Look from Adam and Behold the Protestants Faith Proved, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. That alſo the elect Apoſtles preached this old faith▪ and declared that all ſalvation is onelyonly in Chriſt.
THus through Chriſt Ieſus is all fulfilled, that the Prophets propheſied of him before,The power of Chriſt ſaveth all. thus to become the ſalvation of all faithfull beleevers, even the Lambe of God, which hath beene ſacrificed ſince the beginning of the world; that is, this is he, whoſe power and deliverance hath cleanſed all them that ever put their truſt in God through the bleſſed ſeed. Herein now is the right true ſalvation, this is the ſumme of the right and perfect religion. Who ſo perverteth this, from him ſhall God turne himſelfe: who ſo addeth ought unto this, to him ſhall God adde his wrathfull hand: who ſo taketh therefrō, his life ſhall God miniſh. But bleſſed are they, which walk in this ſimplicitie & cleanneſſe, and continue ſo unto the end; even they that heare Gods word, and doe thereafter, whoſe onelyonly hope is Ieſus Chriſt. This only true and ever during ſalvation would hee to bee ſhewed and declared to all nations, which came to ſave all nations: but he would it ſhould be declared by the preaching of the holy Goſpell, and through the miniſtration of the holy Sacraments: And therefore by his life time hee did chuſe Apoſtles, whom he received to bee witneſſes of all his doctrine and miracles, informing them diligently, and held nothing backe from them. For hee ſaith unto them; Yee are my friends, Iohn 15.14, 15.if yee doe all that I command you, I will henceforth call you no more ſervants, for a ſervant woteth not what his Lord doth. Chriſt held nothing back… from his Apoſtles.But I have called you my friends, for all that I have heard of my Father, have I opened unto you, Ioh. 15. But for as much as they yet lacked underſtanding, and were forgetfull, and had ever ſtrange imaginations of the kingdome of Chriſt, therefore when hee now aſcended unto heaven, hee charged them not to depart from Hieruſalem, but to wait for the Holy Ghoſt: whom he alſo gave unto them upon the fiftieth day after his reſurrection; that is, upon the tenth day after his aſcenſion, even the fifteenth day of May:The Holy Ghoſt b…ough… no new doctrine. by the which Holy Ghoſt they being illuminate, ſpake with all manner of languages, and were mindfull of all that the Lord had commanded them afore. For the Holy Ghoſt did not endue them with a new doctrine, but it that the Lord had taught them out of the Law and the Prophets, the ſame did hee bring to their remembrance, and illucidate all things, and printed them more clearly in their hearts. For ſo ſaith the Lord in the Goſpell:Iohn 14.26. The Comforter, even the Holy Ghoſt, whom the Father will ſend in my name, he ſhall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, that I have ſaid unto you. Therefore ſo long as the Lord was with them, and told them all the matter of his paſſion, they were ſorrie, and could not beare away all that he ſaid unto them. But after that he was taken up from the earth into heaven, he ſent the Holy Ghoſt, even him, whom the Prophets alſo had before, and that led them into all Chriſtian veritie.
So when they were endued with the Holy Ghoſt, they began (according to the Lords commandement) to preach in all the world the foreſaid matter of ſalvation purchaſed and obtained onelyonly by Chriſt, and gotten by true faith. For hee had ſaid; Goe your way into all the world, Marke 16.15.and preach the Goſpell unto all creatures, Whoſo beleeveth and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, &c. And therewith comprehendeth he both the points, which the Apoſtles uſed and practiſed, even the preaching of the faith in Ieſus Chriſt, and of the miniſtration of the Sacraments. And how the Apoſtles doctrine was, it is manifeſt out of the Acts of the Apoſtles. But ſhortly and in a ſumme, they preached amendment of life, and remiſſion of ſinnes through Ieſus Chriſt: That is to ſay, how that the whole generation of man lay in the dominion of the Devill, and in the bonds of ſinne, curſed, and damned: but God had merciemercy on us all, and ſent his Sonne into this world to die, and with his death to reſtore us unto life, and to waſh us with his bloud, that whoſoever beleeveth in him, ſhould not periſh, but have eternall life. All this declared they out of the Law and the Prophets, and proved, that Ieſus Chriſt whom they preached, is the bleſſed ſeed promiſed unto the fathers. Whoſo is deſirous to have a perfect example of this declaration, he findeth two Sermons of the famous Apoſtles Peter and Paul, the one in the Acts of the Apoſtles, the ſecond chapter, verſ. 14. the other in the 13. chapter, verſ. 16. There doth the holy Apoſtle open the myſterie of our holy faith, verie excellently, declaring it from the time of Abraham unto David, and from him unto Iohn the Baptiſt. Thereupon ſheweth he, how Chriſt ſuffered, died, was buried, and roſe againe from death. All this confirmeth hee with the Scriptures of the Prophets. At the laſt he concludeth the Sermon after this manner; Be it knowne unto you therefore, Acts 13.38.ye men and brethren, that through Ieſus is preached unto to you forgiveneſſe of ſinnes, and that by him all they that beleeve, are juſtified from all things, from the which yee could not bee juſtified by the Law of Moſes. To this agreeth now alſo the ſermon of Peter: Yea, all the Scriptures of the Apoſtles doe finally accord to the ſame effect: Hereout alſo bring they the doctrine of repentance and amendment of life, the rebuking of ſinne, conſolations, exhortations, and drawing to all manner of good works, that follow out of faith.
