and one pastor The note He meaneth the Church of the Gentils The answer It is true that Christ made of Iewes and Gentils one folde and of both he and not the pope is the one only pastor and head Iohn 10. 29. The text My father ⸫ that which he hath giuen me is greater then al. The note Another reading is my father that hath giuen me c. The answer In diuers readings you choose that which is most obscure and can not carie any true sense if it be weied with the circumstances of the place and leaue that which is plaine and carieth an inestimable comfort to all that loue God and best agréeth the Gréeke originall Iohn 11. 44. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ Loose him and let him go The note S. Cyril lib. 7. cap. vlt. in Ioh. and Augustine tract 49. in Ioh. applie this to the Apostles and priests authority of absoluing sinners affirming that Christ doth reuiue none from sinne but in the church and by the priests ministerie The answer Wée beléeue that the promise of life eternall pertaineth to none but to such as are or shalbe of the Church of God and that the ordinarie meanes whereby God effectuallie calleth men to be of his church is the ministerie of his woord But we dare not tie God to his ordinarie meanes sith he extraordinarilie called Paul and others But how well this place is applied to the ordinarie authoritie of ministers or priestes in absoluing I will spare to speake for reuerence of them whom you alledge It is well that the church hath plaine euidence of scriptures for the authoritie of binding and loosing for if it staid it selfe vpon the authoritie of men wresting such places as this to that purpose it were but a poore sillie comfort that the conscience of a poore penitent sinner could reape by the churches absolution Iohn 11. 48. The text If we let him alone so all will beleeue in him and the Romans will come and ⸫ take away our place and nation The note All men but speciall nations must take heed that whiles to saue their temporall state they forsake God they loose not both as the Iewes did August tract 49. in Io. The answer Therefore we vndergo all the perils and dangers which by your stirring vp the force and might of all the popish princes in the world can bring vpon vs rather than to displease God by giuing ouer his truth wherwith he hath blessed vs least we should prouoke his heauie indignation against vs and so perish as the Iewes haue done before vs. Iohn 12. 3. The text ⸫ Marie therfore tooke a pound of ointment of right spikenard precious and annointed the feete of Iesus and wiped his feete with hir haire and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment The note Of this womans extraordinarie offices of deuotion and how acceptable they were to Christ See the annot Mat. 26. The answer Bicause those annotations are to receiue answer by themselues therefore I thought not good to touch them here Iohn 12. 7. The text Iesus therefore said Let hir alone that she may keepe it for the day of my ⸫ buriall The note The deuout offices of balming and annointing the dead bodies of the faithfull are here also allowed The answer And we do not disallow whatsoeuer in buriall serueth either for comfort of them that be aliue and for the honest and comely bringing the dead to the graue being the last duties that men can do to their faithfull friends Iohn 12. 8. The text For the poore you haue alwaies with you but me you shall not haue alwaies The note Not in visible and mortal condition to receiue almes of you and such like offices for supply of my necessitie The answer And why do you not say not in bodie nor in humanitie Bicause you would faine with some color shift of Christs bodily absence from the earth for the better safetie and defence of your reall preseâ—ce in the sacrament You are full of fathers in matters nâ—edlesse why do you not in this place so often repeated bring vs at the least one plaine place of some father affirming that he is not simply absent in bodie from vs but onely in such sort as you do imagine Is it not a secret confession that all antiquitie is against you I maruell that you are so impudent still to glory and to cry that your faith hath continued almost xvj hundred yéeres when you know that in a number of things you are not able to bring foorth any true authoritie of halfe the age Iohn 12. 20. The text And there were certaine Gentils of them that came vp to adore in the festiuall day The note We may see there a great difference where a man pray or adore at home or in the church and holy places When the Gentils also came of deuotion a pilgrimage to the temple in Hierusalem The answer Now pilgrimages are prooued and that full pithily For the Gentiles came to adore at Hierusalem When you can find such expresse commandement of God for running to saint Iames of Compostella or our Ladie of Walsingham or visiting the holie sepulchre as was for al both Iewes and conuerts then to appéere before the Lord at Hierusalem then your reason will hold Otherwise it is as much as if I should say The Iewes and conuerts of the Gentils obeied the commandement of God in going to Hierusalem at the feast daies to worship Ergo it is lawful for me to go a roging to what place of pilgrimage in the world séemeth best in mine owne eies without further warrant As for the difference of publike and priuate praier and of seruing God at home and in the common assemblies are both knowen and practised amongst vs. Iohn 12. 40. The text Therfore they ⸫ could not beleeue bicause Esay said againe he hath blinded their eies and indurated their harts c. The note If any man aske saith saint Augustine why they could not beleeue I answer roundly bicause they would not Tract 33. in Io. See annotations Matth. 13. 15. Mark 4. 12. The answer It is true that the corruption of mans will is the cause of all euill and wickednes in man But héere either your printer made a fault or your note booke deceiued you for it is in 53. treatise And I muze why you should so much couet so force Augustine to speake for you séeing that you know that of all other he is most earnest in this cause of frée will against you For in the same place he acknowledgeth the iust iudgement of God vpon them in leauing them in blindnes and not helping them to sée And teacheth vs in inquiring why God would so leaue them to crie out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. Which exclamation sheweth that Augustine had an eie to somwhat more than their will yea and to such a somwhat as was not
is contrarie to the report of your stories And he hied him maruellous fast that was so quickly at Ierusalem againe But to let passe that fable which carieth no shew of truth Peter did not set men a worke to kill and murder Herod for the iniurie offered him but committed vengeance to him to whom it belonged Of whom then learned the pope and his adherents to set men a work to murder the Lords annointed and to giue the murderers absolution afore hand Acts. 12. 23. The text And foorthwith an Angel of the Lord ⸫ strooke him bicause he had not giuen the honor to God and being consumed of woorms he gaue vp the ghost The note Princes that take delight in the flatterie and praises of the people so much that they forget themselues to be men and to giue the honor to God may be warned by this example The answer The example is terrible and hath preuailed with many princes and great estates who héerby haue béen admonished to learne to know themselues But the man of sinne the child of perdition the bishop of Rome I meane whom you his flatterers and clawbacks aduance aboue all that is called god and who most proudly taketh vpon him that which was neuer granted to mortall man nothing can make him afraid Acts. 13. 46. The text To you it behoueth vs first to speake the word of God but bicause ⸫ you repell it and iudge your selues vnwoorthie of eternall life behold we turne vnto the Gentils The note The Iewes of their owne free will repelling the truth are vnwoorthie of Christ and woorthily forsaken And the Gentils though they beleeued specially by Gods grace and preordination yet they beleeue also by their owne free will which standeth well with Gods prouidence The answer That the Iewes repelled the grace of God offered them and would none of it we manifestly sée That the Gentils beléeued also by Gods grace and preordination that is also euident by the text it selfe For there beléeued as many as were preordinate to life euerlasting But that they beléeue by their frée will also is your addition without any warrant bicause you cannot abide that faith should be the méere gift and liberalitie of God Acts. 14. 