A08483:342
A08483:342
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.
First the cause doth comfort the faithful for which he shall come to judge. Now the chief end of the coming again of Christ to judgement, is ⟨p. 227⟩the glorifying of the Church, that is to say, that sin and death being fully overcome, and the enemies of the kingdom being adjudged by the just judgement of Christ to everlasting pain, and so all offences and impediments removed which did let the glory of the sons of God, God might appear without any let fully & perfectly glorious in his saints, Eph. 5.1. Cor. 15. Christ setteth this same cause or rather end & scope before our eyes, whilst he calleth that day the day of redemption. Secondly the very person of the judge doth take from us all fear: For even, for this cause the father hath delivered all judgment to the son, as he is the son of man that he might make our consciences quiet, & take from us all terror of condemnation. Joh. 5.22.27. Both because that now we believe that he shall be judge, and also because we shall behold him with our eyes in whose body our sins are cleansed, and all the curse taken away. Heb. 9.28. Tit. 2.13.14. Last of all the commandment & promise of Christ doth free & deliver us from all fear. The commandment is plain in Luk. 21. When ye shall see these things come to pass, be of good comfort, & lift up your heads. Math. 24. It shall come to pass, that ye shall hear of wars and rumours of war, but see that ye he not troubled, for these things must be. The promise is plain in third of Joh. He that believeth in the son, is not judged or condemned. And cap. 5.24 1. Thes. 4.14.17. & cap. 5, ver. 9.10. Joh. 17. ver. 22.24. yea & let that promise be considered which is in 1. Cor. 6. do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And a little after, be ye ignorant that it shall come to pass, that we shall judge the Angels? ⟨p. 228⟩And surely seeing all the Articles of the faith are delivered for our consolation, it must needs be that this article also of judgement is delivered, not to shake, but to confirm and establish our faith.
FIrst ye cause doth cōfort ye faithful for which he shal come to iudge. Now ye chiefe end of ye cōming againe of Christ to iudgement, is ⟨p. 227⟩the glorifying of the Church, that is to say, that sinne and death being fully ouercome, and the enemies of the kingdome being adiudged by ye iust iudgemēt of Christ to euerlasting paine, and so all offences and impediments remoued which did let the glory of the sons of God, God might appeare without any let fully & perfectly glorious in his saints, Eph. 5.1. Cor. 15. Christ setteth this same cause or rather ende & scope before our eyes, whilest he calleth that day the day of redemption. Secondly ye very person of the iudge doth take frō vs al feare: For euen, for this cause the father hath deliuered al iudgmēt to the son, as he is the sonne of man yt he might make our consciences quiet, & take from vs all terror of condemnation. Ioh. 5.22.27. Both because yt now we beleeue yt he shall be iudge, and also because we shal behold him with our eyes in whose body our sinnes are cleansed, and all ye curse taken away. Heb. 9.28. Tit. 2.13.14. Last of al the commandement & promise of Christ doth free & deliuer vs frō al feare. The cōmandement is plaine in Luk. 21. Whē ye shal see these thinges come to passe, be of good comfort, & lift vp your heades. Math. 24. It shall come to passe, that yee shall heare of wars and rumors of warre, but see that yee he not troubled, for these things must be. The promise is plaine in third of Ioh. He that beleeueth in the son, is not iudged or cōdēned. And cap. 5.24 1. Thes. 4.14.17. & cap. 5, ver. 9.10. Ioh. 17. ver. 22.24. yea & let yt promise be cōsidered which is in 1. Cor. 6. doe yee not knowe that the sainctes shall iudge the worlde? And a little after, bee yee ignorant that it shall come to passe, that wee shall iudge the Angels?
