flesh that is corporallie eaten profiteth nothing It is the spirit that quickeneth and the wordes whiche I speake vnto you are spirite and life Now as wée muste in eatyng swallowe doune the meate into our stomackes that it may inwardlie worke shewe his strength in vs wheras beyng put without our bodies it doeth vs no good Euen so is it necessarie that we receiue Christ by faithe that he maie be made ours and he liue in vs and wee in hym For he saieth I am the breade of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth in me shall neuer thirste And againe he that shall eate me he shall also liue through me and abide in me and I in hym By this it is manifeste that we vnderstande not by spiritual meate I knowe not what maner of imagined meate but the self The receiuing of christ his bodie same bodie of the Lorde whiche was crucified for vs whiche notwithstandyng is receiued of the faithefull not bodilie but spiritually by faithe And in this matter wée followe in all pointes the doctrine of our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche he taught This eating Ihon. vi what eating of Christe is necessarie to saluation of the fleshe and drinkyng of the bloud of the Lorde is so necessarie to saluacion that without it no manne can be saued Wée maie also eate and drinke A spirituall eatynge of Christ with out the Samentes spirituallie the bodie and bloode of Christe although wee receiue not the supper of the Lorde as ofte as wée beleue in Christe To this ende parhaps belongeth that saiyng of Augustine Note Aug. Why preparest thou thy tethe bealie Beleue and thou haste eaten Beside the former spirituall eating A sacramentall eatinge of Christe there is also a Sacramental eating of the Lordes bodie whereby the faythfull is not onelye spiritually and inwardly made partaker of the true bodie and bloode of the Lorde but outwardly also by comming to the Lords table receaueth the visible Sacramēt of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde When the faithful beleued he receaceaued quicknyng nourishmēt before whiche he still enioyeth therefore when nowe he receaueth the Sacrament he receaueth therwith muche norishment to his soule For he continueth in continuall receauinge of the Lorde his bodie bloud In so much Faithfull receauers receaue not the sacramentes onelye but Christ also that his faith is more and more kindled increased and with spirituall fode refreshed For while we liue fayth continually increaseth in vs. And he that outwardlie receaueth the Sacramentes with a true faith euen he receiueth not the signe onely but enioyeth the thynge it self also ment by the Sacramēt as we haue declared Furthermore he obeieth the Lorde his institucion and commaundemente and with a cherefull harte giueth thankes for his and all mankindes redēption remembryng faithefullie the Lordes death and witnessyng the same before the churche of whose bodie he is a mēber It is confirmed or sealed also to theim that receiue the Sacramentes that the bodie of Christ was betraied and his bloud shedde not onely generally for men but also particulerly for euery faithfull receiuer whose meate Note and drinke it is to life euerlastyng But he that without faithe cometh to the holie Table of the Lorde receiueth Vnfaithfull receauers receaue but the bare signes the Sacramente onely and not the thyng mente by the Sacramente whereby commeth life and saluacion and suche eate vnworthely of the lorde his table Now thei that eate vnworthely Vnworthie receauers of the Lordes breade and drinke of his Cuppe vnworthely are giltie of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde eatyng and drinkyng their owne damnacion For when thei come not with a true faithe thei doe slaūder and like vilaines despise the death of Christe and therefore eate and drincke their owne damnacion Wherefore wée dooe not so knitte Christe his presence in his Supper and ioigne together the Lords his bodie and blood with the bread and wine that we affirme the bread to be the bodie of Christe but after a Sacramentall maner Neither saie wee that the bodie of Christe lieth hidden corporally Heresies vnder the breade or that it oughte vnder the forme of breade to bee worshipped or that who soeuer receiueth the signe he also receiueth the thyng it self The bodie of Christ is in heauen on the right hande of his father Wee must therefore lifte vp our hartes and not fire set our mindes on the bread Neither ought wee to worshippe the Lorde in the breade and yet the Lords is not absent from his churche when it celebrateth his supper The soonne beyng absente from vs and runnyng Note this similitude his race in the firmament is notwithstandyng present emong vs by his vertue How muche more Christe the soonne of rightuousnesse beyng absent from vs touchyng his bodie whiche is in heauen is present with vs not bodily but spirituallie by his liuely working in vs And as he hath declared that he would be presente with vs in his laste supper