1. IN this Stone there lieth hidden, whatsoever God and the eternity, also heaven, the stars, and elements contain, and are able to do: There never was from eternity any thing better or more precious than this, and it is offered by God, and bestowed upon man; every one may have it that doth desire it; it is in a simple form, and hath the power of the whole Deity in it.
2. Christ saith, I have the water of eternal life, whosoever thirsteth, let him come to me and drink of it for nothing, it shall flow in him into a fountain of eternal life, and whosoever drinketh thereof shall never thirst any more: Christ giveth us his flesh for food, and his blood for drink:
We should eat his flesh and drink his blood, and then he will continue in us, and we shall continue in him; where he is, there shall we be also, both here and there [in the other Life] ; for he will be with us always, unto the end of the world: He will not let us his children want; as a father careth for his children, so he careth for us; and though a father perhaps might forsake his children, yet he will never forsake us: for he hath imprinted us in his hands struck through with nails, and received us into the wound [or hole] of his side, out of which did run water and blood; we should believe and trust him, as his precious Word hath told us, he is the mouth of truth, and cannot lie.
3. Hear, thou dear Christianity, open thy mind, and let not reason, which is without God, lead thee astray: Consider this well: We will shew you the right ground and scope, without conceits and opinions: We will set it before you wholly pure, without spot or blemish, and only shew you what Christ is: We will bring no conceit of human invention to please any man's opinion; neither will we take it from that which the world sets forth, as in their glosses; but we will speak that which is revealed to us out of the mouth of Christ, and what his Testaments are in reality [or substance] .
4. For this is the jewel, the noble stone, which the Church of Babel danceth about, and about which she raiseth wars and persecutions: How very many scandalous and scurrilous books and pamphlets have been written about it!
5. This is the true jewel of the congregation of Christ; when the Church of Rome lost it, then it became a Babel, and the spirit of God departed from her, and the most potent countries towards the east, south, and west, turned away from her: For the Revelation told them, saying, If thou continue not in my love, I will come unto thee, and take away thy candlestick from thee; which come to pass thus:
6. Europe kept the name of the jewel, and Asia the colour of it; but the virtue of it remained sealed to them both, for they were both departed from it: they went groping in the dark: they grew fat, proud, and stately, and would be lord over the jewel: they only sought good [or frolic] days, great honour and glory by it; they built them upon it a brave glistering earthly kingdom, as is to be seen by the Romish Babel, which they do as hypocrites, that they may be honoured by the congregation, and had in great esteem. That which Paul and the Apostles left [behind them] viz. That the congregation should abide in reverence and in love, and that the elders which behaved themselves well, should be accounted worthy of double honour,
(which was right in the congregation to do it to them that behaved themselves well), this they usurp to themselves, into their own power in [a way of]
compulsion: Men must perform it to them, though they be no way worthy of it; and because they could not handsomely use any other sword, therefore they made to themselves a false sword, viz.
Curse [of Excommunication ], and that should make men reverence their holiness, that they might not seem to be bloody Executioners themselves; just as the Pharisees did, who delivered Christ up to Pilate; so these also, they are so devout in show and appearance [they will shed no blood with their own hands], but their heart is a devil: They stir up the magistrates upon their devilish Curse of Excommunication, who must be their executioners, to execute what their devilish heart hath concluded upon.
7. O dear princes, open your eyes; your office, if you do that which is right, is indeed grounded
1. IN this Stone there lies hidden, whatsoever God and the eternity, also heaven, the stars, and elements contain, and are able to do: There never was from eternity any thing better or more precious than this, and it is offered by God, and bestowed upon man; every one may have it that does desire it; it is in a simple form, and has the power of the whole Deity in it.
2. Christ says, I have the water of eternal life, whosoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink of it for nothing, it shall flow in him into a fountain of eternal life, and whosoever drinks thereof shall never thirst any more: Christ gives us his flesh for food, and his blood for drink:
We should eat his flesh and drink his blood, and then he will continue in us, and we shall continue in him; where he is, there shall we be also, both here and there [in the other Life] ; for he will be with us always, unto the end of the world: He will not let us his children want; as a father cars for his children, so he cars for us; and though a father perhaps might forsake his children, yet he will never forsake us: for he has imprinted us in his hands struck through with nails, and received us into the wound [or hole] of his side, out of which did run water and blood; we should believe and trust him, as his precious Word has told us, he is the mouth of truth, and cannot lie.
3. Hear, you dear Christianity, open your mind, and let not reason, which is without God, lead you astray: Consider this well: We will show you the right ground and scope, without conceits and opinions: We will set it before you wholly pure, without spot or blemish, and only show you what Christ is: We will bring no conceit of human invention to please any man's opinion; neither will we take it from that which the world sets forth, as in their glosses; but we will speak that which is revealed to us out of the mouth of Christ, and what his Testaments are in reality [or substance] .
4. For this is the jewel, the noble stone, which the Church of Babel dancs about, and about which she raises wars and persecutions: How very many scandalous and scurrilous books and pamphlets have been written about it!
5. This is the true jewel of the congregation of Christ; when the Church of Rome lost it, then it became a Babel, and the spirit of God departed from her, and the most potent countries towards the east, south, and west, turned away from her: For the Revelation told them, saying, If you continue not in my love, I will come unto you, and take away your candlestick from you; which come to pass thus:
6. Europe kept the name of the jewel, and Asia the colour of it; but the virtue of it remained sealed to them both, for they were both departed from it: they went groping in the dark: they grew fat, proud, and stately, and would be lord over the jewel: they only sought good [or frolic] days, great honour and glory by it; they built them upon it a brave glistering earthly kingdom, as is to be seen by the Romish Babel, which they do as hypocrites, that they may be honoured by the congregation, and had in great esteem. That which Paul and the Apostles left [behind them] viz. That the congregation should abide in reverence and in love, and that the elders which behaved themselves well, should be accounted worthy of double honour,
(which was right in the congregation to do it to them that behaved themselves well), this they usurp to themselves, into their own power in [a way of]
compulsion: Men must perform it to them, though they be no way worthy of it; and because they could not handsomely use any other sword, therefore they made to themselves a false sword, viz.
Curse [of Excommunication ], and that should make men reverence their holiness, that they might not seem to be bloody Executioners themselves; just as the Pharisees did, who delivered Christ up to Pilate; so these also, they are so devout in show and appearance [they will shed no blood with their own hands], but their heart is a devil: They stir up the magistrates upon their devilish Curse of Excommunication, who must be their executioners, to execute what their devilish heart has concluded upon.
7. O dear princes, open your eyes; your office, if you do that which is right, is indeed grounded
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.