Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Title page – Scheme
AN EXPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR CREED OF THE APOSTLES, ACCORDING TO THE TENOVR OF the Scriptures, and the consent of Orthodoxe Fathers of the Church: By William Perkins.
They are good Catholickes, which are of sound faith and good life.
August. lib. quaest. in Matth. cap. 11.
Printed by Iohn Legatt Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. 1595. And are to be solde at the signe of the Sunne in Pauls Church-yard in London.
TO THE RIGHT honourable, Edward Lord Russell, Earle of Bedford. Grace, and peace, &c.
RIght Honourable, excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus, To the pure all things are pure: Tim 1.15.but to the impure and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure, but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled. In which wordes he determines three questions. The first, whether things ordained and made by God may become vncleane or no? his answeare is, that they may: & his meaning must be conceiued with a distinction. By nature, things ordained of God are not vncleane: for Moses in Genesis saith, that God sawe all things which he had made, & they were very good: yet they may become vnclean either by law, or by the fault of men. By law, as when God forbids vsus the things which in themselues are good; without whose commaundement, they are as pure as things not forbidden. Thus for the time of the old Testament God forbad the Iewes the vse of certain creatures; not because they were indeed worse then the rest, but because it was his pleasure vponupon speciall cause to restraine them, that hee might put a difference betweene his owne people and the rest of the world, that he might exercise their obedience, and aduertise them of the inward impuritie of minde. Now this legal impuritie was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are vncleane when they are abused, and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained. The second question is; to whome things ordained of God are pure? he answeres, to the pure: that is, to them whose persons stand iustified & sanctified before God in Christ in whome they beleeue:Act. 15.10. 1. Tim. 4.3. who also doe vse Gods blessings in holy manner to his glorie and the good of men. The third question is, who they are to whome all things are vncleane? his answeare is, to the vncleane: by whom he vnderstands all such I. whose persons displease God, because they doe not indeede beleeue in Christ: II. who vse not the gifts of God in holy manner, sanctifying them by the word and praier: III. who abuse them to badde endes, as to riot, pride, and oppression of men, &c. Nowe that to such, the vse of all the creatures of God is vncleane, it is manifest: because all their actions are sinnes, in that they are not done of faith: and a mans person must first please God in Christ,Rom. 14.23. before his action or worke done can please him. Againe they vse the blessings & creatures of God with euill conscience, because so long as they are forth of Christ, they are but vsurpers therof before God. For in the fall of the first Adam we lost the title and interest to all good things: and though God permit the vse of many of them to wicked men; yet is not the former title recouered but in Christ the second Adam, in whom we are aduanced to a better estate then we had by creation.
Hence it followes necessarily; that, to omit all other things, Nobilitie though it be a blessing and ordinance of God in it selfe, is but an vncleane thing, if the inioyers thereof be not truly ingrafted into Christ, and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. The blood vnstained before men, is stained blood before God by the fall of Adā, if it be not restored by the blood of Christ the lambe of God. And hence it followes againe, that Nobilitie must not dwell solitarie, but combine her selfe in perpetuall fellowship with heartie louelove & syncere obediēce of pure & sound religion; without the which all pleasant pastimes, all sumptuousnes of building, all brauerie in apparell, all glistering in gold, all delicate fare, all delightfull musicke, all reuerence done with cap and knee, all earthly pleasures and delights that heart can wish, are but as a vanishing shadow, or like the mirth that begins in laughing & ends in woe. A happy thing were it, if this consideration might take place in the hearts of all noble men: it would make them honour God that they might be honoured of God with euerlasting honour:1. Sam. 2.22, 26. Psal. 2.12. and it would make them kisse the sonne least he be angrie, and they perish in the way.
