behold God hath prouyded for our infirmytie in that he will not haue vs too make to long wyndlasses too be taught his woord faythfully For he maketh the welspring too come home too vs which was hidden and farre of from vs I say he maketh it to come home too vs as it were by Cundites so as we neede doo no more but open our mouthes too receyue it Lyke as when there are fayre Cundites that runne with continewall water abundantly men will come too drawe at them for their needes so was it our Lordes will that his woord should bee set foorth vntoo vs by his ordeyning of men too bee the instrumentes of his holy spirit Then seeing it is so let vs learne too hold vs too it and if wee will bee taught of God let vs receyue the doctrine that is preached to vs by the mouthes of men This say I is the thing that we haue too remember vppon this text too the intent wee bee not so foolish as too say Why hath not God giuen mee such grace or gift Why is it his will too vse such meane Let vs content our selues with this namely that his ordinance ought too suffize vs and that if wee will needes fall too reasoning of the matter wee shall euer bee put too shame bycause there is is no wisdome but only his good will. Also let vs mark that which is sayd immediatly in this text namely that it is Gods will that there should be order of ministery or Seruice As if it were sayd God could well bring vs too perfection by him self without any other meane or helpe Howbeeit for as much as he will bee serued by men and he applyeth them too such vse as he maketh them ministers so as meÌ„ perceyue that the prayse of our saluation is alwayes dew to him that all goodnesse coÌ„meth of him it behoueth men to submit theÌ„selues therto But here it might be thought straunge why Saint Paule in sted of speaking of the giftes of the holy Ghost bringeth vs vntoo Offices For he began with this matter namely that our Lord Iesus Christ gaue giftes according too the measure which he knoweth to be fit for vs and that in dyuers maners by meanes wherof he filleth all things Now to confirme this he sayeth that there are Apostles Shepherdes Teachers and Euangelists It should seeme that S. Paule dooth not well continew â—he processe of the matter that he treated of But heere wee haue too note as wee see also more largely in the first too the Corinthians that for as much as our Lord Iesus hath stablished the order that wee haue spoken of alredye and contineweth the same still in his Church so as it is his will that there should bee Shepherdes Prophetes and Thechers he dooth also furnish them out of hand with the things that are requisite for the executing of their office For he dealeth not after the maner of men Wee for our part may chooze one man to bee in office of Magistrate and another too bee a Preacher but in the meane whyle wee cannot giue them that which is requysite for them For wee cannot make a new man of him that is aduaunced too honour but he must abyde still the same that he was for all vs Also when it commeth too the election euery man giues his voyce Uery well he that is chozen shal bee officer but yit in the meane while he shall continew still the same he was before In lyke cace is it with Shepherdes Wee may well chooze a man and he shall perchaunce proue a beast For wee cannot cause him too bee qualified as he ought too be But when men are of Gods owne choozing so as he beareth the whole sway then are the giftes ioyned inseperably with their charge WheÌ„ our Lord Iesus choze his Apostles he choze sillie fishermeÌ„ such as were vnlearned yit did he serue his turne with them for the publishing his of Gospel howbeeit not too teach as yit but too go abroade as his herawltes too giue warning that the King was come But when he intended too send them foorth too their office for adoo he sent them the holy Ghost shewing therby as is sayd in many other textes that all things requisite for the welfare of the Church must needs come of his free gift bycause it is well knâ—wen that all things proceed of him too the end that all prayse should be giuen vntoo him Then is it no maruell that S. Paule speaking heere of the diuersitie of giftes and of the measure that it hath pleased God too deale too euery man dooth send vs purposely too the offices As if he should say It is not without cause that God distributeth not his giftes in alyke too all For he will not haue all men Shepherdes or Prophetes or Teachers or Apostles or Euangelistes but he calleth whom he thinkes good and therin tryeth our humilitie and therfore if wee bee willing too bee subiect too him let vs not sticke to take al authority in good woorth which is grounded in him and vppon his ordinance Now it is so God letteth many men alone in priute state and in the meane whyle choozeth whome hee thinkes good too preache his woord Therfore men must hold them there Furthermore let vs mark that if