A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 35
¶ The faithful are ſealed to ſaluatiō, which they obteyne by the grace of God in Chriſt Ieſu. The .xxxv. Sermon.
ANd I ſawe an other Aungell aſcēde from the riſing of the ſonne: which had the ſeale of the liuing God, and he cried with a lowde voyce to the foure Aungelles (to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth and the See) ſaying: hurte not the earth, nother the See, nother the trees, till we hauehave ſealed the Seruauntes of our God in their forheades. And I hearde the numbre of them which were ſealed, and there were ſealed an .C. and .xliiii. thouſand of al the tribes of the Childrē of Iſraell. Of the tribe of Iuda were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Ruben were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Gad were ſealed xii.M. of the tribe of Aſſer were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Neptali were ſealed .xii.M. Of the tribe of Manaſſes were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Simeon were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Leui were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Iſachar were ſealed .xii.M. Of the tribe of Zabulon were ſealed .xii.M. of the tribe of Ioſeph were ſealed .xii.M. of ye tribe of Beniamin were ſealed .xii.M.
After this I behelde, and lo, a great multitude (whiche no man coulde numbre) of all nations and people, and tunges, ſtode before the ſeate, and before the Lambe, clothed with lōg white garmentes and Palmes in theyr handes, and cried with a lowde voice ſaying: Saluatiō be aſcribed to him that ſitteth vponupon the ſeate of our God, and vntounto the lambe. And al the Aungels ſtode in the compaſſe of the ſeate, and of the elders, and of the foure beaſtes, and fel doune before the ſeate on their faces, and worſhipped God, ſaying: Amē. Bleſſing, and glory, wiſedome and thankes, and honour and power, and might, be vntounto our God for euer more, Amen.
We hauehave hearde, bretherne, the ſixte ſeale beyng opened,A peſtilent matter ſhadowed by fearfull parables. that the Sunne was made blacke, the Moone blouddy, the Starres to hauehave fallen from Heauen to the Earth, and the reſte that we hauehave reherſed: by all the whiche was ſignified the corruption of doctrine. A ſorrowful and a feareful matter was ſhaddowed with moſte ſorrowful and moſt terrible parables. We hearde how there followed in the worlde a moſt great tourmoile of thinges, and with many a moſt greuouſe diſpaire: and that the windes alſo were reſtreyned, that they ſhould not blowe. But we hauehave experienced, howe greate a griefe it is, yea and diſtruction alſo, to waunte the ayre or winde, in ſo much that with out breathing and cooling, men muſte nedes wither and be queſomed and choked vp. But with ſo great an euil are thei vexed which are deſtitute of the preachyng of Gods worde.
Some man here might ſaye:Whether the whole worlde do peryſhe in errours. than the whole worlde periſſheth in hereſies, in the Alcorane, in Papiſtrie, and other corruptions. In what caſe thinke you than are our forefathers? do you thinke they be al damned? S. Iohn preuenteth theſe thinges, and with a viſion al together Euangelicall, that is to wit with a cōſolation moſte profitable ſheweth, that God hath an innumerable multitude of them, whiche euen in the middes of thoſe antichriſtian times or difficulties are made ſafe: and that of the mere grace of God, through the interceſſion of Ieſu Chriſt, of whom alone is ſaluation: yt is to ſaye, whom alone they yt are ſaued may thanke for their ſaluatiō.
