The Old Faith an Evident Probation out of the Holy Scripture, Tract · Part 7
¶ All vertuous kynges and the people of Iſraell, truſted vntounto Chriſt, and not to the lawe.
AFter that the law was geuen, and the gods ſeruice ſet vp, Moſes the ſeruaunt of God dyed, beynge an hundreth and twentye yeare olde: and at the commaundement and commiſſion of God, he lefte gods people to be ruled and gyded by the faythfull val…aunt… Joſue, whyche alſo was a figure of oure Lorde Jeſu. For lyke as it was not Moſes, but Joſue that brought the people inJoſue was a figure of Chriſt. to the lande of promes. Euen ſo are we brought in to the eternall reſte, not by the workes of the lawe, nor thorow our own deſeruing, but by the grace thorow Jeſus Chriſt: lyke as it is alſo wyth many wordes expreſſed of holy Paul Heb, iiii. This Joſue no doute, dyd kepe, maynteine and defende gods fayth and religion, with the ſprete and vnderſtandynge thereof, and taught other to keye the ſame▪ lyke as he thoro…e gods inſpiration receaued it of the fathers by Moſes. Whyche thynge thoughe it be euydent in many poyntes, yet is it manyfeſte ſpecially by thys, that he wolde not ſuffre the chyldren of Rub…n and G…d and the halfe tribe of Man…ſſe to ſet vp and hauehave another auture, beſide the onelyonly autare that the lord had appointed them. For here in (as it is mencioned afore) was figured the vertue and perfectneſſe of the onelyonly croſſe, death, and ſacrificyng of Jeſu Chriſte. Therefore wolde not Joſue, that any thynge ſhulde be ſet check mate wyth the croſſ and oblacion of Jeſu Chriſt, but that all honour of clē ſynge and forgeueneſſe of ſynnes ſhulde be aſcribed onelyonly vntounto hym.
Where as Joſue now and other iudges, rulers, princes and kynges of Iſraell after hym vſed ſore & great warre, ſtroke many horrible battayles, deſtroyed muche lande and people, and ſhed mens bloude without meaſure, he dyd it as a chefe head and as an inſtrument and veſſell of God, at the commaundemente of God, whyche wolde ſo punyſhe the ydolatrye, the great ſynne & blaſphemy of the vngodly, whych he had longe ſuffred, and exhorted them to amendement, but for all hys pacient abydynge they woulde not conuerte. Thoſe now dyd he rote out thorowe the ſwerde of hys beloued fr…ndes: ſomtyme delyuered he hys people wyth the ſwerde of the ryghteous, and ſaued them from the hāde of theyr enemyes. For becauſe of the ſynnes of hys people, he gaue them ouer ſomtyme in to the hande of theyr enemies, to nurtoure and correcte them wyth the rod: then fell the people of God, & …ede before theyr enemies, and were ſubdued and oppreſt of the vngodly, tyll they knowledged their ſynnes, called vponupon god and amended, puttynge their truſte in good onelyonly, thorowe the bleſſed ſede, worſhyppynge hym onelyonly, callynge vponupon hym, and honourynge hym accordynge to hys worde, caſtynge a waye ſtraunge god ſeruyce and ydols, that ſhamefull, blaſphemous and vn godly lyuynge. Then ſente he them hys helpe, and delyuered them in hys power, by the miniſtration of hys appoynted captaynes. And ſoche warrynge, delyuerynge and punyſhinge was no fleſhly vnfaithfull worke, whome no man oughte to folowe, as ſome beynge wrapped with the vnſtedfaſt ſprete of the Manichees and Ana baptiſtes,An hereſy of the ana baptiſtes. do meane. For Paul expreſſeth clearly: And what ſhall I ſaye of Gedeon Barach, Samſon, and Jephthae, Dauid and Samuel, and the Prophetes? whiche thorow faith ſubdued kyngdomes, wrought righteouſneſſe, opteyned the promyſes, ſtopped the mouthes of Lyons, quenched the violence of fyre, eſcaped the edge of the ſwerde, of weake were made ſtronge, became valeaunt in batayll, turned to flyght the armyes of the aleauntes. Hebre. xi.
