An Exposition of the Symbole or Creed of the Apostles (1595)

• The Creede. pag. 1.

• Faith. 3.

• God. 19

• The three persons. 25

• The Father. 31

• Gods omnipotencie. 43

• The Creation. 52. & 58

• Gods counsell. 54

• The creation of heauen. 68

• The creation of Angels. 73

• The creation of man. 81

• Gods prouidence. 91

• Adams fall. 106

• The couenant of grace. 118

• The title Iesus. 122

• The title Christ. 129

• The title Sonne. 136

• The title Lord. 145

• The Incarnation of Christ. 148

• Christs humiliation. 174

• Christes passion. 176

• Christes arraignment. 182

• Christes execution. 226

• Christes Sacrifice. 260

• Christes triumph. 270

• Christes buriall. 287

• The descension of Christ. 297

• Christs exaltation. 305

• Christes Resurrection. 307

• Christes ascension. 333

• Christs sitting at the right hand, &c. 351, 363

• Christes intercession. 355

• Christes kingdome. 367

• The last judgement. 372

• Of the holy Ghost. 397

• The Church. 420

• Predestination. 423

• The mysticall vnion. 477

• The communion of Saints. 506

• The forgiuenesse of sinnes. 516

• The resurrection of the bodie. 521

• Life euerlasting. 532

Right Honourable, excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus, To the pure all things are pure:¹ but to the impure and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure, but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled. In which wordes he determines three questions. The first, whether things ordained and made by God may become vncleane or no? his answeare is, that they may: & his meaning must be conceiued with a distinction. By nature, things ordained of God are not vncleane: for Moses in Genesis saith, that God sawe all things which he had made, & they were very good: yet they may become vnclean either by law, or by the fault of men. By law, as when God forbids vs the things which in themselues are good; without whose commaundement, they are as pure as things not forbidden. Thus for the time of the old Testament God forbad the Iewes the vse of certain creatures; not because they were indeed worse then the rest, but because it was his pleasure vpon speciall cause to restraine them, that hee might put a difference betweene his owne people and the rest of the world, that he might exercise their obedience, and aduertise them of the inward impuritie of minde. Now this legal impuritie was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are vncleane when they are abused, and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained. The second question is; to whome things ordained of God are pure? he answeres, to the pure: that is, to them whose persons stand iustified & sanctified before God in Christ in whome they beleeue:² who also doe vse Gods blessings in holy manner to his glorie and the good of men. The third question is, who they are to whome all things are vncleane? his answeare is, to the vncleane: by whom he vnderstands all such I. whose persons displease God, because they doe not indeede beleeue in Christ: II. who vse not the gifts of God in holy manner, sanctifying them by the word and praier: III. who abuse them to badde endes, as to riot, pride, and oppression of men, &c. Nowe that to such, the vse of all the creatures of God is vncleane, it is manifest: because all their actions are sinnes, in that they are not done of faith: and a mans person must first please God in Christ,³ before his action or worke done can please him. Againe they vse the blessings & creatures of God with euill conscience, because so long as they are forth of Christ, they are but vsurpers therof before God. For in the fall of the first Adam we lost the title and interest to all good things: and though God permit the vse of many of them to wicked men; yet is not the former title recouered but in Christ the second Adam, in whom we are aduanced to a better estate then we had by creation.

Hence it followes necessarily; that, to omit all other things, Nobilitie though it be a blessing and ordinance of God in it selfe, is but an vncleane thing, if the inioyers thereof be not truly ingrafted into Christ, and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. The blood vnstained before men, is stained blood before God by the fall of Adā, if it be not restored by the blood of Christ the lambe of God. And hence it followes againe, that Nobilitie must not dwell solitarie, but combine her selfe in perpetuall fellowship with heartie loue & syncere obediēce of pure & sound religion; without the which all pleasant pastimes, all sumptuousnes of building, all brauerie in apparell, all glistering in gold, all delicate fare, all delightfull musicke, all reuerence done with cap and knee, all earthly pleasures and delights that heart can wish, are but as a vanishing shadow, or like the mirth that begins in laughing & ends in woe. A happy thing were it, if this consideration might take place in the hearts of all noble men: it would make them honour God that they might be honoured of God with euerlasting honour:⁴ and it would make them kisse the sonne least he be angrie, and they perish in the way.

