The Old Faith an Evident Probation out of the Holy Scripture, Tract · Part 9
¶ Of the tyme of the greace of Chriſt, and how that he him ſelfe teſtifieth, that the ſaluacion of all the worlde ſtondeth onelyonly in hym.
HIther to hauehave I ſet for the tyme of the promyſes, in the whyche God (thorowe the promyſed …de oure Lorde Jeſus Chriſte) conforted, clenſed, and preſerued all hys ſeruauntes and deare frendes. There hauehave we lerned & ſene that the Chriſten fayth, which hath endured ſens the begynnyng of the worlde, is the eldeſt, vndoubted, right and true faith, which all holy Patriarkes had, & in the which they ſerued God, and pleaſed him, as Adam, Seth, Enoch and Noe, Item Abraham, Iſaac & Jacob, Lykewyſe the excellente & highlye endewed propheet yee the father & foregoer of all prophetes, euen greate Moſes his brother Aarō, the holy Preſt Eleazar and Phinees, The excellent dukes alſo & Judges, Joſue, Gedeon; and other moo, Euen ſo lykewyſe the kynges, Dauid, Ezechias, Joſaphat, & Joſias, The dear…i beloued of God and excellent prophetes, Samuel, Helias, Iſaias, Daniel, zacharias, and all the other. This holy fayth alſo had all ryghteous and ſuch as were of godly vnderſtondinge in all the congregacions of Iſrael frō the begynning: In this were ſaued all they that frō the beginning were preſerued & ordeyned to ſaluaciō:All gods electe wer ſaued by Chriſt. wherfore what ſoeuer they can alledge agaynſt this faith (whether it be cō cerning holymē, olde age. multitudes, lerned men, generall counſayls cōuocations or perliamētes, fathers actes, ſtatutes, tokens and wonders) It is all nothinge worth, and is not to be reputed in compariſon of oure holy faith, as eueryevery one that hath vnderſtonding, maye ſe in this treatiſe afore. And though my purpoſe be now fyniſhed, euen declared out of the ſcripture, that the Chriſten faith hath endured ſens the begynning of the worlde. Yet wyl I adde a ſhorte inſtructiō concernynge the tyme of grace, & perfourminge of all promiſes, and I wyll declare, that God now alſo thorow the appearinge of his ſonne, wolde bringe in to the worlde and ſet forth, none other religion, none other faith, nether anye other ſaluacion, then euen the ſame which was ſhowed to the olde fathers, Sauynge that now all thinges are more euydent, more clerly practiſed accompliſhed, fulfilled and perfourmed, for the whych cauſe alſo all figures, ſacrifices and ceremonies do ceaſſe. ForThe olde teſtament is not to be refuſed in Chriſt is all perfection. Yet ſhall we not therfore caſt awaye the olde Teſtament (as ſome ignoraunt, vnlerned and foolyſh people do) but hauehave it in greater reputacion, for aſmuch as we know now thorowe Chriſt, what eueryevery thinge ſignifieth, & wherfore eueryevery thinge was thus & thus ordeyned, vſed, & ſpokē, Now ſhall eueryevery man fyrſt hauehave a corage to reade the lawe and the prophetes, whā he ſeyth wher vponupon eueryevery thyng goeth. And thus alſo at the begynnyng dyd the holy apoſtles preach Chriſt vntounto the Jewes out of the lawe and the prophetes, as it is oft tymes mencioned in the actes of the Apoſtles. And our Lord him ſelfe, whā he wēt with the two diſciples towarde Emaus,Luk. xxiiii & preached ſo vntounto the, that theyr hertes brent within them, he begāne at Moſes, & wente thorow all the prophetes, and opened vntounto thē the old ſcriptures, & ſhewed them, that ſo it behoued Chriſt to fu…re, and to entre in to his glorie. Thys is the cauſe alſo that the ſcriptures of the new Teſtament, hang all together and referre them ſelues to the ſcriptures of the olde Teſtament, ſo that theſe can not be right vnderſtōd without the other, nomore thē The new Teſtamēt dec are▪ h the olde.the gloſe without the text. The text is the lawe and the prophetes, the expoſitiō are the Euangeliſtes & Apoſtles, Now wyll we ſe, what the worke of grace of the new Teſtament is.
