perfect faith Of the spirituall sacrifice that the Christians doe dailie offer vnto God Looke Rom. 12. 1. Phi. 4. 18. 1. Pet. 2â—5 Ric. Turnar Sée more in the word Sacrifice CAINE How and by what meanes Caine was slaine IN the beginning of the world most people went naked sauing that they were partlie couered with skinnes of some beast at that time they had no dwelling house to defende them neither from the colde neither yet from heate but after their owne phantasies they made with pretie boughs and twigs of trées such little pretie lodgings as we call Cabens or Boothes And it so chaunced that Caine béeing verie olde and also wearie happened one daie to laie him downe to rest in a bush that was enclosed with gréene boughs as aforesaid And Lamech one of yâ— kinred of Caine in the fift degrée who by reason of his greate age had lost his sight and yet at a time was disposed to go abrode to kill some wilde beast And taking his Bowe and Arrowes he toke also a little boie to leade and direct him where hee might haue a good shoote And when he drew somewhat néere vnto the bush where Caine laie the little boie espieng the bush to wagge séeing as it were a great thing in the midst therof he imagined that there laie some wilde beast and the boye béeing afraide thereof gaue knowledge to olde Father Lamech that in a bush standing right before him not farre off there laie a great and terrible beast And Lamech vppon the report of the childe stretched out his arme drew a straight draught toward the bush where he slew his cosin Caine that laie in the same after he had liued 730. yeares as saith Philo Graftonan his Chro. fol. 7. ¶ Lyra saith that when Lamech perceiued he had slaine Caine whom the Lord had forbidden him in paine of greate punishment he fell vpon his owne seruant beat him so that he died Of a certeine sect called Caini Caini were heretiks which honoured Caine and tooke him for their father They highlie estéemed of Esau Chore Dathan Abiram with the Sodomits They called Iudas the traitour their cosin honouring him for betraieng of Christ affirming yâ— he foresawe how great a benefit it would become vnto maÌ„kinde They reade a certeine Gospell written as they saie by Iudas they reuiled the lawe and denied the resurrection Epiphani haeres 38. August de haeres CAIPHAS How he was the mouth of God and the mouth of the diuell all at one time HE was the mouth of God in as much as God made him to saie that his people could not be saued but onely by the death of his sonne Iesus Christ but he was the mouth of the diuell according to his intent after the which he so spake for he did not speak according to the meaning of the holie Ghost but as a murtherer an enimie of truth pretending the death of Iesus Christ because of the hatred which he bare towardes him ¶ God made him to speake neither could his impietie let Gods purpose who caused this wicked man euen as he did Balaam to be an instrument of the holie Ghost Geneua ¶ The spirit of prophesie doe manie times speake by the mouth of an vngodly man for the vngodlie are so excecated and blinded that they do oftentimes speak against theirown selues vnwittinglie and that to their vtter vndoing and destruction â— Sir I. Cheeke CALL What it is to call vpon the name of the Lord. IN that time beganne men to call vppon the name of the Lord. ¶ To call vpon the name of the Lord is to require all things of him and to trust in him giuing him the honour and worship that belongeth vnto him as in Gen. 12. 8. T. M. ¶ In these daies God began to moue the heartes of the godly to restore religion which a long time by the wicked had ben supprest Geneua Of three mnner of callings Manie are called c. ¶ Christ speaketh of the externall calling by the preaching of the Gospell of yâ— which there are three degrées All men are called yea euen they which heare not these which are dumme and are deafe minded are also called The second sort enter in and promise that they will serue God neuertheles their consciences condemneth them because they haue not the true root As Symon Magus which did faine himselfe to beléeue of the faithful being conuicted in his conscience by the truth of the Gospell professed the same but he had no roote as Peter casteth him in the téeth Such are they trulie to whom the Lord sendeth his holie spirit and whome for a time he illuminateth but at the length by the iust desert of their ingratitude he forsaketh them and striketh them with great blindnesse The third calling is speciall of great efficacie by the which God doth verie much aduance the elect faithfull onelie when that by the inward lightening of the spirit he bringeth to passe that the word preached abideth in their hearts To these testimonie is giuen by the same spirit that they are the adopted sonnes of God We cannot iudge who are the elect and who are the reprobate for we ought to leaue this iudgement vnto God Notwithstanding by signes there maie be some coniecture had but we must alwaies beware of rash iudgement Euerie man that is elected and chosen of God is fullie certified in himselfe of his calling The which thing we maie dailie beholde For manie are brought into the Church which afterward fall awaie from the same either béeing terrified by persecution or els béeing ouercome with some other temptation Such trulie are of the number of them that are called but are not elected for héereby our election is proued if we perseuer vnto the last end Mar. fol. 51. ¶ First all men be generallie called euen those that doth not heare the word for vnto them both heauen and earth and and the creatures comprehended therein doth not cease to preach the almightie power of God and also his goodnesse and mercie so that all men as the Apostle saith are vnexcusable before the maiestie of God And with them maie be comprehended those that heare the word who though they be called be so deafe in their hearts and mindes that they will neither giue care nor héede to the calling The second sort that be called doe professe the Christian religion receiue the word but it hath no true root in them as Symon Magus being conuinced in his heart yâ— the gospel was true did for a time professe but because it had no root in him he did soone fall awaie from it Such are them to whom yâ— Lord doth giue his holy spirit illuminating theÌ„ for a time but after ward he doth forsake them because of their ingratitude and vnthankfulnesse doth strike them with great blindnesse The third manner of calling is both particular and also most effectuall For by it the Lord
vnto vs or to make our praier to God for to obteine such things as doe perteine to our saluation sith we be sure of it alreadie Aunswere If we haue a good peece of ground which we knowe most perfectlie to be fruitfull would we not till it still and sowe it that we maie haue some profite of it or wold we let it lie alone because we knowe it to be fruitfull Euen so the elect chosen are as it were plowed and tilled and good seedes still cast into their heartes that they maie bring foorth good and pleasant fruit vnto the Lord. Againe If we goe about that the true elect and chosen of God haue no néede of the preaching of Gods worde because they bée sure alreadie of their saluation we maie also mainteine and vpholde that we haue no néede of meate and drinke sith that we be assured by Gods word that we shall not die before the time that God hath appointed Christ was sure of his saluation and yet continued all night in praier I. Veron ELEMENTS What is signified by Elements AFter the Elements of the world ¶ By the Elements some vnderstand the Sunne the Moone the Starres or the other Elements thinking that there was amonge the Collâ—ssians some that did worshippe these Elements as Gods and desired health and saluation of them putting trust and confidence in them praieng to them and desiring of them prosperous things and of the disposition of these Elements prophesied thinges to come The Apostle heere biddeth them beware they phantasie no such thing by these Elements which are no Gods nor are not to be worshipped as God but as the creatures of GOD made and ordeined for the behalfe and commoditie of man in this world Other vnderstand by Elementa mundi the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of the olde Testament thinking them to be necessarie for saluation and that none could bée saued without the obseruing of them as some thought Act 15 â— and among the Galathians 4 9. But Peter and Iames and the residue of the Apostles of Christ thought legall ceremonies and sacrifices not necessarie for saluation but saluation might well bée had without them yea and without all ceremonies for ceremonies now vsed in the Church bée no holie thinges of themselues they make no man holie they be no workers nor works of saluation They be ordeined to signifie and represent other thinges signified by them And heere the Apostle biddeth them beware of such as did call them to the lawe not to Christ to the ceremonies and workes of the lawe and of man decréede and not of God commaunded And héere hée willeth them to beware of all them that exhort men to ceremonies olde customes voluntarie workes lawes statutes decrees traditions of men rather then Gods commaundements Ridley ¶ Looke Rudiments ELEVENTH HOVRE ¶ Looke Houre ELIAS The Iewes opinion of Elias ARt chou Elias and he said I am not ¶ The Iewes thought that Elias should come againe before the daies of Messias and they tooke the ground of that their opinion out of Malachy 4. 5. which place is to be vnderstood of Iohn Math. 11. 14. And yet Iohn denieth that he was Elias aunswering them in deede according as they meant Theo. Beza Beholde I will send you Elias the Prophet ¶ This Christ expoundeth of Iohn Baptist. Math. 11. 14. who both for his zeale and restoring of religion is aptlie compared to Elias Geneua Of the comparing of Elias with Christ and his coaâ—e with the Sacrament Chrisostome saith Elias when he was carried vp in the firie Chariot lefte to his Disciple Elizeus his mantell of Sheepe skinnes but the sonne of GOD when he ascended left vs his flesh But Elias put off his mantell and Christ hath lefte his flesh with vs and ascended hauing it with him Aunswere Chrisostome sheweth in what sorte Christ hath both taken vp his flesh into heauen and also left the same amonge the faythfull in the earth and in the end compareth Elias and Christ together The storie is knowne that when Elias was taken vp in a firie Chariot he lette downe his coate vnto Elizens that stood beneath who tooke it vp and by the power of the same diuided the water of Iordane Upon occasion heereof Chrisostome saith Elizeus receiued the coate made of Sheepe skinnes as a greate inheritaunce more precious then anie golde After that time Elias was double for there was Elias aboue â— and Elias beneath Aboue was the verie true Elias in the naturall substaunce and presence of a bodie beneath was nothing else but Elias coate which coate notwithstanding because of the powers that were wrought with it he called Elias Thus Chrisostome compareth Elias with Christ and Elias coate with the Sacrament And this he saith Christ is aboue and Christ is beneath as he saith Elias is aboue and Elias is beneath For as Elias coate was called Elias euen so the Scarament of Christs bodie is called Christs bodie ELISEVS How he resisted not the king in keeping out his messenger THe Prophet had a speciall warrant by Gods especiall reueling so to bid them and therefore the Prophet did nothing amisse therein c. The cause whereof saith Lyra is annexed for beholde the sound of his maisters féete is after him for after the departure of the messenger Ioram repented and therefore hée followed him to reuoke the precept And saith Caitane that thou shouldest boldlie resist the kings messenger he foretelleth them that the king followed his messenger repenting the he sent him and therfore the king followed the messenger because he repented that he had commanded that Elizeus head shuld be cut off for he came to himselfe againe came personallie to moue his complaint before Elizeus I. Bridges fol. 1084. ELIZABETH How she might be Maries cosin ANd behold thy cosin Elizabeth ¶ Though Elizabeth were of the Tribe of Leui yet she might be Maries cosin For wheras it was forbidden by the lawe for maidens to bée married to men of other Tribes this coulde not let but that the Leuies might take them wiues out of anie Tribe for the Leuites had no portion allowed them when the land was diuided among the people ¶ Notwithstanding the Elizabeth was married to one of the Tribe of Leui yet she was Maries cousin which was of the stocke of Dauid For the lawe which forbadde marriage out of their owne Tribe was onelie that the Tribes should not bée mixt and confounded which could not be in marrieng with the Leuites for they had no portion assigned vnto them Geneua EMANVEL Wherefore Christ was called by this name AND they shall call his name Emanuel which is by interpretation God with vs. Christ is called Emanuel in that hée tooke the flesh of man and ioyned and knit himselfe to vs and became our brother Tindale EMERALDE The description of this stone and what is betokened by it THe fourth an Emeralde ¶ This stone is excéeding gréene aboue
to harden GOd is said to harden when he calleth he resisteth making himselfe vnworthie of the kingdome of heauen he doth then permit him vnto himselfe that is he leaueth man vnto his owne corrupt nature according vnto the which the hart of man is stonie which is onlie mollified and made tractable by the onelie grace of God therefore the withdrawing of Gods grace is the hardening of mans hart and when we are left to our selues then are we hardened Bullinger fol. 490. ¶ God is said to harden mans heart when he doth iustly punish his obstinacie and wickednesse by withdrawing his spirite and grace The Bible note ¶ Harden his heart ¶ By returning my spirite and deliuâ—ring him to Satan to increase his 〈…〉 Geneua HEART Where the heart of man is placed THe heart of man is placed on the left side all other beasts in the middle of the â—reast The opinion of all naturall Philosophers is that the first that is formed in man is the heart and the last member that dieth in man How some mens hearts be hairie Plinie saith that some mans heart is hairie which betokeneth hardie couragious and actiue as it was proâ—ed by one Aristodamus which fought against the Lacedemonians and slew thrée hunâ—red with his owne handes and he being dead and opened his heart was found hairie How the heart of man that is poysoned will not burne Sweton and Plinie saith both that if a man die of poyson the heart of that man can not be burned though it be cast into the fire which was proued of Germanicus father to Caligula Of the heart and wombe of God The heart of God the Father signifieth the secret of his wisdome of which he begate his word that is his Sonne without beginning without anie passion Psal. 45. 1. My heart is inditing of a good matter His wombe is vsed in the same signification Psal. 110. 4. Of my womde before the morning starre I begate thée Augustine HART OR STAGGE Aâ— the Hâ—rt being poysoned doth couet the watâ—r so we being poysoned with sinne ought to flie vnto Christ for succour THose that doe write of the nature of beasts doe saie that an Hart among other his peculiar properties hath a great desire aboue all other beasts to the waters and that for thrée causes One is for the quenching of his thirst and that desire is common to him with all other beasts he hath also a naturall desire to the water when he is hot and chafed with the chasing of dogs and that for two causes One the colde water cooleth his heat and refresheth his strength Secondlie the water by the meanes of his readinesse and aptnesse to swimme doth not onelie sette him forward and giueth him a vauntage before the dogs but also doth sometime thereby deceiue the Hounds and sometime defendeth him against the â—ray-hounds So that the Hart being chased and in daunger of his 〈…〉 hearesorteth by and by for hisâ— comfort and defence Ad 〈…〉 aquarum vnto the water springs vnto the Brookes or Riuers Our Hunters I trowe tearme it not to call it the water Springs but they call it the Sound The Stagge saie they got him to the Sound and there the Hounds made a fault and had lâ—st him clearelie had not one olde Hound haue bene which iusâ—â—lie leaped into the water and on the other side tried which waie he was gone and so followed the chase afresh Beside these two great causes why the Hart desireth the water there is yet another as great as anie of the other two but not so well knowen to the most part of men as the other be In Affrike and other hot Countries where many Serpents be there is a naturall enmitie betwéene the Harte and them and as soone as the Hart hath deuoured the Serpent the poyson of the Serpent doth cast the Hart into such a feruent heate that it causeth him to haue a meruailous desire to the water without which the Hart must néede die Such a loue ought all men haue to godlinesse and to runne to God for succour when they be poysoned with the venime of sinne or oppressed with anie kinde of trouble as the Hart hath 〈…〉 runne to the water Springs when he is chased with Dogges or poysoned with Serpents So that they maie saie with the Prophet Dauid As the Hart desireth the water Springs so my soule desireth thée O Lord. Ric. Turnar HARVEST What is vnderstood by this word Haruest THe Haruest is great but the labourers are fewe ¶ The Haruest are the hearts of men prepared to heare the worde as it appeareth by the Samaritanes Iohn 4. 39. Tindale Because the haruest of the earth is ripe ¶ This Haruest is the verie same that Christ willeth to be taried for when he teacheth of the sâ—oling out of the good from the bad Suffer ye them saith he to growe together till Haruest and when Haruest commeth I will saie to the Haruest folke First gather together the Darnell and binde it vp in bundells to be burnt but gather ye the Wheate together in my Barne Mat. 13. 30. Marl. fol. 216. HATE The meaning of this place following HE that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto life eternall ¶ He that can be content to loose his temporall life in this world for Christs sake and his word shall liue for eueâ— As in Maâ—h 〈…〉 Tindale When a man maie hate his neighbour WHen thy neighbour hath shewed thée more vnkindnesse tâ—en God hath loue then maâ—â— thou hate him and not before but must loue him for Gods sake till he fight against God to 〈…〉 the name and glorie of God Tindale fol. 204. HATH 〈…〉 following For 〈…〉 But whosoeuer hath not c. ¶ That is to 〈…〉 He that hath a good heart toward the word of God and a set purpose to fashion his déedes thereafter and to garnish it with godlie liuing and to testifie it to other the same shall increase more more dâ—ilie 〈…〉 the graâ—e of God and Christ. But he that loueth it not to liue thereafter and to edifie other the same shall loose the grace of true knowledge and be blinded againe and euerie daie worse and worse blinder and blinder till he be an vtter enimie vnto the word of God and his heart so hardened that it shal be impossible to conuert it Tindale ¶ He that hath anie thing as he should haue it righâ—lie and vseth it well as he should do the same shal abound and increase more and more in goodnesse and godlinesse But he that hath not euen that he hath shall be taken from him that is he that liueth not according to the knowledge he hath in Gods open word of his commaundements but knoweth the Lords will doth it not shall be depriued of that he hath and turned ouer into blindnesse and darknesse ¶ They that haue a desire of righteousnesse and of the truth shall be more and
or with anie other notablie spotted with anie kind of vice or euill manners the companie kéeper with such must néeds at the length be infected with the same vices And therefore Cato gaue a precept to young children Tu bonis ambula My childe kéepe companie with them that be good for it is most true that the Apostle saith Corrumpant mores bonos colloquia praua Naughtie filthie talke do oftentimes corrupt good manners To this purpose and ende therefore to teach men this holye wholesome lesson to beware of euill companie to ioine them to good companie was this text commonlie alledged Cum sancto sanctus eris c. Which sentence as it is verie good so it is not true nor agréeing with yâ— mind of the Prophet For his meaning in this place is yâ— God with a man yâ— is holie he wil be holy that is he wil be present with him mainteine his holines And with him that is present sound without wrinkles or wiles God will dwell with him strengthen him in his perfectnesse and with the pure the Lord will be pure and with the froward the Lord wil deale frowardlie not yâ— there is anie frowardnesse or peruertnesse in God but dealeth frowardlie after the manner of speaking of yâ— Scripture when he punisheth the frowardnesse of men Like as God is holie with them that be holie yâ— is he prospereth them in their holinesse Now ye sée yâ— albeit this as a good godly sentence gathered of these words Cum sancto sanctus eris c. With him that is holie vertuous good a man kéeping companie with such shall haue a smacke of his holinesse vertuousnesse And he that shall vse to kéepe companie with the wicked vngodlie shall grow to wickednes vngodlines yet the more true the verie Germaine sence of these words in this to applie them to the practises of God not companie kéeping with man whose propertie is to be mercifull to shew his louing fauour vnto men fréelie without our deseruing and yet this fauour doth follow them that applie themselues to holinesse and vertuousnesse Ric. Turnar HOLIE GHOST How and when the visible signe of the holie Ghost was receiued ANd they receiued the holie Ghost c. ¶ Understand in a manifest and visible signe as the Apostles themselues receiued it in the first daie or as we call it Whitsondaie which thing at yâ— time was necessarie for the furtherance stablishment of the preaching of the Gospell although not néedful to saluation But now that the preaching thereof is sufficientlie confirmed this visible miracle is ended and yet remaineth that stil which was stablished by the miracle yâ— is by the preaching of yâ— Gospell is ministred the holie Ghost although our bodilie eye sée it not by whom faith commeth which receiueth Christ to be our righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Tindale How the holie Ghost is God proued by the Scriptures Are ye not ware that ye are the Temple of God and how that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If anie man defile yâ— temple of God him shall God destroie for the temple of God is holy which Temple are ye And againe ye are the Temple of the liuing God as saith God I wil dwel among them and be their God and they shall be my people But we are also called in Scripture yâ— temples of the holie Ghost For know ye not saith Paule that your bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost which is in you wherefore it must néeds be graunted that the holie Ghost is God ¶ What man knoweth the things of man saue the spirite of man which is within him Euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God By which sentence it is euident yâ— as is the spirit of man to manward so is the spirit of God to God-ward as the spirit and bodie is but one man yet haue seuerall offices euen so the Father Sonne holie Ghost although they be distinct in name and office are yet but one God S. Paule saith If the spirit of him yâ— raised vp Christ froÌ„ death dwel in you euen he yâ— raised vp Christ from death shal quicken your mortall bodies because of his spirit that dwelleth in you And againe speaking of the same holie Ghost he sayth If ther be anie man that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his For as much then as the same holie Ghost is indifferentlie the spirit of the Father and of the â—onne it must néedes be graunted that he is of the selfe same nature and substaunce with them both and so all one God with them This sentence also proueth Christ to be God ¶ Peter sayd to Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine hart that thou shouldst lie vnto the holy Ghost And after that he saithâ— Thou hast not lied vnto me but vnto God Wherfore seeing he saith in lieng vnto the holie Ghost he lied vnto God it cannot be denied but that the holie Ghost is God ¶ None maie be euerie where and in all persons at once but God The holie Ghost maie be in all men and euerie where at one time and moment Ergo the holie Ghost is God ¶ None hath power to send forth appoint Christ to yâ— preaching of the Gospell but God but the holie Ghost hath done the same as Christ himselfe affirmeth out of Esaie the Prophet saieng The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore and hath sent me to heale the broken in heart wherefore the holie Ghost is God ¶ There are thrée saith Iohn that beare record in heauen the Father the Word the holie Ghost and these thrée are one And although some men affirme yâ— this sentence these thrée are one is not found writteÌ„ in yâ— Gréek yet is it altogether vntrue for yâ— Gréeke traÌ„slation hath it But if it were not in yâ— Gréeke what is that for vs séeing the selfe same thing maie be proued by other places of Scripture for Christ sayth I and the father are one And the holie Ghost also is not onelie the spirit of the Father but also of the sonne so is of one nature and substance with them as is before sayde wherefore it maie well bée sayd yâ— he is God and yâ— these thrée are one and beare record of the truth for he sayth If we receiue the witnesse of man yea the witnesse of God is greater The witnesse of them is the witnesse of God Ergo the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost are God ¶ It is onelie the office of God to elect and choose ministers which are fit to gouerne his Church and therfore the Apostles setting Barnabas Mathias before God sayd thus Thou Lord which knowest the heartes of all men shewe whether of these two thou hast
accordinge as it is said in the Psalme Lord in thée is the fountaine of life and in thy light shal we be lightened Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 228. IMPATIENCIE What Impatiencie is IMpatiencie is not simply a griefe conceiued of the miâ—â—iking of our aduersities when we be weary of them but it is an excessiue hart-burning against them when we cannot submit our selues simply vnto God to dispose of vs at his pleasure Wherefore if our passions be so vnrulely as we cannot kéepe any measure in our aduersities then doth inpatiencie ouer master vs and if we haue no holde nor stay of our selues we must néedes conclude that we are no better then frantike folke against God yea and vtterly out of our wits c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 314. According to the nature of contraries looke what good things be attributed to Patience the contrarie thereof may aright be ascribed vnto Impatiencie Patience is a vertue whereby all aduersities be borne for godlinesse and honestie sake Therefore Impatiencie is the vice wherby there is no aduersitie suffered for godlinesse and honestie sake Musculus fol. 528. IMPOSITION OF HANDS ¶ Looke Laieng on of hands IMPOSSIBILITIE AS it is impossible for a Camell or Cable that is a great rope of a ship remaining in the own quantitie to go through a néedles eye remaining in his owne straightnesse so is it like impossible for a rich man remaining in his own naturall pride couetousnes and corruption to enter into the kingdome of God And therefore when those which heard were offended as king And who may then enter into saluation Christ aunswered Things that are impossible before men are possible with God Marke wel that Christ calleth the humiliation of the rich man impossible to man but possible with God Knox. As the man of Inde may chaunge his skinne and the Cat of the Mountaine hir spots so may ye that be exercised in euill doe good ¶ Upon these two things to Nature impossible did the Prophet conclude that no more could the Citizens of Ierusalem being exercised in al iniquitie leaue the same and so was it impossible Impossible I say to themselues and to their own power For what the spirite of God worketh in the conuersion of sinners ought not to be attributed to mans power Knox. For it is impossible that they which were once lightened c. This is Paules meaning They that doe beléeue truely and vnfainedly doe continue or abide stedfast in the knowen truth If any therefore fall away from Christ it is a plaine token that they were dissembling hypocrites and that they neuer beléeued truly as Iudas Symon Magus Demas Hymeneus and Philetus were which all fell away from the knowen veritie made a mocke of Christ which Paule doth call heere to crucifie Christ a newe because that they turning to their olde vomite againe do most blasphemously tread the benefite of Christs passion vnder their féete They that are such can in no wise be renued by repentaunce for they are not of the number of the Elect as S. Iohn doth say They went from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they would haue remained with vs vnto the ende If such men doe repent their repeâ—tance is as Iudas and Cains repentaunce was ¶ This text denieth no possiblitie of mercie in God but the impossibilitie of repentaunce in such men as malitiously forsake the trueh blaspheame Christ and take parte against the Holy Ghost For the truth is that with the Lord there is mercie plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. So that whosoeuer calleth vpon his name shall be saued Ioel. 2. 32. and Rom. 10. 13. Now they that forsake the truth blaspheming Christ and taking part against the Holy Ghost cannot repent For if sinners woulde conuert and call vpon God they should be sure of remission Tindale ¶ They which are Apostates and sinne against the Holy Ghost hate Christ crucifie and mocke him but to their owne destruction and therefore fall into desperation and cannot repent Heb. 6. 6. Geneua IMPVTATION What Imputation is IMputation is that benefit of God the Father whereby hée vouchsafeth to account Christs obedience as ours in as ample manner as we our selues had fulfilled the law and made satisfaction for our sinnes T. Beza INCEST What Incest is THey call Incest an vnlawfull medling of a man with a woman against the honor of bloud affinitie For Cestus signifieth the mariage girdle which the Bride did weare to shew that the mariage was iust lawful We Germanes saith Bullinger call this sin by yâ— name of Bloutschand wherby we signifie yâ— sin committed in corrupting or defiling our owne bloud or kinred In Leuiticus after the degrées and bloud in which we are forbidden to marrie the Lord doth presently adde In all these be ye not defiled for in all these things are the Nations defiled which I cast out before you And héereby the lande is defiled I haue visited the iniquitie thereof vpon it and the lande hath spued out the inhabitaunts thereof Ye shall therefore keepe my statutes and mine ordinaunces and shall not doe anye of all these abhominations For whosoeuer shal doe so he shall be cut off from among his people And in the 20. Chapter of Leuiticus he hath appointed death to be the punishment of Incest which is not changed in the Ciuill lawes or Imperiall constitutions Bullinger fol. 236. INFANTS How Infants ought not to be pertakers of the Lords Supper AS touching Infants the institution of Christ doeth seclude them from the Supper because they cannot yet proue examine themselues neither yet celebrate the remembraunce of Christs death the which thing the Apostle Paule teacheth to be necessary for all those which come to the Communion of the Supper Marl. vpon Iohn 226. INFIDELITIE How Infidelitie is the cause of all euill LEt there not be in any an euill heart of Infidelitie ¶ Infidelitie is it which maketh thine heart abound in euill and if by any meanes it can get roome to lodge within thée thy hart is taken and imagineth from hence-foorth all mischiefe When our Sauiour Christ so many times reprooueth sundry sortes of men he maketh this a generall fault of all that they are vnfaithfull and flow to beleeue When Saint Paule condemneth them as reprobate men which doe neuer sée the light of the Gospell he maketh this the cause of their sinne that the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of their vnbeléeuing harts c. Deering IN OMNEM TERRAM c. ¶ Looke for the exposition of this in the word Sound INSTRVMENTS How they serued in the olde lawe SIng vnto him with Uiole and instrument of ten strings ¶ To sing of Instruments was a part of the Ceremonial seruice of the Temple which doth no more appertaine vnto vs then the Sacrifices Censings and lights Geneua Whereof these Instruments were made in King Salomons time Praise the Lord vppon
is defined CIcero doth define mercie to be the sorrowe of the minde and griefe conceiued vpon the misery of some other redy to aids the same Seneca in his booke De clementia saith that mercie is the griefe of minde had vpon the séeming of the miseries of others or els the sorrow conceiued for other mens euills which it is thought that they deserue not Augustine saith what is mercie but a certaine compassion in our heart of some others misery wherby we be compelled to help them if we can For who knoweth not that mercie is named of that that it maketh a mans heart miserable pitifull sorrowing for another mans euill So they doe define mercie commonly to be touched stroken within in the heart with the misery of others The Hebrues do cal mercy by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word doth properly signifie the belly they do apply it vnto the signification of mercy because y◠the inward parts of them which be touched with y◠sight of other mens miseries are wont to be moued with some affection of compassion pitie Mus. fo 978. What it is to haue mercie or be mercifull To haue mercie or be mercifull is to haue compassion and to féele another mans disease and to mourne with them that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to comfort them with good counsell and wholesome instruction and louing wordes And to bée mercifull is louingly to forgiue them that offende thee as soone as they knowledge their misdoing and aske thée mercie To be mercifull is patiently long to abide the conuersion of sinners with a lustie courage and hope that God will at the last conuert them and in the meane time to pray instantly for them And to be mercifull is to interpret all things to the best and to looke through the fingers at many things and not to make a grieuous sinne of euery small trifle And to suffer forbeare in his owne cause the malice of them that will not repent nor be a knowen of their wickednesse as long as hée canne suffer it and as long as it ought to be suffered and when he can no longer then to complaine to them that haue authoritie to forbid wrong and to punish euill doers Tindale Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie ¶ Héere God hath made a couenaunt with vs to be mercifull vnto vs if we will be mercifull one to another So that the man which sheweth mercie vnto his neighbour maye bée bolde to trust in GOD for mercie at all needes And contrariwise iudgement without mercie shall be to him that sheweth not mercie So now if he that sheweth no mercie trust in God for mercie his faith is carnall and worldly and but vaine presumption For God hath promised mercie onely to the mercifull and therefore the mercilesse haue not Gods word that they shall haue mercie but contrariwise that they shall haue iudgement without mercie Tindale What is meant by mercie and truth Let not mercie and truth forsake thée binde them vpon thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart ¶ By mercie and truth he meaneth the commaundements of the first and second table or els the mercie and faithfulnesse that we ought to vse toward our neighbours Kéepe them saith he as a most precious Iewell and haue them euer in remembraunce Gen. What the mercie seate was And he made a mercie seate ¶ Mercie seate was the place where God spake vnto the Children of Israel which was vpon the Arke of witnesse figuring Christ as it is said He. 9. 8. T. M. Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon ¶ Looke Zabulon MERRY How the children of God may and ought to be merry TRue it is that the children of God may will be merry when they haue prosperitie lyke as when God sendeth vs wherewith to be fed and maintained when he dealeth so with vs as we want nothing when he giueth vs health quyetnesse and all other like things we may well be merrie yea and we ought so to be according as it is said in the law Thou shalt eate and drinke before thy God and be merry But yet must not the faithfull settle their ioye vppon the present benefits nor hold themselues onely tyed vnto them yea rather if they want meate and drinke or be troubled with sicknesse they must not therefore cease to trust in God but must learne Saint Paules lesson which is to haue skill both to be poore and rich to endure hunger and scarcitie and also to haue abundaunce Thus ye see that the mirth of Gods Children differeth greatly from the mirth of the vnbeléeuers and worldlyngs c. Caluine vpon Iob. MERIT What Merit is MErit is sometime taken for the worke it selfe which is taken to be meritorious In which sence Augustine in a place saith that merit must goe before the reward Sometime it is taken for the reward which is worthely giuen to him that worketh The first sence is concerning him that worketh the la◠concerneth him that giueth the reward to the other c. Musculus fol. 234. What merit of congruence is Some will haue the merit of congruence to be when although that he to whom the thing is giuen bee vnworthye to haue it giuen him and that his dooing is not such that it deserueth it yet that it becommeth him to whome it is done to giue him As although the sinner deserue no fauour yet it is conuenient for God of his goodnesse to forgiue the repentaunt and to giue him his grace But some saye that the merit of congruence is when a man of his owne good motion comming by nature doth deserue the first grace which they call the preuenting grace What merit of worthinesse is They call the merit of worthinesse when the iust person doth intreate for the sinner For they saye it is worthye that the iust be heard So when grace is giuen to the sinner at the prayer of the iust they doe attribute this to the merit of worthinesse that is to say of the iust which doth make meanes for him What merit of condigne is They will haue the merit of condigne to be when a man holpen by the first grace doth make himselfe by the first grace worthy of euerlasting life for he by that meanes doing well is worthy they say to haue reward for his labour This pestilent plague of the Pelagians is to bée withstoode with all our might and we must firmely hold that we cannot deserue neither grace nor saluation by any strength or works of our owne for any merit either of congruence worthinesse or condigne but that all is simply and méerly to be referred to the grace of God in Christ. You be saued through grace by faith saith the Apostle and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not by workes least any man might
to this word of persecuting The first is touched in Samuel Saule sought or pursued for Dauid euery day but the Lord did not deliuer him into his handes What is it els to séeke a man euery day to slay him but to persecute him continually Of the second we doe read in the same Chapter where he saith But in case he doe hyde him in the earth I will search for him amongst or out of all the thousands of Iuda He meaneth that he will search for Dauid diligently in euery corner and that he will omit nothing touching the persecution of him And Dauid vsed this word properly in the Psalme saieng I will persecute mine enimies and ouertake them I will not returne till they shrinke I will breake them so that they shall not be able to stand they shall fall vnder my féete When he saith I will persecute mine enimies and ouertake them he doth expresse the purpose of them which doe persecute which is bent to this ende to ouertake and catch them whom they doe persecute And whereas he doeth adde I will not returne vntill they doe shrinke it declareth his earnest diligence and desire in the persecution or following And that poynt I will breake them and crush them together that they shall not be able to stand they shall fall vnder my féete expresseth the reuenge which the persecutour entendeth to take vppon him when hée doeth persecute And these bée the partes of full and perfect persecution continually without ceasing to persecute to catch and to reuenge Musculus fol. 516. How some persecution is iust and some wrong If that be the true Church saith Augustin which suffereth persecution not that which doth it so said the Donatist let them aske of the Apostle what church Sara signified when the did persecute hir hand-maid for he saith that the frée woman our mother the heauenly Hierusalem that is to say the true Church of God was figured in that woman which afflicted hir handmayd And a little after Againe I demaunde in case that the good and holy doe persecute none but onely suffer whose saieng suppose they that the same is in the Psalme where we read I will persecute mine enimies and ouertake them and I will not tourne till they shrinke Therefore if we speake and acknowledge the truth that is a wrongfull persecution which the vngodly maketh vpon the Church of Christ and that persecution is iust which the Church of Christ maketh against the vngodly Thus saith Augustine Musculus fol. 518. How the Church doth persecute The Church saith Augustine in the place before doth persecute by louing to reforme and to call men backe from errour and to make them to profite in the truth And it is like the persecution of a louing mother and not of a spitefull stepdame Such I would haue the Church persecution saith Musculus when the rulers of the Church shall in the name of the Church persecute not the innocent but the hurtful more politikely then Church lyke But whereas the false shepheards vnder pretence of heresie and schisme doe persecute not the Goates which they cherish but the true shéepe of Christ which doe follow the voice of their onely shepheard and doe abhorre the voice of straungers with banishment and out-lawe prison wrongfull iudgements snare sword faggot and fire what shall we call it els but the tyranny of Antichrist whereas Augustine sayd that is a wrongfull persecution which the vngodly maketh against the Church of Christ he might well haue added therevnto and that in ten times more wrongfull which the malignant Church worketh against the godly But in his time the Romish Tyranny had not yet so openly set vp hir shamelesse head to practise all kinde of persecutions and publike oppressions of them that would discent from them Musculus fol. 519. Wherefore the true Christians are persecuted Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake ¶ If the faith of Christ and lawe of God be written in thine heart that is if thou beleeue in Christ to be iustified from sinne or for remission of sinne and consentest in thine heart to the lawe that it is good holy and iust and thy dutie to do it and submittest thy selfe so to do and therevpon goeth forth and testifieth that faith righteousnesse openly vnto the world in word and déede Then will Satan stirre vp his members against thée and thou shalt be persecuted on euery side but bée of good comfort and faint not Call to minde the saieng of Saint Paule 2. Timothy 3. 12. Now all that will lyue godlye in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution c. Tindale Chrisostome saith Doth the Shéepe persecute the Wolfe at any time No but the Wolfe doth persecute the Shéepe For so Cain persecuted Abel not Abel Cain So Ismael persecuted Isaac not Isaac Ismael so the Iewes persecuted Christ not Christ the Iewes So the Heretikes persecute the Christians and not the Christians the Heretikes Therefore ye shall knowe them by their fruites Againe Chrisostome saith in the same place Whomsoeuer ye sée reioyce in the bloud of persecution he is a Wolfe Iewel fol. 2. Moses saith Ismael plaied or sported with Isaac But Saint Paule saith the same plaieng and sporting was persecution For thus he writeth He that was after the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit D. Heynes How the Christians in persecution doth multiply The Christians saith S. Austen were bound were imprisoned were beaten wer tormented were burnt and yet wer multiplied c. The miserable ende of certaine cruell persecutors Saule did murder himselfe Achitophel hanged himselfe Iudas did the lyke Sennacherib murdered of his owne sons Herode and Antiochus murdered by lyce Pilate murdered of himselfe Nero murdered of himselfe Dioclesian and Maximianus Emperours deposed themselues Maximinus eaten vp with lyce Maxentius and Pharao both drowned in their owne harnesse PETER Why Peter is called chiefe of the Apostles THey say that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles verely◠as Appelles was called chiefe of Painters for his excellent cunning aboue other euen so Peter may be called chiefe of the Apostles for his actiuitie and boldnesse aboue the other But that Peter had anys authoritie or rule ouer his bretheren and fellow Apostles is false contrary to the Scripture Christ forbad it euen the last houre before his Passion and in diuers times before and taught alway the contrary Tindale fo 143. Of Peters confession When Peter had professed the very true confession of Christ that he was the Sonne of God Christ said to him Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church that is to say vpon the faith whereby thou hast confessed and acknowledged me And that Christ by this Rocke wherevpon he said he would build his Church did vnderstand and meane himselfe Saint Austen doth write in an Homely which he hath written vpon this place where he saith If Christ would haue layed the
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
