophers saw but by a glims.

The second proofe is drawen from the ende whereunto mankind was created. God necessarily obtaineth his end; but to this end did he create mankind, that man shoulde bee the image of God, and the euerlasting temple of God, wherein he should be worshipped; to whom he would communicate himselfe, perfect wisedome, righteousnesse, and goodnesse, and would impart his blessednesse. This blessednesse is a part of Gods Image: but this the Diuell hath destroied: Therefore God shall restore it, who is mightier than the Diuell. And although the end, for which man was created, is hindered diuerse waies in this life: yet god will at some time obtaine it. Wherefore it is not onlie (as the Philosophers reason) likelie and probable, that man was not made for these miseries: but it is also most certaine, that the most excellent of all creatures was made to a better ende. Wherefore there must needs be at length a change. By this argument is confirmed also the happinesse of our bodies: According to that of Saint Paul, 1. Cor. 6.19. Know you not that your bodie is the temple of the holy ghost which is in you?

The third proofe is taken from the iustice, goodnesse, and trueth of God, which requireth, that it maie go ful well with the good, & with the euil ful il. Philosophy knoweth not that god is so iust, good and true, that he will haue the righteous to enioy full and perfect blessednesse. But this commeth not to passe in this life; nay rather it goeth well with the euill and wicked in this life. Therefore there must remaine an other life, wherein this shall bee. The holie Scripture vseth this argument, as in Saint Paul, 2. Thess. 1.6. Jt is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you. And Luk. 16.25. Remember that thou in thy lifetime receiuedst thy pleasures, and likewise Lazarus pains: nowe therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented. All other proofes and arguments may be referred vnto these.

2 What is the last iudgement

In euerie iudgement are, the Accused, the Accuser, the iudge, the cause, examination & hearing of the cause, the Law according to which iudgement is giuen, the sentence of absolution and condemnation, and the execution thereof according to the Lawes. Judgement then in generall is an inquisition or examination of a cause by an ordinarie and lawfull iudge, according to iust Lawes, and a pronouncing of sentence, and the exequution thereof according to iust Lawes. Nowe is it easie to define this iudgement of God. This iudge hath no neede of inquisition or examination of the cause, or of witnesses and accusers, seeing he is himselfe the searcher of harts. Therefore there shal be only the iudge, & men, of whom sentence shall be giuen, the law according to which sentence shal be giuen, & execution.

The definition of it is this: 1 The last iudgement is a iudgement which God shal exercise in the end of the world by christ, who should then visiblie descend frō heauen in a cloud, in the glorie & maiesty of his Father & Angels, by whom also then shall be raised from the dead all men, which haue died since the beginning of the world vnto the end thereof: but the rest, who are then liuing shal be sodainly chaunged, and all presented before the tribunall seate of Christ, who shall giue sentence of al, and shal cast the wicked with the diuels into euerlasting tormentes, but shall receiue vp the godlie vnto himselfe, that they maie with him and blessed Angels enioie eternal happinesse and glorie in heauen. It may be defined more brieflie on this wise: The last iudgement shall bee a manifestation, or declaration, and separation of the iust and vniust, who euer haue liued or shall liue from the beginning of the world vnto the end, proceeding from God by christ; and a pronouncing of sentence on these men, and an execution thereof, according to the doctrine of the Law and Gospel.

