of the bridegrome This my ioy therfore is filled ✠verse 30 He must increase and I diminishe ✠verse 31 ″ He that coÌ„meth from aboue is aboue al. He that is of the earth of the earth he is and of the earth he speaketh He that commeth from heauen is aboue al. ✠verse 32 And vvhat he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and his testimonie no man receiueth ✠verse 33 He that hath receiued his testimonie hath signed that God is true ✠verse 34 For he vvhom God hath sent speaketh the vvordes of God for God doth not giue the spirit by measure ✠verse 35 The Father loueth the Sonne he hath giuen al things in his hand ✠verse 36 He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath life euerlasting but he that is incredulous to the Sonne shal not see life but the vvrath of God remaineth vpon him ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 5. Bornâ— againe of water As no man can enter into this world not haue his life an I being in the same except he be borne of his carnal parents no more can a maÌ„ enter into the life state of grace which is in Christ or attaine to life euerlasting vnles he be borne and baptized of water and the Holy Ghost whereby we see first this Sacrament to be called our regeneration or second birth in respect of our natural and carnal which was before Secondly that this Sacrament consisteth of an external element of water and internal vertue of the Holy Spirit wherein it excelleth Iohns Baptisme which had the external element but nor the spiritual grace thirdly that no man can enter into the kingdom of God not into the fellowship of Holy Church without it Whereby the * Pelagians and Caluinists be condemned that promisse life euerlasting to yong children that die without Baptisme and al other that thinke onely faith to serue or the external element of water superfluous or not necessarie our Sauiours wordes being plaine and general Though in this cafe God which hath not bound his grace in respect of his owne freedom to any Sacrament may and doth accept them as baptized which either are martyred before they could be baptized or els depart this life with vow and desire to haue that Sacrament but by some remedilesse necessirie could not obtaine it Lastly it is proued that this Sacrament giueth grace ex opere operato that is of the worke itself which al Protestants denie because it so breedeth our spiritual life in God as our carnal birth giueth the life of the world 18. It iudged already He that beleeueth in Christ with faith which worketh by charitie as the Apostle speaketh shal not be condemned at the later day nor at the houre of his death but the infidel be he Iew Pagan or Heretike is already if he die in his incredulitie by his owne profession and sentence condemned and shal not come to iudgement either particular or general to be discussed according to his workes of mercie done or omitted In which sense S. Paul faith that the obstinate Heretike is condemned by his owne iudgement preuenting in him self of his owne free wil the sentence both of Christ and of the Church 31. He that commeth from aboue As though he should say No maruel that men resort to Christ so fast and make lesse account of me for his baptisme and his preaching and his person are al from heauen immediatly He bringeth al from the very bosome mouth and substance of God his Father Whatsoeuer is in me is but a litle drop of his grace His spirit and graces are aboue al measures or mens gifts euen according to his Manhod and al power temporal and spiritual the kingdom and the Priesthod and al soueraintie in heauen and earth are bestowed vpon him as he is man also CHAP. IIII. Leauing Ievvrie because of the Pharisees in the vvay to Galilee he talketh vvith a Samaritane vvoman telling her that he vvil giue vvater of euerlasting life 16 shevving him self to knovv mens secretes 19 preferring the Ievves religion before the Samaritanes but ours the Christian Catholike religion before them both 25 and vttering vnto her that he is Christ 28 vvhich by her testimonie and his preaching very many Samaritanes do beleeue he in the meane time fore telling his Disciples of the haruest he vvil send them in to 45 The Galilaans also receiue him vvhere againe he vvorketh his second miracle verse 1 WHEN IESVS therfore vnderstoode that the Pharisees heard that IESVS maketh mo Disciples and baptizeth theÌ„ Iohn ✠verse 2 hovvbeit IESVS did not baptize but his Disciples ✠verse 3 he left Ievvrie and vvent againe into Galilee ✠verse 4 and he had of necessitie to passe through Samaria ✠verse 5 He commeth therfore into a citie of Samaria vvhich is called Sichar * beside the maner that Iacob gaue to Ioseph his sonne ✠verse 6 And there vvas there the fountaine of Iacob IESVS therfore vvearied of his iourney saâ—e so vpon the fountaine It vvas about the sixt houre ✠verse 7 There commeth a vvoman of Samaria to dravv vvater IESVS saith to her Giue me to drinke ✠verse 8 For his Disciples vvere gone into the citie to bie meates ✠verse 9 Therfore that Samaritane vvoman saith to him Hovv doest thou being a Ievve aske of me to drinke vvhich am a Samaritane vvomaÌ„ For the Ievves do not communicate vvith the Samaritanes ✠verse 10 IESVS ansvvered and said to her If thou didst knovv the gift of God and vvho he is that saith vnto thee Giue me to drinke thou perhaps vvouldest haue asked of him and he vvould haue giuen thee liuing vvater ✠verse 11 The vvoman saith to him Sir neither hast thou vvherein to dravv and the vvel is deepe vvhence hast thou the liuing vvater ✠verse 12 art thou greater then our father Iacob vvho gaue vs the vvel and him self dranke of it and his children and his cattel ✠verse 13 IESVS ansvvered and said to her Euery one that drinketh of this vvater shal thirst againe but he that shal drinke of the vvater that I vvil giue him shal not thirst for euer ✠verse 14 but the vvater that I vvil giue him shal become in him a fountaine of vvater springing vp vnto life euerlasting ✠verse 15 The vvoman saith to him Lord giue me this vvater that I may not thirst nor come hither to dravv ✠verse 16 IESVS saith to her Goe call thy husband and come hither ✠verse 17 The vvoman ansvvered and said I haue no husband IESVS saith to her Thou hast said vvel that I haue no husband ✠verse 18 For thou hast had fiue husbands and he vvhom thou novv hast is not thy husband this thou hast said truely ✠verse 19 The vvoman saith to him Lord I perceiue that thou art a Prophet ✠verse 20 ″ Our father 's adored in this mountaine and you say * that at Hierusalem is
the Diuels binding Yea it is to make Antichrist and the Diuel vveaker tovvard the day of iudgement then before and the truth better to be knovven and the faith more common the neerer vve come to the same iudgement vvhich is expresly * against the Gospel and this prophecie of S. Iohn Vve see that the sectes of Luther Caluin and other be more spred through the vvorld then they vvere euer before and consequently the Pope and his religion lessened and his povver of punishing or as they call it persecuting the said Sectaries through the multitude of his aduersaries diminished How then is the Pope Antichrist Whose force shal be greater at the later end of the vvorld then before or how can it be othervvise but these Sectâ—Maisters should be Antichrists neere precursors that make Christs cheefe Ministers the Churches cheefe gouelnours that haue been these thousand yeres and more to be Antichristes â— and them selues and their sectes to be true that come so neere the time of the Diuels loosing and seduction of the personal reigne of Antichrist 8. The campe of the Saincts S. Augustine in the said 20 booke de Cluiâ— Dei cap. 11. It is not saith he to be taken that the persecutors shal gather to any place as though the campe of the saincts or the beloued citie should be but in one place vvhich in deede are no other thing but the Church of Christ spred through the vvhole vvorld And therfore vvheresoeuer the Church shal then be vvhich shal be in al Nations euen them for so much is insinuated by this latitude of the earth here specified there shal the tents of saincts be and the beloued citie of God and there shal she be besieged by al her enemies vvhich shal be in euery countrie vvhere she is in most cruel and forcible sort So vvriteth this profound holy Doctor Vvhereby vve see that as novv the particular Churches of England Scotland Flanders and such like be persecuted by their enemies in those countries so in the time of Antichrist the Churches of al Nations as of Italie Spaine France and al other vvhich novv be quiet shal be assaulted as novv the foresaid are and much more for that the general persecution of the vvhole shal be greater then the particular persecution of any Churches in the vvorld 9. There came dovvne a fire It is not meant of the fire of Hel saith S. Augustine ib. c. 12 into which the vvicked shal be cast after the resurrection of their bodies but of an extraordinarie helpe that God vvil send from heauen to giue succourse to the Saincts of the Church that then shal fight against the vvicked or the very feruent and burning zeale of religion and Gods honour vvhich God vvil kindle in the hartes of the faithful to be constant against al the forces of that great persecution 12. An other booke This is the booke of Gods knovvledge or predestination vvherein that vvhich before vvas hid to the vvorld shal be opened and vvherein the true record of euery mans vvorkes shal be conteined and they haue their iudgemeÌ„t diuersly according to their vvorkes and not according to faith only or lacke of faith only for al infidels as Turkes obstinate â—evves and Heretikes shal neuer come to that examination being othervvise condemned CHAP. XXI Heauen and earth being made nevv S. Iohn seeth the nevv citie Hierusalem prepared and adorned for the spouse of the Lambe 6 The iust are glorified 7 and the vvicked thrust into the poole of fire 12 The vvall and gates and foundations of the citie are described and measured 18 al vvhich are gold and crystal pretious stones and pearles verse 1 AND I savv a nevv heauen and a nevv earth for * the first heauen and the first earth vvas gone the sea novv is not ✠verse 2 And I Iohn savv the holy citie Hierusalem nevv descending from heauen prepared of God as a bride adorned for her husband ✠verse 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Behold the tabernacle of God vvith men and the vvil dvvel vvith them And they shal be his people and he God vvith them shal be their God ✠verse 4 and * God shal vvipe avvay al teares from their eies and death shal be no more not mourning nor crying neither shal there be sorovv any more vvhich ' first thinges are gone ✠verse 5 And he that sate in the throne said * Behold I make al thinges nevv ⊢ And he said to me Vvrite because these vvordes be most faithful and true ✠verse 6 And he said to me It is done * I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end To him that thirsteth I vvil giue of the fountaine of the water of life gratis ✠verse 7 He that shal ouercome shal possesse these thinges and I vvil be his God and he shal be my sonne ✠verse 8 But to the feareful and incredulous and execrable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and Idolaters and al liers their part shal be in the poole burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is the second death ✠verse 9 And there came one of the seuen Angels that had the vials ful of the seuen last plagues and spake vvith me saying Come I vvil shevv thee the bride the vvife of the Lambe ✠verse 10 And he tooke me vp in spirit vnto a mountaine great and high and he shevved me the holy citie Hierusalem descending out of heauen from God ✠verse 11 hauing the glorie of God and the light thereof like to a prerious stone as it vvere to the iaspetr stone euen as crystal ✠verse 12 And it had a vvall great and high hauing tvvelue gates and in the gates tvvelue Angels names written thereon vvhich are the names of the tvvelue tribes of the children of Israël ✠verse 13 On the East three gates and on the North three gates and on the South three gates and on the Vvest three gates ✠verse 14 And the vvall of the citie hauing tvvelue foundations and in them tvvelue names of the tvvelue Apostles of the Lambe ✠verse 15 And he that spake vvith me had a measure of a reede of gold to measure the citie and the gates thereof and the vvall ✠verse 16 And the citie is situated quadrangle-vvise and the length thereof is as great as also the bredth and he measured the citie vvith the reede for tvvelue thousand furlonges the length and height and bredth thereof be equal ✠verse 17 And he measured the vvall thereof of an hundred fourtie foure cubites the measure of a man vvhich is of an Angel ✠verse 18 And the building of the vvall therof vvas of iasper stone but the citie it self â— pure gold like to pure glasse ✠verse 19 And the foundations of the vvall of
saith to him Frende hovv camest thou in hither not hauing a vvedding garment But he vvas dumme ✠verse 13 Then the king said to the vvaiters Binde his hands and feete and cast him into the vtter darkenes there shal be vveeping gnashing of teeth ✠verse 14 For many be called but fevv elect ◠✠verse 15 * Then the Pharisees departing consulted among them selues for to entrappe him in his talke ✠verse 16 And they send to him their disciples vvith the Herodians saying Maister vve knovv that thou art a true speaker and teachest the vvay of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou doest not respect the person of men ✠verse 17 tel vs therfore vvhat is thy opinion is it lavvful to giue tribute to Caesar or not ✠verse 18 But IESVS knovving their naughtines said what do you tempt me Hypocrites ✠verse 19 Shevv me the tribute coine And they offred him a penie ✠verse 20 And IESVS saith to them whose is this image and superscription ✠verse 21 They say to him Caesars Then he saith to them Render therfore the things that are Caesars â— to Caesar and the things that are Gods to God ✠verse 22 And hearing it they marueled and leauing him vvent their vvaies ✠verse 23 * That day there came to him the Sadducees that say there is no resurrection and asked him ✠verse 24 saying Maister Moyses said If a man die not hauing a childe that his brother marie his wife and raise vp seede to his brother ✠verse 25 And there vvere vvith vs seuen brethren and the first hauing maried a vvife died and not hauing issue left his vvife to his brother ✠verse 26 In like maner the second and the third euen to the seuenth ✠verse 27 And last of al the vvoman died also ✠verse 28 In the resurrection therfore vvhose vvife of the seuen shal she be for they al had her ✠verse 29 And IESVS answering said to them You do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the povver of God ✠verse 30 For in the resurrection neither shal they marie not be maried but are â— as the Angels of God in heauen ✠verse 31 And concerning the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead haue you not read that vvich vvas spoken of God saying to you ✠verse 32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob He is not God â— of the dead but of the liuing ✠verse 33 And the multitudes hearing it marueled at his doctrine ✠verse 34 * But the Pharisees hearing that he had put the Sadducees to silence came together ✠verse 35 and one of them a doctor of lavv asked of him tempting him ✠verse 36 Maister vvhich is the great commaundement in the lavv ✠verse 37 IESVS said to him Thou shalt loue the lord thy God from thy whole hart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole minde ✠verse 38 This is the greatest and the first commaundement ✠verse 39 And the second is like to this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thyself ✠verse 40 â— On these tvvo commaundements dependeth the vvhole Lavv and the Prophets ✠verse 41 And * the Pharisees being assembled IESVS asked them ✠verse 42 saying What is your opinion of Christ Whose sonne is he They say to him Dauids ✠verse 43 He saith to them Hovv then doth Dauid in spirit cal him Lord saying ✠verse 44 The Lord said to my Lord sitte on my right hand vntil I put thine enemies the foote stole of thy feete ✠verse 45 If Dauid therfore call him Lord hovv is he his sonne ✠verse 46 And no man could ansvver him a vvord neither durst any man from that day aske him any more ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXII 2. Mariage Then did God the Father make this mariage when by the mysterie of the Incarnation he ioyned to his sonne our Lord the holy Church for his spouse Greg. hom â—8 3. Seruants The first seruants here sent to inuite were the Prophets the second were the Apostles and al that afterward conuerted countries or that haue and doe reconcile men to the Church 5. One to his farme Such as refuse to be reconciled to Christes Church alleage often vaine impediments and worldly excuses which at the day of iudgement wil not serue them 11. A man not attyred If profiteth not much to be within the Church and to be a Catholike except a man be of good life for such an one shal be damned because with faith he hath not good workes as is euident by the example of this man who was within and at the feast as the rest but lacked the garment of charitie and good workes And by this man are represented al the bad that are called and therfore they also are in the Church as this man was at the feast but because he was called and yet none of the elect it is euident that the Church doth not consist of the elect only contrarie to our Aduersaries 2â— To Caesar Temporal duties and payments exacted by worldly Princes must be payed so that God be not defrauded of his more soueraine dutie And therfore Princes haue to take heede how they exact and others how they geue to Caesar that is to their Prince the things that are dewe to God that is to his Ecclesiastical ministers Wherevpon S. Athanasius reciteth these goodly wordes out of an epistle of the ancient and famous CoÌ„fessor Hosius Cordubensis to CoÌ„stantius the Arian Emperour Cease I beseche thee and remember that thou art mortal feare the day of iudgement intermedle not with Ecclesiastical matters neither doe thou commaund vs in this kinde but rather learne them of vs to thee God hath committed the Empire to vs he hath coÌ„mitted the things that belong to the Church and as he that with malicious eies carpeth thine Empire gainesayeth the ordinance of God so doe thou also beware lest in drawing vnto thee Ecclesiastical matters thou be made guilty of a great crime It is written Geue ye the things that are Caesars to Caesar and the things that are Gods to God Therfore neither is it lawful for vs in earth to hold the Empire neither hast thou O Emperour power ouer incense and sacred things Athan. Ep. ad Solit. vitaÌ„ agentes And S. Ambrose to Valentinian the Emperour who by the il counsel of his mother Iustina an Arian required of S. Ambrose to haue one Church in Millan deputed to the Arian Heretikes saith we pay that which is Caesars to Caesar and that which is Gods to God Tribute is Caesars it is not denied the Church is Gods it may not verely be yelded to Caesar because the Temple of God can not be Caesars right Which no man can deny but it is spoken with the honour of the Emperour for what is more honorable then that the Emperour be said to