WE must prepare our selves to the judgement of Christ, by faith and a good conscience: that is to say, by a faith which leaneth upon a fast and sure foundation: and by the fruits of faith which do bear witness of it, and with which it is exercised: Now the foundation of faith is not our merit, neither in whole, nor in part: but of Christ alone, who delivereth us from the wrath to come. 1. Thess. 1. For no man can lay any other foundation, then that which is laid already, to wit, Jesus Christ. 1. Cor. 3. The which also is manifestly understood by the words of the judge himself: For first he saith, Come ye blessed of my heavenly father: Now we are not blessed by, or in our selves, but by Christ, by whom we are both delivered from the curse, and also adopted to be sons of the mere good will, and free purpose of God. Galat. 3. Ephesi. 1.2. The judge further addeth, Possess for an inheritance the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. If an inheritance; then no merit: If prepared from the beginning of the world; then not gotten by us which yet were not. And these things concerning ⟨p. 229⟩the foundation whereupon our faith leaneth. Now after that I am assured through faith, that I am one of the sheep of Christ, which he hath redeemed not with gold and silver, but with his own blood: I must endeavour that I may have those same marks where with by his spirit he is wont to mark his sheep, to wit, fruits worthy repentance: which are, that I feed Christ being hungry, and give drink unto him being thirsty in his members: that I receive Christ by hospitality in strangers, &c. But the faithful rest not upon these works of thankfulness, like as also they shall say in the judgement, Lord, when saw we thee, hungry and thirsty, and gave meat & drink unto thee? But they shall only rest upon Christ, who is made unto them of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 1. Cor. 1. To these fruits and exercises of faith, belong sobriety, calling upon the name of God, and watchfulness. For it is a precious deceit of satan, whilst he persuadeth men that that same judgement is yet far off: or that there is no need every hour or moment to look for it: when as notwithstanding the commandment of Christ, and the doctrine of the Apostles require special watchfulness,
verse 44.45. 1. Thessa. 4. vers. 15.17. and chapter 5. verse. 1.2. 1. Pet. 3. Besides these, the looking for judgement, doeth admonish the faithful, that above all things they take heed unto themselves, least they defile their bodies or their souls with the idolatry ⟨p. 230⟩of Antichrist or with the like, & that they underprop their minds with patience, concerning which matter there are extant grave admonitions Mat. 24. ver. 24.25. & Apo. 14. ver. 7.7.11.12. & chap. 18. ver. 4. To conclude, we must keep a good conscience in all things, even until the Lord shall come, who shall make manifest the secretes of darkness, & shall lay open the counsels of the hart. 1. Cor. 4.5. So Paul saith, Act. 24. In this therefore I exercise my self that always I may have a conscience without offence before God and men.
verse 44.45. 1. Thessa. 4. vers. 15.17. and chapter 5. verse. 1.2. 1. Pet. 3. Besides these, the looking for iudgement, doeth admonish the faithful, that aboue all thinges they take heede vnto themselues, least they defile their bodies or their soules with the idolatrie ⟨p. 230⟩of Antichrist or with the like, & that they vnderprop their mindes with patience, concerning which matter there are extant graue admonitions Mat. 24. ver. 24.25. & Apo. 14. ver. 7.7.11.12. & chap. 18. ver. 4. To conclude, wee must keepe a good conscience in al things, euen vntil the Lord shal come, who shall make manifest ye secretes of darkenes, & shal lay open the coūsels of the hart. 1. Cor. 4.5. So Paul saith, Act. 24. In this therefore I exercise my selfe that alwayes I may haue a conscience without offence before God and men.
Joel 2.28 And it shall come to pass afterward: I will power out my spirit upon all flesh, & your sons & your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions: yea and upon the servants and maidens in those days, I will pour out my spirit, and I will show wonders in the heaven & in the earth: blood, & fire, & pillars of smoke: the sun it self shall be turned into darkness & the moon into blood, before the great & terrible day of the Lord come. And further it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of Jehovah, shall be ⟨p. 231⟩saved: for in Mount Zion, and Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. Acts 2.16.17. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, And it shall be in the last day, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy &c. Isaiah 59.20 21. And the redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them, that turn from iniquity in Jacob, saith Jehovah, and I will make this my covenant with them, my spirit, that is upon thee, & my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed, saith the Lord, from hence forth even for ever. Joh. 14. verses 16.17.18.19. &c. I will pray the father, and he shall give you an other comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the spirit of trueth whom the world can not receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you fatherless: but I will come to you, yet a little while, and the world shall see me no more, but ye shall see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day shall ye know that I am in my father, and you in me, and I in you. Many moe testimonies were alleged, when we entreated of the trinity.