Ihon. xiiij xv xvj Whereby it foloweth that we haue no supper with out Christe yet that we haue a misticall Supper without bloudshed euen as our aunciēt fathers haue termed it We are also admonished in the celebracion Other endes of the Lords Supper of the Lordes supper to bee mindfull of whose bodie we are made mēbers in cōsideracion thereof to agree with all our brethren to liue an holie life and not to defile our selues with wickednesse and straunge religions but to continue in true faithe to the ende of our life to indeuer to excel in holinesse of liuyng It is mete therfore A preparyng of our selues before we come to receauinge of the lords supper that mindyng to come to the supper we first trie our selues accordyng to the Apostles commaūdement chiefly of what faithe we are whether wée beleue that Christ is come to saue sinners and to call them to repentaunce and whether eche man beleue that he is one of that nomber who beyng deliuered by Christe is saued throughe him and whether he haue determined to amende his synfull life and to liue godlie to continue by Gods helpe in true Religion in concorde with their The beste kinde of celebrating christ his Supper brethren and to giue God hartie thākes for their deliueraunce c. Wee iudge that to be the plainest and beste maner or waie of celebratyng the lord his Supper whiche cometh nereste to Christ his institucion and the doctrine of the Apostles that is to witte which consisteth in declaryng or preachyng God his woorde in Godlie praiers in imitatyng Christe his doynges in eatyng the bodie and drinkyng the blood of the Lorde also in the fruictfull remembraunce of his death in saithfull The supper of the Lorde should be celebrated in both kindes thankes giuyng ioinyng them selues in Godlie felowship to the vnitie of the bodie of the Churche Wee disalowe
all the daies of our life againste the worlde Sathan and our owne fleshe We are Baptised also into one bodie of the Churche that we maie well agrée with al the members thereof in one Religion dooyng one for another We beleue that the maner of Baptisme whereby Christe hym self was The forme of baptismge Baptised and his Apostles did Baptise is moste perfect Wherfore what soeuer was after by mannes inuencion added and vsed in the Churche we thinke not to be necessarie to the perfection of Baptisme As the coniuracion Popish bapt the vse of burning lightes of oile of Salte of spittle and the like with this custome to cōsecrate twise in the yere Baptisme For wee beleue that one Baptisme of the churche in Gods firste Institucion was sanctified and consecrated by his worde and is now also of efficacie and vertue by reason of that firste blessyng of God We teache that women or midwiues wemē should not baptise ought not to Baptise in the churche For Paule secludeth women frō Ecclestasticall offices but Baptisme partaineth to Ecclesiasticall dueties We condemne the Anabaptistes who Heresies deny that yong children newly borne ought to bee Baptised of the faithfull accordyng to the doctrine of the Gospell The kyngdome of God belongeth to children And séeyng thei are included in God his couenaunte why should not the signe of the couenaunte be giuen to them Wée condemne the Anabaptistes in other poinctes also of their doctrine whiche thei alone holde particulerlie and defende against the worde of God We are not then Anabaptistes neither dooe wée take parte with them in any matter of theirs ¶ Of the holy Supper of the Lord Chap. 21. THe Supper of the Lorde whiche is also called the table of the Lorde the Euchariste that is thankes geuinge is therfore cōmonly named a Supper because it was instituted of Christ in his last Supper and nowe representeth the same the faithful spiritually fedynge and drinkynge in it for the aucthor of the Lord his Supper is The aucthor of the Lords Supper not any Angell or man but the sonne of GOD him selfe our Lorde Iesus Christe who firste consecrated it for his Churche that consecration blessinge dureth as yet amonge all those that celebrat none other Supper but the selfe same whiche the Lord instituted recitynge his wordes and in al thinges looking on Christ only with a true faith of whose handes as it were they receaue that which they take by It is a remembraunce of gods benefites the seruice of the ministers of the churche The Lorde wyll kepe by this holy Sacramente in freshe remembrāce his chiefeste benefite bestowed vppon mākynde namely that when he gaue his bodie to be betraied and his bloud to be shedde he forgaue vs all our sinnes and redemed vs from eternall death and from the power of the Deuill and now fedeth vs with his flesh and giueth vs his bloudde to drincke whiche beyng with a true faithe spiritually receiued nourisheth vs to life euerlastyng And this so greate a benefite is renewed so ofte as the supper of the Lorde is celebrated For he said dooe this in the remembraunce of me It is also confirmed vnto vs in this Supper leaste wee should wauer in faithe