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. XXX. Of eternall life.

I. Eternall life shalbe giuen to all; which by their good workes haue witnessed, that they were truely grafted into Christ, and haue beleeued in Christ.

WE beleeue that eternall life, that is, full and perfect possession of eter∣nall life, shalbee giuen in that last daye, vnto all who by the apparent workes of true faith and godlinesse shalbe declared be∣fore al Angells and men, manifestly shewed, and by sentence of the iudge Christ pronoun∣ced, to haue beene truely ioyned to him, by

the holie spirit, and so to haue beleeued in god the father, in his sonne Iesus Christ, and in the holie ghost, and to haue bin liuelie members of the holie church, and to haue had commu∣nion withal the Saints, and obtained forgiue∣nesse of their sinnes: which the Lord also tea∣cheth, saying, He will say to them, which shalbe on his right hand, come yee blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the vvorld: for I vvas hungrie, and yee gaue me to eate &c.

II. A confirmation of the former opinion, and that eter∣nall life is not giuen for our owne works, but for Christ in whom we are freely chosen, bles∣sed, and made the children of god.

For by these wordes the Lord seemeth to haue declared vnto vs, that our good workes are testimonies of our election, blessing, and a∣doption in Christ, and so of our lawfull inhe∣ritance: and that the cause, whereby we shall obtaine eternall life and possession of the hea∣uenly kingdome, is, partly because that ere the beginning of the world, that is, ere we had done any good thing, that kingdome was freely prepared for vs in Christ: partly because we were blessed of the father, namely, with all spirituall blessing in Christ, and therefore cal∣led by grace, iustified, forgiuen our offences, and sanctified: lastly, because we were in the same Christ adopted the sonnes of God, and ••••nued or borne againe by his spirit, & there∣fore

made coheirs with him of the kingdom: which he plainly ment by the worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, by the right of inheritance, pos∣sesse as sonnes. VVhereas, the Lord therefore shall recken vp the works of pietie, he shall do it (wee doubt not) to this purpose, that by them it may appeare to the whole world, that wee were the truely blessed, chosen, iust chil∣dren of God, to whome the inheritance was due: the Apostle saying, If sonnes, then heires also: but that wee are the sonnes of God, is de∣clared by our regeneration: and regenerati∣on, by the effectes of regeneration, which are called works of faith and pietie.

III. As the godlie shall haue eternall life: so the paines and fire of the wicked shalbee eternall.

And as wee beleeue, that the children of God shal obtaine eternall life: so also we con∣fesse, that the hypocrites and all the wicked shall bee cast into the fire that neuer shalbee quenched and there bee tormented for euer: Christ saying plainely, Goe yee into euerlasting fire.

IV. How happie that eternall life shalbe, it can nei∣ther be said, nor thought.

But what, and what manner of life it is, and how great felicitie, which is ment by the name

of the heauenly kingdome, wee doe with the Apostle freely confesse, that neither eare hath heard, nor hath it come into mans heart to conceiue: for it is a matter, greater and more excellent, then can be comprehended in mans vnder∣standing: & of such passing happines, that no∣thing cā be wished more happie. We therfore simply beleeue, that we which are christs, which are guided by his spirite, which depend on his word, which lastlie doe place but whole hope of saluation in him: shall all bee most blessed: shall all shine as the sunne in the fight of god: we shall all see God, euen as he is: we shall all liue a heauenlie and diuine life with Christ, & his Angells: and be deliuered from all sinne, from all misterie, from all ill: without any lon∣ger griefe, without feare, without lack or de∣sire of any thing: because God shalbee all in all: and wee shall behold his face. And in that citie shalbe no more night, neither shall there neede any candell or sunne-light, because the Lord shall giue vs light: and wee shall raigne for euer and euer with Christ Iesus our head, spouse, Sauiour and our Lord: to whome bee praise, honor, and glorie, worlde with∣out ende. Amen.

Notes

• Eph. 1.3
• Rom. 8.17
• Mat. 25.42
• 1. Cor. 2.9
• Mat. 13.43
• 1. Cor. 13.12
• 1. Cor. 15.28 Apo. 22.3.4