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. IX. Of the promises of redemption and saluation by Christ.

I. That Christ, the man from heauen, was promi∣sed by grace to saue vs.

WHen therfore the first earthly man, by his owne fault had fallen into so miserable an estate, through diso∣bedience, and together with him, all his po∣steritie, which had sinned in him, and were in deede to bee conceiued in sinne, and to bee borne the children of wrath: we beleeue that god of his meere grace and fauour, promised vnto Adam and Eue, and in them to all man∣kinde, an other man from heauen, that should be the true substance of verie woman, but cō∣ceiued without the seede of man, & so should be born of a virgine without sinne: in whome, as in another head of mankinde, consisting of a diuine and humaine nature, beeing the true image of the father, and full of the holie spirite, that should bee supplied, which in A∣dam the first head, by his owne fault, was de∣caied: that is, that hee the second man, in the name of all vs, which were to bee ingrafted in∣to him by his spirite, and by a spirituall rege∣neration should become flesh of his flesh, and

bone of his bone, should most perfectly bee o∣bedient vnto god: and by his obedience and death should take away sinne, should appease the wrath of god, should redeeme vs, iustifie vs, sanctifie vs, and gouerne vs by his spirite, should indue vs with true libertie, and with power to do god, and lastly should saue vs & glorifie vs to eternall life.

II. The promise of redemption by Christ was verie necessarie.

For Adam, not as a priuate person, but as the parent and originall of all mankinde, as he was indued with a righteousnesse, which he should haue dispersed into all his posteritie, as hereditarie, for which cause it is vsed also to be called originall righteousnes: so by his dis∣obediēce, in stead of righteousnes, he brought vppon all men great iniquitie, and a spring of all sinne, and in stead of eternall life eternall death. Therefore there was neede of an other head, from whome, through his obedience, that true and heauenlie righteousnesse, holi∣nesse, and life might bee deriued into all the members. This same is Christ.

III. To what ende that promise was made presently after the transgression.

And wee beleeue, that this promise was made immediatlie after the transgression, euē from the beginning of the worlde, and after∣wards oft times mētioned to the holy fathers,

declared, yea and confirmed and sealed by di∣uerse and sundrie meanes, signes, and sacra∣ments: that not onely wee which were to bee borne after the comming of the Messias, but also all other, which from the first creation should beleeue in this promise, and in true faith should imbrace the Sauiour which was to come, might by that faith bee made parta∣kers of the following redemption, might bee iustified and saued.

IV. As manie as beleeued in Christ that vvas to come, from the first beginning, were saued.

Wee beleeue therefore that as manie since the making of the world, as beleeued in Christ promised, and to come, they were ingrafted vnto him by this faith: made partakers of his following obedience, of his passion, death, and redemption: that they did eate his bodie that was to come and to bee betrayed, and dranke his blood that was to bee shedd: and finallie that they were all christians, and indued with the spirite of Christ, and saued vnto eternall life, as well as we.

V. Errors.

Therefore wee condemne and abhorre all those, which saye that none were saued that were before the comming of Christ: and that those fathers receiued no promises concer∣ning eternall saluation, but onely concerning things temporall.

Notes

• Gen. 3.15 1. Cor. 15.47.48 Mat. 1.20 Luc. 1.34 Ebr. 4.15 Ios. 7.14
• Rom. 6.5 & 11.17.
• Io. 5.6 Eph. 5.29 Phil. 2.8 Rom. 5.19 Eph. 2.13.14