A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 13
The thirtenth Dialogue is of the Churche, and of the miniſterie of the ſame.
MATHEVV.
I Do now well vnderſtande the difference that thou putteſt betwene the giftes of the holye Ghoſt, and how much ſome are more excellent and more neceſſarie, and more to be deſired than others: And therefore if thou hauehave no more to ſaye at this preſente, neyther concerning his perſon, ne yet his gyftes, it ſéemeth to me, that it ſhall be good that we ſpeake nowe of the Churche, whereof wée hauehave not yet ſpoken.
Peter.
It is one of the chiefe pointes, whiche we hauehave yet to handle. For the Churche is the ſame wherein God dothe open all the treaſures of hys graces and gyftes, whereof we hauehave euen nowe ſpoken, and for whoſe ſake he giueth them, to whome he giueth them.
Mathevv.
Shewe me then what the Churche is.
Peter.
If wée take the name of the Churche in generall, it ſignifieth aſſemblie or companie,Iohn. 17. …. Epheſ. 5. …. but when we ſpeake of the Churche of God, we take it not only for an aſſemblie and companie of all ſortes of people, but for a companie and aſſemblie of men, the whiche GOD hathe choſen from others, and hathe conſecrated and ſanctifyed them vntounto himſelfe in his Sonne Ieſus Chryſte by hys holye Spirite.
Mathevve.
Is that the cauſe why ſhe is called holye?
Peter.
Yea, and why ſhe is alſo called the Communyon and Communaltye of Sainctes.Epheſ. 2. b. d. 5. c. Colloſ. 2. d. 1. Cor. 6. e. 12. d. For there is none other communaltie or companie whiche is holye, and is gouerned and guyded by the Hollye Ghoſte, but onelye thys, whyche dothe acknowledge Ieſus Chryſte for hir onelye Heade, King,Iohn. 9. f. Iohn. 17. c Rom. 1. a. 1. Cor. 2. a. 2. Cor. 1. a. Epheſ. 1. a. 2. a Sauioure and redéemer.
M.
Which be thoſe Sainctes whereof ſhe is called the communion?
P.
They be all the true faithfull whiche by faith are made members of Ieſus Chriſte whiche is the holy one of holy ones, the whiche hath giuen his holy ſpirite to his Churche to ſanctifie it. And therefore Saincte Paule dothe call all Chriſtians Saincts.
Of the ſanctifieng of the Church, and of the members of the ſame.
M.
Epheſ. 2. d. 4. b. c. d. 2. Cor. 1. d. Rom. 6. b. 8. bBY what meane is it that God dothe ſanctifie hys Churche to hymſelfe by his holy Spirite?
P.
By faith in hys Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, by the whiche ſhe is vnited and ioyned to him as is the body to his head. Wherefore ſhe is alſo a partaker of the ſame very ſoule which is in the head, the whiche giueth it corporall life. For the head liueth not by one ſoule, and the reſt of the body by an other, but do lyue bothe by one very ſoule, forſomuche as the head and all the members of the body are but one body and not ſundrye.
Mathevve.
Séeing it is ſo, none maye then bée of that holy companie and aſſemblie but thoſe which hauehave true faithe in Ieſus Chriſte, and whiche for that cauſe are called faithfull.
Peter.
It is eaſie to vnderſtand.
M.
Séeing that they hauehave faithe, they are all then alſo made partakers of the giftes of the holie Ghoſt, the whiche thou haſt ſayd are proper to the only electe of God, and without the which men maye not be accompted for gods children, and be heires of the heauenly glorie.
Pe.
Thou mayſt thereof iudge by that whiche we hauehave alreadie heretofore ſayde to this purpoſe: and by conſequent thou mayſte alſo iudge what is the eſtate of ſuch, which by their incredulitie are withoute, and ſhut from that holie aſſemblie and companie.
Of the miniſterie of the Churche, and of the gifts neceſſarie to the ſame.
M
ANd which is the meane to attaine to that faithe, by whiche the faithful are receiued into that holy companie, and be in the ſame incorporate into the body of Ieſus Chriſt, as mēbres of him?Rom. 10. c. d
P.
It is by the miniſterie of the word of God, according to the ſaying of Saincte Paule, that faith is giuen by the hearing of the ſame.
M.
Is that the cauſe why the ſame Apoſtle ſayde, that God hath giuen to his Church,Epheſ. 4. b ſome Apoſtles, ſome Prophets, others Euangeliſts, and others paſtors and Doctors, for the eſtabliſhment of the Saintes to the worke of adminiſtration for the buylding vp of the bodie of Chryſt, vntounto the tyme that wée come all into the vnitie of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God, to be a perfect man, according to the meaſure of the full age of Chryſte?
