Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Dedication 2
To the moſt mighty and noble Prince and Lord, Friderike Countie Palatine by the Rhene, Duke of either Bauaria, Elector of the ſacred Romane Empire, his moſt gratious Prince and Lorde, Gaſper Oleuian Treuir, wiſheth from his heart, grace and peace from our Lorde Ieſus Christ.
THere are two ſpecial cauſe… (moſt noble Prince Elector, and my verie good Lorde) which hauehave moued me to the publiſhing of this little booke. One, that I might profite the ſtudious youth by this eaſie & plaine doctrine, to wit, to the end that by the taste thereof, they may be ſtirred vp and prouoked to the miniſterie of the worde of God. For verily, they chiefly ſerue the Church of Chriſt, who allured by the ſweetnes of the heauenly doctrine (becauſe they hauehave taſted how good the Lorde is) and being ſtirred vp with a care of promoting his glory, offer vp to the faithful people, yea rather to Chriſt himſelfe, their diligence, yea and in a ſorte themſelues alſo. And truely it is a great matter, euē frō the tender yeres to hauehave deeply taſted Christ in his heauēly doctrine: for frō thence doth neceſſarily flow (as Peter calleth it) that ſame deſire of the ſyncere milke of his worde,1. Pet. 2.2. and that ſame feruent deſire of communicating of it vntounto others. Many good and learned men here, know that this was the beſt and principal cauſe of the publiſhing hereof, vntounto whō I cōmunicated (ſome yeares paſt) thoſe things which now I ſet forth, and alſo declared the purpoſe of the publiſhing therof: But hitherto, I hauehave deferred the ſame, becauſe I feared leaſt this ſimplicitie of teaching, and writing not ſo filed and laboured, ſhould not ſatisfie many, wherwith I endeuoured not ſo much to feede their eares as their mindes. An other cauſe was, that it might be a teſtimonie of doctrine, againſt that ſame tempeſt which in many places is ſtirred vp againſt this Church. Againſt this, I would ſet this bulwarke of ſande, if peraduenture God who is mightie in the weake, would vouchſafe to appeaſe the ſame in the mindes of certaine more moderate than the reſt, & alſo aſſwage it a litle in others. For I hauehave thought of that ſame greate power of God, whereby he hath ſet vntounto the ſea her boūds: which whē it woulde ſeeme with his hugenes, to ouerwhelme the whole earth, by the commaundement of God, all his force is broken againſt the ſofte ſand: I hauehave truſted therefore that through this ſimple and plaine declaration, of the groundes of our religion, which hitherto we hauehave vſed, that the Lord would bring ſome good thinge to paſſe, for the appeaſing of certaine mens mindes, vntounto whom peraduenture our innocencie, hithervnto hath beene leſſe knowne. Many keepe a great ſtirre, as though horrible doctrine ſounded in the congregation of this Church, and ſuch rumors are ſcattered abrode farre and wide. Some may ſay that euen a ſea of ſclaunderous reproches, is vomited out againſt vsus, wherewith we might be drowned. But whie rage you, ô good ſirs? (for let it be free for me, by your highnes leaue, euen to compell them) conſider all the articles of our Christian faith, will you finde in any one any ſuch matter of raging? Be not all thinges exacted to the rule of God his word, and are they not directed to edification in true and ſound godlines? If you your ſelues doe not feele that ſame conſolation in your conſciences of this doctrine, I will freely graunt, that iustlie you riſe vp againſt vsus: But take heed I beſeech you, that you riſe not vp againſt your owne conſcience, againſt God himſelfe, who in the conſcience hath erected his high ſeate. For certeinly nothing hath bin done of vsus in corners. We hauehave manie, yea innumerable witneſſes of the expoſition of this chriſtan doctrine, yea your highnes it ſelfe, who ſhal reade the ſelfeſame thinges here, which publiquely you heaue now hard theſe fiften yeres paſt, in which it hath pleaſed the Lord that I ſhould deliuer here vntounto his Church theſe principall grounds of the chriſtian faith. You hauehave now (moſt noble prince Elector) the cauſes of the publiſhing hereof, which as I know to be true, ſo I doubted not to lay them open to your highnes.
Now as touching that, which may priuately concerne your highnes, this ſhorte treatiſe lately drawne out of thoſe catechiſing ſermons of the former yeares, ſhalbe at the leaſt wiſe ſome ſignification of a thankefull minde, for a ſpeciall benifite, for that, your highnes hath giuen enterteinment to that ſame heauenly doctrine, the vndoubted word of the prophets and Apoſtles reueiled vntounto men; and alſo hath procured to many of the children of God, (being gathered together vnderunder the winges of your highnes, with more than a fatherly clemencie) the pure doctrine of ſaluation, adminiſtred altogether with an heroical and principall ſpirite, and altogether through the grace of God, with a chearfull minde. Now if againe, in this your highnes age, (which the Lord vouchſafe to renue, as the age of the Egle) your highnes by the reading of the doctrine of God his prouidence, of the power of Chriſt his reſurrection, of the euerlaſting righteouſnes now brought into light, and of the glorious gouernment of all thinges, of Chriſt ſitting at the right hand of God the father, in the heauens, and eſpecially of his Church, of which he is the head: if youre highnes (I ſay) by his mercifull acceptation an elect and noble member of his, do conceiue any ſpirituall gladnes in the middest of theſe miſeries of the Church, whereby God doth alwaies exerciſe your highnes faith, this certainly ſhalbe my greateſt deſire, and the matter of all our ioy. The Lord Ieſus continue your highnes, (who hauehave by ſo many meanes ſo fauorablie comforted me in this ſicknes, and chiefly with that ſame excellent gifte of God, I meane with that cleare well water) to inrich the ſame againe with all kinde of bleſſinges, together with all your poſteritie, to the aduancement of his glorie, and the conſolation of Gods children. Amen: vntil that ſame eternal ſonne of God fill vsus with ioye, gathered together vntounto himſelfe into heauē, with that ſame ſweete and euerlaſting ſighte of himſelfe: your highnes (I ſay,) with all that call vppon his name, & lead vsus to thoſe foūtaines of euerlasting waters. Amen. Faithfull is he that hath promiſed & he wil bring it to paſſe. Giuen at Heydelberge the 19. day of March Anno D. 1576.
Your excellent highnes his moſt boūden. Gaſper Oleuian, miniſter of Gods worde.