vvriting to the Romanes but his desire vvas to preach vnto them for that vvas the proper commission giuen to the Apostles to preach to al nations The vvriting of the bookes of the Testament is an other part of Gods prouidence necessary for the Church in general but not necessarie for euery man in particular as to be taught and preached vnto is for euery one of age and vnderstanding And therfore S. Peter vvho vvas the cheefe of the Commission vvrote litle many of them vvrote nothing at al and S. Paul that vvrote most vvrote but litle in comparison of his preaching nor to any but such as vvere conuerted to the faith by preaching before 17. Liueth by faith In the 10. to the Hebrevves he shevveth by this place of the Prophete Abacue's that the iust though he liue here in peregrination and seeth not presently nor enioyeth the life euerlasting promised to him yet holdeth fast the hope thereof by faith In this place he applieth the Prophetes vvordes further to this sense That it is our faith that is to say the Catholike beleefe saith S. Augustine li. â— cont â— ep Pelag. Which maketh a iust man and distinguisheth betvvene the iust and vniust and that by the lavv of faith and not by the lavv of vvorkes Vvhereof it riseth that the Ievv the Heathen Philosopher and the Heretike though they excelled in al vvorkes of moral vertues could not yet be iust and a Catholike Christian man liuing but an ordinarie honest life either not sinning greatly or supplying his faults by penance is iust And this difference riseth by faith not that faith can saue any man vvithout vvorkes For it is not a reprobate faith that vve speake of as the holy Doctor saith but that vvhich vvorketh by charitie and therfore remitteth sinnes and maketh one iust See S. Augustines place 18. Is reuealed By al the passage folovving you may see that the Gospel and Christs lavv consisteth not only in preaching faith though that be the ground and is first alvvaies to be done but to teach vertuous life and good vvorkes and to denounce damnation to al them that commit dealdy sinnes and repent not And againe vve see that not only lacke of faith is a sinne but al other actes done against Gods commaundements 26. Hath deliuered them vp As he saith here God deliuered them vp so to the Ephesians c. 4 19 he saith of the same persons and things They deliuered them selues vp to al vncleannesse So that it is not meant here that God doth driue force or cause any man to sinne as diuers blasphemous Heretikes do hold but only that by his iust iudgement for their ovvne deseruing and for due punishment of their former greuous offenses he vvithholdeth his grace from them and so suffereth them to fall further into other sinnes As for their crime of Idolatrie to suffer them to fall into vnnatural abominations as novv for heresie he taketh his grace and mercie from many and so they fall headlong into al kind of turpitude as contrarievvise for il life he suffereth many to fall into heresie And for Christes sake let euery one that is entangled vvith the ldolatrie of this time that is to say vvith these nevv sectes looke vvel into his ovvneconscience vvhether his forsaking the true God may not come vnto him for a punishment of his former or present il life vvhich he liueth 12. Worthy of death Here you see vvhy the Church taketh some sinnes to be deadly and calleth them mortal to vvit because al thaâ— doe them are vvorthy of damnation others be venial that is to say pardonable of their ovvne nature and not vvorthy of damnation CHAP. II. Nâ—vv also he shevveth that neither the levves could be saued by the knovvledge of the Lavv of the vvhich they did so much braggâ— against the Genâ—ils seing they did notvvithstanding sinne as the Gentils did 14 And therfore that the true levv is the Christian though he be a Gentil vvho by grace in his hart doeth the good vvorkes that the Lavv commaundeth verse 1 FOR the vvhich cause thou art inexcusable ô man vvhosoeuer ″ thou be that iudgest For vvherein thou iudgest an other thou condemnest thy self for thou doest the same things vvhich `thou ' iudgest ✠verse 2 For vve knovv that the iudgement of God is according to veritie vpon them that doe such things ✠verse 3 And doest thou suppose this ô man that iudgest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God ✠verse 4 Or ″ doest thou contemne the riches of his goodnes and patience and longanimity not knovving that the benignity of God bringeth thee to penance ✠verse 5 But according to thy hardnes and impenitent hart thou heapest to thy self vvrath in the day of vvrath and of the reuelation of the iust iudgement of God ✠verse 6 vvho vvil * render to euery man ″ according to his vvorkes ✠verse 7 to them truely that according to patience in good vvorke seeke glorie and honour and incorruption life eternal ✠verse 8 but to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credite to iniquitie vvrath and indignation ✠verse 9 Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soul of man that vvorketh euil of the Ievve first and of the Greeke ✠verse 10 but glorie and honour and peace to euery one that vvorketh good to the Ievv first and to the Greeke ✠verse 11 for * there is no acception of persons vvith God ✠verse 12 For vvhosoeuer haue sinned vvithout the Lavv vvithout the Lavv shal perish and vvhosoeuer haue sinned in the Lavv by the Lavv shal be iudged ✠verse 13 For * ″ not the hearers of the Lavv are iust vvith God but the doers of the Lavv ″ shal be iustified ✠verse 14 For vvhen the Gentiles vvhich haue not the Lavv naturally doe those things that are of the Lavv the same not hauing the Lavv them selues are a lavv to them selues ✠verse 15 vvho shevv the vvorke of the Lavv vvritten in their hartes their conscience giuing testimonie to them and among them selues mutually their thoughtes accusing or also defending ✠verse 16 in the day vvhen God shal iudge the secretes of men according to my Gospel by IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 17 But if thou be surnamed a Ievv and restest in the Lavv and doest glorie in God ✠verse 18 and knovvest his vvil and approuest the more profitable things instructed by the Lavv ✠verse 19 presumest that thy self art a leader of the blinde a light of them that are in darknes ✠verse 20 a teacher of the folish a maister of infants hauing the forme of science of veritie in the Lavv. ✠verse 21 Thou therfore that teachest an other teachest not thy self that preachest men ought not to steale thou stealest ✠verse 22 that saiest men should not commit aduoutrie thou committest aduoutrie
that are in dispersion greeting ✠verse 2 Esteeme it my brethren al ioy vvhen you shal fall into diuers tentatiōs ✠verse 3 knovving that * the probatiō of your faith vvorketh patience ✠verse 4 And let patience haue a perfect vvorke that you may be perfect entire failing in nothing ✠verse 5 But if any of you lacke vvisedom let him aske of God who giueth to al men aboundantly and vp braideth not and it shal be giuen him ✠verse 6 But * let him ◠aske in faith nothing doubting for he that doubteth is like to a vvaue of the sea vvhich is moued caried about by the vvinde ✠verse 7 therfore let not that man thinke that he shal receiue any thing of our Lord. ✠verse 8 A man double of minde is inconsant in al his vvaies ✠verse 9 But let the humble brother glorie in his exaltation ✠verse 10 and the riche in his humilitie because * as the floure of grasse shal he passe ✠verse 11 for the sunne rose vvith heate parched the grasse and the floure of it fel avvay and the beautie of the shape thereof perished so the riche man also shal vvither in his vvaies ✠verse 12 Blessed is the man suffereth tentation for vvhen he hath been proued he shal receiue the crovvne of life vvhich God hath promised to them that loue him ⊢ ✠verse 13 ″ Let no man vvhen he is tempted say that he is tempted no man ✠verse 14 But euery one is tempted of his ovvne cōcupiscence abstracted and allured ✠verse 15 Aftervvard ″ concupiscence vvhen it hath cōceiued bringeth forth sinne but ″ sinne vvhen it is consummate ingendreth death ✠verse 16 Do not erre therfore my deerest brethren ✠verse 17 Euery best gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue descending from the Father of lightes vvith vvhom is no transmutation nor shadovving of alteration ✠verse 18 Voluntarily hath he begotten vs by the vvord of truth that vve may be some beginning of his creature ⊢ ✠verse 19 You knovv my deerest brethren And * let euery man be svvift to heare but slovv to speake and slovv to anger ✠verse 20 For the anger of man vvorketh not the iustice of God ✠verse 21 For the vvhich thing casting avvay al vncleannesse and aboundance of malice in meekenesse receiue the engraffed vvord vvhich is able to saue your soules ⊢ ✠verse 22 But * be doers of the vvord and not hearers only deceauing your selues ✠verse 23 For if a man be a hearer of the vvord and not a doer he shal be compared to a man beholding the countenance of his natiuitie in a glasse ✠verse 24 For he considered him self and vvent his vvay and by and by forgat vvhat an one he vvas ✠verse 25 But he that hath looked in ″ the lavv of perfect libertie and hath remained in it not made a forgetful hearer but a doer of the vvorke this man shal be blessed in his deede ✠verse 26 And if any man thinke him self to be religious not bridling his tong but seducing his hart this mans religion is vaine ✠verse 27 ″ Religion cleane and vnspotted vvith God and the Father is this to visite pupilles and vvidovves in their tribulation to keepe him self vnspotted from this vvorld ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 6. Aske in faith nothing doubting The Protestants vvould proue by this that no man ought to pray vvithout assurance that he shal obtaine that vvhich he asketh Where the Apostle meaneth nothing els but that the asker of lavvful things may not either mistrust Gods povver and hability or be in diffidence and despaire of his mercie but that our doubt be onely in our ovvne vnworthinesse or vndue asking 13. Let no man say that he is tempted of God Vve see by this that vvhen the Scriptures as in the Pater noster and other places seeme to say that God doth sometimes tempt vs or leade vs into tentation they meane not that God is any vvaies the author causer or mouer of any man to sinne but onely by permission and because by his gratious povver he keepeth not the offender from tentations Therfore the blasphemie of Heretike making God the author of sinne is intolerable See S. August ser 9. de diuers c. 9. 13. God is not a tempter of euils The Protestants as much as they may to diminish the force of the Apostles conclusion against such as attribute their euil tentations to God for other tentations God doth send to trie mens patience and proue their faith take and translate the vvord passuely in this sense that God is not tempted by our euils Vvhere more consonantly to the letter and circumstance of the vvordes before after as agreably to the Greeke it should be taken actiuely as it is in the Latin that God is no tempter to euil for being taken passiuely there is no coherence of sense to the other vvordes of the Apostle 15. Concupiscence vvhen it hath conceiued Concupiscence vve see here of it self is not sinne as Heretikes falsely teach but vvhen by any consent of the minde vve do obey or yeld to it then is sinne ingendred and formed in vs. 15. Sinne consummate ingendreth death Here vve see that not al sinne nor al consent vnto concupiscence is mortal or damnable but vvhen it is consummate that is vvhen the consent of mans minde fully and perfectly yeldeth to the committing or liking of the acte or motion vvherevnto concupiscence moueth or inciteth vs. 25. The lavv of perfect libertie The lavv of the Gospel and grace of Christ is called the lavv of libertie in respect of the yoke and burden of the old carnal ceremonies and because Christ hath by his bloud of the nevv Testament deliuered all that obey him from the seruitude of sinne and the Diuel But not as the Libertines and other Heretikes of this time vvould haue it that in the nevv Testament euery man may follovv his ovvne liking and conscience may choose vvhether he vvil be vnder the lavves and obedience of Spiritual or Temporal Rulers or no. 27. Religion cleane True religion standeth not onely in talking of the Scriptures or onely faith or Christes iustice but in puritie of life and good vvorkes specially of charitie and mercie done by the grace of Christ This is the Apostolical doctrine and far from the Heretical vanitie of this time CHAP. II. Against acception of person 10 From al and euery sinne vve must absteine hauing in al our vvordes and deedes the Iudgement before our eies vvherein vvorkes of mercie shal be required of vs 14 and onely faith shal not auaile vs. 18 And that the Catholike by his vvorkes shevveth that he hath faith vvhereas the Heretikes hath no more faith than the Diuel talke he of faith neuer so much and of iustification thereby onely by the
example of Abraham Ro. 4. Abraham in deede vvas iustified by vvorkes also 25 and likevvise Rahab verse 1 MY brethren Haue not the faith of our Lord IESVS Christ of glorie ″ in acception of persons ✠verse 2 For if there shal enter into your assemblie a man hauing a golden ring in goodly appareil and there shal enter in a poore man in homely attire ✠verse 3 you haue respect to him that is clothed vvith the goodly apparell and shal say to him Sitte thou here vvel but say to the poore man Stand thou there or sitte vnder my foote-stoole ✠verse 4 do you not iudge vvith your selues and are become iudges of vniust cogitations ✠verse 5 Heare my deerest brethren hath not God chosen the poore in this vvorld riche in faith and heires of the kingdom vvhich God hath promised to them that loue him ✠verse 6 But you haue dishonoured the poore mā Do not the riche oppresse you by might and them selues dravv you to iudgements ✠verse 7 Doe not they blaspheme the good name that is inuocated vpon you ✠verse 8 If not-vvithstanding you fulfil the roial lavv according to the scriptures Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self you doe vvel ✠verse 9 but if you accept persons you vvorke sinne reproued of the Lavv as transgressours ✠verse 10 And * vvhosoeuer shal keepe the vvhole Lavv but offendeth in one ″ is made guilty of al. ✠verse 11 For he that said Thou shalt not commit aduoutrie said also Thou shalt not kil And if thou doe not commit aduoutrie but shalt kil thou art made a transgressour of the Lavv. ✠verse 12 So speake ye and so doe as beginning to be iudged by the lavv of libertie ✠verse 13 For ″ iudgement vvithout mercie to him that hath not done mercie And mercie exalteth it self aboue iudgement ✠verse 14 ″ Vvhat shal it profit my brethren if a man say he hath faith but hath not vvorkes Shal faith be able to saue him ✠verse 15 And * if a brother or sister be naked lacke daily foode ✠verse 16 and one of you say to them Goe in peace be vvarmed filled but you giue them not the things that are necessarie for the bodie vvhat shal it profit ✠verse 17 So faith also if it haue not vvorkes is dead in it self ✠verse 18 But some man saith Thou hast faith and I haue vvorkes shevv me thy faith vvithout vvorkes I vvil shevv thee by vvorkes my faith ✠verse 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God Thou doest vvel the deuils also beleeue and tremble ✠verse 20 But vvilt thou knovv ô vaine man that faith vvithout vvorkes is idle ' ✠verse 21 ″ Abraham our father vvas he not iustified by vvorkes * offering Isaac his sonne vpon the altar ✠verse 22 Seest thou that ″ faith did vvorke vvith his vvorkes and by the vvorkes the faith vvas consummate ✠verse 23 And the Scripture vvas fulfilled saying Abraham beleeued God and it vvas reputed him to iustice and he vvas called ″ the freende of God ✠verse 24 Do you see that by vvorkes a man is iustified ″ not by faith only ✠verse 25 And in like maner also * ″ Rahab the harlot vvas not she iustified by vvorkes receiuing the messengers and putting them forth an other vvay ✠verse 26 For euen as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead so also ″ faith vvithout vvorkes is dead ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 1. In acception of persons The Apostle meaneth not as the Anabaptists and other seditious persons sometime gather hereof that there should be no difference in Commonvveales or assemblies betvvixt the Magistrate and the subiect the free man and the bond the riche and