The Old Faith an Evident Probation out of the Holy Scripture, Tract · Part 4
¶ That the holye Patriarkes alſo were Chryſten▪ and ſaued by Chryſte.
SUche faith in chriſt Jeſu as we now hauehave ſpoken of, dyd the holy father Adam (no doute) teache hys chyldrē: that they alſo myghte plante in to theyr chyldren the promes of god, his mercy and deuyce concernynge the Meſſias or Sauioure, that was for to come. And truly Abell had ſuche a notable fayth in god, that the holy Apoſtle Paul wrote of hym after thys maner. Thorowe faytheHebre. xi. dyd Abell offre a greater ſacrifice thē dyd Cain & therby opteyned he wytneſſe that he was ryghteous. For god bare recorde to hys gyftes. In aſmuche then as it can not be denyed, but that all they whych are iuſt & ryghteous, he made ryghteous thorow the bleſſed ſede. And Abell was iuſtifyed. It foloweth that he was made ryghteous thorow fayth in Jeſus Chryſte. InSacrifice was a token o… thankfulneſſe. that he dyd ſacrifice, it is a token & frute of a hart that was thankfull and feared God. It was no ſuche interpryſe, that he wolde clenſe and make hym ſelfe accepte vntounto God thorow that outward ſacrifice For certayne it is, that no outward oblacion purifieth man wythin. But the grace of god graunted vntounto vsus thorowe Jeſus Chriſt / purifieth vsus a right. And the out, warde ſacrifices of the olde fathers, beſyde that they were tokens of thankfulneſſe prayſe and magnifyenge of God, as it is ſayde afore were figures of the onelyonly perpetuall ſacrifice of our ſauiour Chriſte And in this behalfe they were euē aſmoche as ſacramentes of thinges to come. Thus alſo and in lyke vnderſtondynge hauehave oure firſt fathers done ſacrifice, as hereafter it ſhall folow more largely
Nowe lyke as in Abel there is ſet forth vntounto vsus an enſample of Gods ſede & of a regenerate true faithfull. Chriſten man, So is Cain a ſede of the ſerpent a chylde of the deuell which deſpyſed the inſpiracionCain the father of wickedneſſe. of God and harkened to the diſceatfull ſerpent, And in theſe two brethren we maye ſe what God meaned, whā he ſayd:
I wyll put enemyte betwene the ſede of the woman and thy ſede. As though he wolde ſaye: There ſhalbe two maner of people the one ſhall cleue vntounto Chriſt the bleſſed ſede, the other ſhall cleue vntounto the deuell. And theſe two generaciōs ſhall in no wyſe a gree, but be at variavnce in fayth and religion. I will endew my ſede that they ſhall cleue onelyonly vntounto me, feare me honour and worſhippe me ſeke all ſaluacion in me thorow the bleſſed ſede, lyue vertuouſ…y, honeſtly & ſoberly. Then ſhal the ſerpent tempte their …ede with ypoc…yſye, not to louelove me ner ſerue me right, not to holde of me as they ſhulde, not to truſt in me, but to louelove the worde & to folowe the luſtes and tentacions therof: All thys fynde we here in theſe two brethren, in whome begynneth the firſte difference of true and falſe beleuers. For Abel was ſimple, godly, and of a conſtant faith in God And in aſmoche as he toke God for his refuge, he broughte hym giftes of hys b…ſte ſubſtaunce, no doubte becauſe he had firſt geuen ouer hys ſoule and all hys power vntounto God, at whome alone he ſoughte all good without any ypocriſye. He was alſo innocent▪ veriuous and frendly, and folowed not hys owne tentacions. And for thys faithes ſake dyd hys ſacrifice pleaſe God: but Caines pleaſed hym not for hys hert was not right with God: he was a diſſembler, gredye & vnfaithfull perſonne which ſet hys hert and mynde vponupon erthlye thynges, allwaye deſpyſinge. Gods worde, and folowyng his owne tentacion Whiche thynge was euydēt in thys, that he hauynge no cauſe (onelyonly of a wilfull hert and thorow the tentacion of the ſerpent / murthured his own brother: Wherby he hath opteyned to be the ar…hfather of all murthurers / whiche perſecute and murthur the ſede of god (that is to ſaye / the true beleuers (onelyonly for their faithes ſake▪. Thus became abel the firſte martyr and inſtrumente of god and yf Chriſt inAbel the the holy church. For theſe two brethren hauehave ſet forth before vsus / the wole battayl & ſtryfe / which the worlde / the cytye of the deuel… / the chyldren & cyteſyns of the curſ…d cytye (wherin the ſerpent is heade and maſter and hath the dominion) ſhal make agaynſt the cytie and cyteſyns in whome Chriſte is the heade, vntounto the ende of the