seauenth daye hée rested and so shalt thou Saint Paule sayth he that laboureth not let him not eate And againe if any prouide not for his owne and specially for them of his householde the same hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell And so he commaundeth seruants to bée seruable vnto their maisters and to doe their worke truely behinde their backes as well as before their faces Now to declare yâ— true meaning of such scriptures as séemed to make for the Massalians S. Austen saith on this wise All such places of the Scriptures as seeme to commend continuall praieng are to be vnderstood of the learnedst the feruent perpetuall desire that we ought to haue to praye wherof we haue an example in that holy widowe named Anne the daughter of Phanuel Quae non discedebat de Templo ieiunijs ac deprecationibus â—eruiens nocte ac die In which wordes we must graunt the tropicall speach called Hiperbole For it cannot bée auoided but that this holy woman did eate drink and was sometime occupied about her necessarie businesse at home But because she was most commonly in the temple praieng therefore the Euangelist saith that shée was there night and daye So that the Saints do fulfill this Scripture praieng continually when they pray often and feruently to God And if anye man now should aske this question forasmuch as Christ hath forbidden much babling in the time of praieng whether do they â—in or no which do pray long To this is answered thus In a case they sinne and in a case they sinne not but doe verye well and godly In case they put their trust in their long praieng thinking that therefore they shall be heard as the Gentiles doe then they sinne as they doe and are condempned by the sentence of Christ in the Gospell But if they praye long with feruent faith and true deuotion then they sinne not no though they pray with often repeating of one praier but they folow the example of Christ which in mount Oliuete did oftentimes repeate one praier which in effect was none other but this Pater si possibile est transeat a me calex iste Wherefore Saint Austen most holyly and truely maketh a distinction betwixt Multum loqui multum precari Much babling and long praieng To pray long with godly and deuout exercising of the heart it is a good thing but to aske a good thing with superfluous an vnprofitable heape of wordes the minde not occupied it is naught And againe saith S. Austen How can any man condemne long praier séeing that of Christ it is written Quod pernoctauit in orando that he was occupied all night in praier But this doe I counsell saith Saint Austen Ad probam Si quis nausiam If any man supposeth lothsomenesse to arise of long praieng let him well consider although it be not long yet often it is lawfull to pray And whatsoeuer he be that so shall pray often he shall neuerthelesse fulfill the example of the Prophet Dauid which saith to the prouoking and teaching of all other men to praye often Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore semper laus â—ius in ore meo I will alwaies praise the Lord and euermore shall his praise be in my month Ric. Turnar ¶ Like as he that is in prison desireth euer to be deliuered whether he be eating drinking or sléeping as he that is sick destreth alwayes to bée whole euen so doth euery christen man pray continually yea euen when he séemeth not to pray For praier consisteth not in much babling Mat. 6. 7. but in spirite and veritie Iohn 4. 24. and in vehement desire of the heart towards God Tindale What the praiers of Saints in the Apocalips meaneth And when he had taken the booke the foure beastes and the. 24. elders fell downe before the lambe hauing euerie one harpes and golden Uialls full of odours which are the praiers of the Saints And in an other place of the same booke he saith And an other Angell came and stoode before the altar hauing a golden censour and much of odours were giuen vnto him that he shuld offer the praiers of the Saints vpon the gloden altar which is before the throne These places the Papists do alledge for the inuocation of Saints Aunswere Ye must vnderstand that there be two kinde of praiers the one is inuocation or petition the other is giuing of thankes laude and praise The petition if néede were might be proued by the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians Wée call that inuocation when we desire some good thing to bée giuen vnto vs or some euill to be taken away from vs. Giuing of thanks doth conteine the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of God for his excéeding great benefits which we receiue daily and hourely at his hands It is manifest by yâ— which followeth that the Apostle doth speake of the last and not of the first These be the words and they song a new song saieng Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redéemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie kinred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God kings and Priests we shall reigne on the earth Now what doth this make for the intercession of the blessed spirits or soules that the Saints doe sing praises vnto God in heauen In the other place is meant none other but that the Angell did ioyne his laude and praise which hée