A christall glasse of christian reformation wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme. Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister.

¶Of fayth and the wonderfull working of the same: and stedfast beliefe of the fathers in olde tyme.

[illustration]

The signification.

THe man in armour signifieth all stedfast beleuers of the veri∣tie, being armed with constant zeale of Christianitie, and weaponed with the shielde of liuely faith, the spere of continu∣aunce, and the sworde of the word of God: The Diuil vnder him is temptation, being ouercome by faith in Christ Iesus.

FAith is a sure cōfidēce of things which are hoped for,* 1.1 and a certainty of things which are not seene. By it the Elders were well reported of.* 1.2 Through fayth we vnderstand that the world was or∣dayned by y^e word of God:* 1.3 And things which are seene, were made of thinges which are not seene.* 1.4 By faith Abell offred vnto God a more plente∣ous sacrifice then Cayne,* 1.5 by which he obtayned wit∣nes that he was righteous, God testifiyng of hys giftes: by which also he being dead yet speaketh. By faith was Enoch translated that he shoulde not see death,* 1.6 neither was he found, for God had taken him away. Before he was takē away, he was reported of that he had pleased God: but without faith it is im∣possible to please him, for he that cōmeth to God, must beleue that God is, and that he is a rewarder of thē that seeke him.

* 1.7By faith Noe being warned of God, eschued the thinges which were as yet not seene, and prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold, through the which Arke, he condempned the worlde, and became heyre of y^e righteousnes which is according to faith.* 1.8 By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed to goe out into a place, which he shoulde afterward re∣ceiue to inheritaunce: and he went out, not knowing whether he should goe. By faith he remoued into the land of promise, as into a straunge countrey, whē he had dwelt in tabernacles, and so did Isaack and Ia∣cob heires with him of the same promise, for he looked for a Citie, hauing a foundation whose builder and

is God. Through faith Sara also receaued strength to conceaue and be with childe,* 1.9 and was deliuered of a childe, when she was past age, because she iudged him faithfull which had promised: & therefore sprang there of one, euen of one, which was as good as dead so many in multitude as are the starres of the skye, and as the sand the which is by the sea shore, innume∣rable. These all dyed according to faith,* 1.10 when they had not receiued the promises, but sawe them afarre of, and beleued them, and saluted them,* 1.11 and confessed that they were straungers & pilgrimes on the earth, for they that sawe such thinges, declare that they seke a Countrey, and if they had bene mindefull of the countrey, frō whence they came out, they had leasure to haue retourned agayne: but now they desier a bet∣ter, that is to say an heauenly, wherefore God hym∣selfe is not ashamed, to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a Citie.* 1.12 By fayth Abraham offered vp Isaac, when he was proued, and he offred him being his onely sonne, in whome he had receiued the promises, and to him it was sayde, in Isaac shall thy seede be called, for he considered that God was a∣ble to rayse vp agayne from death, therefore receiued he him also for an example of y^e resurrection. By faith did Isaac blesse Iacob and Esau,* 1.13 concerning thinges to come. By fayth Iacobe when he was a dying, blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph, and bowed hym∣selfe towarde the toppe of his scepter.* 1.14 By fayth Io∣seph when he dyed, remembred the departyng of the children of Israell, and gaue commaundement of his bones

* 1.15By faith Moyses when he was borne, was hidde three monthes of his father and mother, because they saw he was a proper childe, neither feared they the kinges commaundemente. By fayth Moyses when he was great, refused to be called the sonne of Pha∣raoes daughter, and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season, and estemed the rebuke of Christ, greater riches then the treasures of Egipt, for he had respect vnto the reward. By fayth he forsoke Egipt, and feared not the fiercenes of the king, for he endu∣red, euen as though he had sene him which is inuisi∣ble.* 1.16 Through fayth he ordayned the passouer, and the effusiō of bloud, least he that destroyeth y^e first borne, should touch them. By faith they passed through the red sea as by dry land: which whē the Egiptians had assayed to do,* 1.17 they were drowned. By faith y^e walles of Iericho fell downe, after they were compassed a∣bout seuen dayes.* 1.18 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that were disobedient, when she had receiued the spies to lodging peaceably, and what shall I more saye, for the time wilbe to short for me to tell of Gedeon, of Barach, and of Sampson, and of Iephtaph of Dauid also, and Samuell and of the Prophets, which through faith subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnes, obtayned the promises, and stopped the mouthes of Lions, quenched the violence of fier, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weaknes were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armes of the aliantes, the women receiued their dead raysed to life agayne. Other were racked 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉

