Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Dialogue 6
❧ In thys dialogue ſhall be ſpoken of the ſecond comminge of Ieſus Chriſte of the nature of hys gloriouſe bodye & of hys laſte iudgmente?
Phylype.
VVe hauehave all readie treated largly of the hiſtorie and miſterie of oure redemption, and that whyche doeth concerne the fyrſte commynge of oure Lord Ieſus Chriſt in the fleſhe the cauſes of the ſame what he hath done for vsus and the fruites we oughte to abyde and loke for, There reſteth now to ſpeake of hys ſecōdcō mynge, in the whyche he ſhall appeare not in humilitie, and infirmitie, as he dyd at the fyrſte, but in glorye and maieſtie, not for to open and pronounce the grace and mercye of God vntounto ſinners as he hath done before but for to glorifie wyth hym ſelfe, them whyche receyued hys grace and merciemercy in the tyme that he preſēted and offered it vntounto them, and for to condemne & iudge them whych woulde not knoweledge hym for theyr ſauiour. And for to reenter into the matter, reſite that which foloweth.
Natha.
There foloweth after that whych we hauehave ſayed. That he is ſet vponupon the ryghte hande of God, and from thenſe ſhall come to The ſecond commynge of Chriſte.iudge the quike and the deade. I do fyrſte demaunde of the if the bodye of Ieſus Chriſte glorified be in ſome certrine place, or whether it be in diuers places, or in al places?
Phy.
It ought to ſuffice vsus to knowe & beleue that whyche we hauehave al readye ſayed of hys aſcention, and of hys ſeate vponupon the ryghte hande of God, I denye not but Ieſus Chriſt is in al places by his diuinitie, and by his holie How Chriſt is in al placesſpirite, in aſmuche as he is God, but in aſmuche as he is trulie man, hys bodie can not be a true and verie bodie without occupiyng ſome place. To be in al places as hys diuinitie is, it can not be of hys nature, for nothyng can be ouer all but God, wherfore if hys bodye were ouer all and in all places, it ſhoulde folowe neceſſarilie that it ſhoulde be God. If it weare God it ſhoulde then not be a bodye but a ſpirite, and Ieſus Chriſte ſhould not be verie God, and verye man, but God onelye and the body which he did take in the wombe of the virgyn ſhould be a newe God, whiche had ſome beginnynge the whyche is a thinge repugnaunt vntounto the nature of God.
Natha.
But mai not God do what ſo euer he wyll, & in aſmuche as the diuinitie of Ieſus Chriſte can not be ſeperated from hys humanitie, is not hys bodye in all places wher his diuinitie is?
Phy.
Nothinge is impoſſible vntounto God, and albeit he may do al, yet neuertheles his power is aſwayes conioyned wyth hys wiſdome and vſeth it not diſordinatly, but alwayes in ſuche ſorte that hys worckes be not confuſed, but that hys creature abideth alwayes a creature, gyuing him ſuche propreties as he will and yet foloweth it not, that the diuinitie and humanitie of oure Lorde Ieſus Chriſte be ſo inſeperable that hys humanitie fulfilleth the heauen, and the earth as hys diuinitie doeth for my body and my ſpirite be conioyned togyther, and yet it foloweth not therefore that my bodye ſhoulde be in all places where my ſpirite maye be, for my ſpirite maye be rauiſhed euen vp into heauen, and yet my bodye neuertheles ſhal be in the earth, or and if thou loueſte better the cōpariſon of Saynt Auſten God dwelleth in vsus by hys holy ſpirite, and yet neuertheles we be not in all places, and enerye where, where God is, albeit he dwelleth in Ieſus Chriſte otherwyſe then in vsus, but thys ioyninge togither or comunction of two natures doeth not take from the natures theyr propreties.
Natha.
But is there no difference betwen the bodies glorified and the mortall and corruptible bodies?
Phy.
