The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

OUR saviour Christ departing out of the world unto his father, promised his disciples ¹to send down another comforter, that should continue with them for ever, & direct them into all trueth. Which thing to be faithfully & truly performed, the scriptures do sufficiently bear witness. Neither must we think that this comforter was either promised, or else given, only to the Apostles, but also to the universal Church of Christ, dispersed through the whole world. For unless the holy ghost had ben always present, governing and preserving the Church from the beginning, it could never have sustained so many and great brunts of affliction and persecution, with so little damage and harm as it hath. And the words of Christ are most plain in this behalf, saying, that the spirit of ²trueth should abide with them for ever, that he would be with them always (he meaneth by grace, virtue, and power) even to the worlds end. Also in the prayer that he made to his father a little before his death, he maketh intercession, ³not only for him self and his apostles, but indifferently for all them that should believe in him through their words, that is to wit, for ⟨p. 426⟩his whole Church. Again saint Paul saith: If any man have not the spirit of Christ, the ⁴same is not his. Also in the words following, We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby ⁵we cry abba, father. Hereby then it is evident and plain to all men, that the holy ghost was given, not only to the apostles, but also to the whole body of christs congregation, although not in like form & majesty as he came down at the feast of Pentecost. But now herein standeth the controversy: Whether all men do justly arrogate to them selves the holy ghost, or no? The Bishops of Rome have for a long time made a sore challenge thereunto, reasoning for them sieves after this sort. The holy ghost (say they) was promised to the Church, and never forsaketh the Church. But we are the chief heads, & the principal part of the Church, therefore we have the holy ghost for ever, & whatsoever things we decree, are undoubted verities, and oracles of the holy ghost. That ye may perceive the weakness of this argument, it is needful to teach you, first what the true Church of Christ is, and then to confer the Church of Rome therewith, to discern how well they agree together.