let the whole body of Christ crie out wheÌ„soeuer it suffereth afflictions diuers temptations innumerable slaunders preserue my soule for I am a Saint Ric. Turn To al you of Rome beloued of god saints by calling â—Saints by calling is as much to say as called to be saints called to holynesse holy things For the Scripture is accustomed to call them that be aliue Saints And it ought to be all one to say S Saint or a christen man or a christian Tindale How Saints shall iudge the world They shall iudge saith Chrisostome not they themselues sitting in iudgement and exacting an accompt God forbid But they shall condemne the world the which signifieng he sayth And if in you c. He sayth not of you but in you as who should say the iust condempnation of those that are the worldlinges shall shine in the saluation of you that are in his Saintes I. Bridges SALOMONS HOVSE Of the beautie thereof and wherevnto it is applied SAint Hierome and other learned interpreters in reading and pointing doe swarue quite and cleane from our Latine Bibles reading this clause of commending of Salomons goodly house on this wise Epalatijs eburneis vt te exhilerentâ— and yet héere is still Eclipsis which may be thus made vp Supplia vestimenta deprompta e palatijs eburneis vt te exhileret Out of the Iuory pallaices and not Iuory places but out of Iuory pallaces are thy swéet garments brought out to make thée merâ—ie and ioyfull for that is one of the properties of sweete odours to make the spirits of a man merrie and chéerefull Thus then doth the Prophet commend Salomon the figure of Christ. He saith that Salomon had not onely a princely store of swâ—â—tâ— and goodly garments smelling of Mirre Aloes Eassia but also they were said vp in pallaices of Iuorie Of Salamons most princely house the Scripture maketh mention 3. Reg. 7. Where it is sayde that Salomons house was a building xiâ— yeares There was none other timber occupied in the making of the roofe certeine other parts but only Cedar which wood is costly hard to be gotten The walls were in many places set with precious stones and the pillers of Ceder plated ouer with golde This was a sumptuous house But yet we read not that Salomons pallaice was made of Iuorie No of Iuorie there is no mention and no meruaile for Iuorie is onely the bone of an Elephants tooth So that it is not lykely that such plentie of Elephants téeth could be gathered or gotten that should make or couer Salomons pallaice that was so great so large that it was xiii yeares a building wherefore by these words Domus eburnea Iuorie pallaices we must vnderstand nothing else but most goodly and sumptuous houses so pleasant and so beautifull as if they had ben made of white Iuorie of the shining teeth of Elephants Thus then hath the prophet in this dark place E domibus eburncis And if ye will applie these words vnto Christ then ye must allegorically vnderstand by the Iuory houses the white and the pure hearts of the elect Saints seruants of God wherin through the sanctifieng of the holy Ghost Christ dwelleth more princely then euer Salomon did in anie of his gorgeous houses Of Salomons Temple Which had séene the first house c. Wept with a loud voyce ¶ Because they sawe that it was nothing so glorious as that Temple which Salomon had built notwithstanding Aggeus comforteth them and prophesieth that it shall be more beautifull then the first Aggeâ— 2. meaning because Christ and his Apostles should preach the Gospell and worke miracles therein The Bible note ¶ The note in the Bible of Geneua hath thus in the ende meaning the spirituall Temple which are the members of Christs body What Salomons porch meaneth In Salomons porch ¶ The Euangelist calleth Salomons porch the Temple not because it was the Sanctuarie but a part of the same Therefore this place in the which Christ walked belonged not to the Scribes and Pharesies but to the common sort of people For it is certeine the this porch of the which mention is made héere was not the same which is described in yâ— booke of Kings for that was taken away by the Chaldees and quite ouerthrown but the same which the Iewes straight after their returne from their exile into Babylon builded according to the paterne of the olde Marl. vpon Iohn fo 391. Which was builded againe after the paterne of that which Salomon builded Geneua SALT What it is to salt THE office of an Apostle and true preacher of Christ is to salt not onely the corrupt manners and conuersations of earthly people but also the rotten heart within and all that springeth out thereof their naturall reason their will their vnderstanding and wisedome yea and their fayth and beleefe and all that they haue imagined without Gods worde concerning righteousnesse inuocation satisfaction and seruing God c. Tindale fol. 196. Who is meete to Salt The true preaching is a salting that stirreth vp persecution and an office that no man is méete for saue he that is seasoned himselfe before with pouertie in spirit softnesse méeknesse patience mercifulnesse purenesse of heart and hunger for righteousnesse and looking for persecution to and hath al his comfort and hope in the blessing onely and in no worldly thing Tindale fol. 196. Of the salting of hypocrites The nature of Salt is to bite fret make smart though the sicke patients of the world canne suffer their grose sinnes to be rebuked vnder a fashion as in a Parable a farre of yet to haue their righteousnesse their holynesse and seruing of God and his Saintes disallowed improued and condempned for dampnable and diuellish that may they not abide Tindale fo 196. Of salt that hath lost his saltnesse If Salt haue lost his saltnesse it is good for nothing but to be troden vnder foote of men ¶ That is if the preacher which for his doctrine is called Salt haue lost his nature of Salt the is to say his sharpnesse in rebuking all vnrighteousnesse all naturall reason naturall will and vnderstanding and all trust confidence in whatsoeuer it be saue in the bloud of Christ he is condempned of God and disallowed of all them that cleaue to the truth c. Tindale fol. 197. Ye are the Salt of the earth c. ¶ The ministers of Gods word are called the Salt of the earth because the men are made by their true doctrine being receiued through faith sauory vnto the Lord. And the Salt hath lost his saltnesse when the ministers fall from Gods worde vnto the dreames and traditions of Antichrist Beza How our speach ought to be poudred with salt Let your speach be gratious alway and poudred with salt Héere wée haue a goodly lesson how that our communication ought to bée tempered with godly wisedome which he vnderstandeth
the coine that was figured in the Image of Caesar Persuadit illis debere Caesari perswadeth them that those things are owing to Caesar that are his that is those that haue his Image both in corporall and outward things we must obey the king but in inward things spirituall onely God I. Bridg. fo 639. TRINITIE How the whole trinitie is approued by the Scripture AND sayd Lord if I haue found fauour c. ¶ He saw thrée but directed his speach but to one whereby the mysterie of the Trinitie is declared The Bible note ¶ Speaking to one of them in whom appeare to be most maiestie for he thought they had bene men Geneua Iohn sawe heauen open and the holy Ghost descending vpon him like a Doue there came a voice from heauen Mar. 1. 10. c. ¶ Christ did come down the holy Ghost came down But Christ the sonne of God did appeare a true naturall essentiall body whereas the holy Ghost did come downe in the likenesse not in the true essential body of a doue The father did also speake from heauen Héere ye haue the whole Trinitie TRVMPET Whereto Trumpets serue AND seauen Trumpets were giuen vnto them ¶ Trumpets serue to many purposes among which also is one that publike Magistrates are wont to publish proclaime yâ— lawes ordinances which they haue made by the sound of trumpets The same vse doth Iohn assigne héere to the Angels By whoÌ„ notwithstanding we may wel meane the Apostles Ministers of the word according to the commaundement of the Lord giuen vnto Esay 58. 1. Set out thy throte cry straine thy selfe as a Trumpet lift vp thy voice c. And Christ sayd to his Apostles Looke what I saye vnto you in the darke speak you it in the light and that which you heare in the eare preach you vpon the house tops Mâ—th 10. 27. Marl. How the Scribes Pharesies did vse them The Scribes and Pharesies in common and publike places whervnto many people wer wont to resort did distribute their doles or almes to the poore in the which their ostentation was manifest because they sought frequented places to haue many witnesses of their deeds not contented with this they caused trumpets to be sounded They fained truely that they called yâ— poore together by the noise of the Trumpet so that they neuer wanted a cloake to shadowe their hypocrisie when as it is for certein that they did it to haue fame renowme praise of men Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 112. The very meaning both that we blow no Trumpet that the left hand know not what the right hand doth is yâ— we do as secretly as we can in no wise séeke vaine glory or to receiue it if it were profered but to do our déeds in singlenesse of conscience to God because it is his coÌ„mandement euen of pure compassion loue to our bretheren not that our good déeds though standing in our owne conceit shuld cause vs to despise them Tindale TRVTH Truth defined THat is truth according to yâ— Hebrue phrase which is the most perfect essence of any thing the very absolute perfection it selfe of a matter Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 309. Why Christ is called true and soothfast Thus saith he that is holy true ¶ He is called true or soothfast because he only teacheth vs true certeine substantial infallible things therfore he anoucheth himself to be yâ— truth it selfe Iohn 14. 6. And onely Schoolemaister Math. 23. 8. whoÌ„ all men ought to giue care vnto euen by the commaundement of the father Math. 17. 5. Also God is sayd to be true or soothfast because hée kéepeth touch in his promises notwithstanding mens iniquities Rom. 3. 3. 4. Marl. fol. 60. Who they be that are true of heart The true of heart shall be glad thereof ¶ The true of heart are these that neither for the prosperitie of the vnfaithfull nor pouertie of the good are seduced But alwaies iudging well of God as pleased with that he doth contented onely with his promise in his word Psa. 73. 1. T. M. TVVELVE MONETHS ¶ Looke Yeare TVVO How two in one flesh is vnderstood THey commit adultry that marry at one time two wines and say if a man haue an hundred as he may haue as well as two yet all is but two and one flesh in the Lorde Christ doth not so interpret two Math. 19. but referreth two to one man and one woman as the text that he alleadgeth out of Genesis chapter 1. and 2. declareth saieng Haue ye not read that he that made man from the beginning made the male female therfore shal man leaue Father and mother and associate his wife and shall be two in one flesh This text admitteth not pluralitie of wiues but destroyeth plaine the sentence of those that defend the coniunction of many wiues with one man For at the beginning of Matrimony was but one man and one woman created and married together no more shuld there be now in one matrimonie as Christ there teacheth and expoundeth two in one flesh and not thrée or foure in one flesh The word of God must be followed and not the examples of the Fathers in this case Whooper Of two sorts of calling ¶ Looke Calling Of two Sacraments As concerning Sacraments which ought to be holden properly for lawfull Sacraments he hath ordeined two in the Christian Church The first is Baptime the other is the supper The other that hath bene added to these by the Papists may not be accounted for true and lawfull Sacraments for so much as they haue no certeine foundation in the word of God without the which no Sacrament is lawfull Pet. Viret Saint Cipriane sayth Tunc demum plane sanctificari c. Then may they be throughly sanctified and become the children of God if they be new borne by both the Sacraments Cipri li. 2 Epist. 1. ad Steph. Augustine saith Quedam pauca pro multis c. Our Lord his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacramentes in stéede of many and the same in doing most easie in significatioÌ„ most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as in the Sacrament of Baptime the celebration of the body bloud of our Lord. Aug. de doct christ li. 3. cap. 9. Againe speaking of Baptime and the supper he saith thus Haec sunt c. These be the two Sacraments of the Church Aug. de Cymbolo ad Catechemenes Paschasius sayth Sunt Sacramenta c. These be the Sacraments of Christ in the Catholike Church Baptime the body and bloud of our Lord. Paschasius de coena Domini Bassarius sayth Hoc duo solo Sacramenta c. We reade that these onely two Sacramentes were deliuered to vs in the Scriptures Bassarius de Sacramenta Euchari Against these foresaid saiengs the late pretensed Councell of Trident hath concluded thus
spoken of me are now fulfilled Ric. Turnar VIPER The propertie of this venemous beast THE nature of a Uiper is this when the time of gendering is the male commeth to the female and putteth his head into her mouth which the female biteth off and so killeth the male whose head ingendereth within the female a great sort of egges hanging togethers like beads when the time commeth that she should bring them forth shée putteth forth but one and yet is all a day in doing that Then the other being left within her are so greedie to come forth that they gnawe out her bodye and so commeth forth and killeth the damme Of the Viper that hung on Paules hand And he shooke off the viper into the fire and felt no harme ¶ By this miracle God performed his promise made to his disples that neither Serpent nor poison should hurt them And also by the same was confirmed the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Christ which Paule preached vnto the world Sir I. Cheeke The vipers of all kinde of beasts is most pestiferous for if they do but scant touch a man they bring violent death as appeareth by the men that in the I le of Miletum who when they sawe the viper hang on Paules finger after his Shipwracke they sayd Surely this man is a murtherer whome although hée haue escaped the daunger of the Sea vengeaunce will not suffer to liue But when they sawe him the viper cast into the fire to haue no harme for they thought he shoulde haue béene burnt or else sodeinly fall downe dead they altered their mindes and sayd hée was a God So great daunger doth the poison of a viper bring Marl. vppon Math. fol. 46. VIRGINITIE What true virginitie is THat is not true virginitie when the body is restrained from the naturall course disposition of wedlocke but when the pure and maidly abstinence is to kept both in body minde that by the disposition of God all our lyfe is consecrate and hallowed to better studies and purposes for as touching the restraint or countenance thereof is to small purpose For wée finde many beasts also which doe not go to fellow and therfore Augustine doth a right cal virginitie the vertue not of y◠body but of the minde And the Apostle saith that she may be an idle sléeuelesse matter But he thinketh it the part of virgins to thinke vpon these things which do apperteine vnto the Lord which is nothing els but with heart mind to follow y◠Lords will accordingly as the necessitie of the Saints and condition of euery time doth require Musc. fol. 507. The places of S. Paule in this matter expounded He y◠standeth stedfast in his hart hauing no necessity but power of his owne will hath determined in his heart to kéepe his virgin doth well so he that marrieth his virgin doth wel but he that marrieth her not doth better ¶ S. Hierom expounding this text saith these words Ille firmus statuit cuius puella consensus patris firmauit voluntaria He purposeth stedfastly whose maidens consent hath confirmed the fathers will Then by S. Hierome the consent of the maide is required without which the father can order nothing Erasinus in his Paraphrase vpon the same place saith If any man perceiuing that he hath libertie to bestow his virgin in marriage or not to bestow her is not compelled by néede to either of both hath determined purposed in his minde to kéep his virgin at home which desireth no marriage doth right For as it is ieoperdus to hold her frō marriage y◠is desirous of marriage so is it vngodly to discourage maids minds from the desire and vow of chastitie Note heere also y◠S. Paule compelleth no man to vow but hée letteth euery man stand to his own wil. Furthermore be willeth whatsoeuer he be that decréeth in his heart virginity y◠he first consider whether it lieth in his power to kéep his decree or not If it be in his power then saith S. Paule doth he better to kéepe his virginitie then to marry As concerning virgins saith S. Paule I haue no precept of the Lord but alonely I giue you my counsell c. ¶ Note y◠S. Paul wold not binde y◠Corinthians to virginity◠because he wold not tangle them in a snare but alonely he exhorteth them to virginity as vnto an honest comely thing y◠they might the more quietly serue God Upon the same text saith Athanasius that y◠Apostle would compell no man to keepe virginitie against his will nor he would not make virginity a thing of necessitie S. Paule prouing cléerely that no man ought or can be bound to virginitie further then the gift of God doth strengthen him saith thus As concerning virgins I haue no precept of y◠Lord but onely I giue you my counsell for I think it good by y◠reason of this present necessitie that a man should liue so As hée would say vnto virginitie I cannot binde you further then your gift is nor I doe not recken it a thing necessarie to win heauen by For heauen is neither the price of virginity nor yet of marriage but alonely I recken virginity a good an expedient thing to liue quietly by in this world For in marriage is many things y◠doth distract disturbeth a mans minde That this is S. Paules meaning it is well proued by the text y◠followeth If a virgin doth marrie she doth not sinne but she shal haue much temptation in the flesh that is to say many occasions of disquietnesse But I saith S. Paule would gladly spare you from such occasions for I wold haue you without sorrow And she that is vnmarried hath no care but how to serue God but she that is married hath much care and sorrow how shee shall dispatch all worldly businesse So that Saint Paule doth cleerely declare his meaning how that virginitie is no néerer way to heauen then marriage is sauing that alonely an vnmarried person hath not so many occasions to be disquieted as the married hath Héere we sée that Saint Paule hath no commaundement to binde men to chasttitie and yet the Pope compelleth all Priests to forsweare marriage and to vow chastitie But if any man thinke c. ¶ Héere we learne that it is y◠parents part to marry forth their children For in the olde time no contract of matrimony tooke effect without authoritie of the parents Read Deu. 7. 3. Also parēts ought to prouide betimes for their children in no wise to compell them either to virginitie or to wedlocke vnlesse they sée them to misuse thēselues Read Gen. 24. Sir I. Cheeke S. Hierome sayth Si quis consideret virginem suam c. If any man consider that his owne virgin that is to say his own flesh groweth proud boileth vnto lust and cannot stay it ther is laied vpon him a double necessitie either to take a wife or to fall
their shadowes and figures of the lawe So that there was not a ceremonie but it was a figure of Christ or his Apostles or els of his misticall bodie the Church all which Ceremonies and figures after that Christ had once suffered which was figured by them they were all banished awaie out of Christs Church because there was no vse for them For like as when it is darke the light of a candle is good but when the night is past the day is come why should we occupie anie longer a candle Euen so when Christ was come and had suffered which was the end of the lawe what shoulde we do with the Ceremonies and figures of Christ but vtterlie to cast them awaie as a burden not onelie necessarie but also as Saint Peter saith importable And now being deliuered from the seueritie of the Iudiciall Lawes And multitude of the Ceremoniall Lawes he that goeth about to retaine anie one or part of them to him maie well be spoken the words of Saint Paule If ye will néedes be circumcised Christ doth profite you nothing For hée that is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole Lawe so they that will haue Altars to stand by the force of Moses lawe they must by the same reason haue all the whole Tabernacle to stand with the furniture thereof which is a falling awaie from Christ. Ricâ— Tuâ—nar We haue an Altar whereof they haue no right to eate which serue in the Tabernacle ¶ Habemus Altare We haue an Altar is as much to saie as Habemus Sacrifiâ—ium We haue a Sacrifice But not such a sarifice as the Iewes had for they of their Altars did eate carnallie to the filling of their bellies but we doe eate Christ spirituallie by faith So that now when Saint Paule saith we haue an Altar whereof it is not lawfull for the Priests of Moses Lawe to eate he vnderstandeth by the Altar the Sacrifice that was offered vpon the Altar of the which the Priests did eate they did not eate of the verie Altar for then they should haue eaten stones and mortar but they did eate the Sacrifice offered vpon the Altar And as they had a sacrifice carnall wherof they did eate so haue we a spirituall Sacrifice which is Christ whom we doe eate by faith spirituallie And to the mysticall eating of Christ and drinking his bloud it skilled not whether the Table be of wood or stone Ric. Turnar ¶ They that sticke to the Ceremonies of the â—awe can not be partakers of our Altar which is thankesgiuing and liberalitie which two Sacrifices or offerings are now onelie left to the Christians Geneua How Christ is the true Altar They shall come vp to be accepted vpon mine Altar ¶ Because the Altar was a figure of Christ. Heb. 13. He sheweth that nothing can be acceptable to him which is not offered vnto him by this Altar who was both the offering and the Altar it selfe Geneua What Saint Austen did vnderstand by the Altar When Saint Austen and other holie Fathers did speakâ— of the Altar they vnderstood none other thing by it but the Table or boord that they vsed in their Communion which I say they called an Altar alluding to the Altars of the olde Lawe and hauing respect to the Sacrificâ— of praise and thankesgiuing that was offered by the Church in the Supper of the Lorde This was the state of the Church concerning this matter in Saint Austines time who was about foure hundred yeares after the Ascencion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ at the which time the Church beganne wonderfullie to growe out of kinde I. Veron Saint Paule doth compare the Iewish Leuits and the Preachers of the Gospell together saieng thus Doe you not knowe that they which minister about holie things c. Prouing thereâ—by as the Iewish Leuites serued the Altars and liued of the Altars that is of such things as was offered thereon euen so the Preachers of the Gospell ought likewise to liue of the Gospell S. Austen vpon this word Altar saith The Altar signifieth the Altar of the Iewes So that by this place the Papists cannot stablish their Altars That part that was burnt was deuoured of the Altar and the other was due vnto the Priests by the Lawe Geneua If thou bring thy gift to the Altar c. ¶ He applieth all this speach to the state of his time when as there was an Altar standing in Hierusalem And therefore they are verie foolish that gather héerevpon that we must build Altars and vse sacrifices but they are more fooles which drawe that to Purgatorie which is spoken of peace making and attonement one with another Beza AMATIST The description of an Amatist and what is betokened thereby THe twelfth an Amatist ¶ This â—â—one is as red as a rose and casteth out certeine little flames And it signifieth that the blessed sort are crowned with an vnapparable and flaming crowne of euerlasting life which shall continue alwaies as fresh and redde as a Rose tâ—â—e without ende Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. The Amatistâ— is purple violet and rose coloured and this betokeneth them that are seruent méeke and constant in the Lords truth and that hath bene alwaies readie to shedde their bloâ—d for it Such were the seauen bretheren in the Machabees with their most faithfull motherâ— So was also Iames the more and Antipas the faithfull witnesse None can shewe a more token of loue then hée which giueth vp his life for his friend This â—ort did Christ proclaime altogether blessed and said that the kingdome of Heauen was their owne Bale AMEN What this word signifieth AMen is an Hebrew word and signifieth euen so be it or bée it fast and sure approuing and allowing the sentence going before and when it is double it augmenteth the confirmation as in manie Psalmes and Iohn 5. and. 6. T. M. Euen so Amen ¶ Amen among the Hebrewes betokeneth commonlie an affirming or allowing of a thing Like as Etiam doth among the Latines and as yea or sobeit doth among Englishmen By which terme they meane that they agrée to the opinion of other men and subscribe their saiengs and also that they with the same thing with their heart which some forespeaker hath praied in words set together for the purpose So is that terme vsed in psalmes and praiers according as it is to be seene in the â— Cor. 14. 16. Howbeit among the Hebrewes their Amen importeth an assuring or oath according as wee sée the same terme vsed in the Gospell Marl. vpon the Apoc fol. 15. How shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned saie Amen at thy giuing of thankes ¶ One onelie made the praiers and the rest of the peopâ—â— followed in heart his words and when he had praied they all said Amen Signifieng that they beléeued assuredlie that God wouâ—â— graunt their requests Geneua AMORITES What an intollerable custome they had IT was the custome of the Amorites that
bloud ¶ By all these foresaid Authours and places with manie moe it is plainlie proued that when our Sauiour Christ gaue bread vnto his Disciples saieng Take and eate this is my bodie and likewise when he gaue them the cup saieng Drinke this among you and drinke you all of this for this is my bloud hée called then the materiall bread his bodie and the verie wine his bloud ¶ Thus much out of Cranmers booke fol. 118. 119. How bread is a figure of Christs bodie ¶ Christ himselfe saith Tertulian did not reprooue or discommend bread which doth represent his bodie ¶ For the vnderstanding of this place you must know that there was an Heretike called Marcion which did reproue creatures saide that all manner of creatures were euill This thing doeth Tertulian improue by the Sacrament and saith Christ did not reproue or discommend bread the which doth represent his bodie As though he should saie If Christ had counted the bread euill then would hée not haue lefte it for a Sacrament to represent his bodie meaning that it is a Sacrament token signe and memoriall of his bodie not the bodie it selfe And that this his meaning doth plainlie appeare in his sourth booke as followeth Christ taking bread and distributing vnto his Disciples made it his bodie saieng This is my bodie But this could not haue bene a true figure of it except Christ had had a true bodie for a vaine thing or fantasie can take no figure ¶ For the vnderstanding of this place you must marke that this Heretike Marcion against whom this Authour writeth did holde opinion that Christ had no naturall bodie but onelie a phantasticall bodie the which Tertulian improueth by the Sacrament of the Altar saieng The Sacrament is a figure of his bodie Ergo Christ had a true bodie for a vaine thing or fantasie can take no figure After the mysticall Easters Lambe fulfilled and that Christ had eaten the Lambes flesh with the Apostles hée tooke bread which comforteth the heart man and passeth to the true Sacrament of the Easters Lambe that as Melchisedech brought foorth Bread and Wine figuring him so might he likewise represent the truth of his bodie c. ¶ Héere doth Saint Hierome speake after the manner of Tertulian before That Christ with his bread and wine did represent the truth of his bodie For except he had had a true bodie he could not leaue a figure of it nor represent it vnto vs for a vaine thing or fantasie can haue no figure nor cannot be represented As by example how canne a man make a figure of a Dreame or represent it vnto our memorie But CHRIST hath left vs a figure and representation of his bodie in bread and wine Therefore it followeth that he had a true bodie This thing S. Bede doth more copeouslie set forth writing vpon S. Luke You shall not eate this bodie that you sée nor drinke that bloud which they that crucifie me shall shed out I haue giuen a certeine Sacrament vnto you if it be spirituallie vnderstood it quickeneth you but flesh profiteth nothing This is plaine enough spoken ¶ Thus much out of Frith Looke Figure How bread remaineth after the consecration Theodoretus saith The mysticall signes after the blessing of the Priest depart not from their owne nature For they remaine in their former substaunce figure and forme Further he saith yet the same bread and wine remaining as they were before are vnderstood and beléeued and adored as y◠things that they are beléeued The saieng of Thomas Salisburiensis No man saith hée be he neuer so simple or neuer so wise ought preciselie to beléeue that this is the bodie of our Lord that the Priest hath consecrate but onelie vnder this condition if all things concerning the consecration be done as apperteineth For otherwise he shal auouch a creature to be the creator which were Idolatrie Surelie the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ which we receiue are a godlie thing and therefore through them are we made partakers of the godlie nature and yet doth it not cease to be the substaunce and nature of bread and wine but they continue in the properties of their owne nature And surelie the Image and similitude of the bodie and bloud are celebrated in the act of the mysteries ¶ Looke Oyle That which you sée saith S. Austen in the Altar is the bread and the cup which also your eies doe shew you but faith sheweth further that bread is the bodie of Christ the cup his bloud ¶ Héere he declareth two things That in the Sacrament remaineth bread wine which we maie discerne with our eies that the bread and wine be called the bodie and bloud of Christ. Craumer He that called his naturall bodie saith Theodoretus wheate and bread and also called himselfe a Uine the selfe same called bread and wine his bodie and bloud and yet chaunged not their natures And in his second Dialogue he saith more plainelie For saith he as the bread and wine after the consecration loose not their proper nature but kept their former substaunce forme and figure which they had before euen so the bodie of Christ after his ascention was chaunged into the godlie substaunce Although ye make mée to abide yet I will not eate of your bread ¶ This Hebrue worde Lechem signifieth not onelye bread but sometime meate in vniuersall yea and sometime flesh also Héereof was inuented the subtiltie of the Papists to whom when we saie the bread remaineth in the Eucharist and proue it by that which Paule writeth The bread which we breake is it not the communicating of the bodie of Christ they aunswere that the bread in that place maie signifie flesh as it doth oftentimes in the holie Scriptures But they ought to remember that Paule wrote these words in Gréeke not in Hebrue But Arnos that is bread in Gréeke cannot signifie as Lechem maie in Hebrue Farther in the holie Supper the flesh of Christ is not broken but they are Symboles or Signes which are broken Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 205. How the sacramentall bread ought not to be reserued Saint Cipriane saith this bread is receiued and not shut vp Clemens saith Let there be as manie hoasts or so much bread offered at the Altar as maie be sufficient for the people if anie thing remaine let it not bée kept vntill the morning Origen or Cyrillus saith The bread that our Lord gaue to his Disciples he lengered if not nor bad it to be kept til the morning whose reason is grounded vpon Christs institution for Christ said not take and kéepe but take and eate Of the breaking of bread And brake bread in euerie house ¶ This place ought not to be vnderstood of the Communion or Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ as the place before but of the hospitalitie that was among them that
Testament Currus falcati sickle Carts The Horses yâ— did draw these Cartes were wel harnessed especiallie the men yâ— rode vpon them These Chariots was a terrible kinde of Engine and in great price among the Aegyptians as it appeareth by king Pharao when he followed the Children of Israel with â—00 of chosen Chariots And in what estimation they were in among the Philistines ye shall find in the first booke of the Kings 13. Chapter that they came against king Saule with thirtie thousand Chariots beside other horsemen and warriours a great number Vigetius in his third booke de re militari saith that Chariots wer most vsed of Darius Antiochus and Mithridates but at length the Romanes inuented a trick that caused Chariots to be nothing set by The inuention was this They inuented Caltropes which when the Chariot came nigh vnto them with a great race mightie force they did cast from them their Caltropes which pricked their horses in the féete so sore that down came the Chariots horsemen and all This inuention saith Vigetius caused chariots to be laid down But héere in this realme of England they were had in vse and great price at such time as Iulius Caesar after he had conquered Fraunce came into the land called Britaine Iulius Caesar doth not call them Currus falcatus but he in his 5. booke of his Commentaries doth cal theÌ„ Esseda the chariot driuers Essedarij These be his words Equites Britaniorum Essedarijâ— acriter praelio cum equitatu nostra in itinere confluxerunt The horsemen of the Britaines and their chariot men verie fiercelie did sette vppon our men saith Iulius Caesar. Thus ye sée in what estimation Chariots were in the old time insomuch that the Prophet Dauid which had all his confidence in the Lords helpe said Hij in curribus hij in equis c. Some put their trust in horses and some in chariots but we will put our trust in the name of the Lord our God Ri. Turnar Because they had yron Chariots ¶ He that shall reade the Iliades of Homer shal easelie perceiue that the men in the olde time vsed Chariots in battailes and also the same may be gathered both out of the most auncient histories also out of the later writers amongst other Quintus Curtius writing the life of Alexander doth plainlie make mention of such Chariots in the battaile â—ought against Darius But I thinke no Writer writeth more plainlie of them then doeth Plinie For he in that Battailes wherein Antiochus was ouercome of the Romanes which is in the 4. Decade and 7. booke thus describeth Chariots which he calleth hooked He saith that they were chiefelie fonsed after this manner The points about the draught trée standing out from the yoke had as it were hornes wherewith whatsoeuer they met they might thrust it through and two hookes hong out at the ende of the Cart the one euen with the Cart the other fastened downeward to the earth The former serued to cut a sonder whatsoeuer came on the side of it the other was made to crush them which fell downe and went vnder There were also two sundrie hookes fastened after the same sort to the Exeltrées of both the wheeles c. The vse therfore of these Chariots endured till yâ— time that Anâ—ochus was ouercome Howbeit we neuer read that yâ— Romanes vsed them And that they were horible to behold and hard to be conquered maie manifestlie be gathered by the booke of Iosua for there in the 17. Chapter when the Tribe of Ioseph complained because it was so manie in number and had obtained so narrow a Lot Iosua commaunded this that if they had not roome inough they should go and dwell or els conquere the places of their Enimies adioining vnto them They excusod themselues yâ— they could not doe so because their neighbours had yron Chariots But to repeate more auncienter things Pharao as it is written in the booke of Exodus when he persecuted the Israelites which fled is said to haue had Chariots and with the same he tooke vpon him to enter into the Sea but they being ouerthrowen by the power of God he was punished for breaking his fidelitie Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 32. CHARITIE What Charitie is CHaritie is the loue of thy neighbour The rule of Charitie is this Doe as thou wouldst be done vnto for Christ holdeth all alike the rich the poore the friend the foe the thankfull and the vnthankefull the kinsman and straunger Booke of Mar. fol. 1112. ¶ Charitie is a good a gracious effect of the soule wherby mans heart hath no fantasie to estéeme valour or ponder anie thing in this wide world beside or before the care and studie to know God c. Lupset ¶ Looke Loue. CHASTISE What the word Chastise betokeneth TO chastise is to correct one to his behoofe And therefore héere is to be noted the difference betwéene the afflictions of the godlie and the vngodlie For the godlie are afflicted to their owne profit namelie that they maie be nurtured vnto patience and helde fast in the feare of the Lord according as ye maie sée in Iob. â— 17. Iere. 31. 18. 46. 28. Pro. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 10. But the correction of the vngodly is called a consuming of them Iere. 30. 23. 24. and 46. 10. And therefore the chosen to amend at the Lords chastisement as Dauid 2. Reg. 12. 13. But the reprobate are hardened the more by Gods scourges as Pharao was Exo. 9. 7. 35. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 69. O Lord correct me but with iudgement ¶ Considering that God had reuealed vnto him the certaintie of their captiuitie meaning the Iewes chap. 7. 16. He onelie praieth that he would punish them with mercie which Esay calleth in measure chap. 27. 8. measuring his rods by their infirmitie 1. Cor. 10. 13. For héereby Iudgement is ment not onlie punishment but also the mercifull moderation of the same as chap. 30. 11. ¶ Looke Affliction Punishment CHASTITIE How Hierom expoundeth chastitie HE expoundeth it of virginitie onelie as though they that were married could not be chast or though the Apostles did write these things onelie to virgins In the first second chapter to Tit. he warneth also Bishops young men and maried folkes both man and wife to be chast and pure Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 262. And there be some chast which made themselues chast c. ¶ He maketh himselfe chast for yâ— Kingdome of heauen sake which either hauing the gifte of sole life vseth the same to the setting foorth of Gods word or els béeing a perfect and a naturall man taketh to himselfe an honest yoake-fellowe and liueth in chast wedlocke with hir setting foorth neuerthelesse GODS truth to his vttermost power Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The word Chast signifieth Gelded and they were so made because they shuld kéepe the chambers of noble women for they were iudged chast Geneua ¶ There he some
And the same meant also S. Hilarius by this word Naturallie when he said Christ dwelleth naturallie in vs. And as Saint Paule when he said that in Christ dwelled the full diuinitie corporall by the word corporallie he meant not that the Diuinitie is a bodie and so by that bodie dwelleth bodilie in Chist But by the word corporallie he ment that the diuinitie is not in Christ accidentallie lightly slenderlie but substanciallie and perfectlie with all his might and power so that Christ was not onelie a mortall man to suffer for vs but also he was an immortall GOD able to redéeme vs c. Cranmer What Christ is in the holie Scripture In the holie Scripture Christ is nothing els but a Sauiour a Redéemer a iustifier and a perfect peace-maker betwéen God and man The prooues He shall saue the people from their sinnes Christ is made our righteousnesse our satisfaction and our redemption For the wretchednesse of my people haue I striken him There is none other name giuen vnto men wherein they must be saued He it is that hath obtained grace for our sinnes He sent his sonne to make agréement for our sinnes ¶ Héere is the verie nature of Christ and his verie properties full and whole And whosoeuer denieth anie thing thereof or taketh anie part of them applie them or giue the glorie of them vnto anie other person then to Christ onelie the same man robbeth Christ of his honour and denieth him How Christ entred the dores being shut ¶ Looke Dores How Christs naturall bodie is in one place S. Augustine saith as it is alledged by Gracian Corpus Domini in quo resurrexit The bodie of our Lord wherein hée rose againe must néedes be in one place Againe he saith Christus secundum presentiam corporalem c. Touching bodilie presence Christ could not be in the Sunne in the Moone and vpon the Crosse and all at once Iewel fo 85. 86. The heauens saith S. Peter must containe and hold him vntill the time that all things be restored ¶ Cyrillus in Iohn li. 11. cap. 3. saith Christus non poterat c. Christ could not be conuersant with his Disciples in the flesh after he had ascended vnto the Father I. Frith ¶ Looke Bodie of Christ. How Christ is called Messiah ¶ Looke Messiah How Christ is called our Altar Ireneus calleth Christ our Altar And Origen calleth our hearts our Altar not that either Christ or our hearts be Altars indéed but by a Metaphore or a manner of speach How Christ is called sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. How Christ is the Fathers word ¶ Looke Word How Christ is onelie the Image of God ¶ Looke Image How Christ in his Godhead is euerie wher Loo Godhead How Christ is not carnally presēt with vs nor in the sacramēt Christ by his Godhead saith S. Austen is euer with vs but vnlesse he had departed awaie bodilie from vs we should euer more carnallie sée his bodie These words are speciallie to bée noted If Christ were bodilie héere he should carnallie be séene Therfore S. Austens iudgement if Christ wer bodilie present in the Sacrament we should sée him carnallie in the sacrament A man maie haue Christ verely present though he haue him not in his mouth For thus S. Austen saith Habes Christum in presenti c. Thou hast Christ in the time present by his signe or token in the time present by faith in the time present by the Sacrament of Baptime Christ is present in the Sacraments as they teach that hée is present in his word when he worketh mightelie by y◠fame in the harts of the hearers by which manner of speach it is not ment that Christ is corporallie present in the voice or sound of the speaker which sound perisheth as soone as the words be spoken but this speach meaneth that he worketh with his word vsing the voice of the speaker as his instrument to worke by as he vseth also Sacraments whereby he worketh and therfore is said to be present in them Cranmer The same flesh that was giuen in Christs last supper was giuen also vpon the Crosse is giuen dailie in the ministration of the Sacrament But although it be one thing yet it was diuerslie giuen for vpon the Crosse Christ was carnallie giuen to suffer and to die at his last Supper he was spirituallie giuen in a promise of his death in the Sacrament he is dailie giuen in the remēbrance of his death yet it is al but one Christ that was promised to die that died indéede whose death is remembred that is to say the very same Christ the eternall word that was made flesh the same flesh was also giuen to be spirituallie eaten was eaten indéed before his supper yea before his incarnation also Of which eating not of the sacramental eating he spake in the 6. of Iohn My flesh is verie meate my bloud is verie drinke he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Cranmer fol. 21. How Christ dranke of it himselfe He also dranke of it least when they heard his words they should saie whie doe we then drinke bloud eate flesh and so should be troubled for when he spake these things they were offended with his words because that should not also chance he himselfe dranke first of it that he might cause them to come without feare to the partaking of those mysteries ¶ Heere Chrisostome noteth that Christ dranke of it to draw them from the grose vnderstanding of his words by his drinking to testifie vnto them that it was not his naturall flesh indéed but memorials representations of his bodie and bloud I. Frith How Christ bare himselfe in his owne hands S. Augustine hath a saieng that in the Sacrament Christ was borne in his owne hands doth expound himselfe in another place saieng Ferebatur tanquam in manibus that is he was borne after a certeine manner in his owne hands And by that y◠he saith after a certaine manner we may soone perceiue what he meaneth Howbeit if S. Austen had not expounded himselfe yet he saith ad Bonifacium that the Sacrament of a thing hath a similitude or propertie of the thing which it signifieth And so he saith y◠he bare himselfe because he bare the sacrament of his bodie and bloud which did so earnest expresse himselfe as nothing might more doe it I. Frith Of Christs name and Offices First he is called by the name of Iesus which signifieth Sauiour to admonish vs that he was sent vnto vs from the father to saue vs that we maie haue saluation by none other but by him onelie His Offices be these thrée A Prophet a King a Sacrificator for the name of Christ signifieth annointed because that in the auntient Church of Israel y◠Priests Kings and