We hauehave at this preſent what to aunſwere to menne of a contrary faction, alwayes obiectyng,An argument of ye example & ſaluation of our elders. eyther our Elders are damned altogether, it were wicked to condemne all, they be ſaued therefore. But they hauehave not hearde of that our newe doctrine, but kepte the olde, in the olde therfore ſhall we alſo be ſaued. To this we make aunſwer, that our elders were ſaued, we graūt gladly, & beleue it alſo: but we adde, of the free grace of God, as we ſhal by & by more playnly vnderſtāde: and not by popiſh ſuperſtitiō: neyther therfore ſhalt thou by the ſame be ſaued: but thou muſte alſo be ſaued by Chriſt, if thou wilt be ſaued. But rather ſeyng at this daye through the ſingular goodnes of God, the goſpel is preached, and is preached euen to thee, to the whiche thou ſheweſt thy ſelfe a rebell, thou declareſt thy ſelf to be none of the nūbre of gods children,Ia. 8.15 which heare the worde of God with ioye, and kepe it. Neyther ſhalte thou hauehave any cloke or pretenſe wherwith to excuſe thy ſinne. Yf thy forefathers had had the like oportunitie, which thou neglecteſt, good God, what a ſpace wold they hauehave runne afore thee? Therfore thou both willing and witting, ſpeakeſt againſt God, & wilfully throweſt thy ſelfe into diſtruction. Dye therfore through thine owne faulte.
By ye grace of god, many ar ſaued at al times in the moſt corrupt religion.Neither doeth this place only teſtifie, very many to be ſaued by the grace of God from corruption, & in the true faith, euen than, what time in mans iudgement there appere none or very fewe to be faithfull: and euen very fewe or none to be ſaued, by reaſon of the exceading great corruption of eueryevery time? We hauehave alſo hearde and red in the .3. boke of kinges the .19. chapt. that Helias complayning moſt greuouſly of the ſcarſetie of the faithfull, vnderſtode, that God had reſerued yet ſeuē thouſand men, which had not boughed theyr knees before Baal. The lord therefore hath euermore his choſen, whiche in the middes of deſtruction and perdition by grace through Chriſt are ſaued.
Chryſte is authour of ſaluation.And the Authour of this ſaluation and preſeruatiō is firſt declared to be an Aungell aſcendyng from the riſyng of the ſunne: to witte the Lord Chriſt that ſunne of rightuouſenes, riſing vp in thoſe moſt thicke antichriſtian darknes, to thoſe that ſeke God, and lighting them the darkenes driuē away. For Chriſt is the trewe light of al times, lighting al, ſo many as be illumined. He geueth his people alſo preachers, whiche by the worde maye defende Gods people, that they be not diſtroyed with that comon diſtruction.
Of ye Seal of ye lyuing God.For it is diligently expreſſed, that this Aungel had a ſeale, & that not a ſeale only, but the ſeale of God, & euen of the liuing God. For Chriſt which is the Image of God vnſene, that is to ſay, the printe or expreſſe Image of his ſubſtaunce, in whom we know, as he him ſelf ſayeth vntounto Philip, the father, hath a ſeale, which is an inſtrument, wherwith we ſeale, ſuch thinges as we wil hauehave ſealed, ſaued, & confirmed, & diſcerned from that which is counterfet, & kept ſafe againſt diſceipte. But the Lorde hath no ſuche ſeale, as we hauehave in this world: but ſo by a figure is called ye ſpirit of god, wt whom he inſpireth his faithful, by whō he geueth alſo a liuely faith, by the word of the liuing & eternal God. This ſeale therfore, is the ſeale of the liuing God, the ſpirite of life, and liuely faith:Epheſi. 1 herof thapoſtle S. Paul, ſpeaking: we alſo truſt in Chriſt, after the word of trueth hearde, ye goſpell of your ſaluatiō, wherin after ye beleued, ye were ſealed wt the holy ſpirit of promeſſe, &c. Theſe thinges are not diuided. For faith is not without ye worde, nor both theſe without the holy ghoſt in the faithful. For Chriſt worketh with mē by a lawfull miniſterie, by mē, inſpiring certen, that maye teach & admoniſh men, vntounto whō he geueth his faith & ſpirit, ſealing theyr mindes. Chriſt therfore doeth prohibite the miniſters of Sathan, that they in reſtraining & letting the free preaching of Gods worde, ſhould not procede to hurte men, before the mindes of the choſen be ſealed: that is to ſay teacheth, how ſoeuer ye veritie is reſtreined, and the preaching of the Goſpell obſcured, yet that the mindes of many ſhal ſo be furniſſhed with gods worde, and with godly inſpiration, which may ſo liue, and be of ſuch efficacitie in them, that ſeducing can either hauehave no place in thē: or if it hauehave any at al, can not abide or perſeuer to the ende.