that the Lordes bodie in deede was deliuered for vs and his bloude shedde for the remission of our sinnes And truely that to the outwarde yies is by the minister represented in the Sacramente and as it were laied before our face which inwardly is doen after an inuisible sorte by the holie ghoste Outwardlie breade is offered by the minister the wordes of Christ The signe the thinge signified are heard Take eate this is my body take deuide it betwixt you Drinke ye all of this this is my bloud Therfore the faithfull taketh that whiche is offred what the faithfull receaue by the lordes minister Thei eate the Lorde his bread and drinke of the Lordes Cuppe but inwardlie by the helpe of Christ through the holy ghost thei receiue the fleshe also the bloud of the Lorde and are fedde with them to life euerlastyng For the fleshe and bloud of Christ is true meate drinke to eternall life And Christe hym self in that he was deliuered for our sakes and is our sauiour is that principall chiefe thyng of the supper neither suffer we any other thyng to be put in his stede But that it maie the better and more plainly bee perceiued how the Howe the fleshe blode of Christe is meat drīke indede fleshe and bloud of Christ is the meate and drinke of the faithfull receiued of them to life euerlasting we will adde these fewe woordes There bee diuers kindes of eating For there is a bodily eatyng whereby meate is receiued into mannes mouth is chewed with the Two kindes of Eatinge with the bodelie mouth tethe and swallowed into the beailie After this kind of eatyng the Capernites in tyme paste vnderstoode that thei should eate the Lorde his fleshe But thei are confuted by Christe hym Heresies self For Christe his fleshe can not bée eaten corporally without an heinous Aug. de doct Christ cruell acte It is not then meate for the beallie as al menne are cōpelled to confesse We disalowe the Popes Canons in the decrees of the bisshops of Rome Ego Berēgarius de cōse dist 2. For neither the godlie in tyme passe nor wée doe now beleue that Christe his bodie is eaten with the mouthe of the bodie corporallie or essenciallie There is also a spirituall eatyng of Christ his bodie not that wherby we Christe his bodie is not eaten with the bodelye mouth 2. A spiritual eatinge by fayth thinke that the verie meate is chaunged into the spirite but whereby the bodie and bloud of the Lorde kéepyng still their essence and propertie we receiue theim not after a corporal but after a spirituall sorte by the working of the holie ghoste who doeth bestowe vpon vs those giftes whiche wer purchased by the flesh and blud of Christ who was deliuered and put to death for vs grauntyng vs remission of our synnes deliueraunce from Sathan and life euerlastyng so that Christe liueth in vs and we in him For he bringeth it to passe that wee receiue hym Christ is spirituall meate and drinke with a true faithe and that he is spirituall meate and drincke to vs that is to saie our life For as bodilye meate and drincke dooeth not onely refreshe and strengthē our bodies but also preserueth our life so the fleshe of Christ betraied for vs and his bloude shedde for our sakes dooe not onely refreshe and strengthen our soules but also preserueth them a liue not in that thei are corporally eaten or dronken but in that thei are giuen vnto vs by the spirite of God spiritually accordyng to the Lord his saiyng The bread which I wil giue is my flesh which I wil giue for the life of the worlde Also the
euerlasting Also Math. xviij It is not my fathers will that any of these little ones should perishe Lette Christ therefore be our glasse wherein wee maie beholde our predestinacion wée shall haue a testimonie plaine and sure inough that wée are writtē in the booke of life if wee take parte with Christe and if he be ours and we his knit together with the bondes of true faith when we be tempted about predestinacion Temptatiōs about Predestination then the whiche temptacion there is scase any more daungerous let it be our comforte that Gods promises are generall to the faithfull saiyng Aske and ye shal receiue euery man that asketh receiueth And to cōclude Luke xi lette vs reioyce that with the whole churche of God wee praie Our father whiche art in heauen c. That we are also by Baptisme ingraffed in Christes bodie and fedde in the church oftimes with his flesh and blood to the obtainyng of life euerlastyng With these comfortes we being strēgthened are willed by Paule to worke our saluacion with feare and tremblyng ¶ Of Iesus Christ true God and perfecte man the onely sauiour of the worlde Chap. 11. WE beleue and teache that the sonne of God our lorde Iesus Christ is true God Christe from the beginnyng was predestinate of his father to bee the sauiour of the worlde and that he was begotte not onely when he tooke fleshe of the virgine Marie and before the foundaciō of the worlde was laied but euen before all eternitie and that of his Father after an vnspeakeable sort For