there present he would not be for nothing At this Councell Eugenius was deposed and Amodius Duke of Sauoie in Fraunce chosen in his place But Eugenius notwithstanding continued still as Bishop and would not resigne Cooper This Councell by reason of a great Pestilence was transferred to Florence where the Christians of Arminia and India consented to the Romane church and the Greekes agréed that the holie Ghost procéeded from the Father and the Sonne that there was a Purgatorie that the Sacrament ought to be celebrated onelie with vnleauened bread made of wheate and that the Bishop of Rome was Peters lawful successour and Christs glorious Uicar on earth to whome all the world ought to obaie which they neuer consented to before this time neither at this time did long continue in that beliefe Cooper In the Councell of Milinitani it was decréed that if a Clearke of Afrike would appeale out of Afrike beyonde the Sea he should be taken as a person excommunicate In the generall Councell of Constantinople the first it was decréed that euerie cause betwéene anie person should be determined within the Prouinces where the matters did lie and that no Bishoppe should exercise anie power out of his owne Diocesse or Prouince And this was also the minde of holie Saint Ciprianâ— and of other holie men in Africa Therefore the Pope hath no such Primacie giuen him either by the wordes of Scripture or by anie generall Councell nor by common consent of the holie Catholike faith And the Apostles and Elders came together to reason of this matter â—When Councells be gathered in the name of Christ there is no doubt but Christ is in the middes of them and with his spirite doth assist them But if they be gathered in their owne name that is to saie to set foorth their owne glorie they are vtterlie destitute of the Holie Ghost and whatsoeuer they doe decrée or sette foorth ought to be estéemed none otherwise but mens doctrines and tradâ—tions Sir I. Cheeke How Councells maie erre THe Councell maie erre as it hath erred concerning the contract of Matrimonie Inter raptorem raptam And the saieng of S. Hierome was afterward preferred aboue the staâ—ute of the Councell as it is prooued 36. Question 2. Tria For in things concerning the faith the saieng of a priuate man is to bee preferred aboue the Pope if hee haue better reasons and Scriptures out of the olde and new Testament for him then the Pope hath Neither it can helpe that the Councell cannot erre because that Christ did praie that the faith of the Church should not faile for I aunswere to this that though the generall doe represent the whole vniuersall Church yet neuerthelesse in verie déed ther is not the vniuersall Church but representatiue For the vniuersall Church standeth in the election of all faithfull men throughout the whole world whose head and spouse is Christ Iesus And the Pope is but the Uicar of Christ and not the verie head of the Church This is the Church that cannot erre The Councells that maie be gathered together in euerie prouince must without doubt giue place to the authoritie of yâ— full Councells which be gathered of all Christendome And also these full Councells oftentimes must be amended by the full councells that came afterward if anie thing be opened by experience that was before shut and if anie thing be knowen that was afore hidden And this must be done without anie shadowe of supersticious pride without anie boasted arrogancie without anie contention of malicious enuie but with holy méeknesse with holie peace with christen charitie ¶ Héere Saint Augustine saith plainlie that the full Councells maie erre and maie be reformed D. Barnes fol. 248. Of wicked Councells Councells that be wicked the Lord breaketh as the Prophet Dauid saith The Lord breaketh the councell of the heathen and bringeth to naught the deuises of the people The councell of the builders of Babel is confounded The councell of Iosephs bretheren is letted The councell of Balaac is turned The councell of Absalom against Dauid his father is destroied The councell of Achitophel taketh none effect The councell of Sanabalat Tobiah against the building of Hierusalem is disappointed The wicked councell of Haman is his owne destruction The councells and deuises of the wicked are ouerthrown Esay 7. 3. The councell of the Pharesies and Priests c. preuailed not The councell of the Priests and Saduces against the Apostles prosper not CRETA Of the description of this I le THis I le doth lie betwéene the part of Greece called Peloponesus and the Rhodes It hath one the North part the sea Aegeum and Cretense On the South the Sea of Aegypt Africa It is now called Candie In this I le was Iupiter nourished whom the Panims named their chiefe God There Minos raigned RhadamaÌ„thus gouerned vnder him with most exquisit iustice as ye may read in their places of whose laws other couÌ„tries tooke their first patterne yet notwithstanding the people of that countrie were noted of olde Authours to be vicious and shamefull liars as Epimenides wrote in a vearse recited by S. Paule in his Epistle to Titus saieng The Cretians alwaie bene liars vngracious beasts and slouthfull paunches Eliote Euen one of their owne Prophets said The Cretians are alwaies liars euill beasts slowe bellies ¶ He calleth Epimenides the Philosopher or Poet whose verse héere he reciteth a Prophet because the Cretians so estéemed him and as Laercius writeth they sacrificed vnto him as to a God forsomuch as he had a meruailous gifte to vnderstand things to come which thing Satan by the permission of God hath opened to the Infidells from time to time but it turneth to their great condemnation 1. Tim. 1. 4. Geneua CRIE What it is to crie vnto the Lord. WHerefore criest thou vnto me ¶ To crie vnto the Lord is to praie vnto him with full heart and feruent desire as Moses héere did and yet spake neuer a word and so doth this word crieng and making of noise signifie throughout all the Psalmes And in the Psal. 5. 2 T. M. ¶ Thus in temptations faith fighteth against the flesh and crieth with inward gronings vnto the Lord. Geneua This erie is to be vnderstood not of the sound of his voice but of the earnest affection of his heart The Bible note What it is to crie from the endes of the earth From the endes of the earth will I crie vnto thée c. ¶ To crie from the endes of the earth is being in a farre Countrâ—ie to sigh with affection and pray with feruent desire to come out of the tribulation and aduersitie wherein we are oppressed in those farre Countreies and to be brought againe to the place where we would wish vs. Read the 3. of the Kings the 8. chap. ver 47. Dauid was driuen into the vtmost Coasts of all
and the crueltie of the Iewes toward Christ. Like dogges are they at all times which Iewishlie and heinouslie persecute the members of Christ that is the faithfull T. M. A quicke dogge is better then a dead Lion ¶ This Prouerbe is the saieng of the Epicures the which beléeueth not the immortalitie of the soule The Bible note ¶ He noteth the Epicure and carnall man which made their bellie their God had no pleasure but in this life wishing rather to be an abiect and vile person in this life then a man of authoritie and so to die which is meant by the Dogge and Lion Geneua Beware of Dogges c. ¶ Beware of Dogges which barke against the truth to fill their bellies Geneua DOMES DAIE ¶ Looke Daie DOORE An exposition of these places following I Haue set a doore open before thée ¶ Paule glorieth that a doore was open vnto him 2. Cor. 2. 12. that is to saie that occasion was giuen him by God wherby to enter into the hearts of the heathen by the word of the Gospell In this wise must this present place be taken namely yâ— Christ had opened a way whereby the Church of Philodelphia might allure other churches to the faith of Christ by her owne example howe much so euer their aduersaries brabled against them whether they were Iewes or Gentiles or false Apostles And therefore by saieng and no man can shutte it his meaning is this namely no man shall be able to â—et you but that you shall preferre my Gospell to manie So at this daie there is a great doore set open vnto Gods seruaunts while the Antichrists and persecutors burst a sunder that is to saie the waie is opened for them to enlarge the bounds of Christes kingdome by preaching his worde and to beate downe the grose errours of vngodlinesse by the brightnesse of the Gospell Because that when God determineth to enlarge the borders at Christs Kingdome there is no power so high that is able to let it Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 61. For so much therefore as I finde thée thus grounded in faith bée thou certeine and sure of it I haue sette before thee an open doore I haue illumined thy sences and cléered thy vnderstanding to knowe the holie Scriptures and perceiue the high mysteries written therein so admitting thee 〈…〉 my Kingdome And this doore canne no man 〈…〉 againe Neither shall the power of this worlde nor 〈…〉 the gates of â—ell be able to preuaile against this opening Bale And when the doores were shut ¶ In this place the Euangelist doth diligentlie note the time that Christ our Sauiour came in to his disciples not meaning that he went in through the doores for the Gréeke hath not Diasâ—roon Kekleismenoon that is to saie through the doores beeing shutte but Toonsnroon Kekleismenoon that is to saie The Gates or Doores béeing as a man might saie late in the euening and at that time that the Gates and Doores be wont to be shut Or els could not Christ our sauiour through his diuine power cause the doores were they neuer so surelie shut to open vnto him of their own accord as when he deliuered Peter out of prison by his Angel then not onelie the chemes that he was bound withall fâ—ll off from him but also all the doores locks did open of their owne selues and did giue him passage Act. 12. 7. Againe how the Apostles were deliueredâ— Reade Act. 5. 19. Sir â— Cheeke ¶ Whereas some thinke that doores were opened for him that he might enter in according to the manner of men it disagréeth much with the minde of the Euangelist Therefore we must not thinke that Christ entered in without myracle to the ende he might declare his diuine power to make his Disciples the more attentiue Neuerthelesse that is most false which the Papists doe affirme as that Christs bodie pearcâ—d the doores which were shut This they therefore affirme that they might make his glorified bodie not onely like vnto a spirit but also so incomprehensible that no place can coâ—rein the same But the wordes of the Euangelist sound no such thing because he saide not that he entered through the doores that were shut but that he stoode sodeinlie in the middest of his disciples when the doores were shut we know that Peter came foorth of the fast barred prison shall we therefore saie that hée pearsed through the midst of the yron Gates This were too absurde and childish Let vs content our selues with this that Christ purposed by a notable miracle to confirme the Apostles in the fayth of his resurrection Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 594. ¶ So that no man opened him the doores but hée by his diuinepower caused them to open of their owne accord As of Peter is read Act. 5. 19. and 12. 10. Geneua DORCAS Looke Tubitha DOSITHEANS What manner of men they were THe Dositheans were such as in diuers Ceremonies seuered themselues from the Iewes some of them would marrie yet liue and continue Uirgins They fasted from all liuing creatures They began of Dositheus Who showing his followers an example of fasting famished himselfe to death thereby proued himselfe a foole â—pipha li. 1. tom 1. haeres 1â— DOVBTING Of the doubting of Abraham other holie persons WHether Abraham anie thing doubted when God promised to him a childe the Scripture séemeth to leaue in suspence For in the 12. of Genesis it is written that he laughed said Shall a childe be borne vnto me of an hundred yeares of age And shall Sara bring forth a childe being 90 yeares of age I would to God Ismael might liue in thy sight These words haue a showe both of ioie and admiration being ioined notwithstanding with some doubting And this Scripture therfore maketh mentioÌ„ of these things yâ— the faith of Abraham which is so highlie coÌ„mended shuld in no wise be thought to haue bene without doubting which are accustomed to spring of the flesh humane sence but because the faith of the Patriarke ouercame those doubtings therefore it is praised Neither do we read there that Abraham was accused of incredulitie as Sara was which also laughed And if a man weigh the outwaâ—d laughter they were both alike But God which is the searcher of the hearts vnderstood right well the faith of either of them Holie men although they beleeued the promises of God yet sometime through humane weaknesse they somewhat doubted and therefore it came to passe oftentimes that they required signes and miracles to confirme their weaknesse which thing we read in Gedeon and Ezechias the King But in this place is shewed a remedie against such temptations namelie to call backe our thoughtes from humane lets and to fixe our eies onelie vpon the power of God Of this thing the Angell admonished the blessed Uirgin saieng No word is impossible with God although it appeared not by the words of the Uirgin that she doubted but onelie asked how that should come to passe
obedience soeuer the fathers had towards the commandemeÌ„ts of God also faith in the promises they were not deriued from their own strength power but euen as it also happeneth vnto vs they came vnto them by the grace of God and Christ. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 74. FAT What is ment by the fatâ— the inwards two kidneies THe fat that couereth the inwards ¶ By taking away of the fat the inwards two kidneies and the kall is signified vnto vs that if we wil be a swéet sacrifice vnto the Lord we must cut off all concupiscence and mightie desires of the flesh and the euill vse of all our members and must subdue and mortifie our affections and offer them to God by the mortification of the crosse as saith the Prophet Psa. 25. T. M. What the fatted Calfe signifieth And bring hether the fatted Calfe ¶ That fat Calfe is Christ which hath washed awaie our sinnes in his bloud and féedeth vs dailie through faith with his bodie and bloud vnto life euerlasting for he was killed therefore that he might be the foode and meate of our soules Sir I. Cheeke What fat Bread signifieth Of Aser commeth fat bread ¶ Fat bread is plenteousnes of the earth as increase of corne and other c. therewith shall féede Kings all the men of the earth As 2. Esd. 9. T. M. FAVOVR How Fauour casteth manie a man awaie DEsired fauour against him ¶ Héere we doe learne that manie good men are by fauour of them that be in authoritie or by hatred of the Iud ges cast awaie Sir I. Cheeke FEEDE The exposition of this place Feede my sheepe WHereas you thinke that this place of the Gospell of Iohn was spoken onlie to Peter and that these wordes make him shepheard ouer all and aboue all S. Peter himselfe testifieth the contrarie in his canonicall Epistle where he saith to all Priests Féed yâ— flock of Christ which is among you which he bad them doe by the authoritie yâ— Christ had put them in as followeth And when the chiefe shepheard Christ shal appeare ye shall receiue the incorruptible crowne of eternall glorie Tonstall in the b. of Mar. fol. 1212. Whosoeuer they be saith S. Austen that féede the shéepe to the end to make them theirs not Christs they loue theÌ„selues not Christ for desire either of glorie or of rule or of gaine Iewel fol. 18. FELIX Wherefore he is praised of Tertullâ—s the Orator FElix by his diligence had taken Eleazarus the Captaine of the murtherers put the Aegyptians of flight which raised vp tumults in Iewrie for these yâ— Orator praised him Otherwise he was both cruell and couetous Read Iosephus lib. 2. Antiq. cha 11. 12. And li. 2. De bello Iudaico cap. 12. Geneua Of Felix trembling Felix trembled ¶ The feare of the dreadfull iudgement of God profiteth nothing vnlesse it do ingender true repentance in mens hearts Felix was afraid at the preaching of the iudgment but he was neuer the better for it for why he did gape still for bribes and rewards as a most corrupted Iudge Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The word of God maketh the verie wicked astonished therefore to them it is the â—auour of death vnto death Geneua Wherefore Felix would haue pleasured the Iewes And willing to get fauour of the Iewes left Paule in prison ¶ For whereas he had behaued himselfe verie wickedlie in the Prouince hadde it not bene for fauour of his brother Pallas he should haue died for it So that we maie gather héereby why he would haue pleasured the Iewes Beza FEARE A definition of feare FEare is nothing els but a certaine affect of the minde wherby we are striken by reason of some great and hurtfull euill which is at hand We are not commonlie moued by such daungers which are far from vs but by those which seeme to be euen now at hand neither do things light and of small waight make vs afraid Wherefore feare as a Diuine speaketh of feare hath a respect vnto sinne vnto the wrath of God vnto chastisement scourges and finallie vnto hell fire But there are noted two kinde of feares of which the one is commonly called filiall that is pertaining to a naturall childe and the other seruile that is pertaining to a bond-man And that is called a seruile feare which onelie by the feare of paines of hell fire either draweth vs backe from doing euill or impelleth vs to do well Euen so signified an Ethnike Poet when he wrote Oderunt peccareâ—maâ— formidine poenâ— that is The wicked hate to sinne for feare of punishment But the finall feare is whereby men liue vpright and flie wickednesse for that they desire to set foorth the glorie of God and for that they allow righteousnesse euen for his owne sake wherfore the same Poet saith Oderunâ— peccare boâ—â— virtutis amore that is The good hate to sinne for the loue of vertue c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 209. Difference of feares Peter feared otherwise then did Iudas For Iudas indéede so feared that he despaired but Peter so feared that he gotte him againe vnto Christ whom before by denieng he had forsaken Where we saie that a seruile feare is whereby we so abhorre God being angrie and flie from him that we are vtterly void of faith But a filial feare is wherby in the midst of terrors we are lifted vp through faith neither suffer we our selues to be swallowed vp with feare Wherfore in godlie men feare is neuer seioined from faith For these 2. things are so to be knit together yâ— faith alwaies gouerneth feare for if it shuld not desperation wold easily succéed for euen as the law ought alwaies to be ioined with the gospell so also ought feare to be euer ioined with faith We do not so imbrace the gospell but yâ— we alwaies think vpoÌ„ the obedieÌ„ce of the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts of God when we see how often how grieuously we fal we call our selues back again by repeÌ„tance And contrariwise the law is not to be receiued without the gospell for if it should we could neuer obey it without Christ nor also obtaine pardon for the offences which we committed against it Pet. Mar. vpon the Ro. fol. 207. What Feare importeth Feare importeth as much as yâ— our life must be ruled according to the will of God For what becommeth of men when they know not themselues to be subiect to their maker They rush out into al naughtines We know what our lusts are theÌ„ if the feare of god raign in vs we must acknowledge yâ— he hath not put vs into the world to liue at such libertie as we lust our selues but reserueth his whole right ouer vs so as we must obey him behold I say what the word feare importeth yâ— is to say yâ— we shuld lern to direct our whole life to the wil of god c. Ca. vp Iob.
Writers spâ—cifieth the Turkes of them to haue taken their first originall Now marke this wonderfull mysterie and consider therein both the time and storie so shall ye wel perceiue the Holie ghost to meane none other héere by this Gog Magog but the Romish Pope Mahomet with their blasphemous and wicked generations Search the Chromcles and ye shall finde that their beginning were base estate simple before the thousand yeares were fulfilled But after that they grew vp so high by their fained simplicitie and simulate holinesse that they became the two chiefe Monarchs of the earth and so in processe ruled the vniuersall world c. Bale Set thy face against Gog and against the land of Magog ¶ Which was a people that came of Magog the sonne of Iaphet Gen. 10. 2. Magog also heere signifieth a certaine Countrie for that by these two enimies which had the gouernment of Greece and Italy he meaneth the principall enimies of the Church Geneua How Gog and Magog shall be destroied These same things be spoken of Gog and Magog in Ezechiel 38 and. 39. and in Apoc. 20. For Ezechiel saith that Gog and Magog after they haue done their mischiefe in destroieng and slaieng they shall themselues at last be destroied in the mountaines of Israel which albeit it maie be vnderstood of the last iudgement yet I thinke it to signifie the Battailes which the godlie haue and shall haue in this last olde age with the Popish Emperours Kings Turkes which all shall be ouercome in the Hills of Israel that is in the places wher yâ— Church of Christ dwelleth in which the Gospell is preached and receiued and the people trulie in the faith of the Sonne of God one onelie Mediatour call vpon their heauenlie Father For the Pope Turke shall not be ouercome but by the Sonne of God fighting for his Church as ye shall sée it cléerelie in Daniel 12. chapâ— saieng Michael which is Christ the great Captaine shal stand forth for the defence of the peoples children But both in Daniel in Ezechiel they be prophecied manie great destructions which with all our hearts we beséech God to mitigate them Melancthon vpon Daniel GOLDE What is ment by golde siluer and precious stones IF anie man build vpon this foundation golde siluer or precious stones c. ¶ That is if any man prech purely the word of God which is likened to golde siluer precious stones because yâ— as these are not consumed with material fire but rather made more pure euen to yâ— pure word of God suffreth neither hurt nor damage in spirituall fire that is Temptation and persecution Tindale fol. 43. What Gold Frankencense and Mirrhe doe signifie Presented vnto him gifts Golde Frankencense and Mirrh ¶ The Persians manner was not to salute Kings without a present and therefore they brought of that which was most precious in their Countrie whereof euerie one of them offered Geneua ¶ The three wise men that came out of the East anone after Christs natiuitie brought with them these 3. presents Aurum Thus Mirrha Gold to declare that he was a mightie King Frankencense to declare that he was a Priest and should offer vnto the Father vpon the Altar of the Crosse the sacrifice of propitiation for the sinnes of the world And Mirrhe to burie hâ—â— withall For Mirrhe is not onelie a sweete odoriâ—erous thing but also of that nature that it preserueth dead bodies from putrifaction Ric. Turnar GOLGATHA What this word Golgatha signifieth THis word Golgatha is a Chalde word signifieng a head for which the Hebrues saie Gulgoleth of the verbe Galal which signifieth â—o folde or wrap in of the which commeth Galgal a spheare a circle a bowle Gulgoleth is a name foâ— yâ— head because of the roundnesse thereof But this place was without the gate on the North side of mount Sion in the which malefactors were put to death for the which cause the place was counted more reprochfull There would they haue Christ to be crucified that thereby his death might be more odious Marlorate fol. 715. GOOD What Good or Goodnesse is GOodnesse is that as Philosophers saie which all things desire And more larglie or plainlie to declare the nature therof Good things are all such which in respect of vs are either profitable commodious or pleasaunt to our vses All things saith Paule are yours whether it be life or death or Paule or Cephas and we are Christs and Christ is Gods Againe To them that loue God all things worke to good How there is none good but God There is no man good but one which is God ¶ If there be anie goodnesse in vs that haue we of God but God onelie is good of himselfe Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Why callest thou me good c. ¶ Because commonlie they abused this word Iesus sheweth him that he could not confesse him to be good except also he acknowledged that he was God Geneua Of good and euill doings And they that haue done good vnto resurrection of life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of damnation ¶ As if he should saie that they that through faith haue done good workes or by their good workes haue declared their faith shall rise againe vnto life euerlasting But they that haue brought forth the fruits of infidelitie or haue not declared the faith which they fained themselues to haue by good works shal rise againe vnto damnation The good workes then doe not saue nor iustifie but are signes and tokens that a man is iustified Sir I. Cheeke What a good age is There is often mention made in the holie Scripture of a good age And in the 15. chapter of Gen. it is promised vnto Abraham as a certaine excellent good thing And it séemeth to shew two things First a iust place of life so that death should not come vntimelie and strike as it were in tender age Father 〈…〉 end Wherfore it is requâ—â—ed therevnto that the 〈…〉 be sound the bodie not broken with diseases no want of riches the familie countrie and dignitie abiding firme This is iudged a good age Pâ—t Mar. vpon Iudiâ— fol. 55. How the good life of christiaâ— man smelleth in Gods nose The good life of a christian man is 〈…〉 to Gods mouth and spice to Gods nose The odor of a swéete fielâ— which is commended in Gen. 27. 27. The odor of incense in Numery 28. The odor of fragrant waters in Iob. The odor of that Oile which ranne downe Aarons beard of that Oile that Mary shed vpon Christs head The odor of spices and Uine flowers commended in the Canticles the swéete Balme of Ecclesiasticus and the smell of Libanus that Ose speaketh of the smell of Noahs sacrifice the smell of best burnt sacrifice is not the like smell to Gods nose as the smell of a good life rising from a good beliefe for that is Hostia Deo in odorem
of their naturall corruption and this indéede is verie good tidings for heereby we are deliuered from the fearâ— of death and damnation and from the bondage of sinne and Satan Briefelie héereby we are remoued from darknesse to light from despaire to good hope from death to life from Hell to Heauen Now because the office of proclaiming and publishing this most ioifull tidings was committed to the Ministers of the newe Testament the name of the Euangelists is most properlie attributed vnto them and speciallie to those that the Natiuitie conuersation death resurrection of the Lord Iesus wherin the blesfulnesse resteth that we sée so much aduaunced Some writers affirme that as manie promises of felicitie and saluation as there is so manie Gospells there bée and that therefore the Prophets are Euangelists When they speake of the redemption that Gods annointed shoulde accomplish I thinke it not good to striue about words and I denie not that the Hebrewe word Bassac which signifieth the Euangelize and to preach good tidings is applied in some place to yâ— men of yâ— olde time howbeit I beléeue rather that Euangelion is an open publishing of saluation alredie performed and accomplished then of the same promised And therfore they speake more distinctlie and properlie that giue the name of Euangelists to the Apostles and writers of the histories of the Lord Iesus and finallie to the ministers of the new Testament And to giue place rather to this iudgement the wordes of our Sauiour in the. 16. of Luke moueth me where he saith That the Law and the Prophets were vntill Iohn Baptist and from that time the kingdome of God was Euangelized Trah What is meant by the Gospell preached to the dead For vnto this purpose verilie was the Gospel preached vnto the dead that they should be iudged like other men in the flesh but shall liue before God in the spirit ¶ As certeine learned expositours will that he héere calleth preaching of the Gospell vnto the dead in the chapter going next before The preaching to the spirits that were in prison which thing saie they signifie as much as vnto the dead also or spirits in prison came that salue of medicine of the Gospell and of the glad tidings of Christs passion whereby they were loosed the strength thereof béeing so pithie that they were therwith brought out of prison to immortalitie And because it might haue bene demaunded how yâ— soules of these blessed came out of prison whether compassed with their bodies or onely in pure substaunce of yâ— spirit Therfore saith Peter that they should be iudged like other men in the fleshe that is when all other men shall be iudged in the flesh but should liue before God in the spirit which signifieth that in the meane season til that iudgement come shal their soule liue and reâ—oice before God through Christ. T. M. ¶ Although the wicked thinke this Gospell new and vexe you yâ— imbrace it yet hath it béene preached to them in time paste which nowe are dead to the intent that they might haue ben condemned or dead to sinne in the flesh and also might haue liued in the spirit which two are the effect of the Gospell Geneua How Christs Gospell is likened to a Bowe And he that satte vpon him had a bow ¶ The bow is Christs Gospell the preaching whereof is disposed at his pleasure therfore like as the enimies be ouerthrowne by the arrowes which the Bowe shooteth out a farre off euen so the nations that were farre off are subdued vnto Christ by the preaching of the Gospell Ephe. 2. 13. This did Christ promise to his Disciples saieng I will giue you a mouth and wisedome which all they that shall be against you shall not bée able to gaine saye or gaine stande Luke 21. 15. And Paule following the Prophet saith I will destroie the wisedome of the wise and shake off the vnderstanding of the skilfull Esaie 29. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 19. Also the weapons of our warre are not fleshlie but mightie to Godwarde c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Whereto pertaine those thinges which are written in the Psal. 45. 5. 1. Cor. 14. 24. And Heb. 4. 12. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fo 90. Whie the Gospell is said to beâ— euerlasting Hauing the euerlasting Gospell An honourable Title of the Gospell and it is called euerlasting first because it bringeth and beheighteth good thinges according to this Text He that beléeueth in mée hath euerlasting Iyfe Iohn 6. 47. And this is the promise which he hath assured vs off euen euerlasting lyfe 1. Iohn 2. 25. Seconde because that accordinge to Paules saieng There is none other Gospell to bée looked for no not euen at an Angell from heaâ—en Gal. 1. 8. Thirdlye because it was promised longe agoe by the Prophettes in the holye Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. Lyke as where it was sayde The womans séede shall breake thy head Gen. 3. 15. And also in thy séede shall all Nations of the earth bée blessed Gen. 22. 18. Lastlie the Gospell is tearmed euerlasting because it shall endure for euer maâ—gre all the vngodlye for Christes reigne is such as shall haue no ende Luke 1. 33. 1. Cor. 15. 27. For it consisteth in spirite and truth and not in outward things according as it is sayd all the gloriousnesse of the kings daughter is from within Psal. 45. 13. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 207. How the Gospell is no lesse to bee reuerenced then the bodie of Christ. I aske this question of you bretheren and sisters sayth Saint Austen aunswere mée whether you thinke greater the worde of God or the bodie of Christ if you will aunswere the truth verilie you ought to saie thus that the worde of GOD is no lesse then the bodye of Chrst. And therefore with what carefulnesse wée take héede when the bodie of Christ is ministred vnto vs that no parte fall thereof out of our owne hands on the earth with as greate carefulnesse lette vs take héede that the worde of God which is ministred vnto vs when wée thinke or speak of vaine matters perish not out of our hearts for he that heareth the worde of God negligentlie shall bee guiltie of no lesse faulte then he that suffereth the bodye of Chrst to fall vpon the ground through his negligence Cranmer fol. 170. Whether the booke or leaues of the booke be the Gospell By the authoritie of Saint Hierome the Gospell is not the Gospell for reading of the letter but for the beliefe that men haue in the worde of GOD. That it is the Gospell that we beléeue and not the letter that we reade For because the letter that is touched with mans hande is not the Gospell but the sentence that is verilie beléeued in mans hearte is the Gospell For so Saint Hierome saith The Gospell that is the vertue of Gods word is not in the leaues of the bookes but it is in the roote of reason Neither the Gospell he sayth is in the writing aboue
more illuminated of God On the contrarie part they that doe not couet after righteousnesse and truth are more hardened and blinded though they séeme vnto themselues to be most wise Sir I. Cheeke HAZâ—â—â— How he came to his kingdome HE tooke a rough cloth and dipt it in the waâ—er and â—pred it on his face ¶ Hazael brought this wet cloth to Benhadad as though he would therewith haue 〈…〉 him and eased him of his 〈…〉 â—ut did in déede stâ—â—gle him after Iosephus He had heard of the Prophet that Benhadad should 〈…〉 haue be 〈…〉 long or he had raigned therefore did he rid 〈…〉 to the 〈…〉 that he might 〈…〉 â—ome by the kingdome T. M. HEBRON What Hebron was HEbron is a proper 〈…〉 of a 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 called the Citie of Arbe which Arbe after the Hebrue was a Giant both strong and mightie and of a famous name T. M. HEAD What is meant by the head of God WHen we read that God hath a head we must vnderstand his diuine nature which was before all things and to it all things be obedient Augustine What the head of the Serpent signifieth Shall tread thée on the head ¶ The head of the Serpent signifieth the power and tyrannie of the Deuill which Christ the seede of the Woman ouercame The héele is Christs manhoode which was tempted with our sinnes T. M. HAIRES OF GOD. What the haires of God signifie HIs haires signifie his Angells and the whole multitude of his chosen Dan. 7. 9. His cloathing was as white as snow the haires of his head like pure wooll Where the head of God is his Deitie and Godhead his cloathes and his haires be his Angells and Elect which be like white snow and pure wooll Augustine HELCHESAITES What their opinions were and who consuted them HElchesaites called of Epiphanius Sampsai the first Author of them was Elxais a false Prophet They reiected parte of the olde Testament They denied the Apostle They counted it a thing indifferent in case of necessitie to denie with yâ— mouth so that thou beléeue with heart Origen confuted them Euse. li. 6. cap. 37. HELIAS Of the straunge vision seene at the birth of this Prophet HElias the Prophet of Thesbes of the Countrie of Arabia a Leuite of the Tribe of Aaron He dwelt in Gilead for Thesbes was an habitation dedicated vnto Priests In the time of his birth his father Sobas did sée a vision that men apparailed in white did call the childe threwe him to the fire and gaue to him a flame of fire to eate The Father rising vp went to Hierusalem and shewed his Uision to the Priests And he that gaue aunswere said vnto him beware thou disclose it not The habitation of this child shall be light and his word a demonstration and shall iudge Israel in the sword and fire This is that Helias that brought fire thrice from Heauen and bare raine in his tongue and was taken vp into Heauen in a fire storme That which is written more of him in the Bible maie be there read Elioteâ— HELISEâ—S Of a straunge thing that befell at his birth HEliseus the Prophet of Abelmath of the Lande of Rubim when he was borne at Galgalis the Cow of golde in Selom so lowed that she was heard at Hierusalem And the Priestes said that it signified that a Prophet was borne that day which should dissolue and breake in peeces Images carued and cast in mettall Manie meruailes almightie God shewed by him which maie be read in the Bible Eliote HELL How Hell is taken in the scripture OUt of the bellie of Hell I cried ¶ The Scripture speaketh of Hell commonlie as of a place common for all them that goe downe into the earth as into a graue or to the deepe of the Sea c. As ye haue in Gen. and in the Psalmes T. M. ¶ For he was in the Fishes bellie as in a graue or place of darknesse Geneua I thought I shoulde haue gone to the gates of Hell in my best age ¶ That is I thought I should haue gone downe to my graue and haue died in my best age The Hebrue word signifieth both Hell and a graue pit or ditch That ye may perceiue in Gen. 42. 38. where Iacob saith that if any misfortune should happen to Beniamin in his iournie into Aegypt with his other bretheren his graie head should be brought with sorrowe vnto his Graue where the common Translation readeth Hell for graue As for Hezekia he neither feared Hell nor Purgatorie as ye maie well sée by that he a little before saith Remember O Lord that I haue walked before thée in truth and a stedfast hart and haue done that thing that is pleasant to thée which thing who so doth néedeth not to feare any of those two places Beside that the Dunce-men and Sophisters themselues which were as most learned men thinke the inuenters and finders yea and the verie makers of Purgatorie saie that before the time of Christ there was no sure place So that Hezekia is by their sentence skilled quite from that place And of Hell doth the sentence of the word of God quite him which saith There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesu. Rom. 8. 1. T. M. The meaning of this place following For Hell praiseth thée not c. ¶ The meaning is if I now die I cannot praise thée in thy Temple For the dead and buried cannot loue and praise with their materiall tongues or hearts neither can anie death nor anie burieng be at this season for the setting out of thy glorie For all the godlie will be feared with this thy Iudgement And the wicked will impute my death to the ouerthrowing of Idolatrie and to the putting downe of the brasen Serpent ¶ Looke Hezekia The meaning of this place of Mathew Shall be worthy to be punished with Hell c. ¶ Whereas we read heere Hell it is in the text it selfe Gehenna which is an Hebrue word made of two and is as much to saie as the Uallie of Hynnon which otherwise the Hebrewes called Topheth It was a place where the Israelites were wont most cruellie to sacrifice their Children to false Gods wherevppon it was taken for a place to torment the Reprobates As Ieremy 7. 31 Beza HELPERS OF FAITH How men be helpers of faith MEn be helpers of faith when they suffer not the faith receiued to be weake féeble or inconstant to be oppressed with desires or affections of the flesh or of the world by the craft or subtiltie of false prophets to be brought awaie from it led into a false beliefe by false doctrine whom the diuell doth vs as his ministers to deceiue the simple people vnlearned Also scripture vseth to call men helpers of the faith when men doe diligentlie watch that they be not deceiued by yâ— diuell nor by anie of his Ministers when they doe labour with all force to make their faith sure
open yâ— thing vnto you which is of truth So that you must do well vnto man the which is made vnto the Image of God giue him honour reuerence giue him meate when he is hungry giue him drinke when hée is a thirst cloath him when he is naked serue him when he is sicke giue him lodging when he is a straunger and when hee is in prison minister vnto his necessities this is the thing that shall be counted to be giuen God truely What honour is this of God to runne about foolishly to stonie and woodie Images and to honour as Gods Idols and dead figures and to despise man in whome is the verie true Image of God Wherefore vnderstane you that this is the suggestion of the Serpent that lurketh within thee which doth make you beléeue that you bée not wicked when you hurt sensible and reasonable men c. Also the same Doctour saith in the same booke What thing is so wicked and so vnthankfull as to receiue a benefit of God and to giue thanke to stocks and stones wherefore awake and vnderstand your health ¶ We are vnthankfull vnto God of whome we haue receiued all things and for them giue thankes to the worme eaten Gods D. Barnes Looke in the word Latria Let vs not leâ—â— anie visible spectacles least by erring from the veritie and by louing shadowes we be brought into darknesse Let vs haue no deuotion to our fantasies It is better to haue a true thing whatsoeuer it be then all manner of thinges that may be fained at our owne pleasure c. ¶ Images are but visible spectacles and shadowes D. Barnes To worship Images is heresie Saint Austen in his Catalogue wherein he rehearseth all the heresies of his time reckoneth among them one Marcella a woman of Capadocia which worshipped the Images of Iesus Christ of Paule of Pithagoras and of Homer with making of adoration and incensing of them I. Olde No religion where Images be vsed There is no doubt saith Lactantius Constantinus Shoolmaster but there is no religion whersoeuer an Image is I. Olde How Images are the teachers of Iyes and not lay mens bookes Damascene doth teach in his fourth booke de Orthodoxa fide and also Gregorie the great in his Registers or booke of Epistles .10 chap. and 4. Epistle that Images be lay mens bookes and godly meanes to stirre vp the hearts of the people to deuotion Aunswere The Prophet Abacuc saith What profiteth the Image for the maker thereof hath made it an Image and a teacher of lies whereby it followeth that the Images are the bookes of lyes and that they came of him who is a lyar from the beginning as the Father of lyes Howe well then are the simple and ignoraunt people for whome our Sauiour Christ did vouchsafe to shed his déere heart bloud prouided for when such bookes are deliuered vnto them in stéede of the liuing preaching of Gods worde It is not for naught that Ieremy doth crye out They altogether doate and are foolish for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie Meaning that nothing more displeaseth GOD nor bringeth men into greater errour and ignoraunce of God then Images doe wherefore he calleth them the doctrine of vanitie and the worke of errour as Abacuâ— calleth them the teacher of lies who in the same Chapter thundreth out against the wicked opinion of them the calleth them the bookes of the laye people on this manner Wo vnto him that saith vnto the wood awake to the dombe stone arise vp should the same teach Should the same be laied ouer with gold siluer there is no breth in it but the Lord is in his holy temple As if he shuld say there is no breath no lyfe nor mouing in the Image how shuld they teach then Therefore it is more vanitie fondnesse to set forth Images vnto the people for their teachers schoolemaisters sith yâ— the liuing God who is the true teacher is in the middest of the temple that is in the hharts of the faithfull teaching those things that are both profitable the euerlasting whervnto may be added the saieng of Saint Paule What agréement hath the temple of GOD with Images but ye are the Temple of the liuing God who liueth and worketh in you More credit ought to be giuen to the testimonies of the Scriptures as of the Prophets and the Apostles then to the vaine gloses of all Gregories or Damascenes in the world I. Veron But altogether they doate and are foolish for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie ¶ Because the people thought that to haue Images was a meane to serue GOD and to bringe them to the knowledge of him he sheweth that nothing more displeaseth God nor bringeth men into greater errours and ignoraunce of GOD And therefore he calleth them the doctrine of vanitie the word of errours ver 15. and Abacuc 2. ver .18 calleth them the teacher of lyes contrarie to that wicked opinion that they are the bookes of the lay people Geneua How Images moue weake hearts to Idolatry S. Austen in his Epistle to one called Deo gracias writeth in this manner Who doth doubt but that Idolles and Images are without all sense of feeling but when they are set vp in high and honourable places that they maye be beholden of thâ—m that doe either praye or offer they doe with the similitude or lykenesse of liuâ—lye and sensibles although they bee both insensible and without lyfe moue the weake mindes so that they seeme to bée aliue and to haue breath ¶ Heere wée see to be attributed vnto Images that with the lykenesse of liuely members they doe moue weake hearts And therefore they are perillousiye set foorth vnto them whose bookes they are thought to be and speciallye if they be put in high and honourable places where praier and common exercise of religion is vsed I. Veron That they should come to the dedication of the Image ¶ Shewing that the Idoll is not knowne for an Idoll so long as he is with the workman but when ceremonies and customes are recited and vsed and the consent of the people is there then of a blocke they thinke they haue made a God When Images were taken out of Churches About the yeare of our Lorde 726. Leo the Emperour commaunded that all that were vnder the Empire shoulde takâ— away the Images and pictures of Saintes out of Churches for auoiding Idolatrie But the Pope did resisâ— the Emperour and wrote into all partes of the worlde that neither for feare nor intreatie they shoulde obeye the Emperours commaundement in this behalfe and with so vehement perswasions withdrewe the people of Italy from the obdience of their Emperour Leo that they would haue chosen them a new Emperour ¶ He also in the yeare of Christ. 728. commaunded all Images to be taken out of the Churches of Constantinople to be burned and put to death
