that all we are conceived and born in sin; and St. Paul saith, that by nature we are the children of God's wrath. So that we all should everlastingly be damned, if Christ by his death had not redeemed us.

“Wherefore, good children, mark well this part of your creed, that teaches you both to know Christ, and by what means he did redeem you. For, first, in the creed, he is called the only Son, or only begotten Son of God. Whereof it must needs follow, that he is a very God by nature, begotten of God the Father, before the foundation of the world was laid. He is the everlasting wisdom and word of God, by the which God the Father made all things. That he is also very man, is evidently expressed in these words; I believe in Jesus Christ who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.' And that these two things I cannot comprehend more shortly nor aptly than by these words; 'Christ our Lord is very God and very man.'

"Secondly, learn this also-by what means Christ redeemed us: for whatsoever God hath commanded in the Ten Commandments, which we have not fulfilled, because we all are sinners, that Christ himself hath fulfilled for us; and whatsoever punishment we have deserved to suffer of God for our sins and offences, that Christ hath taken upon himself and suffered for us. By this you may perceive how requisite it was that Christ, God and man, should be conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of a pure Virgin. For if Christ should redeem us, and satisfy for our sins, then must he needs be holy and without sin; for if he had been guilty and a sinner, then could not he have helped his own self, but he must needs have had another Saviour Redeemer for himself, as well as we have for us; for whatsoever he had done or suffered should have been worthily for his own offences, and yet could he not have satisfied for himself, much less then, would he have for others. Wherefore it was necessary, if he should satisfy for us, that he should have been conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of a Virgin, that his nativity might be pure, without sin, and not corrupt, as ours is; that our corrupt and damnable nativity might be purified, and made holy by the holy and pure nativity of Christ. Therefore, we say in the creed, He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary;' that Christ, being pure and clean from all sin, might redeem sinners and satisfy for them. Now, forasmuch as the justice of God requires that Christ should suffer and make satisfaction for us, and do all things that we were bound to do, it was necessary that he should be made man; for, if he had not been a very* man, he could not have done for us all those things which we were bound to do.

6

"And, again, if he had not been very God, he could not have been pure and clean from all sin, and so have made a true and perfect satisfaction for our sins; for no man can perfectly fulfil the word of God but God himself alone. Therefore in that he suffered for our sins, thereby he declared that he was a very pure and natural man. Again, he gave most certain and evident tokens of his Godhead, in that he overcame and vanquished the devil, sin, and death: for if he had not been very God, he could not have loosed the bands of

* Real.

death, neither have raised himself from death to life. So you hear, good children, that our Lord Jesus Christ was very God, and very man, not conceived in sin, as we are, but conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the most pure Virgin Mary. And as man, he suffered death for us, and descended into hell. But as naturally God, he loosed the bands and pains of hell, he destroyed the kingdom of death, he rose from death to life, and so paid the ransom for our sins, and took away all the guiltiness of the same. Therefore, when we believe in Christ, and, steadfastly cleaving to the word of God, surely persuade ourselves in our hearts that we are thus redeemed by Christ, then God is no more angry or displeased with us for our sins, but freely and mercifully he forgives us all our offences, for the death and passion of his Son Jesus Christ; and he gives us also the Holy Ghost, by whose help we may withstand sin and be delivered from the same. The which matters St. Paul knits up in one brief sentence, not so short as notable and weighty; saying Christ was delivered to death for our sins, and did rise again for our justification.' In which sentence St. Paul not only declares what Christ did, but also for what end, and for whom, he suffered death and rose again.

6

"For, seeing that Christ was that most innocent Lamb that never was blotted with any spot of sin, and yet he suffered for us as a sinner, it is evident hereby that he died not for himself, but took upon him our sins and bore for us the burden which we should have borne. Moreover, seeing that Christ was not overcome by death but by his mighty power he vanquished death, and rose from death to life, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, hereby we may evidently perceive that the great wrath and indignation of God to us hath an end, and that by our lively faith in him, our sins are forgiven us, and that we are reconciled into the favour of God made holy and righteous. For then God no more imputes unto us our former sins; but he imputes and gives unto us the justice and righteousness of his Son Jesus Christ, who suffered for us.

