y t he retaineth it among the ordinary gifts secondly in that he tyeth and lymitteth it to be moderated and ruled by the proportion of faith thirdly in that he commaundeth the Prophet to abyde in that calling fourthly in that immediately after he diuideth it into the office of the Doctour and Pastour all which can not agree with the giftes of foretelling things to come For that is not ordinary not alwayes limitted not alwayes to be retayned neither is it common to the Doctour and the Pastour therefore it must needes be thus expounded in this place as we haue sayde so that the meaning is hee whom God hath called sincerely to interpret his worde to the profit of his people let him abyde in that function For albeit that worde is wanting in the Greek text yet either that or some other of the like force must necessarily be vnderstood as the Greeke Scholiast and other writers doe well note But what is ment here by The proportion of faith To omit the opinions of men I take it to be the same which the Apostle before named The measure of faith and the meaning to be as if he shoulde saye he that is lawfully called by the church truly and purely to expound the Scriptures to the edification of the hearer let him abide therein according to the proportiō or measure of his gifts which are giuen him to occupie and exercise in faith for God hath giuen to some more to some lesse yea and somtimes blesseth him that hath lesse more than him that hath more Therefore euery man being called must abide therin and occupy his proper talent and gift with all diligence and faith to the edification of his owne flock Whereby we may plainly see what a Prophet is A Prophet is a member or minister of the Word of God which abideth in the true sincere interpretation thereof to the edification of his own peculier flock So Paul chargeth y e bishops at Ephesus to do Act. 20. The word trāslated office signifieth here all other ordinary functions besides the Pastor and Doctor In deede it is sometimes taken in scripture generally for all Ecclesiasticall functions sometime applyed to the ciuill Magistrate but that it is not so taken here it is manifest by the disiunctiue proposition either of whose partes cannot by any rule of reason comprehend both Wherefore as the Prophet hath to handle the Word so y e officer hath to handle not it but other necessary dueties wherein he must also continue with diligence and fidelity Let vs proceed to the seueral branches Or he that teacheth on teaching These wordes as they shewe the office of the Doctor wherein he must bee continually occupied not breaking in vpon any other ciuill or Ecclesiasticall calling so they may teach vs together what a true Doctor and Teacher is howe to define and distinguish him from all other ministers in the Church A Doctor or Teacher is a Prophet which truely soundly and reuetently expounding the Canonicall Scriptures continueth in teaching true doctrin to his own people for the establishing of their minds in the truth If any doubt of y e trueth hereof he may as well doubt of the Scriptures them selues out of the which euery part hereof is drawne For the Apostle here calleth the Doctor a Prophet that he must interpret y e canonical scriptures it appeareth first by the fourth of the 1. of Pet. Let him that speaketh speake as the words of God Secondly because who knoweth not that the Scriptures are giuen of the holy ghost and are sufficient to teach all trueth and that the Churche is built vpon this doctrine Lastly Christe sendeth vs to the Scriptures which witnesse of him and teacheth by them the trueth and confuteth errors Therfore the Doctours must onely expounde the canonicall Scriptures not the Apocripha or any mans writinges For the Lord will haue nothing brought into his holy assembly but that which he hath appointed And therefore albeit there were greate corruption in the Synagogues of the Iewes yet the histories of the Acts of the Apostles declare that nothing was read and expounded in them but the Law and the Prophetes not so much as the Caldie paraphrast For as the Prophetes might not in calling the people together blow any trumpets but those which were made and set apart for that purpose by the commaundement of God Numb 10. 28 so ought not the Ministers of God to expound or read openly in the congregation any writings but onely the Canonicall Scriptures which the Lorde hath set apart and sanctified for that vse That he must doe it properly purely and reuerently appeareth by Peter before cited hee must speak as the wordes of God Paule testifieth y t he spake as concerning Christ as of sincerity as of God as in the sight presēce of God 2. Cor. 2. 17. That he must be diligent continue in teaching the generall law prooueth it Last of al y t he must do it to his owne people the word it selfe prooueth for there is a necessary relation betweene y e Teacher and the learner the Doctor and the disciple Howe can hee teach except hee haue disciples howe can those be his Disciples which doe neither heare him nor learne of him The reason why he must doe it diligently to plant and establish his disciples mindes in the truth is because we are very dull to conceiue and learne and although lecture be vpon lecture doctrine vpon doctrine here a little and there a little yet we shal remaine ignorant and proceede slowly if the truth be not soundly beaten into our heades Againe because by this meanes the Pastor shall haue more time in exhorting and applying his exhortation to the present necessity of his people But if any say is this al to teach y e truth to his