of God the Father and yet not so â— that we must thinke that God the Father is circumscribed as with the forme of man that in thinkinge of him wée call to minde his right or leâ—â— side Or for that that it is sayde the Father sitteth we mayâ— thinke it doâ—e with â—â—wing his knâ—e least wée fall into that faulte of vngodlynâ—sse whereby the Apostle â—urseth them which chaunge the glorye of the incorruptible GOD into the lyâ—â—nesse of a corruptible man For it is not lawfull for a Châ—istian man to sette such an Image of God in the Temple much more wicked it is â—o conceiue it in his heart where the Temple of God 〈…〉 〈…〉 And of the Image which came downe from heauen ¶ They that made Images among the Greekes to the intent to winne the more aduauntage there fained that they were sent from Iupiter forth of Heauen and that they were not mortall nor subiect to death Tindale Antiquitie and the couetousnesse of the Priests brought in this superstition for it is written that the Temple being repaired 7. times this Idoll was neuer chaunged Plin. lib. 16. 40. Byâ—such illusions the world is most easely abused Gene. Of the lmage that Nabuchodonosor set vp Nabuchodonosor made an Image of golde c. ¶ Under pretence of religion and holinesse in making an Image to his Idoll Bel he â—ought his owne ambition and vaine-glory And this declareth that he was not touched with the true feare of God before But that he confessed him on a sodaine motion as the wicked when they are ouercome with the greatnesse of his workes The Greeke Interpreters write that this was done 18. yeares after the dreame and as may appeare the King feared least the Iewes by their Religion should haue altered the state of his Common-wealth and therfore he ment to bring all into one kinde of Religion and so rather sought his owne quietnesse then Gods glorie Geneua Of the Image of Prouocation The Hill Sion was walled about and that Wall which compassed it was called the outwarde Wall About the Temple was there another wall that was called the inward wall which although it were outward from the Temple yet was it inward from the wall which compassed the Hill The space betwéene the inward wal and the Temple was called the Inner Court Therein were many Ports and in the North Port thereof was Ezechiel set for that place was holy and therein did they vse to worship God But with the filthinesse of this hatefull Image of Baal which the Prophet héere calleth the Image of prouocation because it prouoked the Lord to vengeaunce had they defiled it as superstition doth commonly defile euen the most holiest things and such as appeare most godliest T. M. An exposition of this place of Esay The Carpenter or Image caruer c. ¶ Let the Christen héere note how liuely the Prophet painteth out the vanitie of Images For it is to be feared that our superstition concerning such things passeth and excéedeth the superstition of the Iews Once euident it is that the Iewes in our time can in no wise be perswaded to become Christian so long as we fall downe and knéele before Images Their aunswere is that they and we both if we be of God should in no condition doe any thing that openly in so many places be forbidden of God The Turkes and Saracens also mocke vs therefore The honour of God say they and truth it is ought we to séeke and to sticke by his word and neither to adde thereto neither take away neither to swarue to the right hand or to the left but earnestly to stand by that which is commaunded forsake that which is forbidden God graunt vs Christians a better trade and conuersation of liuing then that we shuld with our example be an offence either to Iewe or Saracen an occasion to kéepe them from the faith of Christ and giue the simple eyes to sée and perceiue the falsehoode of the suhtill which for lucre augment their blindnesse exhort them to such superstition So be it T. M. Of the Images called in Latine Colosci These were Images of horrible greatnesse like to towres one of Apollo in the Capitol at Rome was 30. Cubites high Also at Tarentum one made by Lysippus was 40. Cubites high but at Rhodes one of the Sunne excéeding all other was in height 70. Cubites made by Colassis Scholar to Lysippus The thombe of that Image fewe men might fathome It was in making twelue yeares and the charges drew to 300. Talents which amounteth to 43115. pounds Strabo writeth that the Image was of Iupiter and made by Chares Lindius Besides this were an hundred lesse Colosci in Rhodes at Rome were many made of mettall Eliote IMBER DAIES Why the Imber daies were inuented IN the Dist. 76. chap. 1. are added Imber daies or the feasts foure times in the yeare which why they are so deuided scarcely can any man perceiue They recite Hierome vppon Zachary who maketh mention of the fourth moneth fifte seauenth and tenth And they seeme to be moued with a wicked zeale to distribute these Feastes into foure partes of the yeare And these Feastes which the Iewes receiued euery yeare for the calamities which they had suffered the same our men haue made yearely But other haue inuented another cause namely because in these foure times of the yeare Bishops are wont to promote Clearkes vnto the ministerie and orders Wherefore they say that the people ought then most of all to fast and pray that God would gaunt them good Pastors c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 276. IMMORTALITIE How Immortalitie properly belongeth to God THat is immortall properly which is without beginning without ending all creatures haue a beginning of the which some neuerthelesse are called immortall because they haue no ending as the Angells mans Soule But onely God is properly immortall who speaketh of himselfe I am which is which was which is to come This belongeth to God and to none of his Creatures and to none of the workes of his fingers of which some may truly say that they be and are to come but not that they were because once they were not Ro. Hutchinson From whence the immortalitie of soules proceede It shoulde séeme that man is likened to brute Beastes Yea and he shoulde bée lyke them in verye déede if GOD did not put too his hande For whence commeth the immortalitie of our soules but of a special fauour that God beareth vs. Saint Paule saith That onely God is immortall we then are transitorie we doe nothing els but â—ade awaye and what are our soules Euen the very Angells of Heauen should also be mortall howbeit forasmuch as GOD hath breathed his owne spirite into them they must néedes continue in him It is hée from whence proceedeth immortalitie I saye euen of the Angells And it behooueth vs also on our partes to drawe out of this same Well
not onely know Christ but also they knew both Moses and Helias that talked with him notwithstanding they had neuer séene them before The rich man being in hell knew both Abraham and Lazarus being in ioye Saint Gregorie in his Dialogue sayth There is a certeine thing sayth hée in Gods elect and chosen people which is to bee meruayled at for they béeing in Heauen doe not onelye knowe them whome they knewe in this worlde but they shall knowe also the good people which they neuer sawe euen as perfectlye as though they had afore both seene and knowne them For when they in that euerlasting inheritaunce shall sée the auncientâ— Fathers they shall not bée vnknowne to them in sight whome they alwayes knowe in worke For when all there with one cleerenesse do behold God what is it that they shall not there know where they knowe him that knoweth all things How the Heathen doubt not in this doctrine I haue a greate desire sayde Cato the elder to sée your Fathers whome I honoured and â—oued But I wish not onelye to talke with them whome I haue knowne in this world but with such also as of whom I haue hearde and read yea and I my selfe haue written If I were once goinge thetherward I woulde neuer haue minde to tourne hether agayne Againe he sayth O that noble and pleasaunt daye when it shall be my chaunce to come vnto the heauenlye companye and blessed fellowshippe and departe from this troublesome and stinking worlde for then shall I goe not onelye to those men of whom I spake vnto you before but also vnto my Cato who was as worthye a man as euer lyued and as noble And it is written of Socrates that when he went vnto his death among many other things he sayd that it is a most blessed and godlye thing for them to come together which haue liued iustly and faythfully And saith he what a greate pleasure thinke you it to be friendly to talke with Orpheus Mâ—saeus Homerus Hesiodus and such like verily I would dye full oft if it were possible to get those things yâ— I speake of c. Basil. ¶ Looke Luther Labans Gods How easie Labans Gods were to steale away â—Herfore hast thou stolne away my Gods ¶ Chrisostome expounding this complaint of Laban against Iacob for stealing away his Gods saith thus Wherfore hast thou stoln away my Gods O what a passing folly is this be thy gods such ones that a man may steale them And art thou not ashamed to say Wherfore hast thou stolne away my Gods This is resembled to the Sacrament hanging in the Pixe Canopy which be as easie to steale away as Labans Gods wer LABOVRS The meaning of this place following OTher men laboured and ye are entered into their labours ¶ This ought to be vnderstoode of the preaching of the kingdome of God Among the Israelites and among whom the Prophets had laboured alreadie into whose labours the Apostles did enter But when the Apostles did preach amonge the heathen they were the first labourers as Paule saith I haue planted Apollo hath watered Againe I haue layd the foundation and an other hath builded vpon it 1. Cor. 3. 6. and. 10. Sir I. Cheeke LADDER What is signified by this Ladder ANd behold ther stood a ladder vpon the earth yâ— top of it reached vp to heauen ¶ By this Ladder of many steps is signified the degrées of generatioÌ„ by the which Christ after the flesh descended from Adam vnto the virgin Marie which brought him forth which degrées are numbred in the beginning of Mathews Gospell Lyra. ¶ It maye signifie Christ by whose mediation all graces come downe to vs and all helpe and by whom we ascende vp into heauen The Bible note ¶ Christ is the Ladder by whom God man are ioyned together by whom the Angels minister vnto vs. All graces by him are giuen vnto vs and we by him ascend into heauen Geneua LAY MEN. How lay men ought to read the Scripture TAke héede to thy selfe therefore onely that thou forgette not those things which thine eyes hath seene that they depart not out of thy heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy sonnes and thy sonnes sonnes Heare O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and thou shalt loue yâ— Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy might All these wordes which I commaund thée this day shall be in thy hart and thou shalt shew them vnto thy children and thou shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thy house as thou walkest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest vp And thou shalt vinde them for a signe vpon thy hand they shall be warnings betwéene thine eyes and thou shalt write them vpon the poasts of thine house and vpon thy gates c. Thy word is a Lanterne vnto my féete and a light vnto my path Blessed is the man that setteth his delectation in the wil of God and his meditation on Gods lawe night and daye ¶ Héere men bée blessed that studye the worde of God D. Barnes Take the helmet of health and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God ¶ Héere is it lawfull for laye men to haue the spirit of God D. Barnes If anye man come to you and bring not this learning receiue him not into your house nor yet salute him ¶ This was written to a Ladie and her children D. Barnes Christ saith to the Pharesies search Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to enforme to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God maye be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes You may all interprete Scripture one by one that all may learne and all men maye haue comfort But lette your women kéepe silence in the congregation c. If anye will learne anie thing let them aske their husbandes at home ¶ The women was learned belike for he néede not to commaunde them to kéepe silence and if they were vnlearned And also how should the women learne of their husbands at home except they were learned themselues D. Barnes The noblest of Thessalonica which receiued the worde searched the Scriptures dayly whether those thinges that Paule spake were true or no. Priscilla and Aquila did expound vnto Apollo which was a great learned man the perfect vnderstanding of Scriptures ¶ These wer lay persons of whom this great learned and eloquent man disdayned not to be taught nor was not ashamed to be instructed in the doctrine of Christ of a poore christen man and his wife D. Barnes Also Eunuchus that was the treasurer to the Quéene of the Aethiopians did reade Esay the Prophet the which he vnderstoode not till God sent him Philip to declare it vnto him
is adorned with vnderstanding and reason and aduaunced therevnto whereby excelleth all other earthly creatures And these two latter expositions though they varye somewhat in expressing the matter yet come to this ende that Gods sonne is the authour of vnderstanding reason in men which is a sound and a true sense and may be most certeinly gathered out of the words following namely these That was the true light that lighteneth euery man c. Thus much than maye be drawne out of this sentence that Gods sonne being the authour of vnderstanding is verye God B. Traheron No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe ¶ If so be to lay downe his lyfe signifieth nothing else but to dye euen as to take away the lyfe is to kill how then sayth he that no man taketh the same from him Did not the Iewes kill him yes verily If they then killed him they also toke his lyfe away from him Indéede they tooke it awaye but they did not extort it from him by violence against his will For they could not haue taken the same from him except he would willingly haue died Marlâ— vpon Iohn fol. 375. He that findeth his lyfe shall loose it ¶ They are sayd to finde their lyfe which deliuer it out of daunger this is spoken after the opinion of the people which thinke them cleane lost that dye because they thinke not of the lyfe to come Beza ¶ To finde his lyfe is to satisfie the desire of his heart Tin ¶ He that doth preferre his life before my glorie Geneua Whosoeuer shall loose his lyfe for my sake shall finde it ¶ Shal gaine himselfe and this is his meaning they that deny Christ to saue themselues do not onely not gaine yâ— which they looke for but also loose the thing which they would haue kept that is themselues which losse is the greatest of all but as for them that doubt not to die for Christ it fareth farre otherwise with them Iohn 12. 25. Beza Whether a man may lengthen or shorten his ownelyfe Salomon witnesseth of God that he doth lengthen the lyfe of his and shorteneth the lyfe of the wicked saieng The feare of the Lord maketh a long lyfe but the yeares of the vngodlye shall be shortened Ro. Hutchynson LIGHT Who is the true light THat was the true light ¶ Héere the Euangelist putteth a difference betwéene light and light Iohn was a lyght indéede as the Lord sayth Hée was a Candle burning and shining and Gods ministers are called the light of the world But their light is a borrowed light a light giuen vnto them not naturallye dwelling in them The Candle hath no light of it selfe but hath light sent into it of an other This place plainly seuereth the Lord Iesus froÌ„ creatures for it affirmeth him to be the true light and denieth them to be the true light The Lord Iesus is light by nature creatures by borrowing of an other he giueth light creatures receiue light They neede lyght because they haue none by nature he is full of light and giueth lyght to them that need Seeing then that there is so great difference betwéene the Lords light and mans light the Lord must néedes be of an other nature then a creature For if a creature could be the true light it could not be sayd of the sonne onely that he is the true lyght But because a creature is not the true lyght and Gods sonne is the true lyght therefore Gods sonne is another thing then a creature No creature can shine and giue light of it selfe by nature Gods son shineth and giueth light of himself naturally for he is the true light so is no creature B. Traheron The meaning of these places following And the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not ¶ By the light is vnderstoode Christ and by the darknesse vngodly and vnbeleeuing men amonge whome Christ came and they receiued him not Tindale ¶ Read the 18. verse in the fourth Chapter to the Ephesians The true light is not héere opposed or compared to the false light but the Euangelist héere goeth about to putte a difference betwéene our Sauiour Christ and all other least that any man should think that he is euen the same light no better then that which Angels and men are sayd to be But this is the difference that whatsoeuer is bright and shining in heauen and in earth it borroweth his brightnesse from another but Christ is lyght of himselfe and shining by himslefe and lightening with his brightnesse the whole worlde insomuch that there is no other cause or originall of brightnesse but he He called therefore that the true lyght to whose nature it is proper to shine Therefore this is he first note by the which Christ is discerned from Iohn and from al other Apostles For Iohn and the Apostles were light as it is sayd before but not the true light that is to say not that naturall light which shineth of it selfe and which taketh not force to shine of anye other Such one is Christ but Iohn and the Apostles not so for if the Lord had nto béene illuminated with this lyght they had béene altogether darknesse Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 15. He was a burning and shining light ¶ Whereas our sauiour calleth Iohn a burning light he doth thereby the more reproue the ingratitude of the Iewes for itâ— followeth that they were willinglye blinde when they refused the Candle of God that was set before their eyes as if he should say God would not haue you to erre for he appointed Iohn to be a candell that by his light he might direct you in the right way Therefore in that ye doe not know me to be the sonne of God your voluntarie errours is the cause thereof Euen so they which at this daye is willingly blinde in the mids of the light of the Gospell haue no excuse for the Lord séeketh by the preaching of his word to bring men out ot darknesse into light in consideration whereof he calleth his Apostles the light of the world that the darknesse of ignoraunce being driuen awaye the hearts of mortall men maye be illuminated with the knowledge of God and true pietie Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 175. I am the light of the world c. ¶ If Christ onely bee the light of the world then the whole world is in darknesse subiect to the kingdome of Satan insomuch that neither mans reason nor strength hath any light in it except it receiue the same from Christ otherwise it were but vaine and superstitious to giue light vnto light Therefore without Christ there is no one sparke of true light There may appeare some shew of brightnesse but it is like a sodaine flash which doth nothing els but â—asill the eyes Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 290. What is ment by the shining light Let your light so shine before men that they maye sée your
congregation of such pure doctrine and perfect liuing that he made all that professed Christ to followe his example To be short philo the eloquentest writer of yâ— Iews perceiuing the first congregation of Alexandria yet to perseuer in the Iewish religion wrote a booke of their conuersation as it were in the praise of his Nation and as Luke sheweth how all thinges were common amonge the beléeuers at Hierusalem So did he put in writing al that euer he sée done at Alexandria during the time that Marke there taught preached He died in the eight yeare of Neros reigne was buried at Alexandria In whose place succéeded Aniamis Erasmus Of the martirdome of this Euangelist This Marke was the first Bishop of Alexandria and preached the Gospell in Aegypt and there drawne with ropes vnto the fire was burned and afterward buried in a place called there Bucolus vnder the raigne of Traianus the Emperour Booke of Mar. fol. 52. What the Marke in the right hand signifieth And made all c. to receiue a marke in their right hand and in their forehead c. ¶ Wherby he meaning the Pope renounseth Christ for as faith the word the Sacraments are yâ— christians markes so this Antechrist will accept none but such as will approue his doctrine so that it is not inough to confesse Christ beléeue the Scriptures but a man must subscribe to yâ— popes doctrine Moreouer their chrismatories greasings vowes othes shauings are signes of this marke Insomuch yâ— no nation was excepted yâ— had not many of these marked beasts Ge. Markes to know the false Apostles by There are two markes to know the false Apostles by The one is when they leaue Christ serue their bellies the other when they regard not the holy Scriptures preach lyes and their owne fantasies as S. Paule saith they serue not Christ but their owne bellies and with swéete and flattering words deceiue the hearts of the innocents Rom. 6. 18. MARS STRETE What Mars strete is PAule stoode in the middest of Mars strete ¶ This was a place so called as you woulde saye Mars hill where the Iudges sat which were called Areopagitae vpon weightie affaires which in olde time arrained Socrates and afterward condempned him of impietie Theo. Beza MARTIR What maketh a Martir IT is not the death but the cause of the death that maketh a Martir Saint Austen saith Tres erant in cruce c. There were three hanged on the crosse The iust was the Sauiour the second to be saued the third to be dampned The paine of all thrée was one but the cause was diuerse Iewel fol. 30. It is no hard matter by words to testifie the truth But those testimonies are most weightie which are sealed with bloud and with death Howbeit this is to be knowne as Augustine putteth vs in minde that the paines and punishmentes or death make not martirs but the cause For otherwise manye suffer many gréeuous things which yet are not martirs for the same Augustine to Bonifacius of the correction of the Donatists and in many other places testifieth that there were in his time Circumcelliones a furious kinde of men which if they coulde finde none that would kill them oftentimes threw themselues downe headlong and killed themselues These men saith hée are not to be counted for martirs Wherefore there séeme to be thrée things required to cause a man to be a martir First that the doctrine which he defendeth be true and agréeable with the holy Scriptures The second is that there be ioyned integritie and innocencie of lyfe that he not onely by his death but also by his lyfe and manners doe edifie the Church The third is that they séeke not to dye for boasting sake or desire of name or fame c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 233. How Martirs ought not to be worshipped Cyrillus in his sixt booke Contra Iulianum sayth We neyther say that the holy Martirs are Gods neither are we wont to worship them but rather we doe honour them with laudes and praises because they did stoutly fight for the truth yâ— they might keepe the sinceritie of faith MASSE How the Masse as they call it was vsed at the first FIrst they sayd Confiteor and acknowledged themselues to be sinners And then the Priest prayed in generall for all estates and degrees and for increase of grace and in especially if neede required Unto which prayers the people harkened and sayd Amen And then the Gospell and glad tidings of sorgiuenesse of sinnes was preached to stirre our faith and then the Sacrament was ministred for the confirmation of yâ— faith of the Gospell and of the testament made betweene God and vs of â—orgiuenesse of sinnes in Christs bloud for our repentance and faith As ye sée how after all bargaines there is a signe thereof made eyther clapping of hands or bowing a pennie or a grote or a peece of golde or giuing some earnest And as I shewed you after a truse made they slewe beasts for a confirmation And then men departed euerye man to his businesse full certified that their sinnes were forgiuen and armed with the remembraunce of Christs passion death for yâ— mortifieng of the flesh all the day after And in all these was neither the Sacrament neither other ceremonies of the Masse Image seruice to God holy déeds to make satisfaction for our sinnes or to purchase such worldly things as the Gospell teacheth vs to despise And now compare this vse of the Masse to ours sée whether yâ— Masse be not become yâ— most damnable Idolatry Image seruice that euer was in the world Tindale fol. 427. How the Popish Masse is falsified vpon S. Iames. The Papists doe bragge that S. Iames did vse their manner of Masse at Hierusalem S. Marke at Alexandria and S. Peter at Antioch But they haue no historie touching this matter worthy Though they vsed yâ— Lords supper as Christ our Maister did and as Paule also at Corinth yet they did not vse it as the péeuish Papists doe now the Masse That Ignatius Policarpus Ireneus make mention of is not like the popish Masse They confesse yâ— Basilius Magnus Hierome Ambrose vsed an other order in the administration of the Lords supper then is now vsed and that diuerse haue vsed diuerse fashions therin by their owne words Therefore it is manifest that this kinde of Massing is not the ordinance of Christ but inueÌ„ted by mans wit and pollicie without the word of God Thus saith the prechers of the Gospell at Basil. Bibliander S. Gregory saith that the Apostles had no peculiar manner in celebrating the Masse but that they only sayd yâ— Lords praier whose words be these The manner of the Apostles was yâ— onely at the saieng of the Lords praier they consecrated the sacrament D. Barnes fol. 356. By whom the Popish Masse was patched Who so list to know the often alterations and chaunges of
glorie After y◠schoolmens diuinitie we should haue saide you haue deserued your first grace by y◠good motion of your hearts produced of nature but ye haue not yet obtained saluation but must deserue the same by good workes of condigne when Christ saith He that beléeueth in me hath life euerlasting he speaketh not lyke a schooleman For he should haue said he that beleeueth in me by the good motion picked out of nature he shall deserue the first grace but he shall haue euerlasting lyfe at that time when he hath deserued it of a condignes by his good works Paule calleth not euerlasting life the merit of condignes but the gift of God Therefore looke how farre wide this doctrine or the merite of congruence and condigne is from the Scriptures so farre it is to be cast off from the eares and hearts of the faithfull Musculus fol. 235. Obiection THey obiect that saieng of the Apostle I haue fought a good fight I haue runne out my race I haue kept my faith for the rest there is layed vp for me a crowne of iustice which which God shall restore mée in that daye the iust Iudge Is not héere mention made of both say they by the Apostle both the good woorke which hée didde and the rewarde also which hée looked for of God Aunswere AVgustine aunswereth saieng on this wise The Lord saith he shall render me my crowne the iust iudge Ergo hée oweth it me who shall render it thée than Ergo he shall render it as a iust Iudge for when he considereth our worke hée cannot vpon that consideration of the worke deny vs a reward I haue fought a good fight it is a worke I haue finished my race it is a worke I haue kept my faith it is a worke There remaineth a Crowne of Iustice for me that is the reward As for thy rewarde thou doest nothing and as for thy worke thou doest it not alone Thy Crowne commeth from him and thy worke from thy selfe but yet not without his helpe And a lyttle after Therefore thou seest when he doth render good things he doth preuent himselfe giuing good things to thée before to whome he maye render good things also after Loe hée rendereth reward vnto that good thing by the good workes to him that fought out his fight to him that ranne out of his race and kept his faith He rendereth good things but for what good things The same that he gaue before himselfe Did not he giue it thée to fight out thy good fight If it were he that gaue it thée why doest thou saye in another place I haue laboured more then they all but not I but the grace of God with me Loe thou saist againe I haue runne out my race Did not he giue thee also to runne out thy course If he gaue it thée not to runne out thy race what is that thou sayest in another place It standeth not in the willer nor in the runner but in GOD which hath mercie I haue kept my faith hast thou kept thy faith I knowe it and am content withall I graunt thou hast kept it But vnlesse the Lord doe kéepe the Citie they doe watch in vayne that doe kéepe it Therefore thou hast both fought out thy good fight and runne out thy race and kept thy faith euen through him as ayding thée giuing it to thée Giue me leaue O Apostle I know nothing of thine own but naughtinesse Giue me leaue O Apostle we say that thou didst teach I heare thée confessing God I finde thee not vnthankefull But we perfectly knowe that there be none of thine owne things gotten to thée by thy selfe but euill things Therefore when God doth crowne thy merites hée crowneth nothing els but his owne giftes Thus saith Saint Austen Musculus fol. 237. How we can merit nothing after our death When thou art departed from hence saith S. Austen thou shalt be receiued according to thy deserts and shall rise againe to receiue that which thou hast done Then God shall crowne not so much thy merits as his owne gifts This saith he And Hierom after he had recited the opinion of them which do hold that after we be departed out of this life we may both hurt reasonable creatures do good yet he doth expound that place of Ecclesiasticus The dead knoweth nothing and there is no reward any more for them in this wise They y◠do liue may for feare of death do good works but they which be dead can adde nothing to that which they haue caried hence with them out of this life Item They can neither doe iustly nor sinne not adde neither vertue nor vice This saith he ¶ And no doubt there is one season to worke in and another season to receiue for that which a man hath wrought in this life And men shall bée iudged at the iudgment to come not for the workes or merits which bée done after this lyfe but for the same which is done in this body as the Apostle saith Wherefore it appeareth that we haue no merit neither before this life nor in this life neither after this life Muscu fol. 234. Augustin saith God doth many things in man which man doth not but man doth nothing which God maketh not man to doe Wherefore we must in any wise beware that we doe not so establish mans merits that we do make voyd y◠grace of Christ and contemne the iustice of God For merit and grace be so contrarye one to another that as Barnard saith there is no meanes for grace to enter where merit doth kéepe place Musculus fol. 238. Proues that the merit of man is nothing auailable to purchase saluation Say ye that we bée vnprofitable seruants for notwithstanding we haue done all things that are commaunded yet haue we done no good thing for if our doings were good indéed then were we not vnprofitable but any good deede of ours is called good not rightly or duely but by abuse of speach Origen in his 8. treatie vpon Math. He that trusteth not to his owne déedes nor hopeth so be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercie of God Basil vpon the 32. Psal. This is our full and perfect reioicing in God when we acknowledge that we are voide of any of our righteousnesse and are iustified by onely faith in Christ. Basil. in his booke of humilitie I say not vnto the Lord despise not the workes of my hands I haue sought the Lord with my hands and was not deceiued But I doe not praise or commend the workes of my handes For I am afraid least when thou lookest vpon them thou shalt finde more sinnes than merits This onely I say this I praye this I couer Despise not the workes of thine hands Sée thine owne worke in me and not mine for if thou séest mine thou doest condemne if thou séest thine thou crownest For all the good
vp any in heauen earth or hell to be equall or partner with him but beléeuing confessing him to be all in all things The onely Creator and maker the onelye frée giuer of all goodnesse and the onely peace maker between God and vs. The other kinde of meriting is by Satan the world and the flesh contrary in all points to this that is to say taking all cares vpon our selues séeking wayes to crucifie and offer vp Christ againe refusing to crucifie our selues hauing all trust in our owne workes and other creatures merites making the dead Saints obteiners of merits through their prayers and merits yea making them mediatours and peace makers betwéene God and vs. Rob. Crowley MESECH AND KEDAR What manner of people these were MEsech and Kedar were two sorts of people inhabiting néere vnto the Iews of which yâ— first came of Iâ—pheth as Moses teacheth and the second of Ismael Both of them were barbarous cruell and without all humanitie dwelling in tents To these cruell people Dauid compareth the Israelites which were no lesse cruell and spitefull against Gods people then they Luther vpon the Psal. fol. 18. ¶ These were people of Arabia which came of Iapheth Gen. 10. 2. Geneua MESSENGER The meaning of these places following WHo is so blinde as my messengers ¶ By messengers he meaneth the high Priestes and those that had cure of the people Those shuld haue taught the other but they were blindest of all as Christ declareth in the Gospell Such there be at all times and shall be vnto the worlds ende T. M. ¶ By the seruaunt messenger and the perfect man he meaneth the Iewes and their Priests who ought of all other people to haue had knowledge and so haue serued God perfectly The Bible note What the messenger of Satan meaneth The messenger of Satan to buffet me ¶ The messenger of Satan which he calleth the vnquietnesse of the flesh Paule doth vnderstand the enimies of the truth false Prophets and persecuters of Gods word with all kinde of aduersities and troubles wherewith the flesh is disquieted and vexed And those things did by the diuine prouidence of God happen vnto Saint Paule least he should be puft vp aboue measure because of his reuealations Ambrosius Erasmus ¶ Looke Flesh. MESSIAH How the word Christ in Hebrue is called Messiah THat is called Christ. ¶ In Hebrue Messiah It signifieth annoynted Iesus Christ then is the earnest and pledge of Gods promise by whom the grace and fauour of God is promised to vs with the Holy ghost which illumineth lighteth and renueth our hearts to fulfill the same Tindale We haue found Messiah ¶ That which is in the Hebrue text Messiah is in the Greeke Christos in the Latin text Vnctus which thrée words haue all one sense But these wordes We haue found Messiah séemeth to be spoken with great Emphasis or force and doe note that Symon also to whome Andrew tolde the newes burned meruailously in desire toward Christ for his words are thus much in effect reioyce brother for him whom both of vs haue sought so carefully we haue found euen the Sauiour Christ. He spake not doubtfully as did the woman of Samaria which said Is not hée Christ But as one fully certified Andrew saith we haue found Messiah Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 36. MEASVRE Of the spirite of God giuen by measure FOr God giueth not the spirit by measure ¶ Some extend this place to the common dispensation because God which is the bottomlesse wel of all goodnesse doth nothing at all emptie himselfe when largly and plentifully he powreth his giftes vpon men They which powre water out of any vessel or draw a Well come at the length to the bottome of the same but we neede not feare to doubt of the lyke to be in God For the more his gifts are bestowed vpon vs the more plentifull they abound This exposition seemeth to haue some colour because the sentence is somewhat intricate and obscure Notwithstanding their opinion séemeth more probable which interpret this to be spoken concerning Christ and so the sence and meaning is that the spirite is not giuen by measure to Christ as though the grace in him were to be measured euen as as the Apostle Paule teacheth that to euery one is distributed according to the measure of the gift so that no one man aboundeth at the ful And verely the spirit must rest vpon Christ without measure to the end we might all receiue of the fulnesse of the same c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 97. MEATE What the meate is that Christ said he had to eate I Haue meate to eate that ye knowe not of ¶ His meate is to doe the will of his father and the chiefe thing of his fathers will is to preach the Gospell to all the world which thing was euen now at hand to be done as when the corne is ripe men must fall to haruest Tindale How we ought not to hurt our weake brother with our meat Cause not your treasure to be euill spoken of ¶ We cause our treasure that is to say yâ— Gospell to be euill spoken of when we without any respect of the weake S. Paule calleth them weake which be nothing strong in the faith and for lacke of instruction yet make conscience of this meate or that meate doe eate indifferently all kinde of meates giuing therein to these weake persons an occasion to thinke to say that we séeke nothing els in the Gospel but yâ— pampring vp of our bellies S. I. Ch. ¶ Which is the benefit of Christs libertie by abusing whereof ye cause yâ— weaklings to blaspheme the Gospell which might séeme to them contrary to Gods will and the doctrine of the Lawe Geneua How meate defileth not a man There is nothing without a man that can defile him ¶ Meate defileth not if it be taken and receiued with faith And if anye man make this Obiection saieng Doth not meate and drinke defile them that surfet and are dronken Aunswere that surfetting and dronkennesse ought not to be imputed to the meate but to the inordinate lust of the heart S. I. Cheeke ¶ There is no outward or corporall thing which entereth into man that can defile him meaning chiefly of meates which if they be taken excessiuely it commeth of the inordinate lust of the heart and so the lust is euill Geneua The meaning of this place following Come eate of my meate and drinke of yâ— wine that I haue drawen ¶ By the meate drinke is meant the word of God the ministration of the Sacraments whereby God nourisheth his seruaunts in his house which is the Church Geneua MICHAEL The meaning of this place following MIchael the Archangell when he stroue against the diuell disputed about the body of Moses c. ¶ Of Moses it is writtten the last of Deut. That he died in the land of Moab was buried and
bloud out of his bodie soked therein the bread and made a Sacrament thereof If the boy died he was counted a martiâ— if otherwise a great Priest Epiph. hâ—raes 48. August li. de heraes Eusâ—bius in his 5. booke and. 18. chapter writeth that one Appolonius reproued Montanus because he was the first that wrote lawes of fasting as though the Church before him was frée He by lawes prescripts prescribed what daies men should fast and what meat they should absteine from Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 278. MONKES Of the life of Monkes in S. Hieromes time S. Hierome describing the life and order of Monks in his time saith thus They brag not of their sole single life All coÌ„tention is who may be most humble Whosoeuer is laâ—â— is couÌ„ted first There is neither difference nor wondring in apparell howsoeuer it pleaseth a man to goe hée is neither slaundered for it nor commended no man is aduaunced for his fasting neither his abstinence praised nor sober refection condemned Each man either standeth or falleth vnto his Lord. No man iudgeth other least of the Lord he himselfe be iudged Of the Monkes that be now If the name of Monks that is to say Solitari be not sufficient to declare that those which at this day be named Monks be nothing lesse then that they be called there be other reasons sufficient to conuince them For the auncient Monestaries were as Colleges into the which men resorted for two causes First the better to be at quiet to studie Scriptures The second to exercise patience and austeritie of life Notwithstanding it was not to be strained and bound to one place during lyfe without exception but contrariwise to be the more méet to serue the churches when they should be called and elected therunto as it appeareth by Gregorie Nazienzene Basile Chrisottome namely in S. Augustines time To be idle and not to worke with the hands was intollerable for on the contrary they liued onely by the labour of their owne handes yea and they did giue the rest of their labour vnto the poore So that a Monke not trauailing for his liuing was estéemed as a théeâ—e according to the rule of S. Paule And to put saluation partly or altogether in their abstinence how extreme or hard so euer they wer they neuer thought it For they knew very wel what S. Paule had written of that point Moreouer S. Austen testifieth and saith Let none be oppressed aboue his power least ther be superstition in the abstinence of meates for the weake refusing foolishly the vse of wine were admonished brotherly that by their superstition they brought themselues rather more weake then holy it appeareth moreouer by that which S. Cipriane sayd yâ— it wer better for the virgins which wer dedicate by promise vnto God yâ— is to wit to the seruice of the poore not to be idle in couents if they wold not or could not continue yâ— they should marry rather then fall into the fire and burne by their delights as also Paule hath ordeined If this be heresie then Saint Cipriane must be an heretike Theo. Beza Apud hos c. AmoÌ„g these meÌ„ meaning Monks al things are counterfait their wide sléeues their great boots their course gownes their often sighes their visiting of Uirginnes their backbiting of Priests and if there come an holy day they ease vntill they be faine to perbrake S. Austen saith vnto the olde heretikes called the Maniches Ye say we maye not examine what men they be that professe your sect but onely what is their profession what thing can there be found more false more deceiptfull more malitious then yeu areâ— The olde Fathers opinions of Monkes Gods seruice These Monkes satih S. Austen serue not God they serue their bellies August de opera Monacho cap. 12. Againe We cannot tell saith he whether they became Monkes of purpose to serue God or els being wearye of theyr poore painfull life were rather desirous to be fed and cloathed doing nothing Under the colour of holinesse saith S. Hilary they seeke for daintie fare they maintaine their storehouses by the vnprofitable seruice of religious people of whome it is written They deuoure vp widowes houses although they think to serue God yet the same aunswere shall bée made them that is written in the Gospell We know that God giueth no eare to sinnerâ— They are loth to be abiects and in serâ—ile state For idlenes they will not labour to beg they are ashamed for being valiant and lustie people no man would giue them any thing Of the idlenesse of Monkes They speake much of their idlenesse as if it were the kéeper and Castle of the Gospel Againe in the same chapter he saith the same thing happeneth vnto them that S. Paule speaketh of young widowes liuing out of order they learne to be idle and not onely idle but also curious and full of words speaking such things as are not méete Saint Austen saith Unto the seruaunts of God there is nothing worse then idlenesse let them therefore worke in the name of God These Monkes saith S. Austen will haue idle hands full bellies Aug. de opere Monicho cap. 23. A learned Father was wont to say by the report of Socâ—ates A Monke that laboureth not with his handes maye be re sembled vnto a thiefe They meaning Monkes saith S. Barnard must néedes be in trauailes with Diuels that are not in the trauailes of men Such a number of Hipocrites saith S. Austen hath the Diuell scatterâ—d abroad euery where vnder the colour of Monkes Aug. de opere Monicho cap. 28. Of the originall of Monkes S. Hierom disputing of the originall of Monkes in the Iyfe of Paulâ—s hath thus written Among many it hath oftentimes bene called into question who first began chiefly to dwel in the wildernes of the Monks some fetching the matter somwhat too far off began to recken from Helias the holy prophet S. Iohn of whom Helias séemeth to vs to haue ben more then a Monk that S. Iohn began to prophecie before he was born But others in which opinion the most part of all people doâ— commonly agrée affirme that S. Antonie was the first beginner of that order which in part is true For the was not onely the first but also the motioner of all others therevnto Amathas and Macarius S. Antonies scholars whereof the first buried his maisters body doe now affirme that one Paulus Thebius was the first beginner of that way which thing we also confirme not onely in name but also in opinion Bull. fol. 1135. The forme of a Monkish absolution God forgiue thee my brother the merite of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and of blessed S. Mary alwayes a Uirgin and of all the Saints the merites of thine Order the straightnesse of thy religion the humilitie of thy confession the contrition of thine heart the good
