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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	godhead_n	person_n	property_n	2,378	5	9.5846	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02916	The epistle of the blessed apostle Saint Paule which he, in the time of his trouble and imprisonment, sent in writting from Rome to the Ephesians. Faithfully expounded, both for the benefite of the learned and vnlearned, by Nicholas Hemming ... Familiarlie translated out of Latine into English, by Abraham Fleming. Heerein are handled the high mysteries of our saluation, as maie appeare by the table of commonplaces necessarilie annexed by the same A.F. Perused and authorised.; Commentarius in epistolam Pauli ad Ephesios. English	Hemmingsen, Niels, 1513-1600.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1580 (1580)	STC 13057.8; ESTC S102723	176,886	270

the Church foure waies First in power and force For as the powers of man comming from the head are conueied throughout the whole bodie by the veines and sinewes so the faithfull what force soeuer they haue they receiue it from Christ For in that the faithfull are mortified in the flesh and quickened in the spirit they haue that by the power of Christs death and resurrection who is their head For the power and vertue of Christs death kéepeth the flesh vnder in the beléeuers and by the efficacie and force of Christs life a new spirit is begotten in man whereby it commeth to passe that he walketh in newnesse of life Secondlie Christ is called The head of the Church in perfection For he alone deserueth the praise of perfection in the Church For all vertues in him are most perfect from whom certeine beames as it were from the Sunne doe shine shoote vpon the faithfull Thirdlie Christ is called The head of the Church in merit For he alone in the Church hath merits wherewith he merited and deserued for vs the heauenlie inheritaunce Fourthlie Christ is called The head of the Church in dignitie order and authoritie For he alone is the Monarch of the Church and a Prince at no mans controllment But least anie should thinke that S. Paule speaketh of Christ onelie as of the Prince of the Church he addeth a seuenth member and saith Of the Church which is his bodie Christ therfore is the head the Church his bodie to whom all efficacie force power floweth from the head Heere we haue to marke a verie trimme definition of the Church whereby it is defined to be The bodie of Christ not naturall but mysticall Of this bodie there are two sorts of members to wit dead and liuing They are dead members who with the outward assemblie of the Church visible congregation make confession of their faith but yet are void of y e spirit of faith such are Heretikes Hypocrites carnall Gospellers The liuing or liuelie members are they which being indued w t a liuelie faith walke not after the flesh but after the spirit whereby they are lead to be briefe whosoeuer do sincerelie liue in Christianitie they are the liuelie members of Christ As for the Turkes vnbeléeuing Iewes other Heathenish hearted people they all are to be reputed thought neither liuelie nor dead members of the Church Moreouer when the Apostle saith Euen the fulnes of him that filleth all in all things he sheweth why he calleth the Church The bodie of Christ and therewithall declareth how great the loue of Christ is towards his Church which he calleth The fulnesse of himselfe For such is y e loue of Christ towards his Church that althogh he perfourme all healthfull things in all men yet notwithstanding he thinketh himselfe a head halt lame vnlesse he haue y e Church as his bodie knit vnto him Héerevpon it followeth that Christ is oftentimes taken for the whole Church together ioined vnto hir head as when it is said Sicut enim vnum corpus c. For as the bodie is one hath many members all the members of the bodie which is one though they be manie yet are but one body euen so Christ For by one spirit are we all baptised into one bodie that is that we might be made one bodie with Christ that we might grow into one body of Christ that y e whole church might be nothing els but one Christ of which growing together Baptisme the Lords supper are effectuall signes Héerevnto serueth the saieng of the Apostle Abrahae dictae sunt c. To Abraham and his seede were the promises made He saith not And to the seedes as speaking of manie but And to thy seede as of one which is Christ Héere the Apostle calleth Christ The whole bodie gathered together in one whose head and life Christ alone is the members of whom are the faithfull being partlie Iewes and partlie Gentiles This he concludeth in the ende of the Chapter more plainlie in these words Omnes vos c. Ye are all one in Christ Iesus Héerehence had these manner of speaches their vse and custome To be made one with Christ To be with Christ Christ to be in vs To be lead by the spirit of Christ To be chosen in Christ To be called iustified in Christ To liue in Christ To die with Christ To be crucified buried and rise againe with Christ Héereto also serueth that which followeth in the third Chapter following That the Gospell was preached and reuealed to the Gentiles that they should be inheritours also and of the same bodie and partakers of the promise in Christ Héerevnto also perteineth the words of Saint Paule to the Galathians where he saith That he liueth in Christ and Christ in him And to this also belongeth that speach of Christ Saule Saule why persecutest thou me Now what haue the faithfull to gather héereby Euen to build their hope and comfort vpon this that Christ cannot perish of whom they are members by faith Héerby also haue the faithfull to succour strengthen themselues in life in death and euerie daunger bicause they are assured that the time will come when Christ shalbe glorified with his whole bodie howsoeuer his members amidst the hurlie burlies of this world be contemned and spitefullie ouertroden But to the end we may knowe that Christ of himselfe néedeth not this fulnesse the Apostle addeth That filleth all in all things For indéed if Christ filleth and perfourmeth all in all things then doubtles he standeth not in need of anie mans helpe hérein towards this fulnesse but so far forth as it pleaseth him of his vnmeasurable bottomles bountie to vouchsafe y e Church to be ioined vnto him as if it were his bodie This place likewise containeth a plentifull testimonie touching Christs Godhead For séeing it doth properlie belong to the nature of God To fill all in all things seing this abilitie is héere ascribed vnto Christ That he filleth all in all things it followeth that Christ is true God and in person infinite and eternall It is therefore well said in the Church Christ is all in all euerie where Christ filleth all in all The sonne of the virgin is God For these titles are right wel applied to his person in respect of the nature of his Godhead not in respect of the nature of his manhood which hath his peculiar properties the taking awaie wherof is the taking awaie of the truth of Christs manhood the ouerthrowing of the hope of our resurrection Wherefore that saieng of S. Paule to the Philippians is throughly to be setled in memorie Nostra corpora c. That our vile bodies shall be changed and fashioned like vnto Christs glorious bodie Now if Christs manhood were turned into his Godhead as in times past the Eutychians wickedlie maintained and at this daie Stenkfield traiterouslie teacheth