worlde. The fre men of the cytie of God and of Chriſte, do …leue onelyonly vntounto God,The difference of true & falſe fayth▪ ſerue hym with all theyr hart, buylde only vponupon Chriſte. The cyteſyns of the ſerpent deſpyſe god, & yet make they theyr boaſte of God, to whome alſo they offer and do ſeruice, but not as they ought to do. Now whā they perceyue that theyr fayth is not ryghte, and that theyr ypocryſie is ſpyed and myſlyked, then fall they to murthurynge: to the whych god is an enemy, and forbyddeth it wyth hys worde. For Cain alſo exhorted he from hys purpoſe & ſayd Thou nedeſte not to arme the becauſe of thy brother, for thou haſte none occaſyon to be angry wyth hym. For yf thou doeſte ryght, thou ſhalte fynde it, and hauehave ioye therof, but yf thou doeſt not ryght, then is thy mysfortune, ſynne and treſpace opon and thou ſhalte ſhame & deſtroye thy ſelfe. Thy brother goeth on wythout faulte, he ſhall do the no hurt nor harme: he ſhall alſo not be Lorde ouer the, nor myny ſhe thy …yght. Yea he ſhall hauehave reſpecte vntounto the, and thou ſhalt hauehave dominion ouer hym, and ſo kepe thy byrth right, & ſtyll remayn the fyrſte borne, although hys ſacrifice be acceptable vntounto me, and not thyne. Ceaſſe therfore from thy wicked purpoſe and offende not agaynſt thy brother.
But Cain dyd as al vngodly do. For he went forth, and ſ…ue hys innocent brother And afterwarde whan the Lorde wolde hauehave brought hym in to the knowlege of hys great ſynne, and pardon hym, he deſpiſed the voyce of the Lord with crakyng and facynge. For the which cauſe the lord was wrothe with hym, and curſed hym. Then diſpayred he firſt, and went forth &The fyrſt de…a… of the faith▪ became yet more wicked, dealt altogether vngodly, ſet firſt his mynde vponupon earthly thynges, thought to exalte hys name vponupon erth and buylded the fyrſt cytye, whiche he called Hanoch: he begat ſonnes & daughters, but litle feare of God was before their eyes, in ſo moche that the ſcripture ſayeth: Adam lay… with his wyfe aga…e and ſhe bare a ſonne, whome ſhe called Seth. For God (ſayde ſhe) hath geuen me another ſede for Abel, whome Cain …lew, Seth alſo had a ſonne, and he called hym Ends. And than beganne men to call vponupon the name of the Lord, Out of the whiche wordes it is eaſie to vnderſtonde, that as touchynge holy, Adam, he helde no more of Cain, then as thoughe he neuer hadde chylde. For Adam feared God: Cain with hys progenye deſpyſed God, and became the ſerpentes generacion. Wherfore whan Adam had gotten another ſonne, he was of a good hope, that in Abels ſteade God had geuen hym another ſonne, whiche ſhulde do right, and of whome the ro…e of the bleſſed ſede ſhulde ſprede oute afterwarde. For the which cauſe alſo he called hym Seth, which by vsus is called a pl…, meanynge, that God had ſet hym & plāted hym as a braunche, out of the which Meſſias ſhulde be borne. For …s for Cain, he douted of hym. And from the ſame Seth▪ proceadeth the generation of the ryghteous vntyll Noe, and from hym to Abrahā and ſo vntounto Dauid, and from thēce forth vntounto Chriſt. This Seth repayred our holyThe reparacion of our fayth fayth▪ which receyued great hurt at the death of Abell. Thys dyd Seth (I ſay) for aſmuche as he beynge taught inwardlye of god & by mouth or outwardly of Adam lerned hys chyldren and theyr ſede, to put theyr truſte in God, and comforte them ſelues in the bleſſed ſede, and to cleaue vntounto the ſame. For it is wryten manifeſtly: And than beganne men to call vppon theGene. iiii▪ …ame of the Lorde. Tyll thys tyme was Adam wyth Heue hys wyfe onelyonly a true frende and ſeruer to god. The generation of Cain was now well ſpred abrode, and come to two hundreth and fyftye yeares & aboue, but the more parte lyued wythoute the feare of God, vnrepentaunt and vngodly. Wherfore in aſmuche as the generation of Seth now increaſed, & the feare of God and right beleue was among thē, the ſcripture ſayeth well: And than beganne men to call vponupon the name of the lorde And by thys callynge vppon, dothe theInuoca…e nomen domini quid ſit. Scripture meane the true ryghte beleue and Gods ſeruice, that he mooſte aloweth Of the progenie therefore of ryghteous Seth ſprange the ſeruauntes of god, and preſidentes of our Chryſten fayth. As for the curſed generation of Cain and of the vngodly, it was deſtroyed and drowned wyth the floude.