All which workes the holy Apoſtle prayſeth and commendeth as excellent workes of faith. Therfore are they no workes of the fleſh, n…ther is it now contrary to the holy faith, yf Chriſten rulers delyuer their innocent people (whome God hath ſubdued vntounto them) from wrongfull violence, and defende their libertye, righteouſneſſe, houſe and lande, or punyſhe the ſhamefull blaſphemers, ydolaters, and perſecuters of the holy fayth, and not ſuffre them to hauehave all their malycious wyll.
Neuertheles thys muſt be done by them, to whome god hath committed the ſwerdeRulers muſt puniſhe. For thus ſayeth the Lorde: Who ſo taketh the ſwerde, ſhall periſhe thorow the ſwerde. Matthe .xxvi. But ſpecially in the battayls of gods people and of the vnfaytfull it commeth to pas, and is expreſly, ſet before our eyes, that god ſayde to the ſerpent at the begynnyng: Geneſi. iii.
I wyll put enemyte betwene thy ſede and the womans ſede. For the righteous are the ſede of Chriſte, the vnrighteous and vnfaytfull are the ſede of the deuell. Betwene theſe now ſe we greate diſcorde: but ſpecially thys, that the faythfull do alwaye treade the ſerpente on the headde, though they them ſelues alſo be bytten in the hele. For the right faythfull beleuers afore the birth of chriſte in the tyme of the promes, had no leſſe trouble and perſecution, not onelyonly becauſe of ſynne, but alſo for righteouſnes and faythes ſake, then the faythfull after Chryſtes byrth in the tyme of grace and perfectnes. Therfore hauehave they ſmall knowlege of the doinges of the faythful, which ſaye, that the people of olde were a victoryous people, and gouerued corporally, but that the people after Chriſtes comminge are borne to ſuffre, andAn errour. to no victory or gouernaunce. Neuertheles in theſe wonderfull tymes (in the whiche gods people hadde now victory, and anone were ſubdued and oppreſſed) the true fayth continued vpright and vnblemiſhed from Joſue forth thorowe out all the iudges, vntyll the tyme and raigne of Dauid.
Dauid alſo was a man that ſuffredOf kyng Dauid. moch thorow dyuerſe and long trouble, thorow miſerable diſtreſſe and vexacion, and thorow ſore perſecution, without ce…ſſynge, beynge proued, tryed and prouoked, afore he was kynge: Wherof the bokes of Samuel and the more parte of the Pſalmes beareth recorde. But after that he was promoted vntounto the kyngdome, by God (whiche ſayde: I hauehave founde a man afterAct. xiii. myne owne hert) he auaunced, ſet forth and magnified the true fayth righte delygently. Here alſo to the honoure of oure Lorde Jeſu Chriſte, wyll I ſhortly and by the waye declare, what knowlege and faith thys noble kynge and prophete had of our Lord Jeſu. Thys wyll I do with the declaracion of the .c. xi. Pſalme, whoſe wordes are theſe:
The Lorde ſayde vntounto my Lorde: Syt thou at my ryght hande, tyll I make thynThe holy Trynyte. enemyes thy foote ſtole. In the fyrſte verſe Dauid knowlegeth the perſonnes in the holy Trinite, the godheade alſo and the eternall kyngdome of Chriſte. Thus lykewyſe dyd our Lorde Jeſus Chriſt vnderſtonde and alledge thys verſe in the Goſpell. Mathe .xxii. knowledgynge two of the perſonnes in the one onelyonly godhead For he ſayeth: The Lorde ſayde vntounto my Lorde. Now is it certayne and vndenyable, that he which ſpeaketh, & he to whomought is ſpoken, are not one, but two perſonnes. Yet is ther but one Lorde and god, and they both (the father that ſpeaketh, and the ſonne to whome is ſpoken) are the Lord, therfore are they one, of one ſubſtaunce and beynge, they very true god.
