A profitable and necessarye doctrine with certayne homelyes adioyned therunto / set forth by the reuerend father in God, Edmunde Byshop of London ...

¶ Thexposition or declaration of the tenthe article of the Crede whiche is.

The communion of saynctes, The forge∣uenes of synnes.

IN this article be taughte two speciall fruites and benefites, whiche all men called of God, and obey∣inge to the same, callinge in their wyll and workes, doe obtayne by Goddes grace, in the sayd Catholyke churche, that is to say. The communion of saintes and forgyuenes of synnes. And here is to be noted, that although this worde, Sainctes, in oure Eng∣lyshe toungue signifieth properly them that be depar∣ted this life, and be established with glorye in Chryst. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the same worde Sainctes, (whereby in thys article we expresse the Latyn word, Sanctorum,) is here extended to signifye not onely those that be so depar∣ted this life and established, but also such as beyng in lyfe here in earth, be called into this holy assēble and Churche, and be sanctyfyed in oure Sauyoure Iesu Chryste. Accordyuge wherevnto S. Paule in son∣dry

hys epystles, to the Roma. 12. to the Epher. to the Philip. 4 to the Colos. 1. and to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 14. vseth the sayd worde, Sayntes, and so doth he in dynerse other places els.

And as touchyng the fyrst of the sayd. ii. frutes or benefites, whiche is. The cōmunion of saintes. That is to saye the mutual participation of saynctes, ye shall vnderstande that lyke as al the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 parts and members of the naturall body of man, do natu∣rally communicate and be participante of one spirit or soule which gouerne the sayde bodye, and euerye lyuelye parte thereof, euen so doe all good Chrysten men, participate of one holy ghost, whyche alwayes gouerneth the catholyke churche, and allyuely mem bres of the same, and doth geue to sondrye members, sondry spirituall giftes, to the intent the whole body should therby be edified, accordyng to the sayinge of S. Paule in the, xii. Chapter of his fyrste Epystle to the Corynthians, where he sayeth in thys maner.

Vnicuique autem datur manifestatio spiritus ad utilitatem. Alis quidem per spiritum datur sermo 〈◊〉〈◊〉, alijautem sermo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 secundū eun dem spiritum. Alteri fides in 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, alij gratia sanit at um in eodem spiritu, aly operatio uirtutum, alii prophetia alii discreto spiritum, alii generalinguarum alii interpretatio sermonum. Hec autem omniaoperas tur unus a que idem spiritus, diui dens singulis prout uult. That is. The gyftes of the holye ghoste are geuen to euery man, to profyte other wythall, to one is geuen throughe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spirite the vtteraunce of wisedome. To another is geuen the vtte∣taunce of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by the same spyryte to

another, fayth by the same spirite, to another the gifte of healinge by the same spyryte, to another power to doe miracles: to another prophecye, to another iudgement to discerne spirites, to another dyuerse tongues, to an∣other interpretation of sayinges. And al these thinges worketh the selfe same spirite, deuy∣dinge to euerye man as he wyll. By which place of Saynt Paule, it is euident that al the lyue∣lye members of the Churche doe communycate and participate of one common spiryte.

And this participation beinge one of the hyghe∣este benefites, that men receaue in the Catholyke Churche, is comprehended in this article of the com∣munion of Saynctes. Of whyche communyon the Prophet Dauid in his. cxviii. psalmedoth also speake sayinge. Particeps ego sum omnium timentium te, et 〈◊〉〈◊〉 man data tua That is to say. I am partaker wyth all suche as feare the, and kepe thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉. But besides this foresayd participation or communion of the holy ghost, beyng commune to all the liuelye members of the Churche, there is also an other communion comprehended lykewyse in thys article, whiche is the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or vnion that all good christen men haue with Chryste, who is the heade of the churche and who hath for his mystycall bodye the whole churche. And of this kynde of com∣munion of Saynctes, S. Paule lykewyse speaketh,

in the foresayd twelth chapiter of hys fyrst epystle to the Corynthyans, saying. In uno spiritu omnes nos in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pus baptizati sumus, siue dei, siue gentiles, siue serui, siue liberi & omnes in uno spiritu potati sumus. That is to saye: In one spyrite are we all baptyzed to make one bodie, whe∣ther we be Iewes or Gentils, free or bonde, and haue all dronke of one spyryte. And lyke∣wise doth he in the fifte to the Ephesians where spea kyng of the same he sayeth. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sumus corporis eius, de car ne cius, et de ossibus cius. That is to saye: We are mem∣bres of his bodye (meanyng of the body of Christ) and of his fleshe and of his bones.

And forasmuch as the moste blessed sacrament of the aulter (wherein by the myghtye operatyon of God∣des worde, is really present in the fourmes of breade and wyne the naturall lyuynge bodye and bloude of oure sauyoure and redemer Iesu Chryste) doeth in∣crease and worke in all them that worthelye doe re∣ceaue it, the communion and coniunction in bodye & soule of them to Chryste, and of Chryst to them, with a mutuall coniunctyon also in loue and charytye, of eche good man in Christ to other. Therefore the sayd Sacrament may also worthely be called the commu nion of Sayntes. And so hathe the fyrst parte of this article been by good deuoute and learned menne ex∣pounded longe ago.

Nowe touchy nge the seconde fruite or benefite in thys article whyche is the remission of synnes, you shall vnderstand, that onely in the catholyke church,

and no where els the remissiō of synnes is to be had. And there vndoubtedlye it is to be had: and that by two meanes, that is to wytte by baptisme, and after baptisme by due penaunce and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the keyes, geuen vnto the churche. And as for baptisme it washeth cleane awaye al the former synnes as well actuall as originall: so that they shall neuer after that be imputed vnto vs. But in case after baptisme we fall into synne then the remedy must be by the whol∣some sacramente of Penaunce, whiche sacrament is of so greate forse and vertue, that howe heynous so euer oure synnes and offenses be, yet by the meane of the same, the sayde synnes maye be and are released & forgeuen vnto vs. And for to take away all doutyng on our behalfe herein, and that no man shoulde nede to dispayre, oure Sauioure Chryste openlye and by expresse wordes, in the twentye of Sayncte Iohn af ter he had breathed vpon hys Disciples, sayde vnto them, and generallye to theyre Successours. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the holy ghost, whose synnes ye release or for∣geue they are forgeuen or released vnto them and whose ye withholde or reteyne, they are withholden or reteyned. And also with a special 〈◊〉〈◊〉 assygned vnto Saynct Peter, gaue vn∣to hym and hys lawfull successours, the full 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of releasyng and withholdyng of synnes, saiyng vnto hym (as it is written in the. xvi. of Mathewe. Tibi dabo claues regni celorum: quodcunque ligaueris super terram crit ligatum et in celis: et quodcumque solueris super terram erit solutum et in celis. That is to saye: Unto thee will I geue the

Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen, whatso∣euer thou doest bynde vpon earth, shall also be bounde in heauen, and whatsoeuer thou loosest vpon earth, shall also be loosed in hea∣uen. Which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all Chrysten men shoulde to theyr great comforte moste gladly imbrace, and by al meanes be most carefull and wary (to the vttermost of theyr power) to kepe them selues in such state that they may styll enioye the fruit of this soo comforta∣ble a priueledge. Wherefore good people (accordyng to the exhortation of the Prophete Ezechiell, in the eyghtenth chapter) Tourne and doe penaunce for all youre iniquities, and youre iniquitye shall not be your destruction. But youe shall vndoutedly (accordyng to thys article) be vnburde∣ned of your synnes, and made partakers of the com∣munion of saynctes bothe in thys worlde and in the worlde to come.

Amen.