16. The text Howbeit he left not himselfe without ⸫ testimonie being beneficiall from heauen giuing raines and fruitful seasons filling our harts with food and gladnes The note The heathen might by the daily benefits of God haue knowen him at the least to be their creator and onely Lord though the mysterie of our redemption were not opened to them The answer All nations haue so much knowledge offered them in the creatures and things which they sée and are subiect to sense as to make their damnation iust and themselues void of excuse for ignorance Acts. 14. 22. The text And when ⸫ they had ordained to them priests in euerie church and had praied with fastings they commended them to our Lord in whom they beleeued The note We see by this first that S. Paul and Barnabas were bishops hauing heere authoritie to giue holie orders secondly that there was euen then a difference betwixt bishops and priests though the name in the primitiue church was often vsed indifferently lastly that alwaies fasting and praieng were preparatimes to the giuing of holy orders The answer We cannot sée by this that Paul and Barnabas were bishops but that the Apostles at the first planting of the churches had authoritie to order them and to appoint bishops and pastors to them Neither do we find héere any mention at all of sacrificing priests much lesse any difference betwéene bishops and elders that labour in the word whom we also call priests Your last obseruation that in this example fasting and praier is commended to vs in the election choise and appointing of pastors to particular congregations is true Acts. 15. 4. The text And when they were come to Hierusalem they were receiued of the church and of the Apostles and ⸫ Ancients declaring whatsoeuer God had done with them The note Ancients heere and often in this chapter are the same that priests vers 2. as Saint Hierom taketh it also 1. Peter 5. and the Greeke approoueth being alwaies one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priests Hierom in 1. ad Tit. 4. ad Galatas The answer For the name of priests so your sacrificers thereby be not vnderstood we stand indifferent But what reason can you shew why in English you flie the word Elders and translate it Ancients Acts. 15. 7. The text And when there was made a ⸫ great disputation Peter rising vp said to them The note See the annotation verse 28. towards the end The answer Your annotation shall be answered with the rest Act. 15. 9. The text And God which knoweth the harts gaue testimonie giuing vnto them the holie Ghost as well as to vs and hath put no difference betweene vs them ⸫ by faith purifieng their harts The note By that faith that worketh by charitie for a dead faith can not purifie the hart of man See chap. 16. 31. The answer Who doubteth of this But here is a secret confession by force of truth of your manifold cauilling in these notes in separating those things from a true liuely iustifieng faith which can not be sundered from it For if here you vnderstande that faith which worketh by charitie why do you not so to when we speak of iustification by faith Act. 15. 23. The text Then it pleased the apostles and ancients with the whole church to choose men out of them and to send to Antioch with Paule Barnabas Iudas who was surnamed Barnabas and Silas cheefe men amongst the brethren ⸫ writing by their hands The note Other latin copies and the Greeke read thus writing by their hand an epistle conteining these things The answer Whether it be expresly added or no the sence is one séeing their epistle followeth verbatim But yet this is to be marked that you make your choise in varietie of copies to follow those which furthest dissent from the Gréeke Act. 15. 36. The text And after certaine daies Paule said to Barnabas Let vs returne and ⸫ visite our brethren in all cities wherein we haue preached the worde of our Lord how they do The note Hereof our catholike bishops tooke vp the necessarie vse of often visiting their flocks and cures committed to their charge for confirmation in faith and vertue and reformation of maners both of cleargie and laitie The answer The apostolicall office being vniuersallie to spread the truth 〈◊〉 to laie the first foundation of Christian Religion necessity of doing their dutie compelled Paule and Barnabas to be absent from the churches which they had planted The knowledge of Sathans subtilties and of humaine infirmitie caused this care to visite the churches againe which they had planted and to confirme them Your bishops I doubt not would faine be Apostels in seeking euerie one to himselfe a little world to gouerne
of the word against which no credit of men can stand For his being bishop there the consent is not so great as you Thrasonically brag of For some hold that neither he was bishop there nor made the first bishop there Some make Paul as much bishop there as Peter That Peter might then be out of the citie either for persecution or busines or else that being there Paule might write other letters wherin this might be inclosed are but your surmises wanting both testimonie of antiquitie and al probabilitie Rom. 16. 17. The text And I desire you brethren to marke them that make dissentions and scandals contrarie to the doctrine which you haue learned ⸫ and auoid them The note Of the prince of the Apostles saith Theodoret vpon this place The answer Why we should thinke they learned of Peter I sée no reason But for that which you would haue the simple beléeue that by the word which it pleaseth you to translate prince Peters supremacie aboue the other Apostles is meant they are to be admonished that the fathers giue the same name to Paule as well as to Peter whereby it appéereth that they thought not of any such supreme power or authoritie which also is not onely manifest by the continual practise of the first church but also by plaine spéeches of the fathers Eusebius saith that neither Peter nor Iohn tooke vpon them to be chéefe ouer the Apostles but gaue the primacie to Iames whom they made bishop of the Apostles Cyprian saith that all the Apostles were equal in authoritie Ambrose cannot tell of Peter and Paul whether of them he may preferre By this it is euident that the fathers meant not by reuerend titles they gaue Peter to exalt him in authoritie aboue the rest Rom. 16. 18. The text For such do not serue Christ our Lord but their owne bellie and by ⸫ sweete speeches and benedictions seduce the harts of the innocents The note The speciall way that heretikes haue euer had to beguile was and is by sweete words gaie speeches which their sheeps coate see before described particularly in the annotation vpon Saint Matthew cap. 7. vers 15. The answer Is there any way of beguiling that papists want Did euer any in the worlde prouide better for their bellies Did you not make of Saint Peters keies picklockes to rob euerie mans coffers with them Extraordinarie tokens of fained holines where shall a man looke for them if he finde them not in your Iesuites and friers filed and fine spéeches are your studie And that they may be more admired and better able to deceiue you kéepe from the people the key of knowledge you nuzell them in ignorance to the ende they should not be able to discerne words from matter 1. Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 1◠The text And I meane this for that euerie one of you saith ⸫ I certes am Paules and I Apollos but I Cephas and I Christs The note The beginning of schismes is ouer much admiring and addicting mens selues to their owne particular masters The answer We haue one master that is to saie Christ him we professe to follow and of him to learne others of what godlines or estimation so euer we follow but so far foorth as they followed Christ. If admiring of men and addicting mens selues to particular masters be the beginning and cause of schismes Then what can you say for your Austen friers your Dominicans your Franciscans your Iesuites your schoolemen your Thomists your Scotists why they should not go for schismatikes Haue they not the authors of their their sects in admiration Haue they not addicted themselues to their particular masters Haue they not deuised a number of vntruthes to bring their masters into admiration and estimation What though there be some kinde of consent amonst them yet that excuseth them not from being schismatikes no more then the consent of Pharisies Sadduces other sectaries of the Iewes against Christ and his truth did excuse them 1. Cor. 3. 2. The text As it were to litle ones in Christ I gaue you ⸫ milke to drink not meate for you could not as yet But neither can you now verily for yet you are carnall The note The church onely hath truth both in her milke and in her bread that is whether she instruct the perfect or imperfect who are called carnall Aug. lib. 15. cap. 3. contra Faustum The answer If you went not about with the name of the church to beguile the simple as though thereby your church were vnderstood wée néeded not to giue this any answer But now to auoide your deceite we as we learne of Augustine admonish all men by the scriptures to iudge of the church least therin being deceiued they in stéed of milke and bread receiue strong poison 1. Cor. 3. 