holy because our God is holye For when we were scattered abrode lyke straying shepe and dispersed abrode in the maze of the worlde he gathered vs together agayne to ioyne vs in one flocke with hym selfe When we heare mention made of our ioynyng with God lette vs remember that holynesse must be the bond therof Not that by the merite of holinesse we come into common with hym where as rather we must first cleaâ—e vnto hym that beyng endued with his holynesse we may folowe whether he calleth but because it greatly perteineth to his glorie that he haue no felowship with wickednesse and vncleannesse Therfore also it teacheth that this is the ende of our callyng whiche we ought alwaye to haue respect vnto if wee wyll answere God that calleth vs. For to what purpose was it that we should be drawen out of the wickednesse and filthenesse of the worlde if we geue our selues leaue all our lyfe long to wallowe in them styll Moreouer it also admonysheth vs that to the ende we maye be reckened among the people of God we must dwell in the holy citie Hierusalem Whiche as he hath halowed to him selfe so is it vnlawefull that it be vnholyly profaned by the vncleannesse of the inhabitantes From hence came these sayinges that they shall haue a place in the tabernacle of God that walke without spot and studie to followe ryghteousnesse c. Because it is not meete that the Sanctuarie wheron he dwelleth should be lyke a stable full of filthinesse And the better to awake vs it sheweth that God the father as he hath ioyned vs to him self in his Chist so hath printed an image for vs in him after whiche he would haue vs to be fashioned Nowe let them finde me a better order among the Phylosophers that thinke that the phylosophie concerning manners is in theÌ„ only orderly framed They when they wyll excellently well exhorte vs to vertue bring nothynge els but that we shold liue agreably to nature But the Scripture bringeth her exhortation from the true welspring wheÌ„ it not only teacheth vs to referre our life to God the authour of it to whome it is bond but also when she hath taught that we are swarued out of kynde from the true originall and state of our creation she immediatly addeth that Christ by whome we come againe into fauour with God is set before vs for an example that we should expresse the forme therof in our life What may a man require more effectual then this one thing Ye what maye a manne require more than thys onelye thynge For if the Lorde hathe by adoption made vs chyldren with this condition that our lyfe shoulde resemble Christe the bond of our adoptioÌ„ if we do not geue auowe our selues to righteousnesse we do not only with moste wicked breach of allegiaunce depart from our creatour but also we forsweare him to be our sauiour Then the Scripture taketh matter of exhortation out of all the benefites of God whiche she reherseth vnto vs and all the partes of our saluation And sheweth that sithe God hath shewed himselfe a father vnto vs we are worthy to be condemned of extreeme vnthankfulnesse if we do not likewise in oure behalfe shewe oure selues children vnto him Sithe Christe hathe cleansed vs with the washing of his blood hath made vs partakers of this cleansing by baptisme it is not semely that we should be spotted with newe filthinesse Sithe he hath graffed vs into his body we must carefullye take hede that we sprincle not any spot or blott vpon vs that are hys members Sithe he him self that is our head is ascended into heauen it behoueth vs that laying awaye earthly affection we doe with all our heart aspire to heauenward Sithe the holy Ghost hath dedicated vs temples to God we must endeuour that Gods glorie may be honorably set out by vs and muste not doe any thyng where by we may bee prophaned with filthynesse of synne Sithe both our soule and our body are ordeyned to heauenly incorruption and an vnperishing crowne we must diligently trauayll that the same may be kept pure and vncorrupted vnto the day of the Lord. These I say be the best layed foundations to bylde a mans lyfe and suche as the lyke are not to be found among the Phylosophers whiche in commendation of vertue doe neuer climbe aboue the naturall dignitie of man And heare is a fit place to speake vnto them that hauing nothynge but the title and badge of Christ yet would be named Christians But with what face doe they boste of his holy name sithe none haue any felowship with Christ but they that haue receiued a true knowledge of hym out of the worde of the Gospell But the Apostle sayeth that all they haue not ryghtly learned Christ that are not taught that they must cast alway the old man which is corrupted according to the desire of errour and haue not put on Christ. Therfore it is proued that they falsly yea and wrongfully pretende the knowledge of Christ although they can eloquently and roundely talke of the Gospell For it is not a doctrine of tong but of life is not coÌ„ceiued as other learnings be with only vnderstaÌ„ding memorie but is then only receiued when it possesseth the whole soule findeth a seate place to hold it in the moste inward affection of the heart Therfore either let theÌ„ cesse to the sclauÌ„der of God to boste of that which they ar not or let theÌ„ shew theÌ„ selues not vnworthy scholars for Christ their maister We haue geuen the first place to the doctrine wherin our religion is coÌ„teined because our saluatioÌ„ beginneth at it but the same must be poured into our hearte passe into our maÌ„ners yea transforme vs into it that it be not vnfrutefull vnto vs â–ª If the Phylosophers do iustly chafe against theÌ„ do with shamefull reproche driue theÌ„ from their coÌ„panie that professing an art that ought to be the scholemaistres of life do turne it into a Sophistical babbling with how much better reason shal we detest these trifling Sophisters that are coÌ„tented to role the Gospel vpon the top of their tonges the effectual working wherof ought to pearce into the innermost affectioÌ„s of the heart to rest in the soul to alter the whole man a hundred times more than the cold exhortations of Phylosophers Yet do I not require that the manners of a ChristiaÌ„ man sauour of nothing but the absolute Gospel which neuerthelesse both were to be wished we must endeuour vs toward it But I do not so seuerely require a gospellike perfection that I wold not acknowledge him for a christian that hath not yet atteined vnto it For so should al meÌ„ be excluded froÌ„ the churche sith there is no man found that is not by a great space distant from it many haue hetherto but a litle way proceded toward it who yet should be vniustly cast
made sure and of force Therefore that shadowish ceremonie of the lawe taught that wee are all shutt oute from the face of God and that therefore wee neede a Mediator whyche maye appeare in oure name and maye beare vs vpon hys sholders and holde vs fast bounde to his breast that we may be hearde in his person then that by sprynkeling of bloode our praiers are cleansed whiche as wee haue already saide are neuer vorde of filthinesse And wee see that the holy ones when thei desyred to obteyne any thynge grounded theyr hope vpon sacrifices bycause they knewe them to be the stablishinges of all requestes Lett hym remembre thy offrynge sayeth Dauid and make thy burnt offringe fatt Herupon is gathered that God hath ben froÌ„ the beginning appeased by the intercessioÌ„ of Christ to receiue the praiers of the godly Why then doth Christe apoint a new heire when his Disciples shall beginne to praie in his name but bicause this grace as it is at this daye more glorious so deserueth more commendation wiâ—h vs. And in this same sense he had said a little before Hetherto ye haue not asked any thinge in my name nowe aske No that thei vnderstode nothing at all of the office of the Mediator whereas all the Iewes were instructed in the principles but bicause thei had not yet clerely knowen that Christ by his ascending into heauen shold be a surer patron of the Church than he was before Therefore comfort their greefe of the abscence with some speciall frute he claimeth to himselfe the office of an aduocate teaceth that thei haue hitherto wanted the cheâ—e benefite which it shal be graunted them to enioye when being aâ—ded by his mediation thei shal more frely cal vpon God as the Apostle saith that his newe waie is dedicate in his blood And so much lesse excusable is oure frowardnes vnlesse we do with both armes as the saieng is embrace so inestimable a benefite whiche is proprely apointed for vs. Nowe whereas he is the onely waie and the onely entrie by which it is graunted vs to come in vnto God whoe so doe swarue from this way and forsake this entrie for them there remayneth no waie nor entrie to God there is nothinge left in his throne but wrath iudgment terroure Finally sithe the Father hathe marked him for oure heade guide thei which do in any wise swarue or go awaie from him do labore as much as in them lieâ—h to race out dysfigure the marke which God hath imprinted So Christ is set to be the only Mediator by whose intercession the Father may be made to vs fauourable and easy to be entreated Howe be it in the meane time the holy ones haue theyr intercessions left to them wherby thei do mutually coÌ„mend the safetie one of an other to God of which the Apostle maketh mention but those be such as hange vpon that one only intercession so farre is it of that thei minish any thing of it For as thei springe out of the affectioÌ„ of loue wherwith we embrace one an other as the membres of one body so thei are alâ—o reâ—erred to the vntâ—ie of the heade Sythe therefore they also are made in the name of Christe what doe they els butte testifie that noe manne canne be holpen by any prayers at al butte wyth the intercession of Christe And as Christe wythe hys intercession wyth standeth not butte that in the Churche wee maye wyth prayers bee aduocates one for an other so lette thys remaine certayne that all the intercessors of the whole Churche oughte to bee directed to that onely one yea and for this cause we ought specially to be beware of vnthankfulnesse bycause God pardoning oure vnworthinesse doth not onely geue leaue to euery one of vs to praie for himselfe but also admitteth vs to be entreaters one for an other For where God appointeth aduocates for his Churche which deserue worthily to be reiected if they praie pryuately euery one for himselfe what a pride were it to abuse this libertie to darken the honoure of Christe Nowe yt ys a meare trifelynge whyche the Sophisters bable that Christe ys the Mediatoure of redemption butte the faythefull are Mediatoures of intercession As thoughe Christe hauynge perfourmed a Mediation for a time hathe geuen to hys seruauntes that eternall Mediatoreshippe whyche shall neuer dye Full courteouslye forfoothe they handle hym that cutte awaie so little a portion of honor from hym But the Scripture saythe farre otherwise wyth the symplicitie whereof a godly man ought to be contented leauinge these deceyuers For where Ihon saithe that yf any doe synne we haue an aduocate wyth the Father Christe Iesus dothe he meane that he was ones in olde tyme a patrone for vs and not rather assigneth to hym an euerlastinge intercession Howe saye we to thys that Paule also affirmeth that he sitteth at the right hande of God the Father and maketh intercession for vs And when in an other place he calleth hym the only Mediatoure of God and men meaneth he not of prayers of whych he had a little before made mention For when he hadde before said that intercession muste be made for all men for proofe of that sayeng hee by and by addeth that of all menne there is one God and one Mediatore And none otherwise doth Augustine expounde it when he saith thus Christian menne dothe mutually commende themselues in their prayers But he for whom none maketh intercession but he for al he is the onely and true Mediatoure Paule the Apostle though he were a principall membre vnder the heade yet bycause hee was a membre of the bodye of Christe and knewe that the greatest and truest preeste of the church entred not by a figure into the inward places of the vaile to the holy of holy places but by expresse and stedfast trueth into the innermost places of heauen â—o a holynesse not shadowish but eternal coÌ„mendeth hymself also to the prayers of the faithful Neither doth he make himself a Mediatore betweene the people God but prayeth that al the meÌ„bres of the bodye of Christe shoulde mutually praye for hym bycause the membres are carefull one for an other and if one membre suffer the other suffer with it And that so the mutuall prayers one for an other of all the membres yet trauayling in earthe may ascende to the head which is gone before into heauen in whome is appeasement â—or our synnes For yf Paule were a Mediatoure the other Apostles shoulde also bee Mediatores and if there were many Mediatoures then neither shold Paules owne reason stande faste in whych he hadde saide For ther is one God one Mediatoure of one God and menne the manne Christe in whome wee also are one if wee keepe the vnitie of faithe in the bonde of peace Againe in an other place But if thou seke for a Preest he is aboue the heauens wher he maketh intercessioÌ„ for thee whiche in