Nether is the ſonne leſſe then the father, There can alſo none be a father, except he hauehave a ſonne or a chylde. Now is the euer laſtyng father God, therfore is the ſonne alſo euerlaſtynge. There is alſo but one onelyonly euerlaſtinge without begynnynge. Both the father and the ſonne are eternal without begynnynge, therfore are they one onelyonly true God with the holy gooſte. Lyke as Johan alſo ſayeth: In the begynnynge (that is to ſaye, from euerlaſtinge) was the worde, and the worde was with God, and the worde was god. And immediatly therafter ſayeth he, that the worde is Jeſus Chriſte our Lorde. For it foloweth.The faith of Dauid in Chriſte The worde became fleſhe. Therfore doth Dauid alſo call the ſonne of god ſpecially hys Lorde, ſayenge: The Lorde ſayde vntounto my Lorde. And therfore calleth he Chriſte hys Lorde, becauſe he confeſſeth and beleueth, that he is hys very naturall Lorde and god, as Thomas alſo dyd knowlege: My lord and my god. Joh. xx. Afterwarde calleth he hym hys Lorde, becauſe that after the nature of man, he ſhulde be borne out of hys loynes. For thorow out all the ſcripture is our Lorde, Jeſus called the ſōne of Dauid. And thus bothe Dauid knowlege two natures in Chriſt, the nature of God and the nature of man.
That the kyngdome of Chriſt ſhall laſt for euer, and that the kynde and nature of man ſhalbe exalted aboue all heauens (a… Paul ſaieth. h…b ii.) Dauid teſtifieth wit… theſe wordes Syt thou at my ryghte hā de, tyl I make thyne enemies thy fo…e ſtole For Marke ſayeth in the .xvi. Chapter The Lorde was taken vp in to heauē an… ſytteth at the ryght hand of God▪ Of thi… alſo fynde we. i. Cor. xv. Now he muſt … des be very God in dede, whyche rey… nethe for euer, and to whome all enem… es muſte be ſubdued, y…a caſt vtterly vnderunder hys fete. Nowe foloweth the ſecond… verſe.
The Lorde ſhall ſende thy myghtye ſtaf out of Syon: thou ſhal… be Lord, eue… in the myddes amonge thyne enemyes.
Here ſpeketh he of the preaching of the holy Goſpell, and how the worlde ſhulde be conuerted vntounto Chriſte, and Chryſte to reygne in the myddes of the worlde. In the fyrſte verſe is ſpoken of the eternall kyngdome, that he is very God, lyuynge and reignynge for euer, not onelyonly in thys tyme, but alſo after thys tyme eternally. Bu here ſpeaketh he ſpecially of the kyngdome,The ſpirituall kingdome of Chriſt. where as he reygneth here benethe thorow the Goſpell. For the ſtaf, the ſcepter, the rodde of Chryſte is the holy Goſpell, euen the power of god, whych ſaueth all that beleue. Roma i. Whyche maketh Chriſtes enemies frendes, and ſmyteth them downe that wyll not cōuerte: ſo that Chryſte hath dominion and victory euen in the myddes amonge hys enemies. It is he, that wyth the ſpirite of hys mouthe ſlayeth the Antichriſtes. Thys hys worde alſo and preachynges of the Goſpell, came forth fyrſt from Syon or Hieruſalem as Eſaye, Micheas. & Luke doth teſtifye.Act. i. Now foloweth the thyrd verſe.
In the day of thy battayll (or armye) ſhall thy p…ople be well wyllynge: the dew of thy byrth is, vntounto the in an holy maieſtye, oute of the wombe of the cleare mornynge.
Here with doth Dauid deſcribe the glorious and victorious fayth of the chriſtē. For whan the Goſpell is preached, thereA battayll aryſeth a conflicte betwene faith and infidelite, betwene the ſede of Chriſt and the ſerpent, betwene ydolatrye and true godlyneſſe. And the vnbeleuers perſecute the Lorde Chriſte in hys membres, that is to ſaye the faythfull: but they are well contēt vtterly to geue ouer body, honour and goodes, theyr bloud and lyfe for gods truthes ſake. For the martyrs and they in the prymitiue Churche, beynge gathered together of the Apoſtles, and after the Apoſtles tyme, hauehave thus kepte trueth & fayth towarde the Lorde Chriſt, and were wyllynge to dye …or knowlegynge hym. Afterward deſcribeth he alſo in the foreſayde verſe, the pure and holy Conception and byrth of our Lord Jeſu Chryſt. And thysThe birth of Chriſt. doth he wyth a goodly ſimilitude, & ſayeth Thy byrth ſhalbe holy and very excellent not vncleane as the byrthe of other men. For lyke as the dew out of the cleare heauen & out of the fayre mornynge, is borne as it wereout of a mothers wombe. Euē ſo alſo ſhalt thou be borne holy and cleane of an vndefyled virgin. Wherof thou findeſt more inſtruction Luke i.
The Lorde hath ſwome, and it ſhall not repēt him thou art preſt for euer after the ordre of Melchiſedech.
