He exorteth them to keep the vnitie of the Church most carefully with al humilitie, bringing
them many therevnto: 7 & answering that euen the diuersitie it-self of offices is not for diuision,
as being the guift of Christ himself, but to build vp the Church, and to hold al in the vnitie
thereof against the suttle circumuentions of Heretikes: that vnder Christ the Head, in the Church
being the body, euery member may prosper. 17. Neither (as touching life) must we liue like the Heathen,
but as it becometh Christians, laying off al our old corrupt manners, & increasing daily in al goodnes.
1.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 17. Sunday after Pentecost. And in a Votiue Masse against Schisme.
I Therfore prisoner in our Lord, beseech you, that you walke worthy of the vocation in
which you are called,
2. with al humilitie and mildnes, with patience, supporting one another in charitie,
3. careful to keep the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace.
4. One body & one spirit: as you are called in one hope of your vocation.
5. One Lord,
One faith.
Vnitie of the Cat. Church.
As rebellion is the bane of ciuil Common-wealths and Kingdoms, and peace, and concord, the
preseruation of the same: so is Schisme, diuision, and diuersitie of faith or fellowship in
the seruice of God, the calamitie of the Church: and peace, vnitie, vniformitie, the special
blessing of God therein: and in the Church aboue al Common-wealths, because it is in al points
a Monarchie tending euery way to vnitie: But one God, but one Christ, but one Church, but one
hope, one faith, one baptisme, one head, one body. Wherof S. Cyprian li. de vnit. Eccles. nu.
3. saith thus: One Church the Holy Ghost in the person of our Lord designeth & saith, One is
my doue. This vnitie of the Church he that holdeth not, doth he thinke he holdeth the faith? He
that withstandeth and resisteth the Church, he that forsaketh Peters chaire vpon which the
Church was built, doth he trust that he is in the Church? When the blessed Apostle S. Paul also
sheweth this Sacrament of vnitie, saying: One body & one Spirit &c. Which vnitie we Bishops
specially that rule in the Church, ought to hold fast and maintaine, that we may proue the
Bishoply function also it self to be one and vndiuided, &c. And againe, *There is one God,
and one Christ, and one Church, and one Chaire, by our Lordes voice founded vpon Peter. Another
altar to be set-vp, or a new Priesthood to be made, besides one altar, & one Priesthood, is
impossible.
*Ep 40.
Schisme detestable.
Whosoeuer gathereth els-where, scattereth. It is adulterous, it is impious, it
is sacrilegious, whatsoeuer is instituted by man's furie to the breach of Gods diuine disposition.
Get ye farre from the contagion of such men, & fly from their speaches as a canker and pestilence,
our Lord hauing premonished and warned before-hand, They are blind, leaders of the blind &c.
Among heretikes as many faiths as wils.
Whereby we learne that this vnitie of the Church commended so much vnto vs, consisteth in the
mutual fellowship of al Bishops with the See of Peter. S. Hilarie also (li. ad Cinstant.
August.) thus applieth this same place of the Apostle against the Arians, as we may doe against
the Caluinists. Perilous and miserable it is, saith he, that there are now so many
faiths as wils, and so many doctrines as manners; whiles either faiths are so written as we
wil, or as we wil, so are vnderstood: and wheras according to one God, and one Lord, and one
Baptisme, there is also one faith, we fal away from that which is the only faith, and whiles
moe faiths be made, they begin to come to that, that there is none at al.
one faith, one Baptisme.
6.
*
Malac. 2,10.
Ro. 12,4.
One God and Father of al, which is ouer al, and by al, & in al vs.
7.
⋮
The Epistle vpon Ascension eue. And vpon SS. Simon and Iudes day.
But
*
1. Cor. 12,4.
Ps. 67,19.
to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the donation of
Christ.
8. For the which he saith: Ascending on high he lead captiuitie captiue:
he haue guifts to men.
9. (And that he ascended, what is it, but because he descended also first into the
✟
He meaneth specially of his descending to Hel.
inferiour parts of the earth?
10. He that descended, the same is also he that is ascended aboue al the Heauens, that
he might fil al things.)
11. And
*
1. Cor. 12,28.
he gaue,
Some Apostles.
The Heretikes foolish negatiue argument against the Pope answered.
many functions that were euen in the Apostles time, are not here named: which must be noted
against the Aduersaries that cal here for Popes. As though the names of Bishops, Priests, or
Deacons were not as wel left out as Popes: whom yet they can not deny to haue been in vse
in S. Paules daies. And therfore they haue no more reason, out of this place to dispute against
the Pope, then against the rest of the Ecclesiastical functions.
The Popes office is called an Apostleship.