men proceede too their elections with the feare of God and seeke too obey him surely he also will shewe by effect that they whom he hath called too teache and to whom the charge of ruling the flocke is committed shall not bee destitute of his power but that he will furnish them with all things requisite as experieâ—nce sheweth wel ynough and it is witnessed vntoo vs that if wee meete toogither in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ so it bee truely and vnfeynedly he will be in the mids of vs Thus yee seâ— what wee haue too beare in mynd Yit notwithstanding wee see that the papacie hath so contryued men and framed them too their owne Lure as they bee vtterly gone away from the order of our Lord Iesus Christ and from the maner of gouerning the Churche which was knowen of the Apostles Let vs looke backe agein to the thing that Saint Paule treateth of heere His meaning is too bring vs too the vnitie afore mentioned Therfore he will haue vs too bee of one accord too link toogither like brethren and too shoote all at one mark as hauing but one head which knitteth vs all toogither so as there bee nother enuy nor ill will nor sects nor aught else that may deuyde vs Now too bring vs heruntoo he sayeth that there is but one God and one Lord too whom all Souereintie is giuen and that there is but one Baptime and one Fayth and that vvee bee called al too one inheritance After the saying of this hee addeth that Iesus Christ for the better ratifying of that vnitie would that one man alone shold teach the rest that the companie should
in honour and the mouth is more than the leg Marke it then for one poynt that there is such diuersitie that our Lord exalteth and honoreth whom he listeth more than others There are both great and small in the Church and all must not bee teachers and Prophets But yit this diuersitie letteth not but that euery member hath his desyre and that which is meete for it so as the foote enuyeth not the hand nor the hand the foote no more than any of them both enuyeth the eyes Too what purpose should it serue the hand too haue syght It were a thing which not only could doo it no good but also should doo it harme If euery member had al offices in it self surely the bodie should be confounded and come to nought So then the hand hath his perfection in that which belongeth vntoo him I meane in his degree and lykewyse the foote Howbeit S. Paules meaning is that it ought too suffyze vs that the Church bee edifyed in common â–ª For if our neyghboures bee inriched with Gods giftes the same redoundeth partly vntoo vs And on the other syde if wee haue receyued a larger measure of grace wee bee the more bound too imparte the same too such as haue neede of it That therefore is the thing which Saynt Paule meaneth too set downe in this text saying that if the knittyng bee after that manner the bodye shall bee well buylded and made vp And heere wee see how he contineweth his matter which is that wee must be so linked toogither according too the doctriâ—e of the Gospell as Iesus Christ may reigne ouer vs and wee knowe that the heauenly father hath giuen vs him with condition that wee should all linke toogither vnder him and maynteyne a brotherly vnitie among vs But yit afore all things wee must bee subiect too him that hath all souereine dominion and consider that for asmuch as the heauenly father hath set him in that degree wee must all ame at him and continew in his obedience vntoo the end And therwithall let vs vnderstand that that cannot bee doone without loue that is too say vnlesse euery of vs rid himself of the cursed affection of seeking too much our owne profit For in deede it is easye too perceyue that that affection dooth so blynd vs that it makes vs too despyze our neyghboures So much the more therfore dooth it behoue euery of vs too indeuer too giue ouer his owne ryght and too knowe that God hath not so distributed his giftes that euery man may bee a world or a Church of himself but that for asmuch as euery man hath neede of his neyghboures the same is the very meane wherby he will hold vs toogither And that ought also too prouoke vs so much the more too doo what wee can one for another Although then that there bee but one fountayne from whence wee drawe all spirituall giftes namely euen our Lord Iesus Christ yit notwithstanding God maketh the fulnesse of the grace which he hath put in Iesus Christ too flowe foorth as it were by chanelles that wee may receyue euerye man his portion as is expedient for vs And so yee see in effect what wee haue too remember heere Now were this doctrine well put in vre surely all the trubbles that are now adayes in the world would soone bee appeased and there would no more bee so many bickerings and disputings but wee should easly agree all toogither For Ambition or Uaynglorye is the moother of all heresyes for wheÌ„ men will needes exalt