Therefore we denk vie adagio zna Chablided smag me. Of the jak judgement complete, dit or Lani Ján Car from beaver, orginally and fed, with great glory and mighty jodge of the quick nail the deal w ve Seen from the begin vers, when they eat him, that is to fay, when they apply and receive him by faith in the fpirit. Christ that he might reprefent unto us this fpiritual and heavenly bread, hath instituted an earthly and visible bread, as a facrament of his body, and wine as a sacrament of his blood, to testify by them unto us, that as certainly as we receive and hold this facrament in our hands, and eat and drink the fame with our mouths, by which our life is afterwards nourished; that we also do as certainly receive by faith (which is the hand and mouth of our foul) the true body and blood of Christ our only Saviour in our fouls, for the fupport of our fpiritual life. Now as it is certain and beyond all doubt, that Jefus Chrift hath not enjoined to us the use of his facraments in vain, fo he works in us, all what he reprefents to us by thefe holy figns, though the manner fürpaffes our understanding, and cannot be comprehended by us, as the operations of the Holy Ghoft are hidden and incomprehenfible. In the mean time we'err not when we fay, that that, which is eat and drank by us is the proper and natural body, and the proper blood of Chrift. But the manner of our partaking of the fame, is not by the mouth but by the spirit through faith. Thus then, though Christ alway fits at the right hand of his Father in the heavens, yet therefore doth he not cease to make us partakers of himself by faith. This feaft is a fpiritual table, at which Chrift communicates himfelf with all his benefits to us, and gives us there to enjoy both himself, and the merits of his fufferings and death, nourishing, ftrengthening and comforting our poor comfortless fouls, by the eating of his Aleth, quickening and refreshing them by the drinking of his blood, Farther though the facraments are connected with the thing fignified, neveribeleis both are not received by all men: The ungodly indeed receives the facrament to his condemnation, but he doth not receive the truth of the facrament: As Judas and Simon the forcerer both indeed received the facrament, but not Chrift, who was fignified by it, of whom, believers only were made partakers. Lastly, we receive this holy facrament in the affem bly of the people of God, with humility and reverence, keeping up antongft us a holy remembrance of the death of Chrift our Saviour, with thanksgiv ing: Making there confeffion of our faith, and of the Christian religion. Therefore no one ought to come to this table, without having previously rightly examined himself; left eating of this bread and drinking of this cap, he eat and drink his own damnation. In a word, we are excited by the "ufe of this holy facrament, to a fervent love towards God, and our neighbour. Therefore we reject all mixtures and damnable inventions, which men have added unto, and blended with the facraments, as profanations of them: And affirm that we ought to reft fatisfied with the ordinance which Chrift and his apofiles have taught us, and that we maft fpeak of them in the fame manner as they have spoke.?? D XXXVI. Of Magiftrates. *We believe that our gracious God, because of the depravity of mankind, hath appointed kings, prins ces, and magiftrates, willing that the world fhould be governed by certain laws and polices to the end that the diffoluteness of men might be restrained, and all things carried on among men with good order and decency. For this purpofe her hath invested the niagiftracy with the fword, for the pu nishment of evil doers, and for the protection of them that do well. And their office is, not only to have regard unto, and watch for the welfare of the civil ftate, but also to protect the holy church fervice, and to prevent and extirpate all idolatry and false wor hip, to destroy the kingdom of antichrist, to promote the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, and to take care, that the word of the gospel be preached every where, that God may be honoured and worshipped by every one, as he commands in his word. Moreover it is the bounden duty of every one, of what ftate, quality or condition foever he may be, to, fubject himself to the magiftrates, to pay tribute, to fhew due honor and refpect to them, and to obey them in all things which are not repugnant to the word of God; to pray for them in their prayers, that God may rule, and guide them in all their ways, and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and ho nesty. Wherefore we deleft the anabaptifts and other feditious people, and in general all those who reject the higher powers and magistrates, and would fubvert justice, introducing a communion of goods, and confound that decency and good order which God hath established among men. XXXVII. Of the juft judgement. Finally we believe, according to the word of God, when the time appointed by the Lord (which is unknown to all creatures) is come, and the number of the elect complete, that our Lord Jefus Chrift will come from heaven, corporally and vifibly, as be afcended, with great glory and majefty, to declare himself judge of the quick and the dead ; børning this old world with fire and flame, to cleanse it. And then all men will perfonally appear before this great Judge, both men and women, and children, that have been from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, being fummoned by the voice of the archangel, and by the found of the trumpet of God. For all the dead shall be raffed out of the earth, and their fouls joined and united with their proper bodies, in which they formerlylived. As for thofe whe fhall then be living, they fhall not die as the others, but be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and from corruptible, become incorruptible. Then the books (that is fay the confciences) fall be opened, and |
