The Fourth Decade of Sermons, Written by Henry Bullinger. Of the Gospel of the Grace of God, Who Hath Given his Son unto the World, and in Him All Things Necessary to Sal-vation, That We, Believing in Him, Might Obtain Eternal Life. The First Sermon
AFTER the exposition of the law, and those points of doctrine that depend upon the law2, I think it best now to come to the handling of the gospel, which in the exposition of the law and other places else hath been mentioned oftentimes. Now therefore, dearly beloved, as I have been hitherto helped with your prayers to God, so here again I request your earnest supplications with me to the Father, that I by his holy Spirit may speak the truth to your edification in this present argument.
Evangelium is a Greek word; but is received of the Latins and Germans, and at this day used as a word of their own. It is compounded of εὖ, which signifieth good, and ἀγγέλλω, to tell tidings. For Evangelium signifieth the telling of good tidings, or happy news: as is wont to be blown abroad, when, the enemies being put to foil, we raise the siege of any city, or obtain some notable victory over our foes. The word is attributed to any joyful and lucky news concerning any matter luckily accomplished.
[1 verse salutis omnia, Lat.; all things pertaining to true salva-]
[tion. ] [2 aut legi utcunque adherent, Lat. omitted; or are in some way]
[connected with the law.] [3 Rather, your supplications, and those most earnest. [4+ with me—edification, the translator’s addition. ] [BULLINGER, IIL] L]
The apostles did willingly use that term; not so much because the prophets had used it before them!, as for that it doth wonderfully contain, and doth as it were lay before our eyes, the manner and work of our salvation accomplished by Christ, whereunto they have applied the word Evangelium? The prophet Esay, as Luke interpreteth it, bringeth in Christ our Lord speaking in this manner: “The Spirit of the Lord upon me, because he hath anointed me evary- γελίσασθαι; that is, to preach the gospel hath he sent Tai. li. INC, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance unto “the captive, and recovering of sight unto the blind, freely to set at liberty them that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Lo here, the Saviour of the world doth in the prophet and the evangelist expound to us what Evangelium is, and whereunto it tendeth. “The Father,” saith he, “hath sent me to preach Fwvangelium, the gospel, to the poor.” And immediately after, to shew who those poor should be, he addeth: “which are broken-hearted, or broken-minded;” to wit, such as find in themselves no soundness or health; but, utterly despairing of their own strength, do wholly depend upon the help of Christ their cunning and willing physician, Now the gospel, or good tidings, which is shewed to the? afflicted, is this; that the Son of God is descended from heaven to heal the sick and diseased souls. To which also, to make it more evident, he addeth another cause’, saying, that the Son of God is come “to preach deliverance unto captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind,” &e. For all men are held captive in the bonds of damnation: they do all serve a sorrowful slavery under their cruel enemy Satan: they are all kept blind in the darkness of errors; and to them it is that redemption, deliverance, and the acceptable year of the Lord, is preached. Now this joyful tidings is called Evangelium, the gospel.
[1 Bullinger refers to the Hebrew word ἼΦΞ, which the LXX.
[often render by εὐαγγελίζω. See his Comment. in Matth. fol. 1. Ti-]
[gur. 1542, whence much also of this definition of the gospel is ex-]
[tracted.) [2 whereunto—Evangelium, the translator’s addition. ] [3 cunning (skilful) and willing, not in Lat.] [2 his, Lat.; to these.] [5 alia, Lat.; other benefits. ] [6 verus utique annus jubileus, Lat.]]
Therefore the gospel is of all men in a manner after this sort defined: The gospel is a good and a sweet word, and an assured testimony of God’s grace to us-ward, exhibited in Christ unto all believers. Or else: The gospel is the most evident sentence of the eternal God, brought down from heaven, absolving all believers from all their sins, and that too freely, for Christ his sake, with a promise of eternal life. These definitions are gathered out of the testimonies of the evangelists and apostles; for St Luke bringeth in the angel of the Lord speaking to the amazed shepherds, and saying: “Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Lo here, he taketh from the shepherds all manner of fear with the bringing of good tidings; that is, with the preaching of health, which is a thing that is full of joy and always bringeth gladness with it. The tidings are, that there is born the Saviour of the world, even the Lord Jesus Christ: he 1s born; and that too unto and for us; that is, to the health and salvation of us mortal men. St Paul saith, that the gospel was promised afore of God by the prophets in the holy scripture of his Son, which was made of the seed of David after the flesh; who hath been declared to be the Son of God with power, after the Spirit that sanctifieth, by his resurrection from the dead.” And again: “The gospel is the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation”, which hath been kept close from before beginnings, but is now made manifest, and by the writings of the prophets opened to all nations unto the obedience of faith, according to the appointment of the eternal God.” And yet again more briefly he saith: “The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all that do believe;” that is to say, the gospel is the preaching of God’s power, by which all “they are saved that do believe. But Christ is the power of God: for he is said to be the arm, the glory, the virtue, and brightness of the Father. Now Christ bringeth salvation to every one that doth believe: for he is the Saviour of all.
Of all this we do now gather this definition of the holy gospel: The gospel is the heavenly preaching of God’s grace
[7 revelationem mysteri, Lat
to us-ward, wherein it is declared to all the world, being set in the wrath and indignation of God, that God the Father of heaven is pleased in his only-begotten Son, our Lord Christ Jesus, whom, as he promised of old to the holy fathers, he hath now in these latter times! exhibited to us, and in him hath? given us all things belonging to a blessed life and eternal salvation, as he that for us men was incarnate, dead, and raised from the dead again, was taken up into heaven, and is made our only Lord and Saviour, upon condition that we, acknowledging our sins, do soundly and surely ἡ believe in him.
This definition, I confess, is somewhat with the longest: but yet withal I would have you think, that the matter, which is in this definition described, is itself very large and ample; which I have therefore in this long definition or description, with as great light as I could, endeavoured myself to make manifest to all men. Wherefore I neither could nor should have expressed it more briefly. This definition consisteth of just parts, which being once severally expounded and throughly opened, every man, I hope, shall evidently perceive the nature, causes, effects, and whatsoever else is good to be known, concerning the gospel.
First of all; that the gospel is tidings come from heaven, from and not begun on earth, that doth most of all argue, because God our heavenly Father did himself first preach that tidings to our miserable parents after their fall in paradise, promising his Son, who, being incarnate, should crush the serpent’s head. Then again, the apostle Paul doth in express
1. words say: “God in time past, at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake unto the fathers by the prophets, and hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son.” And John before him is read to have testified, saying: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” And again: “” He that cometh from on high is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen
[1 now—times, not in Lat.] [2 plene, Lat. omitted; fully.] [3 modo credamus, Lat.—soundly and surely, not in Lat. ] [ incarnandus, Lat.; being to be incarnate. ]]
and heard, that he testifieth.” To this belongeth, that the prophets were believed to have prophesied by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Now they did in the holy scriptures foreshew the gospel: the especial or chief points whereof were by angels descending from heaven declared unto men. For the incarnation of the Son of God is by the archangel Gabriel told first to the holy virgin, and after that again to Joseph, the supposed Father of Christ, and tutor? of the unspotted virgin. The same angel did preach to the shepherds the birth of the Son of God. Moreover, to the women that came to the grave, minding after their country-manner to anoint the body of the Lord, the angels declared that he was risen from the dead again. The same angels at the Lord’s ascension did testify to the apostles, whose eyes were turned and surely fixed into the clouds, that he was taken up into heaven, and that from thence he should come again to judge the quick and the dead. And to all these testimonies may be added the voice of the eternal Father himself uttered from heaven upon our Lord and Saviour, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am pleased; hear him:” which testimony of the Father the blessed apostle Peter doth in the zeal of the Spirit repeat in the first chapter of his second epistle. Therefore the preaching of the gospel is a divine speech, unreprovable, and brought down from heaven: which whosoever believe, they do believe the word of the eternal God; and they that believe it not, do despise and reject the word of God. For it ceaseth not to be the word of God because it is preached by the ministery of men. For of the apostles we do read that the Lord did say: “It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of my Father which is within you,” And therefore we read, that they departed not from Hierusalem, until they were first instructed from above, and had received the Holy Ghost. Neither is there any cause why the word of God should be tied to the apostles only, as though after the apostles no man did preach the word of God. For our Lord in St John’s gospel doth plainly say: “Verily I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” Now our Lord, the high priest and chief bishop of his catholic church, doth send, not apostles only,
[5 guardian.]