The partes of this definition wee wil now in few wordes confirme. 1. That iudgement shall be a manifestation of the iust and vniust. For Reuel. 20.12. The books shall be opened, that the secrets of hartes may bee laied open. 2. There shall bee a separation of the iust and vniust. For Mat. 25.32. Christ shall place the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left hand. 3. This manifestation and separation shal be wrought of God by Christ. If of God, then shal it bee a most diuine and iust iudgement. Rom. 3.6 Jf God bee vnrighteous, how shall hee iudge the world? Jt shall bee made and wrought by christ; because Iohn. 5.22. The Father hath committed all iudgement vnto the Son. And Act. 17.31. God hath appointed to iudge the worlde by a man. 4. Jt shall bee a pronouncing of sentence: Mat. 25.34. Come yee Blessed of my Father. We are Blessed of God, not in Adam, but in his seed, and therefore the sentence shall bee giuen according to the gospel. For by nature wee are subiect vnto the wrath of God. Therefore also shall the godly say: When saw wee thee hungering or thirsting? They shall confesse that the retribution of rewardes commeth not by their merit, but by his grace. Furder after this manner the wicked and the godly shall bee iudged according to the Lawe and Gospell: Absolution shall bee principally according to the Gospel; but shal be confirmed by the Law: Condemnation shal bee principally by the Lawe; but shall be confirmed of the Gospel. Sentence shal bee giuen on the wicked, according to their owne merite: Sentence shall be giuen on the godlie, according to Christes merite applyed vnto them by faith: a testimonie and witnesse of which faith shal be their workes. Now to be iudged, is, to bee declared iust before the tribunal of Christ, and to enter into euerlasting life, and that with a respect and condition of faith, which is required in the Gospell.

Obiection. But vnto euerie man shall be giuen according to his workes. Therefore iudgement shall be giuen on al, according to the doctrine of the Law. Aunswere. In this sense, shal be giuen also vnto the elect according to their works: not that their works are merites, but in that they are the effects of faith. Wherefore vnto the elect shal be giuen according to their woorkes, that is, they shal be iudged according to faith: & to be iudged according to faith, is, to be iudged according to the Gospel. But the iudge maketh mention of our woorks, and not of faith. First, because he wil haue it knowen to others why he so iudgeth: least the vngodly & condemned persons might obiect that hee giueth vs eternal life vniustly. Wherefore he wil shew them our workes, and will bring them forth as testimonies to refute them, that we haue in this life applyed vnto vs Christes merit. Secondly, That wee maie haue comfort in this life, that we shall hereafter according to our works stand at his right hand.

3 Who shall be iudge

Christ shall bee the iudge. Iohn 5.22. Hee hath committed all iudgement vnto the Son. Neither yet are the Father & the holie Ghost remoued from this iudgement: But Christ immediatly shal speake, and giue sentence, and that in his humane nature. And when he speaketh, God shal speake; not onely because he himselfe is God, but because the Father shal speake by him. The iudgement then shall belong vnto all three persons of the God-head, as concerning their consent and authority: but vnto Christ, as touching the publishing and exequuting of the iudgement. For Christ shall visibly giue sentence of all, which sentence he shal also together execute. The church also shal iudge, as touching the approbation and allowing of this iudgement: as Christ saith, Luk. 22.30. That the Apostles shal sit on twelue seates, and shall iudge the twelue tribes of Israel, that is, they shall subscribe vnto Christes iudgement, and approoue his sentence.

The causes, why Christ, man, shall bee iudge, are these. 1. Because the church is to bee glorified by the same Mediatour, by whom, and for whom it was iustified. Act. 17.31. God wil iudge the woorld in righteousnesse by that man, whome hee hath appointed. Matth. 24.30. They shal see the sonne of man come in the cloudes of heauen, with power and great glorie. Ioh. 5.27. The Father hath giuen power to the Sonne to execute iudgement, in that hee is the Sonne of man. 2. That we maie haue comfort, knowing him to bee our iudge, who hath purchased vs with his bloode, and who maketh vs his brethren, yea his parts and members.

For he is, 1 Our brother and our flesh. 2 He hath promised, and saide, Ioh. 3.36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life; & cap. 6.24. Verilie, verily I say vnto you, hee that heareth my word, & beleeueth in him that sent me, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death vnto life. The third cause why he commeth, is, to deliuer his Church, and to cast away the wicked. A threefould consolation therefore haue wee by the second comming and iudgement of Christ. 1 From the person. 2 From his promise. 3 From the finall cause and end. The fourth cause why hee commeth iudge, is, the iustice of God: because they haue dealt contumeliously with the sonne of man. Zach. 12.10. They shall looke vpon him whom they haue pearced. Obiection. Christ saith, Ioh. 12.47. That he came not to iudge. In his first comming he came not to iudge the woorlde, but in his second comming he commeth to that end. For a man must be iudge, 1 Because he must iudge men; Therefore he must bee beheld of all. But God is inuisible. 2 That he may the more confound the wicked his enimies, who shal be forced to behold him their iudge, whom they haue so much withstood.

