The things considerable in the text are, first, The churche, resembled by the vine. 2. Gods benefits towards the Churche expressed in the manner of his dressing the vine. 3. The fruit expected, grapes, iudgment and righteousnes. 4. The fayling and ingratitude, by bringing forth sower and wylde grapes; oppression and crying. 5. God's judgment, vers. 6.
fo. 40b.
In the Church he considered, what it is, and where it is.
The Churche is compared most aptly to the vyne, for neither of them spring naturally. Non sumus de carne, nec voluntate hominis, sed bene-placito Dei. 2. Both spring, and growe, first in weakenes, yet then they claspe their little hands and take hold on of an other, and soe going on crescunt sine modo, the increase without measure, as Pliny sayth. 3. Noe plant more flourishing in the summer, none more poore and bare[95] in winter. All followe the Church in prosperitie, and the rich, the mighty, the wise, in persequution fall away like leaves. 4. Bring forth fruit in clusters, which cheres the hart. God and men and angels reioyce when the Church aboundes in workes of righteousnes and true holines. 5. Both have but one roote, though manie branches; Christ is the true foundacion, other then this can no man lay. 6. The branches are ingrafted, and as in planting all are tyed alike with the outward bond, yet all proue not alike, soe all haue the same profession and outward meanes, yet all growe not nor fructifie alike: but it is the inward grace that maketh the true branche; as he is a Jewe that is one within. Rom. ii. 28, 29.
2. The Lord's vineyard is not to be knowne by the fruit (for we reade here that it bringeth forth wyld grapes), but where the roote is fo. 41.planted, where Christ is professed, there the Church is; it is nowe universall, not yed to anie place; we reade of 7 Churches in the Reuelacions, though all not alike pure, yet all churches: Israell is his eldest sonne, though a prodigall: as betwixt man and woman after a publique contract celebrated, though the woman play the harlot and bring forth children of fornicacion unto hir husband, yet continues shee his wife whose name shee beares vntill a publique divorce be sued. Some churches are soare, some sicke, some soe leprous that noe communion ought to [be] continued with them, yet churches still. Yf anie aske, as manie papists use to doe, where our church was before Martin Luther was borne, we aunswer that it is the same churche that was from the beginninge, and noe newe on as they terme it, for the weeding of a vyneyard is noe destroyinge, nor the pruning any planting; for we have remoued but idolatrie and a privat masse of ceremonies, which with the burying the author[?] of life in a hidden and unknowne language had almost put the heavenly light out of our candlesticke; and when the trashe of humaine inventions had raysed themselues to soe high esteeme, it was tyme to say, "Yf Ephraim play the harlot, yet lett not Israell synn."
fo. 41b.
Jerusalem litterally is the mother Churche of all.
The Churche, like the vine that hath many branches but one roote, may haue severall members, but all knit together with the vnity of three bonds—one Lord, one fayth, one baptisme. But nowe Rome, usurping over his fellowes, speakes like Babilon in the 18 Reuel. "I cannot erre," and have encroched an article vpon the Creede, that must be beeleeved upon payne of damnation, that there is one visible heade of the Churche (which must be the Pope). And yet in an œcumenical Counsell of 330 Catholike Bishops it was decreed that Constantinople should have equall authority with Rome; which plainely confuted their usurped universall supremacy. Yet the Popes, by the assistaunce of the Emperours, haue, like ivy, risen higher then the oke by which it climed: soe much that our countriman Stapleton doubts not to call his Holines Supremum in terris numen.
3. The benefites and manner of dressing the vine: Genesis is but the nurse of it; Exodus, the removing; Leviticus, the ordering and manner of keeping it; Josua, the weeding, &c. God soe loued it that he gave his onely Sonne to redeeme it, and when he gave him, what gave he not with him?
Might not the Church use the wordes of the leeper in the Ghospell: "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane;" and why then complaynest thou?