A68840:1055
Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…
Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity, in the University of Tygure with a very profitable tract of the matter and places. Herein is also added [and] contained two most ample tables, aswell of the matter, as of the words: with an index of the places in the holy scripture. Set forth & allowed, according to the order appointed in the Queens majesties injunctions.Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie, in the Vniuersitye of Tygure with a very profitable tract of the matter and places. Herein is also added [and] contained two most ample tables, aswel of the matter, as of the wordes: wyth an index of the places in the holy scripture. Set forth & allowed, accordyng to thorder appointed in the Quenes maiesties iniunctions.
London: printed by John Day, 1564London: printed by Iohn Day, 1564
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.
Farthermore the bishop of Rome boasted, that he was set to be the head of the church:1 which cannot be meet for any man. For from the head are derived moving and sense by the sinews, into all members, as Paul very well teacheth to the Ephesians and Colossians. But no man can perform that, as of himself, by closures & joints to quicken the members of the church with the sprite of god. It longeth only to christ,2 to distribute unto his members spiritual motions, illustration of the mind, and eternal life. Indeed kings and magistrates may be called heads of the people, because they govern civilly, and from them we may look for good laws and civil movings: but in the church men entreat not of civil life, but of spiritual and eternal life, which we cannot look for, but at gods hand, neither can any mortal men quicken the members of the church. Kings & magistrates when they are godly, in my judgement ought to have the chief place in the church: and to them it pertaineth, if religion be il administered, to correct the defaults. For therefore they bear the sword to maintain Gods honour. But they cannot be heads of the church. Paul to the Romans and to the Corinthians, where he maketh rehearsal of the members of the church, putteth some to be eyes, some noses, ears, hands, and feet: but he adorneth none with the dignity of the head, who yet to the Ephesians saith this of Christ, that god had given him to be the head of the body of the church.3 Let the papists show written in any other places of the holy scriptures, that Christ gave an other head unto the church, & they shall have the victory. But I know assuredly they cannot. For if that could have been done the church should be a two headed monster. But it is a sport to hear what John, sometimes B. of Rochester in defending the Pope answered ⟨p. 149⟩to this. To grant two heads of the Church (saith he) is not absurd: for the Apostle writeth, the man is the head of the woman, & nevertheless every wife hath beside her husband which is the head, an other head also. Wherefore he concluded that we may thus affirm of the church, namely that it hath both Christ and the Pope to be head. But this man faileth by a false Sillogismus of equivocation. For speaking now of a head, as it is attributed unto the Church, he falleth to a natural head.