9. The text For we are Gods coadiutors ⸫ you are Gods husbandrie you are Gods building The note A maruellous dignitie of spirituall pastors that they be not the onely instruments or ministers of Christ but also Gods coadiutors in the worke of our saluation The answer I haue not hitherto neither carped at your old translator neither yet at your translation neither will I begin here though I might Onlie this I would haue all men to obserue diligently that in this dignitie which God hath bestowed vpon men to vse their labor and paines in his worke men do vse strength not naturall but conferred by grace that they may be apt and fit instruments to aduance forward Gods worke so that they haue nothing of themselues in themselues to glorie of And further that all that which is chéefe in this worke as all encrease of goodnes saluation and life do so procéede from God as that therein he vseth no mans helpe but his owne 1. Cor. 4. 6. The text But these things ⸫ brethren I haue transfigured into my selfe and Apollo for you that in vs you may learne one not to be puffed vp against another aboue that is written The note Lo when he named himselfe and Apollo and Cephas he ment other seditious and factious preachers whose names he spared The answer We sée rather that those which are seditious and factious doo for their better winning of credit shroud them selues vnder the names of those which be famous for godlines and learning And so it is like that they did at Corinth that the Apostle correcting the fault was content to spare their names that by that milde dealing he might the better winne them if it were possible 1. Cor. 4. 15. The text For ⸫ if you haue ten thousand paedagogues in Christ yet not manie fathers The note So may Saint Augustine our Apostle say to vs English men The answer The reader is here to vnderstand that our papists meane Augustine the monke not Augustine the famous doctor and that this Augustine was no Apostle for that he was not sent vs immediatlie from God but from a méere man This
ought thereby to haue espied their owne error in imagining that Christ was no more but a méere man Such remission as Christ gaue his church power to vse is in daily practise amongst vs and for my part I know no professor of the Gospel that findeth fault with it but your proud presumption beyond any authority giuen to the church of God in binding whom you list and loosing whom please you with your gainfull marchandize made therof that with all our harts we abhorre and detest Luke 8. 10. The text To you it is giuen to know the mysterie of the kingdome of God but to the rest in parables ⸫ that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not vnderstand The note See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 13. 14. The answer We haue alreadie giuen answer to that annotation Luke 8. 13. The text For they vpon the rocke such as when they heare with ioy receiue the word and these haue no roots bicause ⸫ for a time they beleeue and in the time of tentation they reuolt The note Against the heretikes that say faith once had cannot be lost and that he which now hath not faith neuer had The answer If either you had the feare of God before your eies or els regarded your owne estimation afore men you would not thus without all cause cauill We say that those whom God by his owne wil hath begotten by the word of truth which is an incorruptible séed to beléeue in the name of his sonne and so to become the children of God it is impossible that their faith should bée quite lost and that he which hath not this faith neuer yet had it what is this to the faith here spoken of which is for a time a ioyfull and readie accepting of the doctrine preached and is therefore improperlie called beléeuing because it hath some similitude with true beléeuing But you make of the Scriptures an exercise to whet your wits to wrangle and cauill for such is your reuerence towards them Luke 8. 21. The text Who answering said to them My ⸫ mother my brethren are they that heare the word of God and doe it The note He did not heere speake disdainfullie of his mother but teacheth that our spiritual kinred is to be preferred before carnall cognation Hilar. in 12. Mat. The answer This néedlesse citing of the fathers you vse to deceiue the simple withall and to make them imagine that your aduersaries hold that Christ spake disdainfully of his mother For they do not thinke that you vse this and other authorities but onlie where you néed by that meanes to winne some credit to that which you write which in this matter was altogether néedlesse Luke 8. 24. The text And ⸫ they came and raised him saying Master we perish The note See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 8 24. The answer We haue for your pleasure lost so much labour as to looke into the place and there finde no such matter Luke 8. 43. The text And there was ⸫ a certaine woman in a fluxe of blood for twelue yeeres past c. The note See the annotations vpon Saint Matthew cap. 9. 19. The answer Your annotation is séene and shall be considered of in the answer to the rest Luke 8. 45. The text And all denying ⸫ Peter said and they that were with him Master the multitudes throng and presse thee and doest thou say Who touched me The note It is an euident signe of prerogatiue that Peter onlie is named so often as chiefe of the companie Marke 1. 36. Actes 5. 29. Luke 9. 32. Marke 16. 7. 1. Cor. 15. 5. The answer It is a very sillie argument Peter onlie is named ergo he is named as chiefe of the companie It is a poore prerogatiue that can be wonne for Peter by such kinde of reasoning The Apostles amongst whom he was conuersant knewe nothing of this his prerogatiue and superioritie as appeareth by their reasoning of the case diuerse times which of them should be greatest or chiefe And therefore it is plaine and euident that you want better helpes when you are faine to staie vp Peters authoritie with such weake proppes Luke 8. 50. The text And Iesus hearing this woord answered the father of the maide Feare not ⸫ beleeue onlie and she shalbe safe The note See the annotations vpon Saint Marke cap. 5. 36. The answer We haue looked and sée there a great péece of learning Forsooth that is an vsual spéech to saie onely do this when we meane chéefely To which we replie that it is most vsuall to saie onely do this when we require onely that which we speake of and no more And againe it is a verie sillie shift for you to flâ—e to chéefely in stéede of onely when in other places you will haue charitie chéefely required and preferre if greatly afore faith Luk. 9. â— The text And calling togither the twelue apostles he gaue them ⸫ vertue and power ouer all diuels and to cure maladies The note To command diuels and diseases either of bodie or soule is by nature proper to God onely but by gods gift men also may haue the same euen so to forgiue sinne The answer And why do you not saie euen so to create heauen and earth men and angels God doth impart to men whatsoeuer pleaseth him to giue and to bestowe and not what it pleaseth proud men to chalenge Shew to vs that God hath giuen any man authoritie to sell remission of sins Otherwise I haue alreadie answered that we vse this authoritie of remitting sins so farre foorth as God hath giuen it Luk. 9. 5. The text And whosoeuer shall not receiue you going foorth out of that citie shake of the dust also of your feete ⸫ for a testimonie vpon them The note A great fault to reiect the true preachers or not to admit them into house for needfull harbour and sustenance The answer But no fault to reiect traiterous and vndermining papists who secretlie stir vp subiects to murther their soueraignes the Lords annointed and to séeke the subuersion and destruction of their owne countrie Luk. 9. 16. The text And taking the fiue loaues and the two fishes he looked vp to heauen and ⸫ blessed them and brake and distributed to his disciples for to set before the multitude The note Here you see that he blessed the things and not onely gaue thanks to God See annot Mark cap. 8. 7. The answer Who can better tell what is ment by blessing then the holie Ghost himselfe who in the fiftéenth of Matthew in the sixt of Iohn expresseth the same by giuing of thanks Neither is there any cause or reason in this place why any farther matter should be thought or imagined to be ment by blessing And as for the seuerall blessing of the bread first and then the fishes afterward is but your dreame without warrant Your annotation shall be considered of with the residue of the same sort Luk. 9.
