A Golden Chain

I added in the last place, that the Church is gathered by the word preached, to show that the cause whereby it is begun and continued, is the word: which, for that cause is called the immortal seed whereby we are borne anew,¹ and milk, whereby we are fed and cherished to life everlasting. And hence it followeth necessarily, that the preaching of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, joined with any measure of faith and obedience, is an unfallible mark of a true church. Indeed it is true, there be three things required to the good estate of a church, the preaching of the Gospel, the administration of the Sacraments, and due execution of Discipline according to the word: yet if the two latter be wanting, so be it there be preaching of the word with obedience in the people, there is for substance a true church of God. For it is the banner of Christ displayed, under which all that war against the flesh, the devil, the world, must range themselves. As the Lord saith by the Prophet Isaiah,² I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard unto the people, and they shall bring their sons in their arms, and their daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Hence it followeth, that men which want the preaching of the Gospel, must either procure the same unto themselves; or if that can not be, because they live in the middest of idolatrous nations, as in Spain and Italy, it is requisite that they should join themselves to those places where with liberty of conscience they may enjoy this happy blessing. Men are not to have their hearts glued to the honours and riches of this world; but they should be of Davids mind, and rather desire to be doorkeepers in the house of God, then to dwell in the tents of ungodliness. In the Canticles, the spouse of Christ saith,³ Show me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flocks of thy companions. To whom he answereth thus:⁴ If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steppes of the flock, and feed thy kids by the tents of the shepherds: that is, in those places where the doctrine of righteousness and life everlasting by the Messiah, is published. When the Shunamites child was dead, she told her husband that she would go to the man of God, to whom he answered thus;