A08483:405
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 second use is patience and constancy. For this same full felicity is propounded to be believed, to this end that the faithful, when they shall mark that same taste of happiness, which they feel by the first fruits of the spirit, and shall perceive that they are far of from the full fruition and enjoying of it, in respect of the manifold strife which they have with sundry tribulations, which God useth as instruments to mortify sin and to conserve them to the head Christ, they should not in the mean season be any whit at all discouraged, but turning the eyes of their minds to that full happiness, they should wait with a peaceable mind for the day of the revelation. For so saith Christ Luke 21. Ye shall be hated of all men for my name sake, but an hear of your head shall not perish; possess your souls through patience. And 2. Tim. 2. If any man strive, he is not crowned, unless he strive lawfully.
The seconde vse is patience and constancie. For this same full felicitie is propounded to be beleeued, to this end that the faithfull, when they shall marke that same taste of happinesse, which they feele by the first fruites of the spirit, and shall perceiue that they are farre of from the full fruition and enioying of it, in respecte of the manifold strife which they haue with sundrie tribulations, which God vseth as instrumentes to mortifie sinne and to conserue them to the head Christ, they shoulde not in the meane season be any whit at al discouraged, but turning the eyes of their mindes to that ful happines, they should waite with a peaceable minde for the day of the reuelation. For so saith Christ Luke 21. Ye shall be hated of al mē for my name sake, but an heare of your heade shall not perish; possesse your soules through patience. And 2. Tim. 2. If any man striue, he is not crowned, vnlesse he striue lawfully.
Now this same second use ought specially to arm the ministers of the word, with an invincible fortitude against the unthankfulness of the world, to which they do good against the will thereof, against pinching poverty, banishments, and to be short sundry dangers: that if so be that the courage of their mind, be sometimes pressed down under the burden of calamities, they remember that that same great weight of the glory prepared be put in the other scale of the balance: which without all doubt shall so overweigh it, that it shall make that same first to be most light. For this cause we are not