4 Whence and whither Christ shall come

Wee looke for our iudge Christ from heauen. For whither the Apostles sawe him ascend, from thence shall he come. 2. Thess. 1.7. The Lord Jesus shal shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels. Mat. 26.64. Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God, & come in the clouds of the Heauen. From heauen then, where hee sitteth at Gods right hand (not out of the aire, or the sea, or the earth: For as yee haue seene him go into heauen, so shall hee come, Acts. 1.11.) shal he descend into the clouds: that is, he shall descend from heauen visiblie into this region of the aire, as he did indeed visibly ascend. These thinges are necessarily proposed, that the Church may know whence to expect their iudge. For as hee wil haue knowen whither he is ascended, so also will hee haue it knowen whence hee shall come againe: that he might thereby signifie, that hee hath not laid away that humane nature which he tooke.

5 How Christ shall come to iudgement

1 THE dead shall bee raised, and the liuing chaunged. 2. The woorlde shall bee dissolued by fier. 3. Hee shall come sodainlie, to comfort his. And hee shall come, 1 Truelie, visibly, and locallie, not imaginarilie. Matth. 24.30. They shall see the Sonne of man comming in the cloudes of the heauen: and so shall know him to be God by his visible maiesty. Zach. 12.10. They shall looke vpon him whome they haue pearced. 2. Hee shall come furnished and prepared with glorie and diuine maiestie, with all the Angels, with the voice and trump of the Archangel, with diuine power, to raise the deade, and to separate the godly from the wicked, and to cast these into euerlasting tormentes, but to glorifie them for euer. Matth. 16.27. The sonne of man shal come in the glorie of the Father, that is, he shal come furnished with a heauenly multitude of Angels and full of maiesty: and that not by necessity, but by his power and authoritie, shewing himselfe to bee lord ouer al creatures; and that with such glorie, as onely agreeth and is proper vnto the Father. Whereupon withall is gathered, that christ is not a secondarie god, but the second person of the Godhead, equal with the Father. For God wil not giue his glory to any other.

6 Whom Christ shal iudge

He shal iudge all men both quicke and deade, and also the wicked Angels. Now men are called quicke or dead in respect of the state which goeth before the iudgement: As, they which shal remaine aliue vntil the daie of iudgement, are called the quicke and liuing: All the rest except these are called the dead: and these at the daie of iudgement shall rise, the other which remaine then aliue shall bee chaunged. Which chaunge shall bee vnto them insteede of death: and so wee shal al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ. Obiection. But hee that beleeueth in the Son, shall not come into iudgement, and so it followeth, that al shall not bee iudged. Aunswere. Hee that beleeueth, shall not come into the iudgement of condemnation, but shall come into the iudgement of absolution. Wherefore we shal be iudged, as the woord Iudgement is more largely taken for both condemnation, and absolution. The Diuels shal not then bee iudged, that is, condemned: but they shal be iudged, in respect of the publishing of the iudgement already passed on them, as also in respect of the aggrauating of the iudgement. The Prince of this worlde (saith Christ, Iohn 16.11.) is alreadie iudged and condemned. Therefore he shal not then be iudged. Aunswere. The Diuel is alreadie iudged, but that onely 1. By the decree of God. 2. Jn the worde of God. 3. Jn his owne conscience. 4. As touching the beginning of his condemnation. But then he shall bee so iudged, hauing the sentence proclaimed publickly on him, that he shall not bee able to attempt any thing more against God and the Church.