But if they will teach you things of their owne then heare them not then dde it not For certainly such men séeke their owne and not the things that pertaine to Christ Iesu. ¶ The Chaire of the which our Sauiour Christ maketh mention héere doth not signifie the authoritie of Moses which the Scribes abused but it signifieth the place out of the which they purely red and interpreted the law of Moses ¶ To sit in Mosâ—s chaire is nothing els then to shewe out of the Lawe of God how men ought to liue And although it be not certaine out of what place they didde speake or preach yet notwithstanding their coniectures is probable which referre it to the Pulpet which Esdras made to haue the Laws taught in He therefore sitteth in Moses Chaire which preacheth not of his â—wne braine but by the authoritie and word of God Marl. vpon Math. fol. 521. ¶ So long as the Scribes safe in Moses seate and continued in the pure and simple interpretation of the Lawe teaching those things which the Lord had commaunded and taught in the name of God For Saint Austen very well and according to the minde of Christ expoundeth that the Scribes sitting vpon Moses seate taught the Lawe of God and that therefore the shéepe ought to heare the shepheards by them as by hirelings To the which words he addeth by and by saieng God therefore teacheth by them But if they goe about to teach theyr owne inuentions neither heare them nor follow them To the which sentence agréeth that which the same Father hath in his fourth booke De doctrina Christiana saieng Because the good and faithfull do not heare euery man but obediently heare God himselfe therefore they are heard profitably which also lyue not profitably Therefore the seate not of the Scribes but of Moses constrained them to teach that which was good For in their life they did what them lust but the seate being none of theirs suffered them not to teach what they lusted Marl. vpon Math. fol. 522. ¶ We ought to haue an eye most especially vnto the doctrine of the Preachers whether they sit in Christs chaire or not that is to say whether they teach Christs doctrine or not for by their doctrine we shall be either iustified or condemned and not by their liuing Sir I. Cheeke How Moses did eate the body of Christ ¶ Looke Manna How this place is vnderstood And Moses wrote this Lawe ¶ Before Moses time the doctrine which contained the manner of seruing God was not put in writing but onely deliuered by word of mouth by the fathers to theyr children from one generation to another The Bible note How we are sent to Moses and the Prophets They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them ¶ We are bidden to beléeue Moses and the Prophets and not the dead and if we will néedes heare the dead speake Christ ought to be sufficient for vs which being reuiued taught none other doctrine but that which he had taught in his time that is to say Moses and the Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Which declareth that it is too late to be instructed by the dead if in their life time they cannot profite by the liuely word of God as faith commeth by Gods word so is it maintained by the same So that neither we ought to looke for Angells from heauen or the dead to confirme vs there by onely the word of God is sufficient to life euerlasting Geneua Why Moses was bid to put off his shooes Put off thy shooes from thy feete ¶ Moses could not be suffered to talke with God afore he didde put off his shooes whereby we vnderstande that wée must put awaye all fleshly and carnall lusts and so approach vnto God in faith purenesse of heart Let them héere which will not touche holye things with theyr bare hands without gloues learne of the Angell of the Lorde what they ought for to doe in such things Of Moses death and buriall which maketh against reliques We read of Moses the seruaunt of the Lorde that hée died in the lande of Moab and the Angell of the Lord buryed him in a valley but no man knoweth of his Sepulcher vnto this daye which thing was of purpose by the prouidence of God appointed so that the Iewes might haue no occasion thereby to comâ—nitte Idolatry But if the translating of dead bones had bene either for the glorye of God or commoditie of man the reliques of such a one as Moses was should not haue bene hidden For doubtlesse of all Prophets he was the greatest by the testimonie of God himselfe who called him faithfull in all his house to whom he spake mouth to mouth by vision and not in darke wordes and yet was not his body shrined nor his bones carried in procession nor anye Chappell erected for him Indeed the Diuell did attempt no lesse then to make it matter of superstition for we read that there was a strife betwixt him and Michael about Moses body but the Angell of the Lorde withstood him I. Calfehill MOTHER OF GOD. Wherein Mary the mother of God was most blessed TO be the childe of God is a great deale greater grace then to be the mother of God which Saint Austen proueth thus Beatior â—rgo Maria c. Mary was more blessed or full of grace in that the receiued the faith of Christ then in that she conceiued the flesh of Christ. Motherly kinred coulde haue done Mary no good vnlesse she had borne Christ more blessed in hir heart then shée bare him in hir flesh Againe he sayth Master mea quam c. My mother whom ye haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kept the word of God not because the word in hir was made flesh How mother is taken for grandmother He put downe Miacha his mother ¶ Mother for grandmother As Dauid is oftentimes called father of them of whom he was grandfather And as Zephora Moses wife calleth Raguel father which yet was hir grandfather How the Church is called our mother Forsake not thy mothers teaching ¶ That is of the Church wherein the faithfull are begotten by the incorruptible séede of Gods word Geneua MOVNTAINES How Mountaines heere doe signifie Scriptures LEt them that be in Iewry flye then to the mountaines ¶ That is to say let them that be in Christs profession flye to the scriptures the scriptures of the Apostles and Prophets be the mountaines c Our Lord knowing that there should be such confusion in the last daies therfore commaundeth that Christen men yâ— beléeue in Christ willing to haue an assurance of the true faith shuld haue recourse to nothing els but vnto the scriptures Otherwise if they haue regard vnto any other thing they shal be offendâ—d and perish not vnderstanding what is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall in abhomination of desolation Iewel fo 722. ¶ S.
Hierome saith The people before the second comming of Christ which shall be in glory shall leaue their negligent idle schoolmaisters which haue of long time deceiued them and shall flye to the mountaines of the Scriptures and albeit they finde not one to teach them yet shall their desire and endeauour be accepted before God for that they haue sought vnto thesâ— mountaines and the negligence and slothfulnesse of their maisters shall be reproued Iewel fol. 721. What these Mountaines signifie That the Mountaines may bring peace ¶ By the mountaines are vnderstoode the great men and Rulers that receiue the word of peace and by the little hills their subiects Psal. 114. 4. 148. 9. Luk. 3. 5. T. M. What is ment by the translating of Mountaines He translateth Mountaines ¶ God translateth Mountaines not onely those of the earth but also the arrogant and proude Tyrants and the great Realmes of the world which by a borrowed speach are oftentimes in the sriptures signified by mountaines and hills So translated he Pharao Exo. 14. 28. and king Senacharib Eze. 37. What the name of this Mountaine was Our Fathers worshipped in this mountaine ¶ The name of this mountaine is Garizim wherevpon Sanabalecta the Cuthite built a Temple by Alexander of Macedony his leaue after the victory of Issica and made there Maâ—asses his sonne in lawe high Priest Iosephus bo 11. MOVRNE What it is to Mourne MOurne wéepe c. ¶ To mourne in the Scripture signifieth sometime to make an vnmeasurable and grieuous lamentation as when a man for impatience and griefe smiteth his owne bodie renteth his clothes teareth his haire c. So in Math. 24. 30. And then shall all the kingdomes of the Earth mourne T. M. The mourning of the Christians vnder the Crosse. Blessed are they that mourne c. ¶ This mourning is that Crosse without the which was neuer Disciple of Christ nor neuer shall be For of whatsoeuer state or degrée thou be in this world if thou professe the Gospell there followeth thâ—e a Crosse as warmnesse followeth the Sunne shining vnder the which thy spirit shall grone and mourne secretly not onely because the world and thine owne flesh carrye thâ—e away cleane contrary to the purpose of thine owne heart but also to see and behold the wretchednes and misfortunes of the bretheren which because thou louest them as thy selfe thou shalt mourne sorrow no lesse then for thy selfe Tindale fol. 190. How farre mourning for the dead is admitted The Scripture admitteth the mourning for the dead For in Deut. 34. the people mourned for Moses Abraham bewayled his wife Sara Ioseph mourned for his father Iacob Dauid mourned for Ammon Israel for Samuel Martha for Lazarus And our Lord himselfe wept for Lazarus Iesus the sonne of Syrach saith 38. chapter verse 16. My sonne shed thy teares ouer the dead But Ier. 22. 10 saith Bewaile not yâ— dead And Christ saith Luke 7. 13. to the woman whose sonne was dead Wéepe not Which counter saieng Paule recoâ—cileth 1. Tess. 4. 13. where he saith Bretheren I would not haue you ignoraunt concerning them that be fallen a sleepe that ye sorrowe not as other doe which haue no hope So it is â—eâ—thenish sorrowe that is forbid which haue no hope nor comfort of the resurrection Hemâ—yng And made great lamentation for him ¶ A moderate mourning for the dead ought not to be reproued so yâ— all supersâ—ition be layed aside howbeit these godly deuout persons yâ— be spoâ—en of héere did rather make this lamentation for Steuen because they had lost such an â—arnest and valiaunt deâ—â—nder of the truth then for any other thing For without all peraduenture they had a hope of resurrection and that no harme was happened vnto him Sir I. Cheeke MOVTH What the mouth of God is GOds mouth is taken for the sonne of God the Father or his commaundements Esay 40. 5. the mouth of the Lordâ— hath spoken it The meaning of this place following He hath made my mouth lyke a sharpe sword c. ¶ That is he hath giuen me the spirite of sharpe and pithye speach so that my words shall euen cut a sunder as it were the hearts of the chosen which heare me and driue them to repentaunce and declare the offences of the wicked and without excuse This doth the spirit of Prophecie and of true preaching of the word Apoc. 16. T. M. He hath made my mouth lyke a sharpe sword That is spoken in the person of Christ to assure the faithful that these promises should come to passe for they were all made in him and in him should be performed Geneua Of the staffe of Gods mouth ¶ Looke Staffe MVLTITVDE How it is not good alwaies to follow a multitude THe Turkes being in number fiue times moe then wée Christians doe knowledge one God and beleeue manye things of God moued onely by the authoritie of their Elders and presume that God will not let so great a multitude erre so long time and yet they haue erred and bene faithlesse 800. yeares And the Iewes beléeue this daye as much as the carnall sort of them euer beléeued moued also by the authoritie of the Elders onely thinke that it is impossible for them to erre being Abrahams séede the children of them to whom the promise of all that we beléeue wer made And yet they haue erred and haue bene faithlesse this 15. hundred yeares The elect which are few shall among that great multitude neuer be without persecution and temptation of their faith as the great multitude of the Pope persecute and suffer not and yet the same in the middes of their persecution shall be kept by the mightie hande of GOD against all naturall possibilitie We must suspect as many things as the rude multitude with great assent and consent appeareth Many be called but few be chosen Broad is the waye that leadeth to destruction and manye there be that enter thereinto Of séede sowen in foure places fruite was brought foorth but in one MVRDER Who be Murderers ANd murderers ¶ That is to wit with tongue minde hand or by with-holding of things néedfull of which sort be those Canâ—sh Gyaunts and great men of name like Nymrod the strong hunter which murder guiltlesse persons at their pleasure and make them as shéepe to the slaughter Which thing no man doth more cruelly at this daye then doth the Romish Bishop the Uicar and stepfollower of that méeke Lambe and the successour of Peter whome Christ commaunded to put vp his sword And there be other of the chiefe Prelates also which are verye diligent in following the example of the Romish Bishop but God will abhorre those bloudthirstie and deceiptfull men Psal. 5. 6. Mar. vpon the Apo. fo 289. ¶ The vnpitifull murderers are also the same bloudthirstâ—e Prelates those Caines and those boysterous Nemrothes that neuer will be satisfied with the slaughter of Innocents No cruell
heresie of Nouacius concerning the peruerse doctrine of penance For he taught that they which had receiued Baptime and fell into sinne could not come againe to saluation And with this errour brought he many to desperation and spoyled the concord of the Church or Congregation Carion Obedience The definition of Obedience WE may make a definition of Obedience by yâ— very word it selfe which is called in Gréeke Lakai And is nothing els but a faithfull submission of minde wherby the word will of the commaunder is obeyed when both the heart and eares be attent vnto his words and will those things which be commaunded according to their abilitie be accomplished without any gain-saieng For true obedience must haue not onely an obedient hand but a following will also Wherefore they cannot be counted for obedient in whom the definition of true obedience taketh not place such as they be which doe obey in fact onely without the redy wil of minde or els in word or eare onely without doing it when they may For when the thing cannot be done the will to obey is reputed for the doing And so we say most commonly that God accepteth our good wil in steede of the fact Musculus fol. 479. What is ment by obeing in this place following To obey is better then Offering c. ¶ To obey what Mans inuention mans dreames or traditions Nay verely but GODS holy wordes his blessed Commaundements yea and to obey them is better then to offer Sacrifices which yet was ordeined and appointed by God himselfe How much better then is it then our Offerings which are inuented without any of Gods word or any mention theroff made the whole Scripture through Ioseph de antiq li. 6. cap. 9. expresseth Samuels saieng in lyke manner but his wordes are too long to rehearse T. M. OBSERVING OF DAIES How the obseruing of daies are reproued how they may be obserued YE obserue daies and months and times and yeares ¶ By the daies he vnderstandeth Sabboths and new Moones by the months the first seuenth month by the times Whitsontide Easter and the feast of Tabernacles by the yeres he vnderstandeth the yeares of Iubely or of forgiuenesse It is not ment but that we may well kéepe certaine daies not that one is holier then another but that we may haue time to come together both to preach and to heare the worde of God offering with one accord our common supplications vnto him Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Ye obserue daies as Sabboths and new Moones ye obserue months as the first and seuenth month ye obserue times as Easter Whitsontide the feast of Tabernacles ye obserue yeares as the Iubely or yeare of forgiuenesse which beggarly Ceremonies are most pernitious to them which haue receiued the swéete libertie of the Gospell and thrust them back into superstitious slauery Geneua ¶ Daies are obserued least the rude multitude should diminish their faith And certaine daies are appointed for vs to come together in Not to the intent the day should be more solemne or high in which we gather together but that great ioye maye rise to vs of our beholding one another D. Heynes OFFENCE Of three manner of offences SOme kinde of offences are to be eschewed which take their differences of their causes There is one kinde of offence that riseth of euill doctrine corrupting the doctrine of the Church He yâ— after this manner is an offence vnto others followeth the steps of the Diuell his father who ouerthrew the first man and woman with this kinde of stumbling block Gen. 3. Another kinde of offence is that which springeth of euil manners that is to wit when other folkes regarding thée do counterfaite thy euill conditions He that on this wise is an offence to man buildeth vp the kingdome of Satan and ouerthroweth the kingdome of Christ. The third kinde of offence riseth of the abuse of things which of their owne nature are indifferent which must be shunned yâ— the weak be not offended The wilfull and vngodly are to be despised and for warrant thereof we haue Christs example Of an offence giuen and an offence taken An offence is giuen then when by thy fault by thy importunitie I say thy lightnesse thou either dost or saist a thing for which thy brother hath a cause to be offended The other offence is not giuen but taken or picked out not by thy faults but by the works or wickednesse of another man As for example when thou doest sinne neither in worde nor déede when thy déedes are nothing insolent nor thy words vnseasonable when thou saist or doest the thing that is frée and lawfull for thée to say do and yet another taketh Pepper in nose and is offended with that libertie of thine Which is all one as if a man that walketh in a plaine path should â—ap to trip or stumble and presently quarrell with his companion as though he had laide a blocke in his way Bullinger fo 451. ¶ To giue offence is a great sinne For Christ doth saye Woe vnto the world because of offences It must néedes be that offences come but woe to the man by whom the offence commeth Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones c. Saint Paule also speaking to the bretheren that giue offence saith Through thy giuing of offence perisheth thy brother for whom Christ died and so ye sinning against your bretheren and wounding their weake consciences doe sinne against Christ himselfe Bullinger fol. 452. What it is to be offended in Christ. Happy is he that is not offended by me ¶ To be offended in Christ is to will neither to knowe Christ nor yet to beleeue in him And not to bée offended in him is to receiue him and knowledge by a perfect faith that he is our Sauiour ¶ Happy is he c. That take no occasion by Christ to be hindered from the Gospell Geneua How a man may offend God and not his owne conscience When Paule and Barnabas men elect to be Apostles by the reuealation of the holy Ghost as it is written in the second of the Acts fell out one with another for Iohn Marke as it is in the 15. of the Acts insomuch as the one forsooke the others company it cannot be denied but either Paule or Barnabas or both were in a great fault to fall out for such a trifle and yet there was neither of them both but he thought in his conscience that he did well and did contend for the glory of God So vndoubtedly the most circumspect men in their liuing and most studious to doe all their workes and to vtter all their words to the glory of God yet oftentimes they shall conceiue in theyr thoughts wish in their hearts and also speake and doe such things as shall be very great sinnes in the sight of God and yet they shall not offend their conscience nor think they doe amisse And therefore the Prophet Dauid desireth almightie God not onely
repentaunce sought of them but onely that they must beléeue Arbitramur hominem iustificari absque operibus legis We béeing taught of Christ thinke saith Thomas according to the truth of the Apostle that euery man whether he be Ieâ— or Gentile is iustified by faith Act. 15. 19. By faith purifieng theyr hearts and that without the workes of the lawe And that not onely without the Ceremoniall workes which did not giue grace but also without the workes of the Morall commandements according to that saieng of Titus 3. ver 5. Not of the workes of the righteousnesse that we haue wrought The reason is presumed that we are saued for our merites the which he excludeth when he saith Not of the workes of the righteousnesse which we haue done but the true reason is the onely mercie of God There is not therefore in them the hope of iustifitation Sed in sola fide but in faith onely Workes are not the cause that any body is iust before God but they are rather the executions and the ministring of righteousnesse In this point though he swarue from the truth in many other points he speaketh right I. Bridges fol. 143. Our Aduersaries when they doe teach that the iustifieng of vs doth not consist in faith onely but in workes also what doe they els but obscure the glory of Gods grace and extoll the merite of our workes They doe not waye that it is necessarye that our iustifieng doe consist in faith onely for as much as it is bestowed freely If they cannot abide the word onely or alone let him leaue it and vse this word fréely For in case we be iustified fréely by faith as the Apostle doeth testifie it must néedes followe that we be not iustified by faith works but by faith onely If it be not by faith onely but by workes withall then is it not freely but of duetie If it be of dutie and not fréely then there is no glory of Gods grace at all Musculus fol. 229. ONE Of one Mediatour ¶ Looke Mediatour What the Prophet Ose doth meane by one head THen shall the Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head ¶ To wit after the captiuitie of Babilon when the Iewes wer restored but chiefe this is referred to the time of Christ who should be the head both of the Iewes and Gentiles Geneua ¶ The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sande of the Sea shore that cannot be numbred And it shall come to passe in the place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are no people of mine there shall it be sayd vnto them ye are the children of the lyuing God And the Children of Iuda the Children of Israel shall assemble together and shall appoint to themselues one head Upon which words S. Hierom writeth thus All these things shall come to passe because it is the great daye of the séed of God which séede is expounded not the Pope but Christ. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles the Children of Israel that is to say the Heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say not one Pope but one Christ. Iewel fol. 101. ¶ Let vs remember saith Augustine the corner stone that is Christ and not the Pope and the two walls the one of the Iewes and the other of the Heathen Iewel fol. 101. Of one Sheepefold And there shall be one Shéepefold ¶ When the Gentiles haue receiued the Euangelicall faith they shal be associate and ioyned to the faithfull people of the Iewes and so of them both there shall be one folde that is of the Iewes Gentiles there shall be one Church One God saith Paule one Faith and one Baptime Therefore we must be one euen as wée are called into one hope c. They which gather vpon this place that there shall be a mutual consent and agréement among men in the whole world insomuch as none shall remaine as Inâ—â—dell or vngodly doe erre and know not the Scriptures neither doe consider what is the state and drift of this place Againe ther are some which gather of this place that after the last day of Iudgment all both good and bad shall be gathered into one place of eternall life But the opinion of those men is most foolish For then shall the Shéepe be seperated from the Goates the iudgement of the Shéepe shal be one the iudgement of the Goates another as the Scripture plainly testifieth Marâ— vpon Iohn fol. 374. Of one Spirit He that cleaneth vnto God is one spirite with him ¶ Nico. Lyra vpon this place saith Vâ—us non secundum rem c. One spirit with God not one in déede but one in loue or according to affection So that we are vnited vnto God by faith and loue and none otherwise ORACLE What an Oracle is AN Oracle is properly the minde and aunswere of God by some diuine Interpreter declared as by some Prophet Priest or otherwise by man ORIGENIANI Of whom these Heretikes bare their name ORigeniani were Heretikes called after aâ—e Origen not he that was the great Cleark of Alexandria they condemned marriage yet liued they beastly their manner was to haue among them religious women like Nunnes whom they deâ—â—led yet vsed meanes to kéepe them from swelling Epiph. haer 63. Of the Heretikes that sprang of the learned Origen Origeniani againe were Heretikes which so called themselues of Origen Adamantius the great Clearke of Alexandria they taught as Epiphan saith haeres 64. that there was no resurrection that Christ was a creature the Holy ghost a like that the soules were first in heauen came downe into the bodies as it wer into prison that in the end the diuels should be saued Epiphanius as I read in Socrates Eccl. hist. li. 6. ca. 11. was become the enimy of Origen through the spite malice of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria The diuell bare Origen a displesure he procured heretikes to father vpon him lewd opinions He complaineth himselfe in a certaine Epistle how that Heretikes corrupted his works Pamphilus Martir the great friend and familiar of Eusebius wrote an Apologie in his behalfe Eusebius li. 6. ca. 3. 18. 20. 26. reporteth of the famous men that fauored Origen Socrates Eccle. histor lib. 6. cap. 12. writeth in his commendation Athanasius gaue of him a notable testimonie Chrisostome would in no wise bée brought to condemne either Origen or his works Socrates li. 6. cap. 11. 12. 13. ORIGINALL SINNE That no man is without originall sinne THe death of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is a mightie remedie against the wound of originall sin wherewith the nature of all men is in Adam corrupt and slaine and from whence the infection of all concupiscence hath sprong Augustine in the Articles falsely
power is that which is altogether frée and is neither gouerned or restrained by the law or will of any other The limitted power is not frée but subiect to an absolute or greater power of another which cannot of it selfe doe euery thing but that onely that the absolute power or greater authoritie doth suffer to be done and suffereth it vnder certaine conditions c. Bullinger fol. 837. PRAIER What Praier is PRaier is a mourning a longing and a desire of the spirite to God-ward for that which she lacketh as a sicke man mourneth and sorroweth in his heart longing for health Tindale fol. 8◠Againe Praier is either a longing for the honour of the name of God that all men should feare him and kéepe his precepts and beléeue in him either to giue God thankes for benefits receiued either a complaining and a shewing of thine owne miserie and necessitie or of thy neighbours before God desiring him with all the power of thine heart to haue compassion and to suceour thée and them Tindale ¶ The true and acceptable prayer consisteth not in a rabblement of words nor yet in the vehemencie of the voice but in the stedfastnesse of our beléefe in the beautie of our desires and in the pure intentiue thought of our hearts fixed on Gods diuine mercie at such time as we doe pray ¶ God hath giuen vs a speciall comaundement to pray promising to heare and graunt our requests Wherefore it is requisite when we powre out our feruent praiers vnto God that we haue a speciall regard vnto the promise for except the Lord had promised to heare vs we could obtaine nothing by our prayers And whensoeuer we obtaine any thing in our prayer we may not attribute the graunt thereof to our praiers or worthinesse but onely vnto his mercifull promise ¶ Prayer saith Augustine is the deuotion of the minde that is to say the turning vnto God by godly and humble affection but we saith Musculus define it thus that the praier which may appeare vnto God is the affection and bewayling of an afflicted heart wherby the ayd of God is most humbly besought whether the same be done with words or without wordes by wayling alone and sighes Masculus fol. 485. ¶ The right forme and affection of prayer commeth by the holy Ghost who maketh intercession tor vs not that hée prayeth and mourneth but that he so stirreth our hearts that we lift them vp to heauen earnestly and feruently which is the true prayer Heare my prayer O God ¶ True prayer is an earnest and affectious communication of the heart with God and a diligent consideration of the things that want in vs concerning the séeking of his glorye and dooing his will with a burning and feruent desire of the spirite that requyreth him to repaire and amende that which wanteth in vs. Psa. 5. 1. Pro. 15. 29. Euery godly with also is a good prayer T. M. What els is praier then a record of the faith that we haue to God-ward for by calling vpon God without Hypocrisie we witnesse openly that all our welfare lyeth in him and that he is the onely party to whom we ought to flye for succour And to be short by calling vpon God we yéelde him the glory that belongeth vnto him and which he reserueth vnto himselfe c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 205. ¶ The sincere praier which is appoynted of God is vsed to inflame the heart of man with a feruent desire to séeke God alwaies in true faith and euermore to haue recourse to him in all his néedes and the rather to receiue his benefites with a thankful mind when he is certefied by prayer that all benefits doe come from his bountifull hande and finally to confirme weake mindes so that they shall not haue cause to doubt in Gods prouidence when they sée God doth stirre them vp yea doth commaund them to call vpon him in their necessities by Iesus Christ doth promise them y◠he will heare their prayers through the same Iesus Christ whensoeuer they call vppon him that they may render thankes vnto him and glorifie his holy name Neither will God haue vs make our praiers without his Temple that is Iesus Christ his Sonne in whom his Deitie dwelleth effectually For as he hath giuen vs our béeing and the knowledge of him by the meanes of his Sonne so will he likewise haue vs to aske of him by this meanes not by any other And therefore whosoeuer doth praye and offer vp his petitions to any other then to God onely or doth séeke any other meanes then Iesus Christ to offer them by without doubt he doth both against the commaundements and against the promise of God and doth sinne grieuously in Gods sight F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Praier is the ordinarie instrument to attaine all things that are néedefull for vs of God Or thus Praier is a lowly listing vp of y◠minde vnto God in desiring ought at Gods hand or yéelding thankes for benefits receiued Hemmyng We are taught by Ose how we should pray The Prophet Ose telleth vs how we should praye Lord saith he take away mine iniquitie and receiue if I haue any my goodnesse and I will giue thee the Bullockes and Sacrifices of my lippes The meaning of this place following But when thou praiest enter into thy chamber ¶ The heauenly schoolemaster when he minded to set out the best rule of praieng commaunded vs to goe into our chamber and ther the dores being shut to pray to our Father which is in secret that our Father which is in secret may heare vs. For when he hath drawen them away from the example of Hypocrites which with ambitious boasting showe of prayers sought the fauour of men he therewithall addeth what is better namely to enter into our chamber and there to praye the doore being shutte in which words as I expound them he willeth vs to séeke solitarie being which may helpe vs to descend and to enter throughly with our whole thought into our heart promising to the affections of our heart that God shall be néere vs whose Temples our bodies ought to be For he ment not to deny but that it is expedient also to pray in other places but he sheweth that praier is a certaine secret thing which both is chiefly placed in the soule and requireth the quyet therof farre from all troubles and cares Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cha 20 sect◠29. ¶ Looke Chamber ¶ When thou with pray saith Christ goe into thy Closet shut the dore vpon thée and pray vnto the father in secret ¶ He spake not to this intent to restraine the praiers of his faithfull vnto chambers closets but to admonish them that they shuld specially eschew the fault of ostentation and boasting which the Pharesies vsed in their prayers praieng openly at the corners of the stréetes and in the Synagogues to be séene of men and to be taken for deuout folke
and vnder that pretence to deuour and spoyle the houses of widowes c. ¶ What doest thou séeke an apt and holy place when thou wouldest pray vnto God Cleanse thine own inward partes in scouring out all naughtie desires from thence prepare thy selfe a secret corner in the quietnesse of thy heart When thou praiest in the Church pray within thy selfe and so doe alwaies that thou maist be the Temple of God for there God doth heare where he doth dwell Thus saith he by which words it appeareth sufficiently inough that euen in his daies many of yâ— Christians were so fallen backe to the superstitions of Temples Churches not onely in seruices but in praiers also that they thought the prayers were more effectuall in Churches then in other places which they tooke to be as prophane and not meete for prayer Musculus fol. 489. How prayer for the dead auaileth not When we be once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentaunce there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is héere either lost or wonneâ— euerlasting saluation is héere prouided by the due worshipping of God the fruites of faith Then he shal be without fruite of repentance and griefe of paine In vaine shall wéeping be and prayer shall be of no force nor effect Cypr. in his first treatise against Demetrius We know in this world we can be helped one of another either with prayer or with counsell but after we be come once before yâ— iudgment seate of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noe is able to pray for any body but euery man shall beare his owne burthen Hierom in his 13. questi c. 2. chap. When thou doest heare that our Lord did rise againe naked cease I pray thee from the mad expence of the burieng what meaneth this superstuitie and vnprofitable dispence which vnto them that make it bringeth hurt and no profite to the dead but rather harme Chrisost. in his 48. homil vpon the 20. of Iohn For if he had not hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it had bene superfluous and vaine to praye for the dead ¶ From this verse to the ende of this Chapter the Gréekes text is corrupt so that no good sense much lesse certain doctrine can be gathered thereby Also it is euident that this place was not written by the holy Ghost both because it dissenteth from the rest of the holy Scriptures also the Authour of this booke acknowledging his own infirmitie desired pardon if he haue not attained to that he should And it séemeth that this Iason of Ceronean out of whom he tooke this Abridgment is Ioseph Bengorion who hath written in Hebrue 5. bookes of these matters intreting this place maketh no mention of the praier for the dead And though Iudas had so done yet perticular example is not sufficient to establish a doctrine no more theÌ„ Ziphorahs was to proue that women might minister the Sacraments Exo. 4. 25. Or the example of Razis that one might kill himselfe whom this Author so much commendeth 2. Mac. 14. 41. Geneua Truly I thinke that Iudas beléeued that ther shuld be a resurrection as the text praised him saieng Thinking well and denoutly of the resurrection of our flesh they that beleeued wer yet so rude ignorant that they thought they shuld rise but to obtaine a carnall kingdome and haue their enimies subdued vnder them without rebellion And thereto sticke the Iewes vnto this day And it is most lyke that this should be his meaning we shall all rise againe and possesse this lande in peace these men which are slaine are out of the fauour of God because they haue contrary to the lawe Deut. 7. tooke of the Idolls oblations therefore it is best that we send a Sacrifice to Hierusalem to pacifie the wrath of God towards theÌ„ lest when they rise again the Lord shuld send some plague among vs for their transgression which they committed while they were héere liuing If any man can better gesse I am well content to admit it But this is plaine though he thought that this sacrifice coulde not helpe them before they should rise againe which doth fully destroy Purgatory for where he saith that it were void vaine to praye for the dead except they shoulde rise againe is euen as much to say vnto him that hath any wit as that this prayer sacrifices can doe them no good before they be risen againe froÌ„ death for els wer it not in vaine to pray for them although they should neuer rise againe As by this example if I say to a man that he shall neuer obtaine his purpose except he shuld sue to the kings grace it is euen as much to say to a man that hath any wit he shal neuer obtaine his purpose before he hath suâ—d to the Kings highnesse I. Erith It wer an hard matter for a man to teach the ther wer any sacrifices praiers vsed in the Apostles time for the faithfull wheÌ„ they were departed But afterward it fell out by the good zeale of the Bishops yâ— ther was a solemne remembrance kept of theÌ„ which died in the Lord specially of Martirs ther were also sacrifices offered I meane of thanks-giuing but they wer not done for the dead to auaile to their saluation but for yâ— faithful yâ— wer aliue that their hearts might be the better confirmed in the faith of Christ. Of these sacrifices Cypriane maketh mention how they vsed to offer sacrifices for the martirs LaureÌ„tius Ignatius yâ— rest Wherefore it appeareth that they had not the same manner of Sacrificing for the dead at that time as it is now vsed in the Popery They did sacrifice for the Martyrs but so that they did not pray for them at all as Augustine doth also testifie so that this sacrifice for the dead had no praier for them ioyned withall but for the faithfull which were alyue Musculus fol. 493. To leane saith Ireneus vpon the holy Scriptures which are the sure and vndoubted truth is to builde his house vppon a sure and strong Rocke But if leauing it I meane the trueth of the Scriptures any man doe sticke to some other doctrines the same is to build his house vpon the vnstedfast Sand where it shall easely fall ¶ The Canonicall Scriptures make no mention at all of the praieng for the dead therefore saith Ireneus if we doe follow the doctrines of men in this point it is none other but to build vppon the vnstedfast Sande I. Veron We doe saith Ambrose condemne by right all newe things that Christ hath not taught For Christ to the faithfull is the way if Christ therefore hath not taught this that we teach we doe also iudge it detestable ¶ If it cannot be prooued by Christs holy Gospell and word that he hath not taught vs to praye for the dead then whosoeuer teacheth that doctrine we
seruice vnto God of whose folly Arnobius writeth thus Nudi cruda c. They go about naked in the raw Winter other haue their cappes on they carry about with them olde targets beate their skinnes they lead their Gods a begging round about the stréetes they suffer some Chappell 's to be gone to once a yeare some must not bée seene at all some a man may not come vnto some other are holy inough without women and for a seruaunt to be at some of them is an hainous offence So much Arnobius PROMISE A constant rule of all humane promises ALl promises ought among the godly so farâ—e foorth to be of force as they doe agrée with the word of God which thing if Iephthe had diligently considered he would neuer haue suffered himselfe to haue committed so vnworthy things against his daughter this condition surely in all couenaunts ought to be counted for a most constant rule Pet. Mar. vppon Iudic. fol. 37. What promise it was that the olde Fathers receiued not And receiued not the promise c. ¶ This which Saint Paule saith that the Fathers hath not obtained the promise ought not to be vnderstood of the euerlasting rest or ioye that wee haue by the merites of Christ his death but rather of the Incarnation and comming of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke ¶ They hadde not such cléere lyght as wée for they looked for that which wée haue Therefore it were shame for vs if at least wée had not as great constancie as they Geneua How promises may be broken They returned into their countrey another waye ¶ Promise ought not to bée kept where Gods honour and the preaching of the truth is hindered The wise men not withstanding their promise mad to Herode returned home into theyr owne Countrey by another waye PROPER AND IMPROPER Of proper and improper speaches in Scripture WHen the Scripture saith thus God is a spirite it is a proper speach And why Because he is so of his owne nature But when it giueth him a body members and the vse of them resembling it to man as we see it doth in diuers places then it is an improper speach ¶ When the Scripture saith that the Lord God is vnchaungeable it is a proper speach because he is so of his owne nature But when it maketh shewe that he is chaungeable as when it saith he repented that he had made man And in another place he repented that he had made Saule king then it is an improper speach ¶ When it saith that God is in euery place it is a proper speach because it is so conuâ—nient for his nature for the confirmation of all things which he hath created although he bée also perticularly in the hearts is of the faithfull for the speciall â—ffect of their sanctification but when it sayth Hée went downe to sée the Tower of Babel then it is an improper speach Of proper and improper speaches in Christs words When Christ saithâ— I am the light of the world it is a proper speach for it is true indéede that Iesus Christ is the onely sonne of righteousnesse which doth lighten the world with true lyght And afterwarde when he saith to his Disciples Ye are the lyght of the worlde that is an improper speach because they are not the lyght in themselues but in the Lord. ¶ When he saith to his Apostles Preach repentaunce and remission of sinnes in my name he speaketh most properly because it is hée of whome the Prophets doe beare witnesse that whosoeuer beléeueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes through his name But when he saith afterward To whomsoeuer you shall remit sinnes they shall be remitted he speaketh improperly because he giueth that vnto the Apostles which properlye belongeth vnto himselfe For the Apostles are but his ministers and messengers to pronounce remission of sinnes which commeth properly from Iesus Christ to those that beléeue in him F. N. B. the Italian PROPHECIE How Prophecie sometime commeth out of the month of wicked men He prophecied that Iâ—â—â—â—ould dye for the people ¶ Héereby we doe gather that the gifte of Prophecie is giuen not onely to good men but also to the reprobate beeing set in publike office euen as oftentimes it is permitted to the wicked to worke miracles as we maye reade in the. 7. chapter of S. Mathew So also we read of Saule who béeing annoynted with the kingly vnction by Samuel began to prophecie with the rest of the Prophets c. Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 424. God made him to speak neither could his impietie let Gods purpose who caused this wicked man euen as he did Balaam to be an iâ—strument of the Holy Ghost Geneua PROPHETS What the Prophets were THe Prophets were the notable interpreters of Prophecies who through a certain singuler gift of reuelation were able to apply them to the present matter Marl. fol. 259. Against false Prophets O Israel thy Prophets are like to the Foxes vppon the drye field for they stand not in the gaps neither make they an hedge for the house of Israel ¶ O Israel thy Prophets c. Thy Preachers of mens traditions doth the Prophet compare vnto Foxes which faine a seruice of God and increase Ceremonies and teach a way to please God by such workes as they enrich theÌ„selues with By the hedge héere may ye vnderstand praier donâ— in faith T. M. How the people gaue eare rather to false Prophets then to the true But whereas you say that God hath raised vs vp Prophets at Babilon c. ¶ Such Prophets as preached vnto them the things which they were desirous off did they greatly allow yea euen after they came to Babilon in them they reioiced as though they had bene sent of the Lord and yet wer they indéede false Prophets But Ezechiel the true Prophet of the Lord which preached the contrary did they persecute By the false Prophets they said God hath sent vs Prophets and their doctrine did they followe but the true Prophet did they mocke and laugh to scâ—â—ne and would neither beleeue his doctrine nor giue eare vnto it T. M. How a false Prophet is knowen Ye shall know them by their fruits ¶ The fruite of the Prophets is their doctrine Therefore if thou wilt know the true Prophet from the false trye their doctrine at the touch stone of Gods word for els by the outward conuersation thou maist be deceiued and beguiled Theo. Beza The meaning of this place following Art thou a Prophet He aunswered no. ¶ They inquire of some great Prophet and not of Christ for Iohn had denied before â—hat he is Christ for they thought that some great Prophet should be sent lyke vnto Moses wrasting to that purpose that place of Deut. 18. 15. which is to be vnderstood of all the company of the Prophets and Ministers which haue bene and shall be to the ende and especially of Christ who is the head of all Prophets Beza PROSELITE