iudgement to them when they had determined he folowed and obeyed When he writeth to the Pastors he doth not commaunde them by authoritie as Superior but he maketh them his companions and gently exhorteth them as egalles are wont to doe When he was accused for that he had gone in to the Gentiles although it were without cause yet he answered and purged hym selfe When he was commaunded by hys felowes to goe with Iohn into Samaria he refused not Wheras the Apostles did send hym they did therby declare that they helde hym not for their superior Wheras he obeyed and toke vpon hym the embassage committed to him he did therby confesse that he had a felowship with them and not an authoritie ouer them If none of these thynges were yet the onely Epistle to the Galathians may easily take al doutyng from vs where almost in twoo whole Chapters together Paul trauayleth to proue nothyng ells but that he hymselfe was egall to Peter in honor of Apostleship Then he rehearseth that he came to Peter not to professe subiection but onely to make their consent of doctrine approued by testimonie to all men and that Peter himselfe required no such thyng but gaue hym hys ryghte hande of felowship to worke in common together in the Lordes vineyarde and that there was no lesser grace geuen to hym among the Gentiles than to Peter among the Iewes Finally that when Peter dealt not very faithfully he was corrected by him and obeyed his reprouing All these thynges doe make playne either that there was an equalitie betwene Paule and Peter or at least that Peter had no more power ouer the rest than they had ouer hym And as I haue already sayed Paule of purpose laboureth about this that none shoulde preferre before him in the Apostleship either Peter or Iohn which wer fellowes not Lordes But to graunte them that whiche they require concerning Peter that is that he was the Prince of the Apostles and excelled the reste in dignitie yet there is no cause why they shoulde of a singular example make an vniuersal rule and draw to perpetuitie that which hath been ones done sith there is a farre differing reasō One was chiefe among the Apostles forsoth because they were fewe in number If one were the chiefe of .xii. men shall it therfore folow that one oughte to be made ruler of a hundred thousande men It is no maruell that .xii. had one among them that should rule them al For nature beareth thys the wit of men requireth this that in euery assembly although they be all egall in power yet there be one as a gouernour whom the rest may haue regard vnto There is no court wythout a Consul no session of iudges wtout a pretor or propoūder no company wtout a ruler no felowship wtout a master So should it be no absurditie if we cōfessed that the Apostles gaue to Peter such a Supremicie But the which is of force among fewe is not by by to be drawē to the whole worlde to the ruling wherof no one mā is sufficiēt But sai thei this hath place no lesse in the whole vniuersalitie of nature thā in al the partes that there be one soueraigne hed of al. And herof and God wil they fetch a profe frō cranes and bees which alway choose to themselues one guide not many I allowe in dede the examples which they bryng forth but do bees resort together out of all the world to choose thē one kyng euery seueral kyng is content with hys own hyue So among cranes euery heard hath their own king What ells shall they proue hereby but that euery Chirche ought to haue their own seueral Bishop appoynted them Then they cal vs to ciuile examples They allege that saying of Homere It is not good to haue many gouernours such thynges as in like sense are red in prophane wryters to the cōmēdation of Monarchie The answer is easy For Monarchie is not praysed of Ulysses in Homere or of any other in this meanyng as though one ought to be Emperor of the whole world but they meane to shewe that one kingdome can not holde twoo kynges and that power as he calleth it can abide no companion But let it be as they wil that it is good profitable that the whole worlde be holdē vnder Monarchie which yet is a very great absurditie but let it be so yet I wil not therfore graūt that the same should take place in the gouernement of the Chirch For the Chirche hath Christ her onely head vnder whoe 's dominiō we al cleaue together acording to that order and the forme of policie which he hath prescribed Therefore they doe a great wrong to Christ when by the pretense they wil haue one mā to be ruler of the vniuersal Christ because it cā not be wtout a hed For Christ is the hed of whom the whole body coupled knit together in euery ioint wher with one ministreth to an other according to the working of euery member in the measure therof maketh encrease of the body Se you not how he setteth all men wythout exception in the body leaueth the honor name of hed to Christ alone Se you not how he geueth to euery member a certayne measure a determined and limited function whereby both the perfection of the grace the soueraigne power of gouernance may remayne wyth Christ onely Neyther am I ignorante what they are wont to cauill when this is obiected against them they say that Christ is properly called the only hed because he alone reigneth by hys owne authoritie in hys own name but that thys nothyng wtstandeth but that there may be vnder hym an other ministerial hed as they terme it that may be his vicegerent in earth But by this cauillatiō they preuaile nothing vnlesse they first shew that this ministerie was ordeined by Christe For the Apostle teacheth that the whole ministratiō is dispersed through the members that the power floweth frō that one heauēly hed Or if they will haue it any plainlier spokē sith the Scripture testifieth the Christ is the hed and claimeth that honor to him alone it ought not to be transferred to any other but whō Christ himselfe hath made his vicar But that is not onely no where redde but also may be largely confuted by many places Paule somtimes depainteth vnto vs a liuely image of the Chirche of one head he maketh there no mention But rather by hys description we maye gather that it is disagreing from the institution of Christe Christe at his ascending toke from vs the visible presence of hymselfe yet he went vp to fulfill all thynges Now therefore the Chirche hath hym yet presente and alway shall haue When Paule goeth aboute to shewe the meane wherby he presenteth hymselfe he calleth vs backe to the ministeries which he vseth The Lorde sayeth he is in vs al according to the
wer not first moued to the see of Rome Beside thys that it is certaine that this is most vaine what man shall thynke it likely that suche a commendation of the see of Rome proceded from the aduersary and enuier of the honor and dignitie thereof But verily it behoued that these Antichristes shoulde be carried on to so greate madnesse and blindenesse that their lewdenesse might be playne for all men to se at least so many as will open theyr eyes But the decretall epistles heaped together by Gregorie the .ix. agayne the Clementines and Extrauagantes of Martine dooe yet more openly and with fuller mouth ech where breathe forth their outragious fiercenesse and as it were the tyrannie of barbarous kinges But these be the oracles by which the Romanistes will haue their papacie to be weyed Hereupon arose those notable principles whiche at this day haue euery where in the papacie the force of oracles that the Pope câ—Ì„not erre that the Pope is aboue the Councels that the Pope is the vniuersall Bishop of al Bishops and the Supreme head of the Chirche in earth I passe ouer the much absurder follies which the foolishe Canonistes babble in their scholes to which yet the Romish diuines do not only assente but do also clap their handes at them to flatter their idole I wil not deale with them by extremitie of righte Some other man would against this their so great insolence set the saying of Cipriane which he vsed among the Bishops at whoe 's councell he sate as chiefe None of vs calleth hymselfe Bishop of Bishops or with tirannous feare coÌ„pelleth his felow Bishops to necessitie to obey He would obiect that which a litle afterwarde was decreed at Carthage That none shoulde be called Prince of Priestes or chiefe Bishop He woulde gather many testimonies out of Histories Canons out of Sinodeâ— many senteÌ„ces out of the bokes of old writers by whiche the Bishop of Rome shoulde be brought down into the felowship of the rest But I passe ouer al these least I should seme to precisely to presse them But let the best patrones of the see of Rome answere me with what face they dare defende the title of vniuersal Bishop whiche they se so oft to be condemned with curse by Gregorie If Gregories testimonie ought to be of force they do therby declare that Antichrist is their Bishop because they make him vniuersal The name also of hed was no more vsual For thus he sayeth in one place Peter is the chiefe meÌ„ber in the body Iohn Andrew Iames the heds of particular peoples yet they all are members of the Chirch vnder one hed yea the holy ones before the law the holy ones vnder the law the holy ones vnder grace are set among meÌ„bers altogether makyng vp the body of the Lord no maÌ„ euer willed to haue himselfe called vniuersal But wheras the Bishop of Rome taketh vpoÌ„ hymselfe the power of coÌ„maunding that thing smally agreeth with that which Gregory saith in an other place For wheras Eulolius Bishop of Alexandria had said that he was coÌ„maunded by hym he answered in this wise I pray ye take away thys worde of coÌ„maÌ„ding froÌ„ my hearing For I know what I am what ye be In place ye be to me brethreÌ„ in maners ye be to me fathers Therefore I coÌ„maÌ„ded not but I cared to tel you those thiÌ„gs that I thought profitable Wheras he so extendeth his iurisdiction wtout end he doth therin great and haynoâ—s wrong not only to the other Bishops but also to al particular Chirches which he so teareth plucketh in peces that he may bilde his seate of their ruines But wheras he exeÌ„pteth himself froÌ„ al iudgemeÌ„ts and wil so reigne after the maner of tirantes that he accompteth his own only lust for law that verily is so hainous so far froÌ„ ecclesiastical order that it may in no wise be borne for it vtterly abhorreth not only from al feling of godlinesse but also from all humanitie But that I be not coÌ„pelled to go through examine al thinges particularly I do agayne appelle to them the wil at this day be accoÌ„pted the beste and most faithful patrones of the see of Rome whether they be not ashamed to defende the present state of the papacie which it is certaine to be a hundred times more corrupt than it was in the times of Gregory and Bernard which state yet dyd then so much displease those holy meÌ„ Gregory eche where complayneth that he is to muche diuersly drawen away with forein busynesse that he is vnder the color of Bishoprike brought backe to the world wherin he serueth so many cares of the world as he neuer remembreth that he serued when he was a lay man that he is pressed downe wyth tumulte of worldly affaires that hys mynde is nothing raised vp to thinges aboue that he is shakeÌ„ with many waues of causes and tossed with tempestes of troublesome lyfe so that he may worthily say I am come into the depth of the sea Truely among those earthly businesses he might yet teach the people with Sermones priuately admonishe and correct such as it behoued order the Chirche geue counsell to his fellow Bishops and exhort them to their dutie beside these thinges there remained some time to write and yet he lamenteth his calamitie that he is drowned in the depest sea If the gouernement of that time was a sea what is to be sayed of the papacie at thys tyme For what likenesse haue they together Here be no preachinges no care of discipline no zele to the Chirches no spirituall doing finally nothing but the world Yet this maze is praysed as though there could nothing be founde more orderly better framed But what coÌ„plaintes doth Bernarde poure out what grones doeth he vtter when he loketh vpon the faultes of hys age What then would he doe if he behelde thys our age of iron and worse if any be worse than iron What obstinate wickednesse is thys not only stiffly to defende as holy and diuine that which all the holy men haue with one mouth condemned but also to abuse their testimonie to the defense of the papacie whiche it is certaine that they neuer knew of Howbeit of Bernardes tyme I confesse that then the corruption of all thynges was so great that it was not much vnlike our tyme. But they are without all shame that fetche any pretense for it out of that meane age that is the tyme of Leo Gregory and such other For they doe lyke as if one to stablyshe the Monarchie of Emperoure would praise the olde state of the Empire of Rome that is woulde borrowe the praises of libertie to set forth the honor of tyranny Finally although al these things wer grauÌ„ted them yet there ariseth of fresh a newe strife for them when we deny that there is a Chirche at Rome in whiche suche benefites may be resident when we denie that there is a