but all them also that are lawfully called and do bring the word of Christ. Therefore we understand it to be spoken concerning all the lawful ministers of the church, where the Lord doth say, “Whose sins soever ye forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins soever ye retain, they are retained:” and again, “Whatsoever thou loosest on earth, shall be loosed in heaven; and whatsoever thou bindest on earth, shall be bound in heaven.” For in another place x.15.] the Lord saith: Verily I say unto you, It shall be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city that receiveth you not, and heareth not your sayings.” Now who knoweth not with how filthy and horrible sin the men of Sodom did defile themselves; and that the Lord rained fire, brimstone, and pitch from heaven, wherewith he burnt up both the city and her inhabitants? Who therefore cannot gather thereupon, that rebels and blasphemers of the gospel of Christ do sin more grievously than the Sodomites did; and that God, which is a sure revenger, will surely plague them for it, either in this life, or in the world to come, or else in both, with unspeakable miseries and endless torments? Let us therefore believe the gospel of the Son of God, first preached to the world by God the Father, then by the patriarchs, after that of the prophets, and lastly of the only-begotten Son of God Christ Jesus, and his apostles; whose heavenly voice doth even at this day sound to us in the mouths of the ministers, sincerely preaching the gospel unto us.
Secondarily, we have to consider what it is that the heavenly preaching of the gospel doth shew unto the world; to wit, the grace of God our heavenly Father. For the apostle Paul in the twentieth chapter of the Acts saith, ““that he received the ministry of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Now therefore I will at this present say so much of the grace of God as is sufficient for this place.
The word “grace” is diversly used in the holy seriptures, even as it isin profane writings also. For in the Bible it signifieth thanksgiving, and also a benefit, and alms; as 2 Cor. viii. Moreover, it signifieth praise and recompence, as in that place where the apostle saith: “If, when ye do well, ye are afflicted, and yet do bear it; that is praiseworthy
before God.” It doth also signify faculty or licence; as when we say, that one hath gotten grace to teach and execute an office. For the apostle saith that he received grace; and immediately, to expound his own meaning, he addeth, to execute the office of an apostle. Moreover the gifts of God are called grace, because they are given gratis, and freely bestowed without looking for of any recompence. And yet Paulin the fifth to the Romans, distinguisheth a gift from grace: for grace doth signify the favour and good-will of God toward us; but a gift is a thing which God doth give us of that good-will, such as are faith, constancy, and integrity. They are sald to have found grace with God, whom God doth dearly love and favour more than other. In that sense Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord: Joseph found grace in the eyes of the lord of the prison: and the holy virgin is read to have found grace with the Lord, because she was beloved of God, and very dear unto the Lord, as she whom he had singularly chosen from among all other women. But in this place and present argument grace” is the favour and goodness of the eternal Godhead, wherewith he, according to his incomprehensible goodness, doth gratis, freely, for Christ his sake embrace, call, justify, and save us mortal men.
Now here methinketh, before we go any further, it is not amiss to examine and search out the cause of this God’s love to us exhibited. For we see that there is a certain relation? betwixt the favour of God and us men to whom his favour is so bent. It is a matter neither hard nor tedious to be found out. For in us there is nothing wherewith God can be in love, or wherewithal he may be moved or stirred up to embrace us: yea, insomuch as we are all unpure? sinners, and that God is holy, just, and a revenger of iniquities, he hath matter enough to find in wus, for which he may be angry at. and with just revengement plague us. So then the cause of God’s love to us-wards must of necessity be not in us, nor in any other thing beside God (considering that nothing is more excellent than man), but even in God himself. Moréover the most true scripture doth teach us, that God is of his own inclination naturally good, gentle, and, as Paul calleth him, p/l-
[1 gratia apud Deum, Lat.; 1 Pet. ii. 20. Auth. Marg. thank.] [2 correlationem, Lat.] [3 impurissimi, Lat. ] [ ejusque natura, Lat. omitted; and in his nature.]
anthropon, a lover of us men, who hath sent his own Son, of his own nature, into the world for our redemption: whereupon it doth consequently follow, that God doth freely, of himself and for his Son’s sake, love man, and not for any other cause. Whereby immediately all the preparaments, incitaments, and merits of men, being dissolved by the fire of God’s great love, do vade and pass away like smoke. For the grace of God is altogether free; and unless it be so, I cannot see how it can be called grace. But it behoveth us in a thing so weighty to cite some evident testimonies of the holy scripture, to confirm our minds withal against all sophistical trifles and temptations of the devil. Our Lord in the gospel said: “So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son for the world, that every one which believe in him should not perish, but have life everlasting.” Lo here, this good-will of God, which is the favour and love wherewith God embraceth us, is the cause of our salvation. For Christ, having suffered for us, is our salvation. Now God of very love hath given Christ both to us, and for us. Neither may we think, that God was first moved by our love to him-ward to shew like mutual love to us again, and to give his Son for us; for he had determined, before the beginning of the world, to work our redemption through Christ his Son. And John the Evangelist in his iv. canonical epistle saith: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be an atonement for our sins.”
To these testimonies, although sufficiently plain and strong enough, I will yet add some proofs out of the apostle Paul; that so this argument may be more evident, and that the great agreement may appear which is betwixt evangelists and apostles in this doctrine of grace. Paul therefore saith: ii. “” All have sinned, and stand in need of the glory of God; yn; μ but are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesu.” Again to the Ephesians he saith: “Ye are saved through grace by faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man
[1 unicum, Lat.; only] [3 Pater Deus, Lat.; God the Father.] [9 and for us, not in Lat.] [4 totius doctrine, Lat.] [5 ad Romanos, Lat. omitted. ] [6 destituuntur, Lat. and Erasmus. ]]
should boast”.” Again to Titus: “The grace and love of God our Saviour towards all men hath appeared, not of the works of our own righteousness which we did, but according to his mercy hath he saved us” Likewise, in the second Epistle to Timothy, the first chapter, he saith: “God hath saved us, and hath called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus?” I think, verily, that if a man had been set of purpose to have feigned anything for the defence of this matter, he could not have framed any sentence so fit and evident as these words are. So now it is manifest, that the grace of God is altogether free, as that which excludeth all our works and merits; and this free love of God is the only cause and true beginning of the gospel: for which cause Paul calleth the gospel the. breaching of grace.
But now, although the grace of God doth not depend upon us or our works, yet doth it not idly abide in God, as if it were utterly without us and altogether far from us, as the thing that is neither felt nor yet worketh in us. For we understood by the cited testimonies, that grace is the favour of God wherewith he loveth us men; we understood that men are saved by grace: for since God loveth men, he would not have them perish; and therefore he hath through grace sent his Son to deliver them from destruction, and that in him the justice and mercy of God might be known to all the world. But none are delivered save those that believe; therefore grace hath somewhat whereby to work in man!!: for by the pouring of the Holy Ghost into our hearts, the understanding and will are instructed in the faith. To be short, grace (as I have already!? told you) doth call, justify, save, or glorify the faithful: so that we must make our account, that the whole work of our salvation and all the virtues of the godly do proceed of the only grace of God alone, whose working we do at all times acknowledge
[7 Eph. ii. 8. 9, gratia per fidem, Lat. ] [8 Titus iii. 4. 5, erga homines, Lat.] [9 per Christum, Lat. and Erasmus.] [10 or our works, not in Lat.] [11 Rather, therefore again grace hath something to work in man. ] 12 in finitione, Lat. omitted; in the definition. ]]
and confess’. And that is again proved both by divine and [Bom vit human testimonies. Paul to the Romans saith: Those which he knew before, he also did predestinate: and those which he did predestinate, he also called: and those whom he called, he also justified: and those whom he justified, he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be on our side, who can be against us? Which spared not his own Son, but gave him for us? how shall he not with him also give us all things?” Again, in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians, he hath referred the whole work of election and salvation, with all the parts thereof, unto the grace of God. Moreover, the holy fathers in the council Mileventanwm, among whom also St Augustine was present, made this decree touching the grace of God: bestowed from above upon us, believing, willing, desiring,, “If any man say, that mercy is without the grace of God
[endeavouring, studying, asking, seeking, and striving, (as of]
[ourselves;) doth not confess, that even to believe, to will,]
[and to be able to do all these things as we should do, is]
[wrought by the pouring in and inspiration of the Holy]
[Ghost; if he join the humility or obedience of man as an]
[help unto grace; and if he doth not consent that it is the]
[very gift of grace, even that we are humble and obedient;]
[he is directly contrary to the apostle, who saith, For what]
[hast thou that thou hast not received?’ and, By the]
[grace of God I am that I am%’” Thus much say they.]
