A Golden Chain, Part 20
The foundation of Christian religion, gathered into sixe Principles.
The first Principle.
Question. VVHat doest thou beleeue concerning God?
A. There is one God, creator and gouernour of all things, distinguished into the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost. Prooues out of the word of God.
1. There is a God.
For the invisible things of him, that is, his eternall power and Godhead, are seene by the creation of the world, beeing considered in his workes, to the intent,Rom. 1.10. that they should be without excuse.
Neuerthelesse, he left not himselfe without witnesse, in that he did good and gaue vsus raine from heauen,Act. 14. 17 and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladnes.
2. This God one.
Concerning therefore meat sacrificed to idols, we knowe that an idol is nothing in the worlde:1. Cor. 8.4. and that there is none other God but one.
3. He is creatour of all things.
In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth.
Through faith wee vnderstand, that the world was ordained by the word of God:Gen. 1.1. Heb. 11.3. so that the things which we see, are not made of things which did appeare.
4. He is gouernour of all things.
The eies of the Lord in eueryevery place behold the euill and the good.Prou. 15.3. Mat. 10.10.
Yea, and all the haires of your head are numbred.
5. Distinguished into the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.
And Iesus when he was baptized came straight out of the water, and loe,Mat. 3.16 the heauens were opened vntounto him, and Iohn sawe the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vponupon him.
And loe, a voice came from heauen, saying:vers. 17. This is my beloued sonne, in whome I am well pleased.
For there are three, which beare record in heauen, the Father, the word, and the holy Ghost,1. Ioh. 5.7. and these three are one.
The second Principle.
Q. What dost thou beleeue cōcerning man, & cōcerning thine own selfe?
A. All men are wholly corrupted with sinne through Adams fall, and so are become slaues of Sathan, and guiltie of eternall damnation.
1. All men are corrupted with sinne.
As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.Rom. 3. 10.
2. They are wholly corrupted.
Nowe the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout, and I pray God that your whole spirit, and soule, and bodie,1. Th. 5.…. may be kept blamelesse vntounto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ.
This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord, that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their minde.Eph. 4.1….
Hauing their cogitation darkened, and beeing strangers from the life of God.vers. 18. through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardnesse of their heart.
Gen. 6.5.When the Lord sawe that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth, and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onelyonly euill continually.
3. Through Adams fall
Rom. 5.12.Wherefore as by one man, sinne entred into the worlde, and death by sinne, and so death went went ouer all men, for so much as all men hauehave sinned.
4. And so are become slaues of Sathan.
Eph. 2.2.Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of the worlde, and after the prince that ruleth in the aire, euen the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience.
Heb. 2.14.For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them, that hee might destroy through death, him that had the power of death, that is, the deuill.
2. Cor. 4.4.In whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes, that is, of Infidels, that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ, which is the image of God should not shine vntounto them.
5. And guiltie of eternall damnation.
Gal. 3.10.For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe, are vnderunder the curse, for it is written: Cursed is eueryevery man that continueth not in all things, which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them. Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation: so by the iustifying of one, the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life.Rom. 5.18.
The third Principle.
Q. What meanes is there for thee to escape this damnable estate?
A. Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God, beeing made man, by his death vponupon the crosse and by his righteousnes, hath perfectly alone by himselfe, accomplished all things that are needfull for the saluation of mankind.
1. Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God,
Ioh. 1.14.And the word was made flesh and dwelt among vsus, and we sawe the glory thereof, as the glory of the onelyonly begotten (Sonne) of the Father full of grace and trueth.
2. Being made man.
Heb. 2.16.For he in no sort tooke the angels, but he tooke the seede of Abraham.
3. By his death vponupon the crosse.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was vponupon him, and with his stripes we are healed.Esa. 53.5.
4. And by his righteousnes.
Rom. 5.19.For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, shall many also be made righteous.
For he hath made him to be sinne for vsus which knewe no sinne, that wee should be made the righteousnes of God in him.2. Cor. 5.21.
5. Hath perfectly
Heb. 7.25.Wherefore he is able also perfectly to saue them that come vntounto God by him, seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them.
6. Alone by himselfe
Act. 4.12.Neither is there saluation in any other, for among men there is giuen none other name vnderunder heauen, whereby we must be saued.
7. Accomplished all things needefull for the saluation of mankind.
And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes, and not for ours onelyonly, but also for the sinnes of the whole worlde.1. Ioh. 2.2.
The fourth Principle.
Q. But how maiest thou be made partaker of Christ and his benfits?
A. A man of a contrite and humble spirit, by faith alone apprehending & applying Christ with all his merits vntounto himselfe, is iustified before God and sanctified.