people by expounding y e scriptures must he not also confute errors stop the mouth of the aduersary No doubt he must But we must acknowledge here the wisedome of the holy ghost which meaneth heere by teaching the trueth the confutation also of errour for the rule of trueth is also the rule of falshood For as light expesseth darknesse so truth falshoode and who is better able to confute errors then hee that knoweth the true meaning of the word Thus you see what a true Teacher is and wherein his whole function consisteth There remaineth nothing but to giue him his schollers and to set him on worke for as the Doctor must continue in true sound and pure doctrine so his schollers must search diligently according to the example of the noble men in the Actes 17 whether his doctrine be true or not whether it bee soundly and purely gathered oute of the word or not As he is reuerently to handle the Word so they must reuerently receiue it as from the mouth of God The next braunche or speciall which Christe hath giuen to his Church is the gift of exhortation else-where called the Pastor who as
prophesie according to the proportiō of faith 7 Or an office let vs wait on the office then hee that teacheth on teaching 8 Or he that exhorteth on exhortion he that distributeth let him do it with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercy with chearefulnesse THese sixe verses necessarily inferred of the former containe a perpetuall Lawe touching the gouernement of Christes Church the continuall keeping whereof as it is the safety of the bodie so the breache of it is the destruction thereof The same is either generall appertaining to all the members of the Church declared by two familiar argumentes One of the contrarie vnto the law for the cleerer vnderstanding therof verse 3. ioyned in the same sentence with the law The other of a similitude wherin as in a glasse we may see the trueth necessitie of this law taken from the natural disposition of the bodye verse 4. 5. Or it is speciall belonging onely to publique persons that is to Prophetes the disposers of the word and Secreates of God whom he deuideth either into Doctors as in the latter ende of the 7. Uers. Pastors as in the beginning of the 8. verse officers occupied about other necessarie duties diuided into Deacons Rulers Attenders on the poore This generall law thus inferred necessarily vpon y e former exhortation as a most readie way and ordinarie meane whereby to haue certaine experience and triall what the good acceptable and perfect wil of God is teacheth the duetie and way of all Christians wherin they ought to walk continually without wearinesse The giuer whereof is not man but God For albeit Paule writ those wordes and this Epistle to the Christian sainctes at Rome yet he was but onely the pen man of the Lordes inditement or as Moses was the writer of the Lordes lawe and commaundement For he saith not I by mine owne authoritie or by any gift and grace in me but I saye thorough the grace that is giuen to me meaning no doubt that grace of his Apostolical authoritie which he being a blasphemer had receiued of God to publish by word and writing his will and counsel to the Gentiles that their faith religion might not be groūded builded vpon the weake sand of humaine traditions but vpon y e commandemēt of Christ the strong rocke and euerlasting foundation Where it is said I say it is all one in effect as if he should say I commaund For this Uerbe Lego in Greeke as also the Hebrue verb equiualent to the same especially beeing ioyned to the infinitiue Mood without an article is often vsed in that sense importing not a bare saying or affirmation but as here of necessitie it must seeing the Apostle sheweth not what hath beene is or shall be but what ought to be a flat law and commaundement So that for a more plaine demonstration of the truth it maye be thus expounded and resolued for I Paule by the authoritie of my Apostleship beeing a singular grace receiued by the free gift of God giue vnto euery one of you this generall lawe in the name of him whose Apostle I am inuiolablie and perpetually to be kept euen to the comming of Christ. Thus the Apostle maketh his enterance vnto the law with great wisdome and singular discretion for in that he sheweth his law not to proceede from himselfe or any other mortal man but onely from the lord of hostes whose apostle he was it doth not onely purchase great reuerence credite vnto it but also remoueth al iust occasion of enuy wherof he might haue bin suspected of vsurped authority wherwith the enemies of y e gospell might haue charged him if he shold not thus haue dō But now considering this law is his who only is the lawgiuer which is able to saue destroy no man can iustly contemne it or think it of small importance Also seeing the minister heereof was called and commaunded of this lawgiuer to write and preach it no man can safely enuy and contemne him or suspect him arrogantly to haue vsurped any vnlawful authority ouer the Romans or the Church of God Nowe then if Paul who was not in any spirituall gifts necessary for his calling inferior to the cheefe Apostles thought it a necessary point of wisdome and Christian duety both in respect of him selfe and of the Church here else where plainly to declare as wel who was this lawgiuer as the authour of his function and Apostleship how much more necessary deare brethren ought you to thinke it is for the Ministers in our time whose giftes in comparison of Paules are very fewe and small to let vs see both the authour of their doctrin and laws