the poore betvvixt one degree and an other for God and nature and the necessitie of man haue made such distinctions and men are bound to obserue then But it is meant onely or specially that in spiritual giftes and graces in matters of faith Sacraments and saluation and bestovving the spiritual functions and charge of foule vve must esteeme of a poore man or a bond man no lesse then of the rich man and the free then of the Prince or the Gentleman because as Christ him self calleth all and endueth al sorts vvith his graces so in such and the like things vve must not be partial but count al to be fellovves brethren and members of one head And therfore the Apostle saith vvith a special clause That vve should not hold or haue the Christian faith vvith or in such differences or partialities 10. Is made guilty of al. He meaneth not that vvhosoeuer is a theefe is also a murderer or that euery murderer is an aduouterer also or that al sinnes be equal according to the Stoïkes and the Heresie of Iouinian much lesse that he shal haue as great damnation that transgresseth one commaundement as if he had offended against euery precept but the sense is that it shal not auaile him to saluation that he seemeth to haue kept certaine and not broken al the commaundements seeing that any one transgression of the Lavv proueth that he hath not obserued the vvhole vvhich he vvas bound to do so far as is required and as is possible for a man in this life S. Augustine disputing profoundly in his 29 Epistle to S. Hierom of this place of S. Iames expoundeth it thus that he vvhich offendeth in one that is against the general and great commaundement of loue or charitie because it is in maner al as being the summe of al the plentitude of the lavv and the perfection of the rest breaketh after a sort and transgresseth al no sinne being committed but either against the loue of God or of our neighbour 13. Iudgement vvithout mercie Nothing giueth more hope of mercie in the next life then the vvorkes of almes charitie and mercie done to our neighbours in this life Neither shal any be vsed vvith extreme rigour in the next vvorld but such as vsed not mercie in this vvorld August de pec merit li. 2. c. 3. Vvhich is true not onely in respect of the iudgement to euerlasting damnation but also of the temporal chastisement in Purgatorie as S. Augustine signifieth declaring that our venial sinnes be vvashed avvay in this vvorld vvith daily vvorkes of mercie vvhich othervvise should be chastised in the next See epist 29. aforesaid in sine and li. 21 de Ciu. Dei c. 17 in fine 14. What shal it profite if a man say he hath faith This vvhole passage of the Apostle is so cleere against iustification or saluation by onely faith damnably defended by the Protestants and so euident for the necessitie merite concurrence of good vvorkes that their first author Luther and such as exactly folovv him boldly after the maner of Heretikes vvhen they can make no shift nor false glose for the text deny the
and is no doubt much more novv in al Haeretikes al being precursors of that great Antichrist vvhich shal come tovvards the later end 3. That dissolueth To dissolue loose or separate IESVS a sunder vvas proper to al those old Heretikes that taught either against his Diuinitie or Humanitie or the Vnitie of his person being of two natures as Cerinthus Ebion Nestorius Eutyches Manes or Manichaeus Cerdon Apelles Apollinaris and the like And this is one place by vvhich vve may see that the common Greeke copies be not euer authentical and that our old approued translation may not alvvaies be examined by the Greeke that novv is vvhich the Protestants onely folow but that it is to be presupposed vvhen our old Latin text differeth plainely from the Greeke that in old time either al or the more approued Greeke reading was othervvise and that often the said Greeke was corrupted then or since by Heretikes or otherwise For of the Greekes S. Irenaeus li. 3. c. 18 among the Latin fathers S. Augustine tract 6. in fine S. Leo ep 10. c. 5 and Venerable Bede did reade as we doe and this reading maketh more against the said Heretikes then that vvhich the common Greeke novv hath to vvit Euery spirit that confesseth not Christ to haue come in flesh is not of God vvhich is also in effect said before vers 2. And that therfore it vvas corrupted and altered by Heretikes see the vvordes of Socrates also a Greeke vvriter very agreable to this purpose Nestorius saith he being eloquent by nature vvhich is often in Heretikes accounted him self therfore learned disdained to study the old interpreters counting him self better then them all being ignorant that in S. Iohns Catholike epistle old Greeke copies had EVERY ONE THAT DISSOLVETH IESVS IS NOT OF GOD. So saith he adding moreouer that such as vvould separate the diuinitie from the dispensation of Christs humanitie tooke out of the old copies this sense for vvhich the old expositours noted that these which would loose IESVS had corrupted this Epistle See also the Tripartite li. 12. c. 4. 6. In this vve knovv This is the most sure general marke to knovv the true spirites and prophets from the false that those vvhich be of God wil heare and obey their Apostles and lavvful pastors succeding the Apostles and submit them selues to the Church of God the other that be not of God wil not heare either Apostle pastor or Church but be their ovvne iudges 17. That vve may haue confidence Confidence called in Latin Fiducia is neither alone with faith nor a persuasion infallible that maketh a man no lesse secure and certaine of his saluation then of the things that vve are bound to beleeue as the Protestants falsely teach but it is onely a hope wel corroborated confirmed and strengthened vpon the promises and grace of God and the parties merites And the vvordes both folowing going before proue also euidently against the Protestants that our confidence and hope in the day of iudgement dependeth not onely vpon our apprehension of Christs merites by faith or vpon his grace and mercie but also vpon our conformitie to Christ in this life in charitie and good vvorkes And that is the doctrine of S. Peter vvhen he said Labour that by good vvorkes you may make sure your vocation and election and S. Paules meaning vvhen he said I haue fought a good fight there is laid vp for me a crovvne of iustice vvhich our Lord vvil render to me in that day a iust iudge 18. Feare is not in charitie The Heretikes very falsly vnderstand this place so that Christian godly men ought to haue no doubt mistrust or feare of hel and damnation Vvhich is most euidently against the Scriptures commending euery where vnto vs the awe and feare of God and his iudgements Feare him saith our Sauiour Mat. 10 that can cast body and soul into hel And Psal 118. Pearse my flesh vvith thy feare Vvhich feare of Gods iudgements caused S. Paul al good men to chastise their bodies lest they should be reprobate and damned And the vvise man for this cause affirmeth him to be happie that is euer fearful And holy Iob faith I feared al my vvorkes And the Apostle Vvith feare and trembling vvorke your saluation Vvhich kinde of feare is euen in the iustest men and most ful of charitie consisting wel with the same vertue and is called Filialis is timer because it is such as the good childe ought to haue toward his father But there is a kinde of feare vvhich standeth not with charitie and is cleane against hope also that vvhich bringeth such perplexitie and auxietie of conscience that it induceth a man to mistrust or despaire of Gods mercies That seruile feare also vvhich maketh a man often to leaue sinning and to doe the external vvorkes of iustice not for any loue or delight he hath in God or his lawes but onely for feare of damnation though it be not il in it self but very profitable as that vvhich helpeth toward the loue of God yet it standeth not with charitie neither but is daily more and more lessened and at length quite driuen out by charitie Of these kinde of feares then the Apostle speaketh and as some expound of the feare of men also of vvhich our Sauiour saith Feare not them that kil the body CHAP. V. They that loue God must loue his natural sonne IESVS and his sonnes by adoption and keepe his commaundements vvhich to the regenerate are light 4 But not vnles they continue in the Catholike faith namely of this article that IESVS is the sonne of God and therfore able to giue vs life euerlasting 14 and al our petitions 16 and our praiers for al our brethren that sinne not vnto death dying in their mortal sinnes by impenitence Last of al he vvarneth them not to communicate vvith idols verse 1 WHOSOEVER beleeueth that IESVS is Christ is borne of God And euery one that loueth him vvhich begat loueth him also vvhich vvas borne of him ✠verse 2 In this vve knovv that vve loue the children of God vvhen as vve loue God and keepe his commaundementes ✠verse 3 For this is the charitie of God that vve keepe his commaundements * and ″ his commaundementes are not heauy ✠verse 4 Because al that is borne of God ouercommeth the vvorld and this is the victorie vvhich ouercommeth the vvorld our faith ✠verse 5 Vvho is he * that ouercōmeth the vvorld but he that beleeueth that IESVS is the sonne of God ✠verse 6 This is he that came by vvater and bloud IESVS Christ not in vvater only but in vvater and bloud And it is the Spirit vvhich testifieth that Christ is the truth ✠verse 7 For there be ″ three vvhich giue testimonie in heauen the Father the Vvord and the Holy Ghost and these three be one ✠verse 8 And
li. 2. c. 39. Io. 20 31. Hier. in Catal. a Io. 21 20. b Mat. 4. 21. b Mat. 4. 21. c Act. 12 2. a Io. 13 23. 24. c. 21 20. a Io. 13 23. 24. c. 21 20. a Io. 13 23. 24. c. 21 20. b Io. 20 4. c Io. 21 7. The 1. parte THE ACTES of Christ before his manifestation whiles Iohn Baptist was yet baptizing The Gospel at the third Masse vpō Christmas day And euery day at the end of Masse ` nothing that was made ET VERBVM CARO FACTVM EST. ⸬ He is preferred made of more dignitie and excellencie then I because he was before me al things eternal God The Gospel vpō the 3 Sunday in Aduent Mal. 4 5 Deu. 18 15. ⸬ By like the Iewes ignorātly vnderstood not the place in Deuteronomie of Christ and therfore they aske also whether he be the Prophet there spoken of See also c. 7 40. Esa 40 3. Mt. 3 11. ⸬ He doth oftē here signifie the great difference of his baptisme of Christs as of his person Christs See Annot. Mat. 3. Mr. 1 8. Lu. 3 16. The Gospel on the octaue of the Epiphanie ` sinnes AGNVS DEI at Masse The Gospel vpō S. Andrews eue ⸬ Messias in Hebrue in Greeke Christ ī English Anointed to witte with the spiritual oile of grace aboue his brethren Ps 44. ⸬ Cephas in Syriake Peter in Greeke in English Rocke See Mat. 16 18. The Gospel in a votiue Masse of the holy Angels Gen. 28 12. How God the Sonne is called the VVORD The Platonikes August de Ciu. Dei li. 10 c. 29. The VVORD coeternal vvith the Father distinct in person and of the Father Calu. inst li. 1 c. 13. sect 23 25. The VVORD true God by nature 1 Io. c. 5 20. The Protestants are like the vvrāgling Ariās The VVORD not a creature but the creator Free-vvil Humble kneeling at the solemne wordes of Christs incarnation How mortal men see God The B. Trinitie Peter by his new name designed to be the Rocke of the Church Cephas Petrus Li. 2 c. 12 in Ioan. The Gospel vpō the 2 Sunday after the Epiphanie ⸬ He that seeth water turned in to wine nedeth not dispute or doubt hovv Christ changed bread into his body The Gospel vpō Munday in the fourth vveeke of Lent Ps 68 10. Mt. 26. 61. 27 40. Christ with his presence honoureth and approueth Mariage Cyril in 2 Io. c. 22. Our Ladies intercession Translatours of holy Scriptures Our lady doubteth not but Christ vvil graūt her petition li. 2 in Io. c. 23. Profaners of Gods Church are to be punished in soul body by the Spiritual power The B. Sacrament is not to be giuen to nouices or yonglings in faith Tract in Io. 11. The Gospel vpō Holy Roode day Maij ◠⸬ We folow rather S. August those ancient fathers which most commōly vnderstand this place of the holy Ghost not of the winde◠although both senses be good Nu. 21 9 The Gospel vpō Munday in the whitsonweeke Io. 1 19. Io. 1 20. Baptisme in water necessarie to saluation August haeres 18. Baptisme in two cases not necessarie but othervvise supplied Euery infidel and namely heretikes are iudged already Gal. 5 6. Tit. 3 11◠The excellencie of Christs povver and graces ⸬ He did not baptize ordinarily yet that he baptized his Apostles S. Aug. thinketh it very probable ep 108. Gen. 48 22. The Gospel vpō Friday in the ◠weeke in Lent ⸬ This woman is a figure of the Church not yet iustified but now to be iustified Aug. tract 15 in loan ⸬ There were many other causes why the faithful Iewes could not abide the Samaritans but their precise abstaining from their companie cōuersation was their Schismatical Temple and seruice in moūt Garîzim c He speaketh of his baptizing in the Holy Ghost See Io. c. 7 39. Deu. 12 6. Ps 121 13. 4 Reg. 17 28 36. ⸬ This womā mystically beīg the Church it is here signified that they which at the first beleeue because the Church teacheth so afterward be much confirmed sinding it in the Scripture also and by other instructions Mt. 4 12 Mr. 1 14 Luc. 4 14. Io. 2 9. The Gospel vpō the 20 Sunday after Pentecost Io. 2 11. The Schismatical tēple contendeth against the true Tēple Ioseph li. antiq 11. c. 8. The true Temple preuaileth Ioseph li. 13. antiq c. 6. The true Temple is proued by continual succession Christian adoratiō throughout al natiōs in euery place in spirit veritie that is in the Sacraments and seruice of the new law ful of spirit grace in the veritie of things before prefigured specially the true sacrifice of Christs body and bloud Mal. 1 11. Io. 1 17. The 2 part THE ACTES of Christ in Iewrie hauing already begonne his solemne Manifestation in Galilee Mt. 4 12 the second Pasche of his preaching The Gospel vpō friday in the first vveeke of Lent ⸬ By our latin text and the Greeke this miraculous pond vvas in or vpon Probatica that is a place vvhere the sheepe to be sacrificed vvere kept But by other latin copies S. Hierom and some Greeke fathers Probatica is the very pōd it self so called because the sheepe of sacrifice vvere there vvashed ` Bethesda c multū tempus haberet ` is passed The Gospel vpō Alsoules day ⸬ Not faith only but good and il deedes shal be counted and accordingly rewarded at the day of iudgement Io. 1 19. Mt. 3 17 ⸬ Catholikes searche the scriptures and finde there Peters his successors Primacie the real presence the Priests power to forgiue sinnes iustification by faith good workes Virginitie preferred before matrimonie breach of the vow of cōtinencie damnable voluntarie pouertie Penāce almes and good deedes meritorious diuers rewardes I heauē accordīg to diuers merites such like ⸬ He meaneth specially Antichrist How thē can the Pope be he seing the Iewes receiue him not 1 Vertue of miracles giuen to creatures 2 The same giuē specially to sanctified creatures Hiero. de locis Hebr. post med 3 Miracles done at on time more thē at an other specially ī greater solemnities 4 Angels and Sainctes patrones Workers in places of miracles 5 Miracles in certaine places wrought vpō thē that corporally visite the same See S. Augustine ep 137. 6 Al reasonīg in these matters must yeld to Gods pleasure Hiero. con Lucifer c. ◠10. 2. 7 This water is a figure of Baptisme 8 Christ extraordinarily healeth and saueth vvithout creatures Sinne the cause of sicknes and infirmities Neither Ievves nor Heretikes finde the truth because they searche not the Scriptures deepely but read superficially The 3. part His ACTES in Galilaee in Iewrie about the third Pasche and after The Gospel vpō Midlen◠Sūday Mt. 14 13. Mar. 6 32. Lu. 9 10 Mt. 14 23. Mr. 6 46. ⸬ These wordes do plainly import that the giuing thankes was an
