doth onelie call his elect and chosen and whom he hath ordeined before vnto life euerlasting working so in them by the inward operation of his holie spirit that the word preached to them doth take root in their hearts and bringeth foorth fruit vnto life eternall He doth also by the same spirit testifie vnto them I meane vnto their spirites that they be the children of God and heires of the kingdome of heauen I. Veron Of two manner of callings There are two sortes of vocation the one outward and the other inward By the outward vocation I meane a common and generall vocation by the which God doth call by his outward preaching all those to whom the Gospell is preached bée they chosen or reprobates And by the inward I vnderstand a vocation wherby God doth not onelie call men by the outward preaching of his word but maketh them to feele the power and efficacie of the same by his holie spirit in such sort that they doe not onelie heare it with their outward eares but doe also receiue it into their hearts by faith whereby they are iustified Pet. Viret ¶ The calling of God is of two sorts the one is common whereby men in déede are after a sort stirred vp but they â—â—â—not bowed for that those things which are offered please them not but the other is a conuenient apt mighty calling wherby the mindes are touched and truelie chaunged After this manner was Iacob called and not Esau. Therefore the one was beloued and the other hated the one drawne and the other forsaken Caluine in his insti fol. 257. God doth call men two waies the one is a generall calling by the which God with the outward preaching of 〈…〉 word doth inuite al meÌ„ vnto him yea those to whom his word is propounded for their dampnation The other is a special â—â—ling that is a calling according to Gods purpose by the whâ—â—â— he worketh so through the inward lightening of the spirit 〈…〉 the word preached is also grounded in our hearts tru◠〈…〉 stoode faithfully beléeued Euen as we see yâ— wil of God 〈…〉 two sortes the one preached and reuealed in his holie Scripture whereby he willeth that all men should be saued albeit for their iniquities few be saued The other vnsearchable and also vnknowne to vs whereby he worketh his will both in heauen and in earth F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Sée more in these wordes Election Predestination Chosen Manie are called and few be chosen ¶ All nations and people are by the outward preaching of the Gospell called but onelie they that are ordeined chosen to life euerlasting doe beléeue and giue credit to the word Sir I. Cheeke CALFE Of the Calfe that Aaron made ANd made of it a molten Calfe They smelled of their leuen of Aegypt wher they saw calues oxen and serpents worshipped Geneua ¶ The Hebrues when they compelled Aaron to make them a Calfe to worship had not that minde to fall from the true God when they confessed that he brought them out of Aegipt This was onelie their intent to worshippe him vnder some signe or visible forme and they chose that forme whereby they had séene the Aegiptians expresse their God by Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. CAMEL How the Latin word Camelum is taken two waies IT is easier for a Camel c. ¶ The latin text is Facilius est Camelum acus transire This worde Camelum a Camell in yâ— English translation is expounded of some to signifie in this place the Cabell of a Ship and truelie that doth better agrée to the eie of a nedle And yet Pollux writing of yâ— instruments perteining to a ship maketh mention of this word Camelus Suidas onelie is found to vnderstand this word in that signification yet vnderstanding it so as it is written with i not with e as Camilos and not Camelos For though there be a little difference in the wordes yet notwithstanding in sense there is greate contrarietie for the first signifieth a beast called a Camell and the other signifieth a Rope or Cable of a Shippe Other some doe rather agrée to Hierom which followeth Origen which taketh this word Camelum being a Gréeke word as we shewed before for the beast called a Camell For Christ would haue it seeme altogether as impossible for a rich man trusting in his riches to enter into the kingdome of heauen as for a Camell being a monstrous beast to goe through the eie of a néedle But if this