Ioel 2.28 And it shall come to passe afterward: I will power out my spirit vpon all flesh, & your sonnes & your daughters shal prophecie: your olde men shall dreame dreames, and your yong men shal see visions: yea and vppon the seruants and maidens in those days, I will powre out my spirit, and I will shewe wonders in the heauen & in the earth: blood, & fire, & pillers of smoke: the sonne it selfe shalbe turned into darkenes & the moone into blood, before the great & terrible day of the Lord come. And further it shal come to passe, that whosoeuer shall cal vpon the name of Iehovah, shall be
I Believe that the holy Ghost is very true & everlasting God, and of the same substance together with the father and the son, and yet notwithstanding a person distinct from both, ⟨p. 232⟩as proceeding from them both. And therefore forasmuch as he is very God, I place my confidence and trust in him, as in the father and in the son, and I trust in him that he will work all, that in me, being empty of all good, that he himself hath promised in his word, & for which cause he is sent of the father & the son. Now his effects they are many and diverse. For first of all he is given, that he may witness the love of the father in our hearts, Gal. 4. & that he may lighten the eyes of our mind with the knowledge of Christ: & that through faith he may so engraft me into Christ as a branch into the vine & may make me a partaker of Christ, & all his benefits, Joh. 15. This conjunction with Christ & his benefits, which the holy ghost doeth work in us, the scripture doth express with great force when he saith, that the holy ghost doeth sprinkle us with the blood of Christ, 1. Pet 1. doth make us members of Christ, 1. Cor. 6. doth feed us with Christ, Joh. 6. doth make us drink of Christ, 1. Cor. 10. & the 12. and doth build us upon Christ. Eph. 2. In which the office and end of the holy ghost given unto us, is showed, that through faith it may most nearly knit us unto Christ, and may work the like things both in the members & head, seeing it is the same spirit, that is to say, the very same life & glory, Rom. 8. I believe that the holy ghost as the true & very God will work these things in me, which he hath promised unto me that believe; even as these his peculiar epithetons & names do declare: that he is the water flowing unto everlasting life, John. 4.7. A water which shall cleanse ⟨p. 233⟩
To him I trust, to him I wholly deliver my self to be governed, comforted, and quickened in the father, and in Jesus Christ his son, who through the holy Ghost make their abiding with us.
To him I trust, to him I wholy deliuer my selfe to be gouerned, comforted, and quickened in the father, and in Iesus Christe his sonne, who through the holie Ghost make their abiding with vs.
That same everlasting covenant that God hath stricken with Abraham, the Son of God in mans nature, taken of the seed of Abraham hath confirmed, by satisfying the righteousness of God perfectly, in manner as I have confessed in the former articles of faith. Now it resteth that the holy Ghost engraft us into Christ through faith the true seed of Abraham, and so pour out that blessing, promised to Abraham and his seed upon us, and by the earnest of an everlasting inheritance. Paul saith in the third to the Galatians, that in the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham is extant in Christ ⟨p. 234⟩Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith. And a little after, Now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made, he saith not, & to the seeds, as speaking of many: but, and to thy seed (as of one) which is Christ. Also, And if ye be Christs, then are ye Abraham's seed & heirs by promise: And Rom. 9.8.2. Cor. 1.21.22.
THat same euerlasting couenant that God hath stricken with Abraham, the Sonne of God in mans nature, taken of the seede of Abrahā hath confirmed, by satisfying the righteousnes of God perfectly, in manner as I haue confessed in the former articles of faith. Nowe it resteth that the holie Ghost engraffe vs into Christ through faith the true seed of Abraham, and so powre out that blessing, promised to Abraham and his seede vpon vs, and by the earnest of an euerlasting inheritance. Paule saith in the third to the Galathians, that in the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham is extant in Christ ⟨p. 234⟩Iesus, that we might receaue the promise of the spirit through faith. And a little after, Now to Abraham and to his seede were the promises made, he saith not, & to the seedes, as speaking of many: but, and to thy seede (as of one) which is Christ. Also, And if yee be Christs, then are yee Abrahams seede & heires by promise: And Rom. 9.8.2. Cor. 1.21.22.