straunge doctrine For our cause is common with the holie Apostles of God Neither are these words added in waste Who hath created all things by Iesus Christ For this saieng is a testimonie and witnesse of our new creation For it is méete and conuenient that by him we should be newlie created by whom we were first created As therefore God in olde time created the world by Iesus Christ so is his good pleasure by the same Iesus Christ to restore the world againe and to create it anew Out of this place is likewise gathered not onelie the eternitie and euerlastingnesse of the sonne For if God by his sonne created all things then surelie the sonne himselfe was not created because he was before euerie creature and therefore God but also a vnitie of two natures to wit of the Godhead and the Manhood being such a vnitie that the properties of both by reason of the vnitie of the person are communicated and yet the properties vnconfounded Therefore Saint Paule saith héere verie well That God made and created all things by Iesus Christ because this Iesus Christ is verie God And although it be rightlie said Iesus the sonne of Marie created all things yet notwithstanding it is amisse to saie That the nature of Christs manhood created all things For the nature of Christs manhood is indeede a creature and not a creator For the interchanging of properties whereby that which is proper to one is ascribed and giuen to the other for the communion of them in the same person is at no hand to be allowed or graunted in names of nature or as the vse is to speake in the Abstract because neither those things which are proper to the Manhood are to be ascribed to the Godhead as To be created To suffer To be temporall To be limitted c neither are those things which belong onelie to the Godhead in anie case to be attributed to the Manhood as To be vncreated Not to suffer To be eternall To be vnlimitted c but in the Concrete either naturall or personall either expressing one nature or declaring both this interchaungeable applieng of properties maie well be because of the identitie or selfesamenesse of the Hypostasis or person and a certeine necessarie sequeale or following as that those things which are proper vnto man should be ascribed vnto God and to the sonne of God as when it is said The Lord of glorie was crucified to wit The sonne of man was crucified now The Lord of glorie and The sonne of man is all one therefore the Lord of glorie was also crucified which is made manifest streightwaie by a Syllogisme expositorie or by a reason consisting in exposition So God in the latter daies became a little childe of whom the Prophet speaketh in this manner Puer natus est nobis c. For vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and he shall call his name Wonderfull Counseller The mightie God The euerlasting Father The Prince of peace c. Fiftlie when he saith To the intent that now vnto principalities and powers in heauenlie places that is to Gods holie Angels might be knowne by the Church the manifold wisedome of God farre aboue all wisedome of creatures he extolleth the perfect knowledge of Gods mysteries touching the saluation of the Gentiles by faith that he might the more deteine and kéepe the Ephesians in admiration and wondering at this mysterie For why should it not be wonderfull that contrarie things are made of contrarie things For by death life was recouered by weaknesse power was obteined by shame glorie was gotten to be short by death and the cursse life and saluation was giuen to them that were dead and damned And héereof it commeth that the Angels of Heauen are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen to stoope downe as it were and attentiuelie to behold and listen what the Apostles doe preach Howbeit this is not so to be taken as though the Angels profited by the preaching of the Church but because in the Church assembled and gathered out of Iewes and Gentiles they behold as in a glasse this wisedome of God and are asconnished as it were at this straunge spectacle that the Lord Christ vouchsafed the wicked wretched world so great glorie that all beléeuers should be blessed and liue with him euerlastinglie Sixtlie when it is added According to the eternall purpose which he wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord he calleth vs backe both to the first cause of our saluation to wit the eternall purpose of God whereby he decréed with himselfe from euerlasting to saue mankinde and also to the matter of this saluation namelie Iesus Christ But of these causes we haue spoken largelie inough in the first Chapter Verse 12. 12 By vvhom vve haue boldnesse and entrance vvith confidence by faith in him By whom we are bold to drawe nigh in that trust which we haue by faith in him THe Apostle setteth downe the summe of the benefits of the mysterie reuealed that is to saie of the Gospell and he addeth the manner or meane whereby men receiue those benefits Now the sum of the benefits is that we haue peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ For whosoeuer is not afraid boldlie to come before God they are persuaded out of doubt that God is at one with them and fauourable vnto them yea they dare call vpon him in all their necessities to be short they looke for all good and healthfull things at his hands The meane whereby we receiue these benefits is expressed when he saith By faith in him that is to saie by beléeuing in him This place is to be marked against the Papists which saie That faith is onelie a knowledge and an assenting to the storie For Saint Paule expresselie in this place ioineth confidence with faith which is the note or marke of a iustifieng faith Againe héere are set downe for vs to view thrée degrées of faith The first is to beléeue and agrée to the promises of the Gospell The second is confidence of mercie craued in Christ The third is boldnesse to goe vnto God and to call vpon him To conclude this place teacheth vs that calling vpon God cannot be without confidence in Christ For as by confidence we haue entrance vnto God so without confidence there is no comming to God Verse 13. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for your sakes vvhich is your glorie VVherefore I desire that you faint not because of mine afflictions for your sakes which is your praise THe second part of the Chapter now followeth which standeth vpon exhortation For the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians that they fall not from the Gospell because he being their Teacher is persecuted troubled Now this proposition is brought in vpon the former matter in this sort Because the mysterie is so excellent which God hath opened vnto you