many other vvomen that came vp together vvith him to Hierusalem ✠verse 42 And vvhen euening vvas come because it vvas the Parasceue vvhich is the Sabboth-eue ✠verse 43 came Ioseph of Arimathaea a noble Senatour vvho him self also vvas expecting the kingdom of God and he vvent in boldly to Pilate and asked the body of IESVS ✠verse 44 But Pilate marueled if he vvere novv dead And sending for the Centurion asked him if he vvere novv dead ✠verse 45 And vvhen he vnderstoode by the Centurion he gaue the body to Ioseph ✠verse 46 And Ioseph ″ bying sindon and taking him dovvne vvrapped him in the sindon and laid him in a monument that vvas hevved out of a rocke And he rolled a stone to the doore of the monument ✠verse 47 And Marie Magdalene and Marie of Ioseph beheld vvhere he vvas laid ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XV. 11. Cheefe Priests Heretikes abuse the ignorant people with these naughtie Priests of the old Testament to make that name odious and to discredite the Priests of Christ in the new Testament But for these Priests thou maist not maruel that they are so busy against Christ * partly because they were such as were intruded by the secular power of the Roman Emperour and from yere to yere by bribery and frendship not by succession according to the Law of Moyses partly because the time was now come when the old Priesthod of Aaron should cease and the new begin according to the order of Melchife dec and for these causes cod suffered their former priueleges of wisedom and iudgemeÌ„t and discretion to decay in these later vsurpers and that according to the Prophet saying The Law shal perish from the Priest and counsel from the Ancients But the Priesthod of the new Testament is to continew vnto the end of the world and hath as being the principal part of the Church the assistaÌ„ce of the Holy Ghost for euer promised to teach it al truth and for Peter the cheefe Priest thereof vnder Christ our Sauiour praied That his faith should not faile and to the rest he said He that heareth you heareth me â—â— To satisfie the people Pilate should haue suffered death rather then by other mens prouocation or commaundement haue executed an innocent as a Christian iudge should rather suffer al extremitie then giue sentence of death against a Catholike man for his faith â—6 Bying sindon This dutie done to Christes body after his departure was exceding meritorious and is therfore by holy write so often commended for an example to faithful men to vse al honour and deuotion towards the bodies of Saincts and holy persons CHAP. XVI The third day to three vvomen at his Sepulcher an Angel telleth that he is risen and vvil as he promised Mar. 14 28. shevv him self in Galileâ— 9 The same day he appeareth to Marie Magdalene aftervvard to tvvo Disciples yet the Eleuen vvil not beleeue it vntil to them also he appeareth 15 To vvhom hauing giuen commission into al nations vvith povver also of Miracles he ascendeth and they plant his Church euery vvhere verse 1 AND vvhen the Sabboth vvas past Marie Magdalene and Marie of Iames and Salôme ″ bought spices that comming they might anoint IESVS ✠verse 2 And very early the first of the Sabboths they come to the monument the sunne being novv risen ✠verse 3 And they said one to an other Vvho shal roll vs backe the stone from the doore of the monument ✠verse 4 And looking they savv the stone rolled backe for it vvas very great ✠verse 5 And entring into the monument they savv a yong man sitting on the right hand couered vvith a vvhite robe and they vvere astonied ✠verse 6 Vvho saith to them Be not dismaied you seeke IESVS of Nazareth that vvas crucified he is risen he is not here behold the place vvhere they laid him ✠verse 7 But goe tel his Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there you shal see him * as he told you ⊢ ✠verse 8 But they going forth fled from the monument for trembling and feare had inuaded them and they said nothing to any body for they vvere afraid ✠verse 9 And he rising early the first of the Sabboth * appeared first to Marie Magdalene * out of vvhom he had cast seuen deuils ✠verse 10 She vvent and told them that had been vvith him that vvere mourning and vveeping ✠verse 11 And they hearing that he vvas aliue and had been seen of her did not beleeue ✠verse 12 And * after he appeared in an ″ other shape to tvvo of them vvalking as they vvere going into the countrie ✠verse 13 and they going told the rest neither them did they beleeue ✠verse 14 Last * he appeared to those eleuen as they sate at the table and he exprobrated their incredulity and hardnes of hart because they did not beleeue them that had seen him risen againe ✠verse 15 And he said to them * Going into the vvhole vvorld preach the Gospel to al creatures ✠verse 16 He that ″ beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued but he that beleeueth not shal be condemned ✠verse 17 And them that beleeue ″ these signes shal folow In my name shal they cast out deuils They shal speake vvith nevv tonges ✠verse 18 Serpents shal they take avvay And if they drinke any deadly thing it shal not hurt them They shal impose hands vpon the sicke and they shal be vvhole ✠verse 19 And so our Lord IESVS after he spake vnto them * vvas assumpted into heauen and sate on the right hand of God ✠verse 20 But they going forth preached euery vvhere our Lord working vvithal and confirming the vvord vvith signes that folovved ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVI 1. Bought spices As she did bestow and consume a costly ointment vpon his body being yet aliue c. 14 3 Christ him self defending and highly commending the fact against Iudas and other who accounted it to be superfluous and better to be bestowed otherwise So not without great deuotion and merite she and these other women seeke to anoint his body dead though Heretikes or other simple persons may pretend such things to be better bestowed vpon the poore and therfore * she first before al other * and they next saw him after his Resurrection 12. In an other shape Christ though he haue but one corporal shape natural to his person yet by his omnipotencie he may be in whatsoeuer forme and appears in the likenesse of any other man or creature as he list Therfore let no man thinke it strange that he may be vnder the forme of bread in the B. Sacrament 16. He that beleeueth Note wel that whereas this Euangelist mentioneth only faith and baptisme as though to beleeue and to be baptized were
the coÌ„mission of my father for preaching working miracles and other graces I must not be tied to flesh and bloud which vvas not a repreheÌ„sion of our Lady or significatioÌ„ that he vvould not heare her in this or other things pertaining to Gods glorie or the good of men for the euent shovveth the contrarie but it vvas a lesson to the companie that heard it and namely to his Disciples that respect of kinred should not dravv them to doe any thing against reason or be the principal motion vvhy they doe their dueties but Gods glorie 5. Whatsoeuer he shal say By this you see our Lady by her diuine prudence and entiere familiaritie and acquaintance with al his maner of speaches knew it was no checke to her but a doctrine to others and that she had no repulse though he seemed to say his time was not yet come to worke miracles not doubting but he would begin a litle before his ordinary time for her sake as S. Cyril thinketh he did and therfore she admonisheth the waiters to marke wel to execute whatsoeuer Christ should bid them doe 1â— Cast them out By this chastising corporally the defilers and abusers of the Temple he doth not onely shew his power that being but one poore man he could by force execute his pleasure vpon so many sturdy fellowes but also his soneralne authoritie ouer al offenders and that not vpon their soules onely as by excommunication and spiritual penalties but so far as is requisite for the execution of spiritual iurisdiction vpon their bodies and goods also That the Spiritualtie may learne how far and in what cases for iust zeale of Christs Church they may vse and exercise both spiritually and temporally their forces and faculties against offenders specially against the prophaners of Gods Church according to the Apostles allusion 1 Cor. 3. If any defile the Temple of God him vvil God destroy â—4 IESVS committed not him self S. Augustine applieth this their first faith and beleefe in Christ sodenly raised vpon the admiration of his wonders but yet not fully formed or established in them vnto the faith of Nouices or Catechumen in the Church and Christs not committing his Person to them as yet to the Churches like warinesse and wisedom in not opening not giuing to them our Lord in the B. SacrameÌ„t because al were not to be trusted with that high point without ful trial of their faith CHAP. III. He teacheth Nicodemus that to come to the kingdom of God Baptisme is necessarie as being our Regeneration 10 Vvhich point Nicodemus as then not vnderstaÌ„ding 11 he shevveth that they must beleeue him and vvhat good cause there is for them so to doe â—3 After this he also baptizeth and Iohn likevvise at the same time 25 Wherevpon a question being moued Whether Baptisme is better 25 Iohn ansvvereth it by saying that he is so far inferiour to Christ as a mere man to God most high verse 1 AND there vvas a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a prince of the Ievves ✠verse 2 This man came to IESVS by night and said to him Rabbi vve knovv that thou art come from God a maister for no man can doe these signes vvhich thou doest vnles God be vvith him ✠verse 3 IESVS ansvvered and said to him Amen Amen I say to thee Vnles a man be borne againe he can not see the kingdom of God ✠verse 4 Nicodemus said to him Hovv can a man be borne vvhen he is old can he enter into his mothers vvombe againe and be borne ✠verse 5 IESVS ansvvered Amen Amen I say to thee Vnles a man be ″ borne againe of vvater and the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of God ✠verse 6 That vvhich is borne of the flesh is flesh that vvhich is borne of the spirit is spirit ✠verse 7 Marueil not that I said to thee You must be borne againe ✠verse 8 The spirit breatheth vvhere he vvil and thou hearest his voice but thou knovvest not vvhence he commeth and vvhither he goeth so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit ✠verse 9 Nicodemus ansvvered said to him Hovv can these things be done ✠verse 10 IESVS ansvvered and said to him Thou art a maister in Israel and art thou ignorant of these things ✠verse 11 Amen Amen I say to thee that vve speake that vvhich vve knovv and that vvhich vve haue seen vve testifie and our testimonie you receiue not ✠verse 12 If I haue spoken to you earthly things and you beleeue not hovv if I shal speake to you heauenly things vvil you beleeue ✠verse 13 And no man hath ascended into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of man vvhich is in heauen ✠verse 14 And as * Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert so must the Sonne of man be exalted ✠verse 15 that euery one vvhich beleeueth in him perish not but may haue life euerlasting ✠verse 16 For so God loued the vvorld that he gaue his only-begotten sonne that euery one that beleeueth in him perish not but may haue life euerlasting ⊢ ✠verse 17 For God sent not his sonne into the vvorld to iudge the vvorld but that the vvorld may be saued by him ✠verse 18 He that beleeueth in him is not iudged but he that doeth not beleeue ″ is already iudged because he hath not beleeued in the name of the only-begotten sonne of God ✠verse 19 And this is the iudgment because the light is come into the vvorld and men haue loued the darkenesse rather then the light for their vvorkes vvere euil ✠verse 20 For euery one that doeth il hateth the light and commeth not to the light that his vvorkes may not be controuled ✠verse 21 But he that doeth veritie commeth to the light that his vvorkes may be made manifest because they vvere done in God ⊢ ✠verse 22 After these things IESVS came and his Disciples into the countrie of Ievvrie and there he abode vvith them and baptized ✠verse 23 And Iohn also vvas baptizing in Aenon beside Salim because there vvas much vvater there and they came and vvere baptized ✠verse 24 For Iohn vvas not yet cast into prison ✠verse 25 And there rose a question of Iohns disciples vvith the Ievves concerning purification ✠verse 26 And they came to Iohn and said to him Rabbi he that vvas vvith thee beyond Iordan to vvhom * thou didst giue testimonie behold he baptizeth and al come to him ✠verse 27 Iohn ansvvered and said A man can not receiue any thing vnlesse it be giuen him from heauen ✠verse 28 Your selues doe beare me vvitnesse * that I said I am not CHRIST but that I am sent before him ✠verse 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegrome but the frende of the bridegrome that standeth and heareth him reioyceth vvith ioy for the voice
elements vnder which it is and we eate it that the vnfaithful and infirme do so stumble at Christ in the Sacrament as the Iewes and Gentils did at Christ in his humanitie For the causes of contradictions of the Incarnation and Transsubstantion be like And it may be verily deemed that whosoeuer now can not beleeue the Sacrament to be Christ because it is vnder the formes of bread and wine and is eaten and drunken would not then haue beleued that Christ had bene God because he was in shape of man and crucified To conclude it was not a figure nor a mysterie of bare bread and wine nor any Metaphorical or Allegorical speach that could make such a troupe of his Disciples reuolt at once when he said he was a doore a vine away a Pastor and such like vnto which kinde of speaches the protestants ridiculously resemble the wordes of the holy Sacrament who was so mad to mistake him or to forsake him for the same For the Apostles at the least would haue plucked them by the sleeues and said Goe not away my maisters he speaketh parables The cause therfore was their incredulitie and the height of the Mysterie for that they neither knew the meanes how it might be present nor would beleeue that he was able to giue his flesh to be eaten in many places And euen such is the vnbeleefe of the Heretikes about this matter at this day â—â— Peter ansvvered Peter answereth for the Twelue not knowing that Iudas in hart was already naught and beleued not Christs former wordes touching the B. Sacrament but was to reuolt afterward as wel as the other Wherein Peter beareth the person of the Church and al Catholike men that for no difficulty of his word nor for any reuolt be it neuer so general of Schismatikes Heretikes or Apostataes either for this Sacrament or any other Article wil euer forsake Christ And when company draweth vs to reuolt let vs say thus Lord whither or to whom shal we goe when we haue forsaken thee to Caluin Luther or such and forsake thee and thy Church with the vnfaithful multitude No thou hast the wordes of life and we beleeue thee and thy Church wil not nor can not beguile vs. Thou hast saith S. Augustine life euerlasting in the ministration of thy body and bloud and a litle after Thou art life euerlasting it self and thou giuest not in thy flesh and bloud but that vvhich thy self art CHAP. VII The Iewes of Hierusalem seeking his death he walketh in Galilee where he signifieth to his brethren that not in this feast Scenopégia but in an other to wit Pasche folovving the Ievves should kil him that is not vvhen they vvould but vvhen he vvil 10 In so much that at this feast he teacheth openly in the Temple and conuerteth many 14 both in the middle day 37 and the last day thereof vvithout any hurt though also the Rulers send to apprehend him verse 1 AFTER these things IESVS vvalked into Galilee ' for he vvould not vvalke into Ievvrie ' because the Ievves sought to kil him ✠verse 2 And the festiual day of the Ievves * Scenopégia vvas at hand ✠verse 3 And his brethreÌ„ said to him Passe from hence and goe into Ievvrie that thy Disciples also may see thy vvorkes vvhich thou doest ✠verse 4 For no man doeth any thing in secrete and seeketh him self to be in publike If thou doe these things manifest thy self to the vvorld ✠verse 5 For neither did his brethren beleeue in him ✠verse 6 IESVS therfore saith to them My time is not yet come but your time is alvvaies readie ✠verse 7 The vvorld can not hate you but me it hateth because I giue testimonie of it that the vvorkes there of are euil ✠verse 8 Goe you vp to this festiual day I goe not vp ' to this festiual day because my time is not yet accomplished ✠verse 9 when he had said these things him self taried in Galilee ✠verse 10 But after his brethren vvere gone vp then he also vvent vp to the festiual day not openly but as it vvere in secrete ✠verse 11 The Ievves therfore sought him in the festiual day and said Vvhere is he ✠verse 12 And there vvas much murmuring in the multitude of him For certaine said That he is good And others said No but he seduceth the multitudes ✠verse 13 Yet no man spake openly of him for feare of the Ievves ⊢ ✠verse 14 And vvhen the festiuitie vvas novv halfe done IESVS vvent vp into the teÌ„ple and taught ✠verse 15 And the Ievves marueiled saying Hovv doth this man knovv letters vvhereas he hath not learned ✠verse 16 IESVS ansvvered them and said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me ✠verse 17 If any man vvil doe the vvil of him he shal vnderstand of the doctrine vvhether it be of God or I speake of my self ✠verse 18 He that speaketh of him self seeketh his ovvne glorie But he that seeketh the glorie of him that sent him he is true and iniustice in him there is not ✠verse 19 Did not Moyses giue you the lavv and none of you doeth the lavv ✠verse 20 * Vvhy seeke you to kil me The multitude ansvvered and said Thou hast a deuil vvho seeketh to kil thee ✠verse 21 IESVS ansvvered and said to them One vvorke I haue done and you doe al marueil ✠verse 22 Therfore * Moyses gaue you circuncision not that it is of Moyses but * of the fathers and in the Sabboth you circuncise a man ✠verse 23 If a man receiue circuncision in the Sabboth that the lavv of Moyses be not broken are you angrie at me because I haue healed a man vvholy in the Sabboth ✠verse 24 Iudge not according to the face but iudge iust iudgement ✠verse 25 Certaine therfore of Hierusalem said Is not this he vvhom they seeke to kil ✠verse 26 And behold he speaketh openly and they say nothing to him Haue the Princes knovven in deede that this is CHRIST ✠verse 27 But this man vve knovv vvheÌ„ce he is But vvhen CHRIST coÌ„meth no man knovveth vvhence he is ✠verse 28 IESVS therfore cried in the temple teaching and saying Both me you doe knovv and vvhence I am you knovv And of my self I am not come but he is true that sent me vvhom you knovv not ✠verse 29 I knovv him because I am of him and he sent me ✠verse 30 They sought therfore to apprehend him and no man laide handes vpon him because his houre vvas not yet come ✠verse 31 But of the multitude many beleeued in him ⊢ and said CHRIST vvhen he coÌ„meth shal he doe more signes then these vvhich this man doeth ✠verse 32 The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things touching him and the Princes ' and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him