[Now these divine and human testimonies being throughly [1 ubique, Lat.; throughout.] [2 pro nobis omnibus, Lat. ] [3 More correctly, and maketh the help of grace to follow after]
[either man’s humility or obedience.—Beveridge on the Thirty-Nine]
[Articles, Vol. 1. p. 383. Oxf. 1840. (4 There is a mistake in the reference: the following is the canon]
[meant: Si quis sine gratia Dei credentibus, volentibus, conantibus, la-]
[borantibus, vigilantibus, studentibus, petentibus, queerentibus, pulsan-]
[tibus nobis misericordiam dicit conferri divinitus; non autem ut]
[credamus, velimus, vel heec omnia sicut oportet agere valeamus per]
[infusionem Spiritus Sancti in nobis fieri confitetur; et aut humilitati]
[aut obedientize humane subjungit gratise adjutorium, nec ut obedientes]
[et humiles simus ipsius gratice donum esse consentit; resistit apostolo]
[dicenti, Quid habes quod non accepisti? et, Gratia Dei sum id quod swm.]
[—-Concil. Arausic. 11. can. 6. Concil. Labb. et Cossart. Tom. 1v. col.]
[1668. Par. 1671. This second council of Orange was held A.D». 529.]
[Augustine was dead long before.]
considered, there is none, I hope, which may not understand that the grace of God is the same that I told you; to wit, the favour and good-will of the eternal Godhead, wherewith he according to his incomprehensible goodness doth embrace, call, justify, and save men freely for Christ his sake, our Lord and Saviour.
The blessed man Aurelius Augustine had a sharp conflict with Pelagius the Briton concerning the grace of God. For the heretic did by grace understand nothing but the benefit of the creation; which as Augustine denied not to be grace, so did he vehemently urge that the apostle did especially speak of that free grace, whereby, without any merit of curs, we are freely saved for Christ his sake. This did he urge therefore the more earnestly, because he saw that the heretic affirmed that his own human nature was sufficient unto him? not to do only, but also to do perfectly, the commandments of God by free-will. But of these matters St Augustine doth very largely and religiously dispute in his ninety-fifth Epistle, Ad Innocentium?.
Many of the late writers, for teaching’s sake, have divided grace into grace that doth things acceptable, and grace that is gratis or freely given: again, they have divided it into working grace, and joint-working grace: finally, they part it into grace that goeth before, and grace that followeth after. And the very same writers also reckon up the operations or effects of grace after this manner almost: grace healeth
[5 Apostolos, Lat.; the apostles. ] [6 Pelagium, Lat. omitted. ] [7 Rather, that human nature was sufficient unto itself. ] [8 Aurelius aliique episcopi, inter quos Augustinus, Innocentio]
[Pape, de Pelagio quem audierant jam ad presbyterii gradum evec-]
[tum.—Aug. Ep. 95. (in the Benedictine Edition, 177.) Op. Par. 1531.]
[Vol. 11. fol. 83. col. 2. In the course of this epistle it is charged]
[against Pelagius,—illum dicere gratiam, quam etiam cum impiis ha-]
[bemus, cum quibus homines sumus; negare vero eam qua Christiani]
[et filii Dei sumus:—and it is replied,—Etsi enim quadam non im-]
[probanda ratione dicitur gratia Dei, qua creati sumus. quia non]
[preecedentium aliquorum operum meritis, sed gratuita Dei bonitate]
[donata est; alia est tamen qua preedestinati vocamur, justificamur,]
[glorificamur. It is also stated that Pelagius affirmed,—non solum]
[ad facienda, verum etiam ad perficienda mandata divina per liberum]
[arbitrium humanam sibi sufficere naturam,—as here alleged by Bul-]
[linger. ]]
the soul, and maketh it first to will well, and then to work effectually the thing that it willeth: so it causeth it to persevere in goodness, and at length to come to eternal glory.
But I am not so careful to reckon up the sentences of writers, to shew you every one’s several opinion, (which both were an excessive labour, and also more than my ability is to do); as I am willing to cite the places of scripture (which is the one and only rule how to think, and how to judge rightly), to shew you thereby what the scripture would have you think: as I have in my former treatise, Of the grace of God, both briefly and evidently enough, I hope, declared unto you. And also the discourse of Christ!, which followeth hereafter, (through whom the Father hath poured the most excellent and heavenly grace into us,) shall help to make up that which seemeth to be wanting here.
But now, before I depart from this argument, I thought good to admonish you, that the sentences of God’s word do not jar among themselves, when we do in sundry places read and hear, first, that we are saved freely or by the grace of God; then, that we are saved by the love of God; thirdly, that we are saved through the mercy of God; fourthly, that we are saved through Christ; fifthly, that we are saved through the blood, or death, or incarnation of Christ; and lastly, that we are saved through faith in Christ, or in the mercy or grace of God. For all these speeches tend to one and the same end, and do ascribe the whole glory and cause of man’s salvation unto the very mercy or grace of God. The pledge of grace, yea, and our only Saviour, is the onlybegotten Son of God betrayed unto death. Sincere faith layeth hold on mere grace in Christ, and nothing else.
Now therefore, having thus expounded according to my small ability that which I had to speak in general of the grace of God, I do here descend to handle that singular or particular work of God’s grace, which is nothing else but that the merciful Father hath exhibited to us his Son in that manner and order as he promised him to us in the old prophets, and that in him he hath fully given us all things requisite to eternal life and absolute felicity; because he is the Lord and Messiah, or only and true Saviour, which was
[1 disputatio de Christo, Lat. ] [2 salutis, Lat.]]
incarnate, dead, raised to life, and taken up into heaven for us and our salvation. For Christ is both king and high priest, that is, our Saviour; he is the mark, the star, and very sun-light of the preaching of the gospel. Now in expounding these things particularly I will use this course and order. First of all, I will out of the law and the prophets recite unto you some evident promises of Christ made by God unto the church; which shall be those especially that the apostles themselves have already touched and expounded. Secondly, I will prove unto you that God hath now performed that which he promised so long ago; to wit, that he hath already exhibited to us his only-begotten Son; and that he is that true and so long-looked-for Lord and Messiah, which should come to save the world. Lastly, I will shew you how that in this Son the Father is pleased and reconciled to the world again: in whom also he hath fully given us all things requisite to eternal life and absolute felicity. For he for us and for our salvation was incarnate, dead, raised to life again, and taken up into heaven, there to be a Mediator for ever and advocate unto his Father’. And in these points do lie the lively veins of the gospel, which flow with wholesome waters unto eternal life; for in them doth consist the sound consolation of the faithful, and the enduring tranquillity of a quiet conscience: without them there is no life or quiet rest.
The promises made by God concerning Christ, which are uttered in the holy scriptures, are threefold, or of three sorts: I therefore, to make them the plainer unto you, do divide the promises of one and the same sort according to the times. The first promises were made to the patriarchs or ancient fathers before the giving of the law: and these again consist of two sorts; for one sort of them are plain, uttered evidently in simple words, without all types and figurative shadows; the other sort are figurative and couched under types.