Yes verye greate, and I denye not but The glorious body of chirſtthat the gloriouſſe bodie of Ieſus Chriſte is now farre other then it was before his death and reſurrectiō, & yet hathe he not for all that chaūged his body, but hath alwaies kept the ſame he had before, & hathe not chaunged his ſubſtaūce, except that he hath put of the qualities of imperfectiōs & miſeres which he toke for vsus, & is immortal & glorious or otherwiſe he ſhoulde not be trulie ryſen, nor we ſhoulde not call the reſurrection, reſurrection, excepte that ſame propre bodie, and that ſame propre fleſh, whych is fallen by death were ryſen vp agayne, nor ſhoulde not receyue lyfe by the ſame, & ſo myght it be rather called mutation or chaunging, thē reſurrectiō, & thē to diſpute ſubtellye & curiouſlye of the properties of the bodye glorified, & of the place where the bodye of Ieſus Chriſte is, ſhoulde be a thynge not onelye vnſeamynge, but alſo vnworthye of the ſimplicitie and of the euangelicall doctriue we ought to contēt our ſelues, to knowe Luke. xxiiii Iohn. xxi.that Ieſus Chriſte is in the celeſtiall glorye, and that he hath a verie true body ſuch as he ſhewed it vntounto hys diſciples, hauyng fleſhe & bones, and that it is not chaunged into ſpirite but doeth holde alwayes the properties of a verye true bodye, ſuche as appertayneth vntounto a verye and true glorified bodye, whyche not wythſtādynge it hath put of al humaine infirmities, yet followeth it not for all that, that it is in al places, nor in diuers or manye places al at one tyme & inſtante. We oughte to beleue that he is in heauen, ſette vponupon the ryghte hande of God hys father, where as Act. vii.ſaynte Stephan dyd ſee hym. For to diſpute and diffine what is thys heauen, & that ryght hande of God, is here no neade, but is more ſure to putte it of and leaue oure diſputation vntounto the tyme we came there, and maye ſe it by experience, and that we maye vſe ſuche diligence to folowe Ieſus Chriſte in the tyme we be in thys lyfe, that we may come thether and beholde hym.
Natha.
And if it be thus as thou ſayeſt howe can we make it agree, wyth that whyche the prieſtes make vsus beleue that the body of Ieſu Chriſt is in the hoſte, betwene theyr handes, The corporal preſence.or in the pixkes, euen as greate and large, as he was vpō the croſſe.
Phy.
They whyche beleue that, beleue not that he is ſette vponupon the ryghte hand of God And ſhall come frō thenſe to iudge the quicke and the dead.
Natha.
Wherefore not? Maye he not as well come downe and goe vp, by the vertue of the ſacramentall wordes, as he is goue vp.
Phy.
To what purpoſe or what neade is it that he ſhould come downe, deſcend, or aſcende, ſeing he fulfilled all by hys vertue and power? If it were neadful that hys bodie ſhould be preſented vntounto vsus carnallye, wherefore is not he taried wyth vsus, or wherefore is he not returned to be cōuerſaunte, as he was before with hys diſciples, wherefore did he ſaye vntounto his diſciples. It is expediente for yo… that I depart, for excepte I depart, that conforter ſhall not come? If the corporal preſēce he Ieſu chriſt dyd wyth holde the hertes of the Apoſtles here in this lowe earth, and dyd hyndre them to knowe hym ſpirituallye, howe ſhoulde he hauehave wylled vsus to ſette oure ſpirites to ſeeke hym in almorſell of breade in the handes of a ſynner, or in a pixce or boxe, hathe he not ſayed, he woulde be prayed vntounto of them whiche ſhoulde honoure and ſeeke hym in ſpirite and in trueth, and that ſuche be the true honorers, and howe ſhall wee honoure hym in ſpirite & trueth, if we goe aboute to ſeeke and honoure hym in viſible and corruptible thynges, and Ihon. iiii.in houſes made wyth the handes of menne, and to muſe vponupon a morſell of breade, or vpō a pyxe or boxe, howe maye thys agree wyth that whyche Saynte Paule commaundeth vsus ſayinge. If ye be ryſen agayne wyth Ieſus Chriſte, ſeeke not the thynges whyche be Colo. iii.on the earth, but thoſe that be aboue wher Ieſus Chriſte is vponupon the ryght hande of God the father, or wherefore do the prieſtes ſynge in theyr maſſes, Surſum corda, hauehave your hertes on hye, and wherfore do the other anſwer We hauehave thē to God? Why wyll they rote them here in thys lowe earth, and holde them in the Imagination of corporall and carnall preſence, rather then to learne them to know Ieſus