"These are but few words, but surely they are of great importance! For in this sentence St. Paul includes the sum and effect of the holy gospel, when he saith, Christ was delivered to death for our sins, and rose again for our righteousness. For likewise, as when another man doth pay my ransom, and satisfy or suffer for me, I myself am judged to pay the same, and no man afterwards can accuse me thereof; and when another is bound for me if he be by any lawful means discharged, I myself am counted to be discharged also. Even so, forasmuch as Christ himself took upon him the band of death for us, and to satisfy for us, and so did indeed by his death; we ourselves, for whom he was thus bound, justly are delivered and discharged from death and damnation. And so we are counted righteous, forasmuch as no man dare accuse us for that sin, for which satisfaction is made by our Saviour Christ. And when our Saviour, Jesus Christ, had thus satisfied for our sin, and so overcame death and hell, then, like a most valiant conqueror, he ascended into heaven, where God his Father received him with a most glorious triumph, and placed him on his right hand, and made him Lord over all creatures, and therefore he is called in the

creed, our Lord.'

For if he had not ransomed and redeemed us, we had been cast down to hell for ever. But seeing that he redeemed and bought us, therefore we are his, and he is our Lord and Master, and him we must love, obey, and serve.

"And this is our most high and everlasting comfort, that Jesus Christ is our Lord, and we are his servants; for because he is our Lord, therefore he will defend us, and deliver us from all dangers. And although we are sinners, yet he will forgive us our sins, because he hath paid the ransom and debt due for the same. And although we die, yet he will raise us up again, because he hath overcome and conquered death. And although we are eversomuch afraid of the sorrows and pains of hell, yet they shall not be able to hold us, because that to them who are his servants, he hath broken hell, and set open the gates thereof.

"Wherefore, seeing that we have so mighty a Lord and Master, we are out of all peril and danger. But we again, above all things must study to obey our Lord and Master, and do those things which he commandeth. For he hath redeemed and bought us for this intent and purpose, that we should be just and holy, as he himself is holy. And he that is not obedient_unto Christ's commandments, shall be sorely pnnished. For our Lord Jesus Christ shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead.

"Wherefore, good children, labour with all diligence and study, that when Christ shall come again to judge the world, he may find you holy and obedient; for then he will reward you with everlasting life. After this manner, Christ redeemed us from sin, and from the horrible offence of Adam, by whom we were all condemned; for by Christ's passion and death; and by his gospel, we have obtained thus much, that we may believe and trust in God, and trusting in God, we have his Holy Spirit, whereby we may also love God. And the Holy Ghost renews us, and cleanses us from all evil lusts and desires, that we being thus made holy and righteous, may keep God's commandments, and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Wherefore, good children, believe with all your heart in this Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our Lord; and doubt not but that he hath suffered for our sins, and contented the justice of his Father for the same, and hath brought us again into his favour, and made us his well-beloved children, and heirs of his kingdom. And when you are asked, how understand you the second part of the creed? you shall answer, I believe that Jesus Christ, very God, begotten of God the Father, and very man born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who, by his precious blood and holy passion hath redeemed me, a miserable and condemned wretch, from all my sins, from death eternal, and from the tyranny of the devil, that I should be his own true subject, and live within his kingdom, and serve him in a new and everlasting life and justice, even as our Lord Jesus Christ, after he rose from death to life, liveth and reigneth everlastingly. Or else, if you will answer more shortly, you may say thus: I believe that Christ was delivered to death for our sins, and rose again for our justification."

Archbishop Cranmer was equally sound in other points of Christian doctrine. In his annotations on the King's book, he says,

