An Exhortation to the Carrying of Christs Cross, Chapter 7
The. 7. Chapter.
How gods worde teacheth of Chryſtes ſacryfyce, and the popes blaſphemye therein reueled.
…ryne and faith, …s behalfe, is as in …her: that is, accor… to gods holiword: namely, y• Ieſus Chriſt, the ſonne of god and ſeconde Adam, by whom we receaue rightuouſnes vntounto lyfe, as by y• firſte Adam we receaued ſynne vntounto death: our fayth is (I ſaye) that thys Chryſt in our fleſhe, whych he toke of the ſubſtaunce of the virgin Mary, but pure and with out ſynne, for the ſatiſfyinge of gods …ſt diſpleaſure, deſerued by and in our fleſhe, dyd in the ſame ſuffer vniuſtly all kyndes of miſerye and … ryng vp hymſelfe vntounto hys eternal father, wyth a moſt willing, obedyent hart and ready mynd, whan he was crucyfyed vpō the croſſe. And therbi as he ſatiſfied gods iuſtice, ſo he meryted and procured hys mercy, peace, fauor for al them, which either before that tyme were dead, either wer at that tyme preſent, either ſhold afterwarde come and beleue. By and in that offeringe, done for them and theyr ſynnes. So that god the eternall father (I ſaye) woulde be in this their Chriſte, their god and father, and not lai their ſinnes commytted to their charge to condemnacyon.
This doctrine the holy ſcripture teacheth almoſt eueri wher, but ſpecially in y• Epiſtle to the Hebrues the. 1. 7. 8. 9. Chapters this is moſt liuely ſer forth, how that by one oblacion, once offred by this Chriſt himſelfe, all, that be gods people, are ſanctified.
For as in reſpecte of them, that dyed in gods couenaunte and eleccion before Chriſt ſuffred his death & offered his ſacrifice one alone and omniſufficient, neuer more to be offred, he is called the lambe ſlayne frō the begynning Apoca. 13.of the world and the one alone mediator betwene god and man, 1. Timo. 2.whoſe forth commyng was frō the begynnyng: Euen ſo, in reſpect Mich. 3. 5.of the vertue and efficacie of this one ſacrifice to al gods people, continually vntounto the worlds ende, the holy ghoſte doeth tell vsus, that therby he hath made holy ſuche, as be children of ſaluacion.
And ſayth not, ſhall make holy, or doth make holye, leſte any manne ſhoulde wyth the papiſtes in dede reiterate thys ſacrifice agayne.
Although in wordes they ſaye otherwyſe, as anone we ſhall ſee, if herevnto I ſhewe you the meane, whereby to applye thys ſacrifice, whyche I wil do verye brefely.
For in the. 17. of S. John our ſauiour doth very playnly ſhew thys in theſe wordes: for theyr ſakes, ſayeth he, I ſanctyfye my ſelfe, that they alſo myghte bee ſanctyfyed through the trueth. I praye not for them alone, but for thoſe alſo, whych ſhal beleue on me throughe theyr preaching. Here our ſauiour applyeth hys ſacrifice, in teachynge and prayeng for them.
And as he teacheth them, as miniſters, to doe the like, that is, to preache and praye for the applycacyon of hys ſacryfyce to y• churche: ſo doeth he teache them and al the churche, to applye it vntounto themſelues by beleuyng it and by fayth. The whyche thing the Apoſtle S. Paule in manye places, but moſt playnlye in the ſeconde to the Corinthyans the fift chapter in the later end doth teache. Reade it, and ſe. So that now as ye hauehave Chryſtes one only ſacrifice, whych he hymſelfe on the croſſe offred once, as ſufficient for all that doe beleue, and neuer more to bee reiterated: ſo hauehave you, that for the applyinge of it to hys church, the miniſters ſhoulde preache and praye, that theyr preachyng myght be effectuall in Chryſt.
And as Paul was ready him ſelfe, to ſuffer death for the confirmacion of the fayth of the elect: ſo ſhoulde the churche and eueri member of the ſame (which is of yeares of diſcrecion) by beleuyng in Chryſte throughe the miniſters preachyng, apply it to themſelues. As for infauntes, I nede not in thys caſe to ſpeake of godes eleccion. It is moſte certayne. Thys kynde of applyinge, as it killeth y• papiſtical prieſts, whych hate not the deuil worſe, then true preachyng: ſo doeth it caſt down al their ſoale maſſing and fooliſh foundaciōs for ſuch, as be dead and paſt the miniſterie of godes worde. And alſo it pulleth awaye the opinion of opus operatū and of perſeuerāce in impietie from ſuch, as would enioye the benefite of Chryſtes death.