P.
Beſide that whyche thou ſayeſt, thou haſt yet to note, that S. Paule meaneth not by theſe words, that Chryſt giueth only men to his Churche, whiche maye hauehave theſe offices, but alſo that he giueth them gifts méete for them, wherby they may wel exerciſe them.
M.
Séeing it is ſo, theſe guiftes of the holie Ghoſt which thou haſt ſayd, that God did diſtribute, not only to the faithful, but alſo oftentymes to the vnfaithfull, are neceſſarie for his Churche.
Peter.
There be of them that are ſo neceſſarie vntounto it, that the Churche can not be a Churche without them, and therfore they be euer in hir. But there be others without the whiche ſhe may better bée: And therfore god hath not giuen vntounto them hir but for a certaine time.
Hovve that the gifte of preaching is at all times neceſſarie in the Church, and of the ordinarie miniſterie of the ſame.
M.
DEclare to me more familiarly by examples thy meaning.
Pe.
Séeing that the Church can not be a Churche but by the meane of Faithe in Ieſus Chryſt, and that the meane whereby the faithfull whiche are the membres of the ſame, are called to the faithe,Rom. 10. c. d is the preaching and hearing of the woorde of God, it followeth well, that neceſſarily, this word be euer there taught, and that the Churche be firſt aſſembled togither, and afterward augmēted, entertayned, & conſerued by ye ſame.
M.
I do ſo vnderſtād it wel.
P.
Now this word cānot be there ſet forth & entertained but only yt ther be mē which hauehave this gift of the holy Ghoſt to know how to ſet it forth in ſuch ſort as it is méet, as true ꝓphets & miniſters of god as the Lord hathe alſo promiſed vntounto it, when he ſaid by Moyſes, and after by Eſay, that he wold giuegive to his people, a prophet, in whoſe mouth he would putte his word, and that it ſhould neuer depart frō the mouthe of the ſéede of his people, and that his ſpirit alſo ſhuld neuer be ſeparate from it.
M.
I thinke that that prophecie which thou haſt now alledged of Moyſes ought to be proprely vnderſtode of Ieſus Chriſte.
P.
Sainct Peter and S. Steuen doe alſo applie it to his perſon,Act. 3. d. 7. … as to the head and prince of all prophetes and miniſters, whiche giueth power to the miniſterie of all others. But that expoſition which is very certaine and very wel applied, doth not let at al, but that this paſſage of Moyſes may be taken for the ordinarie miniſterie which God hath eſtabliſhed in his Church, as the circumſtāce of the place dothe ſufficiently declare it, the which miniſterie hath euer ben founded in Ieſus Chriſt, whiche is the foundation of the prophets and Apoſtles.
M.
Doeſt thou vnderſtand then by this gifte wherof thou haſt nowe ſpoken, the gift of prophecie?
P.
We doe commonly call it by that name, following the manner of ſpeach which S. Paule hath vſed to that purpoſe in the firſt epiſtle to ye Corinths.1. Cor. 12. b 14. a.g For albeit that all the miniſters of the word of God hauehave not all the gifts which the aunciēt Prophets had, which are ſpecially called by that name, yet notwithſtāding they are called Prophets in all ye holie Scriptures, in as much as they bée the mouth of the holie Ghoſt, as wer the auncient prophets, by whom God ſpake to his Church, and doth ſet foorth to hir the ſame doctrine, whiche he hath heretofore declared vntounto hir by his aunciente prophets.
M.
We may then ſay the ſame of the name of Apoſtle and Euangeliſt, and of al other ſuch lyke names and offices whiche appertayne to the miniſterie of the Churche.
P.
It is true: For albeit that the name of apoſtle and Euangeliſt do import more thā the name and office of a ſimple paſtor and miniſter of the goſpell, yet for all that none may be a paſtor and miniſter of the Goſpell, vnleſſe he be alſo as an Apoſtle and an Euangeliſt, in reſpecte of the doctrine whyche he beareth, for the verie ſame reaſon for whiche he may alſo be called prophet, as I hauehave euen nowe expounded.
How that the miniſterie of the worde of God is perpetually neceſſarie to the Churche in this worlde.
M.
I Do now well vnderſtand the cauſe not only wherfore this gifte of prophecie is neceſſarie to the Churche, but alſo for what cauſe it is neceſſary that it be perpetual in it.
P.
Séeing that the perpetuall miniſterie of the worde of God is neceſſarie, this gift of prophecie is alſo neceſſarie, forſomuche as without the ſame this miniſterie can not ſubſiſte and ſtande, nor be miniſterie of the Churche of Chriſt.