the same is nothing ells but a pronouncing of hys own sentence and that whatsoeuer they do in erth is confirmed in heauen For they haue the worde of the Lord wherby they may condemne the frowarde they haue the worde wherby they may receiue the repentant into fauor They I say that trust that without thys bonde of discipline Chirches may long stande are deceiued in opinion vnlesse perhappes we may want that helpe which the Lord foresaw that it should be necessarie for vs. And truely how great is the necessitie therof shal be better perceiued by the manifolde vse of it There be three endes whiche the Chirch hath respect vnto in suche corrections and excommunication The first is that they should not to the dishonor of God be named among Christians that leade a filthy and sinfull lyfe as though his holy Chirch were a coÌ„spiracie of noughtie and wicked men For sith the Chirch is the body of Christ it can not be defiled with suche filthy and rotten members but that some shame muste come to the hed Therefore that there should not be any suche thyng in the Chirch wherby hys holy name may be spotted wyth any repâ—oche they are to be driuen out of her householde by whoe 's dishonâ—â—e any sclauÌ„der myght redounde to the name of Christians And herein also is consideration to be had of the Supper of the Lord that it be not profaned with geuing it to alwithout choise For it is most true that he to whom the distribution of it is committed if he wittingly and willingly admitt an vnworthy man whom he might lawfully put back is as giltie of Sacrilege as if he did geue abrode the Lordes body to dogges Wherfore Chrysostome greuously inueyeth against the Prestes whiche while they feare the power of great men dare debarre no man The blood sayth he shal be required at your handes If ye feare man he shall laugh you to scorne but if ye feare God ye shal be reuerenced also among men Let vs not feare maces nor purple nor crownes we haue here a greater power I verily will rather deliuer mine own body to death and suffer my blood to be shed than I will be made partaker of this defiling Therfore least this most holy mystery be spotted with sclander in the distributing thereof choise is greatly requisite â–ª which yet can not be had but by the iurisdictioÌ„ of the Chirch The secoÌ„d ende is least as it is wont to come to passe with the continuall company of the euil the good shold be corrupted For such is our redy inclination to go out of the way there is nothing easier than for vs to be ledde by euill examples froÌ„ the right course of lyfe This vse the Apostle touched when he commauÌ„ded the Corinthians to put the incestuous man out of their company A litle leuen sayth he corrupteth the whole lomp of doae And he foresaw herein so great danger that he forbade hym euen from all felowship If any brother sayeth he among you be named either a whoremonger or a couetous man or a worshipper of Idoles or a dronkarde or an euill speaker with suche a one I graunte you not leaue so much as to eate The thirde ende is that they themselues confounded with shame may beginne to repente of their filthinesse So it is profitable for them also to haue their owne wickednesse chastised that with feling of the rod they may be awaked which otherwyse by tender bearing with them would haue become more obstinate The same thing doth the Apostle meane when he sayth thus If any do not obey our doctrine marke hym and kepe no companye wyth hym that he may be ashamed Againe in an other place when he wryteth that he hath deliuered the Corinthian to Satan that hys Spirite might be saued in the day of the Lord that is as I expounde it that he went into a damnation for a tyme that he might be saued for euer But he therefore sayth that he deliuereth hym to Satan because the deuil is out of the Chirch as Christ is in the Chirch For wheras some do referr it to a certaine vexing of the fleshe I thynke that to be very vncertaine When these endes be set fourth nowe it remaineth to se howe the Chirch executeth this part of discipline which consisteth in iurisdiction First let vs kepe the diuision aboue set that of synnes some be publike and other some be priuate or more secrete Publike are those that haue not onely one or twoo witnesses but are committed openly and wyth the offense of the whole Chirch Secrete I call those not which are altogether hidden from men as are the sinnes of Hipocrites for those come not into the iugement of the Chirch but those of the meane kynde which are not without witnesses yet are not publike The firste kynd requireth not those degrees which Christ rehearseth but wheÌ„ any such thing appeareth the Chirch ought to do her dutie in callyng the sinner and correcting him according to the proportion of the offense In the second kind according to the rule of Christ they come not to yâ— Chirch til there be also obstinacie added WheÌ„ it is ons come to knowlege then is the other diuision to be noted betwene wycked doinges defaultes For in lighter synnes there is not to be vsed so great seueritie but chastisemeÌ„t of wordes sufficeth the same gentle and fatherly which may not hardeÌ„ nor confounde the synner but bryng hym home to hymselfe that he may more reioyse than be sory that he was corrected But it is mete that haynous offenses be chastised with sharper remedie For it is not enough if he that by doing wycked dede of euill example hath greuously offended the Chirch shoulde be chastised onely with wordes but he oughte for a time to be depriued of the communion of the Supper til he haue geuen assurance of his repentance For against the Corinthian Paule vseth not only rebuking of wordes but driueth him out of the Chirche and blameth the Corinthians that it had so long borne him The olde and better Chirch kepte this order when rightfull gouernement florished for if any man had done any wicked dede wherupon was growen offense first he was commaunded to absteine from partaking of the holy Supper then both to humble himselfe before God and to testifie hys repentaÌ„ce before the Chirch There were also certaine solemne vsages which were enioyned to them that had falleÌ„ to be tokens of their repeÌ„tance When they had so done that the Chirch was satisfied theÌ„ by layeng of handes he was receiued into fauor Which receiuing is oftentimes called of Cipriane peace who also briefely describeth this vsage They do penance saieth he in a certaine ful time then they come to coÌ„fession and by the laying on of handes of the Bishop and the Clergie they receiue power to come to the communion Howbeit the Bishop and his Clergie had so the ruling
when euell thinges are forbidden the contrarie dueties are commaunded It is an vniuersall opinion that vertues are commended when the contrarie vices are condemned But we require somwhat more than those formes of speache do signifie commonly amonge the people For thei for the moste part take the vertue contrary to any vice to be the absteining from the same vice we say that it procedeth farther that is to contrarie duties doinges Therfore in this commaundement Thou shalt not kyll the common sense of men will consider nothing ells but that we must absteine from all hurt doing or lust to do hurte I say that there is further conteined that we shold by all the helpes that we may succoure the life of oure neigheboure And leaste I speake without a reason I proue it thus God forbiddeth that our brother be hurte or missused bicause he willeth that our neighebours life be deare precious vnto vs he doth therfore require withall those dueties of loue that may be done by vs for the preseruatiō of it And so may we see how the ende of the cōmaundement doth alwai disclose vnto vs al that we are therin cōmaunded or forbiddē to do But why God in suche as it were halfe commaundements hath by figures rather secretli signified than expressed what his wil was wher as ther are wonte to be many reasons rendred thereof this one reason pleaseth me aboue the rest Bicause the flesh alway endeuoreth to extenuate the fylthinesse of sinne to coloure it with faire pretenses sauinge where it is euen palpable for grossenesse he hathe set forthe for an example in euery kinde of offence that whiche was moste wicked and abhominable at the hearinge whereof oure very senses might be moued with horroure therby to emprinte in oure myndes a more haynous detesting of euery sorte of sinne This manie times deceiueth vs in weyinge of vices that if thei be any thinge secret we make them seme small These deceites the Lorde dothe disclose when hee accustometh vs to referre al the whole multitude of vices to these principall heads which do best of all shewe how muche euery kinde is abhominable As for example wrathe and hatred are not thoughte so heynous euells when thei are called by their owne names but when they are forbidden vs vnder the name of man slaughter we better vnderstande how abhominable they are before God by whose worde they are set in the degree of so horrible an offence and we moued by his iudgement do accustome oure selues better to weye the haynousenesse of those faultes that before seemed but lyghte vnto vs. Thyrdely is to be consydered what meaneth the dyuidynge of the lawe of God into twoo tables whereof all wisemen wyll iudge that there is somtime mention made not vnfitly from the purpose nor with oute cause And we haue a cause ready that dothe not suffer vs to remaine in doubte of this matter For God so diuided his lawe into two◠partes in whiche is conteined the whole righteousnesse that he hath assigned the fyrste to the dueties of religion that do peculiarly pertaine to the worshipinge of his Godheade the other to the dueties of Charitie whiche belonge vnto men The first foundation of righteousnesse is the worship of God whiche beinge ones ouerthrowen all the other membres of righteousenesse are torne in sunder and dissolued like to the partes of a house vnioynted and fallen downe For what manner of righteousnesse wylte thowe call yt that thou vexest not men wyth robberye and extorcious if in the meane time by wicked sacrilege thou spoylest Gods maiestie of his glorie that thou defilest not thy bodye with fornication if with thy blasphemies thou prophanely abuse the sacred name of God that thou murtherest no man if thou trauaile to destroye and extinguishe the memorie of God Wherefore righteousenesse is vainely bosted of without religion and maketh no better shew than if a mangeled bodye with the heade cutte of shoulde be broughte fourth for a beautifull syghte And religion is not onely the principall part of righteousnesse but also the very soule wherwith it breatheth and is quickened for men keepe not equitie and loue amonge them selues without the feare of God Therfore we saye that the worshipe of God is the beginning and foundation of righteousenesse bicause when it is taken awaie al the equitie continence and temperance that men vse amonge them selues is vaine and tryflinge before God We saye also that it is the springe heade and liuely breathe of righteousnesse bicause hereby men do learne to lyue among them selues temperately and wythoute hurte doynge one to an other if they reuerence God as the iudge of right and wrong Wherefore in the first table he instructeth vs to godlinesse and the propre duties of religion wherwith his maiestie is to be worshipped in the other he prescribeth home for the feares sake of his name we ought to behaue our selues in the felowship of men And for this reason our Lord as the Euāgelistes reherse it did in a summe gather the whole law into two principall pointes the one that we should loue God with al our heart with al our soule with all our strength the other that we loue our neighbour as our selues Thus thou seest how of the two partes wherein he concludeth the whole lawe he directeth the one toward God and apointeth the other toward men But although the whole law be cōteined in two principal pointes yet to the ende to take away al pretense of excuse it pleased our God to declare in the ten commaundementes more largely and plainly al thinges that belong both to the honour feare and loue of himself and also to that charitie whiche he cōmaundeth vs to beare to men for his sake And thy studie is not ill spent to knowe the diuision of the commaundementes so that thou remember that it is such a matter wherin euery man ought to haue his iudgement free for whiche we ought not contentiously to striue with him that thinketh otherwise But we must needes touche this point least the readers shoulde eyther scorne or maruell at the diuision that we shall vse as newe and lately deuised That the law is diuided in ten wordes bicause it is oft approued by the authoritie of God himselfe it is out of controuersie wherefore there is no doubt of the number but of the manner of diuiding They that so diuide them that thei geue three cōmaundementes to the first table and put other .vij. into the second do wipe out of the number the cōmaundement concernyng images or at least they hide it vnder the first whereas without doubt it is seuerally set by the Lord for a commaundement and the tenth commaundement of not couetyng the thinges of his neighbour they do sendly teare into two Biside that it shal by and by be done to vnderstande that suche manner of diuidyng was vnknowen in the purer age Other do reckē as we do fower seuerall cōmaundementes in the first table but in
his prerogatiue for asmuch as nowe he should be borne man only by an accident cause that is to restore mankinde beyng loste and so it might be gathered thereupon that Christ was created after the image of Adam For why should he so muche abhorre that whiche the Scripture so openly teacheth that he was made like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne Whereupon Luke doubteth not to recken hâ—m the sonne of Adam in his Genealogye And I would fayne know why Paule calleth Christ the seconde Adam but bycause the estate of manne was apointed for him that he might rayse vp the posteritie of Adam out of their ruine For if he were in order before that creatioÌ„ he should haue ben called the firste Adam Osiander boldly affirmeth that bycause Christ was alredy before knoweÌ„ man in the minde of God men were formed after the same paterne But Paule in namyng him the second Adam setteth meane betwene the first beginnyng of man the restitution which we obteine by Christ the fall of man whereby grew the necessitie to haue nature restored to her first degree Wherupon it foloweth that this same was the cause why the sonne of God was borne to become man In the meane time Osiander reasoneth ill and vnsauorily that Adam so longe as he had stande without fallyng should haue ben the ymage of himselfe and not of Christ. I aunswere by the contrarie bycause though the sonne of God had neuer put on fleshe neuerthelesse both in the body and in the soule of manne should haue shyned the image of God in the bright beames whereof it alwaye appered that Christ is verily the head and hath the soueraigne supremicie in all And so is that foolishe suttletie assoyled whiche Osiander bloweth abroade that the Angels shoulde haue lacked this head vnlesse it had ben purposed by God to clothe his sonne with fleshe yea though there had ben no fault of Adam For he doth to rashly snatche holde of that whyche no manne in his right wit will graunt that Christ hath no supremicie ouer Angels that they shoulde haue him for their Prince but in so muche as he is manne But it is easily gathered by the wordes of Paule that in as muche as he is the eternall worde of God he is the firste begotten of all creatures not that he is create or ought to be reckened amonge creatures but bycause the state of the worlde in integritie suche as it was at the begynnynge garnished wyth excellentt beautie had no other originall and then that in as much as he was made manne he was the firste begotten of the dead For the Apostle in one shorte clause setteth forth bothe these poinctes to bee considered that all thynges were create by the sonne that he mighte beare rule ouer