The first and most evident promise of all was made by the very mouth of God unto our first parents, Adam and Evah, being oppressed with death, calamities, and the horrible fear of God’s revenging hand for their transgression’; which pro-
[3 eximias promissiones Christo, Lat
[[ there to be—Father, not in the original. ] [5 of God’s—transgression, not in Lat.]]
mise is, as it were, the pillar and base of all christian religion, whereupon the preaching of the gospel is altogether founded, and out of which all the other promises in a manner are derived. That promise is contained in these words of the Lord: “I will put enmity betwixt thee” (meaning the serpent, the devil, I say, in the serpent)! “and the woman? and betwixt thy seed and her seed; and it shall tread down thy head, and thou shalt tread upon his heel” God in these words promiseth seed; the seed, I say, not of man, but of woman; and that too, of the most excellent woman, to wit, that most holy virgin Mary, the woman that was blessed among all other women. For she conceived, not by any man, but by the Holy Ghost; and, being a virgin still, was delivered of Christ our Lord: who by dying and rising again did not only vex or wound, but also crush and tread down, the head, that is, the kingdom of Satan, to wit, sin, death, and damnation; taking away and making utterly void all the power and tyranny of that our enemy and deceiver. In the meanwhile Satan trod on Christ his heel; that is to say, he, by his members Caiphas, Pontius Pilate, the Jews and Gentiles, did with exquisite torments and death vex and kill the flesh, which was in Christ the lowest part, even as the heel is to the body? ~ For the Lord in the Psalms saith: “I am a worm, and no man. They have brought my life into the dust.” But he rose again from the dead. For had he not risen again, he had not trodden down the serpent’s head. But now, by his rising, he is become the Saviour of all that do believe in him. Out of this promise is derived that singular and notorious one, which the angel of the Lord reciteth unto our father Abraham in these words following: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed.” But Paul, in 161 his epistle to the Galatians, doth in express words declare, that that blessed seed is ours%, which was promised to Abraham. Now our Lord is called by the name of seed because of the first promise made to Adam and Evah, and because he was for us incarnate and made very man. Neither is this promise re-
[1 in the serpent, not in Lat.] [2 et inter illam mulierem, Lat.] [ even as—body, not in Lat.] [1 Christum illud esse semen benedictum, Lat.; that that blessed]
[seed is Christ. ]]
pugnant to the first: for although Christ our Lord be here called the seed, or son, of Abraham; yet is he no other way referred unto Abraham than by the virgin, which was the daughter of Abraham and mother of Christ. Now what good doth the son of Abraham to us by his incarnation? Forsooth, - he blesseth us. But a blessing is the contrary unto a curse. Therefore what cause soever we drew from the sin of Adam, that doth Christ heal in us, and bless us with all spiritual blessing. Neither doth he bestow this benefit upon a few alone, but upon all the nations of the world that do believe in him.
The patriarch Jacob, being inspired with the Holy Ghost, foretold the chances that should betide his children; and at length when he came to Juda among the rest, he saith: “The sceptre shall not depart from Juda, and a law-giver? from between his feet, till Schilo come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Lo here, in these words the Messiah is not only promised, but the very time also is prescribed, when he should be incarnate, with a declaration both what and how far forth he should be. The kingdom, saith he, shall remain under Juda until the coming of the Saviour: and albeit that the tribe of Juda shall not always have kings to govern them, yet shall it not lack nobles, captains, lawgivers, learned men and sages, to rule the people. And therefore the evangelical history doth faithfully witness, that Christ came at that time when all power, authority, and rule was translated to the Romans, unto whose emperor, Octavius Augustus, the Jews were enforced to pay taxes and tribute. Now Sclhilo signifieth felicity, or the author of felicity; it signifieth plenty, store, and abundance of all excellent things. For Christ is the treasury of all good things. And the Chaldee interpreter, where he findeth Schilo, translateth it Christ. Finally, to him, as to their Saviour, shall all people be gathered: as the prophets did afterward most plainly declare, Esay in the second, and Micheas in the fourth chapters of their books or prophecies.
Furthermore, the types and figures of Christ are Noah [5 A misprint in all the editions for curse: quicquid maledictionis, 3 et res futuras, Lat. omitted; and things to come.] Lat.
[7 vel scriba, Lat. omitted; or a scribe. ] [8 Christi, Lat.]]
preserved in the ark; for in Christ are the faithful saved; as St Peter testifieth, 1 Pet. iii. Abraham offereth up Isaac, his only-begotten son, upon the top of the same mountain where many years after the only-begotten Son of God was offered upon the cross!. Joseph is by his brethren sold to the heathen, he is cast in prison; but being delivered he doth become their Saviour, and is of all the people called the preserver of the Egyptian kingdom. In all these things was Christ our Lord prefigured.
The later promises also are of two sorts; either openly uncovered, or hidden as it were under a veil or figure. They are contained in the law and the prophets even till the time of the captivity of Babylon. The blessed apostle Peter doth in the third chapter of the Acts cite the prophecy of Moses touching the coming of the greatest of all prophets. The prefigured promises? of Christ are the sacrifices, which Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews doth in a wonderful summary shortly declare. The same Paul, in the fifth of the first to the Corinthians, applieth the paschal lamb to Jesus Christ. The like doth Peter in his first epistle. Again, the stony rock that was x. 4 Struck, and gushed out with water, St Paul calleth Christ. 14 And Christ himself in the gospel after St John doth say, that he was prefigured in the brasen serpent, which was lift up in the desert: the mystery whereof I have in another place more fully declared’. Many more there are like unto these; a good part whereof I have already touched, when I had occasion to treat of the ceremonies and their signification; where he that listeth may read of it at large.
The unfigured and uncovered promises are almost without number in the Psalms and the prophets. Yea, the Lord himself in the gospel after St Luke doth testify, that the description of all his office and business is at large contained in the law, the prophets, and the Psalms. And when St Peter had preached the gospel, wherein he promised both Christ and the full remission of sins to all that believed, he did immediately
[1 See Vol. ir. page 151.] [2 Rather, the promises in a figure. ] [3 in I. capite, Lat.] [ Rather, and the water that flowed out. Cf. Bullinger, Comment.]
[in loc. ecit.] [5 See Vol. 11. p. 339; also, The Old Faith, p. 44.] [6 See Decade III. Serm. 6.]]
add: “All the prophets also from Samuel and these that followed in order, as many as have spoken, have likewise told you of these days.” David verily, in the second, twentysecond, and hundred and tenth Psalms, hath notably set down the two natures of Christ, his Godhead and his manhood. Again, he hath laid before all men’s eyes? his wholesome? preaching, his eternal priesthood, his everlasting redemption, and most bitter? death and passion’. What shall 1 say of the prophet Esay? who was, by no small doctor of the church of Christ, very worthily called an evangelist!! rather than a prophet: as if he had written a story of things already past and done by Christ, and not of things that should be done: so truly did he foretell the state of Christ’2. Now he maketh! Christ to be very God and very man, born after the flesh of the unspotted virgin; who had to preach the word of life, like a good shepherd to feed his fearful sheep, to be the light of the Gentiles unto the utmost parts of the earth, to give sight to the blind, to heal the lame and diseased; to be betrayed by his own, to be spit upon, to be smitten, to be hanged betwixt thieves, to be offered up a sacrifice for sin, and finally to make intercession for transgressors, that he himself being just might justify all that believe in his name. Read Esay, seventh, eighth, ninth, eleventh, twenty-eighth, fortieth, fortyninth, fiftieth, and fifty-third chapters; and also all the last chapters of all his prophecy, wherein he doth most fully describe the church or congregation of Christ Immanuel. Jonas bare the most manifest type of the Lord’s sharp death and joyful resurrection’. Micheas also doth name Bethlehem to be the place wherein Messiah should be born, whose beginning, to wit, of his divine nature, he doth refer to be before all beginnings!, He doth also foretell that the preaching of the gospel should from out of Hierusalem be sown abroad [7 tantum non inspectanda, Lat.; almost 50 as to be seen. salutarem, Lat. ] [9 per mortem, Lat.; through a most bitter death. ] [10 See The Old Faith, p. 53, &c.] [1 Augustine. See Vol. 1. p. 51.] [12 so—of Christ, not in Lat. ] (13 proponit, Lat.] [14 Immanuel, an addition of the translator’s.] [16 The epithets are the translator’s.] [16 refert ad eeternitatem, Lat.] [BULLINGER, IIL]
through all the compass of the world. Jeremy saith, that God would raise up to David a true seed or branch, that is, the looked-for Messiah; and in that prophecy he alluded to the law concerning the raising up of seed to the deceased brother. For the virgin, conceiving by the Holy Ghost, brought forth a Son, whose name is Jehovah, being very God in very deed, whom Esay calleth Immanuel, and is the true righteousness of all that do believe in him; for by Christ Sane the faithful justified. For the same prophet! in the thirty-first chapter doth promise in Christ full or absolute remission of sins and abundant grace of the Holy Ghost: 98— which thing Joel also did not conceal. Thus out of many testimonies I have picked out only these few in number; for the whole books of the prophets are occupied in the description of Christ and his offices.