and also of their particuler function For if they commaund vs any thing hauing not receiued it from this Law-giuer by whose spirite wee must liue in all obedience of his will why shoulde we obey Nay why may we not cast it from vs as a vayne and fond tradition of man Againe if they cannot shew vs the authour of their Ministery and the grace they haue receiued for the godly and acceptable discharge thereof why may we not iustly iudge them to be either prowd vsurpers of vnlawful functions inuented of man or couetous intruders of them selues into the lawfull callings for the which they are vnmeete I would all those which haue any publique place in the Churche of England seeing they will not voluntarily follow this wisdome of Paul might be compelled by the godly wise Magistrates to shew the proof of their ministerie out of y e word and the gifts which God hath giuen them meete for the discharge of their calling For thē I assuredly perswade my selfe that the Lord iniustice and mercy would so direct their sword that it would cut off not onely the head shoulders armes legges and all the rotten members of popish religion but also shred of from the true Church of God and the beloued spouse of Christe all ignoraunt idle wicked and hurtfull hirelings with all the reliques of Antichristian vsurped power which nowe to the greate and present perill of the Lordes Uineyarde do occupy the place and roome of most faithfull and painfull work-men But a fitter place for this matter shall be offered hereafter It is not to be omitted that Paule tearmeth his Apostolical function A grace giuen of God For herein he giueth the Romans vs in them to vnderstand that if they shall reiect or lightly regard his function and the precepts he giueth to euery one of them by the vertue thereof That then they openly shew thēselues reiectors or light esteemers not onely of him his word but also of the grace and gift of God which after this manner appeareth in him for their saluation The which cogitation might breede in them a reuerent opinion of his person being the Ambassadour of Christ a godly care diligently to receiue and louingly imbrace the grace of God giuen him and by him offered vnto them
of Leuites If Priests then either the high Priest as Aaron and Eleazar after him or such as were vnder him ouer the rest as Eliazaph the ouerseer of the Gershonites or Elizaphan the ouerseer of the Coathites and Zuriel of the Merarites Their office was publikely to teach to praye to offer sacrifice to keepe the vessels of the sanctuary The office of the other Leuites was to minister and serue the Priestes in all thinges belonging to the discharge of their necessarie duties And this is the distinction betweene the office of Priest and the office of the Leuite Hereby therefore it appeareth that the Lord allotted vnto euery one his seueral office to be as it were his standing place out of the which he should not step one foote either to the left hande or to the right neither dislike his place but fullye content him selfe therewith without enuying of anye that were in more excellent roomes And as the Lorde knew this order of distinguishing offices to be verie expedient and good for his Church so he hath reuenged himselfe most seuerely vpon the breakers hereof of what calling soeuer they were or with what affection or intent soeuer they did transgresse this established order of gouernment King Azaria as we reade in the seconde of the Chronicles the 26. Chapiter otherwise called Vzzia was striken with an vncurable leprosie because lifting vp his hart he vsurped the office of the Priest went into the Temple to burne incense vppon the Altar Vzza for supporting the Arke which was the only office of the Leuites notwithstanding his good intent for the Oren did shake the Arke was strikē with sudden death Corah Dathan Abiram because they presumed aboue their vocation went down aliue into the pit for the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them vp with all that they had All which ought to teach vs how acceptable this order of seuerall callinges is to God and to breed in our hartes both a care and conscience to keep it and a feare and terrour to breake it But least any should imagin this distinction of vocations to serue onelie for the law hauing no vse or profit vnder the Gospell let vs search the new Testament Was there no difference I pray you betweene Iohn Baptist and his Disciples and the Disciples of Christ None betweene them and other Christians that were Baptized and followed Christ None betweene the Prophet and Apostle betweene the Pastour and the Deacon What were all Apostles Were all Prophetes Had all the giftes of healing Were all Teachers Or did all interpret What was the bodie one member No no the Lord hath ordained in his church many members yet but one body Whereby it is certaine that as it pleased God vnder the lawe to establishe this distinction of callinges in Israel So hath he done now vnder the Gospell in the new Ierusalem For our Apostle in the 12. to the Corinth the first Epistle straightly chargeth euery one to walke in that calling wherin he is His words are these Let euery man abide in that same vocation wherin he was called Againe a little after Let euery man wherein he was called therin abide with God In which words he teacheth that the most excellent gifts of a Christian which we by faith receiue of Christ the eternall feed of regeneration can not neither ought to mooue vs to loath our former calling be it neuer so lowe or base neither to desire to step into any other till it please God to