destroyed death, and brought life again to all them that believe. Hereof cometh it that Christ saith himself, John xii.: "Now is the judgment of the world; now shall the prince of John xii. this world be thrust out. And I, when I am lift up (that is to say, crucified) from the earth, will draw all things to me." At the last saith the Lord, that he will put enmity between the serpent and the woman's seed. This may we see in the devil, and his members and acts, how they are contrary to Christ, and his members and deeds. But how strong soever the serpent is, yet shall he be trodden down through Christ and his faithful. Hereof cometh it that Paul spake so comfortable to the Romans, Rom. xvi.: "The God Rom. xvi. of peace shall shortly tread down the devil under your feet.” And herewithal is the duty also of the faithful in Christ shortly comprehended. For as touching them that say, “It Object. is3 enough then, and is all well, when I knowledge that I am a sinner, and saved through the blessed Seed only?"—to them Answer. it is here answered and clearly given to understand, that all they which put their trust in the blessed Seed, take upon them the kind of the Seed, and hate the kind of the serpent, that is to say, sin and blasphemy; and fight alway more and more against the world and the devil, as long as they live; yea, and occupy themselves most faithfully about that which is God's will. And hereto now serveth it that followeth after. For when the Lord had taken away the everlasting death, he laid upon man a temporal punishment, correction, and discipline, in the which he should be exercised as long as he lived upon earth. And upon the woman he laid cumber*, sorrow, and pain, when she should bear and bring forth children; subjection also and service, with fear and obedience, which she oweth to the man. To man he enjoineth labour; for the Lord cursed the earth, and said: "With Gen. iii. sorrow shalt thou get thy living all the days of thy life; yea, in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread." Moreover, he laid temporal death upon them both, and saith: "Earth thou art, and to earth shalt thou return." Of the Gen. iii. first doth Paul speak also, 1 Tim. ii.: "The woman shall be saved by bearing of children, if she continue in faith and [3 Is it, Ed. 1624.] 1 Thess. iv. Eph. iv. Heb. ix. love, and in holiness, or cleanness, and nurture1." Of the second speaketh the same Paul likewise to the Ephesians and Thessalonians: "Let no man undermine or deceive his brother in occupying";" and "whoso hath used falsehood and deceit, let him do it no more, but let him rather labour with his hands some honest thing, that he may have to distribute unto such as have need." And as touching death, Paul also saith to the Hebrews in the ninth chapter, how that "it is appointed unto men once to die; and that even so Christ Jesus was offered up and died once for all." The sum of the christian faith. CHAPTER IV. OF THE FIRST FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN, ADAM AND EVE. AND hitherto I trust we have had in the first promise of God the foundation and the whole sum of our holy christian faith namely, that the whole generation of man was but lost through his own fault and wickedness, and fallen into death and damnation; so that there remaineth nothing in man, but it is displeasant to God. Hereof cometh it, that there is nothing to be ascribed unto the power and deserving of man, save sin and malediction. But God of his abundant mercy had compassion on us, and of very grace promised he life unto us again in his Son our Lord Jesu, whom he would to become man, and to suffer death in his flesh, that thereby he might tread down the devil, death, sin, and hell. Item, he would put enmity between the woman's seed and the serpent: that is, he would endue us, which are the seed, that is to say, the children of Adam, if we believe, with another heart and power; that we might become enemies unto the devil's works, resist his suggestion, and hold ourselves fast by the blessed Seed, labouring and suffering whatsoever God enjoineth us to [ 1 Tim. ii. 15. σωθήσεται διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας. So Coverdale's Bible: "Notwithstandynge thorow bearing of children she shal be saved."] [2 1 Thess. iv. 6. èv tập πрáyμati. Cov. Bible: "In bargayninge."] work and suffer. Who is it now, which seeth not herein all that is written in the whole scripture, of belief, of love, and innocency; that is to say, of a christian life and faith? Whoso is disposed, let him look upon the second, third, and fourth chapter of Paul to the Romans, the first and second to the Ephesians: let him compare those chapters toward this sum, and he shall find it none otherwise. Gen. iii. Forasmuch then as Adam and Eve had faith in God, and stood so toward God, that they knowledged themselves to be sinners, and trusted to be saved only through the blessed Seed, giving themselves over willingly into the discipline and nurture, travail and trouble of this time; no man can say contrary, but it followeth that our