"This article speaketh only of the elect, in whom finally no fault shall be, but they shall perpetually continue and endure." "The elect shall not wilfully and obstinately withstand God's calling." "The elect, of whom is here spoken, will follow Christ's precepts, and repent and rise again when they fall." "Therefore, in my judgment, it were better to say thus; the elect shall follow Christ's precept, or when they fall, yet they shall repent and rise again." "But certain it is, that our election cometh only and wholly of the benefits and grace of God, for the merits of Christ's passion, and for no part of our merits and good works:" as St. Paul disputeth and proveth at length, in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians, and divers other places, saying, 66 Si ex operibus non ex gratia; si ex gratia non ex operibus.' "If by works, then it is no more of grace; if by grace, then it is no more of works." "And I know this to be true, that Christ is present with his holy Church, which is his holy elected people, and shall be with them to the world's end, leading and governing them with his Holy Spirit, and teaching them all truth necessary for their salvation. And wheresoever any such be gathered together in his name, there is he among them, and he shall not suffer the gates of hell to prevail against them.” In his second treatise against Gardener, "Our Saviour Christ, according to the will of his eternal Father, when the time thereof was fully accomplished, took our nature upon him, came into the world, from the high throne of his Father, to give light to them that were in darkness, and the shadow of death, and to preach, and give pardon and full remissions of sins to all his elected." Many similar sentiments might be quoted from other parts of this good man's writings, on all other points of Christian doctrine, but enough has been brought forward, to shew his peculiar views as strictly orthodox, in opposition to the errors of the present day, which are being promulgated with such unsanctified vigour by many.

CRISP'S VINDICATION OF HIMSELF FROM INJURIOUS

SLANDERS.

"IN some respect a necessity lies upon me to give you a brief touch of some things I have formerly delivered, by way of acquitting myself from injurious slanders. It is, and hath been, my portion, and I know, not unknown to many of you, that, while I have laboured freely, and by the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, to make known his mind to the comfort and rest of the weary and heavy laden, I myself have not wanted my burthen; yet, were it not for the Gospel's sake, lest that should receive prejudice, I should never open my mouth to vindicate a truth, as it concerns myself, in so public a way. But as there have been most false imputations laid upon me, in respect of the Gospel, so, for the sake of that only, I shall acquit myself publicly before you of such things as are most injuriously charged upon me.

"1. It hath been affirmed, and by persons who have gone for men of credit-and consequently the wound must strike the deeper, and

the report take the greater impression-it hath been given forth, I say, that, in my discourse among you, I should deliver to you, that the active and passive obedience of Christ, considered as vegas, as God and man, in reference to both his natures, hath not a sufficiency in it to make up a complete righteousness for us; and further, that the ground of it should be this, namely, that Christ did not perform the several duties of the several relations wherein many persons stand, as the office of a magistrate, and the relation of a husband, &c. For the vindicating of myself herein, I shall repeat the matter I delivered before, and you shall also know the truth of what my judgment is in this thing, and then leave it to the Church of God, whether it be slander or no. This I then said, that the active and passive obedience of Christ properly, are the actions and passions of the human nature, for the Divine nature is not subject to obedience, because there is not any superior whom it should obey; neither is it subject to passion-God cannot suffer-and, therefore, doing the commands, and suffering the punishments, are more proper to the human nature, and this is but a mere creature, and, therefore, the actions of it, as a creature, cannot extend to a proportion answerable to the injury done by sin to God: for this cause, I say, as I said before, there must be an addition of virtue from the Divine nature of Christ to make the active and passive obedience of the human nature a complete righteousness. So that all I said is this, that the actions and passions of the human nature are not sufficient to make up our righteousness complete, but there must be something of the Divine nature superadded, to raise up one proportionable to the transgressions we commit. And that expression concerning the not performing of duties of these several relations, was only to this purpose, to shew wherein the human nature of Christ, in obedience, did not fulfil everything in particular which is the duty of a man; and that, therefore, the Divine nature of Christ, by the eminent dignity thereof, is, as I said before, to make up the righteousness a complete one. Concerning this, whether it be truth or no, let the Church judge, according to the word: as for Seaveews, Christ, as God and man, it is well known I used the word, neither had I the thing in my mind, nor in my tongue, to the purpose they allege it against me. In a word, this, I say, that Christ, as God and man, hath in himself an absolute completeness of righteousness for all the elect; there need not be a going forth from Christ to anything in the world besides for a perfect righteousness.

2. There is another charge, deep indeed, and I appeal to you that have frequently heard me, whether ever you have heard any such thing from me, namely, that by way of inference I should deny Christ? How true this is, let the whole course of my ministry witness, which altogether aimed and endeavoured to exalt him above all the creatures in the world; and, except my being so busy with this truth become an occasion of so manifest slanders and false aspersions that are raised, I know not what should be the cause of them. But, beloved, how is it that I should deny Christ? in that, say they, I deny repentance unto life. Now, whether ever I did so, I appeal to you that heard me. This I say concerning faith and repentance unto life, in brief, that neither have any efficacy of their own to produce