In the .xlii. yeare of the empyre of Auguſtus, after the begynning of the world 3974. yeares was Jeſus chriſt the bleſſed & promiſed ſede, borne of the vndefyled virgin and mayde Mary, at Bethleem in the lande of Jewrye. And though he as a very man was wrapped to clothes, and layed in the cryb, yet apeareth the angell of the Lord in greate clearneſſe vntounto the ſhepherdes, and ſayeth, Feare ye not, beholde I bryng you tidinges of great ioy, which ſhall happen vntounto all people. For this daye is borne vntounto you the ſauyoure euen Chriſt the lord in the citie of Dauid The firſt newes and tydinges of the commyngeTidinges of Chriſtes birth of our Lord Jeſꝰ Chriſt, muſt the angell brynge and geue, to the intent that it mighte be the more accepte of all the worlde. All the holy men from the begynnynge of the worlde, dyd hytherto longe ſore after the promyſed ſede. Therfore ſaieth the aungell now, that he bringeth them tydinges of great ioye, no doubte to them that were gone, deed, & paſt, to them alſo that now lyued, & to them that were to come afterward. The ioye is this, that Jeſus Chriſt the ſauiour is borne, euē the promiſed ſede, whiche ſhulde ſaue all the world from the power of the deuell, clēſe them from ſynne, and delyuer them from damnacion. Therfore ſayeth the aungell moreouer, Which ſhal happen vntounto all people. For vntounto Abraham it was ſayd, In thy ſede ſhall all nactons of the erth be bleſſed. The ſame (ſayeth the angell) is borne in the citie of Dauid, euen out of Dauids kynred, out of the whiche the prophetes teſtified that he ſhulde be borne, whiche prophetes alſo for the ſame cauſe called him Dauid and the bloſſome of Dauid.The grace of God And this is now the grace of God, that where as we poore ſynners belōged vntounto death, and were in the deuels bōdes he ſente his ſonne to lowſe and delyuer vsus out of captiue, This is the new Teſtament. For Hieremy alſo teſtifieth he…of, and ſayeth: This is the Teſtament that I will make I w…ll be their God and they ſhall, be my people, I wyll be mercifull to their vnrighteouſnes and ſynnes, & wyll thynke vponupon them nomore, Hiere xxxi.
This full and perfecte forgeueneſſe is not therfore called the newe Teſtamente, as though their had bene no remiſſion of ſynnes promes made longe afore vntounto the fathers, is now confirmed and renewed and the old figures that repreſented the ſame are abrogate. Thus the Lord Jeſus aloneChriſt the onelyonly ſaluacion of all the worlde. is ſet for the for the onelyonly ſaluacion of all the worlde, ſo that not onelyonly we, but all they which afore or after hys appearaūce or incarnaciō beleued on him, were ſaued And at the birth of Chriſt there cōmeth to the foreſaide angell, the whole heauenly hooſt which prayſed God & ſayde: GloryLuce. ii…. and prayſe be vntounto God in the height and peace vponupon erth, to men a good wyll.
And by this they teach vsus what the dewtye, thankfulneſſe, and knowlege of men is or ought to be in this behalfe, that god hath done ſo great good forman: NamelyThe dewry of vsus. howe that they oughte to prayſe God, to hauehave a ſure, truſt in hym, and to be frēdly and louynge one to another. And the fulfilllyge of the lawe is louelove from a pure hert, out of a good conſcience, and of an vndiſſembled or vnfayned fayth. i, Timoth. …
In the fyftenth yeare of the Empire of T…erius (from the begynnynge of theJohn baptiſt. worlde. 4004. yeares) came the worde of the Lorde to John the ſonne of the preyſt zachary, in the wylderneſſe, and he went and preached vntounto the people of Iſraell. amendement of lyfe and forgeueneſſe of ſynnes in Jeſu Chriſt. To whom he bare recorde, that he was the fulfyllyng of the lawe & the prophetes very God and man the onelyonly and euerlaſtyng ſauiour: whych wyth the ſacrifice of hys own body, ſhuld clenſe the world from ſynne, yea he poynted vntounto hym wyth hys fynger, and ſayd: Beholde thys is the lambe of God, thatJohn. i. takethe awaye the ſynne of the worlde. And ſo perfectiye and wholy hangeth he all ſaluacion onelyonly in Chriſte Jeſus, thatJohn. i. he ſaieth planely. Out of his fulneſſe hauehave all we receyued grace. &c. Joh. i. Item who ſo beleueth in the ſon of God, hath euerlaſtynge lyfe: who ſo beleueth not in the ſonne, ſhall not ſe lyfe, but the wrathe of God abydeth vppon hym Therfore dyd,Mat. xi. he alſo ſende all hys diſciples from hym, and cōmaunded them to cleue vntounto Chriſt He maketh no men…ion at all of any ceremony…s figures nor oblations, as neceſſary poyntes to ſaluacion, but preacheth Chriſt purely and clearly. Thys is manifeſt, Johan. i and .iii. Mat. iii. and Luk. iii