Angels and that he was made manne that he might begynne to be the redemer Of lyke ignoraunce is it that he sayth that men should not haue had Christ to their kyng yf he had not ben man As though the kyngdome of God coulde not staÌ„d yf the eternal sonne of God although not clothed with the flesh of man gatheryng together both Angels men into the felowship of his heauenly glorie and life should himselfe beare the soueraintie But in this false principle he is alwaye deceiued or rather deceyueth himself that the Church should haue beÌ„ without a head vnlesse Christ had appered in the flesh As though euen as the Angeles enioyed him their head he could not likewise by his diuine power rule ouer menne and by the secret force of his spirit quickeÌ„ and nourish them like his owne body till beyng gathered vp into heauen they might enioy al one lite with the Angels These trifles that I haue hether to confuted Osiander accompteth for most strong oracles eueÌ„ so as beyng dronke with the swetenesse of his owne speculations he vseth to blowe out fonde Bacchâ—s cries of matters of nothyng But this one that he bringeth after he â—â—yth is much more stroÌ„g that is the prophecie of AdaÌ„ which seyng his wife sayd this nowe is a bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh But how proueth he that to be a prophecie Bicause in Matthew Christ geueth the same sayeng to God As though that what so euer God hath spoken by men conteyneth some prophecie Let OsiaÌ„der seke prophecies in euery commaundement of the lawe whiche it is certaine to haue come from God the author of them Biside that Christ should haue ben grosse and earthly yf he had rested vpon the â—â—erall sense Bycause he speaketh not of the mistical viâ—on wherunto he hath vouchesaued to receyue his churche but only of faithfulnesse betwene man and wife for this cause he reacheth that God pronounced that man and wife shal be one flesh that no man should attempâ— to breake thaâ— insoluble knot by diuorce If Osiander lothe this simplicitie let him blame Christ for that he led not his disciples further to a misterie â–ª in more suttelly expouÌ„ding the sayeng of his father Neyther yet doth Paule mameteyne his errour whiche after he had sayd that we are flesh of the flesh of Christ â–ª by by addeth that this is a great misterie for his purpose was not to tel in what meaning Adam spake it but vnder the figure and similitude of mariage to set forth the holy couplyng together that maketh vs one with Christ. And so doe the wordes sound Bicause when he geueth warnyng that he speaketh this of Christ and his church he doth as it were by way of correction seuer the spirituall ioynyng of Christ and his church from the law of mariage Wherfore this fickle reason easily vanisheth awaye And I thinke I nede no more to shake vp any more of that sort of chaffe bicause the vanitie of them all is sone found out by this short confutation But this sobrietie shall aboundantly suffice to â—eede soundly the children of God that when the fulnesse of tunes was come the sonne of God was sent made of woman made vnder the lawe to redeme them that were vnder the lawe The .xiii. Chapter ¶ That Christ toke vpon him the true substance of the flesh of man NOW vnlesse I be deceiued it were superfluous to entreate agayne of the godhed of Christ whiche hath alredy man other place ben proued with playne strong testimonies It remayneth therefore to be seene how he beyng clothed with our flesh hath fulfilled the office of Mediatour The truth of his humaine nature hath in the olde time ben impugned both by the Manichees and the Marcionites of whome the Marcionites fained a ghost in stede of the body of Christ and the Manichees dreamed that he had a heauenly flesh But bothe many and strong testimonies of the Scripture do stand against them both For the blessing is promised neyther in a heauenly seede nor in the counâ—erfaite shape of man but in the sede of Abraham and Iacob Neither is the eternal throne promised to a man
father speaketh that he geueth to the sonne the office of iustifiyng he addeth a cause for that he is iust setteth the manner or meane as they call it in the doctrine wherby Christe is knowen For it is a more cōmodious exposition to take this worde Daah knowledge passiuely Hereupon I gather first that Christe was made righteousnesse when he did putte on the fourme of a seruaunt secondely that hee dyd iustifie vs in respect that hee shewed hym selfe obedient to his father and that therefore hee dothe not this for vs according to his nature of Godhed but according to the office of dispensation cōmitted vnto him For although God alone is the fountaine of righteousnesse and we be made righteous by no other meane but by the partaking of him yet because we are by vnhappy disagremēt estranged frō his righteousnesse we must nedes come down to this lower remedy that Christ may iustifie vs with the force of his death resurrectiō If he obiect that this is a worke of such excellency that it is aboue the nature of man therefore can not be ascribed but to the nature of God the first I graunt but in the secōd I say that he is vnwisely deceiued For although Christ could neither clēse our soules with his bloud nor appease his father with his sacrifice nor acquite vs from gyltinesse nor doe the office of prest vnlesse he had ben true God because the strength of the fleshe had ben to weake for so great a burden yet it is certain that he performed all these thinges according to his nature of māhod For if it be demaunded how we be iustified Paul answereth by the obediēce of Christ. But did he any otherwise obey than by taking vpon him the shape of a seruant wherupon we gather that righteousnesse was geuē vs in his fleshe Likewyse in the other wordes whiche I maruell that Osiander is not ashamed to allege so often he apoynteth the fountayne of ryghteousnesse no where els but in the fleshe of Christe Hym that knewe no sinne he made synne for vs that we myght be the ryghteousnesse of God in hym Osiander with full mouth aduaunceth the righteousnesse of God and triumpheth as though he had proued that it is his imaginatiue ghost of essentiall righteousnesse when the wordes soūd far otherwise that we by righteous by the cleansing made by Christ. Uery yong beginners shold not haue bene ignorant that the righteousnesse of God is taken for the righteousnesse that God alloweth as in Iohn where the glorie of God is compared with the glorie of men I knowe that sometime it is called the righteousnesse of God wherof God is the author which God geueth vs but though I say nothing the reders that haue their sound wit doe perceiue that nothing els is meant in this place but that we stande vpright before the iudgement seate of God beinge vpholden by the cleansing sacrifice of Christes death And there is not so great importance in the word so that Osiander do agree with vs in this point that we are iustified in Christ in this respect that he was made a propiciatorie sacrifice for vs whiche can not agree with his nature of Godhed After whiche sort when Christe meaneth to seale the righteousnesse and saluatiō that he hath brought vs he setteth before vs an assured pledge therof in his fleshe He doth in dede call him selfe the lyuely bred but expressing the manner here he addeth that his fleshe is veryly meate his bloud is veryly drinke Whiche manner of teaching is sene in the Sacramentes whiche although they direct our faithe to whole Christ and not to halfe Christ yet they do there withall teache that the matter of righteousnesse and saluation remaineth in his flesh Not that in that that he is only man he either iustifieth or quickeneth of him selfe but because it pleased God to shewe openly in the mediatour that whiche was hidden and incomprehensible in him selfe wherupon I am wont to saye that Christ is as it were a fountaine set open for vs out of whiche we may drawe that whiche otherwyse shold without fruite lye hiddē in that close and depe spring that riseth vp vnto vs in the persone of the Mediatour In this manner and meaning I doe not denye that Christe as he is God and man doth iustifie vs and that this is also the worke of the father and the holy Ghost as well as his Finally that the righteousnesse wherof Christ maketh vs partakers is the eternall righteousnesse of the eternall God so that he yelde to the sure and playne reasons that I haue alleaged Nowe that he should not with his cauillations deceiue the vnskilfull I graunt that we want this incomparable benefit tyll Christe be made ours Therfore we set that conioyning of the head and the membres the dwellyng of Christ in our heartes and that misticall vnion in the hiest degree that Christ being made ours may make vs partakers of the giftes wherwith he is endued Therfore we do not beholde hym a far of out of our selues that righteousnesse may be imputed vnto vs but because we haue put on him are graffed into his body finally because he hath vouchsaued to make vs one with him therfore we glorye that we haue a felowship of righteousnesse with him So is Osianders sclaunderous cauillation cōfuted where he saith that we compt faith righteousnesse as though we spoiled Christ of his right whē we saye that we come by faith empty to him to geue roume to his grace that he only maye fil vs. But Osiāder refusing this spiritual cōioyning enforceth a grosse mingling with the faithful therfore he odiously calleth all thē Zuinglians that subscribe not to his fantastical errour concerning essential righteousnesse because they do not thinke that Christ is substācially eaten in the Lordes supper As for me I compt it a great glorie to bee so reproched of a proude mā geuen to his own errors Albeit he toucheth not me only but also other wryters wel knowen to the worlde whome he ought to haue modestly reuerenced It moueth me nothing whiche meddle not with mine owne priuate cause and so muche the more sincerely I handle this cause being free from all corrupt affection Where as therefore he so importunatelye requyreth essentiall ryghteousnesse and thee essentiall dwellynge of Christe in vs it tendeth to thys ende First that God should with a grosse mixture poure him selfe into vs as he fayneth a fleshely eatynge of Christ in the supper secondlye that God should breathe his ryghteousnesse into vs wherby we maye be really righteous with him for by his opinion this righteousnesse is as well God hym selfe as the goodnesse or holinesse or purenesse of God I wyll not spende muche labour in wyping away the testimonies that he bryngeth whiche he wrongfully wresteth from the heauenlye lyfe to this present state Through Christ sayeth Peter are geuen vs the precious and moste great promyses that we
testifieth which reporteth that in the time of Ambrose the Chirch of Millain first began to sing when while Iustina the mother of Valentinâ—an cruelly raged against the true Faith the people more vsed watchinges than they were wont and that afterwarde the other westerne Chirches folowed For he had a litle before sayed that this maner came from the Easterne Chirches He telleth also in his seconde boke of Retractations that it was in his time receiued in Africa One Hilarie sayth he a ruler did in euery place wheresoeuer he could with malicious blaming raile at the maner which then began to be at Carthage that the hymnes at the altar should be pronounced out of the boke of Psalmes either before the oblation or wheÌ„ that which had ben offred was distributed to the people Him I answered at the commaundement of my brethren And truely if song be tempered to that grauitie which becommeth the preseÌ„ce of God and Angels it both procureth dignitie and grace to the holy actions and muche auaileth to stirre vp the myndes to true affection and feruentnesse of prayeng But we muste diligently beware that our eares be not more hedefully bente to the note than our myndes to the spiritual sense of the wordes Wyth which peril Augustine in a certaine place sayth that he was so moued that he sometime wished that the maner which Athanasius kept shold be stablished which commaunded that the reder shoulde sounde hys wordes with so small a boowing of hys voice that it should be liker to one that readeth than to one that singeth But when he remembred howe muche profite he hymselfe had receyued by syngyng he inclined to the other side Therfore vsyng this moderation there is no dout that it is a most holye and profitable ordinance As on the other side what songes so euer are framed only to swetenesse and delite of the eares they both become not the maiestie of the Chirch and can not but hyely displease God Whereby it also playnly appereth that common praiers are to be spoken not in Greke among Latine men nor in Latine among Frenchemen or Englishemen as it hath heretofore ben eche where commonly done but in the peoples mother tongue which coÌ„monly may be vnderstoode of the whole assembly forasmuche as it ought to be done to the edifiyng of the whole Chirch whiche receiue no fruite at all of a sound not vnderstanded But they which haue no regarde neither of charitie nor of humanitie shold at least haue ben somwhat moued with the authoritie of Paule whoe 's wordes are nothyng doutfull If thou blesse saieth he in Spirite howe shall he that filleth the place of an vnlerned man answer Amen to thy blessing sith he knoweth not what thou saiest For thou in dede geuest thankes but the other is not edified Who therfore can sufficiently wonder at the vnbridled licentiousnesse of the Papistes which the Apostle so openly crying out againste it feare not to roare out in a strange tongue moste babblyng prayers in whiche they themselues sometyme vnderstand not one syllable nor wold haue other folkes to vnderstand it But Paule teacheth that we ought to do otherwise How then I will pray sayth he with spirit I will praye also with mynde I will syng with spirite I will sing also with mynde signifieng by the name of Spirite the singular gifte of tonges which many being endued with abused it when they seuered it from the mynde that is froÌ„ vnderstaÌ„ding But this we must altogether thiÌ„k that it is by no meane possible