Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The third Question.

What they vnderstande by the name of the church?

The Answere.

WE vnderstande thereby* 1.1 the congregation or cō∣pany of those which be∣léeue in Christ. For the church in the Germain tong is called Kirch, as though it were deriued from the Greci∣ans which call our Lord Jesus Christe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say, Lord. Wherefore all those which are coupled or knitte to Christ, the true head and fruteful vine, as his proper members and braunches springing and growing in him, are the true Christian churche. And this inter∣pretation of the name of the church we* 1.2 haue also in the Articles of our faith: for to the confession of the catholike church we adde, y^t we beleue in the Communi∣on or felowship of Sainctes: as though we should say, the church is none other thing but the congregation of Sainctes. And euen in this sort do the blessed Fa∣thers

interprete these thyngs. The church is called the Communion or fe∣lowshippe of Sainctes for these causes. First, bicause all the faithfull there, are partakers of all the giftes and graces which Christe hath purchased: that is to say, chéefely the remission of sinnes, like as it is said in the Créede next after this Article: I beleue the remission of sinnes, the resurrection of the body, and life e∣uerlasting. Secondly, it is called the Communion or felowship of Sainctes,* 1.3 that is to say of the faithfull: (for as ap∣peareth by the Epistles of S. Paul, the Apostles and other blessed Fathers, called the faithful or Christians, Sain∣ctes.) Bicause (as I said before) they are sanctified by Christ in his blud through the holy Ghost. But bicause the church is a congregation or companie, perad∣uenture therfore it is called in our mo∣ther tong Kuch, by this letter L, and not as some other Germanes do sound it by the letter R. For in the Hebrewe tonge the people or churche of God is called K••ha•• and Keh••••a••, whereuppon the Germanes say Kilcha. But whe∣ther

it be deriued from the Hebrue or from the Gréeke, it is all one. For ech of those wordes signifie the congregation or felowshippe of Gods people, euen as this worde Ecclesia amongest the La∣tines dothe also signifie, which worde is borowed of the Grecians. And although the vniuersall Churche of God in thys earth can not be brought into one com∣pany or felowshippe before the last day: yet notwithstanding, is the same ne∣uerthelesse, a spirituall and inuisible body, perfectely compacte vnder one* 1.4 heade, Jesu Chryste: euen as diuers members hauyng sundry operations, are ioyned in one body. The vniuer∣sall* 1.5 Churche of Chryst is deuided, first, into the congregation of them, whych hauing finished the course of this their lyfe, and passed ouer all corruptible things, do now reioyce with christ their head, in heauen, & prayse God for euer∣more. Secondely it is deuided into the congregation of those which do yet liue here on this earthe, in dayly battell, in the Churche of Chryst, and haue thys hope, that at the time appointed by god,

they shall come to Chryst their heade, and the felowship of their elect brethrē. And in this cōgregation there are some which haue true faythe, and therefore are the liuely members of the Church, vnder their head Chryste: some lacke that liuely fayth, and therfore are hypo∣crites,* 1.6 being yet numbred in the visible Churche, so long as their wickednesse springeth not foorthe, nor they bewray thēselues. Touching these. S John wri∣teth* 1.7 thus: They went out from vs: (by this it appeareth they were reckned in the Church, for else could they not haue gone out thē••e) but they were not of vs, (that is to say, they were not the liuely members of the church & true beleuers) for if they had ben of vs, they wold haue remained with vs. And herevpon it com∣meth to pas, that many deuide y^e church into the inwarde and inuisible, and into the outwarde and visible Churche. Yea furthermore it is deuided into the con∣gregation of those which haue liued frō the creation of y^e world, vnto the cōming of christ, & into y^e cōpany of those faithful which haue ben since the tune of christ,

and shal be to the end of the world. And euery congregation of eche these parts, are called the Catholike or vniuersall church: yea eche of those churches which are scattered in this worlde, haue but one spirite or faithe, hath eche the name of vniuersall churche. For in the scrip∣tures there is mention made of parti∣culare churches in this earthe: as that Paule wryteth to the church of Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, and suche others. And therfore euē as many Cities and Pro∣uinces are contained in one kingdome, and of many members is made one per∣fect body: so also those churches which are dispersed vpon the face of the earth, make but one church, one kingdom, and one spirituall body of Christe, be being the head therof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What the Church is.
• * 1.2

  The Commu∣nion of saincts
• * 1.3

  Sainctes.
• * 1.4

  1. Cor. 12. Ephesi. 4.
• * 1.5

  Howe the vni∣uersal Churche is deuided.
• * 1.6

  Hipocri••s in the Church.
• * 1.7

  1. Iohn. 2.