H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.

CHAP. XXIX. Of the glorious comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, to iudge the quicke and the dead.

I. Aresurrection of the dead, and chaunging of them that are aliue, at the comming of the Lord Jesus out of heauen, being made: Christ shall straight exhibite himselfe to bee seene of them all in the cloudes: and all the faithfull shall meete him in the ayre.

WE beleeue, that the dead rising a∣gaine by the ministerie of the An∣gells, at the comming of the Lord Iesus: they which shall then bee remaining a∣liue, they shall not indeed dye, but they shall in a moment be chaunged, into the same state with the dead that are risen: and then Christ, being come downe from heauen euen in the cloudes, there shall iudge all men, and from thence giue sentence on them, shal shew him∣selfe apparently to all: and that all the godlie being taken vpp from the earth, euen into the clouds shall goe to meet him, attended on by the Angells, and appearing in his great maie∣stie and glorie: as also he himselfe, and his A∣postles haue taught and left in writing.

II. Christ shall visibly returne from one place to a∣nother, and that with a bodie visible, lo∣call, and determinate.

We therefore beleeue, Christ shall so return visiblie, as he before in the Apostles sight as∣cended into heauen: and shall come euen out of that heauen, where he now is: & therefore from that which is farre distant from the earth, and from the clouds, vnto which he shall des∣cend: and we beleeue he shall so descend with his naturall bodie, that it must needs be graū∣ted that the same is locall and finite, and con∣sequently, not existing euerie where: seing al∣so the holie ghost describeth such a descen∣ding vnto simple people, which hee sheweth, cannot be made without chaunge of places.

III. The faithlesse reprobates, shall not come vpp to Christ sitting in the cloudes: but remai∣ning on the earth shall heare the sentence of the iudge.

But seing the Scriptures do pronounce, on∣ly of the godlie, that they shall bee caught vpp into the cloudes, and shall meete Christ in the ayre: wee beleeue, that the vngodlie shall not come vp vnto Christ, but remaining vnder his feete vppon the earth, shall heare that sentēce of the iudge, goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire, when all the Saints, which shal bee aloft with Christ, shall approue the same sentence of the

iudge: according as the Apostle thinketh, The Saints shall iudge the world, yea and the Angells.

IV. For what causes that generall iudgement was appointed.

And wee beleeue, that for two causes prin∣cipally, this iudgement was appointed, wher∣in Christ shall sitt as iudge in the sight of all men: the first is, that such thinges as are nowe hidden vnto men, aswel innocencie, faith, and the good consciences of the godlie, as the hy∣pocrisie, and vile deeds of the wicked, may be openly knowne to all the world: and thereby be manifestly seene how iust the iudgements of God were euer from the first to the last. Whereuppon also the Apostle called that day the day of declaration. The other cause, is that the reward which was promised aswell to the good for their good workes, as to the bad for their euill deedes should be fully paied and re∣stored: as the Apostle saieth, wee must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ, that euerie man may receiue the things vvhich are done in his bodie according to that he hath done, whether it be good or euill: whereupon also the same Apostle calleth it the day of the iust iudgement.

V. Aeternall life, which shalbee giuen to the elect, is called, and is, a reward: yet due vnto vs onely vppon fauour, and not but for Christs sake.

For albeit it be a meere gift of God, which

the elect shall receiue, and purchased by the meritts of Christ alone, yet we doubt not; but it is named, and that it is truely a reward: sith the Lord Iesus vouchsafed to call it so, namely a free reward: seing also that the good works themselues of the godlie, and all the causes wherefrom the same do proceed, are free gifts of God: free election: free redemption: free calling, faith, iustification, regeneration, for∣gruenesse of sinnes; and lastly a free pardon of all wants and imperfections wherewith our good works are infected, and a free imputati∣on of Christs perfect obedience, wherewith our imperfect obedience is clothed, and made acceptable to god and consequently to speak properly, is a reward, not due vnto vs for our owne workes considered in themselues, but for the meri••ts of Christ imputed to vs.

VI. After the iudgement giuen, the godly shalbee presently with Christ in heauen, but the vngodly, in hell, with the deuill & his Angells.

Further more wee beleeue, that presently after the same iudgement, the godly shall fol∣low Christ into heauen, but the wicked shal be thrust downe with the deuills into hell: Christ saying to the first, come yee blessed of my father, but to the other, Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire.

VII. That day shalbe to the godly most ioyfull, and is therefore to be wished for: to the wicked most heauie, & is therefore, euē in the only hearing intollerable.

So do wee beleeue that this last day shal bee vnto them which are grafted into Christ, most happie and ioyfull, and therefore loued & wi∣shed of them: and ought to be loued & wished for of vs: and to the wicked, the most accur∣sed and wofull day that euer was: and there∣fore no maruaile though they hate that day, & cannot abide the mention of it.

VIII. Errors.

We condemne, whosoeuer shall denie that Christ shall truely and in verie deede descend in his humaine bodie from heauen into the cloudes, and then returne with his chosen in∣to heauen againe, and would prooue, that it shall all bee without any chaunge of places, onely by appearance (as they call it) & a cer∣taine likenesse: to the which the Angells doe affirme the contrarie vnto the Apostles, as yee haue seene him ascend into heauen, so shall he come againe. VVee disallowe also, those which teach, that the works of pietie considered in them∣selues are the true cause for which eternall life is giuen, and are the true meritts thereof: a∣gainst which the Apostle also, saieth, The gift of God is eternall life. Neither doe we approue the opinion of the Chiliasts concerning the thou∣sand

years: wherin Christ with his elect should remaine heere in the earth, after the latter iudgement: and that they should here liue in the delights, yet honest delights of the flesh, and should procreate children, but Saints: & so at last be translated vpp into heauen. And we condemne, and detest their error, which stand in contention, that the fire whereinto the wicked shal be throwne, shall at the length be quēched: so that all, euen the deuills them∣selues shall liue blessedlie in the kingdome of God: flatt against the plaine words of Christ, goe yee into euerlasting fire.

Notes

• 1. Thess. 5.1. &c. Mat. 24.3 & 25.31
• 1. Cor. 6.2.3
• Rom. 2.5
• 2. Cor. 5.10
• Rom. 2.5
• 2. Tim. 4.8
• Act. 1.11
• Rom. 6.23
• Mat. 25.4