gaue vnto God with the Hymnes and songs of the elect Saint Austen expounding this place writeth thus Alius Angelus ipse est Iesus Christus c. The other Angell sayth he is Iesus Christ hauing a golden censour which is an holy body for the Lord himselfe was made a censour out of the which God receiued a swéete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde for hée offered himselfe a sacrifice of swéete smell and the Angell did take the censour and did fill it with the fire of the altar Iesus tooke a body that is to say the Church and did fill it with the fire of the holye Ghost The meaning of this place following Withdrawe not your selues one from an other ¶ S. Paule speaketh not this of that kinde of prayer that is commonly and dayly vsed of all faithfull as well married as vnmarried but onely of the generall and solemne prayer of the whole congregation which then as in time of persecution and feare of enimies was kept onely in the night And all the whole multitude of the faythfull was charged to be present at the same At which time it was necessarie that both the man and the woman should leaue the others companie and resort to prayer To this reade Ioel. 2. at the place Blow vp the trumpet in Syon Iewel fol. 172. A praier for the King and chiefe
the Gentiles are counted as dead men in comparison of the Iewes And afterward where he saith All that are in graues shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man c. He meaneth the generall resurrection which shall be in the last daie Tindale ¶ The Dead shall heare c. ¶ And who be those Dead Surelie no man can bée exempted for where at beginning God to make his doctrine auaileable in vs euen at the drawing of vs out of the spirituall death wherein we were all held for till such time as God enlighteneth vs by his word wée bée blinde till he open our eares we be deafe till he giue vs faith we haue neither soule nor heart True it is that we maie well séeme to haue some outward shewe of life The vnbeléeuers doeate and drinke as well as the faithfull againe they can goe about their businesse yea and oftentimes there séemes to be great vertue in them but all that is nothing because that in as much as they be strangers from God all that is in them is but death and vtter confusion God then must be faine to drawe vs out of death vnto himselfe as the point wherat he must begin to make his word auaileable in vs c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 447. How the Dead praise not God The Dead praise not thée O Lord. ¶ It is not ment that they doe not praise him in their minde but is ment they cannot tell his praise to other Caluine ¶ The Dead praiseth not God for the benefits poured dailie vpon the earth for them as they that be aliue do or ought to doe The Bible note ¶ Though the dead set foorth Gods glorie yet he meaneth héere that they praise him not in his Church and Congregation Geneua How this place following is vnderstood Let the dead burie the dead ¶ That is Let Infidells alone with their infidelitie and followe thou me that is beleeue thou in me and goe preach the Kingdome of God Tindale ¶ We maie not followe that which séemeth best to vs but onelie Gods calling And héere by Dead he meaneth those that are vnprofitable to serue God Geneua To doe good to them that be dead what is meant thereby Doe good euen to them that be dead ¶ To do good to them that be dead is to burie their bodies with honour against the daie of resurrection as did Abraham and Ioseph c. To deale faithfullie and trulie with their children committed to thy charge as did Dauid with the children of his friend Ionathan The Bible note Of the dead Israelites O Lord God almightie the God of Israel heare now the praiers of the dead Israelites ¶ Ye must vnderstand that Baruch in his praiers speaketh not of them that wer dead with bodilie death but of the wicked which liuing vnto the world were dead vnto God which figuratiue manner of speaking is oftentimes vsed in the Scripture For in the Gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ he saith Suffer the dead to burie the dead as if he should saie let the worldlings that be dâ—ad vnto God and good workes burie them that be departed out of this life for that is an office most méet for them but do thou the things that be for the liuing The like phrase or manner of speaking doth the holie Apostle vse when he saith A widdow liuing in deliciousnesse though she be aliue yet she is dead Besides this Baruch by such kinde of words doth set forth the miserable estate of the Children of Israel which were euen as dead men are in the world because of their captiuitie and thraldome straight bondage or slauerie that they were in which was vnto them as a graue or pit that the dead be buried in This is the true vnderstanding of Baruch in this place How this place following is vnderstood How shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein ¶ They are said of Paule to be dead to sinne which are in such sorte made pertakers of the vertue of Christ that the naturall corruption is dead in them that is the force of it is put out and it bringeth not foorth his bitter fruits and on the other side they are said to liue to sinne which are in the flesh