The Lorde hym ſelfe alſo came vntounto John, & was baptiſed. And whan he hadMath. iii. receyued baptime, the heauen opened, and the holy gooſt appeared in the fourme of a doue, and there was a voyce heard▪ from heauen ſaynge. Thys is my beloued ſonne, in whome I am pacified: to the intent that all the worl…e ſhuld hauehave wytneſſe of Chryſte the true ſauyour, not onelyonly now by the a…ngels, and by Johan the holyeſ… man of all, but alſo from heauen and of God hym ſelfe: and that we myght be the bolder to committe our ſelues wholy vntounto hym. Whā he had receyued the teſtymony he wente in to the wylderneſſe. And lyke as our diſeaſe beganne in paradiſe by tē tation. Euen ſo at the tentatiō in the wylderneſſe beganne the Lord our health: and lyke as the father of vsus al dyd eate the for bydden meate. So dyd the Lorde not eate the meate that he myghte hauehave eaten, but faſted fortye dayes and fourtye nyghtes. Afterwarde came …e amonge the people, and beganne to preache ſaluacion, ſayng. The tyme is fulfylled, and the kyngdomeMath. iii▪ of God is at hande, repēt, and beleue the Goſpell. Here wyth hath he healed all ſores, dryuē out deuels, & rayſed vp the deed teſtifienge ſo by hys actes, that he is Lord of all thynges, and the true ſauioure. And of them whome he healleth, aſketh he nothyng: he cōmaundeth them not to buylde hym a temple, nether to geue hym blocke or ſtocke: he requyreth no bodely thing, but onelyonly▪ ſtedfaſt fayth and cōfidence. And to them whom he hath healed, he ſayeth: go they waye and ſynne no more, take hede, that a worſe thynge happen not vntounto the▪ And herewith all doth he teache, in whatThe ſubſtaūce of true religion. thynge the ſubſtaunce of true religion lieth, euen in a right true fayth, and in an innocent lyfe, that in oure conuerſation we kepe our ſelues from all filthines: Yee the thynge that ſome ma… taketh for gods ſeruyce, refuſeth he, as longe bablynge prayers, vayne glorious faſtinge & lyke almes geuynge. He nothynge regardeth mens tradicions, diuerſites of ſectes, long garmentes, outwarde appearaunce, their clenſynge, ne… all their ypocriſie. He goeth into the temple, ouerthroweth, caſteth downe, powreth out eueryevery thynge that is to be ſolde in the temple: he dryueth the byers and ſellers out of the temple with a whippe. For the temple was ordeyned for generall prayer. thankeſgeuing and preachynge, and not, for choppinge and chaun gynge, or other ſuche lyke thynges. TheſeThe ſpeciall pointes of chriſtes doctryne. thre poyntes doth he teach vsus diligently to obſerue: Firſt, that we obteyne remiſſion of ſynnes, true righteouſnes & euerlaſtinge lyfe, onelyonly thorw hym and by hys paſſion and death, and els by none other meane. For he is the onelyonly mediatoure, preſt, interceſſoure, comforter, the onelyonly righteouſneſſe, ſatiſfacion, raunſome, ſantifyeng the onelyonly perpetuall ſacrifice the ſuertye of grace and ſaluacion. Speciall teſtimonies hereof haſt thou Johan. iii. vi. xiiii and .xvi. Secondly: that we can not ſerue and pleace God with exterior ſacrifices or any outward pompe, but with ſuche workes as proceade of louelove & mercy And thirdly / that all the children of God are bounde to kepe them ſelues from the workes of darekeneſſe and to applye them to lyue in righteouſnes and in the lighte. And herein alſo is comprehended all godlynes / that is / all right good Chriſten workes