The last promises concerning Christ were by God revealed to the prophets, and by them declared to the church of God, even in the very time of the captivity at Babylon, or else immediately upon their return to Hierusalem? Ezechiel prophesieth of the shepherd David, and of the sheep receiving that shepherd: which prophecies the Lord doth in St John’s gospel expound of himself. The same prophet treateth very much of grace and frank and full remission of sins through the Saviour Christ, especially in the thirty-fourth, thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh chapters of his prophecy. Daniel, verily, hath visions and many dreams; but in them he doth seo set Christ out unto us, that it is unpossible to have him more better, more evidently and excellently described. In his second chapter he teacheth us of his eternal kingdom, and telleth us that Christ should come under the Roman monarchy, at what time the Roman princes, being by affinity allied together, should mutually in battle destroy one another: which was fulfilled when Pompey and Julius Caesar, Antony and Octavius Augustus, maintained civil war. Moreover, Daniel’s weeks? are unknown to no man, wherein he doth as it were with his finger point at Christ, the coming of Christ, and the reprobation of the Jews because of their disloyalty and unbelief.
[1 iterum, Lat.; again.] [2 mox post captivitatem, is Bullinger’s Lat.] [3 imperitantibus, Lat.] [4 in 9 cap. Lat.] [5 toti mundo, Lat. to all the world.] [6 tempora, Lat.]]
Haggee the prophet foretold the manner how the temple should be builded, I mean, the true temple indeed; to wit, the church of Christ. Zachary doth excellently paint? to us many mysteries of Christ: he layeth before us the kingdom and priesthood of our Lord and Saviour: he commendeth to us that one and only eternal sacrifice, which is effectual enough to cleanse the sins of all the world: Zach. third, ninth, and fourteenth chapters. Yea, he prophesieth of nothing else but of Christ and his kingdom. Malachias foresheweth? the forerunner of the Lord, and handleth no small number of mysteries concerning Christ. Whereby we do perceive that Paul writ most truly in the first to the Romans, saying, that God did afore promise the gospel by his prophets in the holy scriptures.
Now by these holy promises we do gather this also, that there are not many or divers gospels, (although we deny not, but that the same gospel! was penned by divers evangelists;) but that there is one alone, and that too, as it were, eternal. For the very same gospel which is at this day preached to us was at the beginning of the world preached to our first parents!’, For it is assuredly certain, that by the gospel were saved Adam, Evah, Abel, all the patriarchs, prophets, and faithful people of the old Testament: which thing we have in another place at large declared 2.
We are now come to the second part, where we have to shew you that God the Father hath faithfully performed to us that which he promised to our forefathers in giving to us his only-begotten Son, who is that true and looked-for Messiah, that is to be blessed world without end. In making this matter manifest the evangelists and apostles of our Lord have taken great pains, and set it forth so well and faithfully that it cannot be bettered. They shew that Christ doth come of the stock of David, descending lineally of the seed of Abraham: they tell that
[7 chap. ii. 7—9. Haggeeus templum extruit, is Bullinger’s phrase. ] [8 tradit, Lat.] [9 preemittit, Lat. ] [10 eandem historiam evangelicam, Lat. [11 Rather, was from the beginning of the world preached to the]
[fathers. ] [12 This is the topic of Bullinger’s treatise, The Old Faith. See also]
[Vol. m1. page 283.] [13 benedictus, Lat.; who is blessed. ]]
his mother was the virgin, which did conceive by the Holy Ghost, and, being a virgin still, brought him into the world. They note the time wherein Christ was revealed, in all points correspondent to the prophets’ prophecies. They add, that the place of his nativity was answerable to that which Micheas foretold. In the East there appeareth a star, which moveth the princes!, or wise men, to go and salute the newborn King. They come therefore, and even in Hierusalem? do openly profess that the Messiah is born, and that they are come out of the East to worship and honour him. According to their words so were their deeds: for when by the leading of the star they had once found him, they fall down before him, and do, by offering to Christ the gifts that they brought, not obscurely declare how joyful they were, and how much they set by their Lord and Saviour?. In the very city of Hierusalem the most just man Simeon with great joy of heart and godly gratulation doth in the temple openly testify, that God according to his eternal goodness and constancy had given to the world his onlybegotten Son, whom he had promised unto the fathers; therewithal protesting that he was willing to die. He addeth the cause; For that,” saith he, “mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” to wit, that Schilo, the Saviour?, whom thou, O [Luke 80 God, hast determined to “set before all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel:” that is, that he, shaking off all darkness, should bring the light of truth and life unto the Gentiles, to lighten them withal; and that he should be the glory and life of the people of Israel. Hereunto also belongeth the testimony of that notable man Zachary, the holy priest of God, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since
[1 magos viros primarios et sapientissimos, Lat. ] [2 in urbe Hierosolymorum regia, Lat.; in the royal city. ] [3 quanti Christum faciant, Lat.; how joyful they were, the trans-]
[lator’s addition. ] [ urbe regia, Lat.] [5 veritate, Lat.; truth.] [ὁ tranquillissimo animo, Lat.; with most peaceful mind. ] [7 felicitatorem salvatoremque, Lat. ]]
the world began:” and so forth, as is to be seen in the first of Luke’s gospel. Moreover John the son of this Zachary, surnamed the Baptist, than who we read not that any one more holy was ever born of women, did with his finger point at Christ Jesus, and openly declare that he is that looked-for Messiah, whom all the prophets promised; and that God, by giving him unto the world, hath done that he promised, and wholly poured himself with all his benefits into and upon all faithful believers. “And as the people waited” (saith Luke), “and thought in their hearts of John, whether he were very Christ; John answered, saying to them all, Indeed I baptize you with water; but one stronger than I cometh after me, whose shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” And in the Gospel after St John we read: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me?, because he was before me; and I knew him not: but that he should be declared unto Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” And immediately after he saith: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like unto a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and tarrying still on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” Again, when the disciples of John did envy the happy success of Christ, and that it grieved them to see their master John as it were neglected in comparison of Christ, John said to his disciples: “Ye yourselves are witnesses, that I said, I am not Christ, but I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth because of the bridegroom?: therefore this my joy is fulfilled. He must increase, but 1 must decrease. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into
[8 filius beatissimus, Lat.; the most blessed son. ] [9 qui me antecessit, Lat. and Erasmus; qui ante me factus est,]
[Vulg.] [10 gaudio gaudet propter vocem sponsi, Lat.]
his hand. He that believeth in the Son hath life everlasting: he that believeth not in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him.”
These testimonies are firm, clear, and evident enough, and might suffice for the confirmation of this cause. But let us yet of a many moe pick out and add a few, which may declare that Christ is already exhibited unto us. Therefore our Lord himself, whom we believe to be Messiah, when he had a great while been very greatly commended by the testimony of John, doth at length come abroad and preach the word of life. But it is not read, that in any age, before or since, there was ever any that taught with so great grace. And therewithal he shewed almost incredible and wonderful miracles, which do easily argue who he was, and were sufficient to win such a man with whom no words might possibly prevail. He was loving and gentle to sinners, repeating still and beating into their heads that Lie was come to save them, and call them to repentance. Therefore, when the disciples of John did once xi. 3— come unto him, saying, “Art thou he that should come, or shall we look for another?” he answered, “Go ye and tell those things to John which ye see and hear: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and to the poor is preached the glad tidings of the gospel.” Now by these, his doctrine I mean, and his works or miracles, his mind was to shew, that he was exhibited the true Messiah unto the world, and that none other is to be looked for. Moreover in the synagogue at Nazareth, where he read and expounded Esay’s prophecy of the coming of Messiah, he declared there that that scripture was in himself? fulfilled. And to the history is Immediately annexed: And all bare record unto him, and wondered at the gracious sayings that proceeded from his mouth.” Again, in the tenth chapter of St John his gospel: “The Jews came round about the Lord, and said, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep.” And presently after he addeth: “Ye say that I blaspheme, because 1 said, I am the Son of God. If I do not
[1 in himself, not in Lat
the works of my Father, believe me not: but if I do, and if ye believe not me, believe my works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.” In the seventh of John we read: “They that believed in him said, Will Christ, when he cometh, shew more signs than this man hath shewed?” that is to say: Admit we grant that there is another Christ to be looked for; yet this is most sure, that the other Messiah cannot do more and greater miracles than this man doth. Let us therefore believe that this is the true Messiah. Before Caiaphas, the high priest, and the whole council of the peers of Israel, also before Pontius Pilate in the judgment-hall of the Roman empire, our Lord Christ did openly in express words confess that he is that true and lookedfor Messiah,
He verily, as the prophets foretold of him, did of his own accord die for sinners; the third day after that he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father. And the evangelists, reciting faithfully the words and deeds of Christ, do to the most notable ones always add: All this was done or said, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.” Wherefore it were not worth the labour here to gather together the prophecies of the prophets, by them to examine the words and deeds of Christ, and by the manifest agreement betwixt them for to conclude, That God hath performed to us that which he promised unto our fathers in giving to us his only-begotten Son Christ Jesus, which is the true and lookedfor Messiah. For this have the evangelists already done, and that too with so great faith and diligence, that for the plainness of the thing it cannot be bettered. To this place now ye may refer all that I have in my former sermons said touching the signification, or mysteries, fulfilling and abrogating, of the law.