doctrine no example in the whole doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles therefore no man ought to go after you Your annotation is alreadie answered Luke 18. 1. The text And he spake a parable to them that it behooued ⸫ alwaies to praie and not to be wearie The note We should alwaies pray by faith hope and charitie and by working the things that be acceptable to God though speciall times of vocall praiers in the canonical howers be assigned for the stirring vs vp to God through externall signes of deuotion The answer That those which pray ought to be furnished with all things that may beautifie a Christian we denie not and that the praiers of Christians ought to be continual without ceasing we affirme bicause their néedes and necessities are continuall But the speciall thing required that their praiers may be heard and petitions granted is faith That in the great dulnes and negligence of Christians times of praier be appointed for the better stirring vp of men thereto we thinke it very necessarie What you mean by externall signes of deuotion I know not you haue so many superstitious toies as crossings beades and such like Luke 18. 11. The text The pharisie standing praied thus with himselfe God I giue thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men extortioners vniust adulterers as also this publican ⸫ I fast twise a weeke I giue tithes of all that I possesse The note To take pride of fasting tithing or any goodworke is naught though the works themselues be very good The answer And how can men auoid pride and carrie an humble mind that are instructed by you or that beléeue your doctrine will it not thinke you puffe vp a man in pride to be persuaded that his works deserue heauen and life euerlasting This praier of the pharisie doth plainly shew that the opinion of the pharisies and of the papists touching grace and works were all one and the very same And how then shall it not worke the same effect in you that it did in the pharisie And héere by the way is to be noted whence you papists learned to kéepe two fasting daies euery wéeke Luke 18. 13. The text And the publican standing a far of would not so much as lift his eies toward heauen but he ⸫ knocked his brest saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner The note So do the priests and people at the holy altar knocke their brests and say with the humble publican Deus propitius Aug. psal 31. concione 3. The answer To what purpose do you cite Augustine To prooue what your priests do now adaies he cannot tell Or to prooue the antiquitie of your altars Therein you do but delude men with the name whereas in the things there are great differences Or to prooue that Deus propitius was then in the church seruice If you had now nothing therein that then was it were hard That doth neither prooue your masse nor your mattens in a strange toong As for the people they come not néere the altar but som poore boy for the most part is faine to be spokesman for them Luke 18. 17. The text Amen I say to you Whosoeuer receiueth not the kingdome of God ⸫ as a child shall not enter into it The note In matters of faith and religion we must be as humble and obedient to the catholike church as yoong children to their parents The answer By the catholike church you vnderstand the pope and his colledge of cardinals to whom you would haue men so childishly obedient as to beléeue whatsoeuer they shal tel them though they call chalke chéese But how agréeth this with S. Paul which wil not haue vs children in vnderstanding but of ripe age to the end we may be constant and not wauering in the faith and knowledge of Christ neither caried about with euery puffe of doctrine Luk. 18. 20. The text Thou knowest ⸫ the commandement thou shalt not kil c. The note Not faith onely but also keeping the commandements purchase life euerlasting See annotations Matthew 19. 16. The answer You loue to repeat one thing often Your notes vpon this haue twise béene answered alreadie And now the third time I praie you tell vs how yée gather this or what necessitie there is of any such consequence vpon this place You know it is of all hands granted that he which fulfilleth the Law shall liue by the Law Also you know that the Apostle concludeth that therefore none liue by the Law bicause no man performeth all things that are written in the Law This man would know by what doing a man should possesse life Christ answereth his question aptlie and fitly by kéeping the commandements Doth it follow therefore that a man can kéepe the commandements and so haue life But it appéereth that the Iewish teachers had besotted this yoong man as they had done a multitude of others to make them séeke righteousnes and life where it could not be found that is in themselues and in their owne obedience Euen as you popish pharisies do now a daies bewitch men with an opinion of inherent iustice whereby they may deserue heauen Luk 18. 22. The text Yet one thing thou lackest ⸫ Sell al that euer thou hast and giue to the poore c. The note This is not a commandement or precept but counsell which the religious do follow See annot Matth. 19. The answer Now haue we the works of Supererogation of religious papists which obserue not onely cōmandements but counsels But to let you to assume that which no mā néedeth to grant you that is that this is no commandement I pray you why doth not the pope his cardinals archbishops bishops abbots priors moonks priests obey this counsell and sell their possessions and giue the money raised thereof to the poore Be not these amongst your religious men But this would gréeue them woorse then it gréeued this rich man As for your other orders which liue by the spoile of the poore and maintaine themselues in idlenes by begging they haue nothing to sell for the possesse nothing And so it falleth out that your note is a thrasonicall bragge and that none of you set store by Christs counsell which none of you do follow or séeke to obserue Luk. 18. 29. The text Amen I saie to you there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or ⸫ wife or children for the kingdome of God c. The note The Apostles amongst other things left their wiues also as Saint Hierome noteth out of this place Libro 1. adu Iouinianum The answer I maruell you haue no more copie of fathers for this matter Your note and the authority of Hierome hath béene alreadie answered Yet for farther answere we say that in that sence in which you take it it was vtterly vnlawful against the commandement of God doctrine of the holy scriptures for the apostles to leaue their wiues Also if we may
sense that you take it in is true that he suffred no paines there though all of your side be not yet resolued what to vnderstand by hel in the Créed nor whether he suffred there or no. But that this place of scripture hath no reference to that article it is plaine and euident by the exposition of Peter immediatlie following who can gather nothing to be prophesied in this text but the short and quicke resurrection of the bodie of Christ out of the graue Acts. 2. 38. The text But Peter said to them ⸫ do penance and be euerie one of you baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of your sinnes and you shall receiue the gift of the holie Ghost The note Not onely amendment of life but penance also required before baptisme in such as be of age though not in that sort as afterward in the sacrament of penance Augustine de fide operibus cap. 11. ep 108. The answer Wherefore do you cite Augustine To prooue a sacrament of penance Seauen sacraments were vnknowen in his daies I pray you what penance did Peter inioine these men tell if you can Forsooth not such as afterward was woont to be inioined in the sacrament of penance I beléeue you But if there were then a sacrament of penance instituted how excuse you Peter for inioining penance not according therto And if there were no such sacrament then tell vs in good earnest when it began who had authoritie to appoint it and whence he had that authority Haue they béene better replenished with the spirit of God since than Peter was Thus you sée the rat perisheth by hir owne bewraieng of hir selfe And least your ignorant readers should conceiue that saint Augustine whom you alledge doth speake in those places of the sacrament of penance they are to be admonished that if they be able to view the places themselues they shall be sure to find there no such thing Acts. 2. 41. The text They therefore that receiued his word were baptized and there were added in that day about ⸫ three thousand soules The note Three thousand were conuerted at the first sermon and they were put to the other visible companie and church The answer Under the name of visible lurketh poison For thereby you would perswade yours that the church of Christ could neuer lie in corners hidden and knowen to few or none but themselues Which doctrine of yours if it were true would exclude the Apostles after the resurrection being in a house with the doore fast shut to them and the congregation of beléeuers gathered secretly togither and kéeping closely in a chamber from being the church of God Your champion Stapleton who for his writing of all English papists hath deserued most praise is driuen of force to confesse the hidden and secret church but that he will haue to endure but a while wherby he supposeth he hath salued the matter But that little while is sufficient to ouerthrow all your reasons for perpetuall visibilitie in that sense which you take it Acts. 2. 