In thys fourth verſe deſcr…beth he the office of Jeſu Chriſt, how that he is ordeynedThe office of, Chriſt▪ of God to be one onelyonly preiſt for euer whych ſhuld offer vp hym ſelfe for the ſynne of the world, and alway appeare in the ſyght of God the father, and to praye for vsus. All thys doth holy Paull declare at large to the Hebreues in the .v. vii. viii. ix. and. x, chap. And ſpecially in thys verſe is grounded all that is red thorowe out the ſcripture, of the merites of Chriſt, of the forgeuyng of ſinnes, of righteouſ making of beynge mediatoure, and that he alone is the onelyonly ſaluation, aduocate, ſatisfaction and ryghteouſneſſe of the faythfull.
The Lorde is at thy ryght hand: he in the tyme of hys wrath ſhall wounde euen kynges.
Thys fyfth verſe teacheth, howe God wyll ener more and more ſtand on hys ſō nesChriſtes cauſe ſhal forth, ſyde, further hys cauſe, and brynge downe and deſtroye thoſe kynges princes and Lordes, that wyl not amende and beleue in Chriſt, but wyll rather prouoke his wrathe, then …elyre hys grace. Whyche thynge Herodes, Nero, Domicianus, Maximinus and Julianus hauehave proued. Yet foloweth the ſyxte verſe declarynge the fyfth.
He ſhall iudge amonge the Heythen, and fyll all full of deed bodyes, and ſmyte the heade on the wyde grounde.
Chriſt is alſo preached vntounto the Heithē and reigneth among thē: but many wythſtande Chryſte, and them dothe he iudge. And lyke as a kynge ouercommeth hys enemyes wyth a battayle, and couereth the whole playne wyth deed bodyes, viſiteth alſo and ſmyteth the head of the warre, & the head cycie of the enemies. Euē ſo dothChriſte ſhall deſtroye his enemies. Chriſt to his enemies, and deſtroieth their power and kyngdome. All whych thynges we hauehave ſene in the olde vnchriſtē empyre of Rome, and in many other potentates and powers. But ſpecially he breaketh the head of the olde ſerpent, accordyng to the promes. Gene. iii. And at the laſte ſhall he come to iudge the quycke and deed, and deſtroye hys enemyes for euer.
Out of the broke in the way ſhall he drynke, therfore ſhall he alſo lyfte vp the heade.
Fynally and in the ſeuenth verſe, he deſcribeth the paſſion of Chriſt and his glory. In the waye (ſayeth he) that is, in hys lyfe whyle he is in thys miſerie. He ſhall drynke oute of the broke, that is, he ſhall ſuffer & be ouercome. For to drynke out ofThe paſſion of Chriſt. the cuppe is aſmuche as to ſuffer. But to drynke oute of the broke, is to be altogether full of trouble, to be vexed and …ormē ted wythoute victory, and vtterly to be ouerwhelmed wyth a broke & ſtrong ſtreame of troubles. Thus was it hys mynde to declare the paſſion of Chriſt. After the paſſiō foloweth the glory wyth the reſurrection and aſcenſiō. Paul Philip. ii. ſpeaketh of both, and ſayeth. Chryſte humbled hymſelfe, and became obediēt vntounto death euen the deathe of the Croſſe. Wherfore God hath exalted hym, and geuen hym a name, whyche is aboue all names. &c. Thus muche be ſpoben of thys Pſalme and of Dauids vnderſtandyng, …hych he had of Chriſt Jeſu and of the chriſtē faith
Upon thys I maruayll, yf (after ſo euidente teſtimonies) there be yet any man, whych perceaueth not that Dauids faith and vnderſtandyng of Chriſte, was euen one fayth and vnderſtandynge, wyth the fayth that we knowlege and ſay. I beleue in one God father alymightye &c, As it is in the xii articles of the Chryſten faythe. For the holy trinite in one godheade doth he knowlege, not onelyonly here, but alſo inThe article of the holy Trinite. the .xxxiii. Pſalme ſayenge Thorowe the worde of God were the heauēs made, and all theyr power thorow the ſprete of hys mouth. For certayne it is, that there is but one onelyonly God, maker of heauen and of erth: but here is the trinite called Lord or God, worde and ſprete. Nether is there any thynge in the Articles of the beleue concernynge the Godhead and manhode of Chriſt, of hys