that is whom the spirite of God hath not deliuered from the stauerie of the corruption of nature Beza Against the custome of giuing the Lords supper and Baptime ouer the Dead It hath bene also decréed and determinded that the Sacrament of thankes-giuing should not be ministred vnto the dead bodies for it is said of the Lorde Take and eate but the dead corpses canne neither take nor eate we must beware that our weake bretheren doe not beléeue that that it is lawfull to baptise ouer the dead vnto whom it is not lawfull to minister the Sacrament of thanks-giuing ¶ This doth sufficientlie declare that both S. Austen all other fathers ought to be vnderstood when they speak of the praiers for the dead of the sacrifice that is offred for them for they are not of opinion that their praiers oblations could help the soules departed out of Purgatorie which began in Austens time to be onlie in question he himselfe daring affirme nothing touching the same I. Veron Whether the dead knowe what we do in this life As concerning that Iob saith that the men which is departed knoweth not what is done héere below nor whether his ofspring be poore or rich it is not to ground an Article of our faith vpon that such as be gone out of this world knoweth not what our state is For Iob spake as a man encombred Therfore we must not take héere anie certaintie of doctrine neither is it greatly for vs to enquire of such matters And why Let it suffice vs that God hath set vs in this world to coÌ„municate one with another euory man ought to employ himselfe vpon his neighbours God hath giuen me such a gift or abilitie and therfore I must applie my selfe yâ— waie Againe one of vs maie praie for another but when he hath taken vs out of this world the said communicating is taken awaie from vs there is no communicating as there was before Neither must we do as the Papists doe who are woont to runne to the deceased Saints as though they had not yet finished their course Now forasmuch as the Scripture teacheth vs not what we ought to doe in this behalfe lette vs leaue that thing in doubt and in suspense whereof we haue no certaine resolution by the word of God For singlenesse of minde is also a thing wherein it behooueth vs to walke c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 265 DECEIPT ¶ Looke Guile DEEDES ¶ Looke Workes DEAFE MAN By whose faith this deafe man was healed ANd they brought vnto him one that was deafe and had an impediment in his speach and they praied him to putte his hand vpon him ¶ It séemeth by this mans
with what instrumeÌ„ts they were wont to stir vp the hearts of the people to sing praises and to bée thankefull vnto the Lorde But now vnder Christ such ceremonies of the olde lawe are cleane abolished How the dead Saintes know nothing what is done in earth S. Austen in his booke De cura pro mortuis agenda doth plainely affirme yâ— the soules of yâ— Saintes that be in heauen doe not know what the liuing doe heere in earth prouing it by example of his owne Mother and by this place of Esay Thou art our Father Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs. And also by Iosias where God promised that he should dye and not sée those calamities plagues miseries which he threatened should come vpon that place vpon the people How Saintes cannot impart their righteousnesse to other S. Hierome saith the righteousnes of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall remaine vpon him euery man shal die through his own sin euery man shal liue through his owne righteousnesse The Iewes doe say in vaine Abraham is our Father sith that they haue not the works of Abraham If we shuld put our trust in any let vs put our trust in God Cursed bee euery man that putteth his trust in men although they be Saintes although they be Prophets Wée reade Put not your trust in men Againe Better it is to trust in God then in Princes not onely in the Princes of the worlde but in the Princes of the Church which if they be righteous they shall deliuer their owne soules onely Certeine Obiections Aunswered Saints do pray for vs saith the Papists which they proue by the place of Dauid Psa. 32. 5. I will confesse my sinne vnto the Lord and so â—hou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne for this shall euery Saint make his prayer in a time when thou maist be found Aunswere When Dauid had reasoned of the remission of sinnes and hadde appointed himselfe an example to other and had sayde I haue confessed my sinne vnto thée Lorde and thou hast forgiuen the wickednesse of my sinne he did adde by and by Manye holy and godlye men shall bée prouoked by this example of mine to call after the same sorte vppon GOD for the pardon and forgiuenesse of their sinnes in a time when thou maist be found For after that we be departed hence saith Saint Cipriane there is no place of repentaunce no effect of saluation héere the lyfe is either lost or holden héere by the worshipping of God and the fruite of sayth euerlasting saluation is prouided for◠¶ By these wordes of Ciprianâ— wee doe knowe that as long as wée bée in this lyfe we maye through fayth in our Sauiour Iesu Christ praye vnto GOD for the remission of our sinnes and that so long God may bée founde but after