Esay saith xxxv What man shall declare his generaciō And Mich. v. His goyng forthe hath been frō the beginnyng and frō euerlastyng And Ihon in the Gospell Cha. j. In the beginnyng was the worde the worde was with God and that woorde was GOD. c. Therefore the Sonne touchyng his diuinitie is coequall and of one substaunce with the Father true God not by name or adoption or any dignitie onely but in substaunce and nature as Ihon the Apostle saieth 1. Ioh. 5. This is the true God and life euerlasting and Paule Heb. j. He hath made his sonne heire of all thynges by whō he made the worlde beyng the brightnesse of the glorie and the ingraued forme of his persone and bearyng vp all thynges by his mightie worde for in the Gospell the Lorde hymself hath said Glorifie thou me O father with thine owne self with the glorie which Ihon. xvii I had with thee before the world was It is written Ihō v. That the Iewes sought to kill Christ bicause he called God his father making himself equal with God we deteste therefore the impious doctrine of Arrius and al the Arians Heresies againste the soonne of God but chieflie the blasphemies of Michaell Seruetus a Spaniarde and all that take his parte whiche blasphemies against the sonne of God Satan by thē hath as it were brought from helle and moste impudentlie and impiously doeth sowe abrode in the worlde Wee beleue also teache that the self same Christ being true man had fleshe also eternall soonne of the eternall God was made the soonne of manne also of the sede of Abraham and Dauid not by carnall copulation as Hebion said but conceiued moste purely of the holy ghoste and borne of Marie who notwithstandyng continued a virgine as The virgin Marie Math. i. Ihon. i. Hebre ii the storie of the Gospell diligently setteth out vnto vs and Paule saieth he chose not Angels but the seede of Abraham Ihon the Apostle likewise saith He that beleueth not that Iesus Christ came in the flesh is not of God The fleshe therfore of Christ was neither fantasticall nor broughte downe from heauen as Valentine and Martion dreamed Furthermore our lorde Iesus Christe had a soule not voide of sēce reasō as Appollinaris thought Iesus Christ had a soule indued with reason neither had he fleshe without a soule as Eunomius taughte but a soule indeed with reason and fleshe with all her senses by the whiche senses he felt and suffered true vnfained tormentes griefes at the time of his passion Mat. xxvi as he hymself saied My soule is verie heauie euen to the death and in Ihon the .xij. Now my soule is troubled c. Wee acknowledge therefore twoo Twoo natures in Christ natures a diuine and humane in our one Lorde Iesus Christe and further saie that thei bee ioyned or knitte together not confounded or mixte but rather that the propertie of their natures remain safe in one persone vnited or ioyned together for that wee worshippe one Christe our Lorde and not twoo I saie one true GOD and true man as touchyng his diuine nature of like substaunce with his father as Heb. 4. touchyng his humanitie of like substaunce with vs menne and like in all poinctes exceptyng synne For as wée doe abhorre from the Nestorians opinion Heresies makyng twoo of one Christ and breakyng the vnitie of his persone so we willynglie deteste the madnesse of Eutiches and Molothelites or Monophistices who deny the propertie of his humain nature Neither doe we teach that Christe his diuine nature did suffer Christ his diuine nature suffred not neither is his humaine nature euery where or that he as touchyng his humain nature remaineth to this daie on the yearth or that his humanitie is euery where neither do we thinke or teach that Christe had no true bodie after it was glorified or that then it was deified and so deified that it kept not the properties of a bodie and soule or that it was chaunged all together into a diuine nature and begā to be onely one substaunce Wherefore we allowe not the fonde foolishe quirkes of Schuenkfeldius Heresies and suche like subtile disputers nor their intricate obscure reasonyng of this matter wherein thei agree not emong them selues Further more we beleue that our Lorde Iesus Christe suffered and died in deede for vs in the fleshe as Peter saieth Wee 1. Pet. 4. Christe touching his humanitie suffred in deede deteste therefore the Iacobits and the Turkes moste impious madnes who abhorre the passion of Christe In the meane while wee denye not but that the Lorde of glorie according to Paules woordes was crucified for vs. For 1. Cor. 2. deuoutlie and reuerentlie wee reade and vse the cōmon propertie of speach drawen out of the scriptures and vsed of all the olde writers in expoundyng and recōcilyng the places of the scriptures whiche seme to disagree Wee beleue and teache that the same our Lorde Iesus Christe did rise from the dedde in the self same true fleshe in the whiche he was crucified and died and Christe his resurrection that he raised not vp an other bodie in steede of that whiche was buried nor that he became a spirite whereas before he was fleshe but that he kept stil his true bodie Therfore when his disciples thought that thei sawe the spirite of the