concepcion, byrth, paſſiō, croſſe and death, of the reſurrection, aſcē ſion and iudgement, but ti is clearly comprehended here in thys Pſalme. The articles of the holy churche, of forgeuynge of ſinnes the, reſurrectiō of the fleſhe, and an euerlaſtynge lyfe, are conteyned in thys Pſalme, and are treated vponupon yet more clearly, and wyth many moo wordes very ſubſtantially in other Pſalmes of Dauid Therfore had he our holy fayth, & knowlegedDauid was called Chriſtes father. the ſame, was ſaued therein, and of all holy mē was called the father of chriſt wyth hye commendation, bycauſe of the promes that was made vntounto hym. Moreouer all the holy Prophetes folowynge, had reſpecte vntounto Dauid, as to another Moſes, and toke many thinges out of his wryttynges. For there is ſcace any other, that ſo clearly wrote of the cauſe of chriſt as thys prophet Dauid, and therfore hath he honoure and prayſe aboue other in Iſrael, Of whome thou readeſt alſo▪ Eccle. xlvii. Such fayth and confidence in God thorow Jeſus Chriſt, had Dauid oute of the holy gooſt, and out of the doctrine of hys Prophetes Samuel, Nathan & Gad, and of other hys preiſtes, whych alſo had the ſame of God, and of the holy fathers, ſpecially of Moſes. And no doute, he deſired the honoure of God and of hys ſōne, not to kepe it onelye hym ſelfe, but alſo muche rather to requyre it of all hys people Wherfore no doute he ſet vp and furthured thys hys fayth and religion amōg all hys men of warre, kynſtolke, in al hys courte, Edominion, before the whole congregation, and in all hys kyngdome: ſo… diligently, erneſtly, and feruently, that afterwarde certayne hundreth yeares, they whych beleued ryghte & lyued well, were prayſed for walkyug in the wayes of Dauid theyr father. They alſo that dyd euell and ſet: not forth the true fayth, of them is it wryten. They walked not in the wayes of Dauid theyr father. Of thys haſt thouThe wayes of Dauid. many enſamples in the bokes of the kynges, and in the Cronicles. Many thynges alſo were forgeuen the kynges and all the people of Juda, for Dauids ſake, that is, for the promes ſake mode vntounto Dauyd, euen for Jeſus Chriſtes ſake, whom Ezechiel calleth Dauid. In the. iii boke of the kynges the, xv. chapter, it is wryttē thus: The hert of Abia was not ryght towardKynge …bia. hys Lord God as was the hart of Dauid hys father. And for Dauyds ſake dyd the Lorde geue hym a lyghte at Hieruſalem, ſo that at Hieruſalē he ſet vp hys ſonne, and preſerued him. For Dauid did it that was ryght in the ſyght of the Lord and al the dayes of lyfe hys dydde not he ſhrenke from any thyng that he cōmaunded him, excepte in the matter of Urias the H…hite Thus readeſte thou alſo of Ezechias. iii. Regum. xviii. In the iiii. boke of the kynges the .xxv. chapter: ſayeth: he Prophete: Afore Joſias was there no Kynge, that was lyke hym, whych turned hym ſelfe ſo vntounto the Lord wyth all hys hart, wyth all hys ſoule, and wyth all hys power, accordynge to all the lawe of Moſes. And afterwarde came there none lyke hym. But in the ſeconde boke of the Cronycles the xx…iiii. Chapter ſtondeth the declaracion of the foreſayde place after thys maner. Joſyas reygned at Hieruſalem xxxi. yeare, and dyd that whych pleaſed the Lord and walked in the wayes of hys Father Dauyd, and declined nether to the ryght hande nor to the lyfte. For in the eyghte yeare of hys reygne whyle he was yet but yonge (euen ſyxtene yeare olde) he begane to ſeke the god of hys father Dauid.
Thus muche be ſpoken concernynge this, that Iſrael and all the vertuous kinges of Juda, truſted vntounto Chrſte, and not to the lawe of Moſes. Who ſo deſyreth the nomber of the yeares, he fyndeth .iii. Regum. vi. euen. 480, yeares, from the departynge out of Egipte vntyl the fourthe yeare of the reygne of Salomon. And from that tyme vntyl the captiuite of Babilon, are rekened. 419. yeares, or there aboutes. Altogether make. 899 yeares.