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Another doute there is / whether the church or congregacion be
before the gospell or the gospell before the church. Which
question is as hard to solue / as whether the father be elder
then the sonne or
the sonne elder then his father. For the hole
scripture and all beleuinge
hertes testifye that we are begotten thorow the
worde. Wherfore if the worde begette the congregacion / and he
that begetteth is before him that is begotten then is the
gospell before the church.
Paul also Romano. ix. sayth / how shall they call on
whom they beleue not? And how shall they beleue with out a
preacher? That is / Christ must first be preached yer men can
beleue in him. And then it foloweth / that the worde of the
preacher must be before the faith of the belevar. And therfore
in as moch as the worde is before the faith / and faith maketh
the congregacion / therfore is the word or gospell before the
congregacion. And agayne as the ayre is darke of it selfe and
receaueth all hir light of the sonne: even so ar all mens
hertes of them selfe darke with lies & receaue
al their trueth of gods worde / in that they consent therto.
And morouer as the darke ayre geveth the sonne no lighte / but
contrary wise the light of the sonne
in respecte of the ayre is of it selfe and lighteneth the ayre
and purgeth it from darkenesse: even so the lienge herte of man
can geue the word of god no trueth / but contrary wise the
trueth of gods worde is of hir selfe and
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