There be alſo two other places of the ſcripture,Howe the auncients in tymes paſt were Sealed. teſtifiyng that ſignets were geuen to men, wherwith they were ſealed, & were exempte or deliuered from the preſent euil: neyther be they repugnaūt to this our ſeale of ye liuing god. In Exod. 12. the poſtes or dore chekes of ye Iſraelites were ſpringled with the bloud of the lābe. The ſigne of it ſelfe ſhould hauehave preuailed nothing, vnleſſe the vertu of God inſtituting, & a cōſecrating the ſigne with his word, had tourned away thaungel diſtroyer: neither hath ye ſigne waunted faith, beyng vſed of the holy mē of god. For the godly receiueth not ye ordenaūces of god wtout faith. Therfore the ſame power of Chriſt preſerued the Iſraelites frō diſtructiō, which now kepeth ye faithful frō the infectiō of Antichriſt. Ezechiel .9. one ſealeth ye foreheades of yt faithful, hauing the tipe of a ſcribe & prieſt. Verely Chriſt hath at al times defended his. And he ſealeth by imprintyng or writing this marke or letter Tau. That marke ſignifieth, that is to ſay, the Law, or direction or Rule. For in whom ſo euer is ingrauen ye law of God, the word of God, & euen the rule of faith, in the very hart, he is ſafe & ſure from al euil. The auncients in olde time called the rule of faith & direction, the very articles of the chriſten faith, I beleue in God, &c. Ye ſee therfore how al thoſe ſignes come in dede all to one poincte. For thei be ſafe and ſure from euil, whom the ſpirite of God hath inſpired and illumined with faithe by the worde. This much of the ſeale.
Who be ſealed.Now let vsus alſo conſider, who they are that be ſealed. We reade in Ezechiel, paſſe through the citie of Ieruſalē, & marke Tau in the foreheades of mē mourning and lamenting for al thabominatiōs done in ye middes therof. And here it is ſaied, til we ſeale the ſeruaūts of our God. Therfore are ye ſeruaūts of god, and they that are ſory for abominable wickednes, are ſealed. The contemners of God hogs & dogs, are neglected.
It is ſhewed moreouer, in what part of thē they be ſealed.In what part of them they be ſealed. In time paſte the bloud of the lambe was annoincted on the dore poſtes. In Ezechiel Tau is marked in their foreheades. Here alſo is imprinted the ſeale of the liuing God in the forheades of the faithful. And the forehead repreſenteth a tipe of the minde the chiefeſt and moſt excellent parte in man. The ſpirite and faith is put into the mindes of the faithful. Neuertheleſſe the marke is aptly fixed to the forehead, not to the hinder part of the head, backe, or ſhoulders. For they that be lighted with the worde & ſpirite, and hauehave faith, do cōfeſſe the ſame, & diſſemble nothing: and much leſſe are aſhamed, but deſire that their glory that is their faith might be knowen of al men. We cal moſt notable things, written in our forhead: that is moſt manifeſt things, wherof we be not aſhamed.
Examples of ſuch as are ſealed with ye ſeal of the lyuing god.Yf we now applie theſe things to ſuch as were done in old time, and now alſo at this daie, they wil bring a great light to them. There were founde good men, faythfull and fearynge God, mourning or ſorrowing, and ſeruauntes of God. And there be foūde at this day alſo, in the middes of Mahometrie and Papiſtrie, which expreſſely condemne and hauehave cōdemned this kinde of life, openly confeſſing, that the ſame is not the trewe waye of life, that there is no more wicked kinde of men liuyng, than be their prieſtes, that they would not committe themſelues and their ſaluation to them, but rather to cōſecrate themſelues wholy to God his mercy. And others, whiche hauehave ſpent a great parte of their life of a good zeale, doubtles, but not accordyng to knowledge, in thoſe trifles and ſuperſtitions, when they are comen to the ende of their life, they diſpiſe al together: yea and freely profeſſing the veritie, they condemne al thoſe trifles, and committe thēſelues wholy to the chriſtian faith, eſtemyng nothing more excellent or ſurer, than the rule of fayth, which alſo they couet to heare recited to them as a trewe confeſſion, & die in the ſame. Al theſe hath the mercy of God ſealed with the ſeale of the liuing God, and deliuereth from al ſpotte of Antichriſt and ſathan, from corruption and diſtruction, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.