would not be deliuered, that they myght inherit a bet¦ter resurrection.* 1.19 Againe other were tried with mock∣kinges and scorninges, moreouer with bondes and prisonment, and were stoned, were hewen a sunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sworde, walked vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute, troubled, and vexed, which men the worlde was not worthy of. They wandered in wil∣dernes and in mountaynes, and in dennes and caues of the earth, and these all through fayth obtayned good report, and receiued not the promise because God had promysed a better thynge for vs, that they without vs should not be made perfect.

By faith we resist the Deuill,* 1.20 and ouercome him in the worlde. Finally my brethren, be stronge in the Lord, and in the power of his might, put on the ar∣mour of God,* 1.21 that ye may stand stedfast against the crafty assaultes of the Deuill, for we wrestle not a∣gainst flesh and bloude, but against rule, against po∣wer, and against worldely rulers of the darckenes of thys worlde, against spirituall wickednes, for heauē∣ly thinges, for this cause take vnto you the armoure of God, that ye may be able to resiste in the euill day, and stand perfect in all thinges. They that haue re∣ceiued the faith and the holy Ghost, and also tasted the gospel of God, if they do forsake it,* 1.22 and blaspheme it, willing to be saued by other sacrifice then that by Christ, do abide the iudgement of God wythout mer∣cy, we y^t beleue Christ let vs follow Christes liuing.* 1.23 The faith of a Christian is ioyned with charitie, and without charitie is the faith of the Deuill. Like as

the bodye is deade wherein is no spirite,* 1.24 so faith is dead where there lacketh workes. Fayth not exerci∣sed, soone waxeth sicke, and being vnoccupied is assaulted with sundry displeasures. Well may he be counted right valiaunt in dede, which in ioy nor in so¦row doth not exceede, the faithfull man possesseth his treasure,* 1.25 whose modestie moueth still to minde mea∣sure. He that teacheth the liuely faith in Christ, buil∣deth the building and doctrine of God.* 1.26 For faith in tribulation causeth patience. Let euery man see ther∣fore whether he continue in the same. Faith also ma∣keth vs to obtayne that whiche we desire in prayer, and by the which we are by the number of saintes,* 1.27 in receauing remission of our sinnes. Thus faith is our v••••tory, for all that is borne of God, ouercommeth the world, and this is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde, euen our faith. Who is it that ouercom∣meth the worlde? euen he which beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God. Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the first frutes of them that slepe: for as by man came death,* 1.28 euen so by man also came life euerla∣sting, to all that fayth∣fully beleue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hebr. 11.
• * 1.2

  Gene. ••.
• * 1.3

  Actes. 13.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 1.
• * 1.5

  Gen. 4.
• * 1.6

  Gen. 5. Sapi. 4. Eccle. 44. and. 49.
• * 1.7

  Gen. 5. Eccle. 44.
• * 1.8

  Math. 12. Gen. 11. Actes. 7.
• * 1.9

  Gen. 21.
• * 1.10

  Gen. 15
• * 1.11

  Iob. 8. Gen. 47. 1. par. 29. psal. 39.
• * 1.12

  Exod. 13.
• * 1.13

  Gen. 27. Gene. 49.
• * 1.14

  Gen. 50.
• * 1.15

  Exo. 2. Act. 7. Exo. 2.
• * 1.16

  Exo. 12. Exo. 14. Iosua. 6.
• * 1.17

  Iosua. 2.
• * 1.18

  Iudi. 7. Iudi. 4. Iudi. 14. Iudi. 11. 1. Reg. 17. 1. Reg. 12. 1. Reg, 17. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. Dan. 2. 3. Reg. 19.
• * 1.19

  3. Reg. 21. Esa. 38. 3. Reg. 17. 3. Reg. 14.
• * 1.20

  1. Iohn. 2.
• * 1.21

  Ephe. 6.
• * 1.22

  Hebr. 6.
• * 1.23

  Hieroni. August.
• * 1.24

  Iacobus August.
• * 1.25

  Seneca.
• * 1.26

  1. Tim. 1. Iames. 1. 2. Cor. 13.
• * 1.27

  Math. 21. Actes. 26. 1. Iohn. 5.
• * 1.28

  1. Cor. 15.