42. The text And they were perseuering in the doctrine of the Apostles and in the communication of ⸫ breaking of bread and praiers The note This was the blessed sacrament which the Apostles daily ministred to the Christians at the least in one kind See chap. 20. 7 The answer And why say you at the least in one kind Was it euer heard of in the world that the sacramâ—nt was ministâ—ed in lesse than one kind But you would haue said if you durst for shame that they ministred but in one kind And then if you had had any fathers that fauored that exposition we should also haue heard of them But your doctrine of concomitance the groundworke of your halfe communion was then not hatched in hell The fathers were vtterly ignorant of it Acts. â— 1. The text And Peter and Iohn went vp into the temple at the ⸫ ninth hower of praier The note This maketh for distinction of canonicall howers and diuersitie of appointed times to pray in See annot cap. 10. 9. The answer Let people pray in the language which they vnderstand to him to whom they are commanded to offer vp their praiers in faith according to his will and then times appointed for praier may haue their right and true vse Acts. 3. 16. The text And in the ⸫ faith of his name this man whom you see and know his name hath strengthened and the faith which is by him hath giuen this perfect health in the sight of you all The note This faith was not the faith of the lame man for he looked onely for almes nor a speciall faith of the Apostles owne saluation but the whole beleefe of Christian religion The answer How prooue you that this was not the faith of the lame man Forsooth he looked for nothing but almes At the first he did not What then Nay he looked not for almes when they had told him that they had neither gold nor siluer to giue But as he cast away the expectation of almes so did he gréedily imbrace the gift of health offered him in the name of Iesus Christ. And this is the faith which Peter héere speaketh of If Peters hearers had so vnderstood the matter as you take it they might haue concluded that they néeded not beléeue other mens faith might make them safe as it did this man How happened it that the lame man of Lystra néeded his owne faith to be saued or healed Was not Pauls faith as good as Peters if a man might be healed by another mans faith without his owne The residue of your note is a riddle For what is Christian religion Is it not the imbracing of the promises of saluation by faith And then how is that distinguished from the faith or beléeuing of a mans owne saluation But bicause you papists want the comfortable assurance of Christians therefore you deuise a new kind of faith to flatter your selues withall void of that comfort and assurance 〈◊〉 3. 21. The text Whom ⸫ the heauens truly must receiue vntill the times of the restitution of all things which God spake by the mouth of his holie prophets from the beginning of the world The note Some heretikes fouly corrupt this place thus Who must be contained in heauen of purpose as they protest to hold Christ in heauen from the blessed sacrament Beza As though his presence there drew him out of heauen Neither can they pretend the Greeke which is word for word as in the vulgar Latin and as we translate The answer This bable hath béene sufficiently plaied withal alreadie The Gréeke being the meane verbe is indifferent to be translated actiuely or passiuely The sense in both translations resteth one and the same Prating Martinius made this quarrell â—tale and the learned and reuerend master doctor Fulke hath cléered it I pray you shew vs thus much fauour as to giue vs one sentence of a doctor for sixe
that haue not the gift of continencie Uirginitie is a vertue rare onely to be kept of those to whom God hath giuen speciall gifts for that purpose 1. Cor. 7. 40. The text But ⸫ more blessed shall she be if she so remaine according to my counsell And I thinke that I also haue the spirit of God The note The state of widowhood more blessed than the state of matrimonie The answer This also is not absolute but in respect of many encumbrances that commonly accompanie the married 1. Cor. 8. â— The text ⸫ Knowledge puffeth vp but charitie edifieth The note Knowledge without charitie puffeth vp in pride and profiteth nothing at all when it is ioined with charitie then it edifieth Aug. lib. 9. ciuit Dei cap. 20. The answer Héere againe saint Augustine might haue béen spared for you haue giuen testimonie sufficient of your reading 1. Cor. 9. 5. The note Haue not we power to lead about a woman a sister as also the rest of the Apostles and our Lords brethren and ⸫ Cephas The note He nameth Cephas that is Peter to prooue his purpose by the example of the chiefe and prince of the Apostles Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysost. Oecum vpon this place The answer You plaie altogether the sophisters to racke a word or two beyond the meaning of the writers I haue told you before that it was no péece of their meaning to giue to Peter anie soueraignty ouer the rest of the Apostles aswell bicause they giue those additions to others as to Peter as also for that in expresse words they make all the Apostles equall in authoritie of Paul and Peter they know not whether of them to preferre But what néede we fathers are not the scriptures in this case plaine did not Iames Peter and Iohn giue to Paul and Barnabas the right handes not of soueraigntie but of societie and Paul estéemed not him selfe inferior to the best and chiefest of the Apostles And if your desire for Peter were graunted yet for the Bishop of Rome you were neuer the nigher your purpose 1. Cor. 9. 9. The text For it is written in the Law of Moises Thou shalt not muzzel the mouth of the oxe that ⸫ treadeth out the corne The note In that countrie they did tread out their corne with oxen as we do thresh it out The answer A néedlesse note for what could anie man els imagine of it 1. Cor. 9. 13. The text Know you not that they which worke in the holie place eate the things that are of the holie place and they that serue ⸫ the altar participate with the altar The note The English Bible 1562 here and in the next chapter saith thrise for altar temple most falselie and hereticallie against holie altars which about the time of that translation were digged downe in England The answer An ouersight we graunt but false or hereticall meaning we denie For if these places make nothing for your altars howe could the leauing out of the word altar be of purpose against your altars Besides the translator sufficientlie cleareth him selfe of anie such purpose in that in diuers and sundrie places he translateth altars as he findeth it For it had béene to verie small purpose in a place or two to shunne the name of altars and to reteine them in infinite other places 1. Cor. 9. 2â— The text To all men ⸫ I became all things that I might saue all The note Not by fiction or simulation but by compassion of the infirmities of all sortes August epist. 9. The answer A verie good and necessarie example for those which labour in the word to beare so farre as they lawfullie may or can with the infirmities of manie to the end to winne and gaine them to God 1. Cor. 10. 1â— The text Therefore he that thinketh him selfe to stand let him take heed ⸫ least he fall The note It is profitable to all or in a maner to all for to keepe them in humilitie not to know what they shalbe saith Saint Augustine which maketh against the vaine securitie of the protestants The answer You alledge Saint Augustine at randon without telling vs where we might finde this place which maketh me to doubt that it is but some patch of a place which being violentlie pulled from that which goeth before and from that which followeth may séeme to make for that which he meant not In which coniecture whether in this place true or false yet I do you none iniurie First because Augustine giueth me occasion so to coniecture whom I suppose in this point not to be against him selfe who alwaies teacheth christians not to doubt of that which God hath promised them Secondlie your selues haue often giuen occasion of this coniecture who manie times make the fathers seeme to speake that which they neuer meant as both alreadie hath bene shewed and héerafter shall be shewed in these answers to your marginall notes 1. Cor. 11. 2. The text And I praise you brethren that in all things you be mindefull of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you you keepe my ⸫ precepts The note In the Greeke traditions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The answer Could not your vulgar translator abide traditions or hath the Gréeke worde some other signification Against vs Martinius maketh manie and mightie outcries if we do not alwaies translate it tradition He cannot abide that we should learne any more significations of the word And all the stur is to giue some colour to your vnwritten verities â— Cor. 11. â—5 The text For I receiued of our Lord that which also I haue deliuered vnto you ⸫ that our Lord Iesus in the night that he was betraied tooke bread c. The note The Apostles drift in all that he saith here is against vnwoorthy receiuing as S. Augustine also noteth ep 118. cap. 3. and not to set out the whole order of ministration as the heretikes do ignorantly imagine The answer Saint Augustine doth not saie that the whole order of the administration of the Lords supper is not to be gathered hence For if the whole institution of Christ be not a direction to vs for that whence shall we haue it But it is best for you to stand vpon deniall of this bicause you break the whole institution of Christ. How did Paule deliuer that which he receiued of the Lord if he deliuered not the order of the administration of the sacrament did not Christ leaue vnto his church an order for it Though the Apostles drift here be agianst vnreuerent and vnwoorthy receiuing yet that could not be better reformed then by teaching the reuerende and orderly vse of it But bicause you haue in your larger annotations bestowed great labor about this point therefore I refer it ouer to the answer of them 1. Cor. 12. 8. The text To one certes by the spirit is giuen ⸫ the word of wisdome and to another the word of knowledge according to the same spirit to another faith in the same