But leeſt we ſhould gather in eueryevery age only here one and there one,A great nū bre are ſaued euen in the kyngdome of Antichriſt. the lorde him ſelfe nowe maketh here a great accompte, and firſte of the Iewes by eueryevery tribe he gathereth twelue thouſande, and after by multiplication, an hondreth fourtie and foure thouſande: and of the gentiles a multitude innumerable. Wherfore in eueryevery time and age innumerable obteyne ſaluation: how muche ſo euer errour, ſeducyng, and diſtruction reigne and rule in the world. Theſe thinges doe highly cōmende God his mercy, and comfort vsus excedingly. And where certen gather herof, that there ſhal be yet in this world before the iudgemēt a Saturnical or golden age, wherin theſe thinges ſhould be fulfilled, and that all menne ſhould come to the kingdome of God, it alludeth ouer much to the groſſe errour of the Millenaries, which is already expulſed out of the churche of God. Theſe thinges were fulfilled in olde time, and are at this daye, and ſhalbe fulfilled likewiſe, ſo longe as the worlde ſhal indure. The kingdome of Sathan and of Antichriſt ſhall continewe alwayes to the laſt iudgemēt, and ſhal ſtil impugne the kingdom of Chriſt, and ſeme euen to oppreſſe the ſame: much leſſe ought they to promiſe vsus ſo great ſecuritie. When the ſonne of man ſhall come, ſaieth the ſonne of man him ſelf in the Goſpel, thinke you ſhal he finde any fayth vponupon earth? And agayne: it ſhal be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth the wordes of the goſpel are knowē, as be alſo thoſe of the bleſſed Apoſtels Peter and Paule, 2. Pet. 3. 1. Theſſ. 4.
By ye waie is reaſoned of ye reſtoring of Iſrael.But ſuche as like not this our expoſition or minde, vrge briefly, that the promeſſes of the prophetes for the reſtoring of Iſrael are not yet fulfilled: but that according to the veritie of the eternall God, they muſte be fulfilled. They ſuppoſe therfore, yea and contende alſo, that thee muſt a certayne or prefixed time remaine, wherin al theſe thinges may be accō pliſhed. Hereunto I aunſwer plainely, that we ſhal ſhamefully erre with Papias, Iuſtine, Ireney, Tertull. and Lactance, and with thoſe that are called Millenaries, vnleſſe we iudge here vprightly. I beleue therfore yt the ſame reſtoring, wherof the Prophetes ſpeake, muſte be diuided into three times: that the firſt be & ſo be called hiſtoricall, which extendeth frō king Cyrus vntounto great Pompey, & the which Ezras, Nehemias, and the Authour of the boke of the Machabeis deſcribe and teache to be fulfilled. The ſecond to beginne at the comming of our Sauiour, and procede vntounto Antichriſt, and to his diſtroying, which in dede the Apoſtles and Euangeliſtes hauehave moſte diligently deſcribed, and wherin they teſtifie many thinges to be accompliſſhed: And that the thirde time ſhould beginne from the goſpel reſtored, and the laſt iudgment, and continewe foreuermore: whiche reſtitution verely ſemeth to be of al other moſt perfit & complete, wherin God wil geue vntounto man moſt fully, what things ſo euer he hath promiſed by the mouthes of the prophetes and Apoſtles. Hereof hath S. Peter moſt manifeſtly made mention in the actes the .3. chapt. ſaying: it behoueth Chriſt to take heauen, vntil ye time of reſtoring of al things, which god hath ſpoken by ye mouth of al his ſainctes frō the time of the prophetes. And the Lord him ſelfe in the goſpel, ſpeaking of the laſt iudgement, ſayed: lifte vp your heades becauſe your redemption draweth nere.