✠verse 33 IESVS therfore said to them Yet a litle time I am vvith you and I goe to him that sent me ✠verse 34 * You seeke me and shal not finde and vvhere I am you can not come ✠verse 35 The Ievves therfore said among them selues Vvhither vvil this man goe that vve shal not finde him Vvil he goe into the dispersion of the Gētiles and teach the Gentiles ✠verse 36 Vvhat is this saying that he hath said You shal seeke me and shal not finde And vvhere I am you can not come ✠verse 37 And in the last the * great day of the festiuitie IESVS stoode and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke ✠verse 38 He that beleeueth in me as the scripture saith Out of his belly shal flovv riuers of liuing vvater ✠verse 39 And this he said of the Spirit that they should receiue vvhich beleeued in him ⊢ for as yet the Spirit vvas not giuen because IESVS vvas not yet glorified ✠verse 40 Of that multitude therfore vvhen they had heard these wordes of his some said This is the Prophet in deede ✠verse 41 others said This is CHRIST But certaine said Vvhy doth CHRIST come from Galilee ✠verse 42 Doth not the * scripture say that of the seede of Dauid and from Bethlehem the tovvne vvhere Dauid vvas CHRIST doth come ✠verse 43 Therfore there arose dissension in the multitude for him ✠verse 44 And certaine of them vvould haue apprehēded him but no man laid handes vpon him ✠verse 45 The ministers therfore came to the cheefe priests and the Pharisees And they said to them Vvhy haue you not brought him ✠verse 46 The ministers ansvvered Neuer did there man so speake as this man ✠verse 47 The Pharisees therfore ansvvered them Vvhy are you also seduced ✠verse 48 Hath any of the Princes beleeued in him or of the Pharisees ✠verse 49 but this multitude that knovveth not the lavv are accursed ✠verse 50 Nicodemus said to them he * that came to him by night vvho vvas one of them ✠verse 51 Doth our lavv iudge a man vnles it first heare him and knovv vvhat he doeth ✠verse 52 They ansvvered and said to him Vvhy art thou also a Galilaean Search and see that from Galilee a Prophet riseth not ✠verse 53 And euery man returned to his house CHAP. VIII Againe in the Temple absoluing an aduoutresse after his merciful maner and yet vvithal declaring against his enemies that he is not a fauourer of sinne no more then Moyses 12 he teacheth openly and is not for al that apprehended telling them both of his Godhead 21 and of their reprobation 28 of his exaltation also by their Crucifying of him 31 exhorting the beleeuers to perseuére 33 and shevving them that seeke his death that they are neither free 39 nor of Abraham 41 nor of God 44 but of the Diuel 45 but that him selfe is of God 52 and greater and auncienter then Abraham 59 For the vvhich they goe about to stone him but in vaine verse 1 AND IESVS vvent into the Mount-oliuet ✠verse 2 and early in the morning againe he came into the temple and the people came to him and sitting he taught them ✠verse 3 And the Scribes and Pharisees bring a vvoman taken in aduoutrie and they did set her in the middes ✠verse 4 and said to him Maister this vvoman vvas euen novv taken in aduoutrie ✠verse 5 And * in the lavv Moyses commaunded vs to stone such What saiest thou therfore ✠verse 6 And this they said tempting him that they might accuse him But IESVS bovving him self dovvne vvith his finger vvrote in the earth ✠verse 7 Vvhen they therfore continued asking him he lifted vp him self and said to them He that is vvithout sinne of you let him first throvv the stone at her ✠verse 8 And againe bovving him self he vvrote in the earth ✠verse 9 And they hearing vvent out one by one beginning at the seniours and IESVS alone remained and the vvoman standing in the middes ✠verse 10 And IESVS lifting vp him self said to her Vvoman vvhere are they that accused thee hath no man condemned thee ✠verse 11 Vvho said No man Lord. And IESVS said Neither vvil I condemne thee Goe and novv sinne no more ⊢ ✠verse 12 Againe therfore IESVS spake to them saying I am the light of the vvorld he that folovveth me vvalketh not in darkenesse but shal haue the light of life ✠verse 13 The Pharisees therfore said to him Thou giuest testimonie of thy self thy testimonie is not true ✠verse 14 IESVS ansvvered and said to them Although I doe giue testimonie of my self my testimonie is true because I knovv vvhence I came vvhither I goe but you knovv not vvhēce I come or whither I goe ✠verse 15 You iudge according to the flesh I doe not iudge any man ✠verse 16 And if I doe iudge my iudgement is true because I am not alone but I and he that sent me the Father ✠verse 17 And in your lavv it is vvritten that * the testimonie of tvvo men is true ✠verse 18 I am he that giue testimonie of my self and he that sent me the Father giueth testimonie of me ✠verse 19 They said therfore to him Vvhere is thy father IESVS ansvvered Neither me doe you knovv nor my Father If you did knovv me perhaps you might knovv my Father also ✠verse 20 These vvordes IESVS spake in the Treasurie teaching in the temple and no man apprehended him because his houre vvas not yet come ⊢ ✠verse 21 Againe therfore IESVS said to them I goe and you shal seeke me and shal die in your sinne Vvhither I goe you can not come ✠verse 22 The Ievves therfore said Vvhy vvil he kil him self because he saith Vvhither I goe you can not come ✠verse 23 And he said to them You are from beneath I am from aboue you are of this vvorld I am not of this vvorld ✠verse 24 Therfore I said to you that you shal die in your sinnes for if you beleeue not that I am he you shal die in your sinne ✠verse 25 They said therfore to him Vvho art thou IESVS said to them The beginning vvho also speake to you ✠verse 26 Many things I haue to speake and iudge of you but he that sent me is true and vvhat I haue heard of him these things I speake in the vvorld ✠verse 27 And they knevv not that he said to them that his father vvas God ✠verse 28 IESVS therfore said to them Vvhen you shal haue exalted the sonne of man then you shal knovv that I am he and of my self I doe nothing but as the Father hath taught me these things I speake ✠verse 29 and he that sent me is vvith me and he
at Hierusalem the cheefe priests and the auncients of the Ievves came vnto me desyring condemnation against him ✠verse 16 To vvhom I ansvvered That it is not the Romanes custome to yeld vp any man before that he vvhich is accused haue his accusers present and take place to make his ansvver for to cleere him self of the crimes ✠verse 17 Vvhen they therfore vvere assembled hither vvithout any delaie the day folovving sitting in the iudgement seat I commaunded the man to be brought ✠verse 18 Of vvhom vvhen the accusers stoode vp they brought no cause vvhich I thought il of ✠verse 19 but certaine questions of their ovvne superstition they had against him and of one IESVS deceased vvhom Paul affirmed to liue ✠verse 20 Doubting therfore of this kinde of question I said vvhether he vvould goe to Hierusalem there be iudged of these things ✠verse 21 But Paul appealing to be kept vnto the knovvledge of Augustus I commaunded him to be kept til I send him to Caesar ✠verse 22 And Agrippa said to Festus My self also vvould heare the man To morovv said he thou shalt heare him ✠verse 23 And the next day vvhen Agrippa and Bernice vvere come vvith great pompe and had entred into the hall of audience vvith the Tribunes and principal men of the citie at Festus commaundement Paul vvas brought ✠verse 24 And Festus saith King Agrippa and al ye men that are present together vvith vs you see this man concerning vvhom al the multitude of the Ievves called vpon me at Hierusalem requesting and crying out that he ought not to liue any longer ✠verse 25 Yet haue I found nothing that he hath committed vvorthie of death But forasmuch as he himself appealed to Augustus I haue determined to send him ✠verse 26 Of vvhom vvhat to vvrite for certaintie to my lord I haue not For the vvhich cause I haue brought him forth to you and especially to thee king Agrippa that examination being made I may haue vvhat to vvrite ✠verse 27 For it seemeth to me vvithout reason to send a prisoner not to signifie his causes CHAP. XXVI In that honorable Audience being permitted to speake 2 he declareth to the king vvhat he first vvas 1â— and hovv miraculously he vvas conuerted 19 and that he hath preached sinâ—â— as he vvas commaunded from heauen and as the Prophets had foretold of Christ 24 Which strange tale Festus the Heathen President hearing saith that he is mad 25 But he ansvvereth and exhorteth them al to be Christians as he is â—0 They finally pronounce that he might be set at libertie but only for his appeale verse 1 BVT Agrippa said to Paul Thou art permitted to speake for thy self Then Paul stretching forth his hand began to make his ansvver ✠verse 2 Touching al things vvhereof I am accused of the Ievves king Agrippa I account my self happie for that I am to defend my self this day before thee ✠verse 3 especially vvhereas thou knovvest al things that are among the Ievves customes and questions for the vvhich cause I beseeche thee heare me patiently ✠verse 4 And my life truely from my youth vvhich vvas from the beginning in my nation in Hierusalem al the Ievves doe knovv ✠verse 5 knovving me before from the beginning if they vvil giue testimonie that according to the most sure secte of our religion I liued a Pharisee ✠verse 6 And novv for the hope of the promisse that vvas made of God to our fathers doe I stand subiect to iudgement ✠verse 7 the vvhich our tvvelue tribes seruing night and day hope to come vnto Of the vvhich hope o king I am accused of the Ievves ✠verse 8 Vvhat incredible thing is it iudged vvith you if God raise the dead ✠verse 9 And my self truely had thought that I ought to doe against the name of IESVS of Nazareth many contrarie things ✠verse 10 Vvhich also I * did at Hierusalem and many of the saincts did I shut vp in prisons hauing receiued authoritie of the cheefe priests and vvhen they vvere put to death I brought the sentence ✠verse 11 And through out al the synagogs often times punishing them I coÌ„pelled them to blaspheme and yet more mad against them I persecuted them euen vnto foraine cities ✠verse 12 Among vvhich things vvhiles * I vvent to Damascus vvith authoritie and permission of the cheefe priests ✠verse 13 at midday in the vvay I savv o king from heauen a light to haue shined round about me and them that vvere in companie vvith me aboue the brightnes of the sunne ✠verse 14 And vvhen al vve vvere fallen dovvne on the ground I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue Saul Saul vvhy persecurest thou me It is hard for thee to kicke against the pricke ✠verse 15 And I said Vvho art thou Lord And our Lord ansvvered I am IESVS vvhom thou doest persecure ✠verse 16 But rise vp and stand vpon thy feete for to this end haue I appeared to thee that I may ordaine thee a minister and vvitnes of those things vvhich thou hast seen and of those things vvherein I vvil appeare to thee ✠verse 17 deliuering thee out of the peoples natioÌ„s vnto the vvhich novv I send thee ✠verse 18 to opeÌ„ their eies that they may be conuerted from darkenes to light and from the povver of Satan to God that they may receiue remission of sinnes and lot among the saincts by the faith that is in me ✠verse 19 Vvherevpon king Agrippa I vvas not incredulous to the heauenly vision ✠verse 20 but to them first that are at Damascus and at Hierusalem and vnto al the countrie of levvrie and to the Gentiles * did I preach that they should doe penaÌ„ce and turne to God doing vvorkes vvorthie of penance ✠verse 21 For this cause the Ievves vvhen I vvas in the temple * apprehending me atteÌ„pted meaning to kil me ✠verse 22 But aided by the help of God I stand vntil this day testifying to small and to great saying nothing beside those things vvhich the Prophets did speake should come to passe Moyses ✠verse 23 if CHRIST vvere passible if the first of the resurrection from the dead he vvere to shevv light to the people and to the Gentiles ✠verse 24 As he spake these things made his ansvver Festus vvith a loud voice said Thou art mad Paul much learning turneth thee to madnesse ✠verse 25 And Paul said I am not mad most excellent Festus but I speake vvordes of veritie and so brietie ✠verse 26 for the king knovveth of these things to vvhom also I speake constantly for I thinke none of these things to be vnknovven to him For neither vvas any of these things done in a corner ✠verse 27 Beleeuest thou the prophets king Agrippa I knovv that thou beleeuest ✠verse 28 And Agrippa
that abhorrest idols thou doest sacrilege ✠verse 23 that doest glorie in the Lavv thou by preuatication of the Lavv doest dishonour God ✠verse 24 For the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles as it is vvriten ✠verse 25 Circumcision in deede profiteth if thou obserue the Lavv but if thou be a preuaricátour of the Lavv thy circumcision is become prepuce ✠verse 26 If then the prepuce ″ keepe the iustices of the Lavv shal not his prepuce be reputed for circumcision ✠verse 27 and shal not that vvhich of nature is prepuce fulfilling the Lavv iudge thee that by the letter and circumcision art a preuaricátour of the Lavv ✠verse 28 For not he that is in open shevv is a Ievv not that vvhich is in open shevv in the flesh is circumcision ✠verse 29 but he that is in secrete is a Ievv and the circumcision of the hart ″ in spirit not in the letter vvhose praise is not of men but of God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 1. Thou that iudgest Such as by publike authoritie either spiritual or temporal haue to punish offenders be not forbidden to iudge or condemne any for their offenses though them selues be sometimes guilty in their conscience of the same or greater yet may it be matter of aggrauating sinnes before God vvhen they vvil not repent of those offenses them selues for the vvhich they punish others but if they be open offenders them selues in the same sort for vvhich they iudge other they giue scandal and thereby aggrauate their sinnes very much Proprely here he forbiddeth to charge an other falsely or truely vvith these crimes vvhereof him self is as farre guilty or more then the other as the Ievves specially did the Gentils to vvhom he speaketh here 4. Doest thou contemne This proueth that God offereth his grace and mercie to many and by long patience and sufferance expecteth their repētance differring their punishment of purpose that they may amend and that he is not delighted in their perdition nor is the cause of their sinne but contrarievvise that they harden their ovvne hartes and of their ovvne free vvil relect his grace and contemne his benignitie 6. According to his vvorkes Though the holy Apostles special purpose be in this Epistle to commend vnto the Gentiles that trusted so much in their moral vvorkes the faith in Christ yet lest any man should thinke or gather vntruely of his vvordes that Christian mens vvorkes vvere not meritorious or the cause of Saluation he expresly vvriteth that God giueth as vvel euerlasting life and glorie to men for and according to their good vvorkes as he giueth damnation for the contrarie vvorkes And hovv so euer Heretikes fondly flee from the euidence of these places yet S. Augustine saith Life euerlasting to be rendered for good vvorkes according to this manifest Scripture God shal render to euery man according to his vvorkes 13. Not the hearers This same sentence agreable also to Christes vvordes Mat. ◠21 is the very ground of S. Iames disputation that not faith alone but good vvorkes also do iustifie Therfore S. Paul hovvsoeuer some peruersly conster his vvordes in other place meaneth the same that S. Iames. And here * he speaketh not properly of the first iustification vvhen an Infidel or il man is made iust vvho had no acceptable vvorkes before to be iustified by of vvhich kind he specially meaneth in other places of this Epistle but he speaketh of the second iustification or increase of former iustice vvhich he that is in Gods grace daily procedeth in by doing al kind of good vvorkes vvhich be iustices and for doing of vvhich he is iust in deede before God and of this kinde doth S. Iames namely treate Vvhich is directly against the Heretikes of this time vvho not only attribute nothing to the vvorkes done in sinne and infidelitie but esteeme nothing at al of al Christian mens vvorkes tovvard iustification and saluation condemning them as vncleane sinful hy pocritical Pharisaical vvhich is directly against these other Scripture and plaine blaspheming of Christ and his grace by vvhose spirit and cooperation vve doe them 13. Shal be iustified Of al other Articles deceitfully handled by Heretikes they vse most guile in this of Iustification and specially by the equiuocation of certaine vvordes vvhich is proper to al contentious vvranglers and namely in this vvord Iustifie Vvhich because they finde sometime to signifie the acquiting of a guilty man of some crime vvhere of he is in deede guilty for vvhich he ought to be condemned as by mans iudgement either of ignorance or of purpose often a very malefactor is deemed or declared and pronounced innocent they falsly make it so signifie in this place and the like vvheresoeuer man is said to be iustified of God for his vvorkes or othervvise as though it vvere said that God iustifieth man that is to say imputeth to him the iustice of Christ though he be not in deede iust or of fauour reputeth him as iust vvhen in deede he is vvicked impious and vniust Vvhich is a most blasphemous doctrine against God making him either ignorant vvho is iust and so to erre in his iudgement or not good that can loue and saue him vvhom he knovveth to be euill And a maruelous pitieful blindnes it is in the Churches Aduersaries that they should thinke it more to Gods glorie and more to the commendation of Christes iustice merites and mercie to call and count an il man so continuing for iust then by his grace and mercie to make him of an il one iust in deede and so truely to iustifie him or as the vvord doth here signifie to esteeme and approue for iust in deede him that by his grace keepeth his lavv and commaundements For that the keepers or doers of the commaundements be iust and so reputed it is plaine by the correspondence to the former vvordes Not the hearers are iust but the doers Vvherevpon S. Augustine de Sp. lit c. 26. to ◠hath these vvordes When it is said The doers of the Lavv shal be iustified vvhat other thing is said then The iust shal be iustified for the doers of the Lavv verily are iust 26. Keepe the iustices If a Gentile either novv since Christ by his grace and faith or any other before Christ not of the stocke of Abraham through the Spirit of God keepe the iustices of the Lavv he is iust no lesse then if he had been outvvardl◠circumcised and shal condemne the circumcised Ievv not keeping the Lavv vvithout vvhich his outvvard Sacrament can not serue him but shal be much to his condemnation that hauing the Lavv and peculiar Sacraments of God he did not keepe the Lavv nor invvardly exercise that in his hart vvhich the outvvard signe did import And al this is no more but to insinuate that true iustice is not in faith only or knovvledge of the