offer vnto vs some iust necessary cause of change to ad vnto y e cōmon giftes of a Christian some speciall which are proper and peculier for that lawfull calling whereunto our desires are wholly and onely carried and the Lorde effectually calleth vs. But least any should obiect that this generall law is not so straightly to be kept of all besides that the wordes of this text will confute him he may read the 17. verse of the 7. Chapiter to the Corinthians Or if he proceede and say it is no ordinance established or not in all Churches the very wordes of the Text there will ouerthrowe him But as God hath distributed to euery man as the Lord hath called euery one so let him walke and so ordaine I in all Churches Then wee see in effect what this generall Lawe is Namely that as Souldiers in Warre haue and keepe euery one his standing place in the sight of their Captaine so euerye Christian shoulde haue and keepe his seuerall calling in the presence of the Lorde of life who hath in wisedome and mercy called them thereunto For if they do not as experience teacheth in warre and in peace then they must needes tumble and indanger them selues vere and greeue others hurt and disquiet the church whose peace and felicity all her Children oughte to redeeme euen with the losse of bloud and life O that this Lawe were deepely printed and grauen in the hearts of all Christians and were as easely to bee learned seene in our liues as it may be in this precept then we should see with no smal ioy the Church our mother with cheerefull countenaunce to lift vp her heade which now to the greefe of many hangeth verie low and whose heart lamenteth the loosenesse securitie the aspyring and vnquiet mindes and y e continuall disorder of her children which had rather do any thing then that which principally concerneth them For if it be demanded from whence commeth al this disorder at home abroad in publique and priuate persons in common wealth and in the Church in towns in Uniuersities and in Cities the cause is euident no man can deny it father and childe husband and wife master and seruaunt rich and poore magistrate and subiect Pastor and people haue broken and transgressed this generall Law and commandement of God They know not truely their giftes and callings they haue not humbly and soberly esteemed of them they haue not wisely discreetely and with a single eye iudged themselues they haue not with care and conscience discharged their duetie to God Finallie they haue broken out of their standing places and burst asunder the lists of their callings cannot neither will be bounde to order obedience no not with the bondes of the Lawe of their Creator The causes of all this disorder in all degrees shall appeare and bee declared in their proper places next following as also the remedies wherby it may be remooued and good order the health of both the bodies restored and brought again into the Church and common-wealth It followeth in the text That no man presume to vnderstande aboue that which is meete Paul declareth this generall Law first as you see by the contrary that wee might the better vnderstand see by this negation what he ment by the affirmation and also that we might wisely collect the cause of the former disorder whereof I haue spoken A wise and vsuall order in exhorting obserued of the Prophetes
O damnable boldnesse O couetous Patrons that for gaine present such vnworthy men to the Bishops O foolish men that will commend thē whom they ought to dispraise O miserable Bishops that by laying on of their handes lift vp those into Moses chaire who ought rather to bee thruste to the tayle of the plow What doth more dishonour God discredite the Gospell confirme the aduersaries of the truth and incourage the rebell in his treason then this ignorance and impietie of the Ministers For I beseech you tell me can the honour and praise of Gods wysdome be commended by the folly and ignoraunce of his Minister Can the inestimable treasure and riches of the gratious Prince be seene in the beggerly nakednesse of an vngratious and base Ambassador Can the aduersaries of the grace of Christe by looking vppon an idoll which hath nothing but a shew of that it is not bee diswaded from the worshippe of Idolles Can hee bring men from errour which can teach no truth Can hee that is trayterously affected to Magistracie become a loyall subiect and neuer heare his Pastour prooue by the word of God that all must be subiect not onely for feare but for conscience sake Finally can the carnal minded man and the blasphemouse Atheist be perswaded that Christe is the redeemer of the worlde whose Ministers these be Therefore as all Christians are priuately to looke vnto them selues their giftes and callinges that they tye and bind their iudgement and affection to the measure of that faithfull grace they haue receiued so all Magistrates are by the swoord of their authoritie which they beare not in vaine to keepe and hold their Christian subiectes within the compasse of their limittes Now followeth the last reason of the generall law For as we haue many members in one bodye and all members haue not one office so we beeing many are but one body in Christ euery one one anothers members This last reason taken from the mutuall disposition of the body is by the Apostle applyed not onely to the Saintes at Rome but also generally to the whole Church of CHRIST which as it teacheth an vnitie of bodie a multitude of members vnder one heade a variety of duties and a diuersitie of gifts so it sheweth manifestly that this destinction in the body wherof