That his owne preaching among them, was in humble manner in the sight of man. 5. Howbeit it
is most profound wisedom (as they should and would perceiue, if they were not carnal) which is
taught in the Church of Christ.
1. AND I (Brethren) when I came to you, I came not in loftinesse of speach or of wisedom,
preaching to you the testimonie of Christ.
2. For I iudged not my self to know any thing among you but Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ, and
him crucified.
3. And
*
Act. 18.
I was with you in infirmitie, and feare and much trembling:
4. and my speach and my preaching was not in the persuasible words of humane wisedom,
but in shewing of spirit and power;
5. that your faith might not be in the wisedom of men, but in the power of God. But
we speake wisedom among the perfect.
6. But the wisedom not of this world, neither of the Princes of this world, that come
to naught:
7. but we speake the wisedom of God in a mysterie, which is hid, which God did
predestinate before the worlds, vnto our glorie:
8. which none of the Princes of this world did know: for if they had knowen, they
would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glorie.
9. But as it is written:
*
Isai. 64,4.
That which eye hath not seen, nor eare hath heard, neither
hath it ascended into the hart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that loue him.
10. But to vs God hath reuealed by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth al things,
yea the profundities of God.
11. For what man knoweth the things of a man,
But the spirit of man.
How Angels and Saints & mortal men know our cogitations.
One man can not know another's cogitations naturally: but God giueth to Prophets
and other, euen in this world oftentimes, by extraordinary grace to know mens
secrets. As he did to S. Peter, to know *the fraud of Ananias and Saphira: and to
Eliseus, his seruant's bribery in his absence, and what was done in the **King of
Syria his chamber. And as he giueth to al ***Angels and Saints (so farre as is
conuenient to our necessities and their heauenly glorie) to vnderstand not only our
vocal praiers, but our inward repentance and desires.
*Act. 5.
**4. King. 5. & 6.
***Luke 15,7.
but the spirit of a man that is in him?
so the things also that are of God no man knoweth, but the spirit of God.
12. And we haue receiued not the spirit of this world, but the spirit that is of God:
That we may know.
The Heretikes allegation for their vaine securitie, answered.
The Protestants that chalenge a particular spirit reuealing to each one his owne
predestination, iustification, and saluation, would draw this text to that purpose.
Which importeth nothing els (as is plaine by the Apostles discourse) but that the Holy
Ghost hath giuen to the Apostles, & by them to other Christian men, to know God's
ineffable guifts bestowed vpon the beleeuers in this time of grace: that is, Christes
Incarnation, Passion, presence in the Sacrament, & by the incomprehensible ioyes of
Heauen, which Pagans, Iewes and Heretikes deride.
that we may know the things that of God are giuen to vs.
13. Which also we speake not in learned words of humane wisedom; but in the doctrine
of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things to the spiritual.
14. But
The sensual man.
The sensual man.
The sensual man is he specially, that measureth these heauenly mysteries by natural
reason, humane prudence, external sense, and worldly affection, as the Iew, Pagane,
and Heretike doe: and sometime both here and elswhere the more infirme and ignorant
sort of Christian men be called sensual or carnal also, who being occupied in secular
affaires, and giuen to sensual ioy and worldlines, and haue no such sense nor feeling
of these great guifts of God, as the perfecter sort of the faithful haue. Who trying
these high points of religion, not by reason and sense, but by grace, faith, and
Spirit, be therfore called spiritual.
The spiritual man.
The spiritual then is he, that iudgeth and discerneth the truth of such things as the
carnal can not attaine vnto: that doth by the spirit of the Church, wherof he is
partaker in the vnitie of the same, not only see the errours of the carnal, but
condemneth them and iudgeth euery power resisting God's spirit and word: the carnal
Iew, Heathen, or Heretike, hauing no meanes nor right to iudge of the said spiritual
man.
How the Spiritual man iudgeth al, & is iudged of none.
For when the spiritual is said to be iudged of none, the meaning is not that he should
not be subiect or obedient to his Pastours and spiritual Powers and to the whole
Church, specially for the trial or examination of al his life, doctrine, and faith:
but that a Catholike man namely a Teacher of Catholike doctrine in the Church, should
not be any whit subiect to the iudgement of the Heathen or the Heretike, nor care what
of ignorance of infidelitie they say against him. For such carnal men haue no
iudgement in such things, nor can attaine to the Churches wisedom in any ceremonie,
mysterie, or matter which they condemne.
The Church is vnder no man's iudgement.
Therfore S. Irenæus excellently declaring that the Church and euery spiritual child
therof, iudgeth and condemneth al false Prophets and Heretikes of what sort soeuer, at
length he concludeth with these notable words: *the spiritual shal iudge also al
that make schismes, which be cruel, not hauing the loue of God, and respecting their
owne priuate, more then the vnitie of the Church; mangle, deuide, and (as much as in
them liteth) kil for smal causes the great and glorious body of Christ, speaking
peace, and seeking battaile. He shal iudge also them that be out of the truth, that
is to say, out of the Church: which Church shal be vnder no man's iudgement for to the
Church are al things knowen, in which is perfect faith of the Father, and of al the
dispensation of Christ, and firme knowledge of the Holy Ghost that teacheth al
truth.
*Iren. li. 4. c. 62.
the sensual man perceiueth not those things that are of the Spirit of God. For
it is foolishnes to him, and he can not vnderstand; because he is spiritually examined.
15. But the spiritual man iudgeth al things: and himself is iudged of no man.
16. For
*
Isai. 40,14.
who hath knowen the sense of our Lord that may instruct him? But we haue
the sense of Christ.