saieng seeme to anie man obscure let them remember the man reprehended of the Lord which went to plucke yâ— mote out of his brothers eie and could not sée the beame in his owne eie What can be more absurd then to saie that a man carieth a beame in his eie But this absurditie of his words hath a great Emphasis and force Marl. fol. 434. CANDELS OR TAPERS Against the superstitions of Candels and Tapers in the Church ANd whereas they bring thether burning Candels and that at noone daies it must néeds come from the superstition of the Ethnikes The old christian men vsed burning candels but it was in the night time because they durst not assemble together in the daie season and it was not very hansome to sit in the darke Wherevpon Hierom also saith We doe not light candels at broad daie as you doe slaunder vs without cause but by this comfort we doe delaie the darknesse of the night and doe watch by light least like blinde folke we should sléepe in darkenesse like as thou dost Musculus fol. 291. ¶ Lactantius inueighing the Heathenish or Popish superstition of Candels that hath bene vsed saith Accendimus lumina velut in tenebris c. They light candels vnto God as it were in the darke But if they wil behold heauenlie light thei we cal the sun they maie vnderstand that their God lacketh no lights that for the vse of man hath giuen so cleare a light And yet whereas in so small a circle which by reason of the distaunce séemeth no bigger then a mans head ther is so great a oliâ—â—ering that the engine of mans eie is not able to looke directly vpon it And if for a while you fixe your sight thereon diâ—â—esse darknesse doe follow your dazed eies What light what clearenes maie we thinke to be with God with whom there is no night at all Who hath so ordered this light of his that neither by too much shining beames nor ouer parching heate he should hurtâ— the Cattell And yet of both hath departed so much as either the bodies of men maie beare or riping of the fruite require wherefore he concludeth with these words saieng Is he to be thought to be in his right wits that to the Authour giuer of light offer vp the light of Candels and Tapers for a gift CANDELSTICKE Why the Church is likened to a candelsticke ANd the 7. Candlestickes which thou sawest are the 7. churches ¶
a liar Faith knoweth God Incrudelitie knoweth him 〈…〉 Faith loueth both God his neighbour Incrudelitie loueth neither of them faith only saueth vs Incrudelitie only condemneth vs. Faith extolleth God and his deeds Incrudelitie extolleth her selfe and her owne déeds Of onelie faith ¶ Looke Onelie FAITâ—â—VLL Hovv God hath deliuered the Faithfull God deliuered Noe from the floud Ge. 6. 8. 7. Lot was deliuered from the Sodomitâ—â— Ge. 19. 10 Iacob froÌ„ the wrath of his brother Esau Ge. 33. Ioseph out of prison Ge. 41. 14. The childreÌ„ of lsrael out of Aegiptâ— Exo. 14. 21. Moses froÌ„ yâ— rebellion of Corah Nâ— 16 The two messengers froÌ„ yâ— meÌ„ of Ierâ— cho Io. 2. Mardocheus froÌ„ the coÌ„spiracie of Amâ— Hoster 6. 7. Dauid froÌ„ the persecutioÌ„ of Saul 1. Reg. from the. 18. Chap. to the. 26. Elias from the hands of Iezabel 3. Reg. 19. Heliseus from the Assirians 4. Reg. 6. 18. Ieremie out of prison Iere. 39. 13. Toby from deuouring of the fish Toby 6. 2. Iudith vndefiled from Holofernes Iudith 13. Daniel from the lyons Dan. 6. The thrée children from the strie â—uen Dan. 3. Susan from the false Iudges Dan. 13. Paule froÌ„ laieng in wait of the gouernour of Damascus Act. 9. 2. Cor. 12. Peter from the hands of Herode Act. 12. FALL How Christ is the fall and vprising of manie Behold this child is appointed for the fall rising againe of manie in Israel ¶ To be the fall of the reprobaâ—e which perish through their owne default raising vp of the elect to whom God giueth faith Geneua Obiection How is Christ will some saie a fall to yâ— vnbeléeuers which are alreadie cast awaie Aunswere The vngodly do perish two maner of waies first they are lost through their owne vnbeliefe secondly for that they wilfully depriue themselues of the saluation that is offered vnto them by Christ. As if a man that is once condemned of theft should afterward not regard the kings sonne that sueth for his parâ—â— but vtterlie â—espiâ—e yâ— deliueraunce offered by him Hemmyng FALSE ¶ Of false Christs MAnie