To the holy genealogie of the true beleuers, pertayneth the Patriarke EnochThe faith of Enoch of whome it is wrytten, that he walked before god, that is, he ordred hys lyfe and conuerſation altogyther after the wyll of God, beynge conſtante and vpryghte (no doute) in all that, whych God hadde ſpoken vntounto Adam. Therfore became he alſo an enſample of the immortalite of the ſoule and reſurrection of the bodye, and that all goddes ſeruauntes ſhalbe ſaued after thys lyfe. For thus ſayeth the ſcripture. And in aſmuche as he aplyed hym ſelfe toGeneſi. v. walke after god, god toke hym away and he was nomore ſene. The holye Apoſtle Paule alſo in the, xi, chapter to the Hebrees ſpeakethe very excellently of Enochs fayth, ſo that no man may doute, but that he had reſpecte to the bleſſed ſede, & pleaſed god thorow Chriſt.
Moreouer, the enemyte betwene the children of god and of man (that is the yſſue of the ſerpent) grew euer more and more: ſo that on the one ſyde the multitude of god increaſed, & on the other ſyde the multitude of the deuyll. Jet at the laſt, the multitude of the wycked was greateſt▪
For whan the chyldren of god wyth helde not them ſelues from the chyldren of the worlde▪ but toke wyues and huſbandes amonge them, they begat roughe people, which had no fayth at all, and lyued only after theyr owne luſte and tentatiō, forgat God vtterly, and regarded not the hundreth & twentye yeares which God gaue them to amende. Therfore was God conſtrayned,the wrath of God vponupon the wycked. ſo to puniſhe the vnfaithfull worlde ones, that all poſterities vntounto the ende of the worlde myght hauehave a terrible enſaple of the iuſt wrath of God: whereby they myght lerne, how vngodlyneſſe & vnrighteouſneſſe diſpleaſeth God. Thus the Lorde brought the floude vponupon all the erth, oaerthrew all that ſtode vp, and deſtroyed eueryevery thynge that had lyfe, whan the worlde had ſtonde now a thouſande, ſire hundreth and ſixe and fyftye yeare, For ſo many yeares fynde we in the fi…th and ſeuenth of Geneſis, where it is written, that Noe was▪ 600. yeare olde, whan the floude came vponupon erth. Now yf we reken the yeares of the olde fathers in the fifth chapter vntyll Adam, we ſhal fynde the forſayde ſumme. And thus the yſſne of the ſerpent had an ende, and all vngodly and vn righteous lyuynge was myghtely ſuppreſt and deſtroyed of God,
And in thys horrible deſtruction of the vngodly, was faithfull Noe ſaued (he beynge the eight (and preſerwed in the Arke thorow the grace and mercy of God Here oure holy true Chriſtē faith had the victory and triumphed. For Noe was of oure fayth, euen of the ſede of God, & put hys truſt in the bleſſed ſede oure Lorde Jeſus. Yee the Arke or ſhyppe of Noe was a figure of Chriſt, as we maye eaſely vnderſtande by the wordes of ſaynt Peter. i. Petri. iii. Seynge then that Noe was preſerued thorowe the Arke, it foloweth that he was ſaued by Jeſus Chriſte, therfore is it manifeſte, that he fyrſte beleuedThe renewynge of the promes concernynge chriſt in Chriſt. Noe alſo was he, with whome God firſt renued the couenaūt made with Adam. For it is but …one couenaunt onelyonly euen the foreſayde promeſſe & ende made by God vntounto Adam. Howe beit the ſame couenaunte was afterwarde at certayne tymes renewed by reaſon of certayne occaſions. Here myght Noe