ariseth the gouerment of the whole making for the safety of the whole and euery part is most necessary most profitable and therefore perpetuall and immutable In consideration whereof I will laye out the partes more plainly least any shoulde take vppon him through presumption a greater charge then he can sustaine or the measure of his gifts permit and the rather for that there are in these two verses 4. similitudes albeit at the first vewe there seemeth to bee but one The first is as we haue in one naturall body many mēbers so wee haue in one catholique Church many members The second as all members of the naturall body haue not one office so all the members of the Church haue not one office The thirde as many members in the natural body haue one head wherein they are so many members in the Church haue one head wherin they are The fourth and last as in a naturall body euery member is anothers so in the Church euery member is anothers Al which particuler similitudes are necessarily collected out of the Apostles words in the 4. and 5. verses as you may plainly see The same similitudes though not in the same wordes yet to the same purpose our Apostle vseth in the twelfth Chapiter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians saying As the body is one and hath many members all the members of the body which is one though they be many yet are but one body euen so is Christ that is the church of Christ. Hee prosecuteth it farther as wee shall hereafter see But first let vs somewhat more diligentlie consider according to these foure similitudes of the state condition and regiment of the Churche of Christe heere in earth for hence arise foure most excellent and worthie rules touching the spirituall gouernment of the misticall body of Christ. The first is this There must be and ought to be in the church of Christe manie members The first similitude teacheth this the 12. to y e Corinthians doth conclude and determine it for the body is not one member but many againe if they were all one member where were the body but now there are many members yet but one body therefore there must be manie members in the Church By a member he meaneth such a part of the body as hath receiued from the heade some particular and necessarie gifte fit to helpe and benefite the whole body and euery member thereof as it appeareth by the last similitude and by the enumeration of the parts immediatly following Now if you aske me howe manie members there be in the bodie what they be and howe they bee named and called and what be their duties and callings the Apostle him selfe will aunswere plainly in the next verses and perfectlie and fully determine all these questions saying These members are either Doctors to teach Pastors to exhort Elders to rule Deacons to distribute Attenders vppon the poore straungers and the sicke or else the people and Saints which are taught exhorted ruled and receiue almes and releefe These are al no mo no fewer So the necessity of y e relation plainly prooueth these are such as are able to execute performe any duty belonging to the perfect building vp and adorning of the mystical body of Christ as shall hereafter appeare more at large in the particular handling of euery seuerall office Now I beseech you let vs iudge indifferently of y e body of y e Church of England whether it be perfect or no hauing no wāt of any necessary mēber nor any part vnnecessary For if nature lack any one be it neuer so base if it be but one toe she is sory she is grieued she lamēteth she iugeth her self maimed yea she wold redeem it w t the perill of loosing the rest such is her loue and desire to appeare in her beautye and perfection The Church of God in England deare Christians which is the beloued spouse of Christ which desireth to appeare most beautifull and perfect in the eyes of her louer shee wanteth her Pastours Teachers Elders Deacons and her Attenders vppon the poore therefore she hangeth downe her head for heauines her eyes bee bleared with teares her cheekes be defiled with the water of her eyes her heart is heauy with sorrow her bones are withered with drinesse her whole body is cloathed in sackcloth she lyeth in caues and dennes beeing almost ashamed to shew her face hauing so deformed and maymed a body Which ought to be as bright as the Sunne and as fayre as the Moone yea of ten thousand the chiefest Againe on the other side if nature do espie in the body anye superfluous member
as if shee haue three handes three feet or six fingers by and by she mislyketh her selfe she hateth the superfluity she laboreth to cut it off because she is contended with her selfe desiring no mo partes then shee hath nay hating if it bee but a knob of flesh that is more then needs She would haue manye members but not too many she would haue all her members she wold want none least she should appeare either monstrous which is feareful or maimed which is hatefull Euen so is it with the Church and spouse of Christ in England For as she is grieued for the lack of those partes which are wanting so shee abhorreth and loatheth such as are abounding as namely the callinges of Archbishops Bishops deanes Archdeacons Deacons Chauncellers Commissaries Officials all such as be rather members and partes of the whore and strumpet of Rome then of the pure virgin and Spouse of the immaculate Lambe Therefore she desireth these if they will needs be of her body to shew that they bee created of God and vnited to her by Christ her heade If they will needes be of the heauenly Hierusalem let them shew that they came down from