And the God of peace be vvith you all Amen CHAP. XVI 〈…〉 and him self to many there by name 〈◊〉 he declareth the doctrine vvhich the Romanes had learned to be the touchstone is knovv Seducers 21 he doth vnto them the commendations of al the Churches and of certaine persons by names â—5 and concludeth verse 1 AND I commend to you Phoebè our sister vvho is in the ministerie of the Church that is in Cenchris ✠verse 2 that you receiue her in our Lord as it is vvorthie for saincts and that you assist her in whatsoeuer busines she shal neede you for she also hath assisted many and my self ✠verse 3 Salute Prisca and Aquila my helpers in Christ IESVS ✠verse 4 vvho for my life haue laid dovvne their neckes to vvhoÌ„ not I only giue thankes but also al the Churches of the Gentiles ✠verse 5 and their domestical Church Salute Epaenetus my beloued vvho is the first fruite of Asia in Christ ✠verse 6 Salute Marie vvho hath laboured much about vs. ✠verse 7 Salute Andrónicus and` Iulia ' my cosins and fellovv captiues vvho are noble among the Apostles vvho also before me vvere in Christ ✠verse 8 Salute Ampliátus my best beloued in our Lord. ✠verse 9 Salute Vrbánus our helper in Christ IESVS and Stachys my beloued ✠verse 10 Salute Apelles approued in Christ Salute them that are of Aristóbolus house ✠verse 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman Salute them that are of Narcissus house that are in our Lord. ✠verse 12 Salute Tryphaena and Tryphósa vvho labour in our Lord. Salute Persis the beloued vvho hath much laboured in our Lord. ✠verse 13 Salute Rufus the elect in our Lord and his mother and mine ✠verse 14 Salute Asyncritus Phlegon Hermas Pátrobas Hermes and the brethren that are vvith them ✠verse 15 Salute Philólogus and Iulia Nereus and his sister and Olympias and al the saincts that are vvith them ✠verse 16 ″ Salute one an other in a ″ holy kisse Al the churches of Christ salute you ✠verse 17 And I desire you brethren ″ to marke them that make dissensions and scandals contrarie to the doctrine vvhich you haue learned and auoid them ✠verse 18 For such doe not serue Christ our Lord ″ but their ovvne belly and by svveete speaches and benedictions seduce the hartes of innocents ✠verse 19 For ″ your obedience is published into euery place I reioyce therfore in you But I vvould haue you to be vvise in good and simple in euil ✠verse 20 And the God of peace crush Satan vnder your feete quickely The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith you ✠verse 21 Timothee my coadiutor saluteth you and Lucius and Iason and SosÃpater my kinsmen ✠verse 22 I Tertius salute you verse 23 that vvrote the epistle in our Lord. Caius mine host and the whole Churches saluteth you Erastus the Cofferer of the citie saluteth you and Quartus a brother ✠verse 24 The grace of our Lord IESVS Christ be vvith al you Amen ✠verse 25 And to him that is able to confirme you according to my Gospel and preaching of IESVS Christ according to the reuelation of the mysterie from eternal times kept secrete ✠verse 26 vvhich novv is opened by the Scriptures of the prophets according to the precept of the eternal God to the obedieÌ„ce of faith knovven in al Gentiles ✠verse 27 to God the only vvise through IESVS Christ ⊢ to vvhom ' be honour glorie for euer and euer Amen ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVI 14. Salute one an other Neuer Sectmaisters made more foule or hard shifts to proue or defend falsehood then the Protestants but in tvvo points about S. Peter specially they passe euen them selues in impudencie The first is that they hold he vvas not preferred before the other Apostles vvhich is against al Scriptures most euidently The second is that he vvas neuer at Rome vvhich is against al the Ecclesiastical histories al the Fathers Greeke and Latine against the very sense and sight of the monuments of his Seate Sepulcher doctrine life and death there Greater euidence certes there is thereof and more vveighty testimonie then of Romulus Numas Caesars or Ciceros being there yet vvere he a very brutish man that vvould deny this to the discredite of so many vvriters and the vvhole vvorld Much more monstruous it is to heare any deny the other Theodorete saith he vvas there vvriting vpon this chapter Prosper also carmine de ingratis in principio S. Leo de natali Petri S. Augustine to 6 c. 4. cont ep fund Orosius li. 7 c. 6. S. Chrysostome in ps 48. S. Epâ—phanius haer 27. Prudentius in hymno 2. S. Laurentij hymno 12. Optatus li. 2. contra Donatistas S. Hierome in Catalogo Lactantius li. 4. c. 21 de vera sapientia Eusebius hist Eccl. li. 2 c. 13 15. S. Athanasius de fuga sua S. Cyprian ep 55. nu 6 Tertullian de prascriptionibus nu 14. and li 4 contra Marcionem nu 4. Origen in Genes apud Euseb li. 3 c. 1. Irenaeus li. 3 c. â— Hegesippus li. 3. c. 2 de excid Hierosolym Caius and Papias the Apostles ovvne scholers and Dionysius the B. of Corinth alleaged by Eusebius li. 2 c. 14. 24. Ignatius ep ad Romanos The holy Councel of Chalcedon and many other affirme it yea Peter him self according to the iudgement of the auÌ„cient Fathers confesseth he vvas at Rome calling it Babylon 1. ep c. 5. Euseb li. 2. c. 14. hist. Ec. Some of these tel the time and cause of his first going thither some hovv long he liued there some the maner of his death there some the place of his burial and al that he vvas the first Bishop there Hovv could so many of such vvisedom and spirit so neere the Apostles time deceiue or be deceiued how could Caluin and his after fiftene hundred yeres knovv that vvhich none of them could see Some great argument must they needes haue to controule the credite of the vvhole vvorld This of truth is here their argument neither haue they a better in any place to vvit If S. Peter bad bene at Rome S. Paul vvould haue saluted him as he did others here in the end of his letter to the Romanes Is not this a high point to disproue al antiquitie by Any man of discretion may straight see that S. Peter might be knovven vnto S. Paul to be out of the Citie either for persecution or busines vvhen this epistle vvas written for he went often out as S. Epiphanius declareth so the omitting to salute him can proue no more but that then he vvas not in Rome but it proueth not so much neither because the Apostle might for respect of his dignitie and other the Churches affaires write vnto him special letters and so had no cause to salute him in his common Epistle Or hovv knovv they
the sentence of the Apostle vvhere he saith that vve shal al stand before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receiue according to his deserts in the body either good or euil For in his life and before death he deserued this that these vvorkes after his death might be profitable vnto him for in deede they be not profitable for al men and vvhy so but because of the difference and diuersitie of mens liues vvhiles they vvere in flesh The like he hath in diuers other places August li. de Praed Sanct. c. 12. ad Dulcit q. 2. And so hath S. Denys c. 7. Ec. Hierarch 10. Either good or euil Heauen is as vvel the revvard of good vvorkes as Hel is the stipend of il vvorkes Neither is faith alone sufficient to procure saluation nor lacke of saith the onely cause of damnation by good deedes men merite the one and by il deedes they deserne the other This is the Apostles doctrine here and in other place hovv so euer the Aduersaries of good life and vvorkes teach othervvise 18. The ministerie of reconciliation Christ is the cheefe Minister according to his manhod of al our reconcilement to God and for him as his ministers the Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Priests of his Church in vvhom the vvord of reconcilement as vvel by ministring of the Sacrifice and Sacraments for remission of sinnes as by preaching and gouernement of the vvorld to saluation is placed And therfore their preaching must be to vs as if Christ him self did preach their absolution and remission of sinnes as Christes ovvne pardon their vvhole office being nothing els as vve see by this passage but the Vicarship of Christ 21. The iustice of God Euen as saith S. Augstine vvhen vve reade Saluation is our Lordes it is not meant that saluatiō Whereby our Lord is saued but vvhereby they are saued vvhō he saueth so vvhē it is said Gods iustice that is not to be vnderstood vvherevvith God is iust but that vvherevvith men are iust vvhom by his grace he iustifieth See S. Augustine de Sp. lit c. 1◠ep 120 ad Honoratum and abhorre Caluins vvicked and vnlearned glose on this place that teacheth Iustice no othervvise to be in man then sinne in Christ Vvhereas the Scriptures call man iust because * he doth iustice but not so call they Christ sinne because he doth sinne but because he taketh avvay sinne and is a sacrifice for sinne as the Heretikes knovv very vvel that knovv the vse and signification of the Hebrevv vvord in al the old Testament namely Psal 19 8. and in the booke of Leuiticus very often c. 5. ◠9. 12. 14. 16. and Numer c. 29. CHAP. VI. That he helpeth vvith his exhortations and in al things behaueth him self as becommeth a minister of God 11 which he speaketh so openly because his hart is open vnto them exhorting them to be likevvise open-harted tovvardes him 14 and to auoid those infidels verse 1 AND vve ″ helping do exhorte that you receiue not the ″ grace of God in vaine ✠verse 2 For he saith In time accepted haue I heard thee and in the day of saluation haue I holpen thee Behold novv is the time acceptable behold novv the day of saluation ✠verse 3 to no man giuing any offence that our ministerie be not blamed ✠verse 4 but in al things let vs exhibite our selues as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in distresses ✠verse 5 in stripes in prisons in seditions in labours ″ in vvatchings in fasting ✠verse 6 in chastitie in knovvledge in lōganimitie in svveetenes in the holy Ghost in charitie not feined ✠verse 7 in the vvord of truth in the vertue of God by the armour of iustice on the right hand and on the left ✠verse 8 by honour and dishonour by infamie and good fame as seducers and true as they that are vnknovven and knovven ✠verse 9 as dying and behold vve line as chastened not killed ✠verse 10 as sorovvful but alvvaies reioycing as needie but enriching many as hauing nothing and possessing al things ⊢ ✠verse 11 Our mouth is open to you ô Corinthians our hart is dilated ✠verse 12 You are not straitened in vs but in your ovvne bovvels you are straitened ✠verse 13 But hauing the same revvard I speake as to my children be you also dilated ✠verse 14 Beare not the yoke vvith infidels For vvhat participation hath iustice vvith iniquitie or ″ vvhat societie is there betwene light and darkenes ✠verse 15 And vvhat agreement vvith Christ and Belial or vvhat part hath the faithful vvith the infidel ✠verse 16 And vvhat agreement hath the temple of God vvith Idols For you are the temple of the liuing God as God saith That I vvil dvvel and vvalke in them and vvil be their God and they shal be my people ✠verse 17 For the vvhich cause Goe out of the middes of them and separate your selues saith our Lord and touch not the vncleane and I vvil receiue you ✠verse 18 and I vvil be a father to you and you shal be my sonne and daughters saith our Lord omnipotent ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 1. Helping For that he declared before the Ministers of the nevv Testament to be Christes deputies and that vvhen they preach or do any function God as it vvere speaketh or doeth it by them he boldly novv saith Helping therfore that is to say ioyning or vvorking together vvith God vve do exhort 1. Grace in vaine The grace of God vvorketh not in man against his vvill nor forceth any thing vvithout his acceptation and consent and therfore it lieth in mans vvill to frustrate or to folovv the motion of God as this text plainely proueth 5. In Watchings Vvhen in the middes of many miseries and persecutions the Apostles yet of their ovvne accord added and required voluntarie vigils fastings and chastitie vve may vvel perceiue these vvorkes to be vvonderful grateful to God and specially needful in the Clergie 14. What societie Generally here is forbidden conuersation and dealing vvith al Infidels and consequently vvith Heretikes but specially in praiers or meetings at their Schismatical Seruice preaching or other diuine office vvhatsoeuer Vvhich the Apostle here vttereth in more particular and different termes that Christian folke may take the better heede of it No societie saith he nor felovvship no participation nor agreement no consent betvvene light and darknes Christ and Baal the temple of God and the temple of Idols al Seruice as pretended vvorship of God set vp by Heretikes or Schismatikes being nothing els but Seruice of Baal and plaine Idolatrie and their conuenticles nothing but conspirations against Christ from such therfore specially vve must seuer our selues alvvaies in hart and mind and touching any act of religion in body also
and diuers other in holy vvrite proue that he merited for him self according to al learned mens iudgement As Apoc 5. The lambe that vvas slaine is vvorthie to receiue povver and Diuinitie And Heb. 2. We see IESVS for the passion of death crowned vvith glorie and honour See S. Augustine vpoÌ„ these vvordes of the Psalme 109. propterea exaltabit caput 10. Name of IESVS By the like vvickednes they charge the faithful people for capping or kneeling vvhen they heare the name of IESVS as though they vvorshipped not our Lord God therein but the syllables or letters or other material elemeÌ„ts vvhereof the vvord vvritten or spoken consisteth and al this by sophistications to dravv the people from due honour and deuotion tovvard CHRIST IESVS vvhich is Satans drift by putting scruples into poore simple mens mindes about his Sacraments his Saincts his Crosse his name his image such like to abolish al true religioÌ„ out of the vvorld and to make them plaine Atheists But the Church knovveth Satans cogitations and therfore by the Scriptures and reason vvarranteth and teacheth al her children to do reuerence vvhen so euer IESVS is named because Catholikes do not honour these things nor count them holy for their matter colour sound and syllables but for the respect and relation they haue to ouâ— Sauiour bringing vs to the remembrance and apprehension of Christ by sight hearing or vse of the same signes els vvhy make vve not reuerence at the name of Iesus the sonne of â—irach as vvel as of IESVS CHRIST And it is a pitieful case to see these prophane subtelties of Heretikes to take place in religion vvhich vvere ridiculous in al other trade of life Vvhen vve heare our Prince or Soueraine named vve may vvithout these scruples doe obeisance but tovvardes Christ it must be superstitious 12. With feare and trembling Against the vaine presumption of Heretikes that make men secure of their predestination and saluation he vvilleth the Philippians to vvorke their saluation vvith feare and trembling according to that other Scripture Blessed is the man that alvvaies iâ— fearful Prouerb 28 v. 14. 13. Worketh in you Of this thus saith S. Augustine Not because the Apostle saith it is God that vvorketh in you both to vvil and vvorke must vve thinke he taketh avvay our free vvill For if it vvere so then vvould he not a litle before haue vvilled them to vvorke their ovvne saluation vvith feare and trembling For vvhen they be commaunded to vvorke their free vvil is called vpon but vvith trembling and feare is added lâ—st by attributing their vvel vvorking to them selues they might be proud of their good deedes as though they vvere of them selues August de gratia lib. arbit c. 9. 17. The sacrifice The obedience of faith and matryrdom be so acceptable actes to God vvhen they be voluntarily referred to his honour that by a metaphore they be called sacrifice and pleasant hostes to God CHAP. III. He vvarnâ—th them of the False-apostles * shevving that him self had much more to bragge of in Iudaisme then they but that he maketh price of nothing but only of Christ and of Christian iustice and of suffering vvith him 12 vvherein yet he acknovvledgeth his imperfection 17 exhorting them to beare Christes Crosse vvith him and not to imitate those bellygods verse 1 FROM hence forth my brethren reioyce in our Lord. To vvrite the same things vnto you to me surely it is not tedious and to you it is necessarie ✠verse 2 See the dogges see the euil vvorkers see the concisioÌ„ ✠verse 3 For vve are the circumcision vvhich in spirit serue God and vve glorie in Christ IESVS and not hauing confidence in the flesh ✠verse 4 albeit I also haue confidence in the flesh ✠If any other man seeme to haue confidence in the flesh I more ✠verse 5 circumcised the eight day of the stocke of Israël of the tribe of Beniamin * an Hebrevv of Hebrevves * according to the Lavv a Pharisee ✠verse 6 according to emulation persecuting the Church of God according to the iustice that is in the Lavv conuersing vvithout blame ✠verse 7 But the things that vvere gaines to me those haue I esteemed for Christ detriments ✠verse 8 Yea but I esteeme al things to be detriment for the passing knovvledge of IESVS Christ my Lord for vvhom I haue made al things as detriment and do esteeme them as dung that I may gaine Christ ✠verse 9 and may be found in him not hauing ″ my iustice vvhich is of the Lavv but that vvhich is of the faith of Christ vvhich is of God iustice in faith ✠verse 10 to knovv him and the vertue of his resurrection and the societie of his passions configured to his death ✠verse 11 if by any meanes I may come to the resurrection vvhich is from the dead ✠verse 12 ″ Not that novv I haue receiued or novv am perfect but I pursue if I may comprehend vvherein I am also comprehended of Christ IESVS ⊢ ✠verse 13 Brethren I do not account that I haue comprehended Yet one thing forgetting the things that are behinde but stretching forth my self to those that are before ✠verse 14 I pursue to the marke to the price of the supernal vocation of God in Christ IESVS ✠verse 15 Let vs therfore as many as are perfect be thus minded and if you be any ″ othervvise minded this also God hath reuealed ' to you ✠verse 16 Neuerthelesse vvherevnto we are come that vve be of the same minde let vs continue in the same rule ✠verse 17 Be folovvers of me brethren obserue them that vvalke so as you haue our forme ✠verse 18 For * many vvalke vvhom often I told you of and novv vveeping also I tel you the enemies of the crosse of Christ ✠verse 19 vvhose end is destruction vvhose God is the belly and their glorie in their confusion vvhich minde vvorldly things ✠verse 20 But our conuersation is in heauen vvhence also vve expect the Sauiour our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 21 vvho vvil reforme the body of our humilitie configured to the body of his glorie according to the operation vvhereby also he is able to subdue al things to him self ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 9. My iustice Diuers Lutherans in their translations do shamfully mangle this sentence by transposing the vvordes and false poluting of the partes hereof to make it haue this sense that the Apostle vvould haue no iustice of his ovvne but onely that iustice vvhich is in Christ Vvhich is a false and heretical sense of the vvordes and not meant by S. Paul vvho calleth that a mans ovvne Iustice vvhich he chalengeth by the vvorkes of the Lavv or nature vvithout the grace of Christ and that Gods iustice as S. Augustine expoundeth this place not vvhich is in God or by vvhich God is