me hath not been ⸫ voide but I haue labored more aboundantly then all they yet not I but the grace of God with me The note In him Gods grace is not voide that worketh by his freewill according to the motion and direction of the same grace The answer As you haue drawen fréewill from philosophie so you plant grace in the roome of that which the philosophers called right reason and you giue vnto it no more then they did to right reason that is to mooue and direct the will But Paule on the contrary side so attributeth all to grace that he leaueth nothing to himselfe I haue labored saith he yet not I but the grace of God with me that is to saie which is with me 1. Cor. 15. 14. The text And if Christ be not risen againe then vaine is our preaching vaine also is your faith and we are found also ⸫ false witnesses of God c. The note So we may say if the catholike faith in all points be not true then our first apostles were false witnesses then hath our countrie beleeued in vaine all this while are all our forefathers dead in their sins perished which presupposing Christ to be God were the greatest absurditie in the worlde The answer And whie did you not say if the faith which the church of Rome at this day professeth be not in al points true for that we know you meane by the Catholike faith but you would haue your words true howsoeuer your meaning was But we denie your Romish faith to be the catholike faith By our first Apostles also you meane neither Peter nor Paul nor anie of Christes Apostles but Augustine the monke pope Gregories apostle but if his doctrine were Catholike neither yours nor ours is in all points Catholike For our forefathers which you speake of you meane those which liued of late yeeres for those of elder time knew not your faith they could not tell that the Pope could not erre they thought him subiect to the whole church they knew nothing of transubstantiation of concomitance and of a number of such toies as you of late haue coined And therefore let men vnderstand that the Catholike faith is that which Paul and Peter and the other Apostles of Christ left vnto vs taught in the scriptures and that which the first church of Christ beléeued and embraced at their hands and which the church of Rome at this day persecuteth and then your note may stand vntouched 1. Cor. 15. 42. The text For ⸫ starre differeth from starre in glorie so also the resurrection of the dead The note The glorie of the bodies of saints shall not be all alike but different in heauen according to mens merits The answer The Apostle putteth no difference here betwéene the glorified bodies of the saints but betwéene the state of our bodies afore the resurrection and after the resurrection betwixt which two states of the selfe same bodies there shalbe as great difference as betwixt the glorie of the sunne the glorie of anie other starre therefore you do but according to your accustomed order wrest this text to bring men to put confidence in their owne merits 1. Cor. 15. 44. The text It is sowen a naturall bodie it shall rise a spirituall bodie The note As to become spirituall doeth not take away the substance of the bodie glorified no more when Christes bodie is said to be in spiritual sort in the sacrament doth it import the absence of his true bodie substance The answer Hungrie dogges eate durtie puddings this stuffe must serue where better can not be had Our bodies though spiritual and configured as you call it to the bodie of his glorie yet are true bodies not in manie places at once whereof it followeth that Christes bodie being a true glorified bodie is not in manie places at once for that can not stand with the trueth of his bodie 1. Cor. 15. 5◠The text This I say brethren that flesh and blood can not possesse the kingdome of God neither shall corruption possesse incorruption The note Flesh and blood signifie not here the substance of those things but the corrupt qualitie incident to them in this life by the fall of Adam The answer If you should light on men as froward and contentious as your selues they might with as great reason contend with you for the litterall sense of flesh and blood as you do for the litterall sense of This is my bodie which spéech being of a Sacrament you will by no means admit to be of the same nature and to haue like interpretation as all other spéeches of Sacraments haue 1. Cor. 16. 2. The text In ⸫ the first of the Sabaoth let euerie one of you put a part with him selfe laying vp what shall well like him that not when I come collections be made The note That is Sunday Hierome q. 4. Hedibiae So quickelie did the Christians keepe Sunday holie day and assembled to diuine seruice on the same The answer For Sunday that it was appointed by the Apostles to bée kept for the Saboath that it was so solemnized in their times it is manifest you needed not Saint Hieroms authoritie for it sauing that you loue to vse the fathers where you least need them 1. Cor. 16 8. The text But I will tarie at Ephesus till Pentecost The note The heretikes and other new fangled striue amongst themselues whether Pentecost signifie here the terme of fiftie daies or els the Iewes holie day so called But it commeth not to their minds that it is most like to be the feast of Whit suntide kept and instituted euen then by the Apostles as appeareth by the fathers See Augustine epist 119. cap. 15. and 16. Ambrose in cap. 17. Lucae The answer In Augustine I find certaine mysteries in the number of fifty noted as well out of the new testament as out of the old and that the feast of Pentecost was in his time kept of Christians but what was meant by it in this place or whether the Apostles did institute that feast to be kept of Christians or not I find nothing there In Ambrose I find that the beginning of the eighth wéeke after Easter maketh the Pentecost and that Paul in this place promised to tarrie till that time and that they kept all the fiftie daies as Easter but whether by the apostles tradition or no that is left vncertain So we sée not by your fathers that the apostles instituted the feast of Whitsuntide But we sée that you loue to trouble your selues and others with trifles 1. Cor. 16. 2◠The text If any man loue not our Lord Iesus Christ be he Anathema ⸫ Maran-atha The note That is our Lord is come Hierom ep 173. Therefore Anathema to all that loue him not or beleeue not Theophilact vpon this place The answer In matter not in controuersie betwixt vs you make vnnecessarie shew of reading If you did either in loue or in faith
for persecution or for businesse séeing that both the actes of the Apostles the Epistle to the Romains euery epistle that Paul wrote from Rome minister good reasons against Peters being there so that if he were bishop so long as your stories testifie of him he was a notable non Resident but I had rather imagine that he came thither but a litle afore his death Philip. 3. â— The text See the dogges see the euill workers see the ⸫ concision for we are the circumcision which in spirit serue God c. The note By allusion of words he calleth the carnall Christian Iewes that yet boasted in the circumcision of the flesh concision and himselfe and the rest that circumcised their hart and senses spirituallie the true circumcision Saint Chrisostome Theoph. The answer Either you should set downe nothing without authorities alledged or els if you would spare your paines in anie place you should do it in those whereof the sense is not in controuersie but confessed on both parts Philip. 3. 