heauen and who gaue them from thence For the Apostles neuer knewe them Sion hath not hearde of them Hierusalem which is aboue wil not acknowledge them the watchmen no doubt beeing a sleepe they haue crept into the Citie of the Lord. But now they are espied now the Church complayneth of them both because they haue no title nor interest in it as publique members and also because by the length of their vnlawfull swoordes they keepe out lawfull members of the body We therefore that are the Lordes remembrauncers must neuer let him rest till he haue expelled them out of Hierusalem wherin they haue no right to exercise such vnlawfull authoritie Therefore we humbly desire and beseech all that are in higher places and haue accesse vnto her excellēt Maiesty that they woulde for the loue they beare to the Church of Christ in tender compassion looke vpon our Church which maketh so iust a complaint that they would send for the Preachers of the word enquire what is lacking and what is too much and so repayre and build vp the walles of Hierusalem the praise of the world The second rule is that the members of the body must haue but one office that is euery one his seueral distinct office For God is not the author of confusion but of good order and necessary distinction So sayth Paule There are diuersity of giftes and administrations of operations yet but one spirite one Lorde one God which worketh all in all And least any should obiect that this maye be and yet no let but that one man hauing manye giftes maye haue diuers offices for though they bee diuers one in respect of an other yet they maye agree in one man we must consider that the Apostle speaketh here of diuers mēbers of one body meaneth y t euery one must haue his seueral gift y t maketh a seueral office for the cōmon profit of others This seuerall and speciall gift bindeth to one seuerall and special office For the same Apostle teacheth that those gifts are not only distinguished in nature but also in person saying To one is giuen the worde of wisedome vnto an other the worde of knowledge c. Therefore euerye personne or member of the Church muste haue his owne proper and seuerall office that he maye vse it to the common commoditie of all his fellow-members If the naturall members of the bodye doe perfectly performe their seuerall dutyes then it muste needes goe wel with the body and nature must needes delight and take greate pleasure in it but if contrarily one member do encroch vpon the office of an other it must needes tend to the destruction of the body So assuredly the estate of the Church is best and most flourisheth when there is neither too many nor too few members according to the first rule neither confusion of offices according to the second Seeing then beloued in our church the Deacon encrocheth vpon the office of the Pastor for he prateth openly and ministreth the Sacraments women vpon the office of men for they baptize priuate men vppon the office of publique persons for one man doth suspend from the Sacramentes and excommunicate the Doctour vpon the office of the Pastour for both indifferently teach exhort and minister the sacraments the Ecclesiasticall person vpon the office of the ciuill Magistrate and contrarily the ciuill vppon the Ecclesiasticall for they interchangeablye handle and discide ciuill and Ecclesiasticall controuersies seeing I saye here is no distinction but confusion no contenting with one duetye but encroching vppon many no wyse order in gouernment but a foolishe and pernicious shuffeling togeather of diuers dueties which the Lorde hath heere and else where in sundry places of his word distinguished haue we not iust and necessary cause to beseech and pray such as be in authority not to suffer their eye-lids either to slūber or sleep til they haue remooued these superfluities supplied these wants and refourmed this intollerable confusion that the body of the Church may appeare in her perfect beauty and health The 3. rule is these many members must haue but one head to whom they are most nearely surely vnited and of whom they must be onely and perpetually ruled All the parts of the naturall body because they are by many iointes and bandes fitly and surely coupled to the head they receiue life sense power motion and strength to perfourme their duties and mutually to helpe one another and all this is done by the vertue of this naturall vnion For if that were not no part were able to serue either it selfe or any other so that beeing in this vnion they liue being seuered they dye and perish Euen so it fareth with the members of y e Church for they beeing by spirituall ioints handes surely vnited knit to Christ their heade he conuayeth into euerye one by his spirite and faith life to quicken them wisedom to lighten them sense for feeling and all other graces and strength to defend them against all aduersary power and to bring them to the perfect vnion and fellowship which is in himselfe We are the tender braunches he is the vine if we be in him we shall receiue spirituall nourishment to life euerlasting and al things that appertaine to our health if we be out of him we can not but die and that eternally He onely is the vine whereinto we must be graffed he onely is the band that bindeth vs vnto him the braunches that are not in the vine must needes wither and die if he binde vs not vnto him selfe we must needes scatter abroade and fall asunder one from an other He onely is the cause of all vnion with him selfe and among the members to make all the members at one with him and with them selues And also