hauehave thoughte that all the worlde and all men ſhuld vtterley hauehave bene vndone, for as moche as the Lorde ſayde: I am determyned to deſtroye all fleſh. Therfore immediatly he addeth moreouer and ſayeth: But with the will I ſet vp my couenaunt, that is to ſaye, what ſoeuer pertayneth to my couenaunt, and what I hauehave promyſed Adā already, the ſame wyll I ſurely and conſtantly make good: and thoughe I nowe deſtroye the worlde, yet wyll I perfourme my trueth thorow the. For I wyll preſerue the alyue, that the bleſſed ſede promyſed afore, maye here after be borne of the in hys generation. To thys dyd Noe truſt, &The ſacrifice of Noe. was preſerued of God thorow Chriſt. Moreouer whan he was come out of the Arke, he dyd ſacryfice, and therby declared the thankfulneſſe of hys hert and beleue, how that he knew that he had all good of hod, which ſhuld alſo geue him a ſede, that with ſacrificinge of him ſelf ſhuld recōcyle pacifie god. For thus ſaieth the ſcripture
Noe buylded an altare vntounto the Lorde,Gene. viii and toke of all maner of cleane beaſtes & foules, and offred brent ſacrifice vntounto the Lorde: and the Lorde ſmelled the ſwete ſauou…e, and ſayde in hys herte: I wyll nomore curſe the erth for mans ſake. &c. So ſayeth Paul …n the fifth to the Epheſians Walke ye in louelove, lyke as Chriſte hath louedEpheſi. v vsus, and gaue hym ſelfe for vsus an of frynge and ſacrifice of a ſwete ſauour vntounto God. Wherby eueryevery man maye lerne and ſe, that the ſwete ſmel of the outward ſacrifice of Noe, dyd not chefely pacifye God, and was pleaſaunt: but rather that thorow the bodely ſacrifice, was figured the ſacrifice of Chriſt, and for hys ſake was he mercifull vntounto the worlde. ForMath. iii. ouer Chriſt he ſayd at Jordan whā Chriſt was baptyſed: Thys is my deare beloued ſonne, in whome I am pacified or reconcyled.
Beſydes thys, the Lord gaue vntounto NoeThe commaundemētes geuen vntounto Noe. certayne lawes, but none other then euen ſoche as he had geuen to hys fore fathers and written in their hertes. The firſt pertayneth to mariage and bringynge vp of chyldren, in the whiche is comprehended all, that is written concernyng nurtour, clenlyneſſe and temperaunce, of care and bryngynge vp of chyldren in the feare of God, vertue, obedience and lerninge. The ſeconde forbybddeth violence and diſeate, namely, that no man ſhall eate bloude. For it is a figuratyue precepte, commaundynge, that no man get hys lyuynge by murthur, by oppreſſyng the poore, by vſury, by extorcion, by falſhode and diſceate. Moreouer all thynges lyuynge were ſubdued vntounto hym, and all meates were permitted hym. In concluſion, what ſoeuer concerned to louelove God and their neyghboure, the ſame is here renewed vntounto Noe and his chyldren, and requyred of them.
Of Noe came afterwarde all people, yea amonge hys thre ſonnes Japhet SemThorowe Noe was the world replenſhed and Cham he had both the ſede of God & of the froward ſerpent, that is, ſoche as had reſpecte vntounto God, and them alſo that regarded the deuell. Of Cham came the Egipcians, Aſſyrians, Babylonians, by and frome whome ſprange ydolatrye, offryng to ymages, and frome whome falſe religion came vp firſt, and was brought in amonge other nacions by the helpe of the olde ſerpent, as amonge the Grekes, Romaynes, and other people.