Or happely we may on this wiſe diuide this matter perauenture more plainely: the reſtoring of Iſrael, or of al faithful, is verely either corporall, or ſpiritual. The corporal maye be called hiſtoricall, and was perfourmed by Cyrus, Zorobabel, Iehoſua, Ezras, Nehemias and the Machabeis: And the ſpirituall is fulfilled, or ſhal be yet accompliſſhed by the cōming of our holeſome Meſſias our lord Ieſus Chriſt. And the cō ming of the lorde is of two ſortes: the firſte in dede is in the fleſh, in the which we beleue many things, the Apoſtles bearing witnes, to hauehave ben fulfilled of Chriſte: in the latter he ſhal come agayne from Heauen into iudgement. In that comyng he ſhal moſt fully accompliſſhe, ſuch thinges as we ſee as yet not perfourmed. And doubtles al our hope is herunto referred, and comforted by this comyng. Thoſe thinges that are ſpoken of the Apoſtle in the .11. to the Romains of the conuerſion of the Iewes, are fulfilled partly, and partely are fulfilled dayly, and as yet ſhal be fulfilled.
Now we retourne to the plenty of them that ſhalbe ſaued and are already ſaued from the middes of the kingdome of Antichriſt, to be declared.Many thouſands of Iewes be ſaued. S. Iohn diuideth the vniuerſalitie of man kinde into Iewes and gentiles. Of the Iewes are raccompted an hondreth and fourtie and foure thouſande. And after our iudgement, of a thouſand Iewes there ſemeth ſcarſely one or two to be ſaued: but where by the teſtimony of our ſauiour him ſelfe, ſo great a numbre is ſaued: there is lefte verely, of this numbre certayne, an infinite multitude of this ſtifnecked people to be gathered which ſhal be ſaued. And they are not ſaued by the Lawe, or by circumciſion, or by their damnable obſtinacie: but vp the grace of God in Chriſt their Meſſias, the only redemer, reuealed to them of God mercifully, and of them receyued faithfully. For if the thefe on the croſſe mighte be ſaued, nowe leauinge his lyfe, what ſhal lette, innumerable Iewes to be ſaued by the ſame meane? neuertheleſſe I will here determine no meaſure. Neyther will I alſo by this meane make fruſtrate the miniſterie of the worde and Sacramentes. Howbeit I know the thinges to be trewe, that here are ſpoken: the meaſure or maner is knowen to God, neither is there any thing with him vnpoſſible. And hereunto ſerueth the Apoſtles doctrine, in the .11. to the Romains.
You wil ſaye:If the ende be good, al is good. this doctrine wil make men to neglect their owne Saluacion: where already nowe there are that ſaye, if the ende be well, then is all well. As though they ſhoulde hauehave ſayed, how ſoeuer thou liueſt in this world, drowned in pleaſures and bloud, and geuen to gloutonny, beleue only at the laſt ende of thy life, and thou ſhalt be ſaued. Doubtles I am not ignoraunt that there be many vncleane hogges and filthie ſwine, abuſing the worde of the veritie and conſolation of the Goſpell: but ſhal the abuſe of prophane men take awaye the veritie from vsus? The childrē of God which know that there is none other propiciation or ſatiſfactiō for ſinnes, but the oblation of Chriſt, ceaſe not therfore to renewe their life dayly by repentaunce.
