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¶ The thirde Chapter. (Book 3)
Vers. 1.And write vnto the aungell of the church of Sardi these things saith he.
THE first epistle is sent to the Angell of the church which was at ••ar••y, whereas first it is profitable to note, that although the estate of that church was moste corrupte, shal it wholye almost deserued to be called deade, yet Christ doth adorne it with the name of a Church, flatte againste the frentique errors of certaine men, which now here acknowledg a church to be where their is any thinge, which doth not in all points please them. On the other side the papistes do not require any thing more earnestly, and with greater contention, then that we wold graunt the name of the church to the••e company for certaine hundred yeares, in which the truth was almoste buried. If that for a fewe, which it is certaine were saued, of that huge masse and multitude, we shoulde attribute this name vnto them, yet neuer the lat∣ter we may say with Christ, thou hast a name that thou liuest and yet in very deede thou art dead. For althinges are not by and by righte: where we maye aknowledge a Church to be.
¶ That hath the seuen spirites of god, and the se∣uen stares I knowe thy workes.
THis preface also euen as the reste, doth very well agree to the matter: which is intreated of in the epistell. For he had to doe with a pastor and Church, which he complaineth to be dead, and life is giuen onely by the spirite of God. They there∣fore which had almoste quenched the spirite of God as muche as in them laye oughte to haue soughte to him, whiche alone doeth geue the same spirite to those that aske of him. For Christ, from his father sendeth the holye ghost vpon the Church, as he himselfe often witnesseth. Iohn. 14.15.16. chapter. Of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the spirites we haue spoken before in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cha. vs. 4. That he also holdeth ye seuē starres in his han•••• he