mercie then by our owne accorde And as Paule saieth What i. Cor. iiii hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receiued it And as out of that place the holy martire Cyprian Cypriā gathereth We must glorie in nothyng because wee haue nothyng Heresies of our owne Wee condemne therefore these who in suche sorte defende mennes merites that thei diminishe the grace of God ¶ Of the holie catholike churche of God of the one onely hedde of the Churche Chapi 17. SEyng that God from the beginnyng The churche euer was euer shal be would haue manne saued and come to the knoweledge of the truthe it muste nedes bee that euer there was and now is and to the ende of the worlde there shal bée what the churche is a Churche that is to saie a companie of the faithfull called and gathered out of the worlde a companie I saie of all the Sainctes to witte of them whiche doe truly knowe and rightly worship the true God in Christe their sauiour accordyng to his worde and by the aide of the holie Ghoste to bee shorte whiche are made partakers of al goodnes offered fréelie vnto them through Christe by faithe All these be citezens of one Citie liuyng vnder one Lorde vnder one kinde of lawes being alike partakers of all good thynges For so the Apostle calleth them fellowe citezeins with the Sainctes and of Gods housholde folke namyng them sainctes who abidyng in the yearth are faithfull sanctified by the blood of gods soonne Of whom this article of our Ephe. ii 1. Cor. vi beleife speaketh wherein it is saied I beleue the holie catholike church The Communion of Sainctes And seyng that there is alwaies one onely God one mediatour betwene God and mā Iesus our Messias and one shepherde There was neuer but one true churche of the whole flocke one hedde of this bodie to conclude one spirite one saluacion one faithe one Testamente or couenaunte it followeth necessarilie that there is one onely Churche also Whiche therefore we call Catholike Why it is called catholike because it is vniuersall is dispersed throughout all the partes of the world and extendeth it self to all tymes beyng limited and inclosed in no place or tyme. We condemne therefore the Donatistes who straightlie enclosed Heretikes tiyng the churche to certain places and times the churche in I knowe not what corners of Aphrike Neither dooe wee allowe the Romishe Clergie who bests that almoste the onely Romishe churche is the catholike Churche The Churche is distributed into tiuers Diuers partes of the churche partes not that it is seuered or torne in peeces in it self but rather by reasō of the diuersitie of the members that be therein For there is one churche The Militant churche called Militant an other Triumphant that is militante whiche being as yet on the yearth wageth battaile and fighteth with the fleshe the world and the Prince of this worlde the deuill also with synne and death Whē this Churche is discharged of attendaunce here it triumpheth in heauen for the victorie ouer all those her enemies reioysyng before the Lorde albeit these twoo Churches are still vnited or knitte together The militant Churche remainyng Particuler churches on the yearth hath alwaies had many particuler Churches yet all thei are referred to the vnitie of the catholike Churche This Churche was otherwise gouerned before the lawe emōg the Patriarkes otherwise vnder Moises by the laws otherwise of Christe by the gospell Cōmenly also there are compted twoo kinds of people the Israelites and the Gentiles or a people consistyng of the Iewes and Gētiles gathered together in the Churche There be twoo Testamentes also the old and the newe Yet of all these people there was and is one societie one saluacion by one Messias in whom as members of one bodie vnder one hedde all are knitte together in one faithe all are partakers of one spiritual meate and drinke Howbeit here we acknowledge that there were sundrie tymes diuers signes or Sacramentes of our Messias both promised giuen also to vs of his father that the ceremonies remoued a brighter light now shineth vnto vs that we receiue larger giftes inioy greater libertie thē our forefathers had before the commyng of Christe This holie Churche of God is called the house of the liuyng Lorde built The names of the church of liuing and spiritual stones and sect vpon an vnmoueable rocke vpō suche a foundaciō that there can none other foundaciō be laied then it And in that i. Timo. iii. respecte it is also called the piller and ground of truthe It erreth not as lōg when the church erreth as it testeth vpon Christe the Rocke and foundacion of the Prophettes and Apostles But no meruell if it erre as often as it forsaketh hym who onely is the truthe The Churche also is called the virgine and spouse of Christe and the onely and welbeloued spouse of Christe For