Archive for August 19th, 2008
[Note: for the first quotation I have retained the original spelling. For the balance, I have modernized the spelling.]
Bullinger:
1) There is very much mention made of wedlocke and mariage in the holy Scriptures both in the olde and new Testament: The which may not be expounded afeer the letter, but by an allegory: least with the Turkes and Mahometists, we fall into shamefull and monstrous absurdities. For spiritual thyngs are figured by corporall matters. Of the spirituall this is the summe: God the father the louer of mankinde, wil saue men by his sonne. This thyng is declared by a parable of wedlocke and mariage. And in the matrimonie there is a contract or making sure, there is a coupling or handfasting of eyther partie, and finally mariage.
In the contracte not only the yong man and the mayde are affiaunced, but also the whole manner of maryage to come is appointed, and an order taken For the lawyers say, that affiancing is a promise of the maryage to come. Thys contracte was made at the beginning of the worlde, where God promised that he wyll deliuer mankind by his sonne, and receiue him into glory. Hereunto appertaine all the promises of Christ, of the remission of sinnes, and of euerlastyng lyfe. Moreouer the duties of the spouse are prescribed. Shee promised to be obedient, and other thyngs. &c. Christ the brydegroom the sonne of God the father, affiaunced to himself all the chosen through his free grace: he promises them his righteousness, all heauenly gifts and eternal lyfe. He taketh upon him moreouer all the infirmities of the bride, and pourgeth her filthines. And the bryde is affianced to hym by fayth, as it is written on Osee, & shee byndeth her selfe wholy to hym: after the whose will and law shee frameth her self wholy. For she is the bodye of a lyuely head. As S. Paule sayth in the. 5. To the Ephes. The bryde leaders be the Prophetes, Patriarkes, Aposltes. So John Baptist in the. 3. of John, calleth hymself the friend of the brydegrome. He addeth [to be the spouse of Christ.] S. Paule. 2. Cor. 11. I haue maryed you to one man a chaste vyrgin. &c. Hereunto the. 16. chapt. of Ezechiell seemeth to appertayne.
And the ioyning together of eyther partie, is made after they be affiaunced, with certaine ceremonies: to wit, by takyng ech other by the hands, and certayne wordes spoken, and there is giuen a token or a ring. &c. Immediately after the beginning, there was a couenant or bond made betwixt God and men, which is oft tymes red to haue been renued, not without ceremonies, certayne wordes and sacrifices, as by Abraham, Moses and others. God byndeth him self to men, and men to hym, and that not without the Sacramentes. And all those thyings, serue to this end: namely that God would be in league with man, and haue men bounded to him, and all his thynges communicated to us. And this mariage, was then most straightly ioyned and made, when the sonne of God had united our flesh into one and the same person with him, and commanded his Apostles to preach unto all, that he will haue a communion with the faythful. Of the which communion are read many thyngs euery where in the Scriptures. And he hath geuen a pledge of fayth & perpetuall amitie, not a ryng of gold, but rather the Sacraments: yea euen the holy ghost, as S. Paul sayth in the. 2. to the Corinth.1. and to the Ephes. the first.
And the mariage shal be solemnized in the resurrection of the dead. The soules verely passs from bodily death, into lyfe euerlastyng: but yet the full restitution and saluation of man is not made perfect, except the body come also. Therfore at the resurrection commeth the mariage of the lambe, tha tis, of Christ our redemer. Henry Bullinger, A Hundred Sermons Vpon the Apocalipse of Iesu Christ (London: Printed by Iohn Daye, dwellying ouer Aldersgate, 1573), 256-257.