The exercise of a christian life. Written in Italian by the Reuerend Father Gaspar Loarte D. of Diuinitie, of the Societie of Iesus. And newly translated into Englishe. by I.S.

A BRIEFE declaration of the. 12. Articles conteined in the Crede.

¶ Cap. 30. (Book 30)

FOR thy better remem∣bring of these. xij. Articles conteined in the Creede a∣foresaid, wherin the whole summe of our holy Catholike fayth is comprehended; I haue thought good in this second impression, to adioyne a briefe declaration, as-wel thereof, as also of such other thinges, as be needful for thee to haue by hart: Wherby thou maiest easily learn, not onely to rehearse the bare wordes, but to sucke out the sense and sapp also of that which thou beleeuest, con fessest, and witnessest, or at least wise oughtest to doo, in al thy life

and actions, It is therfore for declara∣tion of this Creede or Simbole to be noted, howe God being one in sub∣stance & three in person, al the three persons of the most sacred and soue∣rain Trinitie, are in this Creede espe∣cified, and vnto eche one of them their peculier and proper Articles as∣signed.

THE FIRST Article sheweth vn∣to vs the first person of the Trinitie; to wit, the Father; vnto whom is at∣tributed the a 1.1 creation of heauen, earth, and of al things visible and in∣uisible; al the which, as he for vs hath by his Omnipotencie created of no∣thing; so doth he forovs, through his wisdome and goodnes still mainteine and gouerne them; whereby we are done to wit, what great loue we are bounde to beare towarde this our so good a father, who hath for vs created and kept so manye thinges. What trust we may also repose in him; and

howe greatly we ought to dreade the offending of so omnipotent a Father.

THE SECOND Article declareth vnto vs the second person of the sa∣cred Trinitie, which is the Sonne; who, touching his diuinitie, is from al eternitie ingendred of his Father, of the self-same substaunce with his father, and coequal to him. This a 1.2 one only and eternal sonne of God, as he tooke humane nature, and fleshe vppon him, is called b 1.3 Iesus Christe, that is to saye, Sauiour annoin∣ted; IESVS, which signifieth, Saur∣our; for that he came to saue and re∣deeme his people from their sinnes; and CHRISTE, which is as much to say, as annointed; for that he was an∣nointed by the holye Ghoste, ful of grace and truth. He is also called c 1.4 MESSIAS, whom God had erst promised to sende into the worlde; a KING, d 1.5 BISSHOP, and LORDE,

for that he bought vs with his most precious bloud; and thereby is geuen vs to vnderstande, howe much we are bound to honour, loue, and reuerence him.

THE THIRD Article teacheth vs the incarnation and temporal nati∣uitre of this our Lord; for that being (as God) eternally a 1.6 engendred of his father without mother; he for our loue descended frō heauen, and tooke humane fleshe vpon him, and was, as man, conceaued, without father, or operation of man; in that most sacred vessel the virginal wombe of the e∣uermore virgin Mary; and was after∣wardes borne in b 1.7 Bethlcem of this his blessed mother, she remayning euermore a virgin. By this incarnati∣on of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of God, we are al of vs c 1.8 regenerated; & of carnal, that we were, made spiritual, and the children of God in Iesus Christe.

THE FOVRTH Article doth in∣forme

vs of the Passion, death, and burial of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe; who hauing preched, and done many miracles for the space of three yeres, the Iewes of meere spite and malice accused him to Pontius Pi∣late their Iudge; who albeit he wist wel his innocencie and cleernes frō a∣ny crime, yet did he a 1.9 adiudge him to suffer death vpon the Roode; and so was he by that means crucified, dead, and buried; whose holy wounds, pas∣sion, Crosse, and death, were causes of our life; and yeeld great consolation to al such as sincerely doo loue and serue him.

THE FIFT Article openeth to vs, howe Christe our Redeemer being thus deade on the roode, his most sa∣cred soule vnited to his diuinitie, b 1.10 discended downe to hel, to fetche thence those holye Fathers, that so many yeres had looked for him. And afterwardes triumphing ouer death,

(as he had alreadie done ouer the de∣uil and hel) did rise vp the third daye by his owne a 1.11 power and vertue; and so issued out of his Sepulchre, im∣mortal, and most glorious. This his example geueth b 1.12 hope to eche one beleeuing sinceerly in him, that they shal in th'ende rise like-wise vp im∣mortal and right glorious.

THE SIXT Article instructeth vs, howe our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe the fortie daye after his Resur∣rection, did with exceeding triumph c 1.13 ascend vp to heuen, and sitteth there on the right hand of his Almightie Father; that is to say, in the self-same glory, power, and Maiestie with the Father; enioying al the blisse his Fa∣ther doeth, and gouerning al thinges with him. This glorious Ascension of Christe our head yeeldeth confi∣dence to his true members, that if they obey their head and heauenlye

captaine, they shal one day ascende also, and reigne in heauen with him.

THE SEVENTH Article telleth vs of the second comming of Christe our Lorde, which shal-be at the last day; when he shal in humane fleshe come with great power and Maie∣stie, accompanied with al his holye angels a 1.14 to iudge the vniuersal world; as-wel those that be at that time li∣uing in erth, as also, al those that haue beene dead since the worlde was first created; & thē shal he yeeld reward to ech one, according to the b 1.15 deedes and workes they shal haue wrought. This article admonisheth vs to liue with so much more vigilant care and watch∣fulnes, as we knowe more certainlye, that al our woordes, woorkes, and thoughtes are to be examined and discussed of this moste dreadful Iudge, before whose tribunal seate we must needes al of vs appere.