1â—â— The text And may be found in him not hauing my iustice which is of the Lawe but that which is of the faith of Christ which is of God iustice in faith to know him and the vertue of his resurrection the societie of his passions configured to his death ⸫ if by anie meanes I may come to the resurrection which is from the dead The note If Saint Paul ceased not to labour still as though he were not sure to come to the marke without continuall indeuour what securitie may we poore sinners haue of heretikes perswasions and promises of securitie and saluation by onlie faith The answer We are verie sure that they which after they are called to knowledge do not continuallie indeuour to walke in those good workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in shall not come to the marke of life euerlasting which is set before all chrians And we know none but papists that teach such securitie to make men trust to that faith which is idle and doeth not worke by loue a diligent indeuour of obedience to Gods holy lawes And yet this continuance of our indeuour is no argument of doubtfulnesse of our saluation neither yet of trust in our deserts but that Christ liueth in vs and by his spirit leadeth and guideth vs effectuallie And it is not to be passed ouer though you be not disposed to sée it that the Apostle for all his indeuour yet flieth from his owne righteousnesse to the righteousnesse of Christ which God hath made his by faith so that it is euident that the Apostles confidence rested vpon the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to him Philip. 3. 17. The text Be followers ⸫ of me brethren and obserue them that walke so as you haue our forme The note It is a goodlie thing when a pastor may say so to his flocke Neither is it anie derogation to Christ that the people should imitate their Apostles life and doctrine and other holie men Saint Augustine Saint Benedict Saint Dominicke Saint Frauncis The answer It is a verie good thing when the Pastors are examples to their flocke in life and doctrine but yet the best men are to be followed with exception namelie no further then they follow Christ. As for your frierlie fathers whom you recken and whom you follow in wilworship are vnméete to be matched with Paul and others partners of Christian obedience to them among whom they liued Philip. 4. 3. The text Yea and I beseech thee my sincere companion helpe those women that haue laboured with me in the Gospel with ⸫ Clement the rest my coadiutors whose names are in the booke of life The note This Clement was afterward fourth Pope of Rome from Saint Peter as Saint Hierome writeth according to the common supputation The answer This is to be marked that the reckoning and supputation of Popes succéeding one another is a matter not agréed on though it be the maine foundation and principall pillar whereupon the Romish church will séeme to staie her selfe For as it is a matter verie vncertaine whether Peter was euer Bishop of Rome so is it also vncertaine who was first second third or fourth If we may beléeue the constitutions ascribed to the Apostles the testimonie whereof you can not refuse citing the authoritie of them in other matters verie often then Peter was neuer Bishop there but Linus was the first ordeined by Paul and not by Peter Clemens the second Eusebius reckoneth Clemens third and Euaristus fourth after both Peter and Paul For I do not perceiue that he reckoned one of them more for bishop there then the other Nicephorus maketh Peter the first Linus the second and Anacletus third and Clemens fourth Hierome reckoned in the same order sauing that he addeth that manie of the Latines did count Clemens next after Peter Sabellicus writeth that Peter Linus Cletus and Clemens were all Bishops of Rome at once and striketh quite out Anacletus out of the number Ireneus reckoneth next after Linus Anacletus And Optatus Mileuitanus setteth him that is Anacletus next after Clemens And thus your famous succession whereof you so greatly glorie resteth vpon a rotten vncertaine foundation the progresse thereof if it were examined is more diuerse and vncertaine and that manie waies and therefore no maruell though so vncertaine a succession must serue to vphold so vile a congregation as the church of Rome is at this day which bicause you know you referre the matter to the common supputation which must be that which you commonlie at this day follow Philip. 4. 10. The text And I also reioiced in our Lord exceedingly that once at the length you haue ⸫ reflorished to care for me as you did also care but you were occupied The note This reflorishing is the reuiuing of their old liberalitie which for a time had beene slacke and dead S. Chrysostom The answer This was Paules thankfulnes as well for the care they presently had of him as for their liberalitie afore time bestowed on him Philip. 4. 1â— The text And you know also O Philippians that in the beginning of the Gospell when I departed from Macedonia no church coÌ„municated vnto me in the account of gift and ⸫ receipt but you onely for vnto Thessalonica also once and twise you sent to my vse The note He counteth it not meere almes or a free gift that people bestoweth on their pastors or preachers but a certaine mutuall traffike as it were and interchange the one giuing spirituall the other rendering temporall things for the same The answer Your note is true though the pastors of your church giue stones for bread for fish scorpions and in stead of milke strong and ranke poison COLOSSIANS Colos. 1. 6. The text That is come vnto you as also ⸫ in the whole world it is and fructifieth and groweth euen as in you since that day that you heard and knew the grace of
prooued thus the wisedome of God hath taught vs to praie to our father in heauen and not to anie other what is it then to teach men to praie to others but to controll that wisedome of God that it hath not taught the wisest way to pray and thus in that wherein you thought to shew his humilitie you set foorth his intollerable pride ◠Thess. 2. 11. The text Therefore ⸫ God will send them the operation of error to beleeue lieng c. The note Deus mittet saith Saint Augustine libro 20. de Ciu. cap. 19. quia Deus diabolum facere ista permittet God will send bicause God will permit the diuell to do these things whereby we may take a general rule that Gods action or working in such things is his permission See annot Rom. 1. 24. The answer Now Augustine must helpe you with a generall rule that expresselie both against the whole course of scripture and also against his owne minde if you meane by permission onlie permission for he saith who doeth not tremble at these horrible iudgements of God by which he doth in the hearts of the wicked what he will rendring to euerie man according to his merits And againe he saith it is out of doubt that God doeth worke in the mindes of men to encline their willes either to good according to his mercie or els to euill according to their deserts by his iudgement sometimes open and sometimes secret but alwaies iust This I trowe is somewhat more then only permission therefore you must racke some other for that generall rule for Augustine will not yéeld it you and it groweth out of a foolish nicenes for men to be afraid to speake as the holie Ghost hath spoken afore them 2. Thess. 2. 17. The text And our Lord Iesus Christ him selfe and God our Father which hath loued vs and hath giuen eternall consolation and good hope in grace ⸫ exhort your hearts and confirme you in euerie good worke and word The note This word of exhorting implieth in it comfort and consolation 2. Corinthes 1. verse 4. and 6. The answer Trueth doeth well but neuer when it is intermedled with vntruthes If this note were not defiled with the former these that follow but had passed alone then we would haue ioined with you 2. Thess. 3. 6. The text And we denounce vnto you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw your selues from euery brother walking inordinately and not according to the ⸫ tradition which they haue receiued of vs. The note Here also as is noted before 1. Thessalonians 2. 15. the aduersaries in their translations auoid the word tradition being plaine in the Greeke least them selues might seeme to be noted as men walking inordinatelie and not according to Apostolicall tradition as all Schismatikes heretikes and rebels to Gods church do The answer If corrupt vse had not in your times made tradition to bée commonlie taken of the people for a doctrine deliuered by word of mouth onlie and neuer published in the holie Scriptures by writing contrarie to the sense and meaning of the Apostle then had there not béene anie iust cause of auoiding the word But you can not iustlie blame vs though we flie a word corrupted by you and therefore dangerous to deceiue withall and set downe for it some other worde no lesse aptlie agréeing to the signification of the Gréeke word and better with more plainnesse expressing vnto the vnlearned the minde and meaning of the Apostle in that place But bicause you charge other men with inordinate walking contrarie to the traditions Apostolicall answer for your selues and yeeld vs reason if you can whie you breake those which you call the Apostles constitutions why do you not commonlie and ordinarilie choose married men to be Bishops why haue you kept the common people from reading the scriptures why suffer you women to baptize why fast you not continuallie on Wednesdaies whie doo ye exclude the people both from election and approbation of Bishops and priests If these bée not the ordinances of the Apostles why do ye abuse the world with alledging the authoritie of that booke for you if they bée with what face can you obiect to others wherein you are most manifestlie faultie your selues 1. TIMOTHIE 1. Tim. 1. 