neither in publike nor in priuate praier but that the tong without the hart must hyely displease God Moreouer we muste thinke that the mynde ought to be kyndled with feruentnesse of thoughte that it maye farre surmounte all that the tong maye expresse with vtterance Fynally that the tong is not necessarie at all for priuate prayer but so farre as the inwarde felyng either is not able to suffice to enkindle it selfe or the vehemence of enkindlyng violently carieth the woorke of the tong with it For though very good prayers sometyme be without voyce yet it oftentymes betydeth that when the affection of the mynde is feruent bothe the tong breaketh foorthe into voice and the other membres into gesturyng without excessiue shew Hereupon came the mutteryng of Hanna and such a like thing all the holy ones alway fele in themselues when they burst out into broken and vnperfect voices As for the gestures of the body which are wont to be vsed in praier as knelyng and vncoueryng of the hed they are exercises by which we endeuor to ryse vp to a greater reuerencing of God Now we must learne not onely a more certaine rule but also the very forme of prayeng namely the same which the heauenly Father hath taught vs by his beloued Sonne wherin we may acknowe his vnmesurable goodnesse and kyndenesse For besyde this he warneth and exhorteth vs to seke hym in al our necessitie as children are wont to flee to their fathers defence so oft as they be troubled with any distresse because he saw that we did not sufficiently perceiue this how sclender our pouertie was what were mete to be asked what were for our profite he prouided also for this our ignoraÌ„ce what our capacitie waÌ„ted he supplied furnished of his own For he hath prescribed to vs a form wherin he hath as in a Table set our whatsoeuer we may desire of him what soeuer auaileth for our profit whatsoeuer is necessary to ask Of whiche his gentlenesse we receaue a great fruit of comfort that we vnderstand that we aske no inconuenient thyng no vnsemyng or vnfit thyng finally nothyng that is not acceptable to hym sith we aske in a maner after his owne mouthe When Plato sawe the folly of men in making requestes to God whiche beyng grauÌ„ted it many tymes befell much to their owne hurt he pronounced that this is the best maner of prayeng taken out of the olde Poete Kyng Iupiter geue vnto vs the beste thynges bothe when we aske them and when we doo not aske them but commaunde euell thynges to be away from vs euen when we aske them And verily the heathen man is wyse in this that he iudgeth howe perillous it is to aske of the Lorde that whiche our owne desire moueth vs and therwithal he bewrayeth our vnhappy case that we can not ones open our mouthes before God without danger vnlesse the Spirite do instructe vs to a right rule of praying And in so muche greater estimation this priuilege is worthy to be had of vs sithe the onely begotten Sonne of God ministreth wordes into our mouthe which may deliuer our mynde from all doutyng This whether you call it forme or rule of praying is made of six petitions For the cause why I agree not to them that diuide it into seuen partes is this that by puttyng in this aduersatiue word But it semeth that the Euangelist men to
none receiue frute of the benifites of Christ but thei that lift vp theyr mindes to the resurrectioÌ„ For Paul setteth vp this marke to the faithful toward which he saith that he endeuoreth forgetteth al things til he coÌ„ to it And so much the more cherfulli ought we to trauail toward it least if this world wthold vs we suffer greuous punishmeÌ„t for our slothfulnesse Wherfore in an other place he marketh the faithful with this mark that their conuersatioÌ„ is in heaueÌ„ froÌ„ wheÌ„se also thei loke for their sauiour And that their courages shoulde not faint in this race he ioyneth al creatures companions with them For bicause euery where ar seen deformed ruines he saith that al things in heauen earth doe endeuour the renewing For sith Adam by his fal dissolued the perfect ordre of nature to the creatures their bondage is peineful greuous whervnto they are subiect by reasoÌ„ of the sinne of maÌ„ not for that thei are endued with any feling but for that they naturally couet the perfect estate froÌ„ which they are fallen Therfore Paul saith that thei grone are as in peine of childe bearing that we to whom are geuen the first frutes of the Spirit may be ashamed to pyne awaie in our corruption not at the least to folow the dead elements which beare peine of an others sinne And the more to pricke vs forward he calleth the last coÌ„ming of Christ our redemption It is true in dede that al the partes of our redemption are already fulfilled but bicause Christ hath ones ben offered for sinnes he shall be seen againe without sinne vnto saluacion With what miseries soeuer we be pressed let this redeÌ„ptioÌ„ susteine vs eueÌ„ vntill the performaÌ„ce of it The very weight of the thing it self shal whet our endeuor For neither doth Paul wtout cause affirme that the whole gospel is void deceitful vnlesse the dead do rise again bicause our state shold be more miserable thaÌ„ the state of al men namly sith we lieng open to the hatredes reproches of many are euery houre in danger yea are as shepe appointed to the slaughter therfore the authoritie therof shold fal away not only in one part but also in the whole suÌ„me whiche bothe our adoptioÌ„ the effect of our saluacioÌ„ coÌ„teineth And so let vs be hedefully bent to this most earnest thing of al that no coÌ„tinuance of time may make vs wery For which purpose I haue differred to this place that whiche I had breefely to entreate of it that the readers may learne when thei haue receiued Christe the author of their saluatioÌ„ to rise vp hier may knowe that he is clothed with heauenly immortalitie glorie that the whole body may be made lyke fashioned to the heade as also the holy ghost oftentimes setteth forthe in his persoÌ„ an exaÌ„ple of the resurrectioÌ„ It is a thing harde to be beleued the bodies when thei haue been coÌ„sumed with rottennesse shal at their appointed time rise vp againe Therfore where many of the Philosophers haue affirmed soules to be iÌ„mortal the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh hath ben allowed of few wherin although ther was no excuse yet we ar thereby put in minde that it is to harde a thing to draw mans senses to beleue it That faith may ouercome so great a stoppe the scriptur ministreth two helpes the one is in the likenes of Christ the other is the almightines of god Nowe so oft as the resurrectioÌ„ is thought of let the image of Christ come into our mindes which in the nature that he toke of vs so ranne out the race of mortal life that now hauing obteined immortalitie he is to vs a pledge of the resurrectioÌ„ to coÌ„ For in the miseries wherw t we ar beseged we carie about his mortifieng in our flesh that his life may be openli shewed in vs. And we may not seuer him froÌ„ vs neither can we possibly but that he must be torne in sunder WhervpoÌ„ coÌ„meth that argument of Paul If the deade do not rise againe then neither is Christ risen again bicause verily he taketh that principle for coÌ„fessed the Christ was not made subiect to death nor obteined victorie of death by rising againe priuately for him self but that that was begone in the heade which must nedes be fulfilled in al the membres accordinge to the degree ordre of euery one For it were not right that thei shold in al pointes be made egal with him It is said in the Psalm Thou shalt not suffer thy meke one to see corruptioÌ„ Although a portioÌ„ of this trust perteine to vs according to the measure of gift yet the ful effect hath not appeared but in Christ whiche being free froÌ„ all rotting hath receiued againe his body whole Now least the felowship of blessed resurrectioÌ„ with Christ shold be doutful to vs that we may be contented with this pledge Paul expresly affirmeth that he therfore sitteth in heauen shal come at the last day a iudge that he may make oure base and vile body like fashioned to his glorious body In an other place also he teacheth that God raysed not vp his sonne froÌ„ death to the entent to shew a token of his power but to stretche out the same effectual force of the Spirit toward vs which are faithful whome he therefore calleth life while he liueth in vs bycause he was geuen to this ende that he sholde make aliue that which is mortall in vs. I knit vp in a brefe abridgement those things which might both be more largely handled ar worthâ— to be more gorgeously set out yet I trust that the godli readers shal in few words fiÌ„de matter enough which mai suffice to edifie their faith Christ therfore is risen again that he might haue vs coÌ„panions of the life to come He was raised vp of the father in so much as he was the head of the church froÌ„ which he doth in no wise suffer himself to be plucked away He was raised vp by the power of the Spirit which is common to vs vnto the office of quickening Finally he was raised vp that he shold be resurrection liâ—e But as we haue saide that in this miroure there is to be seen of vs a liuely image of the resurrection so let it be to vs a sure substance to stay our minde so that yet we be not lotheful or wery of longe tarieng bycause it is not our part to measure the seasons of times by our will but patiently to rest til God at his owne fit time repaire his kingdome To which purpose semeth the exhortatioÌ„ of Paul The first frutes is Christ then thei that are Christes euery one in his ordre But yâ— no questioÌ„ shold be moued of the resurrection of Christ vpoÌ„ which the resurrection of vs all is founded we se by how many how diuerse meanes he hath made it approued
voice of the sonne of God and shall come forth they that haue done good into the resurrection of life but they that haue done euel into the resurrection of iudgement Shal we say that soules rest in the graues that they lieng there may heare Christ and not rather that at his coÌ„maundement the bodies shal returne into the liuelinesse which they had lost Moreouer if we shal haue new bodies geneÌ„ vs where is the likefashioning of the head and the membres Christ rose againe was it with forgyng to himselfe a newe body No but as he had sayd before Destroy this teÌ„ple and in three daies I wil bulde it vp he toke againe the same body which he had before borne mortall For he had not much profited vs if a new body beyng put in place the olde body had ben destroyed which was offred vp for a sacrifice of satisfactorie cleansing We must also holde fast that felowship whiche the Apostle preacheth That we rise againe bicause Christ hath risen againe for nothyng is lesse probable than that our flesh in whiche we beare about the mortifieng of Christ should be depriued of the resurrection of Christ. Whiche verily appered by a notable example when at the risyng agayne of Christ many bodies of the Saintes came out of the graues For it canne not bee denied that this was forshewyng or rather an earnest of the laste resurrection whiche we hope for suche as was before in Enoch and Elias whome Tertullian calleth New possessors of the resurrection bycause they beyng in body and soule deliuered from corruption were receyued into the kepyng of God I am ashamed in so cleare a matter to spende so many wordes but the readers shall contentedly beare this trouble with me that no hole maye be open for frowarde and bolde wittes to deceyue the simple The flyeng spirites wyth whome I nowe dispute bryng forth a fained inueÌ„tion of their owne brayne that at the resurrection there shal be a creation of new bodies What reason moueth them to thinke so but bicause it semeth to them incredible that a carion consumed with so long cotteÌ„nesse shold returne into his auÌ„cient state Therfore only vnbeleâ—e is the mother of this opinion But vs on the other side the Spirit of God eche where in the Scripture exhorteth to hope for the resurrection of our flesh For this reason baptisme as Paule witnesseth is to vs a seale of the resurrection to come and likewise the holy Supper allureth vs to the trust thereof when we receyue with our mouth the Signes of spiritual grace And truely the whole exhortation of Paule that we geue our meÌ„bres to be weapons vnto the obedieÌ„ce of righteousnesse shold be cold vnlesse that were ioyned whiche he addeth afterward He that hath raised vp Christ froÌ„ the dead shall quicken also your mortal bodies For what should it profit to applie our feete handes eyes and tonges vnto the seruice of God vnlesse they were partakers of the frute reward Which thing Paul plainly confirmeth with his owne wordes sayeng The body not to fornication but to the Lord and the lord to the body And he that hath raised vp Christ shall also rayse vp vs by his power More plaine are those wordes which folow that our bodies are the teÌ„ples of the holy ghost the meÌ„bers of Christ. In the meane time we see how he ioyneth the resurrection with chastitie holinesse as a litle after he sayth that the price of redemption perteineth also to the bodies Now it were not resonable that the body of Paul in which he hath borne the prinâ—es of Christ in which he honorably glorified Christ shold lose the reward of the crowne Whereupon also came that glorieng We loke for the redemer from heaueÌ„ which shal make our vile body like fashioned to the body of his brightnesse And if this be true that we must by many afflictions entre into the kingdome of God no reason suffreth to debarre the bodies from this entrie which God both exerciseth vnder the standard of the crosse honoreth with the praise of victorie Therfore of this matter there arose among the Saintes no douting but that they hoped to be coÌ„panioÌ„s of Christ which remoueth into his owne persone al the afflictions wherewith we are proued to teache that they bring life Yea and vnder the law he exercised the holy fathers in this faith with an outward ceremonie For to what purpose serued the vsage of burieng as we haue already shewed but that they should know that there is new life prepared for the bodies that are layed vp Hereunto also