the Apostle saieth I ii Cor. xi ioigned you to one housbande to presente you as a pure virgine to Christ It is also called the flocke of shepe vnder one shepherde Christe bothe in the xxxiiij Chap. of Ezech. and. x. of Ihon. And it is named Christe his bodie because the faithfull are the liuyng mēbers of Christ vnder Christ their hed The hedde is that whiche hath preeminence and the higheste roume in the bodie geuyng life to it and ruling it so in all thynges with the vitall spirites comming from thence that it increaseth groweth thereby There is also but one hed of that bodie wherewith it doeth wel agree For the churche There is but one hedde of the churche Christe Iesus can not haue any other hedde then Christe and as the Churche is a spirituall bodie so it is meete that it haue a spirituall hedde agreablie Neither cā it be ruled by any other spirit then by Christe his spirite Paule writeth he is the hedde of the bodie of the churche He is the beginning first borne Col. 1. of the dedde that in all thynges he might haue the preeminence Againe Christ is the hedde of the churche and Ephe. v. Ephe. i. the same Christe is the sauiour of his bodie And again he saieth Which is the hedde of the churche whiche churche is his bodie euen the fulnesse of hym that filleth all in all Moreouer Ephe. iiij Let vs in all thinges growe vp into hym whiche is the hedde that is Christ by whom al the body beyng coupled and knitte together by euery ioynte receiueth increase We allowe not therfore that doctrine of the Romishe Clergie makyng their Romishe bisshoppe an vniuersall Shepeherde the The Pope chief hedde yea and Christes true vicare of his catholike militante churche in the yearth wherein he hath fulnesse of power and supreme dominion as thei saie For we teache that Christ is
minister by the name of priest For our Lorde hymself ordained not Christ made no priestes but Ministers any priestes of the news Testamente in his Churche who beyng aucthorized of the Suffragane might offer daielie Sacrifice I meane the verie fleshe and bloud of the Lorde for the quicke and the dedde But he ordained suche as should teache the people and minister his Sacramētes For Paule simplie and brieflie declaryng what wee ought to thinke of the ministers of the newe Testamente or of the Christian churche and how we ought to esteme theim saieth Let men so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God Therefore i. Cor. iiii the Apostle would that we iudge of ministers none otherwise then as of ministers He verely hath called ministers vnderrowers who haue yte onely to the shipmaister men not liuyng to pleace them selues and to doe what them liste but apoincted to pleasure others that is to saie their maisters at whose commaundement only thei be For a minister of the churche in all thinges belongyng to his office is bidde not to please his owne fantasie but to doe that onely whiche his maister cōmaundeth him And in the saied Chapiter it is expressed Who i. Cor. iiii is the Lord or maister euen Christ to whom ministers are bounde as seruauntes to do all businesse belonging to the ministerie be addeth further to declare more plainlie what the ministerie is that thei are bailifes or disposers of gods misteries Whiche misteries are called in many places chefly Ephe. iij the gospel of Christ as in olde tyme. Christe his Sacramentes why they are called ministers were called misteries wherefore thei are named ministers of the Churche bicause thei should preache the Gospel of Christ to the faithfull and minister the Sacramentes In an other place Luke xii of the Gospell we reade of a faithfull and wise seruaunte whom his Lorde appoincted ouerseer of his household to geue meate to theim in due season Againe wée reade that a man takyng his iourney into a farre countrey cōmitted the gouermente of his house to his seruauntes and gaue them auctoritie to ouersee his gooddes and appoincted euery man his woorke Here haue wée occasion ministered to speake somewhat of the aucthoritie and office of churche ministers wherin The auctoritie of ministers some haue with muche labour disputed and haue made subiecte vnto their power all the chiefest thinges in the yearth cleane contrary to the commaundemente of the Lorde whiche forbad his disciples to striue for chiefe rule and highlie commended humilitie Luke xxii Mat. 18. 20. In déede there is an absolute aucthoritie whiche is called Iuris aucthoritie by right of prescripcion whereby The true auctoritie and powre God kepeth to him selfe Math. 28. Apoc. ii iii. all thynges are subiecte to Christe the Lorde of all as he testifieth saiyng Power is geuen to me in heauen and in yearth And againe I am the firste and the laste beholde I liue worlde without ende and haue the Keyes of hell and of death Also he hath the keis of Dauid whiche openeth and no mā shutteth shutteth and no manne openeth This power the Lorde kepeth to himself and geueth to none other that he might stande idley beholdyng his ministers while thei doe woorke For Esaie writeth I will laye vpon his Esa 9. 