I speake not this, as though I doubted of your Lordships care in this very point: but mine onely meaning is to put you in minde, that as you haue begun to cleane vnto Christ with full purpose of heart; so you would continue to doe it still, and doe it more: and withall to manifest the same to the whole world, by honouring Christ with your owne honour,⁵ and by resembling him specially in one thing, in that as he grew in stature and yeares,⁶ he also grew in grace and fauour with God and men. And for this very cause (without any consideration of earthly respects) I further present vnto you an Exposition of an other part of the Catechisme, namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles: which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion, taught by the Apostles, imbraced by the ancient fathers, sealed by the blood of Martyrs, vsed by⁷ Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to end the controuersies of his time: and hereupon it hath bin called the⁸ rule of faith, the⁹ kaie of faith. And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part; the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered. Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse, I take my leaue, commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie. Ann. 1595. April 2.

Your Lordships to command, William Perkins.

I beleeue in God, &c.

NO man iustly can be offended at this, that I begin to treate of the doctrine of faith without a text; though some be of minde, that in Catechising the minister is to proceed as in the ordinarie course of preaching, only by handling a set portion of scripture: & therfore that the handling of the Creed being no scripture, is not convenient. Indeed I graunt, that other course to be commendable: yet I doubt not, but in Catechising the minister hath his libertie to follow or not to follow a certaine text of scripture, as we doe in the usuall course of preaching. My reason is taken from the practise of the Primitive Church; whose Catechisme (as the authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes sheweth) was contained in sixe principles or grounds of religion, which were not taken out of any set text in the olde Testament: but rather was a forme of teaching gathered out of the most cleare places thereof. Hence I reason thus:¹ That which in this point was the use and maner of the Primitiue Church, is lawfull to be used of vs now: but in the Primitive Church it was the maner to Catechize without handling any set text of scripture: and therefore the ministers of the Gospell at this time may with like libertie doe the same: so be it they doe confirme the doctrine which they teach with places of scripture afterwarde.

Now to come to the Creed, let vs begin with the name or title thereof. That which in English we call the Apostles Creed, in other tongues is called Symbolum, that is, a shot or a badge. It is called a shot, because as in a feast or banket euery man payeth his part: which being all gathered, the whole (which we call the shot) amounteth: and so out of the seuerall writings of the Apostles ariseth this Creed or briefe cōfession of faith. It is a badge, because as a soldier in the field by his badge & livery is knowen of what band he is, & to what captain he doth belong: euē so by this beleefe a Christiā mā may be distinguished & known frō all Iewes, Turkes, Atheists, & all false professors: & for this cause it is called a badge.

Againe it is called the Creed of the Apostles, not because they were the penners of it, conferring to it besides the matter² the very stile & frame of words, as we haue them now set downe. Reason. I. there are in this Creed certaine words and phrases which are not to be found in the writings of the Apostles, and namely these: He descended into hell; the Catholike Church. The latter wherof no doubt³ first began to be in use, when after the Apostles daies the Church was dispersed into all quarters of the earth. II. Secondly if both matter and wordes had bene from the Apostles, why is not the Creed Canonicall scripture, as well as any other of their writings? III. The Apostles had a summarie collection of the points of Christian religion which they taught, and also deliuered to others to teach by; consisting of two heades, faith and love: as may appeare by Pauls exhortation to Timothie,⁴ wishing him to keepe the patterne of holesome words: which he had heard of him in faith and love, which is in Christ Iesus. Now the Creede consists not of two heads but of one, namely of faith only and not of loue also. Wherefore I rather thinke, that it is called the Apostles Creede because it doth summarily conteine the chiefe and principall pointes of religion, handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles: and because the pointes of the Creed are conformable and agreeable to their doctrine and writings.