the sinnes and offences of men as though the punishment of the sword were a satisfaction for sinne for the death of Christ onely hath made satisfaction for sinne But offenders are punished by the sworde for examples sake that the people might feare to offend And least in time sinne and wickednesse might be counted for vertue and righteousnesse For the sinne that is left vnpunished is not knowne to be sinne Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 282. PVRE IN HEART Who they be that are so called BLessed are the pure in heart ¶ Blessed saith he are y◠pure in heart y◠is which ioyne themselues vnto me with a pure simple and desirous minde of knowing the will of God doe embrace the doctrine of truth without hypocrisie doublenesse of heart such were the disciples of Christ so soone as it was offered vnto them Such was Nathanael of whom Christ said Beholde a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit Marl. vpon Math. fol. 79. ¶ They are called pure in heart that beléeue vnfeinedly and trust from the very heart in God whome they doe see through faith while they be yet in this vale of miserie but after this bodily lyfe they shall haue a full fruition of him and sée him as he is Theo. Beza What purenesse of heart is Purenesse of heart is the consenting and studuous purpose to kéepe the lawes of God and to meane truelye in all thy wordes and workes and to do them with a true intent PVRGATORIE How Purgatorie is vtterly disproued by the Scriptures of God VErely verely I saye vnto yea he that heareth my word beléeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting lyfe shal not come into damnation but hath passed from death vnto life He was wounded for our transgression he was broken for our iniquities The chasticement of our peace was laide vpon him and with his stripes we were made whole Saint Paule sayth Christ hath taken the oblation that was against vs and hath fastened it to the crosse c. Saint Iohn saith Blessed be the dead that dye in the Lord euen so saith the spirit For they rest from their labours and their workes followe them He saith not they be in Purgatorie but they rest from their labours Againe he saith They hunger no more they shall thirst no more for the lambe which is in the middest of the throne shall gouerne them and shal lead them not into Purgatory but into the liuing fountaine of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Saint Augustine sayth Primum locum fides Catholicorum c. The first place of Catholike faith by Gods authoritie beléeueth to be the kingdome of heuen from whence whosoeuer is not baptised is excluded The second place the same Catholike fayth beléeueth to be hell where all rūnagates whosoeuer is without the faith of Christ shall tast euerlasting punishment As for the third place we vtterly knowe none neither shall wée finde in holye Scriptures that there is anye such If there were a Purgatorie and also if that the Pope with his pardons for money may deliuer one soule thence hée may deliuer him as well without money if he may deliuer one he may deliuer a thousand if he may deliuer a thousand he may deliuer them all and so destroy Purgatorye And then is hée a cruel tyrant without all charitie if he kéepe them there in prison till men will giue him money Booke of Mar. fo 1155. Know you saith S. Austen that when the soule is departed from the body it is incontinent for his good déeds put in paradise or else throwne headlong into the dungeon of hell for his sinnes Choose you now what ye list and purpose this while ye be héere in this life either to ioye perpetuall with Saints or else to be tormented without end among wicked sinners Booke of Mar. fol. 1263 The christian saith doth holde that the onely bloud of Iesus Christ and the sacrifice that he hath done vppon the crosse for poore sinners is so sufficient to satisfie the iudgement of God and to cleanse man of his sinnes that there néedeth none other Purgatorie for them As indéede there is none other to cleanse them neither by fire nor by water nor by anye other meanes neither in this world nor in the other Therefore hée that séeketh satisfaction any wher els be it in his owne works or those of other men or in anie kinde of creature or y◠in all or in part the same he or she refuseth wholy the ransome and satisfaction made by Iesus Christ. Then it followeth that she doctrine of the Papists concerning Purgatorie and their satisfactions which they séeke in themselues and in their works or in those of their Priests Monks in their offring suffrages as wel for the liuing as for the dead are mans inuentions full of blasphemies wholy against y◠word of God wherby as much as in them is they make of none effect y◠merit benefit of Christs death passion do openly renounce the same P. Vi. How Purgatory and pardons came iointly together Polidore saith Nemo nunc dubitat c. No Catholike man now doubteth of Purgatorie wherof notwithstanding among the auncient Fathers there is either no mention at all or very seldome Yea euen to this day the Grecians beléeue it not For so long as ther was no care for purgatory no man sought after pardons Polidore de inuentio li. 8. cha 5. How Purgatory was not knowne 400. yeares after Christ S. Austen was 400. years after Christ. And yet in his time was it not fully fastly beléeued to be an Article of our faith no nor yet fully and fastly beléeued to be true for he himselfe writeth in his Enchiridion on this manner speaking of Purgatory after that he expounded the place of Paule 1. Cor. 3. and had taken this word fire not for Purgatory but for temptation and tribulation he added these words in the. 69. chapter It is not incredible that such a thing should also chaunce after this life and whether it be so or no it may be questioned c. I. Frith S. Austen ouerthroweth al praiers for the dead with this whē he teacheth that all men looketh for the resurrection of the flesh the eternall glory that euery man then receiueth the rest y◠followeth after death if he be worthy when he dieth And therfore he testifieth y◠al the godly do immediatly after death enioy y◠blessed rest as well as y◠Prophets the Apostles Martirs If their estate be such what I beseech you saith Caluine shal our praiers auaile them Cal. in his Inst. 3. b. chap. 5. Sect. 10. When say they the Lord affirmeth that the sinne against the holy Ghost shuld not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come ther he sheweth y◠ther is a forgiuenesse of some sins in the world to come But who séeth
we not to reioice therefore for we shall haue no profit at all thereby but other shall haue the profite that come thereof But this ought to be our chiefe ioye and comfort that we are elect and chosen in Christ Iesu afore the foundation of the worlde were laid whose names are written in the booke of life S. I. Ch. RELEASEMENT How releasement and payment cannot stand togethers THe Lord forgaue the seruaunt his debt ¶ By this it appeareth that saluation falleth vnto men by releasement of the debt and not for satisfieng of the debt For releasement and payment cannot stand in one respect together It ouerthroweth Popish satisfaction which say they must be done by Pilgrimages fasting and almes deedes It quencheth the fire of Purgatorie For where the debt is forgiuen the debter ought not to be punished RELIGION How couples ioyned in marriage of diuers Religions is doubtfull THe prohibition of S. Paule is that we drawe not the yoake with the vnbeleeuers which thing is to be vnderstood not only of doctrine but of all trade of life For he that toucheth pitch saith Salomon shall be defiled therewith For it cannot bée but that he which keepeth company with the vngodlye must néedes himselfe gather some infection thereby As Salomon kéeping companie with Heathen women became an Idolater Achab through the counsell of lezabel slewe the Prophets Hemmyng Be not vnequally yoked with the Infidels ¶ He séemeth to allude to that which is written Deut. 22. 10. where the Lord cōmaundeth that an Oxe and an Asse be not yoked together because the match is vnequall So if the faithfull marry with the Infidells or els haue to do with them in any thing vnlawfull it is héere reproued Eccl. 13. 18. Geneua How the Diuell is sory to see the religion of Christ flourish Diabolus gentium vocatione cruciatur c. The Diuell is sore greeued with the calling of the Heathen to the faith and with the daily decresing of his power sorrowing to sée himselfe forsaken and Christ the true King to be worshipped in all places therefore he deuiseth guyles and imagineth dissentions REMEMBER How God is said to remember GOd remembred Noe. ¶ This is not so to be vnderstood that there is any forgetfulnesse in God But the Scripture speketh after the manner of our speaking As when we maye delyuer a man that is oppressed and doth it not then it is sayde we doe forget him And when we begin to goe about his delyueraunce then it is said we doe remember him REMNAVNT Of the remnaunt that God saith he had reserued I Haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men c. ¶ He speaketh of remnaunts and reserued people which were chosen from euerlasting and not of remnaunts that should bée chosen afterward For they are not chosen because they were no Idolaters but therefore they wer no Idolaters because they were chosen and elect Theo. Beza RENT What is ment by renting of clothes HE rent his clothes ¶ It was specially vsed among the Hebrues to rent clothes when the glory of God was contemned And héere where they feared God so little as to kill their owne brother T. M. Then they rent their clothes ¶ To signifie how greatly the thing displeased them and how sorie they were for it Geneua What is ment by renting of our hearts Rent your hearts and not your garments Ioel meaneth that it is to no purpose for men to haue great store of ceremonies and to martir themselues much in outward sight of the world except their hearts be broken before And what manner of renting or breaking is it that God requireth in our hearts it is that we should be cast downe and humbled before him that when we perceiue any signes of his wrath specially when we feele the blowe of his hand already we should be patient assuring our selues that all commeth for our sinnes and that we doe not as many doe who when they be beaten with Gods rod chawe their bridles lyke mules and conceiue I wot not what a fiercenesse bitternesse which serue to set them in a rage against God notwithstanding that they make countenaunce as though they were well tamed But contrariwise as I haue said it behooueth our hearts to be rent according to the exhortation that is made vnto vs in the Psalme by laieng our hearts open before God to the ende that he should knowe all that is within it Then let vs follow the said saieng of the Prophet Ioel that we should not rent our garments but our hearts rather for therein will the true repentaunce shewe it selfe Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 46. And rent your hearts c. ¶ Mortifie your affections and serue God with purenesse of heart and not with Ceremonies Geneua REPENTAVNCE What Repentaunce is and the definition thereof REpentaunce is an vnfained tourning to God whereby wée being of a sincere feare of God once humbled doe acknowledge our sinnes and so by mortifieng our olde man are afresh renued by the spirit of God Bulling fol. 562. Repentaunce is a very displeasure which man hath in his heart of his sinne the which ingenderesh in him an hatred against sinne a desire to liue better in time to come reseruing his life to the will of God Peter Viret Repentaunce is nothing but a conuersion of the minde and an alteration of the former opinion as appeareth by the sayeng of the Prophet Turne vnto me and ye shall be safe Againe I will not the death of a sinner but that he turne liue Also Repent and amende that your sinnes may be done away Marl. Repentaunce is an inward thing which hath his seate in the heart and minde and bringeth foorth fruits in chaunging the life Marl. vpon Math. fol. 47. Concerning this word Repentaunce as they vsed Penaunce the Hebrue hath in the olde Testament generally Sob Turne or be conuerted for which the Translation that we take for S. Hieromes hath most part Conuert◠to turne or to bee conuerted And sometime Agite poenitentiam And y◠Gréeke in the new Testament hath perpetually Metanoeo to tourne in the heart and minde and to come into the right knowledge to a mans right wit againe for which Metanoeo S Hieroms translation hath sometime Ago poenitentiam I doe repent Sometime Poeniteor I am repentaunt Sometime Habeo poenitentiam I haue repentaunce Sometime Poenitet me it repenteth me And Erasmus vseth much this word Recipisco I come to my selfe or to my right minde againe And the very sense and signification both of the Hebrue also of the Gréeke word is to be conuerted and to turne to God with all the heart to know his will and to liue according to his lawes and to be cured of our corrupt nature with the Oyle of his spirit wine of obedience of his doctrine which conuersion or turning if it be vnfained these foure doe accompanie it and are included therein Confession not in
saith S. Austen that the manners of euill men hinder not the sacraments of God that either they vtterly be not or be lesse holy but they hinder the euill men themselues so yâ— they haue the sacraments to witnesse of their damnation not to helpe of their saluation And all processe spoken there by S. Austen is spoken chiefely of Baptime against the Donatists which said yâ— Baptime was naught if either the Minister or receiuer were naught Against whom S. Austen concludeth that the sacraments themselues be holy and be all one whether the Minister or receiuer bée good or bad Cranmer fol. 63. What the olde fathers doe teach of the sacrament Ireneus S. Agustine and other auncient Doctors yea and the Canon law doth teach there must be both the outward Element which in Baptime is water and in the Lords supper bread and wine and the outward grace as the two principalls thereof Take away the bread and wine and then it is no sacrament How the sacrament is our body Because Christ hath suffered for vs he hath betaken vnto vs in this sacrament his body and bloud which he hath made also euen our selues for we also are made his body by his mercie we are euen the same thing that we receiue And after hée saith Now in the name of Christ ye are come as a man wold say to the Chalice of the Lord there are ye vpon the Table and there are ye in the Chalice ¶ Héere ye may sée that the Sacrament is our body and yet it is not our naturall body but in a mysterie I. Frith If you wil vnderstand the body of Christ heare the Apostle which saith Ye are the body of Christ members 1. Cor. 12. 27. Therefore if ye be the body of Christ members your misterie is put vpon the Lords Table ye receiue the mysterie of the Lord vnto that you are you aunswere Amen and in aunswering subscribe vnto it ¶ Héere we may sée the Sacrament is also our body and yet is not our naturall body but onely our body in a mysterie that is to say a figure signe memorial or representation of our body For as the bread is made of many graines or cornes so we though we be many are bread one body for this propertie and similitude it is called our body beareth the name of the very thing which it doth represent and signifie I. Frith As the sacrament of the Altar is our body euen so it is Christs First vnderstand ye that in yâ— wine which is called Christs bloud is admixed water which doth signifie the people yâ— are redéemed with his bloud so that yâ— head which is Christ is not without his body which is the faithful people nor the body without the head Now if the wine when it is consecrate be turned bodely into Christs bloud then it is also necessary that the water which is admixed be bodely turned into the bloud of the faithfull people for wheras is one consecration must folow one operation whereas is like reson ther must follow like mysterie But whatsouer is signified by the water as concerning the faithfull people is taken spiritually therefore whatsoeuer is spoken of the bloud in the wine must also néedes be taken spiritually This is Bartrams reason vpon a. 700. yeares since How in the sacrament there can be no accident without his substance In the sacrament of the Altar saith I. Puruay after yâ— consecration ther is not neither can be any accident with yâ— substance but ther verely remaineth the same substance the very visible incorruptible bread likewise the very same wine yâ— which before yâ— consecratioÌ„ wer set vpon the Altar to be consecrate by yâ— Priest likewise as wheÌ„ a PagaÌ„ or Infidel is baptised he is spiritually coÌ„uerted into a meÌ„ber of Christ yet remaineth yâ— very same maÌ„ which he before was in proper nature substaÌ„ce B. of M. 649. Of a new article inuented in the sacrament Innocentius the third Pope was the head of Antichrist who after the letting loose of Satan inuented a new Article of our faith a certaine fained veritie touching the sacrament of tâ—e Altar that is to say that the Sacrament of the Altar is an â—â—cident without a substance But Christ his Apostles do teach manifestly yâ— the sacrament of the Altar is bread the body of Christ together after yâ— manner yâ— he spake And in yâ— he calleth it bread he wold haue the people to vnderstand as they ought with reason that it is very and substanciall bread no false nor fained bread In the b. of Mar. fol. 649. Of the sacramentall chaunge Of the sacramentall chaunge S. Bede which was about 900. yeres agoe saith thus The creature of the bread wine by the ineffable sanctification of the spirit is turned into the sacrament of Christs flesh and bloud In sacraments saith S. Augustine we must consider not what they be of themselues but what they doe signifie S. Ambrose saith What sawest thou in thy Baptime water no doubt but not onely water Againe he saith Before the blessing of the heauenly words it is called another kinde but after the consecration the body of Christ is signified Of the sacramentall word Let the word saith S. Austen be added to the element and there shall be made a Sacrament For whence commeth this so great strength to the water to touch the body wash the soule but by the word making it not because it is spoken but because it is beléeued For in the very word it selfe the sound which passeth is one thing the power which abideth is another This is the word of faith which we preach saith the Apostle whervpon in the Actes of the Apostles it is said By faith cleansing their hearts c. Cal. in his Inst. 4. b. chap. 14. sect 4. How in the sacrament remaineth bread wine That which you sée saith S. Austen in the altar is the bread the cup which also your eyes doe shew you but faith the weth you further the bread is the body of Christ the cup his bloud ¶ Heere he declareth two thingâ— yâ— in the sacrament remaineth bread wine which we may discerne with our eyes that the bread and wine be called the body and bloud of Christ. He that called his naturall body saith Theodoretus wheate and bread and also called himselfe a Uine the selfe same called bread and wine his body and bloud and yet chaunged not their nature And in his Dialogue he saith more plainely for saith he as the bread and wine after the consecration lost not theyr proper nature but kept their former substaunce forme figure which thâ—y had before euen so the body of Christ after his Ascention was chaunged into the godly substaunce Of the sacramentall eating ¶ Looke Eating What is to be wondred at in the sacraments The wonder is not
of the Tabernacle wherin the Arke of couenaunt the propiciatorie seate and the golden Censures were kept yet almightie God to preserue the people of Israel from worshipping of hills and mountaines woods and groues as the Heathen Idolaters did he commaunded Moses to make him a Tabernacle within the which Tabernacle the chiefe part was called Sanctum sanctorum the holy of the holyest where God promised fauourably to heare the praiers of the people And at such time as this Psalme was made this Sanctuary was placed by the Commaundement of King Dauid in the mount and high tower belonging to the Citie of Hierusalem called Syon and according to the same hée commaunded now the people to pray in this Psalme made for the preseruation of their King and say Mittet tibi auxilium c. The Lord sende vnto thée helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Syon That is the Lord which hath promised to heare your praiers out of his Sanctuary the holy of holyest which is now placed in Mount Syon O King the same Lord send thée helpe and defend thee Turnar What it is to feare the Sanctuary And feare my Sanctuary ¶ To feare the Sanctuary is diligently to performe the true worshipping seruice of God and leaue of nothing to obserue and kéepe the purenesse both of body and minde verely and not Hypocrite lyke to beléeue that hee knoweth beholdeth doeth and ruleth all things to beware of offending him and with all feare and diligence to walke in the pathes of his lawes T. M. SAPHIRE The nature of the Saphire what is ment by it THe second a Saphire ¶ This stone is lyke the cléere skie which being striken with the Sun beames casteth foorth a burning brightnes And it betokeneth the highnesse of the hope of holy men whose conuersation is in heuen Phi. 3. 20. And who being renued by the true sonne doe the more earnestly séeke euerlasting things and teach other to doe the same Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 299. The second foundation was of a Saphyre whose colour is as the aire cleare but not very precious in sight This betokeneth those simple soules which though they were as Iob Ioseph the Carpenter not precious to the world yet had they their daily conuersation in heauen Bale SAPIENCE A definition of this word Sapience SApience is defined to be the knowledge of things pertaining to God and man and of things diuine and worldly which they that had gotten were called Sapientes that is men of perfect knowledge vertue and honestie For of right knowledge consequently ensueth honestie of life Vdall SARDINE A description of this stone and what it betokeneth THe sixt a Sardine ¶ This stone is all of one colour lyke bloud and it betokeneth the glorye of Martirdome after the suffering of the Martyrs themselues Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. The sixt a Sardine which in similitude is very lyke vnto redde earth and such are they as notwithstanding the great benefite of God thinketh themselues the vnworthy children of Adam whose interpretation after Philo is redde earth indéede Mary Christs mother was of this sort confessing hir selfe after most high benefits to be but an handmaid and hir spirite to reioyce in God hir Sauiour So was Abraham calling himselfe but dust and Ashes before the Lord. Bale SARDIS What Sardis is CHurch which is at Sardis ¶ Sardis is the name of a most flourishing Citie wher the kings of Lydia kept their Courts This Sardis which is as much to say as a prince of plesantnes or a song of mirth or that which is the remnaunt or leauing of a thing or in the Syrian language a Cauldron was also another Citie whose scituation is notwithstanding vnknâ—wen Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 19. SARDONIX The description of the Sardonix and what it betokeneth THe 5. a Sardonix ¶ A Sardonix is of diuers colours Blacke in the bottome white in the mids and red in the top Euen so the Saints are red through sufferaunce of aduersities and troubles white by inward purenesse of conscience blacke or despised in themselues through lowlinesse Marl. fol. 299. The. 5. was a Sardonix which is compounded of a Sardiâ— and an Onix and is beneath blacke in the middle white and aboue red Such were those méeke sprited that confesseth themselues sinners with Dauid and Magdalene being through faith both pure and orient before God Though I be blacke saith the true Congregation yet am I faire and well fauoured We faint not saith Paule for though our outward man be corrupt yet is he that is inward daily renued Bale SATAN How Satan is taken for an enimie and aduersary SAtan doth signifie an enimie an aduersary a hurtful person as Dauid sayd What matter is betweene you and me for this day ye are become aduersaries vnto me The latin text hath Cur efficimini mihi hodie in Satan EueÌ„ so to Peter perswading Christ from the Crosse it was said Come after me Satan for he was an aduersary vnto Christ reuoking him from his Fathers commaundement Marl. fol. 38. How Satan is called the Prince of this world S. Austen in his treatise vpon Iohn 15. saith God forbidde we should thinke the Diuell were so called the Prince of the world that we should beleeue that he is able to rule ouer Heauen and earth but the world for he is said to be the Prince of this world is saide to be in wicked men which are dispearsed throughout the whole compasse of the earth And againe the same Augustine in his 1. chap. De agone christia saith The Prince of this world is cast out not that he is cast out of the worlde but out of their mindes which cleaue vnto the word of God and loue not the world whereof he is Prince because he hath dominion ouer them which loue temporal goods which are contained in this visible world not for the he is Lord of this world but Prince of those concupiscences whereby euery thing is coueted that is transitory By this concupiscence the Diuel raigneth in man and holdeth his heart in possession Bullâ—n fol. 750. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out ¶ Satan is called Prince of this world not because he is the lawful Prince of the same but by rapine by which he hath made mankindâ— subiect vnto him by sinne Other wise the earth is the Lords all that therein is the compasse of the world and they the dwell therein The Apostle Paule calleth him the God of this world which worketh in the children of vnbeliefe by whom they are helde captiue to his will pleasure for his kingdome is in the hearts of the vnbeléeuers but by the power of Christ he is cast out of the hearts of mortall men And now we must take héed least he get entraunce againe into his olde seate Christ and the Prince of this world cannot reigne together Christ béeing let in expelleth Satan and Satan
owe thée euill will ¶ Scornful or mocking persons after Dauid Kimhi are those which be subtill and craftie to hurt other and which are ready to defame other and to open and tell secrets and so to breake concord vnitie those also which make a mocke at the word of God and despise it for foolishnesse as in the 14. 6. and. 19. 25. and. 22. 10. ¶ Rebuke not a scorner c. Meaning them that are incorrigible which Christ calleth dogs swine or he speaketh this in comparison not that the wicked should not be rebuked but hée sheweth their mallice and the small hope of profit Geneua SCORPION The Papists compared to Scorpions IN three respâ—cts are Heretikes and specially the Disciples of Antichrist Hipocrites compared to Scorpions First because that lyke as a Scorpion whereas he is milde to looke vnto doth at length strike priuely with venomous sting for these men pretend simplicitie before the world and yet worke mischiefe by defaming men behinde their backes Secondly because that the Scorpions â—ting s 〈…〉 ngeth with his taile so these men preferre temporail gaine before spirituall graces wound mens consciences deadly when they promise most to help theÌ„ And thirdly because that when a Scorpion stingeth with his taile he is not felt at the first but yet sheweth in his poyson by little and little afterward So they that be beguiled with those Heretikes féele not the wound at the first but when the poyson hath rankeled through all the inward parts then they feele theÌ„selues stong in the end Of these men the Apostle writeth thus They that be of that sect serue not the Lord Iesus but their bellies and deceiue the hearts of the simple through faire speach flatterie Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 129. ¶ They stung their consciences with terrible dreames and visions and with fearfull reâ—elations of Purgatorie of Hell to builde them vp faire houses and to lyue in wealth and pleasure Finally they venomed their faith with their poysoned councells and promises so tooke they from them yâ— true hope in Christ making merchandise of them through couetousnes faire words Thus cloystering together lyke Locusts they haue left nothing gréene but they haue withered and destroyed No workes might then be vsed of Gods prescription but such as were fantasied by them for aduauntage as Masses founding Chauntries building Priests singing Images gylting kissing of reliques praieng to dead men and such lyke And when they were once franke and full they stoode vp togethers proudly against the Lord and his word Bale ¶ As the Scorpions of the earth haue power That is secretly to persecute and to sting with their taile as Scorpions do such is the fashion of the Hypocrites Geneua As the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hée hath stong a man ¶ For at the beginning the sting of the conscience séemeth as nothing but except they soone seeke remedye they perish Esay 2. 19. Ose. 10. 8. Luke 23. 30. Geneua SCRIBE What a Scribe is A Scribe was he that had the office of interpreting aunswering vnto the sentences of the Prophets as it appeareth of Herod as king the Scribes in the third chapter afore In an other place he supposeth that they wer officers as our Bishops Chauncelers Commissioners Archdeacons Officials Tind Euery Scribe which is taught c. ¶ The office of Scribes was to interpret and to expound the Law and the Prophets He is then a Scribe taught to the Kingdome of God that hath the spirit that is to say the true meaning of the Law and of the Prophets and not onely out of the dead letter but out of the treasure of his heart and with a feruent spirite of GOD bringeth â—oorth Christ out of the Lawe and Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Because the Scribes office was to expound the scriptures he meaneth him that doth interpret them aright and according to the spirit Geneua ¶ Euery Scribe bringeth forth of his treasure things both new and olde new things that is the swéete tidings of yâ— Gospell to vnbinde vs and olde things that is the olde Testament and Moses lawe to binde vs. The Scribes were the Doctors of the Lawe foolish and superstitious Glosers maintainers of blinde customes contrarye to the truth Epiph. de haeres SCRIPTVRE How the Scriptures are easie to be vnderstood IT may be said the Scriptures are hard yet that notwithstanding if thou read them they shall doe thee good for the Lord Iesus Christ if he finde vs occupied in the scriptures and exercised in the studie thereof not only vouchsafeth himselfe to be refreshed and fed in vs but also séeing such a banket prepared bringeth with him his father vnto vs. Origen in his 20. hom vpon Iosua Northbrooke At the comming of Messias the people shall be lifted vp and shall prophecie that before lay asléepe vnder their masters And they shall goe vnto the mountaines of the Scriptures there shall they finde Mountaines Moses and Iosua the sonne of Nun the Mountaines of the Prophets the Mountaines of the new Testament the Apostles and Euangelists and when they shall flye to such Mountaines and shall be occupied in the reading therof if they finde not one to teach them yet shal their indeuour or good minde be allowed for that they haue fledde to the Mountaines Hierom vpon the. 3. Chap. of Nahum I. Northbrooke It cannot be possible that he that with earnest studie and feruent desire readeth the Scriptures should euermore be forsaken for although he want the instruction of man yet God him selfe from aboue entring into our hearts lighteneth the minde powreth his beames into our wits openeth things that wer hidden becommeth vnto vs a schoolemaster of that we know not Namely if we will doe so much as lyeth in vs. Chrisost. in his 36. hom vpon Genesis I. Northbrooke We by our selues without a master shal be able to vnderstand the things which are there intreated off So that we occupie our selues in these Epistles day and night for we doe not by the sharpnesse of wit and vnderstanding pearse vnto all those things which we vnderstand For euen they which are of more dull wits doe by continuall studie atteine to hard things Euen as the cogitations and senses of man are most hard to bée knowne yet notwithstanding our friends whom we feruently loue and with whom we are continually conuersant do oftentimes euen by a becke open vnto vs the cogitations and senses of their mindes without any token of words speach by them spoken So shall it come to passe in these Epistles of holy scriptures so that a man loue them and be continually conuersant in them He which asketh receiueth and he which séeketh findeth vnto him that knocketh it shall be opened Chris. in his Pref. to the Rom. I. N. The Scripture of God is lyke vnto a Pothecaries shoppe full of medicines of sundrie sortes that euery
man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Basil vpon the first Psal. I. Northbrooke In the word of God is plentie for the strong man to eate there is inough for the childe to sucke There is also milke to drinke wherwith the tender infants of the faithfull be nourished and strong meats wherwith the lustie youth of them that is perfect may receiue the spirituall increasement of holy vertue Fulgentius in his Sermon of the confessours I. Northb. Nothing can deceiue them that search the holy Scriptures for that is the candle whereby the theefe is spied Theophilactus of Lazarus I. N. The Scripture is a flud wherin the little lambe may wade and the great Olyphant may swimme Gregorie in his Epistle to Leonard I. N. The Scriptures are easie to the slaue to the husbandman to the childe and to him that may séeme to be verye simple of vnderstanding Chrisost. in his first Homil. vpon Mat. How Christ and the Church are learned in the Scriptures In the Scriptures we haue learned Christ In the Scriptures we haue learned the Church These Scriptures wée haue commonlye and why doe wee not commonlye retaine both Christ and the Church in them August Epist. 166. Against them that finde fault that the Scriptures be darke The holy spirit hath so nobly and wholesomely tempered the holy Scriptures that he might with the easie places of it serue the greedy hunger of men and with the dark places to take away the loathsomenesse For there is no point almost found in the darknesse of it which is not plainely spoken in some other place Whereby saith Musculus it is manifest inough that if any thing be spoken darkly in some place of the Scriptures the light of it must be sought ought of those places where the matter is more plainly expressed c. Mus. fol. 151. Where things are more plainely vttered in the Scriptures there must we learne how they are to be vnderstood in darke places August li. 83. quest Let vs come saith Chrisostome to the leuell and marke of the holy Scripture which doth expound it selfe And by and by after The sacred Scripture expoundeth himselfe and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Chrisostom in his 2. chap. Gen. Homil. 13. In the Scriptures are all things needfull for our saluation The holy Scriptures béeing inspired from God are sufficient to all instructions of truth Athanasius against the Gentiles Not all things the the Lord Iesus did are written as the Euangelist witnesseth For the Lord both did sayd many things that are not written but these were chosen out to be written which séemed sufficient for the saluation of the vnbeleeuers Augustin to the Bre. in the wildernesse in his 49. treatise vppon Iohn Whatsoeuer is required for our saluation is already conteined in the holy Scriptures He that is ignoraunt shall finde there what he may learne He that is stubburne and a sinner may finde there scourges of the iudgement to come the which he may feare He that is troubled may finde ioyes and promises of euerâ—asting lyfe through the beholding of which he may be stirred to good works Chrisost. in his 19. Homil. vpon Math. Reade the Scriptures wherein ye shall finde fully what is to be followed and what is to be auoided not all thinges that our Lorde Iesus did are written c. As before is sayd Augustine to the brethren in c. For as much as Christ himselfe hath not reuealed these things which of vs will saye they bée these or these For who is there either so vaine or so rash who notwithstanding hée speaketh the truth to whome he lysteth and what he lyâ—teth will affirme without anye testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the things that the Lord would not then open Augustine in the. 96. treatise vpon Iohn If there be anie thing néedfull to be knowne or not to bâ—e knowne we shall learne it by the holy Scriptures if we shall néed to report a falsehood we shal fetch it out from thence if to be corrected to be chastened to be exhorted or comforted to be short if ought lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same Scriptures Chrisost. vpon the. 2. of Tim. the 3. chap. Lyke as in a Merchaunts ship are carried diuerse things necessarie for mans lyfe So in the Scriptures are conteined all things néedfull to saluation Lyra vpon the last chap. of the Prouerbs How holy Scripture is to be read Now to the intent that the reading of holy Scripture may be to our profite we must applye our selues to it not onelye thankfully and reuerently but also with great sobernesse and pure affection ioyning prayer therevnto also For God reuealeth his mysteries out of heauen Dan. 2. 18. He giueth vnderstanding to the lyttle ones Psal. 119. 130. according also as Christ teacheth Mat. 12. 25. Notwithstanding for as much as it is not giuen to all men to read holy writ ther is expresse mention made of hearing which ingendereth faith by the effectuall working of yâ— holy Ghost in mens harts for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 27. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 6. ¶ Looke Search Of the ignoraunce and knowledge of Scriptures Ignoraunce of the Scriptures sayth Saint Hierome is the mother and cause of errours And in an other place he saith the knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of euerlasting life Hierom. in the. 23. of Math. How by the Scriptures all doubts are tried Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to read the holy Scriptures for by the same Scriptures only the iudgement of this triall must be allowed Origen in his â—0 boo 16. chap. to the Rom. Neuer moue question héereof but onely learne of the holy Scriptures For the onely proues that ye shall there finde are sufficient to proue the Godhead of the holy God We must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for our iudgements and expositions without these witnesses they carrie no credit Origen in his first Homely vpon Ieremy We must read the Scriptures with all dilligence and bée occupied in the lawe of the Lord both day night yâ— we may become perfect exchangers be able rightly to discerne what money is lawfull and what is counterfait Hierom. in his 3. b. and. 5. chap. to the Ephe. I require the voice of the shepheard read me this matter out of the Prophets read me out of the Psalmes read it out of the lawe read it out of the Gospels read it out of the Apostles August in his booke of Pastors the. 14. chap. Neither will I alleadge the Councell of Nice against you nor shall you alleadge the Councell of Arminium against mée By the authoritie of Scriptures let vs weigh matter with matter cause with cause
was a fountaine at the foote of mount Syon out of the which ran a small riuer through the citieâ— meaning that they of Iuda distrusting their owne power which was small desired such power and riches as they sawe in Sytia and Israel Geneua ¶ Looke Water How that by Siloh Christ is meant The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda c. vntill Siloh come ¶ Which is Christ the Messias the giuer of all prosperitie who shall call the Gentiles to saluation Geneua ¶ The Scepter shall not be taken away from Iuda till Siloh come that is to say the séede of a woman which is Christ the Lord Hemmyng Of the tower of Siloh Upon whom the tower of Siloh fell ¶ To wit in the place or riuer for Siloh was a small riuer from which the conduits of the citie came whereof Iohn 9. 7. Esay 8. 6. and therefore it was a tower of castle built vpon the Conduit side which fell downe sodeinly and killed some Beza SILVER What it is to turne siluer into drosse THy siluer is turned into drosse c. ¶ To turne siluer into drosse to mixe wine with water is depraue the heauenly word of God and to corrupt the pure iudgement thereof for couetous sake which thing was vsed in Paules time as ye may sée 2. Cor. 4. 2. much more now be ye sure T. M. ¶ Whatsoeuer was pure in thée before is now corrupt though thou haue an outward shew Geneua What a siluerling is And found it fiftie thousand siluerlings ¶ These siluerlings which we now call pence the Iewes call sicles and are worth ten pence sterling a péece which summe mounteth to of our money about 2000. Marks SIMON MAGVS Of his hereticall opinions and of his end SImon Magus the forcerer being a Samaritane of the village Gitton was baptised by Philip The Deacon in Samaria he would haue bought of Peter the gift of the holy Ghost Of him rose the word Simonie Act. 8. Euse. lâ— 2. cap. 1. He came to Rome in the time of Claudius he called himselfe a God hée was honoured there with a picture hauing this superscription Simoni Deo sancto He had to his yoke mate one Helen whoÌ„ Ireneus calleth Selen a witch and a common haâ—lot whome hée called the principall vnderstanding Euse. li. 2. chap. 12. 13. 14. He sayd vnto the Samaritanes that he was the Father vnto the Iewes that he was the sonne descended from heauen vnto the Gentiles that he was the holy Ghost Ireneus li. 1. cap. 20. Epipha li. 1. Tom. 2. heraes 21. Peter foiled him in Samaria where for shame he fled and leauing Samaria and Iudea he sayled from East to West thinking to liue at his hearts ease came to Rome vnder Claudius where Peter also being sent no doubt by the holy Ghost met him Euse. Eccle. hist. li. 2. chapter 14. 15. Peter had much to doe with him in the presence of Nero as Anton. Chron. writeth He had thrée conflicts with him In the end Symon séeing himselfe foyled and his witchcraft preuailing not at all told them he would leaue their Citie and flye vp into the heauens whence he came wherefore vppon a certeine daye appointed he climed vp into the high Capitoll whence he tooke his flight by the meanes of his witchcraft and the spirits which bore him in the ayre the people at the sight héere of were amazed But Peter fell downe and prayed vnto God that his witchcraft might be reuealed vnto the world He had no sooner prayed but downe commeth Symon Magus and brused himselfe in péeces so that thereby he dyed miserablye Abdias Babylon Apost hist. li. 1. Aegisip li. 3. chap. 2. Epiphan li. Tom. 2. heraes 21. Anto. Chron. Part. 1. Tit. 6. cap. 4. Of Simon Chananeus the Apostle Symon called Chananeus which was brother to Iude and to Iames the younger which all were the sonnes of Marye Cleopha and of Alpheus was Bishoppe of Hierusalem after Iames and was crucified in a Citie of Aegypt in the time of Traianus the Emperour as Dorotheus recordeth but Abdias writeth that he with his brother Iude were both â—laine by a tumult of the people in Suanier a Citie of Persidis In the booke of Mar. fol. 52. SIMPLE Who are simple HE is simple that is without craft or â—eceit and continueth in beléeuing and executing of Gods will Iacob was called a simple man Gen. 25. 27. SINAGOGVE What a Sinagogue is ACcording to the Greeke word it is called a Sinagogue and to the Latine word a place for the people to assemble together to heare diuine matters by the which name also the places for the assembly of the ecclesiasticall persons are called Marl. vpon Math. Sinagâ—gues are thought of certeine to be conuenient places of resort erected in the stréets or market place To other it seemeth to be an ecclesiasticall place of resort wherevnto the people come to heare the word of God Marl. SINGING The meaning of these two places following BE not filled with wine wherein is wantonnesse but be yée filled with the spirit speaking to your selues in Psalmes hymns spiritual songs singing in your hearts giuing thanks alwayes vnto God for all things in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ To Wineâ— yâ— Apostle setteth the spirit as contrary and forbiddeth the pleasure of the senses when in stéed of wine he will haue Christians filled with the spirit for in Wine as he sayth is wantonnesse but in the spirit is both a true perfect ioy Dronkards speake more then inough but yet foolish and vaine things Speake ye saith he but yet spirituall things and that not onely in voice but also in heart for the voice soundeth in vaine where the minde is not affected they which be filled with wine doe speak foolish filthy and blasphemous things but giue ye thanks to God alwaies I say and for all things Let the word of the Lord abound plenteously in you teach admonish ye one another in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs singing in your hearts with grace ¶ By these wordes Paule expresseth two thinges first that our songs be the word of God which must abounde plenteously in vs and they must not serue onely to giuing of thankes but also to teach and admonish And then it is added with grace which is thus to vnderstande as though he shoulde haue sayde aptlye and properlye both to the senses and to measures and also vnto the voices Let them not sing rude and rusticall things neither let it be immoderatly as doe the Tauerne hunters To the Corinthians where he intreateth of an holy assembly the same Apostle writeth after this manner When ye asseÌ„ble together according as euery one of you hath a Psalme or hath doctrine or hath tongue or hath reuelation or hath interpretation let all things bee done vnto edifieng By which wordes is declared that singers of songes and Psalmes had their place in the Church Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic.