that we be once gone neither repentance nor yet praieng vnto God for the remission of our sinnes can profit vs nothing Obiection The Saint was great with God when he was aliue as it appeared by the miracles which God shewed for him he must therefore be great now say they Aunswere This reason appeareth wisedome but it is verye foolâ—shnesse with God for the miracle was not shewed that thou shouldest put thy trust in the Saint but in the worde of the Saint preached which word if thou beleeuest would saue thée as God hath promised would also make thée great with God as he did the Saint Obiection If a man haue a matter with a great man or a king he must goe first to one of his meane seruants and then higher higher till he come to the king Aunswere This entising argument is but a blinde reason and mans wit It is not lyke in the kingdome of the world as it is in the kingdome of God and Christ. With kinges for the most part we haue no acquaintaunce nor promise They be also most commonly mercilesse Moreouer if they promise they are yet men and vnconstant as are other people and as vntrue But with God if we haue beléefe we are accompted and haue an open way vnto him by the doore Christ which is neuer shut but through vnbeléefe neither is there any porter to kéepe any man out By him saith Paule Ephe. 2. 18. That is to saye by Christ we haue an open way into the Father so are ye now no more straungers and forriners saith he but citizens with the Saints and of the household of God God had also made vs promises and hath sworne yea hath made a testament or a couenant hath bound himselfe hath sealed his Obligation with Christs bloud and confirmed it with miracles He is also mercifull and kinde and complaineth that wée will not come to him He is mightie and able to performe that he promiseth He is true and cannot be but true as he cannot bée but GOD therefore it is not like with the king and God Obiection We be sinners say they God will not heare vs. Aunswere Beholde how they flye from God as from a tyrant mercilesse whom a man counteth most mercifull to him he soonest flyeth But these techers dare not come to God why For they are the children of Cain If the Saints loue whoÌ„ God hateth then God and his Saints are diuided When thou praiest to the Saintes how doe they know except God whom thou countest mercilesse tell them If God be so cruell and so hateth thée it is not lykely that hée will tell the Saintes that thou praiest vnto them c. Obiection Saints must pray for vs and be mediatours to God for vs that by them we may receiue our petition This is Richards opinion De media villa Aunswere This is a great blasphemy to Christs blessed bloud for if Saintes bee necessarie to be mediatours for vs then is Christ vnsufficient For Philosophers did neuer put two causes wher one was sufficient And if any thing be giuen vs for Saints sakes theÌ„ be not al things giueÌ„ vs for Christs sake The which is plainely against Saint Paules saieng Rom. 8. 33. God for vs all hath giuen his sonne and shall he not giue vs all thinges with him D. Barnes Paule saith there is but one mediatour betwéene God and man the man Christ Iesus the which hath giuen himselfe for the redemption of all men ¶ Héere he sayth there is but one mediatour betwéene God and man Where there is but one there cannot Saints come in Moreouer Saints bée men Ergo they must haue a mediatour for themselues and than they cannot be mediatours for other men Moreouer the mediatour betwéene God and man is called Christ Iesus Now is there no Saint that hath that name If there bee none then is ther none that can vsurpe this office without blaspheming of Christ. Furthermore he hath redeemed vs without the helpe of Saints why shal he not be wholy mediatour without
set from thence foure hundred twenty talents of gold ¶ In the. 2. Par. 8. 18. is made mention of thirtie more which séeme to haue bene employed for their wages Geneua Of the pound or talent which the noble man left with his seruants The money pound or talent which Christ left with his seruants to occupie till he came signifieth nothing els but a fraÌ„k and frée gift giuen of God to euerie one of vs to be vsed and exercised to the glorie of his holy name and profit of his faithfull congregation We haue nothing as sayth the Apostle but that wée haue receiued as saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And againe Iames. â— 17. Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue c. Wee be commaunded to occupie our Lords money and not to hide it and sléepe our Maisters businesse as did the sluggish seruant which suffered tares to bée sowen among the corne and also the foolish virgins that fell on sléepe and let their lamps burne out Theo. Basil. TAPERS ¶ Looke Candles TAVGHT OF GOD. How this place is to be vnderstood AND they shall bée all taught of God ¶ This instruction of God is the inward illumination of the heart Notwithstanding we may not héereby take occasion to contemne vocal predication and external hearing For God verily teacheth but yet by externall meanes for fayth commeth by hearing he giueth his good spirit but yet by the preaching of the Gospell he giueth increase but yet by the planting of Paule and by the watering of Apollo Wherfore God teacheth man ministreth and faith receiueth doctrine God giueth his spirit the Apostle ministreth the beléeuer receiueth And so those things are ministred and distributed by the seruice of the Apostles whereof God is the authour himselfe This place All ought to bée restrained to Gods elect which onely are the naturall sonnes of the Church Marl. fol. 201. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. ¶ By the hearing of his word and inward mouing of his spirit Gene. TELL NO MAN How these two places following are vnderstood AND he commaunded them that they should tell no man ¶ In this place we are taught when we do any good deed yâ— we should not hunt and hauke after the praise of men They therefore that doe béere so earnestly spread abroad the benefits and power of God sinne not against Christs wordes For in other places he requireth thankfulnesse of vs that we should alwayes setâ— forth the bounteous liberalitie of our heauenly father Theophilactus Charged them that they should tell no man what they had séene ¶ Christ forbiddeth the Apostles to tell forth the vision afore his rising againe from death least when men shoulde sée him to be crucified of whom so excellent and glorious things were spoken they should therewith be offended hauing his Apostles in dirision â—or telling of such things Sir I. Cheeke TEMPERAVNCE What Temperaunce is TEmperaunce is a sobrietie or modestie of the whole life of man which Paule setteth against the flesh He would therefore that Christians should liue soberly and chastly that they shoulde be no adulterers no fornicatours no wantons And if they cannot liue chastly he would haue them to marrie Also that they should not be couetous nor quarrellers that they should not be giuen to drunkennesse or surâ—etting but that they shoulde absteine from all those things Luther fol. 262. TEMPLES Wherefore Temples or Churches are ordeined MY house shall bée called the house of prayer but yée haue made it a denne of théeues ¶ For this finall cause or end are yâ— temples of christians ordeined that they may haue some conuenient places to assemble themselues together for to offer with one accord their Sacrifices of prayers and thanksgiuing vnto God for to preach and heare Gods word and for to minister the Sacraments duely and rightly but if there be hypocrisie superstition and false doctrine the people are robbed and spoyled and the Temples made dennes of théeues Sir I. Cheeke Is this house become a denne of thées ¶ As théeues hid in holes and dennes thinke themselues safe So when you are in my Temple you thinke to be couered with the holynes therof and that I cannot see your wickednesse Geneua How God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Where shall now the house stand that ye will builde vnto me c. ¶ As who should say whereto make ye me a Temple of mans handy worke which rule the whole world hether to haue I suffered the temple to kéepe you Iewes in a certeine manner of instruction and obedience and choose you one place for your seruice to the intent ye should not fall to the Idols of the Gentiles but now will I haue all Idols banished and for Iewry will I challenge vnto me the whole world for one people all the dwellers on the earth which shall bée my worshippers in the spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23. I will not be superstitiously worshipped with sacrifices and ceremonies in the temple but with righteousnesse with fayth and with the spirit The same song that the Prophet héere singeth in the latter end of his Prophesie sung he before in the beginning euen in the first chapter Let the Christians note these two Chapters I meane the first and the last well and then shall they perceiue how greatly God abhorreth such hypocritish works done without faith although they séeme appeare outwardly to be most godly T. M. ¶ My maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and therfore cannot bée included in a temple like an Idoll condemning héereby their vaine confidence which trusted in the temple and sacrifices Geneua The most highest dwelleth not in temples made with hands ¶ He reproueth the grose dulnesse of the people which abused the power of God in that they would haue conteined it within the temple Geneua How long the temple was a building and what Christ meant by the temple When the Iewes asked of Christ what meruailous signe he would worke to perswade them that he might doe such as he did he said Destroy this Temple meaning his body and in thrée daies I will build it vp again Then they vnderstanding he had meant the Temple of lime and stone sayd Forty yearâ— was this Temple a building and wilt thou build it in thrée dayes Héere we see how the Temple was a building fortye yeares not meaning that they were continually working on the same so long for sometimes it was forbidden and stopped by the kings that ruled after Cyrus but that there were so many yeares from the beginning of that worke vnto the finishing of the same For in the second yeare of king Cyrus they layde the foundation and in the second yeare of Darius the sonne of Assuerus and Ester they were willed by Aggeus the Prophet to take in hand their worke againe which they finished