THE EIGHT Article sheweth vs the third person of the moste sacred Trinitie, a 1.16 which is the holy Ghoste, who proceedeth from the Father and the sonne, and is with them the selfe same God, eternal, and omnipotent; And therfore are we bound with the selfe same honour, faith, and dutiful obeisance, to reuerence & adore him. This is the comforter and spirite of truth, that illuminateth, teacheth, and sanctifieth vs; and according to his diuine pleasure departeth his giftes to euery one.

IN THE ninth Article we con∣fesse, that there is a holye Catholike Church; b 1.17 to wit, an vniuersal congre∣gation of the faithful, which haue the very self-same faith, doctrine, and Sa∣cramentes. And this Church is HOLY, because it is sanctified by Christ, the head therof, and gouerned by the ho∣lye Ghost; and is CATHOLIKE, that is to say, vniuersal, for that it embra∣ceth

al the faithful, that in euerye place and time, haue helde, and doo holde one selfe same faith of Christe. We confesse like-wise in this Arti∣cle, that in this holye and vniuersal Churche or congregation, there is a communion of Saintes; that is to say, a 1.18 that al those that dwel in this Chur∣che, doo, as in the house of God, al of them, communicate one with an-o∣ther such giftes as they receaue; and doo one of them helpe an-other, both spiritually and corporally, like mem∣bers al of one body.

THE TENTH Article propoun∣deth to vs the remissiō and forgeue∣nes of our sinnes, which is obteined in this holy Catholike Church aboue saide, by the vertue of Christes passi∣on, operating by meanes of such holy b 1.19 Sacramentes, as he left in this same Churche. Hence are sinners to gather a singuler comfort, sithens if they be truely penitent for their trespasses,

and haue a ful purpose, neuer after to offende their maker, they haue then a redy means to recouer Gods grace again, which by their vngratiousnes they had so lewdly lost.

THE ELEVENTH Article testi∣fieth the vniuersal resurrection of al men, who, eche one of them, iust or vniust, shal rise againe in the last day of iudgement with their owne bo∣dies; and shal stand before the tribu∣nal of a 1.20 Christes iudgement, there to receaue doome in their bodies, accor∣ding to the good or euil they shal haue wrought in this life; So that the elect that haue done good, shal arise with bright and beautiful bodies to the resurrection of life, and perpetu∣al blisse and happines: And the dam∣ned that haue done euil with moste horrible and vggly bodies, to the re∣surrection of damnation, and euerla∣sting tormentes, both in their soules and bodies.

THE TWELFTH Article promi∣seth vs an euerlasting life, which shal succeede after this transitorye life, wherin the good, rising vp in bodies and soules, shal reigne eternally, and enioye the inestimable treasures of blessed happines, exempted from al miseries and toils that in this tempo∣ral life doo eftsons trouble vs; And the wicked, being also in body and soule resuscitate, shal dwel in perpe∣tual paines, and abide more terrible tormentes, then any mans tonge can tel. This article geueth good Christi∣ans cōfort to abide al aduersitie with patience, considering that eternal life we looke and hope for; where being exempt from al euil, we shal enioy al good thinges, and reigne in euerla∣sting happines.

This worde Amen, annexed to the end, sheweth the most certain and in∣fallible truth of the christian fayth & confessiō conteined in this Creede.

THE DECALOGVE, or tenne Commaundementes of the lawe of God

* 1.21

1. NON ae habebis Deos alienos co∣ram me.

2. Non assumes nomen Domini Dei in vanum.

3. Memento vt diem Sabathi sanctifices.

4. Honora patrem tuum & matrem tuam.

5. Non occides.

6. Non moechaberis.

7. Non furtum facies.

8. Non loqueris contra proximum falsum testimonium.

9. Non concupisces domum proximi tui.

10. Non desiderabis vxorem eius,

1. Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lorde God in vaine.

3. Remēber that thou keep holy the Saboth day.

4. Honour thy father and thy mother.

5. Thou shalt not kil.

6. Thou shalt not committ aduoultry.

7. Thou shalt not steale.

8. Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour.

9. Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house.

10. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Genes 1. Ioh. 1. a. Heb. 11. a.
• a 1.2

  Esay. 53. 10. 1. c. 16. d Coloss. 1. a. Heb. 1. a
• b 1.3

  Luc. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• c 1.4

  Ioh. 1. f.
• d 1.5

  Heb. 4. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• a 1.6

  Phil. 2. a
• b 1.7

  Mat. 2. a Luc. 2. a.
• c 1.8

  Rom. 6. a Galat. 3. d. Col. 2. b.
• a 1.9

  Mat. 27. c. Mar. 15. b.
• b 1.10

  1. Pe. 3. d. Zach. 9. c. Aug. epist. 99 & 57. de fide ad Pet. Cap. 2.
• a 1.11

  Osee. 5. a. Mat 28. a. 1. Cor. 15. a. 6. c. Colos. 2. c.
• b 1.12

  Ioh. 11. c. Act. 17. d. 23. b.
• c 1.13

  Act. 1. b mar. 16. 20 Luc. 24 g.
• a 1.14

  Mat. 24 6 Act. 1. b.
• b 1.15

  2. Cor. 5 b Rom. 14. b.
• a 1.16

  Gen. 1. a. Ioh. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 b. 16. a. Mat. 28. d. Rom. 8. b
• b 1.17

  Ioh. 11. g. Rom. 6. b. 10. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 4. a. 5. d.
• a 1.18

  Ioh. 17. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Rom. 12. c 1. Cor. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 10. d. 12. e Eph. 4. b. 5. c. Galat. 3. b.
• b 1.19

  Mat. 16. c. Ioh. 20. f. Cip. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 1. Epist. 1. Chris. lib. 5. de Sacerd. Amb. lib. 1. de penit. cap. 2.
• a 1.20

  1. Cor. 15 a 2. Cor. 5. b Rom. 14. b.
• * 1.21

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 Exo. 20 a