Certain comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. John Hooper, Bishop of…Certeine comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. Iohn Hooper, Bishop of…

But only God gave this meat, which was his ⟨p. 17⟩holy word and promise,¹ and also the mouth of faith to eat these promises of Gods only gift. And the same appeareth throughout the whole Bible, that only God, by sending of his word and preachers, brought knowledge of everlasting life, to the people that were in ignorance. As Saint Paul saith:² God before time spake unto our fathers by the Prophets, and in these latter days unto us, by his son, and after the ascension of his son, by his Apostles and Evangelists, ³in so much that none of the Prophets-ever spake of Gods word, that maintained the life of the soul, otherwise then they received it of the high shepherd, almighty God, as Saint Peter saith:⁴ Prophecy came not by the will of man, but the holy men of God spake as they were taught by the holy Ghost. So that God is the only author and fountain of his true word,⁵ the food of all mens souls. In like manner, he is the only giver of the same: as he is the giver of it, and none but him self: so none can eat it, but such as have the same delivered unto them by the holy Ghost. So our Saviour Christ likewise in the Gospel of Saint John telleth Nicodemus,⁶ that it was not possible to understand and to know the grace of redemption, except he were borne from above. And when Saint Paul preached the word of God at Philippos, amongest the women by the water side, the Lord opened the heart of Lidia, to understand the things spoken of by Paul.⁷ And when Christ preached among the Jews, and wrought wonderful miracles, yet they understood nothing, neither were they anything the better. And Christ showeth the cause, Proptereà vos non auditis, ⁸