1. A man of a contrite and humble spirit
For thus saith hee, that is high and excellent, he that inhabiteth the eternitie, whose name is the holy one, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to reuiue the spirit of the humble, and to giuegive life to thē that are of a contrite heart.Esa. 51.15.
The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit, a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.Psal. 51.17.
2. By faith alone.
As soone as Iesus heard that word spoken, he said vntounto the Ruler of the Sinagogue, be not afraid, onelyonly beleeue.Mark. 5.36.
So Moses made a serpent of brasse, and set it vp for a signe, and when a serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the serpent of brasse and liued.Num. 21.19.
And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, so must the sonne of man bee lifted vp.Ioh. 3.14.
That whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but hauehave eternall life.verse 15.
3. Apprehending and applying Christ with all his merits vntounto himselfe.
But as many as receiued him, to them he gaue power, to bee the sonnes of God, to them that beleeue in his name. And Iesus said vntounto them, I am the bread of life, hee that commeth to me shall not hunger: and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst.Ioh. 1.12. Ioh. 6.35.
4. Is iustified before God.
For what saith the Scripture, Abraham beleeued God, and it was counted to him for righteousnes.Rom. 4.3.
Euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man, vntounto whome God imputeth righteousnes, without workes, saying:verse 6.
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen, and whose sinnes are couered.verse 7.
5. And sanctified.
And he put no difference betweene vsus and them, after that by faith he had purified their hearts.Act. 15.19.
But ye are of him in Christ Iesus, who of God is made vntounto vsus wisdome, and righteousnesse, and sanctification and redemption.1. Cor. 1.30.
The fift Principle.
Q. What are the ordinarie or vsuall meanes for the obtaining of faith?
A. Faith commeth only by the preaching of the word, and increaseth daily by it: as also by the administration of the Sacraments and praier.
1. Faith cōmeth only by the preaching of the word, & increaseth daily by it.
But howe shal they cal on him, in whom they hauehave not beleeued, how shal they beleeue in him, of whome they hauehave not heard:Ro. 10. …4. and howe shall they heare without a preacher? Where there is no vision the people decay, but he that keepeth the lawe is blessed.Prou. 29.18.
Hos. 4.8.My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee, that thou shalt bee no priest to mee, and seeing thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
2. As also by the administration of the Sacraments.
Rom. 4. 11.After he receiued the signe of circumcision, as the seale of the righteousnes of the faith, which he had when he was vncircumcised, that he should bee the Father of all them that beleeue not beeing circumcised, that righteousnes might be imputed to thē also.
Moreouer brethren, I would not that yee should bee ignorant, that all our Fathers were vnderunder the cloud, and all passed through the sea, &c.1. Cor. 10.1.
3. And Praier.
Rom. 10.13.For whosoeuer shall call vponupon the name of the Lord shall be saued.
The sixt Principle.
Q. What is the estate of all men after death?
A. All men shal rise againe with their owne bodies, to the last iudgement, which beeing ended, the godly shall possesse the kingdome of heauen: but vnbeleeuers and reprobates shall bee in hell, tormented with the diuell and his angels for euer.
1. All men shall rise againe with their owne bodies.
Ioh. 5.28.Maruell not at this, for the houre shall come, in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice.
vers. 29.And they shall come forth that hauehave done good, vntounto the resurrection of life: but they that hauehave done euill, vntounto the resurrection of condemnation.
2. To the last iudgement.
Eccl. 12.14.For God will bring eueryevery worke vntounto iudgement, with eueryevery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.
Mat. 12.36.But I say vntounto you, that of eueryevery idle worde that men shall speake, they shall giuegive account thereof, at the day of iudgement.
3. VVhichWhich beeing ended; the godly
2. Pet. 2. 7.And deliuered iust Lot, vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked.
Ezec. 9.4.And the Lord said vntounto him: goe through the middest of the cittie, euen through the middest of Ierusalem, and set a marke vponupon the foreheads of them that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest thereof.
4. Shall possesse the kingdome of God.
Then shall the king say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you, from the beginning of the world.Mat. 25.34.
5. But vnbeleeuers and rebrobates shall bee in hell tormented with the deuill and his angels.
vers. 41.Then shal he say vntounto them on the left hand, depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the deuill and his angels.
The Scriptures for proofe were onelyonly quoted by the author, to moue thee to search them: the wordes them…elues I hauehave expressed, at the earnest request of many, that thou maiest more easily learne them: if yet thou wilt be ignorāt, thy malice is euident: if thou gaynest knowledge, giuegive God the glorie in doing of his will.
Thine T. S.