Master Bezaes sermons upon the three chapters of the canticle of canticlesMaster Bezaes sermons vpon the three chapters of the canticle of canticles

7 And how is this faith and by it Jesus Christ continued & maintained in us? The spouse declareth us in one word when she saith, that she brought this Bridegroom into the house, nay into the secret chamber of her mother which conceived her. Now to understand this matter the better, we must note that the Church is diversly considered: sometimes as being joined & united together & making one mystical body with her head: so that sometimes it is called Jesus christ himself altogether whole & entire, 1. Cor. 12.12. as if without her he should be an head without a body, ⟨p. 340⟩Ephes. 1.23. and in this sense she hath no Mother, but one heavenly father alone. Sometimes she is also considered in her generality without any respect of times or places, notwithstanding distinguished from Jesus Christ, in which consideration she hath also no Mother, but one heavenly Father alone, together with a brother & Bridegroom: sometimes also she is considered with distinction & diversity of time, for which respect S. Paul saith, he hath begotten the Church of the Galatians, & calleth himself the father of the Corinthians in regard of his ministry, Gal. 4.19. & 1. Cor. 4.15. In which sense a man may say that the Church of Jerusalem (& not that of Rome) hath brought forth all the churches: the word of god (which is the incorruptible seed, 1. Pet. 1.23.) proceeding and coming from her, Esa. 2.3. According unto this sense also is it, that this spouse which is but one & perpetual in her generality, is (according as the one engendereth the other unto the Lord) distinguished into an ancient church under the law, & into a christian church which succeeded it: & according unto this manner of speaking, the church of our time hath for her Mother the church which we call Primitive. What is it then which this spouse, considered as it were in the time of David, meant to say and to teach us in this place? Namely this, that after those troubles & disorders which happened so many times in the time of the Judges & of Saul, she hath as it were found her bridegroom & is most happily retired with him unto her mothers house, that is to say, hath now the full knowledge and enjoying of her Bridegroom, by conforming herself unto the true ancient Church of the Patriarchs, ruled & ordered afterward by the Law, and which engendered her unto the Lord.