A08483:234
An exposition of the Symbol of the ApostlesAn exposition of the Symbole of the Apostles
An exposition of the Symbol of the Apostles, or rather of the articles of faith In which the chief points of the everlasting and free covenant between God and the faithful is briefly and plainly handled. Gathered out of the catechising sermons of Gasper Oleuvian Trevir, and now translated out of the Latin tongue into the English for the benefit of Christ his Church. By John Field.An exposition of the Symbole of the Apostles, or rather of the articles of faith In which the chiefe points of the euerlasting and free couenant betweene God and the faithfull is briefly and plainly handled. Gathered out of the catechising sermons of Gasper Oleuvian Treuir, and now translated out of the Latine tongue into the English for the benefite of Christ his Church. By Iohn Fielde.
London: printed by H. Middleton for Thomas Man, 1581
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Of the fruits, whereof we are made partakers by the death of Christ.
Of the fruites, whereof we are made partakers by the death of Christ.
THE first fruit is, that the obedience of Christ is our righteousness before God. For in the death of Christ faith specially looketh upon that same voluntary, and special obedience of the son, whereby he was made obedient to the father, even to the death, and to the death of the cross: Philip. 2.8. Hebr. 5.8. And therefore even as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one righteous, many are made righteous. Rom. 5. And because by his death he justifieth us from our sins, through which the devil got the power of death, the scripture saith that the son of God through death abolished him, that had the power of death, that is the devil, & set free, as many as through the fear of death through all their life were subject to bondage. Heb. 2. Therefore in this article, there is contained this promise, which I take by faith, that Christ died for my sins, the just for the unjust, that I clothed through faith with this obedience, might be esteemed righteous before God. And surely when Isay in the 53. chap. had largely set forth that same willing obedience of the death of Christ, as a lamb not opening his mouth, after wards he expressly setteth forth in the same being laid hold on by faith, our justification in these words: My righteous servant by his knowledge shall justify many, because he shall ⟨p. 163⟩bear their sins. Certainly it must needs be, that the voluntary passion and death of the son of God be an excellent thing, seeing that there are not so many & so evident prophesies of any thing, as of that, so that there was no day passed, but the same in a figure, as in a visible prophecy, to wit, in that continual sacrifice morning and evening, was set before the eyes; and seeing without the shedding of blood there could be no remission, it must of necessity be a most precious thing; and seeing S. Peter saith, that the Prophets have enquired and searched, when or what time, that same forewitnes, which was that same spirit of Christ in them, should declare the sufferings that should come unto Christ, and the glory that should follow.