And thus much of the Title. Now let vs heare what the Creed is? It is a summe of things to be beleeued concerning God and concerning the Church, gathered foorth of the scriptures. For the opening of this description. First I say, it is, a summe of things to be beleeued, or an abridgement. It hath bene the practise of teachers both in the new and old Testament to abridge and contract summarily the religion of their time. This the Prophets used. For when they had made their Sermons to the people they did abridge them and penned them briefly: setting them in some open place, that all the people might reade the same. So the Lorde bad Habakuk to write the vision which he saw, and to make it plaine upon tables, that he may runne that readeth it.⁵ And in the new Testament the Apostles did abridge those doctrines, which otherwise they did handle at large, as may appeare in the place of Timothy afore named.⁶ Now the reason why both in the old & new Testament the doctrine of religion was abridged, is that the understanding of the simple, as also their memory might be hereby helped, & they better inabled to iudge of the truth, & to discerne the same frō falshood. And for this end the Apostles Creed being a summary collectiō of things to be beleeued, was gathered briefly out of the word of god⁷ for the helping of memory & understanding of men. I adde that this Creede is concerning God and the church. For in these two points consisteth the whole summe therof. Lastly, I say, that it is gathered forth of the scripture, to make a difference betweene it & other writings, and to shew the authoritie of it.

There be two kind of writings in which the doctrine of the church is handled, & they are either divine or Ecclesiasticall. Diuine, are the bookes of the old & new Testament penned either by Prophets or Apostles. And these are not only the pure word of God, but also the scripture of god, because not only the matter of them, but the whole disposition thereof with the stile & the phrase was set down by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost. And the authoritie of these bookes is diuine, that is, absolute and soveraigne, & they are of sufficiēt credit in and by thēselves needing not the testimony of any creature, not subiect to the cēsure either of mē or angels, binding the cōsciēces of all mē at all times, & being the only foūdatiō of faith, & the rule & canō of all truth.

Ecclesiasticall writings are all other ordinary writings of the church consenting with scriptures. These may be called the word or truth of God, so far forth as their matter or substance is consenting with the written worde of God: but they cannot be called the scripture of God because the stile and phrase of them was set downe according to the pleasure of man. And therfore they are in such sort the word of god, as that also they are the word of men. And their authoritie in defining of trueth & falshood in matters of religion is not soveraigne, but subordinate to the former: and it doth not stand in the authority & pleasures of men & councels, but in the consent which they haue with the scriptures.

Ecclesiasticall writings are either generall, particular, or proper. Generall, are the Creedes and confessions of the Church dispersed over the whole world, and among the rest the Creed of the Apostles, made either by the Apostles themselues, or by their hearers & disciples, apostolical men, delivered to the Church, & conveyed from hand to hand to our times. Particular writings are the confessions of particular Churches. Proper writings, are the books & confessions of private men. Now betweene these we must make difference. For the Generall Creede of the Apostles, (other universall Creeds in this case not excepted) though it be of lesse authoritie then Scripture; yet hath it more authoritie then the particular and priuate writings of Churches and men. For it hath bene received and approved by universall consent of the Catholike Church in all ages, and so were neuer these: in it the meaning and doctrine can not be changed by the authoritie of the whole Catholicke Church: and if either the order of the doctrine or the wordes whereby it is expressed, should upon some occasion be changed, a particular Church of any cuntry can not doe it, without Catholike consent of the whole Church: yet particular writings & cōfessions made by some speciall Churches may be altered in the words & in the points of doctrine by the same Churches without offence to the Catholicke Church. Lastly it is receiued as a rule of faith amōg all churches to try doctrines & interpretations of scriptures by, not because it is a rule of it selfe, for that the scripture is alone; but because it boroweth his authority from scripture with which it agreeth. And this honour no other writings of men can haue.

Here some may demaund the number of Creeds. Answ. I say but one Creede, as there is but one faith: and if it be alledged that we have many Creedes, as besides this of the Apostles, the Nicene Creede, and Athanasius Creede, &c. I answer, the severall Creedes and confessions of Churches containe not seuerall faithes and religions, but one and the same; and this called the Apostles Creed is most ancient, & principall: all the rest are not new Creedes in substance, but in some points penned more largely for the exposition of it, that men might better avoid the heresies of their times.