M.
It then foloweth, that euen as this miniſtery can not be without this gift of preaching, euen ſo the Church can not be the Church of Chriſt without this miniſterie, no more than it may be without faith, the whiche ſhe can not obtayne but by the meane of the word of God, ſet foorth by this miniſterie.
P.
God may wel inſpire his faithe to his choſen by other meanes if it pleaſe him: but ſeeing he hath ordeined this, he doth it not ordinarily by any other, neyther is it lawfull for vsus to ſéeke for any other, but muſt holde vsus to this ſame wherevnto God hath bounds vsus, notwithſtanding that it ſtandeth alwaye in his libertie, to communicate his giftes and graces as pleaſeth him.
Of other giftes of God whiche are not ſo neceſſarie for the Church as the gift of preaching.
M.
I Do now wel vnderſtand this point, but thou haſte not yet giuen me example of the other guiftes of the Holie Ghoſte, the whiche be not ſo neceſſarie for the Churche as is the gifte of preaching: And therfore alſo they be not perpetual in hir.
P.
Thou haſt amōg others, the gift of tongs, and the gift of miracles and ſuche lyke, the whiche God gaue to his Churche but for a certayne tyme, and to certayne perſones, as hée maye yet gyue them when it ſhall pleaſe him. And when he hath giuen them, he hathe yet done the ſame, to the ende that hys gifts ſhuld ſerue to the miniſterie of his worde, to the ende it ſhould be the better receyued,1. Cor. 14. g and that the infidels ſhoulde be the more mightily vanquiſhed, & the moſt weak ones ye better fortified.
M.
I do wel vnderſtand it ſo.…. Cor. 14. g
P.
And therfore Saint Paule ſpeaking of theſe gifts, exhorteth the faithfull to endeuour themſelues, and to trauayle rather for the gift of prophecie, whiche comprehendeth the true vnderſtanding of the Scriptures, as more profitable and more neceſſarye to the Church, than the others, wherof we hauehave euen nowe ſpoken.
Howe the Lorde taketh the miniſters of his Churche of his verie people, and not of a ſtrange people.
M.
WHen thou diddeſt alledge the promiſe which god hath made to his Church of the perpetuall gift of preaching, and of the ordinarie myniſterie whiche it pleaſed him to appointe in the ſame, it ſéemeth to me that thou ſaydſt that he hathe promiſed to put his worde into the mouthe of the very ſéede of the Churche:Eſay. 59. d by the which ſéed, I vnderſtand the children & the membres of the ſame, and of the people of God.
P.
Thou takeſt it verie well, and therfore the Lord hath playnely ſayde by Moyſes,Deut. 18. d that he will rayſe vp out of the middeſt of his people, thoſe Prophets the whiche he will gyue vntounto hir, to teach hir, to the ende that they ſhall not go foorthe of his Churche to ſéeke them. Howe agréeth this then with that which thou haſt heretofore ſayde, that the gifte of prophecie and ſuche like, were as well communicate to infidells and reprobates, as thou haſt very well proued by teſtimonies and examples of the holy Scriptures?
P.
That maketh not at all againſt that whiche I hauehave now ſayd. For albeit that God at times doth beſtowe of his gifts vppon the vnfaithfull, the which in deede he doth not beſtow vppon eueryevery faithfull man, yet for all that it followeth not but that he doth cōtinually choſe ſome in his Churche, to whome he giueth thys gift & this office, albeit he doth it not euer after one ſorte. For he ſendeth either moe or fewe, according as it is néedefull, and according to the fauoure that he wil ſhew vntounto it, be it ſecretly or publiquely accordingly as he will make himſelfe knowen to his.
M.
But can it not well come to paſſe alſo that very thoſe whiche are choſen in his Church, may be Hypocrites and rather woolues and hierlings thā good paſtors?
P.
That commeth often times to paſſe, and the example whiche thou haſt in Iudas, doth confirme ſufficiently vntounto vsus that which thou ſayeſt, if in déede wée had none other. But when the Churche knoweth them to be ſuch, ſhe ſhould prouide for: it by the meanes that God hathe giuen hir in that behalfe.
M.
And if they be only mercenaries, and not apperante wolues, may ſhe endure them?
P.
If they be wolues, ſhe cānot endure them, for ſomuch as they be of falſe doctrine. If they be onelyonly mercenaries, and if ſhe cannot eaſily knowe them, or that ſhe hauehave not the meanes to ridde hir from them and to hauehave better, ſhe may beare with thē, prouided that ye doctrine which they ſet forth be not falſe, albeit that in the reſt they do not diſcharge the office of a paſtor as they ought to do.