Chriſte ſpirituallye, makynge theim to fele the fruite of hys bitter death & paſſiō? For thys cauſe hath he inſtituted hys holye Inſtitucion of the ſupperſupper, not for to make vsus ſeke a corporal preſence, but for to repreſent hym ſelf vntounto vsus by theſe viſible ſygnes, & for to learne vsus by the ſame to go vp into heauen to hym, for he wyl not that we drawe hym from heauen by wordes, as coniurars and enchaunters, but will drawe vsus vntounto hym ſelf, by hys holy ſpiritte and wylleth that oure hertes be lyfted by vntounto hym, and that we there be traunſlated and traunſported by hys vertue, to receiue repaſt & nouryſhmente of hys fleſhe & of hys bloud wherefore it is no neade that he ſhoulde deſcend or go vp, for if he myght not communicate hys fleſhe and hys bloude vntounto vsus other wyſe then by hys corporall and carnall preſence, and wythout deſcendynge corporallye frome heauen, the vertue and power of hym ſelfe and of hys holye ſpirite, were not great and ſhoulde not hauehave ſo muche power as the ſunne, the which without cōming down from heauē doth veri wel cōmunicate his light and heate to mē, wherfore may not thē Ieſu chriſt cōmunicate him ſelfe to oure ſpitites ſoules & bodies, by the vertu of his ſpirite, & cōioyne & vnite vsus wyth him ſelfe, as the mēbres wyth their head? We hauehave not thē ani cauſ to make a god of the bodie of Ieſus, or a mōſtruouſſe bodie which ſhold fulfil al places, or to gyue hym manye bodyes, as we muſte neades be cōſtrained to do, if we will folow the doctrin of the prieſtes, ſeynge that they wyll that all in one hours, one ſelfe minute, momente and duplicate page duplicate page inſtante, he ſhoulde be in ſo manye places all at a time, it is much more ſure to holde our ſelues vntounto the teſtimonie of the Angels, whiche hauehave teſtified vntounto hys diſciples the daye of hys aſcention, that as they ſawe hym goe vp viſiblye, ſo ſhoulde he be ſeene deſcend, whych Act. i.he him ſelf alſo before had affirmed. Sayinge that he ſhould come as a lyght whych ſhould be ſeene from the Oriente vntounto the occidente, Math. xxiiiiwherefore he doeth declare that he ſhall not come inuiſible, and that there where hys bodye ſhall be, there ſhall be hys elected.
Natha.
Theſe wordes be vnderſtand of hys The ſacramē tal commyng of Chriſte.corporall commynge vntounto the iudgement, but there is an other whiche is ſacramental.
Phy.
I deny not but Ieſu Chriſt cometh eueri day vntounto vsus and is in the middeſte amonge vsus, & wyth vsus vntounto the ende of thys worlde, & preſente vntounto vsus, but that is by his diuine vertue and by hys power and hys holye ſpirite, but of commynge and preſence corporall and carnall, the ſcripture promiſeth vsus no other thē that: whyche ſhall be at the laſte daye, I deny not but he is preſent vntounto vsus by hys worde & by hys ſacramentes, but that is in the maner that I hauehave alreadye ſhewed.
Natha.
Thou wylt then ſaye, that he deſcendeth not corporallye vntounto the laſte daye.
Phy,
It is the ſcripture that ſo ſayeth and not I.
Nathana.
Howe ſhall he come then and in what fourme?
Phy.
He ſhall come accompanied wyth Angelles wyth the cloudes in the Math xxv.glory of God his father, in the propre fourme that he aſcended.
Natha.
Wherefore ſhall he come then in hys propre bodye, then viſiblie rather then nowe?
Phy.
Bycauſe that then ſhal be the tyme that he muſte make accompte, and make them pertakers of hys glorye and immortalitie whych hauehave ſuffered wyth hym, and beleued in hym and ſhall make them the fote ſtole of hys fe…e whyche hauehave reſiſted hym, to the ende they may feele hym theyr iugde and Lord in theyr greate confuſion, in the daye of the ire of god in aſmuche as they woulde not knowe hym nor receiue hym for theyr ſauioure in the time of grace and merciemercy.
Natha.
Wherfore ſayeſt thou the quicke and i. Cor. xv. i. Teſſa. iiii.the dead, ſhal there be then ſome lyuynge?
Phy.
Accordynge to the ſayinge of Saynte Paule, it is manifeſte that there ſhall be then when he ſhall come, the whyche neuertheles ſhalbe chaunged and hydden ſodaynlye and ſhall mete Ieſus Chriſte in the ayre.
Natha.
And ſhall they come before thē that be dead?
Phy.
No. For fyrſte the trumpet ſhall blowe and the dead ſhal aryſe and then all togyther ſhalbe found in a momēte wyth the Lorde.
Natha.
And ſhall not the ſame dye?
Phylyp.