7 What shall bee the Sentence and exequution of iudgement

Sentence shal be giuē (which also we did touch before in the second Question) on the wicked principally according to the Law; yet so, as it shal bee with the approbation of the Gospel. Sentence shal bee giuen on the godly, principallie according to the Gospell; yet so, that the Lawe shal allowe and like of it. The Elect shall heare their sentence out of the Gospell according to the merit of Christ apprehended of them by faith, the testimonies of which faith shal be good workes.

The execution of the Sentence giuen shall bee, 1. By the vertue and diuine power of Christ. For the dead shall bee raised at the hearing of Christes voice: the liuing shal be chaunged, and their mortal bodies shall be made immortall, and shall bee gathered from the fower costes of the worlde. 2. By the ministerie of Angels. For by them Christ shal gather the godlie and the wicked, as by those reapers, by whome also he shal separate the godly from the wicked: and this, not, as if hee had neede of the Angels ministery, but thereby to shewe himselfe to be Lord of the Angels. But this is no impotency or want of power, but a part of Christes glorie, before whose tribunal al we being so gathered by the Angels & seuered shal stand. 1. The world, heauen & earth shal bee dissolued by fier at the execution of this iudgemēt: there shal be a change of this present state, & a purifieng of the creatures; but not any consuming of them. 4. This change (as also the comming & iudgement of the Lord) shall come sodainely, the wicked standing still, where they shall saie, Peace, Peace. 5. There shall be a casting of the wicked into euerlasting paines, and an aduauncing of the godlie to euerlasting happinesse and glorie. For then shal Christ perfectlie glorifie vs, and shal take vs vnto himselfe. John 14.3. J wil come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe. 1. Thessal. 4.17. Wee shall bee caught vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire, and so shal wee euer be with the Lorde. The wicked shall bee cast apart from the Godlie, with the Diuels, and shall bee adiudged to eternall paines: Not as if the wicked were not alreadie condemned: For, as we said, the Diuels were alreadie iudged; so also are the wicked alreadie iudged and condemned, namely, 1. Jn the decree of God. 2 Jn his word 3. In their owne consciences. 4. As concerning the beginning of their iudgement. But then the wicked together 〈◊〉 the Diuels shall bee iudged by proclaiming and publishing of that iudgement. For then shal be, 1 a manifestation of Gods iudgement, that they perish iustlie, who perish. 2. The wicked shall further suffer also punishment and tormentes of bodie, which now is buried. 3. The wicked and the Diuels shal be so sharply lookt vnto, and kept vnder, that they shall not bee able any more to hurt the godly, or to despite God and his church. A great gulfe placed betweene vs and them shall shut vp all passage from them, so that they shall cease to harme vs.

8 For what causes that iudgement shal be

The chiefe and principall cause is the decree of God. For therefore shal the last iudgement be, because god hath said & decreed that it shal be. Wherefore it must needs be so, that so God maie haue his end, that is, that he may shew and declare perfectlie and wholy his goodnesse and loue towardes vs, that hee maie bee worshipped in his Temple, which is in his chosen, that the Sonne of God maie haue his kingdome, and his citizens glorious, and such as beseeme him. 2. A lesse principal and subordinate cause is, both the saluation of the Elect, who are here vexed, and the damnation of the wicked, who here doe florish. For therefore also shal the last iudgement bee, that it maie goe well with the good, and ill with the bad. And of this shall the Godly take matter to magnifie and praise God. 3. The last iudgement shal be, because of Gods iustice. Heere is not a full and perfect execution of Gods iustice. For the wicked must bee in perfect and full ill state, both in bodie and soule.

