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He continueth his exhortation to good life, 5 assuring them against al deceiuers, that no committer of mortal sinne shal be saued: considering that for such sinnes it is that the Heathen shal be damned: •• & that Christians must rather be the light of al others. 22 Them he commeth in particular and exhorteth husbands and vviues to do their duety one tovvardes the other, by the example of Christ and his obe∣dient and beloued spouse the Church.
[verse 1] BE ye therfore folovvers of God,* 1.1 as most deere children:* 1.2 ✝ [leftJustify 2] and * walke in loue, as Christ also loued vs, and deliuered him self for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of svvetenes. ✝ [leftJustify 3] But * fornication and al vncleannes,* 1.3 or auarice, let it not so much as be named among you, as it becommeth sainctes: ✝ [leftJustify 4] or filthines, or foolish talke, or scurrilitie, being to no purpose: but rather giuing of thankes. ✝ [leftJustify 5] For vnderstanding knovv you this, that no fornicatour, or vncleane, or couetous person (vvhich is∷ 1.4 the seruice of Idols) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
✝ [leftJustify 6] Let no man seduce you vvith vaine vvordes. For, for these things commeth the anger of God vpō the children of diffidence. ✝ [leftJustify 7] Become not therfore partakers vvith them. ✝ [leftJustify 8] For you vvere sometime darkenes, but novv light in our Lord. Vvalke as children of the light, ( ✝ [leftJustify 9] for the fruite of the light is in al goodnes, and iustice, and veritie) ⊢ ✝ [leftJustify 10] prouing vvhat is vvel pleasing to God: ✝ [leftJustify 11] and communicate not vvith the vnfruitful vvorkes of darkenes, but rather reproue them. ✝ [leftJustify 12] For the things that are done of them in secrete, it is shame euen to speake. ✝ [leftJustify 13] But al things that are reproued; are mani∣fested by the light. for al that is manifested, is light. ✝ [leftJustify 14] for the vvhich cause he saith:* 1.5 Rise thou that sleepest,* 1.6 and arise from the dead: and Christ vvil illuminate thee. ✝ [leftJustify 15] See therfore, brethren, how you vvalke vvarily.* 1.7 not as vnvvise, but * as vvise: ✝ [leftJustify 16] re∣deeming the time, because the daies are euil. ✝ [leftJustify 17] Therfore be∣come not vnvvise, but * vnderstanding vvhat is the vvil of God.* 1.8 ✝ [leftJustify 18] And be not drunke vvith vvine vvherein is riote∣ousnes, but be filled vvith the Spirit, ✝ [leftJustify 19] speaking to your selues in psalmes & hymnes, and spiritual canticles, chaūting and singing in your hartes to our Lord: ✝ [leftJustify 20] giuing thankes alvvaies for al things, in the name of our Lord IESVS Christ to God & the Father. ✝ [leftJustify 21] Subiect one to an other in the feare of Christ.* 1.9
✝ [leftJustify 22] Let * vvomen be subiect to their husbandes,* 1.10 as to our Lord:* 1.11 ✝ [leftJustify 23] because * the man is the head of the woman:* 1.12 as Christ is the head of the∷ 1.13 CHVRCH. Him self,* 1.14 ″ the sa∣uiour of his body.* 1.15 ✝ [leftJustify 24] But as the CHVRCH is subiect to
Christ, so also the vvomen to their husbands in al things. ✝ [rightJustify 25] Husbands, loue your vviues, as Christ also ″ loued the CHVRCH, and deliuered him self for it: ✝ [rightJustify 26] that he might sanctifie it, cleansing it by the lauer of vvater in the vvord, ✝ [rightJustify 27] that he might present to him self a glorious CHVRCH, not hauing spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it may be holy and vnspotted. ✝ [rightJustify 28] So also men ought to loue their vviues as their ovvne bodies. He that loueth his vvife, loueth him self. ✝ [rightJustify 29] For no man euer hated his ovvne flesh: but he nourisheth & cherisheth it, ″ as also Christ the CHVRCH: ✝ [rightJustify 30] because vve be the members of his body, of his flesh & of his bones.* 1.16 ✝ [rightJustify 31] For this cause shal mā leaue his father & mother: and shal cleane to his vvife,* 1.17 and they shal be tvvo in one flesh. ✝ [rightJustify 32] ″ This is a great sacramēt. but I speake in Christ and in the CHVRCH ✝ [rightJustify 33] Neuertheles you also euery one, let eche loue his vvife as him self: and let the vvife feare her husband. ⊢
21. Sauiour of his body.] None hath saluation or benefite by Christ, that is not of his body the Church.* 1.18 And vvhat Church that is, S. Augustine expresseth in these vvordes. The Catholike Church onely is the body of Christ, vvhereto she is ••ead. out of this body the Holy Ghost quickeneth no man. And a litle after, He that vvil haue the Spirit, let him bevvare he remains not out of the CHVRCH, let him bevvare he enter not into it f••inedly. August. ep. 50 ad Bonifacium comitem in fine.