And, to content ourselves with a smaller number of testimonies, might not this one, which is read in the fourth of St John, be instead of many thousand confirmations? The woman of Samaria saith to the Lord: “1 know that the Messiah shall come, which is called Christ: therefore when he cometh, he shall tell us all things. Jesus answered herI am he that speak to thee.” Lo, what could be had? more
[2 said, edd. 1577 and 1587. dici, Lat.]
plainly? “I,” saith he, “am the Messiah; even I, I say, that do even now speak to thee, and did at the first say, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee water of life. For whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him, he shall never be more athirst: but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into eternal life.” They therefore are the most thirsty and unfortunate! of all men, which long for and look after another Messiah beside our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus. The apostle St Peter in a meetly long oration, well grounded and confirmed with scripture and strong reasons, in the second of the Acts, doth shew that our Lord Jesus is that true Messiah: for with this sentence he shutteth up his sermon: Therefore let all the house of Israel surely know, that God hath made both Lord and Christ this Jesus, whom ye have crucified.” To the same mark tendeth that large and learned oration of the first martyr St Stephen, which is extant to be seen in the seventh chapter of the Acts? Philip doth out of Esay’s prophecy declare to the eunuch of Aithiope that Jesus is Christ. St Paul in all the Jewish synagogues putteth forth none other proposition to preach on but this; Jesus is Christ, that is, Jesus is the king, the bishop, and the Saviour of the faithful. And in the thirteenth chapter he doth at large declare and prove that proposition true.
So now these most evident and clear testimonies of holy scripture cannot choose but suffice such heads as are not of purpose set to cavil and wrangle. I will not at this present = £00 busily and curiously dispute against the overthwart Jews, who look for another Messiah, and do deny that our Lord Jesus, the Son of God and the virgin Mary, is the true Messiah. The wretches feel that to be true, which the Lord in his gospel did foretell them, saying: “When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, let him that readeth understand. Then let them that are in Jurie flee to the mountains. But woe to them that are with child and give suck in those days; for great shall the affliction be.” And again, speaking of the city of Hierusalem, he saith: The days shall come [1 aridissimi, Lat. ] [2 in 8 cap. Lat. ]
upon thee, that thine enemies shall compass thee with a trench, and hem thee in, and lay seige to thee on every side, and shall make thee even with the ground, and thy sons that are within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone standing upon another; because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation.” And again; There shall be wrath upon this people; and they shall fall with the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations; and Hierusalem shall be trod under foot of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Now since they feel these things to be so finished? as they were by Christ foretold in the gospel; why do not the wretches give God the glory, and in other things believe the gospel, acknowledging Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the virgin Mary, our Lord and Saviour, to be? the true and lookedfor Messiah? What have they wherewith to cloak their stubborn incredulity? They have now by the space of more than a thousand and five hundred years been without their country; I mean, the land of promise that flowed with milk and honey; they have wanted their prophets; and lacked their solemn service and ceremonial rites. For where is their temple? where is the high priest? where is the altar? where are the holy instruments? where be the sacrifices that ought to be offered according to the law? All the glory of God’s people is now translated unto the Christians. They joy to be called the sons of the faithful Abraham; they enjoy the promises made unto the fathers; they talk and make mention of the fathers; they judge rightly of the law and covenant of the Lord; they have the holy scriptures, and in expounding them they have great dexterity; they have the true temple, the true high priest, the true altar of incense and burnt-offerings, even Christ Jesus, the Lord and Saviour; they have the true worship, which was of old prefigured only in those external ceremonies: as I have already declared unto you in that place where I handled the Jewish ceremonies. The Gentiles are out of every quarter of the world called unto Christ Jesu. All the promises touching the calling of the Gentiles have been hitherto most abundantly fulfilled, and are even at this day. Now are we the chosen flock? according to the doctrine
[3 ad verbum, Lat.; to the letter. ] [ venisse, Lat.; to have come.] [5 the, ed. 1577. patria sua, Lat.] [6 genus, Lat.; nation. ]]
First of all therefore I have to shew you that God was angry with the world: which is no hard matter to prove. For God is angry at sins. But the whole world is subject to sin; therefore it must of necessity be, that the most just God 15. mightily angry with all the world. And Paul saith: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” Again, the same apostle saith, that “all men are subject unto sin.” For confirmation whereof he citeth these sentences of the holy scriptures, saying: “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, or seeketh after God: they are all gone out of the way: they are all become unprofitable: there is none that doth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; they have used their tongues for to deceive; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood. Hearts grief and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
[1 ut preedicemus vires illius, Lat.] [2 juxta Christi Domini comminationem, Lat. omitted; according]
[to the threatenings of Christ the Lord.] [Ὁ in gloria, Lat.; received up in glory. Tyndale 1525, and Cran-]
[mer 1539. ]]
Now lest the Israclites should answer, that these things do not pertain to the people of God, but to the heathen and ungodly alone, he addeth: “We know that whatsoever the law saith, it saith it to them which are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and that all the world may be endangered! to God.” No man is here excepted. For to the Galatians the same apostle saith: “He hath shut up all under sin, that he may have mercy on all.” It followeth therefore, that all the world was subject to the wrath or indignation of the most just and righteous God: as is at large proved in the second, fourth, and fifth chapters to the Ephesians.
But the heavenly Father is appeased, or reconciled to this wicked world, through the only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ. And this I hope I shall abundantly prove by the only testimony of God himself. For the Father, by sending down a voice from heaven unto the earth upon Christ, first ascending newly out of the water after his baptism, and then again at his transfiguration in the sight of his disciples, did significantly say: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am delighted, pleased, or reconciled; hear him.” This testimony is read to have been foreshewed in the forty-second chapter of Esay’s prophecy. And Peter the apostle repeateth the same in the first chapter of his second epistle. Paul also did as it were expound this, and say: “It pleased the Father that in the Son should dwell all fulness; and by him to reconcile all things unto himself, since he hath set at peace through the blood of the cross by him both the things in earth and the things in heaven.” In heaven is God, and we men here upon earth. Now Christ is the Mediator, which goeth betwixt us, and reconcileth us unto his Father, so that now we are the beloved of the Father in his beloved Son. For in the epistle to the Ephesians the same apostle saith: “18 hath made us accepted in the beloved; in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” All this shall be more fully understood by that which followeth.
For now I must prove that God the Father hath in his Son given us all things that are necessary to a happy life and eternal salvation. 1 name here two things; a happy life, [ See Tyndale’s Doct. Treat. ed. Parker Soc. p. 502, n. 1.}
[5 placata, reconciliata vel propitiata est anima mea, Lat.]
and everlasting salvation. By a happy life I understand a holy and godly life, which we live and lead quietly and honestly in this present world. Eternal salvation is that felicity of the life to come, which we with assured hope do verily look for.
Now we have in Christ a most absolute doctrine of a happy life taught us by the gospel; wherein also we do comprehend the example of Christ, his own trade of life. Verily, our heavenly Father hath made him our teacher, in saying, “Hear him.” And he himself in the gospel after St Matthew xii sayeth: “Be ye not called masters; for ye have one master, “even Christ;” who in the gospel after St John is called “The light of the world.” In another place also he testifieth that his doctrine is contained in the holy scriptures; whereupon it cometh that he referreth his disciples to the diligent reading of the holy scriptures: touching which scriptures Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles and! the universal church of i. Christ, doth say: “All scripture is given by inspiration? of Godand is profitable to doctrine, to reproof, to correction, to instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, instructed in all good works.” Wherefore, although the whole world be mad, and that the obstinate defenders of the traditions rather than the scriptures do whet their teeth for anger; yet, maugre their heads, the word of the apostle shall abide most firm? wherein he testifieth that the doctrine of the scriptures, otherwise called the christian doctrine, is in all points most absolute and thoroughly perfect. Touching which matter, because I have already spoken in the first sermons of the first Decade, I am therefore here a great deal the briefer.