an external Priesthod or Christes death to abolish the same for this is a demonstration that if Christ haue abolished Priesthod he hath abolished the nevv lavv vvhich is the nevv Testament and state of Grace vvhich as Christian Commonvvealths liue vnder Neither vvere it true that the Priesthod vvere traÌ„slated vvith the Lavv if al external Priesthod ended by Christes death vvhere the nevv lavv began for so the lavv should not depend on Priesthod but dure vvhen al Priesthod vvere ended vvhich is against S. Paules doctrine Furthermore it is to be noted that this legitimation or putting Communities vnder lavv and Priesthod of vvhat order soeuer is no othervvise but ioyning one vvith an other in one homage or sacrifice external vvhich is the proper act of Priesthod for as no lavvful state can be vvithout priesthod so no priesthod can be vvithout sacrifice And vve meane alvvaies of Priesthod sacrifice taken in their ovvne proper signification as here S. Paul taketh them for the constitution difference alteration or traÌ„slation of states and lavves rise not vpon any mutation of spiritual or metaphorically taken Priesthod or sacrifice but vpon those things in proper acception as it is most plaine Lastly it foloweth of this that though Christ truely sacrificed him self vpon the Crosse there also a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec and there made the ful redemption of the vvorld confirmed and consummated his compact and Testament and the lavv and priesthod of this his nevv and eternal state by his bloud yet that can not be the forme of sacrifice into vvhich the old Priesthod and sacrifices vvere translated vvherevpon the Apostle inferreth the translation of the Law For they all vvere figures of Christes death and ended in effect at his death yet they vvere not altered into that kind of sacrifice vvhich vvas to be made but once and vvas executed in such a sort that peoples and nations Christened could not meete often to vvorship at it nor haue their law and Priestes constituted in the same though for the honour and duety remembrance and representatioÌ„ thereof not onely vve Christianâ— but also al peoples faithful both of Iewes Gentiles haue had their priesthod and sacrifices according to the difference of their states Vvhich kind of Sacrifices vvere translated one into an other and so no doubt is the Priesthod Leuitical properly turned into the Priesthod and sacrifice of the Church according to Melchisedecks rite and Christes institution in the formes of bread and vvine See the next note 17. A Priest for euer Christ is not called a Priest for euer onely for that his person is eternal or for that he sitteth on the right hand of God and perpetually praieth or maketh intercession for vs or for that the effect of his death is euerlasting for al this proueth not that in proper signification his Priesthod is perpetual but according to the iudgement of al the fathers grounded vpon this deepe and diuine discourse of S. Paul and vpon the very nature definition and propriety of Priesthod and the excellent act and order of Melchisedec and the state of the new law he is a Priest for euer according to Melchisedecks order specially in respect of the sacrifice of his holy body and bloud instituted at his last supper and executed by his commission commaundement and perpetual concurrence vvith his Priests in the formes of bread and vvine in vvhich things onely the said high Priest Melchisedec did sacrifice For though S. Paul make no expresse mention hereof because of the depth of the mysterie and their incredulity or feeblenesse to vvhom he vvrote yet it is euident in the iudgement of all the learned fathers vvithout exception that euer vvrote either vpon this epistle or vpon the 14 of Genesis or the Psalme 109 or by occasion haue treated of the sacrifice of the altar that the eternity and proper act of Christes Priesthod and consequently the immutability of the new law consisteth in the perpetual offering of Christes body and bloud in the Church Which thing is so vvell knowen to the Aduersaries of Christes Church and Priesthod and so graunted that they be forced impudently to cauill vpon certaine Hebrue particles that Melchisedec did not offer in bread and vvine yea and vvhen that vvill not serue plainely to deny him to haue been a Priest vvhich is to giue checkmate to the Apostle and to ouerthrow all his discourse Thus vvhiles these vvicked men pretend to defend Christes onely Priesthod they in deede abolish as much as in them lieth the vvhole order office and state of his eternall law and Priesthod Arnobius saith By the mysterie of bread and vvine he vvas made a Priest for euer And againe The eternal memorie by vvhich he gaue the food of his body to them that feare him in psal 109. 110. Lactatius In the Church he must needes haue his eternal Priesthod according to the order of Melabisedec Li. 14. Institut S. Hierom to Luagrius Aarons Priesthod had an end bus Melchisedecks that is Christes and the Churches is perpetuall both for the time past and to come S. Chrysostom therfore calleth the Churches sacrifice hostiaâ— inconsumptibâ—em an host or sacrifice that can not be consumed ho. 17 in 9 Hebr. S. Cyprian bostiam qua sublatae nulla esset futura religio an host vvhich being taken away there could be no religion de Canaâ— Dâ—mini nu 2. Emissenus perpetuam oblationem perpetuò currentem redemptionem a perpetual oblation and a redemption that runneth or continueth euerlastingly ho. 5 de Pasch And our Sauiour expresseth so much in the very institution of the B. Sacrament of his body and bloud specially vvhen he calleth the later kind the nevv Testament in his bloud signifying that as the old law vvas established in the bloud of beastes so the new vvhich is his eternal Testament should be dedicated and perpetual in his owne bloud not onely as it vvas shed on the Crosse but as giuen in the Chalice And therfore into this sacrifice of the altar saith S. Augustine li. 17 de Ciuit. c. 20. S. Leo ser 8 de Passione and the rest vvere the old sacrifices to be translated See S. Cyprian ep 63 ad Cecil nu 2. Ambrose de Sacram. li. 5. 6. 4. S. Augustine in Psal 33. Conc. â— and li. 17. de Ciuit. c. 17. S. Hierom ep 17. c. 2. ep 126. Epiph. har 55. Theodoret in Psal 109. Damascene li. 4. c. 14. Finally if any of the fathers or all the fathers had either vvisedom grace or intelligence of Gods vvorde and mysteries this is the truth If nothing vvil serue our Aduersaries Christ Iesus confound them and defend his eternal Priesthod and state of his new Testament established in the same 18. Of the former commaundement The vvhole law of Moyses conteining all their old Priesthod sacrifice sacraments and ceremonies is called the Old commaundement and the new Testament conteining
booke to be Canonical Scripture But Caluin and his companions disagreing vvith their Maisters confesse it to be holy Scripture but their shiftes and fond gloses for ansvver of so plaine places be as impudent as the denying of the Epistle vvas in the other vvho vvould neuer haue denied the booke thereby to shevv them selues Heretikes if they had thought those vulgar euasions that the Zuinglians and Caluinists do vse vvhereof they vvere not ignorant could haue serued In both sortes the Christian Reader may see that al the Heretikes vaunting of expresse Scriptures the vvord of God is no more but to delude the vvorld vvhereas in deede be the Scriptures neuer so plaine against them they must either be vvrested to sound as they say or els they must be no Scriptures at all And to see Luther Caluin Beza their fellovves sitte as it vvere in iudgement of the Scriptures to allovv or disallovv at their pleasures it is the most notorious example of Heretical pride miserie that can be See their prefaces and censures vpon this Canonical Epistle the Apocalypse the Machabees and other 21. Abraham vvas he not iustified by vvorkes It is much to be noted that S. Augustine in his booke de fide operibus c. 14. vvriteth that the heresie of onely faith iustifying or sauing vvas an old Heresie euen in the Apostles time gathered by the false interpretation of some of S. Paules profound disputation in the Epistle to the Romans vvherein he commended so highly the faith in Christ that they thought good vvorkes vvere not auilable adding further that the other three Apostles Iames Iohn and Iude did of purpose vvrite so much of good vvorkes to correct the said errour of onely faith gathered by the misconstruction of S. Paules vvordes Yea vvhen S. Peter Ep. 2 c. 3. vvarneth the faithful that many things be hard in S. Paules vvritings and of light vnlearned men mistaken to their perdition the said S. Augustine affirmeth that he meant of his disputation concerning faith vvhich so many Heretikes did mistake to condemne good vvorkes And in the preface of his commentarie vpon the 31 Psalme he vvarneth al men that this deduction vpon S. Paules speache Abraham vvas iustified by faith therfore vvorkes be not necessarie to saluation is the right vvay to the gulfe of Hel and damnation And lastly vvhich is in it self very plaine that vve may see this Apostle did purposely thus commend vnto vs the necessitie of good vvorkes and the inanity aud insufficiencie of onely faith to correct the errour of such as misconstrued S. Paules vvordes for the same the said holy Doctor noteth that of purpose he tooke the very same example of Abraham vvhom S. Paul said to be iustified by faith and declareth that he vvas iustified by good vvorkes specifying the good vvorke for vvhich he vvas iustified and blessed of God to vvitte his obedience and immolation of his onely sonne But hovv S. Paul saith that Abraham vvas iustified by faith see the Annotations vpon that place Ro. 4. v. 1. 22. Faith did vvorke vvith Some Heretikes hold that good vvorkes are pernicious to saluation and iustification other that though they be not hurtful but required yet they be no causes or vvorkers of saluation much lesse meritorious but are as effectes and fruites issuing necessarily out of faith Both vvhich fictions falshods and flightes from the plaine truth of Gods vvord are refuted by these vvordes vvhen the Apostle saith That faith vvorketh together vvith good vvorkes making faith to be a coadiutor or cooperator vvith vvorkes and so both ioyntly concurring as causes and vvorkers of iustification yea aftervvard he maketh vvorkes the more principal cause vvhen he resembleth faith to the body and vvorkes to the spirit or life of man 23. The frend of God By this also an other false and friuolous euasion of the Heretikes is ouertaken vvhen they feine that the Apostle here vvhen he saith vvorkes do iustifie meaneth that they shew vs iust before men and auaile not to our iustice before God For the Apostle euidently declareth that Abraham by his vvorkes vvas made or truely called the freend of God and therfore vvas not as the Heretikes say by his vvorkes approued iust before man onely 24. Not by faith onely This proposition or speache is directly opposite or contradictorie to that vvhich the Heretikes hold For the Apostle saith Man is iustified by good workes and not by faith only but the Heretikes say Man is not iustified by good vvorkes but by faith only Neither can they pretend that there is the like contradiction or contrarietie betwixt S. Iames speache and S. Paules for though S. Paul say man is iustified by faith yet he neuer saith by faith onely nor euer meaneth by that faith vvhich is alone but alvvaies by that faith vvhich vvorketh by charitie as he expoundeth him self Though concerning vvorkes also there is a difference betwixt the first iustification vvhereof S. Paul specially speaketh and the second iustification vvhereof S. Iames doth more specially treate Of vvhich thing els vvhere there is ynough said The fathers in deede vse sometimes this exclusiue sola onely but in far other sense then the Protestants For some of them thereby exclude only the vvorkes of Moyses law against the Iewes some the vvorkes of nature and moral vertues vvithout the grace or knowledge of Christ against the Gentiles some the necessitie of external good vvorkes vvhere the parties lacke time and meanes to doe them as in the case of the penitent theefe some the false opinions sectes and religions contrarie to the Catholike faith against Heretikes and miscreants some exclude reason sense and arguing in matters of faith and mysterie against such as vvil beleeue nothing but that they see or vnderstand some the merite of vvorkes done in sinne before the first iustification some the arrogant Pharisaical vaunting of mans ovvne proper vvorkes and iustice against such as referre not their actions and good deedes to Gods grace To these purposes the holy Doctors say sometimes that only faith saueth and serueth but neuer as the Protestants vvould haue it to exclude from iustification and saluation the cooperation of mans free vvil dispositions and preparations of our hartes by praiers penance and sacraments the vertues of hope and charitie the purpose of vvel-vvorking and of the obseruation of Gods commaundements much lesse the vvorkes and merites of the children of God proceding of grace and charitie after they be iustified and are now in his fauour vvhich are not only dispositions and preparations to iustice but the meritorious cause of greater iustice and of saluation 25. Rahab This Apostle alleageth the good vvorkes of Rahab by vvhich she vvas iustified and S. Paul 11 Hebr. saith she vvas iustified by faith Vvhich are not contrarie one to the other for both is true that she vvas saued by faith as one faith and that she vvas saued by her vvorkes as the