By this is it good to vnderſtande, that our holy Chriſten faith is elder then anye other. For here maye we ſe clearly, that after a thouſand and certayne hundreth yeares (almooſt in the eight hundreth or nyneThe faith of the heithē is ydolatry and worſhyppynge of ymages▪ Gene. x… ▪ hundreth yeare) came vp the firſt begynnynge of the Heithens beleue & offrynge to ymages, and yet came it of wicked curſed men. For curſed Cham was the begynnynge of the Egipciās, and Nimroth the vngodly extorcioner and tyraūte was the firſt founder of the kingdome of Babilon, which kyngdome with the buyldinge of a mightie tower, ſet forth his pryde. Neuertheleſſe the hande of God declared it ſelfe immedyatly, as it is red in the eleuenthe chapter of Geneſis. Summa, in the generation of Cham had the ſerpent great power: howebeit in the poſterite of Japhet alſo (of whome the Almaynes come) and in the poſterite of Sem, he had hys yſ…ue lykewyſe.
Of the progenie of Sem were borne Abrahā, Iſaat, and Jacob. Gene. xi. And as it is ſayd afore, the ſyncere fayth was ſomewhat darkyned in Caldea: therfore dyd God call Abraham out from the ydolatrie, and renewed wyth hym the old true Chriſten fayth begonne wyth Adam, and ſayde. Geneſis .xii. Get the out of thy coū treGene. xii. and from thy kynred, in to a lāde that I wyll ſhewe the, and I wyll bleſſe the, and make a greate nacyon of the. And in the ſhall all the nacion of the earth be bleſſed. Item in the. xxii Chapter ſpeakethe God yet more clearly and ſayeth: In thy ſede ſhall all the nacyons of the earthe be bleſſed. Thys dothe Paull declare in the iii. to the Galathiaus, and ſayeth. In thy ſede whyche is Chriſte. Therfore was the ſame now an other renewyng of the promeſſe of Chriſte the bleſſed ſede. For fyrſt whā he promiſed vntounto Adam, afterwarde was the promes renewed wyth Noe, and now wyth Abraham. And al thys now is but one promes, one ſauioure, and one fayth. Abrahā alſo beleued in Jeſus chriſtAbrahās fayth. and was ſaued by fayth. For Jeſus chriſt ſayeth hym ſelfe in the eyghte Charter of Johan. Abraham ſawe my daye, and reioyſed. What is now the daye of Chryſte but the clearneſſe of ye holy goſpell? This lyght had he not bodely, but ſawe it wyth the eyes of fayth, and the ſame made hym ioyfull and ſaued hym. For Chryſte is the true ioye of troubled conſciences. Thus became Abraham the father of all faythfull beleuers. Roma. iiii. And yf we beleue and do as Abrahā dyd, then are we Abrahams chyldren, and ſhall reſt wyth him in hys boſome, euē in the kyngdome of God Luke .xiii. xvi. xix. Mat. viii. Paull alſo to the Galathians in the .iii. chapter ſayeth: Yf ye be Chryſtes, then are ye Abrahams ſede, and heyres accordynge to the promes Out of thys fayth in Chriſt, dyd Abrahā Chriſtē workes, For with a good wyl leftAbrahās Chriſten workes. he hys own natyue countre, all ydols and all ymages: all myſfortune honger & miſerye toke he paciently: he was not harde agagynſt Loth hys neuye, but ioparde his body and lyfe for the oppreſſed: he was liberall, mercyfull, & harberous: he prayed feruēty vntounto God for the poore ſynners: he ſuffred oppreſion violence & wronge, and for Gods ſake alſo he thought to ſacrifice and offre vp hys own mooſt dearly beloued ſonne Iſaac. Summa, there is no reaſonable good Chriſten worke, but thou ſeyſt it in ye lyfe of Abrahā. Therfore to vsus alſo for an enſample of oure fayth and conuer…acion, he is ſet forthe of the Lorde hym ſelfe and hys apoſtles thorow out the new Teſtament.