Futther, it may be demaunded, in what forme this Creed was penned? Answ. In the forme of an answer to a question. The reason is this. In the Primitiue Church, when any man was turned from Gentilisme to the faith of Christ, and was to be baptised, this⁸ question was asked him, What beleeuest thou? then he answered according to the forme of the Creede, I beleeve in God, &c. And this manner of questioning was used euen from the time of the Apostles. When the Eunuch was converted, by Philip, he said, What doth let me to be baptised? Philip said, If thou doest beleeve with all thine heart, thou maiest. Then he answered,⁹ I beleeve that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God. By this it appeares, that although all men, for the most part, amongst vs can say this Creede, yet not one of a thousand can tell the ancient and first use of it: for commonly at this day of the simpler sort it is said for a prayer, being indeede no prayer: and when it is used so, men make it no better then a charme.

Pag. 6. Tit. 1.1. p. 7. Act. 19.15. p. 13. Rev. 21. p. 20. Ephes. 4.6. Ibid. Ioh. 17.3. p. 21. Marc. 9.24. p. 38. Isai. 52. p. 44. 1. Pet. 5.6. p. 47. 2. Cor. 9. p. 67. Isai. 45.12, 13. p. 70. 1. Pet. 2.11. p. 71. 1. Ioh. 3.3. p. 77. Matt. 25. p. 87. 1. Cor. 10. p. 105. Rom. 5.12. p. 118. Gal. 3.22. p. 121. Malac. 3.1. Ibid. Act. 10.43. p. 122. Hebr. 7.25. p. 126. Mat. 15.24. p. 128. Luk. 2.10, 11. p. 129. Dan. 9.25. p. 130. 2. Cor. 2.16. p. 131. Act. 2.17. Ibid. Psal. 133.2. p. 132. Heb. 5.12. p. 133. Psal. 4.5. p. 137. Phil. 2.6. Ibid. Psalm. 102.25. ibid. & Ioh. 8.58. p. 138. Joh. 5.17. p. 148. lin. ult. Rom. 1.3. p. 156. Heb. 2.17. Ibid. Matth. 1.20. p. 169. Marc. 3.35. p. 174. Rev. 15.3. p. 177. & Joh. 15.13. p. 192. Luk. 23. p. 196. Mat. 26.51. p. 203. Mat. 21.13. p. 205. Mar. 14.58. ibid. Ioh. 2.19. p. 207. Matth. 26.25. p. 212. Mark. 5.41. p. 215. Luk. 23. p. 219. 2. Tim. 2. p. 221. Matth. 27.19. p. 230. Lev. 24.14. p. 237. Gal. 5.24. p. 238. 1. Tim. 1.15. p. 240. Mark. 15.24. p. 314. 2. Cor. 5.16. p. 324. Act. 1.12. p. 364. Isai. 30.21. p. 371. 2. Sam. 23.15, 16. p. 378. 2. Pet. 3.11. p. 386. Psal. 139. p. 390. Eccles. 8..11. p. 395. Luc. 21.28. p. 422. Galat. 3.16. p. 458. Rom. 6.23. p. 522. 1. Cor. 15. p. 526. Iob. 19.27.

Pag.	Line.	Blot out.	Put in.
8	25	studies	studie
9	32	into	in
13	24	couse	course
13	37	after	about that time
15	2	faint	faine
15	36	no nature	in nature
16	36	God both	God, & do him seruice both
24	15	First
26	14	and we	wee
29	32	Mistery	Mysterie
37	19	which cut	which are cut
55	27	bonum &	bonum est
66	34	S. Paul	S. Peter.
75	1	is the	is knowen the
84	35	at time	at some time
95	21	as by	as
103	20	haue upon	haue mercie upon.
104	2	that is bound	that is, bound
135	28	that
140	26	doubtings	doubting.
148	vlt·	most highest	most high
161	30	Mictell.	Missell, or Misselto.
166	15	ye	he
171	25	comes	come
172	7	he man	he is man
175	23	agreeth	argueth
178	12	or	are
206	5	many things: I.
263	25	〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ▪	〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
279	26	hath	haue
279	1	second	eleuenth
290	22	as	then
308	31	him	his
407	14	ungerenerate	unregenerate