Saynte Paul calleth not that chaunge death becauſe it ſhalbe more ſhorte and ſodayne thē the twynkelynge of an eye, but neuertheles they ſhall be all togyther chaunged, euen as they whyche ſhall hauehave ſlepte in the pouder of the earth, and ſhall put of mortalitie, for to put on immortalitie.
Natha.
Thou vnderſtandeſt then by the lyuynge, & the deade, them whyche at that time ſhalbe lyuyng, and them whyche before that time ſhalbe dead.
Phy.
I ſaye that the article maye verye well be ſo vnderſtande, and that the doctrine of. S Paule is conformable vntounto the ſame vnderſtandynge, but we maye alſo well vnderſtād it otherwyſe, wythout contradiction of the ſcripture.
Natha.
Declare it vntounto me.
Phy.
We may take thys copulation for one vniuerſall, ſignifiynge as muche as thoughe we would ſay, he ſhal come to iudg the quicke and the dead, that is to ſaye, al humayne creatures for the ſame two wordes doeth comprehende all ſortes of people, or he ſhall come to iudge the quike, whyche yet at thys preſente tyme be alyue, whyche ſhall dye neuertheles at theyr tyme, and the dead, that is to ſaye, all them whyche hauehave bene, before vsus, whyche is as muche as thoughe he ſhoulde ſaye, all them whyche hauehave bene be & ſhal be, of what eſtate or condicion ſo euer they be.
Nathanaell.
Declare vntounto me yet in how manye maner of wayes I maye vſe theſe thyngs vntounto my profit.
Phylype.
In verye manye, but I ſhall touche one or two of the pryncipal. Thys iudgment of God oughte to learne and admoniſhe vsus to walke in thys ſame mortall pilgrimage in ſimplicitie of herte and to putte a ſure brydle vponupon oure carnall concupiſcences, and to redreſſe and refourme oure ſelues to the ryghte waye of the wyll of God, beyng aſſured that we muſt make accompt, & that not vntounto a mortall manne as we be, but vntounto hym that knoweth not onelye all oure worckes, but alſo al our wordes and thoughtes knowynge that Math. xii. Math. i.there is nothynge ſo ſecrete, but at that tyme it ſhall be diſcouered before God, before hys Angelles, and before all menne that euer ſhal hauehave bene vponupon the earth.
We ought then to be verye ware to doe any thynge in ſecrete, whyche wee woulde not do openlye, but we oughte to walke in thys lyfe, as thoughe wee ſawe God alwayes before oure eyes.
And after the abydynge and lokynge for this Iudgemente oughte to wythdrawe oure ſelues frome doynge anye wronge or iniurye vntounto anye perſone, and oughte well to keepe oure ſelues frome goynge out of the ryghte waye of trueth other for anye prayſe, or for anye diſprayſes, or for ſclaunders, or for the good or euyll wyll of menne, nother yet for anye profitte or dammage that myghte come vntounto vsus, nother for proſperitie nor aduerſitie that myghte come, for we are certaine that then ſhall be holden the greate and laſte appellation, and all cauſes ſhall be broughte forthe and iudged, but not accordynge to the iudgement of men, but accordynge to the iuſt iudgmente of God, by the whyche eueryevery one ſhal receiue praiſe or ſhame, & vituperie, accordynge as he ſhall hauehave deſerued.
Natha.
Thys article as thou expoundeſte it ought to brynge greate conſolation vntounto all the true fayethful whyche ſuffer perſecution in thys worlde knowynge that, at that tyme theyr ſorrowe ſhall be turned into ioye, and theyr ſhame into glorye, and of the contrarie it oughte to gyue greate feare vntounto the infideles and hypocrites, for they maye wel hold them ſelues for aſſured that theyr infidelitie & hypocriſie ſhall be diſtroyed, and theyr glory ſhalbe turned into ſhame and confuſion. And in aſmuche as we be cōmen thus far forth, it doeth ſeme vntounto me that theſe mattiers hauehave bene ſufficientlye declared, and al the miſterie of our redemption after ſuch ſort that I hold my ſelfe verye well ſatiſfied for my part, and bicauſe I feare to make the werye wyth takynge ouer muche of the at once, let vsus here make a reſte, to an other tyme.
Phylyp.
Thou canſte not make me werye in ſuche mattiers, yet neuertheles I am cōtente to folowe thyne aduice? Farewell.
Natha.
To God I commende the vntounto whō I praye to gyue vsus ſuche grace that we maye at that greate daye of Iudgmente be found blameles and irreprehenſible by the fauour & merites of Ieſus Chriſte.
Phy.
So be it.