A Golden Chain

The Triumphant church may thus be described: It is a company of the spirits of just men, triumphing over the flesh, the devil, and the world, praising God. ¹First I say it is a company of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressly termeth it, because the souls only of the godly departed, as of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, &c. are as yet ascended into heaven, and not their bodies. Furthermore the properties of this company are two. The first is, to make triumph over their spiritual enemies the flesh, the devil, the world: for the righteous man so long as he lives in this world is in continual combat without truce with all the enemies of his salvation: and by constant faith obtaining victory in the end of his life, he is translated in glorious and triumphant manner into the kingdom of glory. This was signified to John in a vision in which he saw an innumerable company of all sorts of nations, kindreds, people, and tongues stand before the Lamb clothed in long white robes with palms in their hands, ²in token that they had been warriors, but now by Christ have gotten the victory and are made conquerors. Their second property is to praise and magnify the name of God, as it followeth in the former place, saying Amen: praise and glory, and wisdom, and thanks, honour, power, and might be unto our God for evermore. Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no? Ans. The blessed Angels be in heaven in the presence of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, but they are not of the mystical body of Christ, because they are not under him as he is their redeemer, considering they can not be redeemed, which never fell: and it can not be proved that they now stand by the virtue of Christs redemption: but they are under him as he is their Lord and King, and by the power of Christ as he is God, and their God, are they confirmed. And therefore as I take it, we can not say, that Angels are members of the mystical body of Christ or of the triumphant church; though indeed, they be of the company of the blessed.

The Triumphant church may thus be described: It is a companie of the spirits of iust men, triumphing ouer the flesh, the deuill, and the world, praising God. ¹First I say it is a companie of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it, because the soules onely of the godly departed, as of Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Dauid, &c. are as yet ascended into heauen, and not their bodies. Furthermore the properties of this companie are two. The first is, to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh, the deuill, the world: for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall combate without truce with al the enemies of his saluation: and by constant faith obtaining victorie in the ende of his life, he is translated in glorious and triumphant maner into the kingdome of glorie. This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which he saw an innumerable companie of all sorts of nations, kinreds, people, and tongues stand before the Lambe clothed in long white robes with palmes in their handes,