tended the spices and other signes of immortalitie wherewith vnder the law the darknesse of faith was holpen eueÌ„ as it was by the sacrifices Neither was that maÌ„ner bredde by superstitioÌ„ for asmuch as we see that the Spirit doth no lesse diligently reherse burialles than the chefe misteries of faith And Christ commendeth that worke as a special worke truely for none other reson but bicause it lifteth vp our eyes froÌ„ beholding of the graue which corrupteth destroyeth all to the sight of the renewyng Moreouer the so diligent obseruing of the ceremonie whiche is praysed in the Fathers sufficiently proueth that it was to them a rare pretious help of faith For neither would AbrahaÌ„ haue so carefully prouided for the burieng place of his wife vnlesse there had ben set before his eyes a religion and a profit hier than the world namely that garnishing the dead body of his wife with the signes of the resurrection he might coÌ„firme both his owne faith the faith of his household But a clerer profe of this thing appereth in the exaÌ„ple of Iacob which to testifie to his posteritie that the hope of the promised land was not euen by death fallen out of his minde coÌ„maunded his bones to be caried thether I besech you if he was to be clothed with a new body shold he not haue geuen a fond coÌ„manÌ„dement coÌ„cerning dust that shold be brought to nothing Wherfore if their authoritie of the Scripture be of any force with vs there caÌ„ be required of no doctrine either a more clere or more certaine profe For this euen children vnderstand by the wordes of ResurrectioÌ„ raysing vp againe For neither can we cal it the Resurrection of that which is now first created neither shold that sayeng of Christ staÌ„d fast Whatsoeuer the Father hath geuen me it shal not perish but I wil rayse it vp in the last day To the same purpose serueth the word of Sleping which perteineth only to the bodies WherupoÌ„ also burieng places were called Coemeteria â–ª Sleping places Now it remaineth that I speake somwhat of that manner of the resurrection I vse this word bicause Paul calling it a misterie exhorteth vs to sobrietie bridleth the libertie to dispute like Philosophers freely suttelly of it First we muste holde as
small and contemptible number lyeth hid vnder a huge multitude and a fewe graines of wheate are couered wyth a heape of chaffe to God onely is to be lefte the knowledge of his Churche the fundation whereof is his secrete election But it is not sufficiente to conceiue in thoughte and mynde the multitude of the elect vnlesse we thinke vppon suche an vnitie of the Churche into whiche we be truely perswaded that we our selues be engraffed For vnlesse we be vnder our head Chryste vnited together wyth all the reste of his members there abydeth for vs no hope of the inheritaunce to come It is therefore called Catholike or Uniuersall because we can not fynde two or three Churches but that Christe muste be torne in sonder whyche can not be done But all the electe of God are so knitt together in Christe that as they hang vpon one head so they may growe together as it were into one body cleauing together wyth suche a compacting of ioyntes as the members of one selfe body beeing truely made one whiche with one hope Fayth Charitie with one selfe Spirite of God dooe lyue together beeing called not onely into one inheritaunce of eternall lyfe but also into one partaking of one God and Christe Wherefore althoughe the sorowefull desolation that on eche syde presenteth it selfe in sighte crieth out that there is nothing lefte of the Churche yet lette vs knowe that Christes death is frutefull and that God maruellously as it were in secrete corners preserueth his Church As it was sayed to Elias I haue kept to my selfe seuen thousande men that haue not bowed their knee before Baal Albeit this article of the Crede doeth in some respecte belong to the outwarde Churche that euery one of vs shoulde holde himselfe in brotherly consente with all the children of God shoulde yelde vnto the Churche that authoritie whiche it deserueth finally should so behaue himself as a shepe of the flocke And therefore is adioyned the communion of Saintes Which parcell although commonly the old writers doe leaue it out yet is not to be neglected because it very wel expresseth the qualitie of the Churche as if it had been sayed that the Saintes are gathered together into the felowshyppe of Christ with this condition that whatsoeuer benefites God bestoweth vpon them they shoulde coÌ„tinually communicate them one to an other Wherby yet the diuersitie of graces is not taken away as we know that the gyftes of the Holy ghost are diuersly distributed neyther is the order of ciuile gouernemente disturbed by whiche it is lawfull for euery man priuately to enioye his owne possessions as it is necessarye that for preseruatyon of peace among men they should haue among them selues peculiare and deuyded properties of thynges But there is a communitie affirmed such as Luke descrybeth that of the multitude of the beleuers there was one harte and one soule and Paule when he exhorteth the Ephesians to be one body one Spirite as they be called in one hope For it is not possible if they be truely perswaded that God is the common father and Christ the common head to them all but that being conioyned among themselues with brotherly loue they shoulde continually communicate those thynges that they haue Nowe it muche behoueth vs to knowe what profyte therupon returneth vnto vs. For we beleue the Churche to thys ende that we may be certainly perswaded that we are the members of it For by thys meane our saluation resteth vpon sure and sounde stayes that it although the whole frame of the world be shaken can not come to ruine and fall downe Firste it standeth wyth goddes election neyther can it varye or faile but together wyth hys eternall Prouidence Then it is after a certayne manner ioyned wyth the stedfastnesse of Christe whiche will no more suffer his faithfull to be plucked from hym than hys owne members to be rente and torne in peces Beside that we are assured that trueth shall alwaye abyde wyth vs so long as we are holden in the bosome of the Churche Laste of all that we fele that these promises belong to vs there shal be saluation in Syon God shall for euer abide in Hierusalem that it may not at any time be moued So muche can the partaking of the Churche doe that it holdeth vs in the felowshippe of God Also in the very worde Communion is muche comforte because while it remayneth certayne that what soeuer the Lorde geueth to hys and oure members belongeth to vs oure hope is by all theyr good thynges confirmed But in suche sorte to embrace the vnitie of the Churche it is not nedefull as we haue already sayed to see the Churche it selfe wyth our eies or fele it with our handes but rather by thys that it consisteth in Faith we are admonished that we oughte no lesse to thinke it to be when it passeth our vnderstanding than if it openly appeared Neither is our Fayth therefore the worse because it conceiueth it vnknowen for asmuche as we are not herein commaunded to discerne the reprobate from the electe whiche is the office of God onely and not oures but to determine assuredly in our mindes that all they that by the mercifull kindnesse of God the Father throughe the effectual working of the Holy ghost are come into the partaking of Christ are seuered into the peculiar righte and proper possession of Christe and that for asmuche as we be in the number of those we are partakers of so greate a grace But sithe it is nowe our purpose to entreate of the visible Church lette vs learne euen by thys one title of Mother howe muche â—he knowledge thereof is profitable yea necessarye for vs for asmuche as there is no other entrye into life vnlesse she conceiue vs in hee wombe vnlesse she bryng vs fourth vnlesse she fede vs with her breastes fynallye vnlesse she kepe vs vnder her custodye and gouernaunce vntyll suche tyme as beyng vnclothed of mortall fleshe we shall be lyke vnto Angels For oure weakenesse suffreth vs not to be dismissed from schole tyll we haue been scholars throughout the whole course of our lyfe Beside that oute of her bosome there is no forgeuenesse of synnes and no saluation to be hoped for as wytnesseth Esaye and Ioel with whom agreeth Ezechiel when he declareth that they shall not be in the number of Goddes people whome he putteth awaye from the heauenly lyfe As on the contrarie side they are sayed to wryte their names among the citezens of Hierusalem that turne them selues to the folowyng of true godlynesse After whiche manner it is also sayed in an other Psalme Remember me Lord in the good wyll of thy people visite me in thy saluation that I maye see the benefytes of thy electe that I maye be merry in the myrth of thy people that I maye reioyse wyth thy enherytaunce In whiche woordes the fatherly fauoure of GOD and the peculyar testimonie of the Spirituall lyfe is restrayned to
seme to be scattered abrode by largenesse of ouerflowing pleÌ„tie yet the vnitie abideth in the original Take away a beame of the sunne from the body the vnitie can suffer no diuision Breake a brauÌ„che from the tree the broken braunche can not spring Cutte of the streame from the spring hed beyng cut of it dryeth vp So also the Chirch being ouerspred with the light of the Lord is extended ouer the whole worlde yet there is but one light that is spred euery where Nothing could be said more fitly to expresse that vndiuidable knitting togither which all the meÌ„bers of Christ haue one with an other We see how he continually calleth vs backe to the veray hedde Wherupon he pronounceth that heresies and schismes doo arise herof that men do not returne to the originall of truth nor do seke the hedde nor kepe the doctrin of the heuenly maister Now let them go cry that we be heretikes that haue departed from their Chirch sithe there hathe ben no cause of our estrangyng from theim but this one that they can in no wise abide the pure professyng of the truthe but I tell not howe they haue driuen vs out with cursynges and cruell execrations Whiche very selfe doyng doeth abundantly enough acquite vs vnlesse they will also condemne the Apostles for Schismatikes with whom we haue all one cause Christ I say dyd forsay to his Apostles that the tyme shuld com when they shuld be cast out of the Synagoges for his names sake And those Synagoges of which he speaketh wer then accompted lawfull Chirches Sithe therfore it is euident that we be caste out and we be ready to shewe that the same is doone for the names sake of Christ â–ª truely the cause ought fyrst to be enquired of before that any thyng be determined vpon vs either one way or other Howbeit if they will I am content to discharge of this poynt For it is enough for me â–ª that it behoued that we shuld depart froÌ„ them that we might com to Christ But it shall appeare yet more certainly in what estimation we ought to haue all the Chirches whom the tyranny of that Româ— she idâ—ll hath possessed if it be compared with the olde Chirche of the Israâ—â—ies as it is described in the Prophetes There was then a true Chirch among the Iewes and Israelites when they continued in 〈◊〉 of the couenant for they obteyned those thynges by the benefite of God whervpon the Chirch consisteth They had the truthe of doctrine in the lawe the ministerie therof was among the Priestes and the Prophets with the signe of circumcision they entred into religion by other SacrameÌ„tes they were exercised to the confirmation of Faith It is no dout that those titles wherwith the Lorde hath honoured his Chirche fittly perteyned to their felowship After that forsakyng the lawe of the Lorde they went out of kinde to idolatrie and superstition they partly lost that prerogatiue For who dare take a waye the name of the Chirche from them with whom God hath left the preachyng of his worde and obseruation of his mysteries Agayne who dare call that the Chirche without any exception where the word of the Lord is openly and freely troden vnder foote where the ministerie therof the chief sinew yea the very soule of the Chirch is destroied What then will some man saye was there therfore no parcell of â— Chirch remaining among the Iewes after that they fel away to idolatrie The answer is easy Fyrst I say that in the very fallyng away there were certayn degrees For we will not say that there was all one falle of Iuda and Israell at suche tyme as they both first swarued from the pure worshyppyng of God When Iaro beam fyrst made calues against the opeÌ„ prohibition of God and did dedicate an vnlawful place for worshipping he did vtterly corrupt religioÌ„ The Iewes did first defile them selues with wicked superstitious maners before that they wrongfully changed the order in the outward forme of religion For although vnder Rechabeam they had alredy gotten them many peruerse Ceremonies yet because there taried at Hierusalem bothe the Doctrine of the Lawe and the Priesthode and the Ceremonious vsages in suche sorte as God hadde ordeyned theim the Godly hadde there a tolerable state of Chirche Among the Israelites vnto the reigne of Achab there was no amendement of thynges and from thense foorthe they fell from worse to worse They that succeded afterwarde to the very destruction of the kyngdome partly were like vnto hym and partlye when they minded to be somwhat better than he they folowed the example of Iarobeam but they all euery one were wycked and ydolaters In Iewrye there were nowe and then diuerse changes whyle somme kynges peruerted the worshippyng of God wyth false and forged superstitions some other restored religion that was decaied vntill the very priestes them selues defiled the temple of God with prophane and abhominable vsages Now let the Papistes if they can how much soeuer they extenuate their owne faultes denye that among them the state of religion is as corrupt and defiled as it was in the kyngdome of Israell vnder Iarobeam But they haue a grosser ydolatrye and in doctrine they are not one droppe purer vnlesse peraduenture euen in it also the be more vnpure God yea all men that are endued but wyth a meane iudgement shal be witnesses with me and the thing it self also declareth how herein I tell nothyng more then trueth Now when they wyll dryue vs to the coÌ„munion of their Chirch they require two thyngs of vs first that we shuld coÌ„municate wyth al their praiers sacramentes and Ceremonies then that whatsoeuer honor power iurisdictioÌ„ Christ geueth to hys Chirch we shuld geue the same to their Chirch As to the first point I graunt that all the Prophets that were at Hierusalem wheÌ„ thinges were there very much corrupted dyd neither seuerally sacrifice nor had assemblies to pray seuerall from other men For they had a commaundement of God whereby they were coÌ„maunded to come together into Salomons temple they knew that the Leuiticall priestes howsoeuer they were vnworthy of that honour yet because they were ordeined by the Lord ministers of the holy Ceremonies and wer not as then deposed dyd yet still rightfully possesse that place But whyche is the chiefe poynte of thys question they were compelled so no superstitious worshippyng yea they toke in hande to doo nothyng but that whiche was ordeined by God But among these men I meane the Papistes what like thing is there For we can scarcely haue any meting together with them wherin we shall not defile our selues with open ydolatrie Truly the principal bond of their coÌ„munion is in the masse which we abhorre as the greatest sacrilege And whether we do this rightfully or wrongfully shal be sene in an other place At this present it is enough to shew that in this behalf we are in other case than the Prophetes were whiche