Now concerning the eternal salvation fully purchased? for us by Christ, thus ye must think. Eternal salvation is the seeing and enjoying of the eternal God, and so, consequently, an unseparable joining or knitting unto him. For David saith, “There is fulness of joys in thy sight; and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore:” and St John saith, “ΝΟΥ͂ are [1 adeoque, Lat.; and so.]
[3 Omnis scriptura, divinitus inspirata, est utilis, &e. Lat. So]
[Tyndale and Cranmer. [3 traditionum vivarum, Lat.; of the lively traditions. ] [1 stat stabitque, Lat.; abides and shall abide. ] [6 paratam sive partam, Lat. ]]
we the sons of God, and yet it appeareth not what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Moreover the Lord in the gospel saith, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” But all men are endued with unpure hearts: therefore no man shall see God; because no uncleanness abideth in consuming fire; (and God is a consuming fire;) therefore we cannot be partakers of salvation unless we be purely cleansed. But without the shedding of blood there is no cleansing or remission of sins: I do not mean the blood of rams or goats, but of the only-begotten Son of God, our Lord Christ Jesus. He therefore took our flesh and blood; he came into the world, died willingly for us, and shed his blood for the remission of our sins; and so by that means purged the faithful, so that now, being clean, they may be able to stand before the most holy God, who is a consuming fire. To this may be annexed the consideration of the incarnation of our Lord Jesu Christ, his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, whereof I did above make mention in the definition of the gospel; for in those points doth consist the whole mystery of our reconciliation: touching which I do in this place speak so much the more briefly, because in the exposition of the apostles’ creed I have handled so much as seemeth to concern these points of doctrine; which whosoever will know, may lock and find them there.
Now that Christ alone is our most absolute life and salvation, it may be gathered by that which is already spoken; and yet notwithstanding I will here allege some testimonies more, to the end that the verity and sincerity of the evangelical truth may be the more firm and evident to all men. That in Christ alone our life and salvation doth consist, so that without Christ there is no life and salvation in any other creature, the Lord himself doth testify? saying: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but goeth in some other way, he is a thief and a robber. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep: as many as came before me are thieves and robbers.” Lo here, there is but one door only, through which
[6 The trauslator’s addition. ] [7 Dei filius, Lat.; the Son of God.] [8 habitare cum, Lat.] [9 in evangelio, Lat.; in the gospel. ]]
the way doth lie unto eternal life: and Christ is that door. They therefore, which do by other means than through Christ strive to come to life and salvation, are thieves and robbers; for they steal from Christ his honour and glory, considering that he both is and abideth the only Saviour: and in so doing they kill their own souls. The same Saviour in the gospel saith: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me.” Hath he not in these few words rejected and utterly excluded all other means of salvation, making himself alone our life and salvation? This phrase of speech, “No man cometh to the Father but by me,” is the same that this is, “Through Christ alone we come unto the Father.” Moreover the Lord’s apostles have so laid Christ alone before our eyes, that no man can choose but understand, that without Christ Jesus there is no life to be found in any other creature. The holy apostle St Peter in the Acts saith: 12] “There is in none other any salvation: for there is none other name under heaven given among men wherein we must be saved.” And St Paul, in the fifth chapter to the Romans, doth oftentimes repeat, that “by the righteousness of one man, Jesus Christ, all the faithful are justified.” Again, the same
33. Paul saith: “Through him is preached to you the remission of sins; and through him is every one that believeth justified from all the things, from which ye could not be justified by Moses’ law.” Like to this also he hath other testimonies in the second chapter of his epistle written to the Galatians. Tt is manifest therefore, that through Christ alone the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting are freely bestowed upon all the faithful; which gifts, as they are not without Christ at all, so are they not bestowed by any other means than through Christ alone. Concerning the remission of sins, which is the chief tidings of the gospel, I have at large already discoursed in the ninth sermon of the first Decade and other places more.
Now for the proof that our Lord doth fully absolve from sins, fully remit sins, and fully save repentant sinners2, so that nothing more can be desired or wished for, and consequently, that the Lord himself is the most absolute fulness of all the faithful, without whom they that believe neither
[1 Certe, Lat.; Without doubt.] [3 repentant sinners, not in Lat. ]]
do nor can wish for anything else to life, salvation, and absolute felicity, he doth himself in the gospel say: “Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever shall drink of the water which I shall give him, he shall live eternally.” And again: “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.” The apostles therefore, after they had eaten this celestial bread, that is, after they had once believed in Christ4, when many departed and did forsake Christ, being demanded whether they also would leave him, did answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and know that” thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” Lo here, they neither will nor can forsake Christ; because there is none other to whom they may join themselves: for he alone is the life and salvation of them that believe; and that too, so absolute and perfect, that in him alone they may content and stay themselves. With the writings of the evangelists doth the doctrine of the apostles fully agree. For Paul to the Colossians saith: “It pleased the Father that in the Son should dwell all fulness.” And again: “In the Son doth” dwell all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and ye are fulfilled in him.” And in the Epistle to the Hebrews he affirmeth, that the faithful have full remission of sins, because sacrifices for sin do cease to be offered; and that God doth by the prophet Jeremy promise so absolute remission of sins, that he will not so much as once remember or think on them hereafter. Τὸ this place belongeth the whole epistle written to the Hebrews; and the conclusion of the eighth sermon in the first Decade, wherein I reckoned unto you the treasures that God the Father doth give to us in Christ his Son our Lord and Saviour.
Upon this now doth follow consequently, that they have not yet rightly understood the gospel of Christ, nor sincerely preached it, whosoever do attribute to Christ Jesu our Lord,
[3 rursus, Lat.; again. ] [ Dei filium, Lat. omitted; the Son of God.] [> Proinde quicunque Christum fide possident, plenissime omnia]
[vitee et salutis possident, Lat. omitted; And therefore, whosoever has]
[Christ by faith, has most abundantly all things belonging to life and]
[salvation. ]]
the true Messiah, either not only, or else not fully, all things requisite to life and salvation. It is a wicked and blasphemous thing to ascribe either to men, or to things inferior and worse than men, the glory and honour due unto Christ. The principal exercises of christian religion cannot, by derogating from the glory of Christ!, challenge anything? unto themselves. For sincere doctrine doth directly lead us unto Christ. Prayer doth invocate, praise, and give thanks in the name of Christ. The sacraments do serve to seal and represent to us the mysteries of Christ. And the works of faith are done of duty, although also of free accord; because we are created unto good works. Yea, through Christ alone they do please and are acceptable to God the Father; for he is the vine, we are the branches. So all glory is reserved untouched to Christ alone: which is the surest note to know the true gospel by.
Thus hitherto we have heard that God, the Father of mercies, according to his frée mercy taking pity upon mankind when it stuck fast and was drowned in the mire of hell, did, as he promised by the prophets, send his only-begotten Son into the world, that he might draw us out of the mud, and fully give us all things requisite to life and salvation. For God the Father was in Christ reconciled unto us, who for us and our salvation was incarnate, dead, raised from death to life, and taken up into heaven again.