Neither is it necessarie to
reduce such as be not specified here, to these here named: though indeed both other Bishops
and Prelates and specially Popes may be conteined vnder the names of Apostles, Doctours and
Pastours. Certes the room and dignitie of the Pope is a very continual Apostleship, and S.
Bernard calleth it Apostolatum. Bern. ad Eugen. lib. 4. c. 4. & c. 6. in fine.
some Apostles, & some Prophets, & other-some Euangelists & other-some
Pastours & Doctours,
12. to the consummation of the Saints, vnto the worke of the Ministrie, vnto the
edifiying of the body of Christ:
13.
Vntil we meet.
Continual succession of Bishops, an euident argument of the true visible Church.
The Church of God shal neuer lack these spiritual functions, or such as be answerable to
them, according to the time and state of the Church, til the worlds end. Whereby you may
proue, the Catholike Church, that is to say, that visible companie of Christians which hath
euer had, and by good recordes can proue they haue had, a continual ordinarie succession of
Bishops, Pastours, and Doctours, to be the only true Church: and these other good fellowes
that for many worlds or Ages together can not shew that they had any one Bishop, or
ordinarie yea or extraordinarie officer for them and their Sect, to be an adulterous Heretical
Generation.
The Fathers refuted Heretikes by the succession of the Bishops of Rome.
And this place of the Apostle assuring to the true Church a perpetual visible
continuance of Pastours and Apostles or their Successours, warranted the holy Fathers to trie
al Heretikes by the most famous succession of the Popes of Rome. So did S. Irenæus, li. 3. c.
3. Tertullian, in præscript Optatus, li. 2. cont. Parmen S. Augustine, in
ps. cont part. Donat. & cont. ep. Manic. c. 4. & Ep. 165. Epip. hæres. 27 and others.
vntil we meet al into the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into
a perfect man, into the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ:
14. that now we be not children wauering, and caried about
With euery wind.
Heretical blasts carie away the inconstant only.
The special use of the spiritual Gouernours is, to keep vs in vnitie and constancie of the
Catholike faith, that we be not caried away with the blast or wind of euery heresie. Which
is a very proper note of Sects and new doctrines that trouble the infirme weaklings of the
Church, by certaine seasons of diuers Ages: as sometime the Arians, then the Manichees,
another time the Nestorians, then the Lutherans, Caluinists, and such like: who at diuers
times in diuers places, haue blowen diuers blasts of false doctrine.
with euery wind of doctrine
in the wickednes of men, in craftines to the circumuention of errour.
15. But doing the truth in charitie, let vs in al things grow in him which is the Head,
Christ:
16. of whom the whole body being compact and knit together by al iuncture of
subministration, according to the operation in the measure of euery member, maketh the increase of
the body vnto the edifiying of it-self in charitie.
17. This therfore I say and testifie in our Lord: that now you walke not as also the
*
1. Pet. 4,3.
Ro. 1,21.
Gentils walking in the vanitie of their sense,
18. hauing their vnderstanding obscured with darkenes, alienated from the life of God
by the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindnes of their hart,
19. who despairing,
*
Ro. 1,14.
haue giuen vp themselues to impudicitie, vnto the operation of al
vncleannes, vnto auarice.
20. But you haue not so learned Christ:
21. if yet you haue heard him, & haue been taught in him, (as the truth is in Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.)
22.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 19. Sunday after Pentecost.
*
Colos. 3,8.
Heb. 12,1.
Lay you away according to the old conuersation the old man which is corrupted according
to the desires of errour.
23. And
✟
The Apostle teacheth vs not to apprehend Christ's iustice by faith only, but to be
renewed in our selues truly, & to put on vs the man formed & created in iustice and
holines of truth. By the which, free wil also is proued to be in vs, to worke with
God, or to consent vnto him in our sanctification.
be renewed in the spirit of your mind:
24. and put on the new man which according to God is created in iustice, and holinesse
of the truth.
25. For the which cause laying away lying,
*
Zach. 8,16.
speake ye truth euery one with his neighbour, because
we are members one of another.
26.
*
Ps. 4,5.
Be angrie and sinne not. Let not the sunne goe downe vpon your anger.
27. Giue not place to the Diuel.
28. He that stole, let him now not steale: but rather let him labour in working with
his hands that which is good, that he may haue whence to giue vnto him that suffereth necessitie.
29. Al naughtie speach let it not proceed out of your mouth: but if there be any good to
the edifying of the faith, that it may giue grace to the hearers.
30. And contristate not the holy Spririt of God: in which you are signed vnto the day
of redemption.
31. Let al bitternes and anger, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemie be taken
away from you with al malice.
32. And be gentle one to another, merciful, pardoning one another, as also God in Christ
hath pardoned you.