I saye that euery one of their assemblies and the whole body wanteth the lawfull forme of a Chirch ¶ The .iii. Chapter ¶ Of the teachers and ministers of the Chirche and of theyr election and office NOwe it is mete that we speake of the order by which it was the Lordes will to haue his Chirche gouerned For although in his Chirche he onely muste rule and reigne yea and beare preeminence or excelle in it and this gouernement to bee vsed or executed by his onely word yet because he dwelleth not among vs in visible presence so that he can presently with his owne mouth declare his will vnto vs we haue saied that in this he vseth the ministerie of men and as it were the trauaile of deputies not in transferryng his right and honour vnto them but onely that by their mouthe he might do hys owne worke like as a workeman to doo his worke vseth hys instrument I am compelled to repete agayne those thynges that I haue already declared He might in dede do it eyther by hymselfe without any other helpe or instrumente or also by meane of Angelles but there are many causes why he had rather doo it by men For by this meane first he declareth hys good wyll toward vs when he taketh out of men them that shall doo his message in the world that shal be the interpreters of hys secrete wyll finally that shall represent his owne person And so by experience he proueth that it is not vayne that commonlye he calleth vs hys temples when out of the mouthes of men as oute of his sanctuarye he geueth answeres to men Secondly thys is the best and most profitable exercise to humilitie when he accustometh vs to obey hys worde howsoeuer it be preached by men like vnto vs yea sometime our inferiors in dignitie If he him selfe spake from heauen it were no maruell if his holy Oracles were without delaye reuerently receiued wyth the eares and myndes of all men For who woulde not drede his power beyng in presence who woulde not be throwen downe at the first sight of so great maiesty who would not be confounded with the infinite brightnesse But when some silly man risen out of the dust speaketh in the name of God here with very good testimony we declare our godlinesse and reuerent obedience toward God hymselfe if to his minister we yelde our selues willyng to learne whiche yet in nothyng excelleth vs. Therfore for this cause also he hath hidden the treasure of hys heauenly wisedome in brickle and earthen vessels that he mighte haue the certainer profe how much he is estemed of vs. Moreouer there was nothyng fitter for the cherishyng of mutual charitie than that mē shold be bounde together one to an other with this bonde when one is made a pastor to teache the rest and they that are commaunded to be scholars receiue al one doctrine at one mouth For if euery mā were able enough to serue himselfe and neded not the helpe of an other suche is the pride of mans nature that euery one would despise other and should againe be despised of them Therfore the Lorde hath bounde his Chirch with that knotte whiche he forsawe to be the strongest knotte to holde vnitie togither when he hath lefte with men the doctrine of saluation and of eternall life that by their handes he might communicate it to the reste Herunto Paul had respect when he wrote to the Ephesians One body one spirite as also ye be called in one hope of your callyng One Lorde one Faith one Baptisme One God and the Father of all whiche is aboue all and by all in vs al. But vnto euery one of vs grace is geuē accordyng to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherfore he saith Whē he was gone vp on hye he ledde captiuitie captiue he gaue giftes to men He that wente downe is the selfe same hee that wente vp that he might fulfill all thynges And the same hath geuen some to be Apostles and some Prophetes and some Euangelistes and other some Pastors and teachers vnto the restoryng of the holy ones to the worke of ministration to the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we com all into the vnitie of Faithe and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of full growen age that we bee no more children that may be caried about with euery wynde of doctrine but folowyng truthe in charitie let vs in all thynges growe into him that is the hed euen Christ in whom the whole body conioyned and compacted together by all the ioynt of subministration accordyng to the workyng in measure of euery parte maketh encrease of the body vnto the edifiyng of it selfe by charitie By these wordes he sheweth that that ministerie of men which God vseth in gouernyng his Chirche is the chiefe synew wherby the faithfull cleaue together in one body and also he sheweth that the Chirche can not otherwise be preserued safe but if it be vpholden by these stays in whyche it pleased the LORDE to repose the saluation of it CHRIST saieth he is gone vp on hye that he myght fulfill all thinges This is the maner of fulfillyng that by his ministers to whom he hath committed that office and hath geuen the grace to execute that woorke he disposeth and distributeth his giftes to the Chirche yea and after a certayne maner geueth hym selfe present with extendyng the power of his spirite in this institution that it should not be vain or idle So is the restoryng of the holy ones performed so is the body of Christ edified so doo we by all thinges growe into hym that is the hed and doo growe together among our selues so are we all brought into the vnitie of Christ if prophecie flourishe among vs if we receyue the Apostles if we refuse not the doctrine ministred vnto vs. Therfore he goeth about the dissipation or rather the ruine and destruction of the Chirche whosoeuer he be that either endeuoureth to abolishe this Order of whom we speake and this kynde of gouernement or minisheth the estimation of it as a thyng not so necessary For neither the lighte and heate of the sunne nor meate and drynke are so necessary to nourishe and susteine this present life as the office of Apostles and pastors is necessarie to preserue the Chirche in earthe Therefore I haue aboue admonished that God hath oftentymes with suche titles as he coulde commended the dignitie thereof vnto vs that we should haue it in moste hye honour and price as the moste excellent thyng of all He testifieth that he geueth to men a singular benefite in raisyng them vp teachers where he commaundeth the Prophete to crye oute that faire are the feete and blessed is the commyng of them that bring tidyngs of peace and when he calleth the Apostles the lyght of the worlde and salte of the earthe Neither coulde this office bee more honourably
for the goodes of the poore that it is the shame of al priestes to study for their owne richesse But they can not receiue this but they must all condemne themselues of shame But it is not nedefull in this place to speake more hardly against them sithe my meanyng was nothyng els but to shew that among them the lawfull order of deaconry is long ago taken away that they may no more glorie of this title to the coÌ„mendation of their Chirche which I thinke I haue already sufficiently shewed The .vi. Chapter ¶ Of the Supremicie of the See of Rome HItherto we haue rehersed those orders of the Chirch whiche were in the gouernement of the olde Chirch but afterwarde corrupted in tymes and from thensefoorthe more and more abused doo nowe in the Popishe Chirche reteyne onely their name and in dede are nothyng els but visours that by comparison the godly reader might iudge what manner of Chirch the Romanists haue for whoe 's sake they make vs schismatikes because we haue departed froÌ„ it But as for the hed and top of the whole order that is to say the supremicie of the see of Rome wherby they trauaile to proue that they only haue the catholike Chirch we haue not yet touched it because it toke beginning neither froÌ„ the institution of Christ nor from the vse of the old Chirch as those former partes did whiche we haue shewed to haue so proceded from antiquitie that by wickednesse of tymes they are vtterly degenerate and haue put on alltogether a newe forme And yet they go about to persuade the worlde that this is the chiefe and in a maner onely bonde of the vnitie of the Chirch if we cleaue to the see of Rome and continue in the obedience therof They rest I say principally vppon this stay when they will take away the Chirche from vs and claime it to themselues for that they kepe the head vpon whiche the vnitie of the Chirch hangeth and withoute whiche the Chirche muste needes fall asunder and bee broken in pieces For thus they thynke that the Chirche is as it were a maimed and headlesse body vnlesse it be subiect to the see of Rome as to her head Therfore when they talke of their Hierarchie they aâ—way take their beginnyng at this principle that the Bishop of Rome as the vicar of Christe whyche is the head of the Chirche is in his steede President of the vniuersall Chirche and that otherwyse the Chirche is not well ordred vnlesse that See doo holde the Supremicie aboue all other Therfore this also is to bee examined of what sort it is that we may omitt nothyng that perteineth to a iust gouernement of the Chirche Let this therfore be the principall point of the question Whether it be necessary for the true forme of Hierarchie as they call it or ecclesiasticall order that one See should be aboue the other bothe in dignitie and in power that it may be the heade of the whole bodye But we make the Chirche subiect to to vniust lawes if we laye this necessitie vppon it without the worde of God Therfore if the aduersaries will proue that whiche they require they must first shew that this disposition was ordeined by Christ. For this purpose they alledge out of the lawe the hye priesthode also the hye iudgement which God did institute at Hierusalem But it is easy to geue a solution and that many wayes if one way doo not satisfie them First no reason compelleth to extende that to the whole worlde which was profitable in one nation yea rather the order of one nation and of the whole worlde shall be farre different Because the Iewes were on ech side compassed with idolatrers that they should not be diuersely drawen with varietie of religions God appointed the place of worshippyng him in the middest part of the lande there he ordeined ouer them one head Bishop whom they should all haue regard vnto that they might be the better kepte together in vnitie Now when religion is spred abroade into the whole worlde who doeth not see that it is altogether an absurditie that the gouernemeÌ„t of the East and west be geueÌ„ to one man For it is in effect as much as if a maÌ„ should affirme that the whole worlde ought to be gouerned by one ruler because one piece of lande hath no mo rulers but one But there is yet an other reason why that ought not to be made an example to be folowed No man is ignorant that that hie Bishop was a figure of Christ. Now sins the priesthode is remoued that right must also be remoued But to whom is it remoued Truely not to the Pope as he himself is so bold shamelessely to boast when he draweth this title to himselfe but to Christe whiche as he alone susteineth this office without any vicar or successor so he resigneth the honor to none other For the priesthode consisteth not in doctrine onely but in the appeasyng of God which Christe hath fully wrought by his death and in that intercession whiche he nowe vseth with his Father There is therfore no cause why they should bynd vs by this example as by a perpetuall rule whiche wee haue seen to be enduryng but for a tyme. Out of the new testament they haue nothing to bryng foorth for proofe of their opinion but that it was saied to one Thou art Peter and vpon this stone I will builde my Chirche Agayne Peter Louest thou me Fede my shepe But admittyng that these be strong proues they must first shewe that he whiche is commaunded to fede the flocke of Christ hath power coÌ„mitted to him ouer all Chirches that to bynd and to lose is nothing els but to be ruler of all the world But as Peter had receiued the commauÌ„dement of the Lord so he exhorteth all other priestes to fede the Chirch Hereby we may gather that by this sayeng of Christ there was either nothyng geuen to Peter more then to the rest or that Peter did egally coÌ„municate with other the power that he had receiued But that we striue not vainly we haue in an other place a cleare exposition out of the mouthe of Christ what is to bynd and to lose that is to say to reteine and to forgeue sinnes But the maner of binding and loosing both the whole Scripture ech where sheweth and Paule very wel declareth when he saith that the ministers of the Gospel haue coÌ„maundement to reconcile men to God and also haue power to punishe them that refuse this benefite How shamefully they wrest those places that make mention of binding and loosing I both haue already shortly touched and a litle hereafter I shal haue occasion to declare more at large Now it is good to se onely what they gather of that famous answere of Christ to Peter He promised hym the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen he sayed that whatsoeuer he bounde in earth shoulde be bounde in heauen