theÌ„selues they must needes therby thrust downe Christ if they could Agein whence spring Superstitions but of this that men knowe not the inestimable benefytes that are brought vs by our Lord Iesus Christ and are dayly offered vntoo vs in him by the Gospell This hath made the world alwayes wanton and wandering after his owne lusts this hath made men too forge so many patrons and aduocates this hath made men too aduaunce their owne deseruings this hath made folke too deuyze so manye satisfactions so many meanes wherwith too please God and so many new seruices namely for that they were not contented with Iesus Christ and all for want of knowing what manner a one he is and that when wee once haue him he ought too suffyze vs and wee too hold our selues too him bycause the father hath so gloryfyed him as wee ought of duetie too doo him homage and too honour him as our souereyne king For asmuch then as wee see the wretched vnbeleeuers to be scattered here there by reason that they turne away from Iesus Christ we haue so much the more neede to be warned to hold vs simply to his obedience to know that all our welfare commeth of him therfore that we ought to returne to him to yeeld him his dew honour therwithall put our whole trust in him that too the intent we may so doo we must consider that there is nothing but â—â—lth in vs that we hold our spiâ—itual lyfe of him that not for once away but in such wyse as he woorketh continewally in vs sttengthning furthering vs euen vntill he haue brought bs to his perfection that is to say to the perfection which we hope for by him And for this cause was the holy Supper left vs as a remeÌ„berance that our Lord Iesus Christ is he in whom we must wholly seeke all things belonging to the lyfe of our soules For there we professe that he is our nurrishment euen to satisfye vs to the full And therfore the cause why wee come thither to eate drinke is to put vs in mynd that we haueâ—â— Iesus Christ not the halfe of our lyfe only but the whole of it that when wee bee fed with him we must content our selues with him not seeke one droppe nor myte as they say elsewhere After this maner then must wee now come to the holy table that is to wit after the examining of our owne sinnes when we once know that wee bee nothing wee must seeke by what meanes God calleth vs to him and how we may keepe our way thither euen tyll we be perfectly knit vnto him namely by knowing that Iesus Christ is giuen vs and that in him we haue all that is behooffull and wanting in our selues And therfore let vs so esteeme our Lord Iesus Christ as wee may take him for our very sustenance and as our fayth as I haue touched afore be not haled away to roue heere and there and finally to vanish quyte away but may so rest vpon him as we may know that there is nother rightuousnesse nor holinesse nor merit nor power nor aught else in our selues but that wee shall fynde all in him that we cannot be parttakers of him but wee must also be parttakers of all the goods that he hath receiued of God his father Seeing then that all the good thinges which God hath put intoo our head are communicated vnto
vs learne too father it altoogither vppon god It is trew that too bee Gods children and heires it behoueth vs too bee of the body of our Lord Iesus Christ which thing is doone by fayth but yit can wee not beleeue the Gospell except God drawe vs theretoo by his holy spirit Nowe wee see that he dealeth not alyke with all men For he could very well inlyghten all the world and bring too passe that there should be no vnbeleeuers at all but wee see the contrary Therefore let vs assure our selues that be choozeth whom he listeth For if a man should aske the reason why he dooth it it were too loftie a presumptuousnesse and that is the very cause that maketh so many ouerweening folke too breake their owne neckes for that they cannot fynd in their hartes too graunt that God gouerneth men according too his owne will as of good ryght he may full well Furthermore also S. Paule hath heretofore set the Iewes and Gentyles both on one euen ground and that is a thing that requyreth yit longer discourse For seyng that God had chozen Abrahams ofspring it myght haue bin thought that there had bin some woorthinesse in them Surely if wee haue an eye too the speciaâ—l fauour that God shewed too the Iewes they bee well worthy too bee preferred before all the rest of the world But if a man take them as they bee of themselues he shall fynd them voyde of all ryghtuousnesse For wee must alwayes come backe too this poynt that God is not bound nor beholden too any man at all and his receyuing of the Iewes by free adoption is not for that they were better woorth than other men or for that they myght make any maner of vaunt at all of themselues Therefore yee see why S. Paule sayeth expresly that they which beleeued in Iesus Christ in tymes past are