22. shoulder the keye of the house of Dauid And againe whose rule shall remaine vpon his shoulders but he reserueth and still vseth his power rulyng all Moreouer there is an other power belongyng to the office or ministerie what powre god geueth to ministers limited of hym who hath full and absolute aucthoritie that power is rather to be likened to seruice then to rule For some lorde geueth to his steward power ouer his house and therwithal A pretie similitude he geueth his keies also wherwith he maie let in or shutte out of the house whom the Lorde will either to be lette in or shutte out Accordyng to this power the minister dooeth by his office that whiche he is commaunded to doe of his Lorde who ratifieth and alloweth his dooynges and will haue his ministers deede to be estemed and acknowledged as his owne And this is the meanyng of those sentences in the Gospell I will geue thée the keies Math. xvi of the kyngdome of heauen what soeuer thou shalt binde or lose in yearth shal be bounde or loosed in heauen Ihon. xx Also whose synnes ye remitte thei are remitted vnto theim and whose synnes ye retaine thei are retained But excepte the minister shall doe all thynges as he is commaunded of his Lorde if he passe the limites of faithe truely God disaloweth his dooynges Therefore the Ecclesiastical power of Churche ministers is that function whereby ministers dooe in deede rule the Churche of God but yet dooe all thinges therein as the Lorde hath appoincted in his woorde And beyng so dooen the faithefull accompte then as doen of the lorde hymself As touching the keyes we haue spoken muche before One equall power or functiō is geuen to all ministers of the Churche Equall power is gyuen to the ministers Doubtles in the beginnyng Bisshops or Elders ruled the churche alike one helping an other none preferring him self before other or vsurpyng greater aucthoritie or dominion ouer their felowe Bisshops For thei were myndfull of their maister his woordes He that will emong you be chief let hym be your seruaunte Thei kepte theim selues in humilitie and helped one an Luke xxii other in gouernyng and preseruyng the Churche Howbeit for order sake Howe whē one minister is preferred before other ▪ some one appoincted of the ministers sommoned their conuocacions and in their assemblies proposed thynges to bee deliberated vpon gathered also other mennes myndes and to be short did what in hym laye to prouide that matters should not be handled confusely and without order So wee reade that sainct Peter did in the Actes of the Apostles who notwithstandyng was not extolled aboue other nor of greater aucthoritie then the residewe For right well Cyprian the martyre affirmeth Cyprian in his booke of the simplicitie of the Clergie Such wer the other Apostles as Peter was of like felowship of like honour and power But the beginnyng betwene theim procedeth of one vnitie to the ende that wee maie knowe that there is but one Churche S. Ierome also writeth not muche vnlike Ierome wordes in his commentarie vpō the Epistle of Paule to Titus saiyng Before that by the Deuils intisemēt there was strief in religion Churches were gouerned by the common counsaile of thelders but after eche maner thought those whom he baptised to bée his owne and not Christes it was decréed that one of the Elders should bée chosen and preferred aboue the other to whom all the care of the Churche should appertain and by whose wisedome all occasions of schismes might bée taken awaie Yet Ierome boasteth not of
18. 19. 2. Cor. 12. 7 as the hollest though thei resiste are not vnspotted of infirmities and faultes while thei liue in this worlde 12. We beleue that from this corrupcion and generail condemnacion in whiche all menne are plunged a Exod. 9. 16. Rom. 9. 22. God draweth out those whom in his euerlastyng and vnchaungeable counsaile he hath chosen through his onely goodnesse and mercie in our Lorde Iesus Christe without consideracion of their workes leauyng b Rom. 3. 2. 9. 23. 2. Tim. 2. 20 Tite 3. 5. 7. Ephe. 1. 4. 2. Tim. 1. 9. the reste in the self same corrupcion and condemnacion to shewe his iustice in them as he causeth the richesse of his mercie to shine in the firste For the one are no better then the other till GOD hath discerned them accordyng to his vnchangeble counsaile whiche he hath determined in Iesus Christe before the creacion of the worlde Neither is any able of his owne proper vertue to obtaine this goodnesse c Ier. 10. 23 Ephe. 1. 45 seyng that naturally we can not haue so muche as one good mocion affection or thoughte till God preuente vs and dispose vs therevnto 13. Wee beleue that in the same Iesus Christe all that is requisite to our saluacion hath been offered and communicate vnto vs a 1. Cor. 1. 30. Ephe. 1. 6. 7 Col. 1. 13. 14 Tite 2. 