An Expofation upon Chap. 12,1 DinLoouE V. Verf. 4,;5,6,7,8. For as we have many members in one body, and allmembers have not one office, fo we being many, are one body in Chrifl, and every one members of another. Having then gifts, &c. Timor iiEUS. j TOw cloth the Apoflle Paul go forwards? and how Both this text hang upon the former ? Coherence S I L. Now he bringeth a new argu- ment from thecommunion of the faith - fui,to prove his last exhortation,to wit, that every one without pride ought to content himself with his meafiire of gifts,and to use them to common edifi- cation in all humility and charity ; and this he doth by a comparison of a natu- rals body,which comparison our Apo- file u feth also in I Corr 2.12. & Ephef. 4. 4. 16. It is very fit and of great force to draw men from curiofity and arrogan- cy, unto humility and unity : for as in a body natural], albeit it be one, and the members many, diftin& the one from another,in place, order, ufe, office and gifts : yet one member doth not invade the room,or usurp the duty of another, but each member keeping in his own place and rank,confers his own proper gift,and doth his own office to the fafe- ty & good ofthe whole body in all peace and concord,without disdaining or en- vying one another: So in the Church (which isChrifismyfticall body) it is meet that each member endeavour it felf with quietness and modefty,to ferve and benefit others, without intruding one into anothers calling. What efficacy to hold men in concord this fimilitude hath, may be perceived by the example of Men pins Agrippa in Livie, when the . people in a faEtion and difcontent, were renting themfelves from their Senators and Rulers,he reduced them to good a- greement by this comparifon : also the holy Ghoft bath often ufed this finiili- nude to perfwade union amongft Chri ftians,as especially in E Cor. 12. & Ephef. 4.4.and in our prefent text. Simili- tNtl?. T I M. What be the part, or things chiefly to be confidered in this f rnilitude contained in verf. 4,5 ? S I t. The first thing to be confide - red here is, that the union or fociety of beleevers iscalled a body : a matter ufuall to give the name of a body to a fellow(hip in all languages: thus a Col - ledge is termed a body Scholafticall ; a City, a body politicall; fo the Congre- gation of Christian profeffors , both I COY. io.17.Ephef..r.22,23. for refem- blance and likeness, fake which is be- tween a fociety and a body : forfirst, in a naturall body, the body is but one, and the head is but one; likewife the body of the Church which is but one, hath but one head, and that is Chrift, Ephef.022.Col. i. 18. Should therefore the Pope be a head of the Church ? it would be a monfirous body having two heads at once; either principali or fubordinate, yea four heads at once, when betides Chrift there were three Anti -popes a&uálly, one at Avinion, another at Ravenna, a third at Rome : alto Peter himself was but a member of the Church (as other beleevers were) how then can the Pope (fuppofe he were Peters fucceffor) be an head ? for 38 years together, from Pope Eva - riflius, unto Pope Pius, the See of Rome had no Pope, therefore fo long was a body without a head ; yea were the Pope head, fo often as the Pope dyeth, the Church alto should dye. But what can a Pope do, which a head ought to do,either for externall direEtion (being an heretick,) or for internal] vivificati- on and motion (being but a creature) and therefore no head of the Church, which is the body and Spoufe ofChrift; therefore the Pope no husband, no head of it, no not fo much asa found member, but be is rather head of the Antichriflian body,and Captain of that apoftafie from the faith, c. Thefj:2. The fecond thing to be confidered in this comparifon; is, that although the body of the Church be one, and the head one, yet the members be niany,all knit to Chrift their head, and among themfelves, by the inward glue of Faith and The Pope no head of the Church. Chrilt gave loose Apo. file,, fome Prophets, &c. Ephef. 4. ra. but he gave no head.
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