A08483:287
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.
Howe Christ being absent, is yet present.
BUT if that Christ went from us, & hath left this world, how is that promise of Christ fulfilled, Behold I am always with you unto the end of the world? Matthew 28. Surely it is so fulfilled, even like as that same other word of Christ was fulfilled. Verily I say unto you, that before Abraham was, I am. John 8. For like as he fulfilled that, by the presence not of his flesh, but of his divinity, and yet feared not to say, I; admit that he understood it only of the presence of his divinity: so also according to his majesty, according to his providence, according to his unspeakable and invisible grace, that saying was fulfilled of him, Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the world. For indeed according to the flesh which the world hath taken on it,1 according to that that was borne of the virgin, according ⟨p. 199⟩to that which was taken of the Jews, which was nailed to the tree, that was taken down from the cross, that was lapped in linen, that was laid in the grave, that was manifested in the resurrection, You shall not always have me with you. Why so? Because he was conversant according to his bodily presence, forty days with his disciples, and leading them by seeing, but not by following, he ascended into heaven, and is not here. For he is there, and sitteth at the right hand of the father: and is here, for the presence of his majesty hath not departed. And otherwise according to the presence of his majesty we have Christ always: but according to the presence of the flesh, it was well said unto his disciples, but me ye shall not have always.