coÌ„prehended vnder Gods election as well as the others that the others caÌ„not boast theÌ„selues too bee more worthy or too haue deserued more than they but that all must come too this poynt that as well of the Iewes as of the Gentyles God choze whom he lyked and listed too the ende that nothing should bee considered in that behalfe but his onely mercy and that all mouthes myght bee stopped and no man bee able too alledge that be brought any thing of his owne Howbeit when S. Paule entereth intoo this comparison betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles he sayeth that if a man haue an eye too Gods accepting of the Iewes for his owne peculiar heritage they were a holy linage and he had giuen them his Lawe and promises by meanes whereof they were in more excellent and hygh degree than all the residew whom he had forsaken and shaken of But if wee haue an eye vnto God all mannes glory must needes bee layd awater But S. Paule in that place speaketh alonely of the forgiuing of our sinnes and of our imbracing of Gods grace by fayth which things he sheweth cannot bee fathered vppon any other cause than onely Gods pitying of vs Also wee haue â—eene heretoofore in the Epistle too the Galathians howe S. Paule â—ayd vntoo Peter wee bee Iewes by nature For inasmuch as it was a common opinion that the Iewes were a holy lynage bycause they were descended of Abrahams race very well sayeth he howsoeuer â—he cace stande wee haue none other refuge nor assurance of saluation but too beleeue in Iesus Christ for he wist well that men are vtterly fordoone and lost in themselues bycause they bring nothing with them but Gods wrath and curse Therfore lyke as in those textes S. Paule hath shewed that men beguyle themselues if they imagin that they haue any desert or woorthinesse in them so now for the better confirmation of the same doctrine and too take away all disputing and too beate backe all replyings he bringeth vs too this welspring namely that God not onely giueth fayth too whom he listeth but also hath elected and chozen vs before the making of the world Yee see then that the thing which wee haue too marke in effect is that all men from the most too the least are indaungered vntoo God and there is none so holie or excellent that can exempt himselfe from that generall state of men Nowe hereupon S. Paule magnifieth Gods goodnesse in that the Ephesians were gathered toogither and made all one with those that were hild and accounted afore for Gods people and for the housholde folke of his Church Before the Ephesians beleued the Gospell there was great diuersitie betweene them as shal be declared yit more at large in the second Chapter But notwithstanding that the beleuyng Iewes which had alredy bin coÌ„uerted to our Lord Iesus Christ were as brethren too the Angels of heauen for so muche as they were members of the head that was common too them both wheras in the meane while the Ephesians were poore wretches shet out from al hope of saluation enemyes of God and plunged in all cursednesse beholde God tooke away that diuersitie and raundged them both in one aray Gods goodnesse therfore was so much the more manifest in that he did so 〈◊〉 them backe which were drowned in the bottome of hel to match them with his owne children and too make them fellowes and heyres of his heauenly kingdome That therfore is the cause why S. Paul hauing spoken of such as had beleued in Iesus Christ afore telleth vs expresly that God hath gathered and stablished his Churche in such wise as it wel appeareth that the greatest depend wholy vpon hym and haue not any other thing to rest vpon than his only mercy and that those which were after a sort caste away yea and abhorred haue cause to glorifie hym seeing he hath deliuered them from the confuzion wherein they were And herewithal S. Paule sheweth that the thing whiche hee had said afore is verified vntoo vs by the effectes of Gods grace For as I haue said afore our election is a secret thing yea and incomprehensible When men haue inquired of it as much as is possible surely they must needes quaile in their owne imaginations if they mynde to enter intoo the sayd euerlasting ordinaunce of god And therefore it is not lawful for vs too seeke any further than the Scripture guideth vs and sheweth vs the way Yee see then that Gods choozing of vs is hidden in hym selfe but yit he yeeldeth vs recordes of it by the gifts of grace which he bestoweth vpon vs as by faith which is a gyfte of the holy Ghost Marke that for one poynt Nowe were it but suche a gyft as when he maketh his Sunne to shyne both vpon good and bad or as when he causeth the earth to bring foorth fruit indifferently for all men the same ought also too bee reckened among the gyftes and benefites of god But faith is a singular gift which is not bestowed commonly vppon all men but is reserued of God as a Iewell for those whom