The godly abuſe not gods mercy to ye libertie of ſinnynge.Thus although the godly doubte nothing, but that innumerable at the laſt ende of their life are conuerted and ſaued of the Lorde, yet do they not abuſe this mercy of God to the libertie of the fleſh, but are affraied. For ther be other places diuerſe, which reteyne them in order and duety. For the lord ſayeth: thou arte made hole, go and ſinne no more, leeſt ſome worſe thing happen to thee. Item, let vsus do good whileſt we hauehave time: the time will come, when we can not worke. The parable of ten virgins declareth vntounto vsus the ſame. Alſo if the iuſte ſhall vnneth be ſaued, where ſhal the ſinner and wicked appere? moreouer tempte not the Lord thy God. And innumerable others of like ſorte. And when the Sainctes ſhall hauehave all their life time demeaned themſelues blameleſſe in the rightuouſenes of God, yet in the laſte time of theyr life thei truſt not to ye ſame, but to God his mere mercy through Chriſt. They remember alwayes howe greuouſely he was rebuked in the Goſpel, firſt in dede he, that inuied the good lucke of him that laboured with him in the vineyarde, for that he had receyued ſo muche wages, coming into the vineyarde about the laſte houre of the daye, as he had receyued that had laboured al daie long, and agayne the thriftie ſonne, for that he was ſory that his waſtefull and prodigall brother was receyued agayne of his father, & a feeſte alſo made him, and for him that was alwaies obedient, and toke paynes cō tinually, no ſuch thing was prepared.
Innumerable people of al parts of ye world are ſaued.But the gentiles he contriueth not into any certen numbre, but ſaieth how he ſawe a great multitude, which no man could tel: no more thā they coulde the ſtarres, ſande, herbes, or graſſe how many they were in nūbre. He ſignifieth therfore, that in al the worlde, at al times innumerable are ſaued by Chriſte neuertheleſſe leeſte any man ſhould thinke that it ſhould preuaile or hinder him to ſaluation, to be borne of this or that nation tribe or tonge: S. Iohn addeth incontinently, of al tribes, people and tonges to be ordeyned to ſaluation indifferently. Therfore this difference hindereth ſaluation nothing: but are founde in Inde, Aethiopia, Barbaria, and in the furtheſt parte of Libia, in Scythia, Tartaria, and in the vttermoſt endes of the worlde, whiche are ſaued by the grace of Chriſt.
And becauſe it hath much doubtfulnes to reaſon of things to come, S. Iohn here moſte expreſſely ſpeaketh of them,The faithfull in heauē reioyſe. which are not to be ſaued, but already hauehave atchieued ſaluation, and are in Heauen, to the intent we ſhould not doubte of their ſaluation. And alſo ſhaddoweth the maner of ſaluation and bleſſe euerlaſtinge. This treatiſe confuteth thoſe which ſuppoſe the ſoules to ſlepe, not to hauehave the fruition of the godhead before the iudgement, nor to be as yet in heauē. Firſt he ſayeth, howe they ſtande before the Throne, and in the ſighte of the lambe. For the firſte felicitie in the bleſſed life, is to ſee God as he is, and to inioye his glory, to be with Chriſte in glory. Iohn .17.1. Iohn .3. white ſtoles are the garmentes of triumphant and cleane perſones. As herafter ſhal be declared more at large, and hath ben noted ones or twiſe before. It betokeneth that the bleſſed ſoules are decked with light, &c. And the Palme alſo is a token of victory.The palme Plinie treateth much of the Palme in the .4. Chapt. of the .13. booke. Al men write that the Palme was the moſte auncient badge of a conquerour. And wherefore this tree chiefly was choſen for this vſe of men of moſt antiquitie, Aulus Gellius ſheweth the cauſe in the .6. Chapt. of the .3. boke of Noct. Att. Writing that in a Palme tree there is a certen peculiar thing, whiche agreeth with the nature of ſtoute and noble men. For if you laye ſayeth he, greate weightes vponupon the wood thereof, the Palme geueth not place downewarde, but riſeth vp againſt the weight, and beareth vpwarde. And for this he alledgeth the authoritie of Ariſtotel, and Plutarche, vntounto whome you maye adde alſo Plinie .16. boke .24. Chapter.
VntoUnto al theſe thinges is annexed an exceding great noiſe, wherby not only they geue God thankes, and prayſe his mercy:To whom thei impute theyr ſaluation. but alſo ſhewe and teſtifie moſte manifeſtly, whome they maye thanke for their ſaluation. And they ſaye, ſaluation to him, &c. For ſo foreign is rather, as alſo Eraſmus hath noted. For they ſignifie that God is not bleſſed in him ſelf only, but to hauehave cōmunicated this ſaluation vntounto them, and ſaued them. Of the Throne or ſeate of God was ſpoken before in the .4. chapt. God the father him ſelfe ſitteth on the ſeate. It is therfore a phraſe of ſpeach, which hath this cenſe: we owe this our ſaluatiō and bleſſednes to our God, which ſitteth in his Throne.
