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4 There is one bodie, & one spirit, euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation.
5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptisme.
6 One God and Father of all, vvhich is aboue all, & through 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and in you all.
There is one bodie and one spirit, euen as ye are also called in one hope of your calling. There is ou•• one Lord, one faith, one baptisme, one God and Father 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all which is aboue all, and through all, and in you all.
THis is a confirmation of the proposition, wherein is set downe before vs, a heape of reasons or argu∣ments, all which hang vpon this one principle: That which is one, ought in no case to be at strife and debate with it selfe. The assumption or minor is this: The Church is one: héervpon followeth the conclusion, which is this, Ergo the Church ought in no case to be at strife & debate with it selfe. The assumption or minor, because it is to be proued, is confirmed with store of reasons. But that all things maie be knowne at the full, we will consider euerie thing by it selfe seuerallie, and that briefelie.
First therefore he saith, that (There is one bodie, and one spirit,) that is to saie, Euen as Christians are the members of one and the selfe same bodie:* 1.1 so it is meete, that they being quickened by one and the selfe same spi∣rit, should agree together in holie loue. For, as all the members of one and the selfe same bodie, are quickened and gouerned by one and the selfe same spirit: euen so must all Christians behaue themselues one towards a∣nother, that they maie seeme to be lead and guided by one minde & heart, séeing they are all but one bodie in Christ. Whosoeuer therefore departeth from vnitie and con∣cord, he must néeds depart from the bodie of Christ, which is the Church.
Héerevpon it followeth, that they, which mainteine not stedfastlie holie loue and vnitie among themselues, doe boast and bragge of the title of the Church, all in waste. And least we should suffer our selues to be with∣drawne and pluckt awaie from the Church, vnder a vaine shewe & counterfaite colour of vnitie, let vs marke the reason of vnitie, which followeth: (Euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation,) saith the Apostle: that is to saie, I would so haue you all to be one, euen as ye are called to one and the selfe same inheritance, which at this instant ye possesse by hope, according to the word
of your calling. It is the Apostles will therefore, that we should not depart from the word of our calling, that is to saie, from the pure doctrine of our calling, from whence the soundation of loue and vnitie must be fetcht. For he that departeth from the Gospell, whereby God calleth: he departeth from the vnitie of the Church, from the which when a man is once separated, it cannot be that he should be gouerned by the spirit: euen as anie member or limme of the bodie, being cut off from the bo∣die, is no more ruled by the life, which is in the bodie.
Now followeth the heape of reasons. (There is one Lord,) to wit, of the Catholike or vniuersall Church: namelie, Christ Iesus, whom all the faithfull ought of dutie to serue, in vnitie of spirit, and agréement of mind. For, if it be a fowle and reprochfull thing, that house∣hold seruaunts, which haue but one and the selfe same earthlie maister, should fall out and brall among them∣selues: and not rather with one consent & agréement do that which they are commanded: what (I beséech you) shall be more fowle and reprochfull, than that Christi∣ans, which haue but one maister in heauen, the Lord Ie∣sus Christ, should be at disagréement & defiaunce among themselues? speciallie, séeing there is (But one faith) of all in him, whereby they staie and rest themselues vpon him alone, being the onelie Lord and alone redéemer of all: which (Faith) indéed, séeing it is but one and the selfe same: that is to saie, of one and the selfe same pro∣mise: it is méete, that they to whom this (One faith) is giuen, should also maintaine among themselues, one vnitie, or onenesse.
To this also belongeth that which followeth. (One baptisme:) to wit, common to all, whereby we are in∣graffed into Christs bodie, & as it were incorporate with him. (One God and Father of all, which is aboue all, and through all, and in you all:) that is to saie, which ruleth ouer all, and by his prouidence and gouernment ordereth
and disposeth all, dwelling in all the godlie by faith. And although these words, (Aboue all, & through all,) maie be referred to the vniuersall gouernment and rule of all things: yet the circumstanunce of the place maketh a re∣straint, so that they are to be applied to the Church, chief∣lie in this place. The meaning of the words therfore is this, (Aboue all) noteth the souereigne rule of one God ouer the Church: (Through all,) betokeneth his pro∣uidence ouer spreading all and euerie member of the Church: (In all) signifieth the coupling or knitting of vs together with Christ. Whosoeuer therefore break∣eth brotherlie loue or agréement, he neither knoweth nor confesseth these thrée doctrines. To be briefe, whosoeuer is not moued with these reasons and arguments of vni∣tie, to desire and endeuour to liue in loue and concord, we maie well enough thinke that he or she hath not so much as one little crumbe of the same in them.
1. Co. 12. 12