WE must prepare our selues to the iudgement of Christ, by faith and a good conscience: that is to say, by a faith which leaneth vppon a fast and sure foundation: and by the fruites of faith which doe beare witnesse of it, and with which it is exercised: Nowe the foundation of faith is not our merite, neither in whole, nor in part: but of Christ alone, who deliuereth vs from the wrath to come. 1. Thess. 1. For no man can lay any other foundation, then that which is laide alreadie, to wit, Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 3. The which also is manifestly vnderstood by the wordes of the iudge himselfe: For first he saith, Come ye blessed of my heauenly father: Nowe wee are not blessed by, or in our selues, but by Christ, by whome we are both deliuered from the cursse, and also adopted to be sonnes of the meere good will, and free purpose of God. Galat. 3. Ephesi. 1.2. The iudge further addeth, Possesse for an inheritance the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde. If an inheritance; then no merite: If prepared from the beginning of the worlde; then not gotten by vs which yet were not. And these things concerning ⟨p. 229⟩the foundation wherevppon our faith leaneth. Nowe after that I am assured through faith, that I am one of the sheepe of Christ, which he hath redeemed not with golde and siluer, but with his owne blood: I must endeuour that I may haue those same markes where with by his spirite hee is wont to marke his sheepe, to wit, fruits worthie repentance: which are, that I feede Christ being hungrie, and giue drinke vnto him being thirstie in his mēbers: that I receiue Christ by hospitalitie in strangers, &c. But the faithfull rest not vppon these workes of thankefulnesse, like as also they shall say in the iudgement, Lord, when saw we thee, hungrie and thirstie, and gaue meate & drinke vnto thee? But they shall onely reste vppon Christ, who is made vnto them of God, wisedome, righteousnes, sanctification and redemption. 1. Cor. 1. To these fruites and exercises of faith, belong sobrietie, calling vpon the name of God, and watchfulnesse. For it is a precious deceit of sathan, whilest he persuadeth men that that same iudgement is yet farre off: or that there is no neede euerie houre or moment to looke for it: when as notwithstanding the comaundement of Christe, and the doctrine of the Apostles require speciall watchfulnesse, Luke 21. Matth. 24.
I Beleeue that the holy Ghost is verie true & euerlasting God, and of the same substance together with the father and the son, and yet notwithstanding a person distinct from both, ⟨p. 232⟩as proceeding from them both. And therefore forasmuch as he is verie God, I place my confidence and trust in him, as in the father and in ye sonne, and I trust in him that he will worke al, that in me, being emptie of all good, that hee himself hath promised in his word, & for which cause he is sent of the father & the sonne. Now his effectes they are many and diuerse. For first of all he is giuen, that he may witnes the loue of the father in our hearts, Gal. 4. & that he may lighten the eyes of our minde with the knowledge of Christ: & that through faith he may so engraft me into Christ as a brāch into ye vine & may make me a partaker of Christ, & al his benefits, Ioh. 15. This coniunction with Christ & his benefits, which the holy ghost doeth worke in vs, ye scripture doth expresse with great force when he saith, yt the holy ghost doeth sprinkle vs with the blood of Christ, 1. Pet 1. doth make vs members of Christ, 1. Cor. 6. doth feede vs wt Christ, Ioh. 6. doth make vs drinke of Christ, 1. Cor. 10. & the 12. and doth build vs vpon Christ. Eph. 2. In which the office and end of the holy ghost giuen vnto vs, is shewed, yt through faith it may most neerely knit vs vnto Christ, and may work ye like things both in ye mēbers & head, seing it is ye same spirit, yt is to say, ye very same life & glory, Rom. 8. I beleeue yt the holy ghost as the true & very God wil worke these thinges in me, which he hath promised vnto me yt beleue; euē as these his peculiar epithetons & names do declare: that he is ye water flowing vnto euerlasting life, Iohn. 4.7. A water which shal cleanse ⟨p. 233⟩me, Ezek. 36. 1. Corinthians, 6. An annoynting which shal remaine in vs, 1. Iohn. 2. the seale and earnest of inheritance: in all which it is promised vnto vs that he is giuen vnto vs to comforte vs in all aduersities, to helpe vs in our infirmities, to make intercession for vs with sighes and grones that can not be expressed, (forasmuch as we knowe not to pray as we ought) and so that he be our true comforte or aduocate, who suffereth not vs to be destitute of his counsaile and helpe, but handleth our cause himselfe, to the ende he may be in vs and remaine with vs for euer, Iohn. 16.