Law But if thou iudge the Lavv thou art not a doer of the Lavv but a iudge ✠verse 12 For there is one lavv-maker and iudge that can destroy and deliuer ✠verse 13 But thou * vvhat art thou that iudgest thy neighbour Behold novv you that say To day or to morovv vve vvil goe into that citie and there certes vvil spend a yere and vvil traficke and make our gaine ✠verse 14 vvho are ignorāt vvhat shal be on the morovv For vvhat is your life It is a vapour appearing for a litle vvhile and aftervvard it shal vanish avvay ✠verse 15 for that you should say If our Lord vvil and If vve shal liue vve vvil doe this or that ✠verse 16 But novv you reioyce in your arrogancies Al such reioycing is vvicked ✠verse 17 To one therfore knovving to doe good and not doing it to him it is sinne ANNOTATION CHAP. IIII. 8. Purifie your hartes Man vve see here maketh him self cleane and purgeth his owne hart Vvhich derogateth nothing to the grace of God being the principal cause of the same Yet Protestants thinke vve derogate from Christs Passion vvhen vve attribute such effects to our owne vvorkes or to other secundarie helpes and causes CHAP. V. By the damnatiō to come vpon the vnmerciful riche he exhorteth the persecuted to patience and by their ovvne revvard and by examples 12 Not to svveare at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 talke talke ◠In affliction to pray in prosperitie to sing in sicknes to call for the Priests and that they pray ouer them and anoile them vvith oile and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sicke persons confesse their sinnes 19 Finally hovv meritorious it is to conuert the erring vnto the Catholike faith or the sinner to amendment of life verse 1 GOE to novv ye riche men vveepe hovvling in your miseries vvhich shal come to you ✠verse 2 Your riches are corrupt and your garmentes are eaten of mothes ✠verse 3 Your gold and siluer is rusted and their iust shal be for a testimonie to you and shal eate your flesh as fire You haue stored to your selues vvrath in the last daies ✠verse 4 Behold ″ the hire of the vvorkemen that haue reaped your fields vvhich is defrauded of you crieth and their crie hath entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabboth ✠verse 5 You haue made merie vpon the earth and in riotousnes you haue nourished your hartes in the day of slaughter ✠verse 6 You haue presented and slaine the iust one and he resisted you not ✠verse 7 Be patient therfore brethren vntil the comming of our Lord. Behold the husband man expecteth the pretious fruite of the earth patiently bearing til he receiue the timely and the latevvard ✠verse 8 Be you also patient and confirme your hartes because the comming of our Lord vvil approche ' ✠verse 9 Grudge not brethren one against an other that you be not iudged Behold the iudge standeth before the gate ✠verse 10 Take an example brethren of labour and patience the prophetes vvhich spake in the name of our Lord. ✠verse 11 Behold vve accoūt them blessed that haue suffered The sufferance of Iob you haue heard and the end of our Lord you haue seen because our Lord is merciful and pitieful ✠verse 12 But before al things my brethren * ″ svveare not neither by heauen nor by earth nor other othe whatsoeuer But let your talke be yea yea no no that you fall not vnder iudgement ✠verse 13 Is any of you in heauinesse let him pray Is he of a cheereful hart let him sing ✠verse 14 Is any man sicke amōg you ″ let him bring in the priestes of the Churche and let them pray ouer him * ″ anoiling him vvith oile in the name of our Lord. ✠verse 15 and ″ the praier of faith ″ shal saue the sicke and our Lord ″ shal lift him vp and if he be in sinnes ″ they shal be remitted him ✠verse 16 ″ Confesse therfore your sinnes one to an other pray one for an other that you may be saued ⊢ for the continual praier of a iust man auaileth much ✠verse 17 * Elias vvas a man like vnto vs passible and vvith praier ″ he praied that it might not raine vpon the earth and it rained not for three yeres and sixe monethes ✠verse 18 And * he praied againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth yelded her fruite ✠verse 19 My brethren if any of you shal erre from the truth a man conuert him ✠verse 20 he must know that he vvhich maketh a sinner to be conuerted from the errour of his vvay ″ shal saue his soule from death and couereth a multitude of sinnes ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 4. The hire To vvithhold from the poore or labourer the hire or vvages that is due or promised to him for his seruice or vvorke done is a great iniquitie and one of those fiue sinnes vvhich in holy Vvrite be said to call for vengeance at Gods hand as vve see here They be called in the Catechisme Sinnes crying to heauen The other foure be Murder Gen. 18 v. 20. Vsurie Exod. 22. v. 27. The sinne against nature Gen. 18. v. 20. The oppression and vexation of vvidovves pupilles strangers and such like Ib. Exod. 3. v. 9. 12. Svveare not He forbiddeth not al othes as the Anabaptists falsely say for in iustice and iudgement vve may be by our lavvful Magistrate put to svveare and may lavvfully take an othe as also for the aduantaging of any necessarie truth vvhen time and place require but the custom of svvearing and al vaine light and vnnecessarie othes in our daily speache do displease God highly and are here forbidden by the Apostle as also by our Sauiour Mat. 5. 14. Let him bring in the Priests The Protestants for their special hatred of the holy order of Priesthod as els vvhere often so here they corrupt the text euidently translating Presbyteros elders As though the Apostle had meant men of age and not such as vvere by holy office Priests S. Chrysostom vvho knevv the sense and signification of the Greeke vvord according to the Ecclesiastical vse and the vvhole Churches iudgement better then any Protestant aliue taketh it plainely for Sacerdotes that is Priests li. 3 de Sacerdotio prope initium And if they confesse that it is a vvord of office vvith them also though they call them Elders and not Priests then vve demaund vvhether the Apostle meane here men of that function vvhich they in their nevv Churches call Elders If they say no as they must needes for Elders vvith their are not deputed specially to publike praying or administration of the Sacraments such as the Apostle here requireth to be sent for then they must needes graunt that their Elders ansvver not to the function of those vvhich in
B Ladie the perpetual virgin MARIE Hovvbeit some good authors say that their mother Marie vvas the natural sister of our Ladie and that therfore they are called Fratres Domini the brethren of our Lord. Hovvsoeuer that be three of them are reckened amoÌ„g the 12. Apostles Iames and Simon Cananaeus and Iude. Yea and that they vvere somevvhat more then Apostles though lesse then Peter S. Paul signifieth vvhere he saith speaking of him self and Barnabas As also the other Apostles and the brethren of our Lord and Cephas 1. Cor. 9. And as S. Luke calleth this Iude Iude of Iames so he calleth him self in this Epistle of his Iude the seruant of Iesus Christ and the brother of Iames. S. Matthevv and S. 〈…〉 as Lebbaeus also in the Greeke His feast and his 〈…〉 Church keepeth Octob. 28. called Simon and Iudes day His Epistle is an 〈◊〉 against aâ— heretikes as it vvere a Commentarie of 2 Pet. 2. and namely as * â— Aug. hath told vs against those vvhich misconstred S. Paules Epistles and held Only faith vvhom he calleth therfore Men that transferre or 〈…〉 grace of God into rioâ—ousnes v. 4. exhorting Catholikes to be constant and 〈◊〉 from their old faith and to contend for the keeping thereof v. 3. 〈…〉 heretikes â— saith he segregate them selues from the Church and from 〈…〉 v. 19. THE CATHOLIKE EPISTLE OF IVDE THE APOSTLE He exhorteth them to stand to their old faith shâ—vving them by examples that it is damnable not to continue and be constant 8 inueighing against the lecherie blasphemie apostasie banketing of the heretikes 14 and that their damnation vvas long foretold 17 Catholikes therfore to be vnmoueable to reproue the obstinate to recouer al not desperate to confirme the vveake and to liue them selues vertuously and vvithout mortal sinne vvhich by Gods grace they may doe verse 1 IVDE the seruant of IESVS Christ and brother of Iames to them that are in God the Father beloued and in IESVS Christ preserued and called ✠verse 2 Marcie to you and peace and charitie be accomplished ✠verse 3 My deerest taking al care to vvrite vnto you of your common saluation I thought it necessarie to vvrite vnto you beseeching you to contend for the faith once deliuered to the sainctes ✠verse 4 For there are certaine men secretely entred in vvhich vvere long ago prescribed vnto this iudgement impious transferring the grace of our God into riotousnes and denying the onely Dominator and our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 5 * But I vvil admonish you that once knovv al things that IESVS sauing the people out of the land of Aegipt * secondly destroied them vvhich beleeued not ✠verse 6 But the Angels vvhich kept not their principalitie but forsooke their owne habitation he hath reserued vnder darkenesse in eternal bondes vnto the iudgment of the great day ✠verse 7 As * Sodom and Gomorrhe and the citie adioyning in like maner hauing fornicated and going after other flesh vvere made an example sustaining the paine of eternal fire ✠verse 8 In like maner these also defile the flesh and despise dominion blaspheme maiestie ✠Vvhen Michael the Archangel disputing vvith the Diuel made altercation ″ for the body of Moyses he durst not inferre iudgment of blasphemie but said Our Lord commaund ' thee ✠verse 10 But these vvhat things so euer certes they are ignorant of ″ they blaspheme and vvhat things so euer naturally as dumme beastes they knovv in those they are corrupted ✠verse 11 Vvo vnto them vvhich ' haue gone in the vvay of * ″ Caâ—n and vvith the errour of * Balaam haue for revvard povvred out them selues and haue perished in the contradiction of Corè ✠verse 12 These are in their bankets spottes feasting together vvithout feare feeding them selues cloudes vvithout vvater vvhich are caried about of vvindes trees of autumne vnfruiteful tvvise dead plucked vp by the rootes ✠verse 13 raging vvaues of the sea foming out their ovvne confusions vvandering starres to vvhom the storme of darkenesse is reserued for euer ✠verse 14 And of these prophecied Enoch the seuenth from Adam saying Behold our Lord is come in his holy thousandes ✠verse 15 to doe iudgement against al and to reproue al the impious of al the vvorkes of their impietie vvherby they haue done impiously and of al the hard thinges vvhich impious sinners haue spoken against him ✠verse 16 These are murmurers ful of complaintes vvalking according to their ovvne desires and their mouth speaketh pride admiring persons for gaine sake ✠verse 17 But you may deerest be mindeful of the vvordes vvhich haue been spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 18 vvho told you * that in the last time shal come mockers according to their ovvne desires vvalking in impieties ✠verse 19 ″ These are they vvhich segregate them selues sensual hauing not the Spirit ⊢ ✠verse 20 But you my deerest building your selues vpon our ' most holy faith in the holy Ghost praying ✠verse 21 keepe your selues in the loue of God expecting the mercie of our Lord IESVS Christ vnto life euerlasting ✠verse 22 And these certes reproue being iudged ✠verse 23 but them saue pulling out of the fire And on other haue mercie in feare hating also that vvhich is carnal the spotted cote ✠verse 24 And to him that is able to preserue you vvithout sinne and to sette you immaculate before the sight of his glorie in exultation in the comming of our Lord IESVS Christ ✠verse 25 to the onely God our Sauiour by IESVS Christ our Lord be glorie and magnificeÌ„ce empire and power before al worldes and novv and for al vvorldes euermore Amen ANNOT. 9. For the body of Moyses Vvhen why or hovv this altercation or combat was betwene S. Michael and the Diuel about Moyses body no man can declare only this vve see that many truthes and stories vvere kept in the mouthes and hartes of the faithful that vvere not written in Scriptures canonical as this vvas among the Ievves 10. They blaspheme He speaketh of Heretikes who being ignorant in Gods mysteries and the diuine doctrine of his Church vvhen they can not reproue the things then they fall to execrations irrisions and blasphemies against the Priests Church and Sacraments and vvhatsoeuer is godly 11. Cain Balaaâ— Corè The Apostle vvould haue Heretikes specially to be knowen by the resemblance they haue first to Cain in that for enuy that his brothers seruice and sacrifice was accepted and his reiected sâ—ewe his said brother and was a fugitiue from the face and citie of God vvhich is the Church Secondly by their resemblance to Balaam who for money was induced to curse Gods people as couetousnes is commonly the cause that first maketh Heretikes and false Prophets wherevpon S. Augustine saith He is an Heretike that for
euery one of them one and it vvas said to them that they should rest yet a litle time ″ til their fellovv-seruaÌ„tes be complete and their brethren that are to be slaine euen as they ✠verse 12 And I savv vvhen he had opened the sixt seale and behold there vvas made a great earth-quake and the sunne became blacke as it vvere sacke cloth of heare and the vvhole moone became as bloud ✠verse 13 and the starres from heauen fel vpoÌ„ the earth as the figge tree casteth her greene figges when it is shaken of a great vvinde ✠verse 14 and heauen departed as a booke folded together and euery hil and ilandes vvere moued out of their places ✠verse 15 And the kinges of the earth princes and tribunes and the riche and the strong and euery bond-man and free-man * hid them selues in the dennes and the rockes of mountaines ✠verse 16 And they say to the mountaines and the rockes * Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe ✠verse 17 because the great day of their wrath is come and vvho shal be able to stand ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 9. Vnder the altar Christ as man no doubt is this altar vnder vvhich the soules of al Martyrs liue in heauen expecting their bodies as Christ their head hath his body there already And for correspondence to their place of state in heauen the Church saieth commonly their bodies also or relikes neere or vnder the altars vvhere our Sauiour body is offered in the holy Masse and hath a special prouiso that no altars be erected or consecrated vvithout some part of a Saincts body or relikes Conâ— Asrican can 50. Carthag 5. can 14. See S. Hierom cont vigilant c. 3. S. Augustine de ciuit li. 8. c. 27. S. Gregorie li. 5. ep 50. li. 1. ep 52. li. 2 ep 58. Vvher vnto the Prophet seemeth here to allude making their soules also to haue their being in heauen as it vvere vnder the altar But for this purpose note vvel the vvordes of S. Augustine or vvhat other auncient writer soeuer vvas the author thereof Ser. 11 de Sanctis Vnder the altar saith he of God I savv the soules of the slaine What is more reuerent or honorable then to rest vnder that altar on vvhich sacrifice is done to God and in vvhich our Lord is the Priest as it is vvritten Thou art a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec Rightly do the soules of the iust rest vnder the altar because vpon the altar our Lordes body is offered neither vvithout cause do the iust there call for reuenge of their bloud vvhere also the bloud of Christ is shed for sinners and many other goodly vvordes to that purpose This place also the vvicked heretike Vigilantius as S. Hierom vvriting against him vvitnesseth c. 2 abused to proue that the soules of Martyrs and other Saincts vvere included in some certaine place that they could not be present at their bodies and monuments vvhere Christian people vsed in the primitiue Church to pray vnto them as Catholike men doe yet nor be vvhere they list or vvhere men pray vnto them To vvhich the holy doctor ansvvereth at large that they be vvheresoeuer Christ is according to his humanitie for vnder that altar they be Part of his vvordes be these that you may see hovv this blessed father refuted in that Heretike the Caluinistes so long before they vvere borne Dcst thou saith he presâ—â—ribe savves to God Doest thou feâ—ter the Apostles that they may be kept in prison til the day of iudgement and be kept from their Lord of vvhom it is vvritten They folovv the Lambe vvhither soeuer he goeth If the Lambe be in euery place then they that he vvith the Lambe must be euery vvhere And if the diuel and vvicked spirites gadding abrode in the vvorld vvith passing celeritie be present euery vvhere shal holy Martyrs after the sheading of their bloud be kept close vnder an altar that they can not sturre out from thence So ansvvereth this learned doctor Vvhich misliketh our Caluinistes so much that they charge him of great errour in that he saith Christ according to his humanitie is euery vvhere as though he vvere an Vbiquetarie Protestant Vvhere if they had any iudgement they might perceiue that he meaneth not that Christ or his Saincts should be personally present at once in euery place alike as God is but that their motion speede and agilitie to be vvhere they list is incomparable and that their povver and operation is accordingly vvhich they may learne to be the holy doctors meaning by the vvordes that folovv of the Diuel and his ministers vvhoÌ„ he affirmeth to be euery vvhere no othervvise but by their exceding celeritie of being and vvorking mischeefe novv in one place novv in an other and that in a moment For though they be spirites yet are they not euery vvhere at once according to their essence And for our nevv Diuines it vvere a hard thing to determine hovv long Satan that told our Lord he had circuited the earth vvas in his iourney and in the particular consideration and tentation of Iob and hovv many men he assaulted in that his one circuite No no. such curious companions knovv nothing nor beleeue nothing but that they see vvith corporal eies and teach nothing but the vvay to infidelitie 10. And they cried S. Hierom also against the said Vigilantius reporteth that he vsed an argument against the praiers of Saincts out of this place for that these Martyrs cried for reuenge and could not obtaine But vve vvil report his vvordes that you may see how like one heretike is to an other these of our daies to those of old Thou saiest in thy booke saith S. Hierom c. 3. that vvhiles vve be aliue one of vs may pray for an other but after vve be dead no mans praier shal be heard for an other specially seing the Martyrs asking reuenge of their bloud could not obtaine So said the Heretike Against vvhich the holy Doctor maketh a long refuâ—ation prouing that they pray much more after they be in heauen then they did here in earth and that they shal be much sooner heard of God then vvhen they vvere in the vvorld But for the Heretikes argument framed out of these vvordes of the Apocalypse thus These Martyrs did not obtaine 〈◊〉 Saincts do not pray for vs it vvas so friuolous and the antecedent so manifestly false that he vouchsaued not to stand about it For it is plaine that the Martyrs here vvere heard and that their petition should be fulfilled in time appointed by God vvherevnto they did and do alvvaies conforme them selues for it vvas said vnto them That they should rest yet a litle time til c. And that Martyrs praiers be heard in this case our Sauiour testifieth Luc 18 saying And vvil not God reuenge