A08483:329
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.
The third fruit.
The thirde fruite.
THE third fruit is the defence of the Church against all our enemies, sin, the flesh, the world, tyrants, devils: all which our heavenly father calleth the enemies of Christ: and in very deed he showeth daily examples of his power in overthrowing them, Psal. 110. The Lord hath said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool unto thy feet. Jehovah shall send the sceptre of thy strength out of Zion: rule in the middest of thine enemies. Surely a wonderful consolation that we are his brethren, yea his members, to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth, without whose will ⟨p. 221⟩& power, neither the Turks nor antichrist can devise any thing against the Church, no nor conclude or move so much as a finger for the executing of their counsels: so that Christ reigneth in such sort in the middest of his enemies, that he will not be shut out, no not out of their most secrete counsels. Yea we are the brethren and members of that Christ, by whose most present divine power, all men are governed, and all creatures in heaven and in earth; so that we may say with full security of mind with the Apostle, Romans 8. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? shall anguish? shall persecution? shall hunger? shall nakedness? shall danger? shall the sword? (as it is written, For thy sake are we killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep appointed to the slaughter) yea but in all these things, we are more then conquerors through him that hath loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. If when Christ reigned in humility the devils were constrained to ask him leave, how shall they now dare to attempt any thing against any member of Christ, after that Christ is ascended on high & hath led captivity captive, unless first they shall entreat the Lord Christ? But faithful is Christ our Lord, who shall not suffer us to be tempted, above that we shall be able to bear.