Here alſo is it manifeſt, that our holyThe faith of the Jewes. faith is elder then the Jewiſh faith. For the Jewes do boaſte them ſelues of the Circumciſion, and becauſe they are called Jewes and Iſrael, and that the lawe the preſthode and the gods ſeruyce was geuen vntounto them And yet Gene xv. and .xvii. and Roma. iiii. is it euydent, that Abrahā was gods frende and iuſtified or made righteous, or euer he was circūcyſed. For whan he was circuncyſed, he was. 99. yeare old Gene. xvii. Nowe was the promes made vntounto hym many yeares afore. The ſcripture alſo ſayeth planely: Abraham beleued God, & the ſame was coūted vntounto him for righteouſneſſe. Geneſi. xv. So was it many yeares after, or euer Iſrael & Juda was borne, of whome they hauehave taken their name The lawe alſo was geuen. 430 yeares after the promes, as Paull madeHow olde the Chriſtſten fayth is. the rekenynge. Gala. iii. It foloweth therfore that oure chriſten fayth is. 2048. yeares elder then the Circūciſion, and. 2449. yeare elder then the lawe, the preſthode & ceremonies of the Jewes. For from Adam vntounto the floud, were. 1656. yeares. And frō the floude vntill the departynge of Abraham out of Caldea. 363. yeares. From that tyme are rekened. 430. yeares vntyll the departynge of Iſrael out of Egipte. And on the. 50. daye after the departinge, was the lawe geuen vntounto Iſrael vponupon mounte Sina, Exo. 19. 20. And after certayn dayes was the preſthode & ceremonies appoynted them. Where as God then made a couenaunt with Abrahā, whan he ordeyned the circunciſion, It ſerueth more to the cō firmacion of oure holy chriſten faith, then to the mayntenaunce of the Jewiſh ceremonyes.
Iſaac and Jacob were Abraham chyldren,The faith of Iſaac & Jacob. not onelyonly after the fleſh, but alſo after the ſprete. For they had the fayth of their father and graundfather Abraham, put their truſt onelyonly in god thorow Jeſus Chriſt, and lyued a ſober & vertuos lyfe. Of thys doth the ſcripture beare them recorde thorow out: Jea Jacob, whome the Lorde alſo called otherwyſe Iſraell (of whome afterward all the people of God receaued the name Iſrael) had many vyſions of the Lorde Chriſt as with the ladderGe. xxviii that ſtode vponupon the erth, the toppe reachynge to heauē, on the which the angels of god wente vp and downe. For herewithJacob ſawe, that chriſt onelyonly is the waye to heauen. was repreſented vntounto hym the Lord Jeſus, whiche is the waye vntounto heauē, the trueth and lyfe, without whome no man commeth vntounto the father. Upon the viſion of Jacob ſayeth he alſo hym ſelfe. Joh. i. Uerely Iſaye vntounto you: hēce forth ſhall ye ſe the heauen open, and the aungels of god goynge vp and downe vponupon the ſonne of man. And ſo conſtant was Jacob in remembryng the ſame, that afterward at the commaundement of the Lorde, he ſet vp in the ſame place an altare, no dout (as it is ſayde afore) for a figure of the croſſe and ſacrifice of Chriſt. and there honoured he and worſhipped the Lorde, he commaunded all hys people alſo, that they ſhulde forſake ſtraunge goddes, and geue him the ydols that they had brought with them out of Meſopotamia, & he buryed them vnderunder an Oke that ſtode beſyde Sichem, Gene. xxxv. And whan he wolde now dye, he prophecied very clearly of the lord Chriſte, how he ſhulde be borne out of the kynred of Juda, and that he ſhuld be born the ſame tyme that the kyngdome ſhulde be taken from Juda. Whiche thyng alſo came to pas in Herodes tyme. For in the xxxii. yeare of the raygne of Herode, was Chriſte borne at Bethleē in Jewry. Wher of the wordes of Jacob are theſe: The ſceptre ſhall not be taken awaye from Juda, ner a ruler from hys fete, tyll Schilo come (that is to ſaye, the ſauioure, and he in whome all nations ſhalbe bleſſed) and the people ſhall fall vntounto hym. This ſtedThe faith of Joſeph faſt fayth of Jacob dyd Joſeph folow alſo which mortified hys owne fleſh, declared patience in aduerſite & preſon, and exercyſed great iuſtice and equyte in hys gouernaunce. He was a figure of oure Lord Jeſus Chriſte, who alſo beynge folde of hys owne vntounto the Heythen, preſerued hys brethren alyue. So that from the begynnyng of the worlde vntyll the death of Joſeph, the righte Chriſten fayth endured. 2300. yea res. And thus all holy patriarkes before the lawe, were ſaued, not thorowe the lawe, ner by their owne ſtrength and deſeruynge, but▪ thorowe the bleſſed ſede oure Lorde Jeſus Chriſt,