5. The text But the end of the precept is charitie from a pure heart ⸫ a good conscience a faith not fained The note Saint Augustine saith he that list to haue the hope of heauen let him looke that he haue a good conscience let him beleeue and worke well For that he beléeueth he hath of faith that he worketh he hath of charitie praefat in Psalm 31. The answer As you alledge Saint Augustine so I would that you caried his syncere mind and loue to the truth so should we not onlie agrée in this but throwing away all minde and desire of contending enter into a most earnest search for truth with al humilitie 1. Tim. 1. 19. The text This precept I commend to thee O Timothie according to the prophecies going before on thee that thou warre in them a good warfare hauing faith and a good conscience ⸫ which certaine repelling haue made shipwracke about the faith The note Euill life and no good conscience is often the cause that men fall to heresie from the faith of the Catholike church Againe this plainlie reprooueth the heretikes false doctrine seeing that no man can fall from the faith that he once trulie had The answer True and liuelie faith is one thing and the outward profession of faith is another You loue to dallie with equiuocations knowing that that hindereth the consecution of an argument The outward profession and not true faith is meant héere By such arguments as you make it is easie to prooue that the crowe is white 1. Tim. 2. 1. The text I desire therefore first of all things that obsecrations praiers postulations thankesgiuings be made for all men ⸫ for Kings and al that are in praeeminence that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all pietie and chastitie The note Euen for heathen Kings and Emperors by whom the church suffreth persecution much more for all faithfull princes and powers and people both spirituall and temporall for whom as members of Christes bodie and therefore ioining in praier and oblation with the ministers of the Church and priests more properlie and particularlie offer the holie sacrifices See Saint August de origine animae lib. 1. cap. 9. The answer The spirit that guideth and directeth the bishops of Rome now is full contrarie to the spirit that guided and directed Paul and the whole primitiue church For now such princes as punish papists or fauour not poperie must be murdered disinherited excommunicated deposed depriued giuen to the diuell and not praied for They may not looke for the dutie which was giuen to persecuting princes then For our holie father of Rome will not
triall you flie And if anie time you make a shew of comming to it then by and by your church must giue credite to your doctrine your church cannot erre your pope cannot erre we must beléeue your doctrine not bicause you can prooue it to haue come from the Apostles but bicause your church and pope haue giuen sentence for it but if you durst abide by your note we would easily shew your doctrin to be erronious 1. Tim. 6. 10. The text For the roote of all euill is couetousnes ⸫ which certaine desiring haue erred from the faith and haue intangled themselues in manie sorrowes The note As in the first chapter the lacke of faith and good conscience so here couetousnes and the desire of these temporall things and in the ende of this chapter presumption and boasting of knowledge are causes of falling from the faith heresie often being the punishment of former sins The answer It is very true that God punisheth sin by sin and that there be many causes for which wicked men are wont to forsake the faith which they do or did somtimes professe The causes in your note assigned lacke of faith and good conscience couetousnes presumption and boasting if all the world be sought from one end to the other there cannot any be founde in whom these causes haue so euidently concurred and wrought as in your most holy fathers of Rome wherein I referre my selfe to the credite of your owne stories 1. Tim. 6. 19. The text Command the rich of this world not to be high minded nor to trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God who giueth al things aboundantly to enioy to do wel to become rich in good works to giue easelie to communicate to heape vnto themselues a good ⸫ foundation for the time to come that they may apprehend the true life The note Almes deeds and good works laid for a foundation and ground to attaine euerlasting life So say the doctors vpon this place The answer If you had shewed vs what doctors had so spoken we woulde haue shewed you their meaning But we know that neither they nor the apostles ment by the word foundation to put Christ out of his office or place but onlie to oppose against the vncertaintie of riches here the certaintie of promised blessednes in the time to come According to the saieng of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 2. TIMOTHIE ◠Tim. 1. 6. The text For the which cause I admonish thee that thou resuscitate the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of my hands The note Heere againe it is plaine that holy orders giue grace and that euen by and in the externall ceremonie of imposing the bishops hands And it is a maner of speech specially vsed in this Apostle and S. Luke that orders giue grace to the ordered and that to take orders or authoritie to minister sacrament or preach is to be giuen or deliuered to Gods grace Acts. 14. 25. The answer Héere you say that that is plaine which no wise man can sée namely that holy orders giue grace in and by the externall ceremonie of imposing of the bishops hands For if that were so what néeded there be any choise of men furnished with gifts and graces for that purpose sith in the very ordering they should be sufficiently indued with gifts and graces necessarie and néedfull And how fel it out that there were so great a number of popish priests void and destitute of al gifts graces after their ordering when the bishop had conferred and bestowed vpon them all that he could It is euident by the manifold commendations that the Apostle giueth to Timothie as well for his owne studie in the scriptures as also for his bringing vp vnder his mother and grandmother that he was a man furnished with gifts afore Paul and the elders ordered him But bicause the praiers of the church in that his consecrating to the worke of God were not in vaine that blessing and increase of aptnesse and fitnesse which God at their petitions gaue him at that time is called the gift or grace by imposition of hands In the like order it is true that all those which be rightly ordered are deliuered to the grace of God bicause the same God who of his mercifull goodnes afore indued them with gifts made them fit and méete for the worke of his ministerie and mooued his church to call them thereunto afterward by and in the imploieng of their talents to his glorie and the benefit of his church and people increaseth and augmenteth their gifts 2. Tim. 1. 13. The text Haue thou a forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and in ⸫ the loue in Christ Iesus The note Faith and loue coupled commonly togither in this Apostles writing The answer Paul so speaketh of them bicause faith and loue be companions inseparable But such mates as you are bend themselues to vncouple these to the end they might haue some probable shew of matter to prate withall against iustification by onely faith 2. Tim. 1. 16. The text Our Lord giue mercie to the house of Onesiphorus bicause he hath often refreshed me and hath ⸫ not beene ashamed of my chaine The note What an happie and meritorious thing it is to releeue the afflicted for religion and not to be ashamed of their disgrace yrons or what miserie so euer The answer Put meritorious into your purse and vnderstand true religion and then we agrée to your note 2. Tim. 2. 10. The text Therefore ⸫ I sustaine all things for the elect that they also may obtaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with heauenly glorie The note Marke heere that the elect though sure of their saluation yet are saued by the means of their preachers and teachers as also by their owne endeuor The answer Marke héere the force and might of truth which hath héere wrested this confession of truth from you that the elect are sure of their saluation to which the whole course of your doctrine is opposite The ministerie of the word and mens owne endeuors to attaine the knowledge of the truth we acknowledge to be meanes appointed of God to saue those which be his 1. Tim. 2. 16. The text But profane and vaine speeches auoid The note See the annotation before 1. Timoth. 6. verse 20. The answer We haue séene your note and do sée that both your reasons and authorities there stand very well against your selues But I refer the answer of it to the answer of all your annotations 1. Tim. 2. 25. The text But the seruant of our Lord must not wrangle but be mild towards all men apt to teach patient with modestie admonishing them that resist the truth least sometime ⸫ God giue them repentance to know the truth The note Conuersion from sinne and heresie is the gift of God and of his speciall grace yet