Agayne they cōmunicate this ſaluation to the lambe alſo, that is to Chriſt. For God by his grace through Chriſte ſaueth the beleuers. And where as Chriſt is called the lamb, the whole miſterie of the incarnation and redemption is remembred in the word Lambe, that beyng in dede reconciled to God by the bloud of the hoſte,Iohn .6. Epheſ. 1. Rom. 3. we be nowe the heires of God, and the ſonnes of God. &c. Therefore the Sainctes in Heauen, and our fathers already ſaued, and dwelling in heauen, doe teſtifie, and in teſtifiyng teache, that they be iuſtified and ſaued not by Mahometrie, or Poperie, or any other obſeruaunces, but by the mere grace of God in Chriſt.
Errours ar cōfuted.Hereby are confuted two opiniōs, right hurtefull to the whole worlde. The firſt weneth, that the Papiſtes be ſaued for their ſimplicitie, and ſeuere diſcipline. For bycauſe, ſaye they, they know no better things: and the workes that they doe, they doe them of a good intente, therfore are they ſaued by the ſame. That is moſte vayne and moſte vngodly. They adde, vnleſſe we ſhuld iudge thus, doubtles there ſhould not one of the Papiſtes be ſaued. Certenly I ſaye playnely, that no man is ſaued by papiſtrie, no more thā by Mahometrie. For it is called the waye of perdition euen of S. Peter him ſelfe.2. Pet. 2. Howebeit I thinke not therfore, that no man of the nū bre of Papiſtes is ſaued. But I beleue that innumerable, as I ſayed before, hauehave at the lēgth ſene the filthines of papiſtrie through the illumination of God: and the papiſtry forſakē, to hauehave imbraced the ſincere Goſpell, and ſo by Chriſt alone to be ſaued.
The latter ſuppoſeth, that eueryevery manne in eueryevery and what ſo euer his religion be, ſhall be ſaued. Agaynſte theſe the Sainctes here crie: how they that are ſaued, are ſaued by the grace of God through Chriſt.EueryEvery mā is not ſaued in his religion. Therfore none other religion ſaueth. There is non other name geuen to men, wherin they muſt be ſaued, but that of Chriſt Ieſus. None other waye is open into heauen, nor any other dore: he that affirmeth any other, is called of the veritie a thiefe and a murtherer. Yea they vtterly aboliſhe Chriſt, and the whole ſcripture, who ſo euer contende that eueryevery man is ſaued by his owne religiō. Neyther can I tel, whether any other thing ſo hurtful can be Imagined. Therfore lette vsus holde that thing, whiche all the Sainctes in heauen hauehave taught vsus, that ſaluatiō is of God through Chriſt.
All the Aungelles in Heauen confirme theſe thinges,The cōfirmation of Aungelles, example & ſonge. leeſt any thing ſhould waunte, which belongeth to a ſure and certayne teſtimony: and alſo teache vsus by theyr example, what we ſhould doe. They ſing together Amen: wherby they alſo teſtifie, that ſaluatiō is of only grace through Chriſt. Againe they fall downe, and worſhip God. But howe muche more ought we men mortall by worſhippyng to attribute to him this honour? And by ſinging an himne, they exhibite to vsus a forme of ſeruing God, finally of iudginge rightly of God, that we attribute nothing to any creature to the reproche of the creatour, whiche belongeth to God alone: but aſcribe all thinges to God wholy. The wordes of this Hymne are expounded in the .4. and .5. chapt. that I nede not here to tary aboute them. They putte bleſſing for prayſe, the reſte of the wordes are playne.
And nowe lette vsus learne, beyng taught by ſo many teſtimonies and examples of all Sainctes, forſaking al vayne & wicked opinions, to geue al glory to God through Chriſt: to whom be prayſe and thankes geuyng. Amen.