Nothing could haue more fitly serued the matter that he had in hand and it can not be sayed that it was for forgetfulnesse that he omitted it for he would haue done nothīg more willingly if the matter had suffred him He saw therfore wtout dout that that is the true reasō of vnitie which Ciprian excellētly wel describeth in these wordes The bishoprike is one wherof eche hath a part wholly and the Chirche is one whiche is with encrease of fruitefulnesse more largely extended into a multitude Like as there are many sunbeames and one light and many branches of a tree but one body grounded on a fast holdyng roote and like as from one fountain flowe many streames and though the multitude seme to be diuersely spread abrode with largenesse of ouerflowyng plētie yet the vnitie is kept whole in the original so the Chirch also being ouerspread with the light of the Lord extendeth her beames abroade throughout the whole worlde yet is it but one that is eche where poured foorth and the vnitie of the body is not seuered she spreadeth her branches ouer the whole worlde she sendeth out her ouerflowing streames yet is there but one head and one beginnyng c. Afterward The spouse of Christ can not be an adultresse she knoweth one onely house she kepeth the holinesse of one onely chamber with chast shamfastnesse You see how he maketh the vniuersal bishoprik to be Christ onely which comprehendeth the whole Chirch vnder him and saith that all they that execute the office of Bishop vnder this hed haue their partes therof wholly Where is the supremicie of the see of Rome if the whole byshoprike remayne with Christe onely and eche Bishop hath his part therof wholly These thynges therfore make to this purpose that the reader may vnderstande by the way that the olde fathers were vtterly ignorant of that principle whiche the Romanistes doo take for confessed and vndouted concerning the vnitie of an earthly head in the Hierarchie of the Chirche ¶ The .vii. Chapter Of the beginnyng and encreasyng of the Papacie of Rome vntill it aduaunced it selfe to this height wherby bothe the libertie of the Chirche hath ben oppressed and all the right gouernement therof ouerthrowen AS concernyng the auncientnesse of the supremicie of the see of Rome there is nothyng hadde of more antiquitie to stablishe it than that decree of the Nicene Synode wherein the Bishop of Rome bothe hath the firste place among the Patriarches geuen vnto him and is cōmaūded to looke vnto the Chirches adioynynge to the citie When the Councell maketh suche diuision betwene him and the other Patriarches that it assigneth to euery one their boundes truely it doth not appoint hym the head of all but maketh him one of the chief There were present Uitus and Uincentius in the name of Iulius which then gouerned the Chirche of Rome to them was geuen the fowerth place I beseeche you if Iulius were acknowledged the head of the Chirche should his Legates be thrust into the fowerth seat Should Athanasius be chiefe in the Councell where principally the image of the Hierarchicall order ought to be seen In the Synode at Ephesus it appereth that Celestinus whiche was then Bishoppe of Rome vsed a crooked suttle meane to prouide for the dignitie of his seate For when he sent his deputies thether he committed his stede to Cyrillus of Alexandria which should notwithstandyng otherwise haue ben the chiefe To what purpose was that same cōmitting but that his name might by what meane soeuer abide in the first place For his Legates sate in a lower place and were asked their opinion among the rest and subscribed in their order in the mean time the Patriarche of Alexandria ioyned Celestins name with his owne What shall I say of the seconde counsell at Ephesus where when Leos legates were present yet Dioscorus Patriarche of Alexandria sate the chief as by his owne right They wil take exception that it was no vpright counsell by which both the holy man Flauianus was condemned and Eutyches acquited and his vngodlynesse allowed But when the Synode was gathered when the Bishopes tooke their places in order verily the Legates of the Bishoppe of Rome sate there among the rest none otherwise than in a holy lawfull Councell Yet they striued not for the first place but yelded it to an other whiche they would neuer haue done if they had thought it to be theirs of right For the Bishops of Rome were neuer ashamed to entre into the greatest contentions for their honors and for this onely cause oftentymes to vexe and trouble the Chirche with many and hurtefull striues But because Leo sawe that it should be a to muche vnreasonable request if he should seeke to gette the chiefe place for his Legates therfore he successed it Then folowed the Councell of Chalcedon in which by the graunt of the Emperour the Legates of the Chirche of Rome sate in the chiefe place But Leo hymself confesseth that this was an extraordinarie priuilege For when he made petition for it to the Emperour Marcianus Pulcheria the Empresse he did not affirm that it was due to him but only pretended that the Easterne Bishops which sate as chief in the councell at Ephesus troubled all thynges and ill abused their power Where as therfore it was nedefull to haue a graue gouernour and it was not likely that they should be mete for it whiche had ones ben so light and disordered therfore he praied that by reason of the default vnfitnesse of other the office of gouerning might be remoued to hym Truely that which is gotten by singular priuiledge and beside order is not by common lawe Where this onely is pretended that there nedeth som newe gouernour because the former gouernours had behaued theim selues ill it is euident that it neither was so before nor oughte to continue so for euer but is doone onely in respect of present danger The Bishop of Rome therfore had the first place in the Councell at Chalcedon not because it was due to his see but because the Synod was at that tyme destitute of a graue and fitte gouernour while they that oughte to haue been the chiefe did through their owne intemperance and corrupt affection thruste themselues oute of place And this that I saye Leos successour dyd in dede proue For when he sence his Legates to the fifthe Synode at Cōstantinople which was holden long tyme after he brauled not for the firste seate but easily suffered Menna the Patriarche of Constantinople to sitte as chiefe So in the counsell at Carthage at whiche Augustine was present we see that not the Legates of the see of Rome but Aurelius Archbishop of that place sate as chiefe when yet the contention was about the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome Yea there was also a generall councell holden in Italy it selfe at which the Bishop of Rome was not present Ambrose was chiefe there which was in very
cup is called the couenant in the blood there is a promise expressed that may be of force to confirme Faith Wherupō foloweth that vnlesse we haue respect to God and embrace that which he offreth we doe not rightly vse the holy Supper Moreouer they also do not satisfie me which acknowleging that we haue some communion with Christ when they meane to expresse it doe make vs partakers only of the Spirite without making any mention of flesh and blood As though al those thinges were spoken of nothing that hys flesh is verily meate that his blood is verily drinke that none hath life but he that eateth that flesh and drinketh that blood and such other sayenges that belong to the same ende Wherfore if it be certaine that the full communicating of Christ procedeth beyonde their description as it is to narowly strained I wil now go about to knit vp in few wordes how large it is and how farr it extendeth it selfe before that I speake of the contrarie fault of excesse For I shal haue a longer disputation with the excessiue teachers which when according to their owne grossnesse they frame a maner of eating drinking ful of absurditie do also transfigure Christ stripped out of hys fleshe into a fantasie if yet a man may with any wordes comprehende so great a mysterie whiche I se that I can not sufficiently comprehende with minde and therfore I doe willingly confesse it that no man should measure the hynesse therof by the smal proportion of my childishnesse But rather I exhorte the reders that they do not restrayne the sense of their minde within these to narrowe boundes but endeuor to rise vp much hyer thā they can by my guiding For I my selfe so oft as I speake of this thing whē I haue trauailed to say all thinke that I haue yet sayd but litle in respecte of the worthinesse therof And although the minde can do more in thinking than the tong in expressing yet with greatnesse of the thing the minde also is surmounted and ouerwhelmed Finally therefore nothing remaineth but that I must breake fourth into admiration of that mysterie whiche neither the mind can suffise to thinke of nor the tong to declare Yet after suche manner as I can I wil set fourth the summe of my sentence which as I nothing dout to be true so I trust that it will not be disallowed of godly hartes First of all we are taughte out of the Scripture that Christe was from the beginning that life bringing worde of the Father the fountaine and original of life from whense all thinges euer receiued their hauing of life Wherfore Ihon somtime calleth him the worde of life and somtime writeth that life was in him meaning that he euen then flowyng into al creatures poured into them the power of breathing and liuing Yet the same Ihon addeth afterwarde that the life was then and not tyll then openly shewed when the Sonne of God taking vpō him our fleshe gaue himselfe to be seen with eyes and felte with handes For though he did before also spred abrode his power into the creatures yet because man beyng by synne estranged from God hauing lost the communion of lyfe saw on euery side death hanging ouer hym that he myght recouer hope of immortalitie it behoued that he should be receiued into the communion of that worde For how small a confidence mayest thou conceiue therof if thou heare that the worde of God in dede from which thou art most farr remoued cōteyneth in it selfe the fulnesse of lyfe but in thy selfe and rounde about thee nothyng offreth it selfe and is present before thine eyes but death But sins that fountayne of lyfe beganne to dwell in our fleshe nowe it lyeth not a farr of hydden from vs but presently deliuereth it selfe to be partaken of vs. Yea and it maketh the very fleshe wherein it resteth to be of power to bryng lyfe to vs that by partaking therof we maye be fed to immortalitie I am sayth he the bred of lyfe that am come downe from heauen And the bred whiche I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the lyfe of the worlde In whiche woordes he teacheth not onely that he is lyfe in respecte that he is the eternall woorde of God whiche came downe to vs from heauen but that in comming downe he poured the same power into the fleshe whiche he did put on that from thense the communicatyng of lyfe mighte flowe fourth vnto vs. Hereupon also these thinges nowe followe that his fleshe is verily mente and his blood is verily drinke with whiche sustenances the faythfull are fostered into eternall life Herein therfore consisteth singular comfort to the godly that nowe they finde life in their owne fleshe For so they doe not onely with easy passage atteine vnto it but haue it of it selfe layd abrode for them and offring it selfe vnto them Only let them holde open the bosome of their hart that they may embrace it beeyng present and they shall obteyne it But although the fleshe of Christe haue not so greate power of it selfe that it can geue life to vs whiche bothe in the owne firste estate of it was subiecte to mortalitie and nowe being endued with immortalitie liueth not by it selfe yet it is rightfully called lifebringing whiche is filled with fulnesse of lyfe to poure it into vs. In which meaning I doe with Cyril expounde that sayeng of Christ As the Father hath lyfe in himselfe so he hath also geuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe For there he properly speaketh of his giftes not whiche he from the beginning possessed with the Father but with whiche he was garnished in the same fleshe in whiche he appeared Therefore he sheweth that in hys manhode also dwelleth the fullnesse of lyfe that whosoeuer partaketh of his flesh and blood may therwithall also enioy the partaking of life Of what sort that is we may declare by a familiar example For as out of a foūtaine water is somtime drōk somtime is drawen somtime by forrowes is conueied to the watering of groundes which yet of it selfe doth not ouerflow into so many vses but from the very spring it selfe which with euerlasting flowing yeldeth and ministreth vnto it from tyme to tyme newe abundance so the fleshe of Christ is like a riche and vnwasted fountaine whiche poureth into vs the life springing from the Godhead into it selfe Nowe whoe seeth not that the communion of the fleshe and blood of Christe is necessarie to al that aspire to heauenly lyfe Hereunto tendeth that sayeng of the Apostle that the Chirch is the body of Christe and the fulfilling of it and that he is the hed oute of whiche the whole body coupled and knit together by ioyntes maketh encrease of the body that our bodies are the members of Christ. Al which thinges we vnderstande to be impossible to be brought to passe but that he must whellye cleaue to vs in Spirite and body