The whole body of Christian religion, by Hieron. Zanchius. Translated out of Latine by D. Ralph Winterton.

CHAP XXX. Of life Eternall.

DOCTRINE I. That all shall receive eternall life who by their good works shall have testified that they were truly ingrafted into Christ, and believed in Christ.

THerefore we believe that at last, eternall life, that is, a full and perfect possession of life eternall, shall be given in that last day to all who by the evident works of true faith and piety shall be openly declared before all An∣gels and men, most clearly demon∣strated and by the sentence of Christ the Iudge, be pronounced to have been truly ingrafted into Christ by the holy spirit, and so to have belie∣ved in God the Father, in his Son Iesus Christ and in the holy Ghost, to have been living members of the holy Church, and to have had com∣munion with all the Saints, and to

have obained remission of their sins; the Lord himself teaching this, who saith,a 1.1 that he will say un∣to those that are on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father enter into the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred and; ye gave me to eat. &c.

DOCT. II. The foregoing doctrine confirmed, and that life eternall is given not in consideration of our works, but through Christ, in whom we are freely elected, blessed, and made the sons of God.

FOr in these words the Lord seem∣eth to have declared unto us that our good works are the eviden∣ces of our election, blessing, adopti∣on, and so of right an inheritance; but that the cause for which we shall obtain life eternall and the possession of the kingdome of heaven, is, part∣ly for that even before the founda∣tion of the world, that is, before we had done any good, that kingdome

was freely prepared for us through Christ,* 1.2 partly for that we a have been blessed by the Father, with all spirituall blessing in Christ, and so called by grace, justified, obtained forgive∣nesse of our sins, sanctified, and ad∣opted to be the sons of God through the same Christ, and regenerated by his spirit, whereby we are made co∣heirs of that kingdome.

Therefore forasmuch as the Lord will remember works of piety, we do not question but he doth the same that it may be manifest to the whole world, that we have truly been blessed, elected, just children of God, to whom the inheritance was due, according to that of the Apostle, If children, then heirs: but that we are the children of God is declared by regeneration, and rege∣neration by the effects of regenera∣tion, which are the works of faith and piety.

DOCT. III. That as the life of the godly shall be eter∣nall, so also the pains and fire of the wicked shall be eternall.

BUt as we believe that the children of God shall obtain life eternall, so also we confesse that hypocrites and all the wicked shall goe into e∣ternall fire, never to be extinguish'd,* 1.3 and there be tormented for ever, when Christ shall openly say, Go ye into eternall fire.

DOCT. IV. That it can neither be express'd nor conceiv'd how happy that eter∣nall life shall be.

BUt what that life is, and after what manner and how great the felicity which is signify'd by the name of the kingdome of heaven, we confesse ingenuously with the A∣postle, that neither eye hath seen it,* 1.4 nor ear heard it, nor hath it entred into the heart of man, being a thing greater and of more excellency then that it

can be comprehended by human understanding, and of such happi∣nesse that greater cannot fall within our desires. Therefore we simply believe, we who are of Christ, we are ruled by his Spirit, who depend on his word, and who place all our confidence of salvation in him, that all shall be most happy, and all shine like the Sun in the sight of God,* 1.5 that we shall see God as he is, and all live a heavenly and divine life with Christ and his Angels, freed from all sin, all misery, all evil, without a∣ny more sorrow, without fear, with out want or desire of any thing, be∣cause God will be all in all,* 1.6 and we shall see his face, and in that city there shall be no night, nor shall there be need of any candle or light of the Sun, be∣cause the Lord God shall give us light, and we shall reign for ever and ever with Christ Iesus our head Spouse, Saviour. Lord, to whom praise, honour and glory for evermore. Amen.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Mat. 25, 34, &c.
• * 1.2

  Eph. 1.3.
• * 1.3

  Mat. 25.48.
• * 1.4

  1 Co••. 2.9.
• * 1.5

  Mat. 13.43. 1 Cor 11 12. Phil. 1.23.
• * 1.6

  1 Cor. 15.28. Apoc. 22.3, 4, &c.