So whan he had taught all righteouſnes / andThe pacient ſuffringe of Chriſt. diſcloyſed and ouerthrowen all ypocriſye in religion (he offred vp hym ſelfe vponupon the croſſe for the remiſſyon of all oure ſynnes. For wyllingly & paciently put he him ſelfe in to the handes of hys enemy…s and of his betrayer / ſuffred him ſelfe to be taken / to be bounde / to beled from one iudge to another / to be langhed to ſcorne / cried out vponupon (to be ſpytted on / and at the laſt to be adiudged vntounto death / to be ſcourged / & to be crowned with a crown of thorne. He himſelfe bare hys owne croſſe to the place of execucion / where he was crucified / & hanged vp betwene the murthurers. Then lyued he in greate payne from the ſixte houre vntyll the nyenth. At the laſt he cried: It is fyniſhed / father in to thy handes commende I my ſpr…te: thus offred he him ſelf for oure ſynnes and dyed that we myghtethe frute of Chriſtes death lyue, But ſoone after folowed the thinges wherby the frute of Chriſtes paſſyon might be perceaued. For the vayle / which in the temple, ſe…arated the holy from the mooſt holy (dyd rent from the toppe tyll the botome: wherby Chriſt teſtified (that now with his death all ceremonies & fig… ratyue thinges were at an ende, and nomore of value: that the waye to eternall ſaluation was opened: that all thinges ſignificatyue in the tabernacle (in ſacrifices, rytes and obſeruaunces, were nowfulfilled and abrogate: that now the bare & onelyonly croſſ of our Lorde Jeſus Chriſt is al together vntounto the faythfull that the hele of the virgines ſede is well troden vponupon, & his fleſh well rente and ſlayne: but that yet alſo in the meane reaſon he hath troden the ſerpent vponupon the head, Therfore dyd the deed alſo aryſe, and appeared vntounto certayne at Hieruſalem. For the death of Chriſt is oure life, The erthquaked, the ſtones harſt aſunder For the preachinge of the death of the ſonne of God, hath altered the whole worlde, and many hard ſtonye hertes are moued to repentaunce faith and good workes But whan the ſyde of the deed body of Chriſt was opened with the ſpeare▪ and the rocke (as zachary ſaieth (was dygged vp▪ thereWater & bloude. ranne out water and bloude, declarynge manifeſtly therby, that vntounto vsus out of the death of Chriſt, foloweth life and purifyenge. For water clēſeth, in the bloud is the lyfe of man. And with the bloude of Chriſt is all bloude ſtanched, and now is Chriſtes bloude onelyonly avaylable, beynge ſprenkled thorowe fayth in oure hertes. This oblacion and paſſion of Chriſt (the rawnſome for the ſynne of the whole world) was done in the. xviii yeare of the Empyre of Tiberius, rekenynge from the begynnyng of the worlde. 4007 yeres, the .xxv. daye of Marche.
So the whole body of Jeſu was takenThe buriall of Chriſt. downe from the croſſe, and honorably buryed and on the thirde daye after he roſe vp agayne: ſo that his ſoule came agayne to the body, and his very fleſh was rayſed vp from death, how be it now nomore mortall and paſſible, but glorified. For he is the firſt in the reſurrection of the deed, For lyke as by one man came deathe ſo by one man muſt come the reſurrection of the deed. And lyke as in Adam we all dyed in body and ſoule, ſo ſhall we be all together reſtored agayne to lyfe in Chriſt Jeſu. This hope vntounto lyfe, wolde the Lorde prynte ſubſtancially in vsus with the reſurrection. And therfore after his reſurrection, he contynued fortye dayes wyth his diſciples, that he mightwell inſtructe them of his reſurrection, and that they ſhuld hauehave no doulte therin. So whan he had ſhewed and declared vntounto them his very reſurrection dyuerſe wayſe, and had perfourmed all that the father commaunded him to fynde, he aſcended vp vntounto heauē with body and ſoule fro moūt Oliuere in the ſight of his diſciples, and is ſet at the righte hand of God, there to remayne corporally vntyll the laſt daye, in the which he ſhall▪ come agayn bodelye, to iudge the quycke & deed: And all ſuche as hauehave walked in faith, ſhall he take to him with body & ſoule in to heauen, lyke as he himſelfe is receaued in to heauen: And ſhall with body and ſoule condemne all them that hauehave walked in the waye of the olde ſerpente, and hauehave not conuerted from vnrighteouſneſſe to the righteouſneſſe in Chriſt. And thus ſhall ſaluacion be perfectly fyniſhed, and gods chyldren ſhall lyue eternally with God, thorow Jeſus Chriſt. To whome be prayſe for euer.
Amen