Hitherto by Gods goodnesse I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede: now to drawe to a conclusion, the generall vses which are to be made of it follow. And first of all we learne by it, that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne us for heretikes: for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creed, which is an epitome of the scriptures and the verie keie of faith. It will be said, that we denie the Popes supremacie, iustification by workes, purgatorie, the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead, the invocation and intercession of saintes, &c. which are the greatest pointes of religion. It is true indeed, we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuils: perswading our selues that if they indeed had beene Apostolicall, and the verie grounds and pillars of religion, as they are now auouched to be; they should in no wise haue bin left forth of the Creed. For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith, to omit the principall points and rules of faith. It will be further saide, that in the Creed we beleeue the Church, & so consequētly are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and avouched by the Church: but this defence is foolish. For it takes this for graunted, that the Church of Rome is the Church here ment which we denie, unlesse they can proue a particular Church to be vniversall or Catholicke. Nay, I adde further, that the principall grounds of popish faith, for which they contend with us as for life and death, are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches & councels for many hundred yeres after Christ.

Secondly the Creed serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles & temptations whatsoeuer. I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches, let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour, who will therfore guide and preserue his owne workemanship, & by his prouidēce minister all things needfull unto it. And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all, in that he hath God to be his father, Christ to be his redeemer, & the H. ghost to be his comforter: and that, considering he lookes for life eternall, he is not to be ouermuch carefull for this life: & that Christ being our Lord will not forsake us being the seruāts in his own house, but will prouide things needfull for us. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt, let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified, and that therefore hee is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnesse sake. III. They which are troubled for the decease of friends are to comfort themselues in the cōmunion of saints, and that they haue God the father & Christ and the holy ghost for their friends. IIII. Against bodily captivitie, let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie. V. Against the feare of bodily diseases, we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shalbe abolished. VI. If a man feare the death of the body, let him consider that hee beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse, who by death hath vanquished death. VII. The feare of persecution is restrained, if we call to remembrance that God is a Father almightie, not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the adversarie, so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children. VIII. Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delayed by remembrance of this, that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer. IX. Feare of damnation is remedied by cōsideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for us, and now sits at the right hand of his father to make intercession for us: & by the resurrection of the body to life euerlasting. X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed, if we consider that God is a Father, and therefore much in sparing, & that it is a prerogative of the Church to haue remission of sinnes.

Trin-uni Deo gloria.

〈◊〉: One, of the Actions of faith, which are To beleeve in God: which hath three partes: I. To beleeue God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his worde. II. To acknowledge him in particular to be my God. III. To put my confidence in him. To beleeve a thing: and this action hath two partes: I. To acknowledge the thing. II. To apply the thing to my selfe; as to beleeue the Church is to acknowledge the Church, & that I am a member of it. The second the Object, which is God, distinguished into 3. person. I. The first is described by his I. Name, Father. II. Attribute, Almightie. III. Worke, Creatour of heaven and earth. II. The second is described by his I. Titles, which are foure. I. Iesus. II. Christ. III. His Sonne. IIII. Our Lord. II. Incarnation, & it hath 2. parts: The conception, where cōsider the partes The personn all vnion. The sanctification of that masse or lumpe wherof the body of Christ was framed. The cause efficient, the H.ghost. The byrth, where is mētioned the mother of Christ, described by her Name; Mary. Qualitie; a virgine. III. Estate afterward of Humiliation set downe Generally in these wordes, Suffered vnder, &c. where is noted the time of his suffering when P. Pilat was president of Iurie. By partes, which are 4. I. His crucifying. II. His death. III. His buriall. IIII. His descending into hell. Exaltation hauing 3. parts. I. His resurrection. II. His ascension. III. His sitting at his fathers right hand: & it is set forth by the Place, Heaven. The effect, his cōming to iudgement. III. The third person described by his name, Holy Ghost, infolding his office. The Church, described by his Qualities, Holy. Catholicke. Prerogatiues which are 4. I. Communion of saintes. II. Forgivenesse of sinnes. III. Resurection of the body. IV. Life everlasting.