24. Subiect to Christ.) The CHVRCH is alvvaies subiect to Christ, that is, not onely vnder him,* 1.19 but euer obedient to his vvordes and commaundement. Vvhich an euident and inuincible demonstration that she neuer rebelleth against Christ, neuer falleth from him by error, Idolatrie, or false vvorship, as the Heretikes novv, and the Donatistes of old did teach.
25. Loued the Church.]* 1.20 Loe Christes singular loue of the CHVRCH, for vvhich onely & the members thereof he effectually suffered his Passion, and for vvhose continual cleansing and puri∣fying in this life, he instituted holy Baptisme and other Sacraments: that at length in the next life it may become vvithout al spot,* 1.21 vvrinkle, or blemish. for, in this vvorld by reason of the manifold infirmities of diuers her members, she can not be vvholy vvithout sinne, but must say alvvaies, Dimitte no••is debita nostra, Forgiue vs our detes. August. li. 2. Retract. c. 18.
29. At Christ the Church.] It is an vnspeakable dignitie of the CHVRCH, vvhich the Apo∣stle expresseth often els vvhere,* 1.22 but specially in this vvhole passage, to be that creature onely for vvhich Christ effectually suffered, to be vvashed and embrued vvith vvater and bloud issuing out of his holy side, to be nourished vvith his ovvne body (for so doth S. Irenaeus expound li, 5. in principio) to be his members,* 1.23 to be so ioyned vnto him as the body and members of the same flesh, bone, and substance to the head, to be loued and cherished of him as vvife of husband, yea to be his vvife and most deere spouse, taken and formed (as S. Augustine often saith) out of his ovvne side vpon the Crosse, as Eue our first father Adams spouse vvas made of his tibbe. In Psal. 126. & in Psal. 127. & tract. 9 in Ioan. & tract. 120. In respect of vvhich great dignitie and excel∣lencie, the same holy father affirmeth the CHVRCH to be the principal creature, and therfore named in the Creede next after the Holy Ghost,* 1.24 and he proueth against the Macedonians, the Holy Ghost to be God, because he is named before the Church in the confession of our faith. Of vvhich Incomparable excellencie of the Church, so beloued of Christ and so inseparatly ioyned in mariage vvith him, if the Heretikes of our time had any sense or consideration, they vvould neither thinke their cōtemptible companie or cōgregation to be the glorious spouse of our Lord,* 1.25 nor teach that the Church may erre, that is to say, may be diuorced from her spouse for Idolatrie, superstition, Heresie, or other abominations: Vvherevpon one of these absurdities vvould ensue, that either
Christ may sometimes be vvithout a Church & spouse in earth (as he vvas al the vvhile there vvere no Caluinists,* 1.26 if their Church be the spouse of Christ) or els if the Catholike Church onely is and hath been his vvife, and the same haue such errors as the Heretikes falsely pretend, that his vvife so deere and so praised here, is notvvithstanding a very vvhoore. Vvhich horrible absurdities proue and conuince to any man of common sense, both that the Catholike Church alvvaies is, and that it teacheth truth alvvaies, and to honour God truely and sincerely alvvaies: vvhatsoeuer the adul∣terous generation of Heretikes thinke or blaspheme.
