First, to commit ourselves to God above all is the first of all precepts; and the first stone in the foundation of our faith, that we believe and put our trust in one God, one all true, one almighty, all good, and all merciful, cleaving fast to his truth, might, mercy, and goodness, surely certified and fully persuaded that he is our God, yea ours, and to us all true, without all falsehood and guile, and cannot fail in his promises; and to us almighty, that his will cannot be let, to fulfil all the truth that he hath promised us; and to us all good, and all merciful, whatsoever we have done, and howsoever grievously we have trespassed, so that we come to him the way that he hath appointed; which way is Jesus Christ [> The twenty-second of Henry VIII, began with April 21, 1530, and ended April 20, 1531.]
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only, as we shall see followingly. This first clause, then, is the first commandment, or at the least the first sentence in the first commandment, and the first article of our ereed.
And that this trust and confidence in the merey of God is ihrough Jesus Christ, is the second artiele of our ereed, confirmed and testified throughout all scripture. That Christ bringeth us into this grace, Paul proveth, (Rom. v.) saying, Justified by faith we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom we have an entering in unto this grace in which we stand.” And, (Eph. iii.) “By whom,” saith Paul, “we have a bold entering in through the faith that is in him:” and in the second of the said epistle, By him we have an entering in unto the Father;” and a little before in the same chapter, He is our peace.” And John, in the first chapter, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world:” which sin was the bush that stopped the entering in, and kept us out; and the sword wherewith was kept the entering unto the tree of life from Adam and all his offspring. And in the second of the first of Peter, Which bare our sins in his body,” and, by whose stripes we are made whole.” “By whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our sins” (Colos. i, and Ephes. i). And, (Rom. iv.) He was delivered for our sins, and rose again for our justifying.” of And concerning the resurrection, it is an article of our — faith, and proved there sufficiently; and that it shall be by the 5power of Christ, is also the open scripture (John vi): “This is the will of my Father which sent me, that I lose nothing of all that he hath given me, but that I raise it up again in the last day.” And again, “I am the resurrection” (John xi.). That this lively faith is sufficient to justification, without us. adding to of any more help, is this wise proved: The promiser is God; of whom Paul saith, (Rom. viii.) “If God be on our side, what matter maketh it who be against us?” He is thereto all good, all merciful, all true, and almighty; wherefore sufficient to be believed by his oath: moreover Christ, in whom the promise is made, hath received all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. the last) He hath also a perpetual priesthood, and therefore able perpetually to save (Heb. vii.). And that “there is but one mediator, Christ,” as saith
Paul (1 Tim. ii.). And by that word understand an atonemaker, a peacemaker, and bringer into grace and favour, having full power so to do. And that Christ is so, is proved at the full. It is written, (John iii.) The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all into his hand.” And he that believeth the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him.” “All things are given me of my Father” (Luke x. And “all whosoever call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts i). Of his fulness have we all received” (John i.). “There is no other name given to man in which we must be saved” (Acts iv.) And again, Unto his name bear all the prophets record, that by his name shall all that believe in him receive remission” (Acts x.). “In him dwelleth all the fulness of God bodily” (Col. ii) ^ All whatsoever my Father hath are mine” (John xvi) Whatsoever ye ask in my name, that will I do for you” (John xiv.). One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, which is above all, through all, and in you all” (Ephes. iv.). There is but one whose servant I am, to do his will; but one that shall pay me my wages. There is but one to whom I am bound; ergo, but one that hath power over me to damn or save me. I will add to this Paul’s argument, (Gal. iii). God sware unto Abraham four hundred years before the law was given, that we should be saved by Christ. Ergo, the law given four hundred years after cannot disannul that covenant. So dispute I. Christ, when he had suffered his passion, and was risen again and entered into his glory, was sufficient for his apostles, without any other means or help; ergo, the holiness of no saint since hath diminished aught of that his power, but that he is as full sufficient now: for the promise is as deeply made to us as to them. Moreover, the treasure of his mercy was laid up in Christ for all that should believe, before the world was made; ergo, nothing that hath happened since hath changed the purpose of the invariable God.