Propositions and principles of diuinitie propounded and disputed in the vniuersitie of Geneua, by certaine students of diuinitie there, vnder M. Theod. Beza, and M. Anthonie Faius ... Wherein is contained a methodicall summarie, or epitome of the common places of diuinitie. Translated out of Latine into English, to the end that the causes, both of the present dangers of that Church, and also of the troubles of those that are hardlie dealt vvith els-vvhere, may appeare in the English tongue.

PRINCIPLES VPON THAT ARTICLE OF THE BELIEF, WHEREIN IS SAID that Christ shall come to iudge the quick and the dead. XLVIII.

1 HAving done with the treatise of the incarnation of the mediatour Iesus Christ, and also of his lyfe, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation vnto the right hand of the Father; which is the power that hee hath receaued ouer all creatures, the which he dooth now so exercise, as hee seemeth in his members rather to striue and to be kept vnder, then to raigne: and in regard of his enemies, rather in some sort for the most part, to bee van∣quished, then to ouercome. It followeth that vnto the for∣mer we adjoine which thinges appertaine vnto the ful ad∣ministration of this gouernment.

2 Christian Faith therefore dooth teach, that Christ who striueth with his enemies, vntill the nomber of all those that were giuen him of the Father be finished, & the time appointed for the executing of Gods wrath against Sathan, his Angels, and the world, be expired, shall come again from heauen and execute his full power, both in the finall deliuerie of all his children, & in the vtter ouerthrow of all his enemies.

3 The vniuersall restitution of the world, which is ear∣nestlie desired of all the creatures themselues in generall, shall serue for the setting forward of the saluation of the e∣lect.

4 But it is curious and prophane to enquire what man∣ner

of the restitution that shall bee, any farther then the word of God doth reueale it.

5 Now that that judgement, whereunto all men, some to be whollie absolued, others to be whollie condemned, shall be subject, is to be Vniuersall and euerlasting, may be proued by arguments drawne from humane reason, and e∣uen from that very principle, whereby the wicked go a∣bout to displace Gods prouidence: namely, that God must needes bee just, and therefore that it cannot bee, but it should aeternallie go well with the good, and euill with the bad.

6 But the vndoubted proofes of this article, as also of all the rest, are to be fetched from Gods word.

We do condemne therefore the Epicures, who denie Gods prouidence, as though the casuall (as they call it) succession and change of things were to continue for euer. The Platonikes, who granting the world to haue had a beginning, do yet teach that it shall neuer haue an end. The Aristotelians, who dreame that the world nei∣ther had a beginning, nor euer shall haue an end. And all other mockers, who think that there shall neuer bee anie judgement, because it is so long differred as PETER setteth downe 2. PET. 3.3. Yet doe wee not ground our selues in this point, vpon the opinion of the Stoickes, who taught by naturall reason, that the world shoulde bee consumed with fire, but vpon the authoritie of the word.

7 This judgement in regarde of the power and decree thereof, is jointlie of the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Ghost: but the promulgating and execution of the same, is committed to the Sonne, & that in his humaine nature: In the which nature it pleaseth the Father mediatly to rule all creatures.

8 Christ therefore shall come from heauen in his true, visible and finite bodie: yet cloathed with that Diuine glo∣rie and majestie, whereby he hath gotten a name aboue all names.

That dotage therefore of the Vbiquitaries, is most

vaine, who do oppose the majestie of Christs flesh, vnto his locall and organicall circumscription: and doe ima∣gine a double reall presence of his bodie, the one visi∣ble and finite, which is of his dispensation: the other in∣uisible and infinite, which they call omni-majesticall, which cannot bee grounded vppon anie place of the word.

9 Before the tribunall seat of this Iudge shall all men without exception, that euer were since the beginning of the world, stand to be judged.

10 All therefore that haue beene dead shall bee joined again to their bodies, and as for those that shall be found aliue, they shalbe chaunged in a moment, to the end that some of them may enjoy that blessed & perpetuall felici∣tie with Christ their head: others that they may be adjud∣ged vnto euerlasting tormentes, which Sathan their head and his wicked Angels, and so Christ may trulie and per∣fectlie raigne for euer.

Wee condemne therefore the opinion of ORIGEN, and of the Chiliasts, who held that all men should be sa∣ued after a thousand yeares.

11 This judgement shall Christ exercise, in respect of the elect, both according to the law which hee hath fulfil∣led for them: and also according to the Gospell which was giuen vnto them, that they should embrace the same with a true and a liuelie faith: and in regard of the wicked, ac∣cording vnto the lawe onelie, which pursueth euerie man with aeternall punishment: and therefore also hee shall crowne the one of them, being acquired throw his meere fauour, and shall punish the other in just seueritie.

We refuse therefore, both those who attribute the re∣ward of aeternall life, vnto the satisfactorie and meri∣torious works of men: & them also, who ascribe the dā∣nation of the wicked, vnto a kinde of absolute and so∣ueraigne power that is in God, beyond the judgement of the law.

12 Christ shall then yeeld the kingdome vnto his Fa∣ther, that is, shall absolutelie performe in deed the office

which he receiued of the Father: and the Father on the o∣ther side, shall performe vnto him, together with his, that aeternall triumphe promised vnto him, when hee hath put all his enemies vnder his feet.

13 The place and the time of this judgement, hath God manifested vnto none, but would retaine the knowledge therof vnto himself, both that he might contain vs watch∣full in our duties, lest that either we should be astonished with fear, or abuse the deferring of his comming; and also, that he might exercise our faith and patience: yet hath he foretolde vs, MAT. 24. the signes that go before his com∣ming; so that none can be on the sodaine ouertaken ther∣by, saue onely those, who wittingly and willingly remaine vnprouided.

They are therefore worthie to be reprehended in the Church, who presume to set downe the time thereof, by the aspects of the Starres, or vpon some imaginarie sup∣positions or Prophesies.

14 Nowe the Lorde according vnto his secrete wise∣dome, dooth deferre that day, partly, that the number of his elect may bee finished; and partly, that the wicked may be made more and more vnexcusable.

15 That last vniuersall judgement hindreth not, but that the Lorde may in the meane time execute his particu∣lar judgements in this life, either vppon his elect for their saluation, or vpon the reprobate for their vndoing; neither doth it also hinder, but that hee may after their departure gather the soules of his elect, into that blessed life, and tor∣ment the spirit of the wicked in the prisons that are know∣en vnto himself, even vntil the time that he accomplisheth the full happines of the one, and the vtter confusion of the other.

16 And euen as he would haue his last comming to be hidden from men, so also hee would haue the time of their death for the very same cause to be vnknowen vnto them: vnlesse, that he openeth the same vnto some, either by par∣ticular reuelation, or by probable conjectures.

Defended by IOHN VALETONVS Albenatiensis Occitanus.