By the apostles’ sermons.
7. Secondly, this is proved by the preaching of the apostles. For they were the proclaimers of his kingdom; neither did Christ send them to preach aught but the kingdom of God (Luke ix. 2: Acts x. 42). And what they did after Christ’s ascension, may be understood by the accusation which was brought against them (Acts xvii. 6-7): They drew Jason, saith St. Luke, and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, these are the men that have turned the world upside down, and are come hither also, whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. It appears also, what the subject of the apostle’s sermon was, out of these words (Acts xvii. 2-3): Opening and alleging out of the Scriptures (to wit, of the Old Testament) that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus is the Christ.
By the easiness of Christian religion.
8. Thirdly, by the places, in which the easiness of those things, which are required by Christ to the attaining of salvation, is declared. For if an internal assent of the mind were necessarily required to the truth of all and each proposition, which this day is controverted about the Christian faith, or by divers churches is diversely defined; there would be nothing more difficult than the Christian religion. And how then would that be true (Matth. xi. 30): My yoke is easy and my burden light; and that (Matth. xviii. 6): little ones do believe in him; and that (1 Cor. i. 21): it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save those that believe? Or how was the thief hanging on the cross sufficiently instructed to salvation, the confession of whose faith was contained in these words: Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom? Or how could St. Paul himself, from an enemy, so soon become a doctor of Christians?
By this, that it is the foundation of faith.
9. Fourthly, by this, that that article is the foundation of faith; neither rests it on any other foundation. Matth. xxiv. 23, 24: If any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or he is there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, &c. Whence it follows, that for the faith’s sake which we have in this article, we must not believe any signs and wonders. Gal. i. 8: Although we or an angel from heaven, saith the apostle, should preach to you any other gospel, than what we have preached; let him be accursed. By reason of this article, therefore, we might not trust the very apostles and angels themselves, and therefore, I conceive, not the Church neither, if they should teach the contrary. 1 John iv. 1-2: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God, &c. That article therefore is the measure of the spirits, whereby the authority of the doctors is either received, or rejected. It cannot be denied, indeed, but that all who at this day are Christians, did learn from the doctors that it was Jesus, who did all those things whereby he might be acknowledged to be the Christ. Yet it follows not, that the same persons believed that article for the doctor’s or the Church’s, but for Jesus’ own sake. For that article was before the Christian Church, (Matth. xvi. 18), although all the rest were after it; and the Church was founded upon it, not it upon the Church. Besides, this article, that Jesus is the Christ, is so fundamental, that all the rest are by St. Paul (1 Cor. iii. 11-15) said to be built upon it: For other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid; which is Jesus Christ; that is to say, that Jesus is the Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest; if any man’s work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward; if any man’s work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. From whence it plainly appears, that by foundation is understood this article, that Jesus is the Christ: for gold, and silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, whereby the doctrines are signified, are not built upon the person of Christ: and also, that false doctrines may be raised upon this foundation; yet not so as they must necessarily be damned who teach them.
By the plain words of Christ and his apostles.
10. Lastly, that this article alone is needful to be inwardly believed, may be most evidently proved out of many places of holy Scripture, let who will be the interpreter. John v. 39: Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me. But Christ meant the Scriptures of the Old Testament only; for the New was then not yet written. Now, there is no other testimony concerning Christ in the Old Testament[Testament], but that an eternal king was to come in such a place, that he was to be born of such parents, that he was to teach and do such things whereby, as by certain signs, he was to be known. All which testify this one thing; that Jesus who was so born, and did teach and do such things, was the Christ. Other faith then was not required to attain eternal life, besides this article, John xi. 26: Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. But to believe in Jesus, as is there expressed, is the same with believing that Jesus was the Christ. He therefore that believes that, shall never die; and by consequence, that article alone is necessary to salvation. John xx. 31: These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name. Wherefore he that believes thus, shall have eternal life; and therefore needs no other faith. 1 John iv. 2: Every spirit, that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And 1 John v. 1: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And verse 5: Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? If therefore there be no need to believe anything else, to the end a man may be of God, born of God, and overcome the world, than that Jesus is the Christ; that one article then is sufficient to salvation. Acts viii. 36-37: See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If then this article being believed with the whole heart, that is to say, with inward faith, was sufficient for baptism; it is also sufficient for salvation. Besides these places, there are innumerable others, which do clearly and expressly affirm the same thing. Nay, wheresoever we read that our Saviour commended the faith of any one, or that he said, thy faith hath saved thee, or that he healed any one for his faith’s sake; there the proposition believed was no other but this, Jesus is the Christ, either directly or consequently.
In this article is contained the faith of the Old Testament.
11. But because no man can believe Jesus to be the Christ, who, when he knows that by Christ is understood that same king, who was promised from God by Moses and the prophets for to be the king and Saviour of the world, doth not also believe Moses and the prophets; neither can he believe these, who believes not that God is, and that he governs the world; it is necessary, that the faith of God and of the Old Testament be contained in this faith of the New. Seeing therefore that atheism, and the denial of the Divine Providence, were the only treason against the Divine Majesty in the kingdom of God by nature; but idolatry also in the kingdom of God by the old covenant; now in this kingdom, wherein God rules by way of a new covenant, apostacy is also added, or the renunciation of this article once received, that Jesus is the Christ. Truly other doctrines, provided they have their determination from a lawful Church, are not to be contradicted; for that is the sin of disobedience. But it hath been fully declared before, that they are not needful to be believed with an inward faith.