I speake not this, as though I doubted of your Lordships care in this very point: but mine onelyonly meaning is to put you in minde, that as you hauehave begun to cleane vntounto Christ with full purpose of heart; so you would continue to doe it still, and doe it more: and withall to manifest the same to the whole world, by honouring Christ with your owne honour,Prov. 3.9, 10. and by resembling him specially in one thing, in that as he grew in stature and yeares,Luk. 2.25. he also grew in grace and fauour with God and men. And for this very cause (without any consideration of earthly respects) I further present vntounto you an Exposition of an other part of the Catechisme, namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles: which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion, taught by the Apostles, imbraced by the ancient fathers, sealed by the blood of Martyrs, vsed by aSocrat. hist. ec…. l. 5. c. 10.Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to end the controuersies of his time: and hereupon it hath bin called the bAugust. de Temp. ser. 119.rule of faith, the cAmbr. serm. 38.kaie of faith. And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part; the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered. Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse, I take my leaue, commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie. Ann. 1595. April 2.
Your Lordships to command, William Perkins.
The Contents of the booke.
The Creede. pag. 1.
Faith. 3.
God. 19
The three persons. 25
The Father. 31
Gods omnipotencie. 43
The Creation. 52. & 58
Gods counsell. 54
The creation of heauen. 68
The creation of Angels. 73
The creation of man. 81
Gods prouidence. 91
Adams fall. 106
The couenant of grace. 118
The title Iesus. 122
The title Christ. 129
The title Sonne. 136
The title Lord. 145
The Incarnation of Christ. 148
Christs humiliation. 174
Christes passion. 176
Christes arraignment. 182
Christes execution. 226
Christes Sacrifice. 260
Christes triumph. 270
Christes buriall. 287
The descension of Christ. 297
Christs exaltation. 305
Christes Resurrection. 307
Christes ascension. 333
Christs sitting at the right hand, &c. 351, 363
Christes intercession. 355
Christes kingdome. 367
The last judgement. 372
Of the holy Ghost. 397
The Church. 420
Predestination. 423
The mysticall vnion. 477
The communion of Saints. 506
The forgiuenesse of sinnes. 516
The resurrection of the bodie. 521
Life euerlasting. 532
THE RESOLVTION OF THE CREEDE.
…:
One, of the Actions of faith, which are
To beleeve in God: which hath three partes:
I. To beleeue God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his worde.
II. To acknowledge him in particular to be my God.
III. To put my confidence in him.
To beleeve a thing: and this action hath two partes:
I. To acknowledge the thing.
II. To apply the thing to my selfe; as to beleeue the Church is to acknowledge the Church, & that I am a member of it.
The second the Object, which is
God, distinguished into 3. person.
I. The first is described by his
I. Name, Father.
II. Attribute, Almightie.
III. Worke, Creatour of heaven and earth.
II. The second is described by his
I. Titles, which are foure.
I. Iesus.
II. Christ.
III. His Sonne.
IIII. Our Lord.
II. Incarnation, & it hath 2. parts:
The conception, where cōsider
the partes
The personn all vnion.
The sanctification of that masse or lumpe wherof the body of Christ was framed.
The cause efficient, the H…gh…st.
The byrth, where is mētioned the mother of Christ, described by her
Name; Mary.
Qualitie; a virgine.
III. Estate afterward of
Humiliation set downe
Generally in these wordes, Suffered vnderunder, &c. where is noted the time of his suffering when P. Pilat was president of Iurie.
By partes, which are 4.
I. His crucifying.
II. His death.
III. His buriall.
IIII. His descending into hell.
Exaltation hauing 3. parts.
I. His resurrection.
II. His ascension.
III. His sitting at his fathers right hand: & it is set forth by the
Place, Heaven.
The effect, his cōming to iudgement.
III. The third person described by his name, Holy Ghost, infolding his office.
The Church, described by his
Qualities,
Holy.
Catholicke.
Prerogatiues which are 4.
I. Communion of saintes.
II. Forgivenesse of sinnes.
III. Resurection of the body.
IV. Life everlasting.