9 When this iudgement shalbe

This iudgement shal be in the end of the world, in the end of daies. For there are three parts of the during and continuance of the world. 1 Before the Law. 2 Vnder the Law. 3 Vnder Christ. That part of the during of the world, which is vnder christ, is called the ende of the worlde, the end of daies, the last time. Wherefore there shal not be so long space between christs first comming and his second, as was from the beginning of the world vnto his first comming. But the yeare, the day, the moneth of this iudgement is not knowen of Christ himselfe. 1 As touching his humane nature. 2 As touching his office and Mediatorship. Mar. 13.32. Of that day and houre knoweth no mā, no not the Angels which are in heauen, neither the Son himselfe, saue the Father.

10 Wherefore God would haue vs certaine of the last iudgement

The time of the iudgement to come is vnknowen to vs: but as it is most certaine, that that iudgement shal come, so God also would haue vs knowe the same. First, in respect of his glorie: That wee might bee able to refute Epicures, who account this heauenly doctrine of the diuine iudgement to come, for a fable. Jt should goe well, saie they, with the righteous. But it dooth not so. Therefore God either can not performe it, or standeth not to his promises, or there is no prouidence. Vnto which their cauill we aunswere. That because in this life it goeth not well with the Godly, it shall go well with them at length after this life. Secondly, God will haue vs knowe it for our comfort: That we may comfort our selues amidst our euils & miseries with this, that at length shall come a time when we shal be deliuered from this corruption and rottennesse. Thirdly, that we maie retaine & keepe our selues in the feare of God, and our dutie, and that others also may be reclaimed from euill. This iudgement shalbe: let vs endeuour therefore that wee may be able to stand in this iudgement. The scripture vseth this argument both waies, both to comfort vs, and to hold and keepe vs in our duty. Christ shall at length iudge the wicked and our enimies: suffer we therefore patiently persecutions. Rom. 14.10. Wee shal al appear before the iudgement seat of Christ: therefore liue wee Godly. Fourthly, That the wicked may be left excuselesse: For they are warned sufficiently that they shoulde bee ready at euerie season, least they should say, they were oppressed vnawares.

11 For what cause God would not haue vs certaine of the time of iudgement

Albeit it be most certaine, that the last iudgement shal at length be: yet the day of that iudgement is altogether vncertaine. Mar. 13.32. Of that day, and houre, no man knoweth, no not the Angels which are in heauen; nor the Sonne himselfe; saue the Father. Wherefore the yeare, moneth, day, houre of the last iudgement, Christ himselfe also knoweth not, not onely as concerning his humane nature, but also in respect of his present office. The present office of Christ, to wit, in that he is our Mediatour, doth not require, that he should declare that vnto vs. Now the causes why God would haue it hid from vs, are these. 1 That he might exercise our faith and patience, and so we should shew that we would beleeue God, albeit wee knowe not the time of our deliuerie. 2 That he might bridle our curiositie. 3 That he might keepe vs in his feare, in godlinesse, and in executing of our dutie: and so we should bee readie euery moment. Mat. 24.43. Jf the good-man of the house knew. Luk. 12.40. Occupie til I come.

12 For what cause God differreth that iudgement

Hee differreth it, 1 To exercise faith, patience, hope, and praier in the Godlie. 2 That all the elect may bee gathered vnto the Church. For in respect of them, and not in respect of the wicked, doth the world continue. For the creatures were made for the children of the house: The wicked vse them as theeues and robbers. Nowe God will haue the elect gathered by ordinary meanes: he will haue them in this life to heare the word, and by it to be renewed & conuerted; vnto which is required some tract of time. 3 He differeth it, that hee might grant vnto all a time and space of repentaunce, as at this time: and that his differring might leaue the wicked & obstinate without excuse. Rom. 2.4. Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance?

13 Whether the last iudgement bee to be wished for

We are doubtlesse to wish for the day of iudgement, because it is an vndoubted signe and token of that difference, whereby the Elect are discerned from the reprobate: which declaration the Godly doe earnestly desire. Moreouer it shall bee a deliuerie out of those miseries in which we are. Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death? Reu. 22.17. The spirit & the Bride say, Come Lord Jesu: which they say not, who are not ready to receiue the Lorde. For the wicked tremble and shake at the mention of that iudgement.