The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 2 · Subpart 17
I BELEEVE IN CHRIST OVR LORD.
THree diuerſe ſpeeches are heere to bee obſerued. 1. To beleeue that Chriſt is Lord. To beleeue this is not ſufficient: for we beleeue alſo that the diuel is Lord, but not of al, nor ours, as wee doe beleeue Chriſt to bee Lorde of vsus all. 2. To beleeue that Chriſt is Lord, and that of al, and alſo ours. Neither is it enough to beleeue this. For the Diuels beleeue alſo that Chriſt is their Lord, as he hath ful right and autority not only ouer all other thinges, but ouer them alſo, to determin of them whatſoeuer pleaſeth him. 3. To beleeue in Chriſt our Lorde, that is, ſo to beleeue Chriſt to bee our Lorde, that in him wee place our truſt and confidence, and bee thoroughly perſwaded, that by him wee are wholy freed and deliuered from all euill, and are defended and ſafegarded againſt all our enemies: and this is it, which we eſpeciallie ought to beleeue. Whenas therefore we ſaie, that wee beleeue in our Lorde, we beleeue, 1. That the Sonne of GOD Chriſt is Lorde of all creatures: 2. But eſpeciallie of his Church, which beeing purchaſed with his owne bloode hee guideth, defendeth, and preſerueth by his ſpirit. 3. And that I am alſo one of his ſubiectes, whom beeing redeemed from the power of the Diuell he mightilie preſerueth, ruleth, maketh obedient vntounto him, and at length enricheth with eternal glorie: that is, I beleeue that hitherto I hauehave bin by and for Chriſt preſerued, and ſhal hereafter be preſerued of him thorough al eternitie; & laſtly that he vſeth & wil vſe his dominion & power, which hee hath as ouer all other creatures, ſo ouer me, vntounto my ſaluation and his owne glory. But for the better vnderſtanding of this that hath bin ſpoken, wee are to obſerue theſe two things.
1 In what ſenſe Chriſt is called Lord.
2 For what cauſes he is our Lord.
1 IN WHAT SENSE HE IS CALLED LORD.
TO bee a Lord, is, to hauehave right and power granted by Lawe, either diuine or humane, ouer ſome thing or perſon, as to vſe and enioie it, and to diſpoſe thereof at thy owne will and pleaſure. Chriſt therefore is our Lord: Firſt, becauſe he hath care of vsus, that is, ruleth, preſerueth, and keepeth vsus as his owne to eternall life and glorie, as beeing bought with his precious bloode. Iohn 17.12. None of them is loſt, whom thou gaueſt me. Ioh. 10.28. None ſhal plucke them out of my hand. Secondlie, becauſe wee are bound to ſerue him both in bodie and ſoule, that hee maie bee glorified by vsus. 1. Cor. 6 20. Yee are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your ſpirite: for they are Gods. Hereof alſo wee maie vnderſtande, that the woorde, Lorde, in the Creede, is not a name of the diuine eſſence, but of his office, and is referred to both natures of Chriſt, like as the names of Prieſt, King, and Prophet. Chriſt then is our Lorde, not onelyonly in reſpect of his Diuinitie which created vsus, but alſo in reſpect of his humanity which redeemed vsus. For the humane nature of Chriſt is the price of our redemption: his diuine nature dooth giuegive and offer that price vntounto the Father, and dooth by the vertue of his ſpirite effectuallie applie it vntounto vsus, ſanctifie, rule, ſaue, and defend vsus againſt our enemies, and dooth al theſe thinges, the humane nature beeing priuie thereunto, and moſt earneſtlie willing it. Yea further, as hee is man alſo, hee hath power not only ouer men, but alſo ouer all creatures, and therfore ouer the Angels themſelues. For the names of the office, benefits, & dignity of chriſt are affirmed of his whole perſon, to ſpeak ſimply & properly, by communicating, but not by confounding the properties of both natures.
2 For what cauſes he is our Lord.
CHRIST is Lord. 1. By right of creation & gouernment. Chriſt our Lord 1 By right of creation.Of this rule and dominion it is ſaid, Al things that the father hath, are mine. Ioh. 16.15. For by him, & in him are al things created, and by his mighty word, that is, by his forcible pleaſure and wil, or prouidence they are ſuſteined and gouerned, and whatſoeuer good is in al the creatures, that wholy proceedeth from him. And this is a moſt generall dominiō which extendeth it ſelf vntounto al creatures, euen vntounto diuels & wicked men, albeit not altogether after the ſame maner to vsus, & to al the wicked, & diuels. For. 1. he created vsus to eternal life: but them to deſtruction. 2. The dominiō which chriſt hath ouer the wicked & diuels, cōſiſteth in the right of requiring & cōmanding of exerciſing his power, & bridling his enimies: that is, hee hath right & power ouer the diuels and the wicked, to doe with them what him liſteth, ſo that without his wil and pleaſure they cannot ſo much as moue themſelues: And he permitteth them, by bereauing and deſtituting them of the grace of his ſpirit, to run headlong into ſin and eternal deſtruction. Hee hath alſo ouer vsus right and power to do with vsus what him liſteth: but hee furthermore keepeth and gardeth vsus as his owne flocke and proper people, whome hee hath purchaſed with his bloode; hee gouerneth vsus alſo and guideth vsus by his ſpirite: hee woorcketh in our heartes faith and obedience that wee maie doe things acceptable vntounto him, and ſo fenceth vsus against all the temptations of the Diuel and the fleſh, that we may neuer fal from him. Therefore he is our Lord after a farre other ſort, than the Diuels and the reprobates.
