A03621:83
A declaration of Christ and of his office compiledA declaration of Christe and of his offyce compylyd
A declaration of Christ and of his office compiled, by Johan Hopper, anno 1547A declaration of Christe and of his offyce compylyd, by Johan Hoper, anno 1547
printed by Augustine Fries, 1547printed by Augustyne Fries, 1547
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.
the devil never ceaseth to molest and unquiet every Godly politic and commune wealth where ⟨image 78⟩there no scripture divine to detect the art of the devil Aristotle in the 5. book of his politics were sufficient to manifest the devil enmity against all come wealths. farther the nature of man is infirm and fare unable to sustain the office of any vocation be it political, Ecclesiastical, or domesticall with out à singular aid of god Wese be saul that noble man who in the beginning of his reign did many noble acts, yet the devil got the victory in the end: his successor David was like wise so entangled in the snares of the devil, that with much pain he could quit him self from the wicked coupe that the devil had once brought him god Luk of: how be it god defended booth him and his kingdom so that, not only the preachers but also he himself taught the word of god unto the people as he had promised Psal. 6. 50. god preserveth ⟨image 78⟩above humane reason his ministers as he did Jacob from the hands of Esau. David from Saul, daniel from the lions, and Paul in the ship where as no humane hope of salvation was at all but only the protection of god. Those examples declare that he doth defend his people against all the world by his might poor. Likewise he governeth this church with his only laws, and would his subjects to know him: to honour him and to obey him as he hath commanded in his law Paul expresseth this law Roma. 1. Evangelium uirtus dei est in salutem omni credendi. Marci ultimo, Predicate Evangelium omni creaturae. The only law whereunto this congregation is bound is the gospel, as Christ saith Jo. 14. Spiritus sanctus docebit uos omnia, & rediget uobis in memoriam, omnia quae ego dixi uobis. Here Christ bindeth the Apostles ⟨image 79⟩and all the church unto the things that he had taught them. This commune wealth of the true church is known by these too Marks the pure preaching of the gospel and the right use of the sacraments thus proveth Paul Ephesios 2. that the church is bound unto the word of god super fundamentum Apostolorum & prophetarum extructi estis. Likewise Esa. 59. Spiritus meus qui est in te, & uerba mea quae posui in ore tuo, nō recedent ab ore tuo, nec ab ore seminis tui in aeternum. Of the right use of sacraments it is taught