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