A03620:78
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…
Certain comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester written in the time of his tribulation and imprisonment, upon the XXIII. LXII. LXXIII. and LXXVII. Psalms of the prophet David.Certeine comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. Iohn Hooper, Bishop of Glocester and Worcester written in the time of his tribulation and imprisonment, vpon the XXIII. LXII. LXXIII. and LXXVII. Psalmes of the prophet Dauid.
London: printed by Henry Middleton, 1580London: printed by Henrie Middleton, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
whereas the heart & conscience consenteth to good, and abhorreth evil, if the virtue & nature of Gods word by Gods spirit be sealed in the conscience. And this doth S. Paul teach wonderfully, as well by faith, that cometh by hearing of Gods word, as also of his precious Supper, the Sacrament of his body and blood and passion.1 He saith, that The heart believeth to righteousness, 2that is to say, The conscience and heart of him that is sealed, and assured of the virtue and grace of Gods premises in Christ, believeth to righteousness, or is ascertained and knoweth it self ⟨image 25⟩to be righteous and just and before God, because it hath consented, and received the mercy of God offered in the Gospel thorough the merits of Christ: and then the same faith,3 which God hath sealed in the heart, breaketh forth by confession, which confession is a very fruit of faith to salvation, as it is written by S. Paul in the same place. And where this faith is so kindled in the heart, there can be none other but such a fruit following it. And as possible it is to have fire without heat or flame, as this virtue, Faith, without the fruit of well doing. And that is it that S. Paul saith to the Corinthians: As often as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup, show ye the Lords death until he come. Wherein Saint Paul requireth a knowledge of Christ in the receiver, not only in his mind that he know Christ died for his sin, and the sin of the world, and to speak and declare the same death with his tongue unto others: but this is the chiefest and most principal commodity of Christs holy Supper, (which men now ungodly call the Mass,) that the virtue and benefit of Christs death, as it is appointed for the remission of his sins,4 be sealed and fully consented unto in his conscience. And this knowledge of Christs death,5 with the assurance of the virtue, strength and power thereof in the heart, will and ought to inflame us to thanksgiving, and to preach and teach unto others those commodities of Christs death, that we know and feel first in our selves within our own spirit and heart.