14. who beyng geuen to vs for our saluacion became to vs immediatlie wisedome rightuousnesse sanctificacion and redemption so that declinyng from hym wee forsake the mercies of the Father whiche ought to be our onely refuge 14. We beleue that Iesus Christe beyng the wisedome of God a Iohn 1. 14. Philip. 2. 6. and his eternall soonne hath taken our fleshe on him to the ende that beyng GOD and manne in one persone b Heb. 1 17. 2. Cor. 5. 21 yea man like to vs of bodie and soule subiect to passions sauyng that he is cleane from all spotte c Act. 13. 13. Rom. 1. a. 8. 3. 9. 5. ii Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 2. 7. Heb. 2. 14. 15. 5. a. And as concernyng his manhod that he was the true séede of Abraham and Dauid d Mat. 1. 18. Luke 1. 35. though he were conceiued by the secrete power of the holie Ghoste Wherein wee deteste all those heresies that of old time troubled the Churches and namely also the Deuillishe imaginacions of Seruet who altributeth to our sauiour Christe a phantasticall God hedde in that he termeth it to be the idea and patron of all thinges and nameth him the personall or figuratiue Soonne of God and finallie forgeth hym a bodie of three vncreate Elementes and so mingleth and destroieth bothe the natures 15. We beleue a Math. 1. Luke 1. Ihon. 1. 14. i. Tim. 2. 5. and. 3 16. Hebre. 5. 8. that in one onely persone that is Iesus Christe the twoo natures are truely and vndiuidedlie conioigned and knitte and eche nature neuerthelesse remainyng in his distincte propertie So that as in this coniunction the diuine nature retaining his propertie remaineth vncreat infinite and filling all things b Luc. 24. 38. 39. Rom. 1. 4. Philip. 2. so the humaine nature remaineth finite hauyng forme measure and propertie yea and though Iesus Christe in risyng againe haue made his bodie immortal yet toke he not away the truth of his nature And thus we so consider of his Godhedde that wee spoile hym not of his manhod 16. We a Iohn 3. 16 15. 13. beleue that God in sendyng his soonne mynded to shewe his loue and inestimable goodnesse towardes vs in deliuerynge hym to death and raisyng him again to fulfill all iustice and to obtaine vs euerlastyng life 17. We beleue a 2. Cor. 5. 19. Heb. 5. 7. 8. 9. 9. that by the onely Sacrifice that our Lorde Iesus offered on the crosse we are recōciled with God b 1. Pet. 2. 24. 25. to be holden and reputed iuste before hym for that wée can not please hym or be partakers of his adoption but in that he forgeueth burieth our faultes c Heb. 9. 14 Ephe. 5. 26. 1. Pet. 1. 18 19. So we proteste that Iesus Christ is our whole and perfecte wasshyng that in his death we haue full satisfaccion to discharge vs of those faultes and iniquities wherein wee offend send and that wee are deliuered by none other meane 18. We beleue a Psal 32. 1. Iohn 17. 23. Rom. 4. 7. 8 8. a. b. c 2. Cor. 5. 19 that all our iustice is grounded in the forgeuenesse of our synnes whiche is also our onelie felicitie as Dauid saieth b 1. Tim. 2. 5 1. Ioh. 2. 1. 2 Rom. 5. 19. Act. 4. 12. Wherfore we reiect all other meanes of iustificacion before God and without presumyng on any vertues or desertes we simply hold on the obedience of Iesus Christ whiche standeth vs in stede as well to couer all our faultes as to finde fauour before God And in effect we beleue that straiyng neuer so little from this grounde wee can finde t is where no reste but are continually moued with vnquietnesse for that we are neuer in quiet with God till we be fully resolued to be beloued in Iesus Christ séeyng wee bee worthie to bee hated of our selues 19. We beleue a Ro. 5. a. b. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 45. 6. 7. Ephe. 2. 13. 14. 15. that by this meane wee haue libertie and priuilege to cal vpon God with full assuraunce that he will shewe hym self to bee our Father For wee could haue none accesse to the Father if wée were not directed by this mediatour And to bee exalted in his name it behoueth vs to hold our liues of hym as of our hedde 20. We beleue a Rom. 1. d. Gal. 2. d. Iohn 3. 15. that we are made partakers of this rightuousnesse by faithe onelie as it is saied that he suffred to obtain our saluacion that who soeuer beleueth in hym should not perishe b Mat. 17. Iohn 3. 16 17. 10. 20 21. And that this is dooen for that the promises of life which are geuē to vs in hym are made fitte for our vse wée feele the effecte thereof when wee accepte theim not doubtyng that beyng assured by the mouthe of God we shal not bee frustrate thereof c Rom. 1. 17 3. 24. 25. 28. 30. 4. a. b. c. Gal. 2. d. So that righteousnesse whiche we obtaine by faithe dependeth on the free promises by whiche God declareth and testifieth that he loueth vs. 21. We beleue a Ephe. 2. 8. 1. Thes 2. 5. 1. Cor. 2. 12. 2. Pet. 1. 3 4 1. c. that we are illumined in the faithe by the secrete grace of the holie ghoste so that it is a frée and particuler gifte whiche God bestoweth vpon suche as seemeth to hym good in suche wise as the faithfull haue not wherein to glorie beyng doubly beholden in that thei were