reproued of all men then fornication it selfe False Prophets false Apostles and false Priests sprang vp which vnder a counterfait religion deceiued the people the most part of them vnder the honest name of chastitie commit whooredome adultery incest commonly and without punishment The Bishops Priests of this time how do they endeuour to kéepe either in heart or in hody the holynesse of chastitie without which no man shall sée God They are giuen ouer into a reprobate minde and doe those things that are not conuenient for it were shame to vtter what these Bishops do in secret Againe he saith absteining from the remedy of marriage afterward they flow ouer into all kinde of wickednesse Againe such notorious filthynesse of lecherie there is in manye partes of the world not onely in the inferiour Clarkes but also in Priests yea in the greatest Prelates which thing is horrible to be heard Bar. de conuers ad cleri chap. 19. in ope triperti li. 3. cha 7. Huldericus the Bishop of Augusta in Germany wrote sharply against Pope Nicholas in this wise I haue founde thy decrées touching the single lyfe of Priests to be voyde of discreation thou séest that many followers of thy counsell willing vnder a feined colour of continēt life rather to please man then God commit hainous actes in the end he concludeth thus by such discipline of discretion as you know best roote this Pharesaicall doctrine out of Gods folde I beléeue it were a good lawe and for the wealth and safety of soules that such as cannot liue chast may contract matrimonie For we learne by experience that of the law of continence or single lyfe the contrarie effect hath followed for as much as now a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane chast but with their great sinnes are defiled with vnlawfull copulation whereas with their owne wiues they should liue chastly Therefore the Church ought to doe as the skilfull Phisition vseth to doe who if he sée by experience that his medicine hurteth rather then doth good taketh it cleane away And would to God the same waye were taken with all positiue constitutions SINNE The definition of sinne SAint Augustine in his 2. booke De consensu Euangelistarum saith Sinne is the transgression of the law Ad simpliciatum li. 1. Sin is an inordinatenesse or peruersenesse of man that is a turning from the more excellent creator a turning to the inferiour creatures De fide contra Manichaeus cap. 8. he saith What is it else to sinne but to erre in the precepts of truth or in the truth it selfe Again Contra Faustū Manicheū li. 22. ca. 27. Sin is a déed a word or a wish against the law of God The same Augustine De duobus animabus contra Manichaeus ca. 11 saith Sin is a will to reteine or obteine the which iustice forbiddeth is not frée to absteine And in Retract li. 1. cap. 5. he saith That will is a motion of the minde with copulation either not to loose or else to obteine some one thing or other All which definitions as I do not vtterly reiect saith Bullinger so do I wish this to be considered thought of with the rest Sin is the naturall corruption of mankind the action which ariseth of it contrary to the law of God whose wrath that is both death sundry punishments it bringeth vpon vs. Bullinger fo 478. What sinne is Sin in the scripture is not called the outward work only committed by the body but all the whole busines whatsoeuer acompanieth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward déede and that whence the works spring as vnbeleefe pronenesse readinesse vnto the déede in the ground of the heart with all his powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sin So that we say the a man thē sinneth when he is carried away headlong into sinne altogether as much as he is of that poison inclination corrupt nature wherein he was conceiued and borne for there is none outward sinne committed except a man be carried away altogether with life soule heart body lust minde therevnto The Scripture looketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the race originall fountaine of all sin which is vnbeléefe in the bottome of the heart for as faith onely iustifieth and bringeth the spirit and lust vnto outward good works euen so vnbeleefe onely damneth kéepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh stirreth vp lust vnto euil outward works as it fortuned to Adam Eue in Paradise Ge. 3. For this cause Christ calleth sin vnbeléefe and that notably in the. 16. of Iohn The spirit saith hée shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beléeue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes there must néeds hée fayth in the heart whence they spring And before all bad déeds and bad fruits there must néedes be vnbeléefe in y◠heart as in the roote fountaine pith and strength of all sinne which vnbeléefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seede Christ must tread vnder foote as it was promised to Adam Tindale in his Pro. to the Rom. How euery sinne is mortall That euery sinne is mortall in that it is sinne is euident by the words of God himselfe who can best iudge in this matter In the. 18. of Ezechiel verse 4. saieng thus The soule that sinneth shall dye héere is no exception or difference made of sinne but any sinne in that it is sinne is deadly as Saint Paule sayth Rom 6. 23. For the reward of sinne is death Héere also you see that Saint Paule maketh no difference of sinne but that Mors death is the reward of sinne generally without exception And Saint Iohn sayth Euerie one that committeth sinne the same also committeth iniquitie and sinne is iniquitie Heere also you see that Saint Iohn sayth making no difference of sinne that sinne in that it is sinne it is iniquitie without exception Christ sayth that out of the heart procéedeth euill thoughts murthers adulteryes c. And againe hée sayth That whosoeuer beholdeth an other mans wife to lust after her hath already committed adulterye with her in his heart And Saint Iohn following his maister lyke a good scholler saith thus Omnis qui odit c. Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer So it is euident by the sacred Scriptures that all sinnes without exception are mortall and deadly I. Gough The Doctours saieng in this matter There were also before Christ worthy men both Prophets and Priests but yet conceiued and borne in sin Neither were they frée from originall and actuall sinne And there was found in them all either ignoraunce or insufficiencie in which they going astray haue sinned and haue néeded the mercye of God By the which béeing taught and instructed haue giuen thanks to God haue cōfessed themselues to haue lacked much of the full measure of
shall saue his lyfe his soule that is his life shall be vnto him as a pray because he should vtterly haue lost it if hée had bidden in Hierosalem and by flieng to the Chaldees he should winne it euen as a man winneth a praye in battell T. M. How satan hath no power of the soule of the godly God hath giuen Satan leaue to punish Iob he sayth to him beholde thou maist worke thy spite vpon his substaunce but much not his person And againe after he hath destroyed all his goods he sayth Thou maist touch his person but thou shalt not come â—eere his soule Hâ—â—reâ—â— agaâ—â— we see how God reserueth alwayes the soule of Iob sol 〈…〉 Satan can no more but torment him in his goods and in his mortall lyfe and in his honour for he had not the power to â—â—lter into his soule to seduâ—e him and to make him to burst out into impatience Caluiâ—â—e fol. 22. How the soules departed know not what is done in earth If the soules of the dead departed sayth Saint Austen were present at the affaires of the liuing then woulde they speake vnto vs when we sée them in our sléepe and to omit others my tender mother would forsake me neuer a night which followed by sea by land to the end she might liue together with me God forbid she should become cruell in the happâ—er life so that if ought al anytime greiue my heart she comfort not her sorrowfull sonne whom she loued entirely whome she would neuer see sadde But in good sooth that which the sacred Psalme soundoth out is true My Father and my Mother hath forsaken me but the Lord tooke me vp if our Fathers haue forsaken vs how are they present at our cares businesse If our parents be not present what other of the departed bée there which know what we doe or what we suffer The Prophet Esay sayth Abraham hath bene ignorant of vs and Israel hath not knowne vs. God of his great goodnesse promised Iosias that he should dye be gathered vnto his people least yâ— he should sée the plagues which he threatned shuld happeÌ„ to yâ— place people Chrisostome writeth that the diuels vseth to say to the liuing Anima talis ego sum I am such a mans soule to the ende he may deceiue him Chrisost. Mat. chap. 8. Cipriane saith The wicked spirits doe hide themselues in pictures and Images consecrated they inspire the mindes of the Prophets they holden the heart strings intrailes they gouerne the flieng of birds they sort lots they sift out Oracles they mingle alwayes falsehood and truth togethers they distemper the health for they deceiue and are deceiued They trouble the lyfe they disquiet the sléepe and créeping into the bodyes they fray the secrets of the minde they bring the limâ— out of fashion they distemper the health they vexe with diseases that they may compell the poore silly wretches to the worshipping of them that being filled with the sauour from the altars and burnt bowels of bâ—astâ— loosing the thing which they bound They may séeme to cure for this is their curing and healing when they cease to hurt Cipriane de Idol vanitate SOVND Why Caluine doth vse this word Sound and not perfect HE was a sound man ¶ This word sound in the Scripture is taken for a plainâ—nesse when there is no point of sayuing counter feiting or hypocriste in a man but that he sheweth himselfe the same out wardly that he is inwardly and specially when he hath no starting holes to shift himselfe from God but â—aâ—eth open his heart and all his thoughts and affections so that he desireth nothing but to consecrate and dedicate himself wholy vnto God The same word also hath ben translated perfect as well by the Gréekes as by the Latines But forasmuch as the word perfect hath afterward bene misconstrued it is better for vs to vse the word sound for many ignoraunt persons not knowing how the sayd perfection is to bée taken haue thought thus Beholde héere a man that is called perfect and therefore it followeth that it is possible for vs to haue perfection in our selues euen during the time wée walke in this present lyfe but they deface the grace of God whereof wée haue néede continually For euen they that haue liued most vprightly must haue recourse to Gods mercye and except their sinnes be forgiuen them and that God vpholde them they must needes all perish So then although that they which haue vsed this word perfect haue meant well yet notwithstanding forasmuch as there hath bene some that haue wrast it to a contrarye sense as I haue sayde let vs kéepe still this worde Sounde Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 3. SOVVE What it is to sowe in the flesh and to sowe in the spirit TO sow in the flesh is to prouido for the néedes of this present lyfe without regard of the lyfe to come It is to bée all for a mans owne selfe to feede his owne paunch onely and to bestowe nothing to the mainteinaunce of the spirituall functions And to sowe in the flesh is to followe the fruites of the flesh and to pamper the fleshly lusts And to sowe in the spirit is to looke more to heauen then to the earth And to frame a mans lyfe as he may séeke alwayes the kingdome of God Wée sowe in the spirit when wée doe and suffer all thing in this lyfe to the end we may be wel at ease in the lyfe to come Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 307. For he that soweth in the flesh c. ¶ Hée proueth that the ministers must be nourished for if men onelye prouide for worldly thinges without respect of the lyfe euerlasting then they procure to themselues death and mocke God who hath giuen them his ministers to teach them heauenly thinges Geneua SPETTLE Of the clay that Christ made with his Spettle HE spat on the ground and made clay of the spettle annointed the eyes of the blinde with the clay ¶ This was not for any vertue that was in the earth in the spettle or in the clay to make one sée but it only pleased him to vse these signes and meanes Geneua How Spettle was abused in Baptime THe spettle whereby they doe not lighten but defile and beraye the infant they tooke out of the miraculous fact of Christ where he did strike ouer the eies of him that was borne blind with the spettle and clay and opened them This miracle the Apostles did see but for all that none of them stroke their spettle in the eies of them that should be baptised Musculus fol. 291. SPIDERS VVEB What it is to weaue the Spiders web AND weaue the Spiders web ¶ To weaue the Spiders web is to goe about vaine and trifling thinges which are of no value although they seeme neuer so excellent to the dooers T. M. SPIRIT How this word spirit is vnderstood GOD is a spirit
the spirit of God is lead by his naturall affections Sir I. Cheeke Of the spirituall house ¶ Looke Stone Of the spirituall eating of Christs body As the body of Christ is séene so is it touched and as it is touched so is it eaten But it is not seene with bodily â—ies it is not touched with bodily fingers S. Ambrose saith Fide tangitur Christus c. By faith Christ is touched By faith Christ is seene therfore the body of Christ is not eaten with the bodily mouth but only by faith which is the spirituall mouth of the soule SPITTING What is meant by spitting in her face IF her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed 7. dayes ¶ To spit in her face is to punish her and to cause her to sée her offeÌ„ce The Lord is a father punisheth his chosen not to vampne them but to correct feare them and to driue them to earnest repentance After 7. daies was she receiued againe into yâ— hoast So after repentance had must we be receiued into the congregation T. M. SPRINKLING What is meant by the sprinkling of bloud AND sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. ¶ Héere S. Peter séemeth to haue had a respect vnto the olde ceremony of bloud sprinkling For euen as it was not inough then yâ— the sacrifice should be offered and the bloud therof vnlesse the people had ben sprinkled with the same So now at this present it shall profit vs nothing that Christs bloud is shed vnlesse our conscience be cleansed purified therewith which thing is done by the ministring of the holy Ghost who doth sprinkle our consciences with Christs bloud to wash them with all S. I. C. STAFFE What it is to goe with a Staffe FOr with my staffe came I ouer this Iordane ¶ To go with a staffe is a manner of speaking of the Hebrewes which signifieth nothing els but to go simply barely without any riches or strength As in Mar. 6. 8. T. M. What the staffe of Gods mouth signifieth With the staffe of his mouth shall be sley the wicked ¶ With the staffe of his mouth c. That is with the word of preaching not with harnesse will I destroye Antichrist 2. Thessa. 2. 8. ¶ All these properties can agrée to none but onely vnto Christ for it is he that onely toucheth the hearts of the faithfull and mortifieth their concupiscences And to the wicked he is the sauour of death and to them that shall perish So that all the world shall be smitten with this rod which is his word Geneua What the staffe of bread signifieth When I shall breake the staffe of your bread ¶ That is the strength whereby the lyfe is suffeined or the force and strength wherewith it should nourish As Eze. 4. 16. and. 5. 16. STAINED CLOTHES ¶ Looke Edom. STARRE What the starre was that appeared to the Mages THe Starre that appeared to the Mages differed from other common stars thrée manner of waies first in place for yâ— it was set in the lowest part of the aire to guid the trauailers the better and surer on the way Second in mouing for yâ— it is moued not circle wise but went right forward as a guid to them as the cloud and piller of fire was a guid vnto the children of Israel at their going out of Aegypt Thirdly in brightnesse for that it shined not onely in the night as other Starres did but gaue light also euen in the broad daie Wherefore it was no naturall starre but out of all doubt as Epiphanius saith it was an Angell of God in the shape of a starrâ— Hemmyng How the Moone and Starres are vncleane in Gods sight And the starres are vncleane in his sight ¶ If God shew his power the Moone and stars cannot haue their light which is giuen them much lesse can man haue any excellencie but of God Geneua The seauen starres called Pleiades Wilt thou hinder the swéet influence of the seauen Stars ¶ Which stars arise when the Sun is in Taurus which is the spring time and bring floures Geneua How the instructers of the people shall shine as Stars And they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer euer ¶ He chiefly meaneth the ministers of Gods word next all the faithfull which instruct the ignorant and bring them to the true knowledge of God Geneua How Starres presage nothing Starres presage nothing for if we should say they presage good vnto vs then would we thinke that good commeth naturally vnto vs and not through the benefit of God If they shuld presage euill then might it be said that it commeth vnto vs by the naturall influence and not by the secrets of God STEVVARD Of the vniust Steward ANd the Lord commended the vniust steward ¶ This parable doth not approue the stewards naughtie dealing for it was very theft but Parables are set foorth to shew a thing couertly and as it were vnder a figure to represent the truth though it appeare not throughly with the matter it selfe So that Christ meaneth by this parable to teach vs yâ— wordly men are more héedy in their affaires of this world then the children of God are carefull for euerlasting lyfe Beza God who doth here represent the maister of the house doth rather commend the prodigall wast of his goods the liberall giuing of the same to the poore then the straite kéeping and hoording of them Geneua ¶ He speaketh after the common sort not that such vntruth is praise worthy but because it is thought wisdome in the eies of the world The Bible note STOIKES What they were THe Stoikes were a kinde of learned men which wanting the knowledge of God affirmed that mans whole felicitie and happinesse did consist in the qualities and vertues of the minde The Bible note What certeine of their opinions were Among other dampnable and false opinions the Stoiks had this was one They did place such power in the Starres and in their oppositions that impossible they affirmed it was to chaunge or auoid that which by their constellation influence was appointed to come Insomuch that they held that Iupiter himself whom they called the great and supreame God could neither alter nor stop the operation of the starres and the effects that should follow therevpon And so they affirmed that the mutation of kingdomes the honours of some the deiection of others and finally that both vice and vertue wer altogether in the power of the starres Against this pestilent opinion straightly and learnedly disputeth S. Austen in diuerse places but chiefly in his first booke of that work intituled Of the Citie of God affirming that onely by the prouidence of God are kingdomes erected mainteined and chaunged that starres haue no power neither to encline man to vertue nor to vice That such blasphemies ought to bée expelled from the eares of all men Knox
that we haue by the same with all giftes and graces of the same The second is to yéelde thankes vnto him to giue testimonie of our faith towards him and of our charitie which we haue towards our bretheren and of the vnion with the Church The third to represent to vs by the bread and wine which are ther distributed the whole and perfect spiritual nouritour which we haue by the meanes of the body flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ to the end we may be spiritually nourished into eternall life according to our benefit which we haue already receiued by our regeneration whereof the Baptime is to vs as a Sacrament in the which we haue in the Supper as it were a gage of our resurrection the which we doe beléeue and waite for There euen as the bread and wine be giuen vnto vs visibly and bodely euen so are the body and bloud of Iesus giuen vnto vs indéede but inuisible and spiritually by the meanes of faith and by the vertue of the holy ghost for he is the meane by which we haue true communion and true vnion with Iesus Christ and all his Church the which is his body whereof all true Christians be members Pet. Viret Why the Supper of the Lord was called a Sacrifice The Supper of the Lord was not called a sacrifice because Christ shuld be offered in it but because he offereth presenteth himselfe vnto vs and that we doe through faith receiue him and giue him thankes for the great benefite that we haue receiued by the merites of his death and passion bloud shedding confessing and professing that we holde none other for our Sauiour but him and that we doe accept knowledge none other sacrifice but his onely for this cause was the Lordes Supper called Eucharistia which word doth signifie thankes giuing Thus doth S. Austen and all other Doctors of the Church expound it Veron in his b. of Purg. The Doctors mindes vpon the Supper of the Lord. If ye should sée the Sonne of man ascend vp where he was before ¶ What is this By that he resolueth those whom hée hath knowen of that he manifested the thing whereby they haue offended for they did thinke that he would giue vnto them his body but he saith that he will ascende vp into Heauen all whole saieng When ye shall sée the Sonne of man ascende where he was before at yâ— least you shall sée then that hée doth not giue his body in the same manner as ye thinke iudge at the least you shall then vnderstand that his grace is not consumed by morsells c. Aug. vpon S. Iohn in the 27. treatise vpon the 6. Chapter If faith be in vs Christ is in vs. For what other thing saith the Apostle Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith but that through the faith which thou hast of Christ Christ is in thy heart August in his 49. treatise vppon Saint Iohn 11. Chapter After he had ended the solemnitie of the auncient Passeouer the which he made in remembrance of the auncient deliuerance out of Aegypt he passeth forth to the new solemnitie yâ— which the church desireth to celebrate in remembrance of hir redemption to the end that putting the Sacrament of his flesh and of his bloud vnder the lykenesse of bread and wine in stéede of flesh and of the bloud he sheweth himself to be him vnto whom the Lord hath sworne and will not repent Thou art a Priest for euer c. It followeth after because the bread doeth fortifie the flesh and that the wine causeth the bloud in the flesh the bread is referred mystically to the body of Christ and the wine to his bloud Bede vpon the 22. Chapter of Saint Luke Let vs not staye héere belowe on the bread and wine which are set on the Lords Table but let vs lift vp our spirits on high through faith Let vs consider that the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world is in that holy Table which is not offered in sacrifice by the Priestes after the manner of beasts And in taking his precious body and his bloud let vs beleeue that they are the signes and tokens of our resurrection And for the same cause we eate not much but a lyttle to the end we may know yâ— the same is not ordeined for to fill our bellyes withall but for to serue to sanctitie and holinesse c. ¶ Looke Bread Body Bloud Figure Signe Sacrament Sacrifice How the Lords death is Shewed in the supper As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this Cup ye shall shew the Lords death c. ¶ The Lords death is not shewed except both parts of the Sacrament be ministred and because in his death the bloud was diuided from the body it is necessary that the same diuision be represented in the Supper otherwise the Supper is not a shewing of the Lords death Latimer The meaning of this place of Iohn And when the Supper was done There be some which thinke that it ought to be thus reade And Supper béeing prepared for it may be doubted whether these things were done after the supper or in supper time It is very likely that supper was not fully ended that is to say that the Table was not yet taken away séeing it followeth by and by that the Lord tooke a morsell of bread and offered the same to Iudas Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 456. SVPREMACIE Proues against the supremacie IN the Councel of Carthage it is said thus The Bishop of Rome himselfe may not be called vniuersall Bishop Dist. 99. Prima sedes S. Gregory saith thus Nullus decessorum meorumâ— c. None of my predecessors Bishope of Rome euer consented to vse this vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him this name of singularitie we the Bishops of Rome will not receiue this honor being offered vnto vs. Greg. li. 4. Epist. 32. and. 36. Where pride and hypocrisie beareth sway there humilitie can haue no place Hesychius sen. li. 4. dist 7. Chrisostome saith Quicunque desiderauerit c. Whosoeuer desiâ—eth Primatum in earth in heauen he shall finde confusion Neither shall he be counted among the seruants of Christ that will once intreate of Primacie Iewel fol. 118. 119. SVRE How we are sure of our saluation ¶ Looke Saluation SVRPLESSE From whence the wearing of Surplesses came NIcholaus Leonicenus saith Isidis Sacerdotes in Aegypto c. The Priests of the Goodesse Isis in Aegypt vsed to weare linnen Surplesses and euermore had their heads shauen which thing séemeth to haue bene deriued from them vnto our time from hand to hand For they that among vs minister Gods seruice and serue the holy Altars are forbidden to suffer the haire of their heads or their beards to grow and in their diuine seruice vse lynnen garments Nicholaus Leonicenus in varia historia li. 2. ca. 21.