••••. This is a great Sacrament.] Mariage a great Sacramēt of Christ and his Church prefigured in the first parēts. Adam (saith S. Augustine tract. 15 in Io.) vvho vvas a forme or figure of him that vvas to come, yea rather God in him gaue vs a great token of a Sacrament. For both he deserued sleeping to take a vvise, and of his ribbs his vvife vvas made vnto him: because of Christ sleeping on the Crosse the Church vvas to be made out of his side. In an other place he maketh Matrimonie a Sacramēt of Christ and his Church: in that, that as the maried mā must forsake father & mother and cleaue vnto his vvife, so Christ as it vvere left his father,* 1.27 exi••an••••ing him self by his incarnatiō, & left the Synagogue his mo∣ther, & ioyned him self to the Church. Li. 12 c. 8. cont. Faustum. In diuers other places he maketh it also a Sacrament, specially in that it is an inseparable bond betvvixt tvvo, and that can neuer be dissolued but by death: signifying Christs perpetual and indissoluble coniunction vvith the Church his one onely spouse. de Gen. ad lit. li. 9 c. 7. Cont Pelag. de pec. orig. li. 2. c. 34. De fid. et ep. c. 7. De bono coniug. c. 7. & 18. And in an other place. The good of Mariage (saith he) among the people of God is in the holines of a Sacrament. De bono cōiugali c. 24.
Vvho vvould haue thought such mysteries and Sacramēts to be in Mariage that the ioyning of man & vvife together should represent so great a myserie, if the Apostle him self & after him this holy father and others, had not noted it? or vvho can maruel that the holy Church taketh this to be a Sacrament,* 1.28 and to giue grace of sanctification to the parties maried, that they may liue to∣gether in mutual fidelitie, bring vp their children in faith aud feare of God, and possesse their vessel (as the Apostle speaketh) in sanctification and honour,* 1.29 and not in passion of lust and igno∣minie, as the Heathen do vvhich knovv not God, and as our brutish nevv Maisters seeme to do that commend mariage aboue al things so farre as it feedeth their concupiscences,* 1.30 but for grace, Sacrament, mysterie, or sanctification thereby, they care no more then the Heathen or brute beastes do? And thus vve gather that matrimonie is a Sacrament, and not of the Greeke vvord Mysterie onely,* 1.31 as Caluin falsely saith, not of the Latin vvord Sacrament, both vvhich vve knovv haue of their nature a more general signification, and that in the Scriptures also: but vvhereas these names are here giuen to Matrimonie by the Apostle, & are not giuen in the Scriptures to Baptisme and the Eucharist, let them tel vs vvhy they also apply these vvordes from their general significa∣tion to signifie specially and peculiarly those tvvo Sacramēts neuer so named expresly in Scripture. and do not likevvise folovv the Catholike Church in calling matrimonie by the same name, vvhich is here so called of the Apostle, specially vvhereas the signification in it, is as great as in any other of the Sacraments, and rather greater.
The epistle vpon the 3 Sū∣day in Lent.
Io. 13, 34
Col. 3, 5.
See the he∣retical corrup¦tion of this place in the Annotation Col. 3. v. 5.
Es. 9, 60
The Epistle vpon the 20 Sunday after Pentecost.
Col. 4, 5.
Ro. 12, 2.
Col. 3, 18.
The Epistle in a votiue masse for mariage.
Tit. 2, 5.
1 Pe••. 3, 1.
It is much to be noted, that in the first English Bi∣bles, there is not once the name of CHVRCH in al the Bible, but in steede thereof, Con∣gregatiō. vvhich is so notorious a corruption that thē selues in the later bi∣bles correct it for shame, but yet suffer the other to be read and vsed still. See the Bible printed in the yere 1562.
Ge. 3, 16.
1 Cor. 11, 3.
Gen. 2, 24.
Mat. 19, 5.
No ••aluation out of the oath CHVRCH.
The CHVRCH neuer erreth.
Christs loue tovvard his Church.
The Church triumphant vvithout spot and vvrinkle.
The mani∣fold dignitie of the Church
Aug. li. 8 de Symb. ad Catech. c. 9.
The Church is the princi∣pal creature.
The Church can not erre.
Absurdities that folow, if the Church may erre.
MATRIMONIA a Sacrament.
The grace gi∣uen by this Sa∣crament.
1 Thes. 4.
The protestāts fleshly estima∣tion of mari∣age.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sacramen∣tum.