first elders were christian. Nevertheless we will declare the same yet more clearly by Moses' words following: "And Adam called his wife Heva, because she should be the mother of all living." For as soon as he was now strengthened through the promise of God, and believed that he and his posterity, which else were children of wrath, of the devil, and of death, should live through the blessed Seed, he turned his wife's name, and called her Heva, for the remembrance of the matter and practising of his faith: for he believed that she now living in the power of the blessed Seed should bring forth not only quick men temporally, as pertaining to this natural life, like as we call other creatures living, but living, that is to say, children of salvation. For Adam had lost eternal life from himself and from us his posterity; but the same is given unto us again through Jesus Christ our Lord. Adam, forasmuch as he believed, changed his wife's name, like as we find, that for great weighty causes the names of certain places, cities, and men were changed. Thus was Jacob called Israel; Simon, Peter; Luz, Bethel. Eve had now a name of life; for Haiah in Hebrew is as much to say as life3. Afore was she called Ischa, that is to say, woman, because Gen. ii. she was taken from out of the man, which in the Hebrew is called Isch, Gen. ii. And thus is it manifest, what faith Adam had; whereby we may well suppose that Eve had none other faith. But God used his mercy and loving-kindness yet further- comfort, [3 Heb. ] help and loving-kindness in the midst of correction. more, even in the midst of all correction: for when he would now expel man out of paradise into misery, he doth unto him in every condition even as a faithful father, which for some misdeed putteth his son away from him; notwithstanding, leaveth him not utterly comfortless, but provideth him a garment, and comforteth him with friendly words, and then first sendeth him away from him. Even thus doth God the Father of heaven also. For first he clotheth Adam and Eve against the frost and tempest of weather; inasmuch as by the means of sin, the weather, the earth, the air, and all creatures were no more so subject, tame, and obedient unto man, as they were afore the fall. Therefore, even now at this present time, whatsoever inconvenience and harm is in the good creatures of God, it cometh by the means of our sins. Afterward doth the Lord comfort the miserable, wretched man with very loving words, after this manner: "Behold, Adam is become like one of us;" or, Lo, Adam shall be as one of us, and it shall happen unto him as to one of us, and he shall know good and evil." This doth God speak, which is one in substance and three in persons: be prophesieth here unto Adam, that he shall know or have experience of good and evil; that is to say, that upon earth he must feel prosperity and adversity, misery and trouble, sour and sweet, Comfort and and must suffer necessity, pain, and affliction. Yet in all this Christ. must he be constant and patient; forasmuch as nothing shall Gen. iii. patience in 1 Pet. ii. Adam's faith. 66 happen unto him, save even the same that shall happen to faith his passion and cross afar off: moreover, that the passion of Christ, once done for all, breaketh the kingdom of the devil, and bringeth life again to such as faithfully believe. Secondly, that it is to our living an ensample, at the which we ought to learn patience in adversity, and daily to die from all evil. And hereto now serve all doctrines of patience, of bearing of the cross, of despising the world, and mortifying or putting off the old Adam: which thing is contained, and with many and godly words handled throughout the prophets and apostles. As for Adam and Eve, they lacked none of these things, though they had not the matter in writing: for God spake it all to them himself, and wrote it in their hearts. Moreover, our first elders had no church, rites, nor ceremonies, save only the bodily offering, a representation of the sacrificing of Christ, and exercises or tokens of thankfulness. For how should Cain and Abel else have known any thing of sacrifice, if they had not received the same at the custom of their father? who, with his wife Eva, the mother of us all, was saved by none other work or merit of man, but only through and in the blessed Seed, our Lord Jesu Christ. CHAPTER V. THAT THE HOLY PATRIARCHS ALSO WERE CHRISTIAN AND SUCH faith in Christ Jesu as we now have spoken of, did the holy father Adam, no doubt, teach his children, that they also might plant into their children the promise of God, his mercy and device concerning the Messias or Saviour that was for to come. And truly Abel had such a notable faith in God, that the holy apostle Paul wrote of him after this manner: Through faith did Abel offer a greater sacrifice' Heb. xi. than did Cain, and thereby obtained he witness that he was righteous; for God bare record to his gifts." Inasmuch then 66 [ Heb. xi. 4. nλeiova Ovʊiav: "A more plenteous sacrifice." Cov. Bib. "A better sacrifice." Authorised version.] 66 |