2 By right of redemption.2 Hee is our Lorde by right of redemption. For hee alone, paying the raunſome for vsus, deliuereth vsus from the power of the Diuel: by his ſpirit regenerateth vsus, and cauſeth vsus to beginne to ſerue him: and in this liberty, whereunto hee hath brought vsus by his merite and power, hee alſo preſerueth vsus, againſt al both outward and inward enemies, euen to the end: and being raiſed from the dead he fully enfreeeth and deliuereth vsus from all ſin and miſerie, and endoweth vsus with eternal bliſſe and glorie. And ſeeing hee hath deliuered & freed vsus, it is manifeſt that we were Seruants; and truely ſo wee were, and are by nature Seruantes and bound-ſlaues of the Diuell, from whoſe tyrannie Chriſt hath deliuered vsus, and heereupon nowe are wee the Seruants of Chriſt: becauſe vsus, who were by nature his enimies and deſerued to be deſtroied of him, hee notwithſtanding preſerued and deliuered. For*The reaſon of this deriuation of the name Seruant could not be expreſſed in Engliſh as it is in latine, from whēce our Engliſh word commeth. Serui (which ſignifieth, ſeruants) commeth from Seruando, that is, ſaued or preſerued. ſerui, or ſeruants, were firſt ſo named by the Romans from ſeruando, which is in ſignification preſerued, bicauſe, whē in the wars they might hauehave bin ſlain of their enemies, they were preſerued. But this dominion of Chriſt ouer vsus is ſpeciall, that is, extendeth it ſelfe onelyonly to the Church. Obiection. Jf we bee redeemed from the power of the Diuel: therefore a ranſome hath bin paid him for our redemption: For from whoſe power wee are redeemed, vntounto him is the price and ranſome due: But God gaue not him the raunſome: Therefore wee are not redeemed from the power of the Diuel. Anſwer. From whoſe power we are redeemed as hauing bin ſupreme Lord ouer vsus, and holding rightly his dominion ouer vsus: vntounto him the price & ranſome is due. But the diuel is no ſupreme Lord, but the executioner of the ſupreme lord,Wee are ſaide to bee redeemed in reſpect of god; wee are deliuered, in reſpect of the Diuel. which is God, who alone hath and holdeth by right dominion ouer vsus. Wherefore in reſpect of God Chriſt redeemed vsus; for vntounto him he hath paid the price: But he hath deliuered vsus or ſet vsus at liberty in reſpect of the Diuell. For wee are giuen vntounto Chriſt our redeemer to bee his owne, neither hath the Diuell nowe anie more right or power ouer vsus. And this chriſts dominion and power ouer vsus coſt him enough, who therefore alſo hath care of it, and preſerueth it. Of that Dominion we diſpute eſpeciallie in this place. For the Diuell dooth not acknowledge Chriſt to bee ſuch a Lorde vntounto him, as wee confeſſe him to bee vntounto vsus, becauſe hee hath redeemed vsus, and becauſe hee guideth vsus with his ſpirite.
3 In reſpect of our preſeruation Chriſt is our Lorde, 3 By right of preſeruation.becauſe he defendeth vsus vntounto the end, & keepeth & ſafegardeth vsus to eternall life: not only by defending our bodies from enimies, but our ſoules alſo from ſins. Of this Dominion himſelfe ſpeaketh: None of them are loſt, which thou gaueſt mee. No man ſhal pluck my ſheepe out of my hands. He keepeth the wicked to deſtruction, and defendeth their bodies only.
4 In reſpect of Gods ordinance: 4 In reſpect of Gods ordinance.becauſe the Father ordeined the woord and this perſon Chriſt, vntounto this, that by him hee might woorke all thinges in heauen and in earth: The Father gaue vsus vntounto him, manifested him vntounto vsus, to bee our Prince, King, & Head, & hath made him heire of al. Now whereas he is our Lorde after a farre more excellent manner than others; we alſo are far more bound to his allegeance & obedience. For he is ſo our lord, that he doth indeed with vsus what he wil, and hath full right and power ouer vsus: but yet he vſeth that his power to our ſaluation only. For wee receiue dailie of this Lord moe, and by infinite partes more excellent benefites, than doe any other thoroughout the whole world. And therefore wee ought alwaies to acknowledge the dominion and power, which Chriſt hath ouer vsus. Which acknowledging of his dominiō is, 1. A profeſſion of ſo great a benefit of chriſt, as, that he hath vouchſafed to be our lord, & to ſet free vsus his enimies into this ſo fruitfull & glorious a liberty: 2. A confeſſion of our bond & duty. For chriſt being ſo merciful a Lord vntounto vsus, we ought both in word and life to profeſſe our ſelues as his ſeruantes to bee bound to faithfull ſubiection and obedience vntounto him in all thinges, that he may bee magnified of vsus for euer.