The ſpeciall Sacraments, which the Lord did chiefly inſtitute, and command the Apoſtles to practiſe in the Church,Baptiſme. are holy Baptiſme and the bleſſed Supper of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Concerning the firſt,Matth. 28.18, 19. hee ſaith thus, To mee is given all power in heaven and in earth: therefore goe your way, and teach all people, and baptize them in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the Holy Ghoſt, and teach them to keepe all that I have commanded you. The other did hee inſtitute at the laſt Supper.The Supper of the Lord. Matth. 26.26. For thus is it written in the holy Goſpell: When they were eating hee tooke bread, and when hee had given thanks, he brake it, and gave them ſaying; Take, eat, this is my bodie, which ſhall be given for you: this doe in the remembr…nce of mee. So tooke hee alſo the cup when …hey had ſupt, and ſaid; Drinke yee all out of this, this is my bloud of the new Teſtament, which ſhall be ſhed for the remiſsion of ſinnes. With ſuch Sacraments, through outward viſible formes (for our infirmities ſake) pleaſed it the Lord to ſhew and ſet before our eyes, his heavenly and inviſible grace: not that we ſhould continue ſtill hanging in the viſible thing, but that wee ſhould lift up our mindes, and with a true beleefe to hold faſt, to print ſure in our mindes, to worſhip, and to enjoy the things that faith ſheweth us by the outward Sacraments. With theſe outward Sacraments alſo hath it pleaſed him to open, declare and ſhew unto us his grace and loving kindneſſe: Namely, how that he giveth unto us himſelfe and all his riches, cleanſeth us, feedeth and moyſtureth our ſoules with his fleſh and bloud, that he is at one with us, and wee with him, ſo that wee uſe and practiſe the Sacraments with a true faith. For the outward enjoying of the Sacraments of it ſelfe alone, doth not reconcile us with God: but if they bee uſed with faith, then (as S. Peter ſaith, Acts 15.Acts 15.9.) through faith doth God purifie the hearts.The fru…t of the Sacraments. With the Sacraments pleaſed it him, to leave behinde him a remembrance of his gifts and benefits, to the intent that wee ſhould never forget them, but praiſe and thanke him therfore. Moreover, with viſible Sacraments was it his will to gather us together, and to marke us in his Church and people, and to put us in remembrance of our dutie, how we are one bodie together, and ought to apply our ſelves to all righteouſn…ſſe: All which things are found at length in the Scriptures of the Apoſtles.
As for the Apoſtles, they miniſtred the Sacraments diligently, purely, and ſimply; and ſo (without any addition) diſtributed them unto the people of God. Touching Baptiſme, there are many examples in the Acts of the Apoſtles. The Supper of Ieſus Chriſt had the Corinthians ſomewhat altered.1 Cor. 11.17. And when Paul pointed them againe to the true ordinance and right uſe, he taketh the ſimple words and inſtitution of Ieſus Chriſt without any more addition, and layeth thoſe before them, commandeth them to follow the ſame, and holdeth him therewith well content, 1 Cor. 11. And thus did the holy▪ Apoſtles gather together all the Heathen people, through the preaching of the Goſpell, and miniſtration of the Sacraments in the Church, whoſe head is Chriſt,Acts 15 28. The Apoſtles did not overcharge the people with Ceremonies. Acts 2.1. in whom they are builded and preſerved. Moreover, they did not load them ſore with any ceremonies. For in the Acts of the Apoſtles the ſecond chapter, where as a perfect ſhape of a right Chriſtian Congregation is deſcribed, wee have firſt the ſending of the Apoſtles, among whom Peter did firſt preach the Goſpell, that is to ſay, repentance and forgiveneſſe of ſins in Chriſt Ieſus. Then baptized hee them that were become the people of God. Afterward followeth it, that they which were become Chriſtians, continued in the doctrine of the Apoſtles, in prayer, in breaking of the bread, & in the fellowſhip: Here are the right ſubſtantial points of the Chriſtian Church ſufficiently expreſſed: the doctrine of amendment of life, and remiſſion of ſinnes, Baptiſme, the continuing and increaſing in Chriſts doctrine, prayer, the holy Supper of the Lord, and the fellowſhip, that is, love, kindneſſe, and workes of merciemercy.
Acts 15.20.29.Now whereas Acts 15. it is ordained that the Heathen ſhould eat no blood nor ſtrangled, it endured but for a time,The Apoſtles would not offend the weake. & their meaning was thereby to avoid offending of the weake. Otherwiſe have the Apoſtles everie where (eſpecially Paul) verie earneſtly exhorted men, to continue by the doctrine that was ſhewed and delivered them, and to be at a point in themſelves, to avoid ſuch learning as was new and brought up by men, becauſe they lead men farre from the truth, as we finde, Col. 2.6. Philip. 3.15. 1 Tim 4.6. and 6.2. and Tit. 1.9. And thus it is manifeſt, that the Apoſtles taught all nations no new nor ſtrange thing, but even the ſame that they had received of the Lord.