For both these things, namely that this copulation is essential, & made by the only spirit of God, and by our faith, the holy scriptures, do plentifully and plainly declare. 1The Apostle writing unto the church at Ephesus, because all enmity being taken away by christ, & the partition wall broken down, The lewes and Gentiles, two sorts of people much different, were reconciled to God and between themselves, and were altogether ingrafted & renewed in christ by the same holy spirit: therefore he doubted not to say, They were both built, (not into one people, as it seemed he should have said) but, the better to express how straight this union is, into one new man, in Christ. Wherefore sith all of us do live with one & the self same spirit, renewed as it were in one and the same mind, and are joined together unto one and the self same head christ: 2we are fitly all of us together called one new man. And in the same epistle describing this near and essential incorporation, he compareth christ to the head, and all us to the ⟨p. 86⟩members, coupled & knit with the head by sinews, joints, and ligaments: which take their life and motion from the head. And nothing is more often used in the holy Scriptures then this similitude, that hereby we might more easily and clearly understand, what, and how great, this conjunction of all us is with christ, through his spirit, which dwelleth in all people that are regenerate. For this cause the same Apostle, 3compareth Christ to the foundation, and all the faithful to stones (but yet living stones, even as the foundation, that they may receive increase from him) built upon the foundation: 4In whom all the building coupled together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, by the holy spirit: which thing also christ did, before the Apostle, more then once, making himself the foundation, and the church the building, surely grounded upon that foundation, and fastened by an inseparable knot. 5To the same purpose, christ calleth himself a vine, and us the branches, which drawing life and sap from the vine, do live, and bring forth good fruits. The same is also showed by the similitude of the tree and the olive, 6whereinto the faithful, as branches cut from the wild olive, are ingrafted, that they may bring forth good olives: and are ingrafted by the holy spirit, and by faith.
For both these things, namely that this copulation is essential, & made by the only spirit of God, and by our faith, the holy scriptures, do plentifully and plainely declare. 1The Apostle writing vnto the church at Ephesus, because all enmitie being taken away by christ, & the particion wal broken downe, The lewes and Gentilles, two sortes of people much different, were reconciled to God and between themselues, and were altogether ingrafted & renued in christ by the same holy spirit: therefore hee doubted not to saye, They vvere both built, (not into one people, as it seemed hee should haue said) but, the better to expresse how straight this vnion is, into one new man, in Christ. Wherefore sith all of vs doe liue with one & the selfe same spirite, renued as it were in one and the same minde, and are ioyned together vnto one and the selfe same head christ: 2wee are fittlie all of vs together called one new man. And in the same epistle describing this neere and essentiall incorporation, he compareth christ to the heade, and all vs to the ⟨p. 86⟩members, coupled & knit with the head by sinnues, ioyntes, and ligamentes: which take their life and motion from the heade. And nothing is more often vsed in the holye Scriptures then this similitude, that hereby wee might more easily and clearely vnderstand, what, and how great, this coniunction of all vs is with christ, through his spirite, which dwelleth in al people that are regenerate. For this cause the same Apostle, 3compareth Christ to the foundation, and all the faithfull to stones (but yet liuing stones, euen as the foundation, that they may receiue increase from him) built vppon the foundation: 4In vvhome all the building coupled together, groweth vnto an holy temple in the Lord, by the holie spirite: which thing also christ did, before the Apostle, more then once, making himselfe the foundation, and the church the building, surely grounded vpon that foundation, and fastened by an inseparable knot. 5To the same purpose, christ calleth himselfe a vine, and vs the braunches, which drawing life and sapp from the vine, do liue, and bring forth good fruits. The same is also shewed by the similitude of the tree and the oliue, 6
- 1Eph. 2.14.15 16
- 2Eph. 4.1•
- 3Eph. 2.21.22 23
- 4Mat. 16.18
- 5Joh. 15.1Ioh. 15.1
- 6Rom. 11.17