And although it may by all this be indifferently well gathered, to whom that salvation doth belong, and to whom that grace is rightly preached; yet the matter itself doth seem to require in flat words expressly to shew, that Christ and the preaching of Christ his grace declared in the gospel doth belong unto all. For we must not imagine that in heaven there are laid two books, in the one whereof the names of them are written that are to be saved, and so to be saved, as it were of necessity, that, do what they will against the word of Christ and commit they never so heinous offences, they cannot possibly choose but be saved; and that in the other are contained the names of them which, do what they can and live they never so holily, yet cannot avoid
[1 by derogating—Christ, not in Lat. ] [2 hujus, Lat. omitted; of this (glory).] [3 allatam vel annunciatam, Lat. ]]
everlasting damnation. Let us rather hold, that the holy gospel of Christ doth generally preach to the whole world the grace of God, the remission of sins, and life everlasting. And in this belief we must confirm our minds with the word of God, by gathering together some evident places of the holy scriptures, which do manifestly prove that it is even so. Of which sort are these sayings following: “In thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,” Genesis xxii. “Every one that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” Joel ii. “We have all gone astray like sheep; and God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all,” Esay 11, “Come to the waters, all ye that thirst,” Esay lv. There are of this sort innumerable places in the old Testament. Now in the gospel the Lord saith: “Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth,” &ec. Matt. vii. “Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy loaden, and I will ease you of your burden,” Matt. xi. “Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,” &e. Matt. xxvii. “Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel unto all creatures: whosoever believeth and is baptized, he shall be saved,” Mark xvi. “So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that every one which believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life,” John iii. In the Acts of the Apostles St Peter saith: “Οὐ a truth I perceive that there is no respect of persons with God; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable unto him,” Aets x. Paul in the third to the Romans saith: “The righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ cometh unto all and upon all them that believe.” And in the tenth chapter he saith: The same Lord over all is rich to all them that call upon him.” In his Epistle to Titus he saith: There hath appeared the grace of God that is healthful to all men4.” And in the first to Timothy, the second chapter, he saith: “God will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” These and such like are the manifest testimonies, whereupon all the faithful do firmly stay themselves. But now if thou demandest, how it happeneth that all men are not saved, since the Lord would that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth; the Lord
[4 chap. 11, marg.] [bullinger, 111
in the gospel doth himself answer thee, saying: “Many indeed are called, but few are chosen.” Which sentence he doth in the fourteenth of St Luke’s gospel more plainly expound, where he doth in a parable shew the causes why a great part of mortal men doth not obtain eternal salvation, while they prefer earthly things and transitory before celestial or heavenly matters. For every one had a several excuse to cloke his disobedience withal: one had bought a farm; another had five yokes of oxen to try; the third had newly married a wife. And in the gospel after St John the Lord saith: “This is condemnation, because the light came into the world, and men loved darkness more than the light.” With this doctrine of the evangelists doth that saying of the apostle agree, 2 Cor. iv. And in the first to Timothy, the fourth chapter, he saith: God is the Sa-yiour of all men, especially of those that believe.” Whereupon we gather, that God, in the preaching of the gospel, requireth faith in every one of us: and by faith it is manifest that we are made partakers of all the goodness and gifts of Christ. And verily there is a relation! betwixt faith and the gospel; for in the gospel after St Mark the Lord annexed faith to the preaching of the gospel. And Paul saith, that “to him was committed the preaching of the gospel, unto the obedience of faith.” Again he saith: “The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all them that do believe.” And in the tenth chapter to the Romans he doth by gradation shew that the gospel is received by faith. But that faith may be rightly planted in the hearts of men, it is needful that the preaching of repentance do first go before: for which cause I, in the latter end of the definition of the gospel, added, “So that we, acknowledging our sins, may believe in Christ:” that is to say, the Lord will be our Saviour and give us life everlasting, if we acknowledge our sins, and do believe in him. And therefore here now may be annexed the treatises of faith and repentance. Touching faith, I have already largely spoken in the fourth, fifth, and sixth sermons of the first Decade. Concerning repentance I will hereafter speak in a several sermon by itself. In this place I will only touch summarily such points of repentance as seem to make for the demonstration of the gospel. 7 [1 correlatio, Lat.] [? of repentance, not in Lat.]
Our Lord Christ Jesus doth in the preaching of the gospel require faith and repentance: neither did he himself, when he preached the gospel, proceed any other way. For Mark hath: Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” Neither did he otherwise instruct his disciples, when he sent them to preach the gospel unto all nations; for St Luke saith: Christ said to his disciples, So it is written, and so it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day from the dead; and that in his name should be preached repentance and the forgiveness of sins unto all nations.” St Paul, like a good scholar following his master, in the Acts of the Apostles saith: “Ye know that I have held back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you openly and throughout every house, witnessing both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, the repentance that is toward God, and the faith that is toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2In his Epistle to the Romans, where he doth compendiously handle the gospel, he taketh occasion to begin the preaching thereof at sin, convincing both Jews and Gentiles to be subject thereunto. Now he beginneth at sin to this end and purpose, that every one, descending into himself, may see and acknowledge that in himself he hath no righteousness, but that by nature he is the son of wrath, death, and damnation: not that such acknowledging of sins doth of itself make us acceptable unto God, or else deserve remission of sins and life everlasting; but that after a sort it doth prepare a way in the minds of men to receive faith in Christ Jesus, and so by that means to embrace Christ Jesus himself, who is our only and absolute righteousness; for the whole need not the physician, but such as are sick and diseased.” They therefore, which think themselves to be clear without sins and righteous of themselves, do utterly reject Christ, and make his death of none effect”: but on the other side, they that feel the diseases of the mind, and do from the bottom
[3 Certe, Lat.; Without doubt. [6 methodice, Lat.] [5 sua natura, Lat.; by his own nature. ] [ suo modo, Lat. ] [7 and make—effect; an addition of the translator’s.] τ]
of their hearts confess that they are sinners and unrighteous, not putting any trust in their own strength and merits, do even pant for the haste that they make to Christ; which when they do, then Christ doth offer himself in the gospel, promising unto them remission of sins and life everlasting, as he that came to heal the sick and to save repentant sinners. But the promise is received by faith, and not by works: therefore the gospel, and Christ in the gospel, are received by faith. For we must diligently distinguish betwixt the precepts and the promises. The promises are received by faith: the precepts are accomplished by works.
18. Whereupon Paul is read to have said: “If the inheritance be of the law, then is it not now of promise: but God gave Abraham the inheritance by promise.” The same apostle to the Romans, conferring the law and the gospel together,, fee doth say: “The righteousness which is of the law doth say, Whosoever doth these things shall live by them; but the righteousness of faith doth say, If thou believest, thou shalt be saved.” The law therefore is grounded upon works, whereunto it seemeth to attribute righteousness: but because no man doth in works fulfil the law, therefore is no man justified by works, or by the law. The gospel is not grounded upon works: for sinners acknowledge nothing in themselves but sin and wickedness; for they feel in themselves that they are wholly corrupted: and therefore they fly to the mercy of God, in whose promises they put their trust, hoping verily that they shall freely obtain remission of their sins, and that for Christ his sake they are received into the number of the sons of God.
I would speak more in this place concerning faith in Jesus Christ, the remission of sins, and the inheritance of life everlasting, if I had not already in the first Decade declared them at large. Here by the way ye have to remember, that the gospel is not sincerely preached, when ye are taught that we are made partakers of the life of Christ for our own deserts and meritorious works. For we are freely saved!, without respect of any works of ours, either first or last?
And although I have oftener than once handled this
[1 per fidem, Lat. omitted; through faith.] [2 operum nostrorum, sive preecedentium, sive sequentium, Lat.]]
argument in these sermons of mine; yet because it is the hook whereupon the hinge of the evangelical doctrine (which is the door to Christ?) doth hang; and that this doctrine (to wit, that Christ is received by faith, and not by works) is of many men very greatly resisted; I will, for the declaration and confirmation sake thereof, produce here two places only, but such as be apparent enough and evident to prove and confirm it by: the one out of the gospel of Christ our Lord, the other out of Paul’s Epistles.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, being about to teach briefly the way to true salvation, that is, to preach the glad tidings of life unto Nicodemus, in the gospel after St John, doth first of all begin at repentance, and doth wholly take Nicodemus from himself, leaving him no merits of his own wherein to put his trust. For while he doth utterly condemn the first birth of man, as that which is nothing available to obtain eternal life, what doth he, I beseech you, leave to Nicodemus, wherein he may brag or make his boast? For he doth expressly say: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Unless a man be born from above’, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” If the first birth and the gifts’ thereof were able to promote a man to the kingdom of God, what need then should he have to be born the second time? The second birth is wrought by the means of the Holy Ghost, which, being from heaven poured into our hearts, doth bring us to the knowledge of ourselves, so that we may easily perceive, assuredly know, and sensibly feel, that in our flesh there is no life, no integrity, or righteousness at all; and so consequently, that no man is saved by his own strength or merits. What then? The Spirit forsooth doth inwardly teach us that which the sound of the gospel doth outwardly tell us, that we are saved by the merit of the Son of God’. For the Lord in the gospel saith: “No man ascendeth into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man that is in heaven.” For in another place he doth more plainly say: “No man cometh to the Father but by me.” And again, to Nicodemus he saith: “As Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be [3 which—to Christ, not in Lat.]
[ So Marg. Auth. Ver. John iii. 3.] [> facultates, Lat.]
[6 pergit et docet, Lat. ] [7 fide, Lat. omitted; by faith. ]
← 40. Decade 3, Sermon 10, Part 3 · Contents · 42. Decade 4, Sermon 1, Part 2 →