sin yet all sin do not make men yâ— children of the diuel For yâ— children of God do sin also for if they say they haue no sin they deceiue themselues truth is not in themâ— but by yâ— meanes they sin by the which they are yet the children of this world but in yâ— respect yâ— they are the children of god they sin not at all for euery one that is borne of God sinneth not But vnbeléefe maketh the childe of the diuell which sin is called theyr owne as though it were alone if it be not expressed what manner of sinne it is I. Gough The meaning of this place followiâ—g That the thoughts of many may be opened ¶ That is many shall shew themselues openly to be Christs enimies And many againe shall confesse Christ yea and that with vtter perill and shedding of their bloud Hemmyng ¶ This chiefly appeareth when the Crosse is layed vpon vs whereby mens hearts are tryed Geneua THRESHING Of two manner of threshing THe Hebrues haue 2. words Dash which signifieth to thresh but yet then when we occupie to threshing beasts The other word is Chabat which is also to thresh but yet with â—lailes without beasts Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 114. What is ment by threshing of the mountaines Thou shalt thresh the mountaines ¶ I will make thée able to destroy thiâ—e enimies be they neuer so mightie this chiefly is referred to the kingdome of Christ. Geneua Whereto the threshing of Gilead is compared Because they haue threshed Gilead c. ¶ If the Sirians shal not be spared for committing this crueltie against one Citie it is not possible that Israel shuld escape punishment which hate committed so many and grieâ—ous sins against God man Gen. THVNDER What the cause is that maketh thunder THunder is a sound caused in the cloudes by the breaking out of a hot and drie exhalation boating against the edge of the cloude It is heard in Spring Summer by reason of the heate of the Sunne that then draweth vp many exhalations which méeting in the middle region of the ayre with colde and moyst vapors are together with them inclosed in a hollow cloud But when the hot exhalation cannot agrée with the coldnesse of the place by this â—â—riâ—e being driuen together made stronger kindeled it wil néedes â—reake out with sodaâ—â—e violent eruption causeth the noise which we call thunder A similitude is put by great Authors of moist wood yâ— cracketh in the fire we may adde héerevnto the breaking of an Egge in the fire of an Apple or any like thing for what soeuer holdeth withholdeth inclosed any hot winde so that it cannot haue no vent it wil séeke it selfe a way by breaking the skin shell or case It were no euil comparison to liken Thunder to the sound of a Gunâ— which be both caused of the same or very like causes c. W. F. Thunder after the opinion of Aristotle is a natural thing Facta tamen â—t â—nqule secunduÌ„ natuâ—â—ordinatam Neuertheles saith he yet a thing of an vncertain doubtfull nature or of a â—sordred nature This thundring is nothing els but a crack a rsibling in the clouds yâ— cause efficient being the sun the planets the cause materiall being the hâ—t drye exhalations seeking a way out of yâ— clouds In the scripture both in the old testament in the new there is oâ—ten mention made of thundring which God miraculously sent down froÌ„ heuen aboue In the 9. of Exo. ve 23. God plagued K. Phaâ—â—o because he wold not let the childreÌ„ of Israel depart out of Aegipt with thuÌ„der lightning hail stones In the 1. Reg. 7. When yâ— Philistines made warre against yâ— Israelites thinking to haue destroyed them all the Lord with a sodaine great Thunder cracke did make the Philistines so sore afraid that they ranne away and were slaine the most parte of them Also in the new Testament Iohn 12. Christ a lyttle before he should suffer his Passion praied vnto his Father saieng Father delyuer me from this houre but therefore came I into this houre O Father glorifie and set out thy name thy might and power And immediately there came a voyce from heauen saieng on this wise Glorificaâ—i iterum glorificabo I haue glorified it and I will glorifie it As he might say I haue glorified it in thée my sonne since the first houre of thine Incarnation with manifest wonderfull great miracles Et iterum glorificabo and I will glorifie my name in thée after the time of thy glorious Resurrection and Ascention more then euer I haue done through the comfort of the Holy ghost which shall so worke in the hearts of men that then shall my name in thée my sonne Christ begin to flourish in such wise as it neuer did before When this voice was heard there was such a stout noyse heard from heauen that the people that followed Christ Dixerunt Tonitrium factum esse They said it was a Thunder Such a Thunder was heard vpon the daye of Pentecost at the comming downe of the Holy ghost Now héere is to be noted that the Thundering of God mentioned in the old Testament were euer to fraye and to make men agast but the Thundering of God mentioned in the new Testament were so tempered that they did not feare but comfort men wherein is manifestly declared a Maiestie to be both in the Law in the Gospell but yet the one to driue vs to God for feare of the rodde and the other with the loue of euerlasting reward to imbrace Christ. Of whom the words of the Prophet Dauid Psal. 18. bée verefied as well in yâ— letter as in the Allegory when he saith Intonuit de coelo Dominus altissimus dedit vocem suam The Lord from heauen hath thundered and the highest hath declared his voice Ric. Turnar The Lord also thundered out of heauen c. ¶ By all the things héere rehearsed is described the power might maiestie of almightie God which he declareth in tempests of which the whole 29. Psal. intreateth And in Iob. 37. are lyke things mentioned to yâ— setting out of his power Oftentimes we read that when he would more openly more expresly declare his power vnto men caused thunder lightening and earthquakes c. As in Exo. 19. 16. when the law was giuen 1. Reg. 12. 18. when the people desired a king Mat. 27. 51. when Christ was on yâ— Crosse. Act. 2. when the Holy ghost came vpon the Apostles Act. 4. 3â— when they prayed With such lyke words doe some suppose that God did at one time or other shew his benefite to Dauid and confirmed his promises with shaking yâ— earth sending thunder lyghtening hayle cloudes stormes other terrible tokens wherwith he holy Dauid ouerthrew his enimies Neither letteth it yâ— the Scripture mentioneth not thereof in any place for it mentioneth not the Tempest which Esay prophecied
did circumcise Timothy at Derba and Listria not because he allowed Circumcision but to beare with the time and with the weakenesse of the Iewes wherby he might the better perswade them and allure them to the faith of Christ. For the same purpose did he shaue his head in Cenchrea faining himselfe to the sight of the Iewes to haue bene a Nazarei when he was nothing lesse but onely to win the Iewes by a little and a little was content to vse an holy charitable dissimulation as I might say onely for this purpose that he might win them to Christ. That this was S. Paules practise he himselfe confesseth in yâ— 1. Co. 9. 22. saieng I framed and fashioned my selfe to please all men only to this end that I might win them to Christ. This place ye see maketh nothing for the establishing of vowes Votum is sometime taken of the Lawiers Propteractis promissis ciuilibus as we would say Vir iustus est vota promissa prestare The propertie of a good man a righteous liuer is to performe all his couenaunts bargaines And now this word Votum is borrowed out of the olde Testament We call commonly our profession in Baptime a vow which is not properly to be called a vow forasmuch as a vow is a worke of a mans owne frée will But let it be that our profession be taken for a vow which vow if we kéepe all other monasticall vowes are but vaine vnprofitable foolish wicked and full of hipocrisie for either it must be graunted that these vowes as they call them of chastitie of puritie and of obedience either they are workes commaunded of God or els workes mo or other then God hath commaunded what a blasphemous pride is it what a presumpteous hypocrisie is it to doe more for our own vowing then for Gods commaunding Were not that souldier worthy of wages that would doe nothing at the commaundement of his Captaine but that which he first had vowed of his owne frée will to serue his Captaine And againe If we doe other things then those which God hath commaunded vs all our labour is but in vaine For Christ saith Frustra colunt â—me docentes doctrinas mandata hominuÌ„ Ri. Tur. ¶ Looke Widow Of the vowe of the Nazarite As touching the vow of yâ— Nazarits as it is manifestly set forth in the 6. of Num. But those things which are ther written may all be reduced to thrée principall points The first was they should drinke no wine nor strong drinke nor anye thing that might make them dronke Another was that they shuld not poll their head but all that time the Nazarite should let his hayre grow The third was that they shoulde not defile themselues with mourning for vnrialls no not at the death of their father or mother These things wer to be obserued only for some certaine time for he vowed to be a Nazarite but for certein number of dayes months or yeares Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 201. Of the godly vow of Staupitius I haue saith this godly learned man vowed vnto God aboue a thousand times that I would become a better man but I neuer perfourmed that which I vowed Héereafter I will make no such vow for I haue now learned by experience that I am not able to perfourme it Unles therefore God be fauourable mercifull vnto me for Christs sake and graunt vnto me a blessed and an happy houre when I shall depart out of this miserable life I shal not be able with all my vowes and all my good deedes to stand before him ¶ This was not onely a true but also a godly an holy desperation this must al they confesse both with mouth heart which will be saued For yâ— godly trust not in their own righteousnes but say with Dauid Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 251. VRIM AND THVMIM What they doe signifie VRim Thumim are Hebrue words Vrim signifieth light and Thumim perfectnesse and I thinke the one wer stones that did glister had light in them the other cleere stones as Christall and the light betokened the light of Gods word the purenesse cleane liuing according to the same was therof called the example of the children of Israel because it put them in remembrance to séeke Gods word and to do there after T. M. ¶ Vrim Thumim signifie light perfectnes out of the which it pleased God to giue aunsweres oracles iudgments but what they were it doth not well appeare to any writer They were placed in the Priests breast to admonish him that he ought to shine in doctrine and to be perfect in conuersation of life The Bible note ¶ Vrim signifieth light and Thumim perfectnesse declaring that the stones of the breast plate wer most cleare and of perfect beautie by Vrim also is ment knowledge Thumim holines shewing what vertues are required in the Priests Geneua The meaning of these places following But the Lord aunswered him not neither by dreame nor by Vrim ¶ Of Vrim is spoken Nu. 27. 21. God would not that the high Priest should giue Saule aunswere at this time therfore suffered not to see his will in Vrim as he was wont to doe or happely he saw his will but saw therewith that he should not shew it to Saule T. M. Who shal aske counsell for him by the iudgement of Vrim ¶ According to his office signifieng yâ— the ciuill magistrate could execute nothing but yâ— which he knew to be yâ— will of God Ge. VS How this word signifieth mo persons then one LEt vs make man in our Image ¶ Moses speaketh in yâ— plurall number signifieng mo persons to be in God that the father in the creation of man consulted with his wisedome and spirit The Bible note ¶ God commaunded the water to bring forth other creatures but of man he saith Let vs make signifieng that God taketh counsell with his wisdome vertue purposing to make an excellent worke aboue all the rest of his creation Geneua The meaning of this place following They went out from vs but they were not of vs. ¶ Héereby doe we learne that they that fall away from among the elect chosen of God yet they be none of the members of them For if they were of them they would continue and abide with them Sith then that they fall away from the knowen truth they do plainly declare thereby that they were none of the true elect chosen of God but were plaine hipocrites which for a tune did shine in the Church with fained holinesse whereas in wardlye they wer filled with all kinde of infidelitie vnbeleefe which they cloaked as long as they could till they were by the righteous iudgement of God manifested and opened at length such shall the Church haue vnto the worlds ende I. Veron VSVRIE The
giuen to finde souldiers as Augustine doth often say Now reasons why ther shuld be wepons ther be many But this is yâ— speciall reson which the Cantons wher euery man wereth a weapon alledge for their so doing that the magistrate country may be assisted and defended And euery man do weare wepon ought to weare wepon for the magistrate ought not only to weare it but also to drawe it at the Magistrates voice to do as it is said in the. 3. booke fourth Chapter of Esdras If the king alone saie Doe kill they do kill If he say do forgiue they forgiue If he say smite they do smite If he say banish they do banish If he saye cut off they cut off I say if the people ought thus to do for the Prince magistrate to draw their weapons in his cause to lay downe their life at their foote how much more ought the magistrate for his owne cause and for all their causes to beare weapon and not to beare it in vaine but to purpose c. T. Draut Warres sent of God And sent forth his warriours to destroye those murtherers ¶ This was done by the Emperours of Rome Vespatianus Titus which destroied HierusaleÌ„ slew aboue eleuen hundred thousand men Note that the Romanes are héere called the armies of the Lord euen as they of the Assirians is in the Prophet called the seruants of God because that by him God did punish his people Sir I. Cheeke Of him that warreth vnder Christ. ¶ Looke Souldier VVASHING Wherevnto the washing of feet had relation IN those places that are extreame hotte when men haue done their iourney they vse to wash their béete and to wipe away the dust which office was somtime shewed vnto Christ our sauiour And he againe executed the same vnto his Apopostles Paule also required this of good widowes namelye to wash the féete of thâ— Saintes c. Pet. Mart. vppon Iudic. fol. 252. How this word wash is taken If I wash thée not ¶ There are some which refer this word Wash vnto the free remissâ—on of sinnes And there are other fome also which referre the same to newnesse of life And a third forte vppon a good consideration referre it to both For Christ washeth vs when he wipeth awaye our sinnes by the offering vp himselfe least they should come into iudgement Moreouer he washeth vs wheÌ„ by his holy spirit he abolisheth the wicked and sinfull desires of the flesh Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 461. Ye also ought to wash one anothers feete ¶ The Bishop of Rome too apishly foolloweth Christ in many thinges And in this he would seeme to follow Christ washing once in a yeare the feete of certeine poore folkes which haue bene washed before and not onely washed but also perfumed with swéete odours and waters And thus by a bare and naked ceremony they thinke that they haue done very well And when they haue done it they can be conâ—eÌ„ted to contemne their brethren and cruelly to teare the members of Christ and to spit in his face Wherfore that comminical pompe is nothing else but a filthy scorning of Christ. And verely Christ doth not héere commend vnto vs a yearely ceremonie but commaundeth vs all our lyfe time to be ready to wash our bretherens féete When Abigal sayd to the messengers of Dauid Beholde let thine handmaide be a seruaunt to wash the féete of the seruants of my Lord shée meant not such a counterfeit seruice as the imitating enimies of Christ doe vse but she meant that she would be so obedient loyall and seruable to Dauid that she would not refuse to wash euen the feet of his seruants So Saint Paule vnderstoode washing of the féete when hée required the good and vertuous widow to be a washer of the Saints féete that is to saye to be serueable to them in each point Christ sayth not ye ought to wash my féete but to wash one an others féete Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 463. Saint Augustine ad Iannar saith thus If thou demaunde vpon what consideration this ceremony of washing féete first began notwithstanding I haue well thought of it yet canne I finde nothing that séemeth more likely then this For that the bodyes of them that hadde appointed to be baptised at Easter being ill cherished by reason of the lenten fast wold haue had some loathsomnesse in the touching vnlesse they â—ad bene washed at sometime before And that therefore they chose this day chiefly to that purpose vppon which daye the Lordes supper is yearely celebrated Héere Saint Austen sayth it was the fulsomnesse of the bodyes loathsomenesse of the senses that first began this ceremonye and not the institution or commaundement of Christ. What is signified by washing of Christs Disciples feet And beganne to was his Disciples féete ¶ Hée washed their féete to declare that hée came to minister vnto other and not be ministred vnto And further to teach by this washing that his ministration was to purge and wash away the â—ilth of sinne which is done by the shedding of his bloud for the bloud of Christ sprinkled into our hearts by the worde of his Gospel and receiued by sayth cleanseth vs from all sinne Tindale ¶ He that is washed néedeth not saue to wash his feete ¶ Whosoeuer is washed that is to saye whosoeuer beleeueth in the bloud of Christ which doth wash away all our sinnes hée is cleane but yet he hath néede to wash his féet that is to say hée hath néed with continuall watch to came his carnal affections and fleshly concupiscenses dayly with a true repentant heart flieng vnto the Lord for mercye and pardon of his sinnes Héere they be confounded that affirme vs to be without sinne after we be regenerate Sir I. Cheeke Saue to wash his feete ¶ That is to be continually purged of his corrupt affections worldly cares which remain dayly in vs. Geneua VVAST SEA How Babylon is compared to the wast sea ¶ Looke Babylon VVATCH What it is to watch WAtch is not onely to absteine from sleepe but also to be circumspect and to cast all perills as a man should watch a Towre or Castle we must remember that the snares of the diuell are infinite and innumerable and that euerye moment arise new temptations and that in all places méete vs fresh occasions against which we must prepare our selues and turne to God and complaine to him and make our moue desireâ— him of his mercy to be our shield our towre our castle defence from all euill to put his strength in vs for with out him we can do nothing and aboue all thing we must call to minde what promises God hath made and what he hath sworne that he will doe to vs for Christs sake and with strong faith cleaue vnto them and desire him of his mercie and for the loue hée hath to Christ and for his truths sake to fulfill his promises If
Godhead S. Iohn sayth not Caro verbum facta est as the Arrians expound it and say the flesh receiued the worde but hée sayth Verbum caro factum est The word was made flesh I. Proctour ¶ In that he sayth the word became flesh and not man hée sheweth how farre Gods sonne humbled and abased himselfe For the Scripture calleth man flesh when he will signifie the pouertie vilenesse and miserie of man As when it is said All flesh is grasse and he remembred that we were but flesh my spirit shall not euer striue in man for he is flesh But when yâ— Euangelist sayth The word became flesh we may not imagin that Gods sonne ioyned to his diuine nature flesh only and not mans soule as Appolinaris thought in his traunce that flesh and the Godhead made one person without mans soule For he imagined that the diuinitie was in steede of a soule But so it should follow that the Lord Iesus was not a very man For flesh is not a man For the soule is the formall part of a man namely that wherby a man is a man without which a man cannot be And that the Lord had a mans soule beside his diuinitie he himselfe testifieth where he saith My soule is heauy vnto yâ— death Neither can Appol 〈…〉 is aide himselfe with this place For when the Scripture calleth men flesh it meaneth not that they are without soule for then they were no men indeede Traheâ—on What the Euangelist meaneth by the word in this place of Iohn In the beginning was the worde c. ¶ By the word the Euangelist meaneth the second person in the holy Trinitie namely our Lord Iesus Christ touching his diuine nature as it appeareth afterward when he saith And the worde became flesh Héere we must consider why Gods son is called a word Auncient writers consider a worde two wayes For they teach that there is an outward word and an inward word The outward word is that foundeth and passeth awaye The inwarde worde is the conceite of the heart which remaineth still in the heart when the sound is past So they saye that God hath an outward worde which is sounded pronounced and written in bookes And that hée hath an inwarde worde which remaineth within himselfe whereof the outwarde worde is an Image effect and fruite This inwarde worde euer remaining in him is called his sonne as the conceite of the heart maye bée called the ingendered fruite of the heart and the heartes childe They thinke also that he is called the worde of God because that as a worde is the Image of mans minde and representeth it vnto vs so the Lorde Iesus is Gods Image and most liuely representeth vnto vs his power his Godhead and his wisedome For whatsoeeuer is in the Father shineth in the Sonne Some other thinke that the worde héere is taken for a thing after the Hebrew manner of speaking For the Hebrewes vse Dabar which signifieth a worde for a thing When Esay the Prophet asked king Ezechias what the Babylonians had seene in his house he aunswereth thus They sawe all that was in my house Iohaial dabar there was not a word that is to say any one thing that I shewed not vnto them in my treasures The Prophet replyeth Behold the daies come that whatsoeuer is in thine house shall be taken away and whatsoeuer thy father haue laid vp in store vnto this day shal be carried to Babylon Ioij vather dabar ther shall not a word remain saith the Lord that is to say there shall not one thing be left behinde The Angel also in S. Luke when the virgin Mary meruailed how she shuld coceiue a childe without mans helpe sayd vnto her No word shall be impossible vnto God yâ— is nothing shal be impossible for him to do So that after this vnderstanding S. Iohns mening is that in the beginning ther was a diuine and heauenly thing with God Traheron How the word of God is called the light Thy word saith Dauid is a lanterne vnto my féet Psa. 119. 105 Againe the commaundements of the Lord is lightsome giuing light to the eyes Psal. 19. 7. Theophilact saith Verbum Dei est lucerna c. The word of God is the candle whereby the théefe or false preacher is espied How the word of God endureth for euer S. Hierome sayth Quomodo eternae erunt Scripturae diuinâ— c. How shall the holy Scriptures be euerlasting séeing the world shall haue an ende True it is that the parchment or leaues of the books with the letters and all shall bée abolished but forsomuch as the Lord addeth My words shal neuer passe doubtlesse though the papers and letters perish yet the thing that is promised by the same letters shall last for euer Of the nature and strength of the word of God For the word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then anye two edged swoorde and entereth through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioyntes and of the marrowe and is a discouerer of the thoughts and the intent of the heart neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all thinges are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome wée haue to doe Surely as the raine commeth down and the Snow from heauen and returneth not thether but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth bud that it may giue séed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me in vaine but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it How the word of God hath sundrie names The word of God according to the sundry effectes and propertyes thereof hath sundry names as thus It is called seed for that it encreaseth and multiplyeth It is called a sword for that it cutteth the heart and diuideth the flesh from the spirit It is called a net for that it taketh vs and encloseth vs together It is called water for that it washeth vs cleane it is called fire for that it inflameth vs It is called bread for that it féedeth vs. Euen so it is called a key for that it giueth vs an entrye into the house The house is the kingdome of heauen Christ is the doore the word of God is the keye Iewel fo 144. How the word of God is the key ¶ Looke Key How the word of God is plaine They are all plaine vnto him that will vnderstand ¶ Meaning that the word of God is easie to al that haue a desire vnto it and which are not blinded by the Prince of this worlde Geneua The more that Gods word is troden downe the more it groweth The Pharesies sayd thus of Christ Videtis nos nihil proficere c. Ye sée we can doe no good lo the whole world
is to heare the Gospell to beléeue it with heart to confesse God with mouth which worship Paul laieth it as the foundation of all righteousnes saluation saieng Nigh is the word vnto thée euen in thy mouth heart and this is the word of faith which we preach For faith in our hearts iustifieth and the confession with our mouth bringeth saluation c. Melancthon vpon Dan. How God onely is to be worshipped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ Whervpon it may be argued thus Whosoeuer is neither our Lord nor our God to him ought we in no wise to giue godly honor nor yet to worship him but neither the Angells nor the dead Saints are our Lords and Gods but are ministers of our Lord God vnder him our fellow seruaunts To them therefore ought we in no wise to giue godly honour nor yet to worship them neither do we honour and worship Christ because he is holy righteous or because that he is beloued of God but because he is true and naturall God of one substaunce with the Father and the Holy ghost Veron Of the worshipping of Saints ¶ Looke Saints VVRATH What wrath is in God BY wrath is vnderstood not a disturbaunce or perturbation of mind for these things can haue no place in God but as Augustine hath well interpreted in his Booke of the Trinitie Wrath in God signifieth a iust vengeaunce And God is saide to be angry when he sheweth forth the effects of an angry man which are to punish and auenge So he is said to repent himself that he had made man because lyke a man that repenteth himselfe he would ouerthrow his worke Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 107. ¶ Looke Anger VVRITTEN So much is written as is necessary for our saluation I Suppose the world could not containe the bookes yâ— should be written ¶ This is a figuratiue speach which doth signifie yâ— there was many things mo to write but there remaineth so much written as is necessary sufficieÌ„t for our saluatioÌ„ Ti. ¶ But God would not charge vs with so great an heape séeing therefore that we haue so much as is necessary we ought to content our selues and praise his mercie Geneua ¶ These things are written which being well weyed are plentifull inough to instruct vs in all godlinesse I wold to God they were so exactly discussed to imbrace godlinesse as they are narrowly sifted and stretched to maintaine contention and brawle Marl. vpon Ioh. fo 613. ¶ S. Austen plainly declareth and saith True it is that the Lord hath done many things the which be not all written but they haue written those things which ought to be written and which is sufficient for all beléeuers Aug. vpon the 11. of Iohn tract 49. I am not ignoraunt saith Bullinger but that I knowe that the Lord Iesus both did and spake many things which wer not written by the Apostles but it followeth not therefore that the doctrine of the word of God taught by the Apostles is not absolutely perfect For Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist doth fréely confesse that the Lord did many other things also which wer not written in his booke but immediately he addeth this saith But these are written that ye might beléeue the Iesus is Christ the sonne of God that in beléeuing ye might haue life through his name He affirmeth by this doctrine which he contained in writing that faith is fully taught and that through faith there is graunted by God euerlasting life Bullinger fo 17. What it is to be written in the earâ—h Domine omnes qui te derelinquunt confundentur recedentes a te in terra scribentur quoniam derelinquerunt venam aquarum viâ—entium Domini Lord all they that forsake thée shall come to shame all they that run from the trust in thy gouernaunce and diuine prouidence hoping and trusting in the pollicies of Princes and might of men they shall be written in the earth that is their name shall be spoken off héere in the earth amongst men they shall haue cappe and knée and manye gaye good morrowes in this lyfe In terra scribentur but in Heauen and in the booke of lyfe they shall not come Why so For they haue forsaken the vaine of liuing waters I meane the Lord and his word Ric. Turnar Whose names are written in the booke of life and whose in earth Whose names are not written in the Lambes booke of life ¶ The names of the Apostles and all beléeuers are written in heauen and the names of the wicked are written in the earth according to this saieng They that depart from thée shall bée written in the earth Iere. 17. 13. that is to say they shal be forgotten before God and before the Congregation of the righteous which thing is expressed vnder another borrowed speach The vngodly are not so but they be as chaffe which the winde tosseth about Psal. 1. 4. Marl. fol. 191. ¶ They onely shall possesse that which are written in the Lambes booke of life yâ— were predestinate therevnto in Christ before the worlds constitution to be holy and vnspotted in his sight These are they whom he hath in a perpetuall remembraunce whom he hath ordâ—ined of goodnesse chosen of mercie called by the Gospell iustified through faith and glorified in the perfourmaunce of his commaundements that they shoulde bée lyke fashioned to the shape of his sonne Though these of frailenesse offend many times as the flesh can doe none other yet denie they not the veritie they abhorre not the scriptures But after they haue fallen they repent from the heart they séeke yâ— remedies they hate their owne déedes they call vnto Christ they lament their chance they hunger and thirst continually for the righteousnesse of God and such other lyke Bale Yeare How the yeare is now as it was in the olde time THat which Macrobius doth only attribute vnto the Aegyptians shuld haue ben more better attributed to the Hebrues among whom there was alwaies a certaine course of yâ— yere which by the circuit of the Sunne was obserued The yeare was then of twelue months as it is now The month contained that time as it doth now the whole course of the Moone the day lyke of 24. houres Whereby worthely is refused the errour of them which would the yeares of that age to be ten times shorter then they be now which the holy scripture testifieth to be false The floud began in the 600. yeare of the life of Noe in the 17. daye of the second month ceased the 30. day of the same month in the yere following in which place the 11. months is read whereby it appeareth that there were no fewer months in a yere then there be now and as they lyned then much longer then we doe now so is it plain that they had farre greater bodies then we haue now Lanquet How the yeare was
workes which thou hast done and shall doe for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ be vnto thée auailable for the remission of thy sinnes the increase of desert grace and the reward of euerlasting life Amen ¶ Ye heare the merite of Christ mentioned in these words but if ye weigh them well ye shall perceiue that Christ is there altogether vnprofitable and that the glory and name of a iustifier and Sauiour is quite taken from him and giuen to Monkish merites Is not this to take the name of God in vaine Is not this to confesse Christ in words and in very deede to denye his power and blaspheme his name c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 72. Of the profite that is of the Moone HE appointed the Moone for certaine seasons ¶ The Interpreters agrée that this ought to be vnderstood of the ordinary and appointed â—easts For inasmuch as the Hebrewes are wont to recken their months by the Moone they vse hâ—r as the directer of their festiuall daies and as well â—or their holy assemblies as for their méetings about politike affaires Notwithstanding I doubt not but that ther is the figure Synechdoche as if the Prophet had said that the Moone not onely putteth a difference betweene the nights and the dayes but also boundeth the yeres and months consequently serueth to many purposes because the distinction of times is fetched out of hâ—r course MORNING AND EVENING How this place of Iob is vnderstood FRom Morning to Euening they be destroied ¶ Some expounde this as though it were meant that men perish in small time and that is very true But héerewithall there is yet more that is to wit that we passe not a minute of our lyfe but it is as it were approching vnto death If we consider it wel when a man riseth in the morning he is sure that he shall not step forth one pace he is sure he shall not turne about his hand but he shall still waxe elder elder and his life euer shorteneth Then must we consider euen by eye sight that our lyfe fléeteth slideth away from us Thus we sée what is meant by consuming from morning to euening Ca. vpon Iob. fo 75. MORTIFICATION What true mortifieng is TO mortifie is nothing els but for a man to be violent against himselfe and to withstand and resist wicked lusts Peâ— Mar. vpon the Ro. fol. 203. The flesh is mortified when the custome of sinne is abolished and the spirit is quickened when we begin to performe newe obedience vnto God Mortifie therefore your members c. ¶ The true mortiâ—ieng is when the feare of God doth fray vs from sinne so that our hearts trembleth for feare of Gods iudgement when wée are tempted or entised vnto sinne The heart beeing thus striken with the feare of God acknowledgeth his weaknes and calleth vnto God vnfainedly for helpe This mortifieng is the worke of the Holy ghost Rom. 8. and worketh out wardly a sobernesse of liuing and other godly exercises Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Extinguish all the strength of the corrupt nature which resisteth against the spirit that ye may liue in the spirit and not in the flesh Geneua How we cannot mortifie the flesh by our owne free-will If you mortifie the déedes of the flesh by the spirite ye shall liue ¶ S. Austen vpon this place Thou wilt say saith he that can my will doe that can my frée-will doe What will what manner of free-will except he lift thée vp thou lyest still how canst thou doe it then by thy spirit seeing that the Apostle saith as many as be led by the spirit of God be the children of God wilt thou doe of thy selfe Wilt thou be ledde of thine owne selfe to mortifie the déeds of the flesh What wil it profite thée for if thou be not voluptuous with the Epicures thou shalt be proud with the Stoikes Whether thou be an Epicure or a Stoike thou shalt not be among the children of God for they that be guided by the spirit of God be the children of God not they that lyue after their owne flesh not they that lyue after their owne spirit but as many as be led by the spirit of God But héere a man will say Ergo then are we ruled and we doe not rule I auns were thou both rulest and art ruled But thou dost then rule well if thou be ruled by the good spirit vtterlye if thou doe want the spirit of God thou canst doe no good Thou dost truly without his helpe by the frée-will but it is but euill done vnto that is thy will which is called frée-wil and by euill doing is she made a bondseruaunt When I say Without the help of God thou dost nothing I vnderstand by it no good thing For to doe euill thou hast frée-will without the helpe of God though that be no fréedome Wherefore you shall know that so doe you goodnesse if the helping spirite bée your guider the which if he be absent can doe no good at all Auguâ— de verbis Apost ser. 13. MOSES How Moses came by his impediment of speach OF Moses it is written that the King of Aegypt on a time for his daughters sake tooke the childe Moses in his armes and set the crowne vpon his head which Moses as it were childishly playing hurled if downe to the ground and with his feeâ—e spurned it Then the Priests and Soothsaiers séeing that cried out saieng that this was he whom before he had prophecied should be borne which should destroy the kingdome of Aegypt except he werâ— preuented by death Then Termuth the Kings daughter excused the childe alleadging that his age had yet â—o discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to bée put to his mouth which the childe with his tongue lickâ—d wherby he euer after had an impediment in his tongue And by this meanes their furie at that time was appeased T. Lanquet The cause why Moses fled from Pharao Moses being about the age of 40. yeares fledde for feare of Pharao when he had slaine the Aegyptian Iosephus saith that it was for displeasure because in the warres of Aethiope wherof he was Captaine he tooke to wise the Kings Daughter of Aethiope How Moses seemed to doubt in Gods promises When God said to Moses that he wold giue the people flesh to eate euen a moneth long he aunswered shall the Shéepe and the Oxen be slaine for this people to eate which are vi hundred thousand or shall the fish of the Sea be gathered together to serue them ¶ Héere it séemeth that Moses did doubt in Gods promise which was not so For he doubted no more that God was able to accomplish and fulfill his word then Mary the mother of Christ did doubt in the words of the Angell when shée said How shall this be séeing I know no man Lyra. How the Lord was angry with Moses and why Moses being in his Inne the Lord met
perfection Caluine in his Insti 3. booke cha 11. Sect. 23. How righteousnesse is to be vnderstood Righteousnesse is euen such fayth as is called Gods righteousnesse or righteousnesse that is of value before God For it is Gods gift and it altereth a man and chaungeth him into a new spirituall nature and maketh him frée and liberal to pay euery man his duetie for through faith a man is purged of his sinnes and obteineth lust to the lawe of God whereby hée giueth God his honour and paieth him that he oweth him â—â— men he doth seruice willingly wherewith so euer he can paieth euery man his duetie Such righteousnesse can nature fréewill our owne strength neuer bring to passe For as no man can giue himselfe faith so can he not take away vnbeliefe how then can he take away anie sinne at all Wherefore all is false hypocrisie and sinne whatsoeuer is done without fayth or in vnbeliefe as it is euideÌ„t in the. 14. chap. to the Romanes ver 23. though it appeare neuer so glorious or beautifull outward Tindale fol. 43. Of outward and inward righteousnesse It shall be righteousnesse vnto vs before the Lord. ¶ The outward déede is righteousnesse vnto the auoiding of punishment threatnings curssings to obtein temporal blessings but vnto the life to come thou must haue the righteousnesse of faith and thereby receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and promise of inheritaunce and power to worke and loue T. M. ¶ But because none could fully obey the law we must haue our recourse to Christ to be iustified by faith Geneua ¶ No man can perfectly fulfill the lawe therefore we must haue recourse to Christ by faith in whom we are reputed as iust The Bible note How we receiue our righteousnesse by the meere gift of God Example thereof Like as the earth engendereth not raine nor is able by her owne strength labour trauaile to procure the same but receiueth it of the méere gift of God from aboue so this heauenly righteousnes is giuen vs of God without our works or deseruings Looke then how much the earth of it self is able to do in getting procuring to it selfe seasonable showres of raine to make it fruitfull Euen so much no more are we able to do by our owne strength works in winning this heuenly eternal righteousnes therefore shall neuer be able to atteine it vnles God himself by meere imputation by his vnspeakable gift do bestow it vpon vs. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 5. The meaning of these places following Of righteousenesse because I go to my Father ¶ Wherfore the wicked must néeds confesse that he was iust beloued of the Father and not condempned by him as a blasphemer or transgressour Geneua And righteousnesse of the God of his saluation ¶ This word righteousnesse may be expounded two wayes either for all the benefits of God whereby he proueth himselfe to be righteous iust of promise towards the faithfull or for the fruit of righteousnesse Truly Dauids meaning is nothing doubtful namely yâ— it is not for such men to looke to obteine the fruit of righteousnes as vnrighteously dishonour Gods holy seruice And againe that it is not possible that God should disappoint his true worshippers because it is his propertie to aâ—ouch his righteousnes with benefits Cal. vpon the. 24. Psal. Blessed are they that hunger thirst for righteousnes for they shall be satisfied ¶ But what can all our righteousnesse be before God Shal it not according to the saieng of yâ— Prophet be counted as a most filthy and defiled cloth And if all our righteousnesse be straightly iudged it shall be sound vniust and hauing lesse force What therefore shall become of our sinnes wheras not euen our righteousnesse it self shal be able to answere for it selfe Therefore with all our might crieng out with the Prophet as lowde as we can Enter not into iudgement c. With all humblenesse let vs runne to the throne of mercy which onely is able to saue our soules I. Gough ¶ Looke Hunger RIGHT HAND What is meant by Gods right hand THE right hand is wont in the Scripture to betoken the strength and power wherby God worketh all things effectually as the right hand of the Lord hath done mightely Psal. 118. 16. And is also taken for helpe as in Iob. 14. 15. Psal. 138. 7. 139. 10. And in the Reuelation of Iohn 1. 17. Marl. vpon the Apoc. Christ is called Gods right hand Psa. 118. 15. 16. The right hand of the Lord hath done meruailes The right hand of the Lord hath gotten the victorie it is vsed also for the glorie of the Father concerning which he saith to his sonne Sitte on my right hand And in some place for euerlasting ioye and lyfe Math. 25. 33. And he shall set the Shéepe on the right hand and the Goates on the left Saint Hierome in his exposition of Paules first Chapter to the Ephesians saith He hath declared the power of God by the similitude of a man not because a seate is placed and God the Father sitteth theron hauing his sonne sitting there with him But because we cannot otherwise conceiue how the sonne doth iudge and reigne but by such words to our capacitie As therefore to be next to God or to depart farre from him is not to bée vnderstoode according to the distance of places but after mens merits because the Saints are heard by him but the sinners of whome the Prophet sayth Beholde they that gette themselues from thée shall perish are remoued farre inough for comming néere him at all Euen so lyke wise to bée either at the right or left hand of God is to be taken so that the Saintes are at his right hand and sinners at his left As our Sauiour himselfe also in the Gospell affirming the same doth say that at the right hand are the sheepe and the Goates at the left Moreouer this very word to Sit doth argue the power of a Kingdome by which God is beneficiall to them on whom he doth vouchsafe to sit insomuch as verely he doth rule them and hath them alwayes in his guiding and doth tourne to his owne becke or gouernement the neckes of them that before ranne out of the way at randon and at libertie Bullinger fol. 73. Saint Austen in his booke De fide simbolo saith Wée beléeue that he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father yet not so therefore as though we should thinke that God the Father is comprehended within the limits of a mans body so yâ— they that thinke of him shuld imagine that he had both a right and a left side And wheras it is sayd that the father sitteth we must not suppose that he doth sit with bended hammes least peraduenture we fall into the same sacriledge for which the Apostle accurseth them that haue chaunged the glorye of the incorruptible God into the similitude of
a corruptible man For a detestable thing it is to place God in such a lykenesse in a christian Church and much more wicked it is to place it in the heart where the Temple of God is verely and indéede if it be cleansed from earthly desires and errours We must therfore vnderstande that at the right hande is as much to say as with greatest happinesse where righteousnesse and peace and gladnesse is Euen as also the Goates are placed at the left hand that is in miserie for their iniquities to their paine torment Whereas God therefore is said to sit therby is not meant the placing of his limites but his iudiciall power which his maiestie neuer wanteth in bestowing worthy rewards to those that are worthy of them c. Bullinger fol. 74. What the right hand doth signifie in this place following That I may turne me to the right hand or the left ¶ The right hand or the left hand is no more to say but tell mée one thing or another that I may know whervnto to stick and is a phrase of the Hebrewes T. M. Of the right hand of Christ. To sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to giue saith Christ but vnto them for whome it is prepared of my Father ¶ This answere made Christ to the mother of Zebedes children who desired of him that her two sons might sit in his kingdome the one vpon his right hand the other vpon his wft is as much to say that according to this present state wherein yeâ— sée meâ— I am not come to distribute places seates of my kingdome for know ye that from the beginning my Father I haue distributed and appointed themâ— Therfore be not you carefull as though they were voide This is the true vnderstanding of this place I. Proctour ROBBE How robbing is no these when God commaunded it AND shalt robbe the Aegyptiâ—ns ¶ Héere ye may not note that they stale and therefore ye may steale but note that it was done at Gods commaundement and therefore was it a iust and a righteous thing to be done for he is not the authour of euill T. M. ¶ This example may not be followed generally though at Gods commandement they did it iustly receiuing some recompence of their labours Geneua ROCKE How Christ was the Rocke THe Rocke was Christ. ¶ S. Chrisostome saith vppon this place Petra â—rat Christus c. The Rocke was Christ for it was not by the nature of the Rocke that the water gushed out but a certeine other spirituall Rocke wrought all these things that is to say Christ. Iewel fol. 254. How Christ is the true Rocke Because thou hast said to me saith Christ to Peter Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I doe also saâ— to 〈…〉 Thou art Peter for before he was called Symon but this name that he should be called Peter was giuen him of the Lorde to the ende that by that figure he might signifie the Church For because Christ is Petra the Rocke Petrus is the Christian people For Petra is the principal name And therfore Petrus commeth of Petra and not Petra of Petrus As Christus Christ is not named a Christiano but Christianus a Christian is named of Christus Christ. Therfore saith Christ Thou art Peter vppon this Rock which thou hast coÌ„fessed vpon this Rock which thou hast knowne saieng Thou artâ— Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my church yâ— is vpon my selfe being the son of the liuing God wil I build my church I will build thée vppon me and not me vpon thée for men that be builded vpon meÌ„ did say I am of Paule I am of Apollo I of Cephas yâ— is of Peter And other who would not be builded vpon Petrum Peter but vpon Petram the Rocke did say I am of Christ. And the Apostle Paule when he did know yâ— he was chosen or preferred and Christ despised by some men sayd Is Christ diuided Was Paule crucified for you Or were ye baptised in the name of Pauleâ— And as not in Paules nameâ— no more were ye baptised in the name of Peter but in the name of Christ that Peter might bée 〈…〉 vpon theâ— Rocke not the Rocke vpon Peter Nowel fol. 109. Upon this Rocke c. Upon that faith whereby thou hast confessed and acknowledged me for it is grounded vpon the iufallible truth Geneua ¶ Christ is the Rocke wherevppon the true Church is builded No man can laye anie other foundation besides that which is layde already which is Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Peter is through fayth one of the stones wherewith the Church is builded Sir I. Cheeke ROD. The opening of this place of Marke contrary to Mathew and Luke COmmaunded them that they should take nothing vnto their iourney saue a rod. ¶ Saue a rod onely although in Math. 10. 10. and Luke 9. â— be should séeme to forbid them a rodde yet the text meaneth not so indéede but forbiddeth Coaâ—â— Shâ—es Rod c. By a figure to the intent onely that they shuld vtterly put from them all carefulnesse of any such prouisions For if he had so moâ—â— yâ— they shuld haue taken no such things with them Then should it noâ— now be lawfull for any preacher to haue anie of those things with them when they goe to preach And therfore Marke expressing Christs minde more plainly giueth libertie to take a rod or a walking staffe to ease themselues withall when they were wearie Tindale Take nothing to your iourney neither staues nor sâ—rip c. ¶ Because this iourney was short and but for a time Christ willed that they shuld make hast and take nothing with them whereby they might bée letted any thing at all from the businesse The Bible note ¶ To the end they might doe their charge with greater diligence when they had nothing to let them Geneua Of the rodde and staffe of God what is meant thereby Virga tua beculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt Thy rod and thy staffe hath comforted me A rodde doth serue to beate to punish and correct children for their faults And a staffe serâ—eth not onely for a weapon to defend a man from his enimies but also a staffe serueth to saue a man from falling So that by the rod ye must vnderstand our crosse correction persecution that the godly doe suffer in this life And by the staffe our helpe our preseruation in our dayly daungers which 〈…〉 were not able to endure if God had not bene with vs and preserued vs. Ric. Turnar ROME HOW Babilon is proued to be Rome by the Scriptures SHée is fallen shée is fallen euen Babilon that great Citie ¶ signifieng Rome for as much as the vices which were in Babilon are found in Rome in greater abundance as persecution of the Church of God oppression and slauerie with destruction of the people of God