shall come in my name saie that I am Christ. ¶ Iosephus maketh mention in his 20. booke the 12. chapter of a certeine Aegiptian which was a false Prophet who in his own opinion thinking himselfe to be a prophet gathered almost thirtie thousand together whom when he brought out of the wildernesse of the mount of Oliues or Oliuet he went about to take Hierusalem but they were oppressed by Felix the presideÌ„t at that time of the which Felix ther is mention made in the. 21 of the Act. Lastlieâ— the same Iosephus writeth of another also which promised the people quietnes rest froÌ„ all euils if they wold follow him into the desart By many such were the people of the Ieâ—ws mocked deceiued al which as they promised liberty saluation of the people so they affirmed yâ— they were Christs And vnder this name they â—ossed the theÌ„selues also for the true promised 〈…〉 of whoÌ„ yâ— prophets scriptures testifieth Such one was Simon Magus which perswaded the Samaritanes that he was the power of God which was called great ¶ Looke Teudas who was such another Marl. fol. 557. What the false Prophets are Beware of false Prophets which come vnto you in shéepes clothing but inwardlie they are rauening Wolues c. ¶ False Prophets are Preathers that â—eruert wrest the word of God Sheepe â—innes signifie the appearaunce of outward holinesse Rauening Wolues are Tyrants that delight in persecuting and shedding of bloud Tindale False Prophets shal euer impugne the faith of Christs bloud and inforce to quench the true vnderstanding of the lawe and the right meaning and intent of all the workes commaunded by God which fight is a fight aboue all fights First they shall be in such number that Christs true Disciples shall be but a small stocke in respect of them They shall haue workes like Christ so that fasting praier pouertie obedience and chastitie shall be the names of their profession For as Paule saith to the Corinthians The Angels or messengers of Satan shal change themselues into the Angells or messengers of light and truth They shall come in Christs name and that with signes miracles and haue the vpper hande also euen to deceiue the verie elect if it were possible Yea and beyond all this if thou get the victorie of the false Prophets plucke a multitude out of their hands there shall immediatelie rise vp of the same and sette vp a new false sect against thee And against all those Amalechites the onelie remedie is to lifte vp the hands of thy heart to God in continuall praier which hands if thou for wearinesse oncelet fall thou goest to the worse immediatelie Tin fo 239. FANNE What the Fanne is Whose Fanne is in his hand c. ¶ Which is the preaching of the Gospell whereby he gathereth the Faithfull as good Corne and scattereth the Infidells as Chaffe Geneua Another Expositor saith thus The Fanne is Gods word The Flower is the people of Israel the Garner is the kingdome of Heauen â— By the Wheate he vnderstandeth the elect and true Israelitâ—s by the Chaffe he vnderstandeth the vnfaithfull FARE FAIRE VVITH MEN. How this place is vnderstood SEing then that we knowe the feare of the Lord we fare faire with men ¶ We fare faire with men that is wée plaie not the Tyrants with cursings excommunications neither vse we violence malitioustie among the people but feate God and intreat the people louinglie to draw them vnto God Tindale FARTHING What this Farthing meaneth THou shalt not goe thence till thou haue paid the last Farthing ¶ Christs meaning is that he shall neuer come outâ— for that he must euermore paie the last farthing while he â—uâ—fereth euerlasting punishment for his sinnes committed in this world Hier 〈…〉 b. cha 1. vpon the Lam. of Ierem. I. North bridge And that some make Purgatorie of the last Farthing they shew their deepe ignoraunce For first no similitude holdeth euerie word and sillable of the similitude Furthermore when they dispute till he paie the last farthing Ergo he shall paie but not in Hell Ergo in Purgatorie a wise reason Ioseph knewe not Marie till she had borne his first sonne Ergo she bare the second or he knew hiâ— afterward I will not forgiue thee till I be dead nor while I liue Ergo I will do it after my death And a thousand like Tin fol. 204. FASTING A Definition of Fasting FAsting was a certaine discipliue and measurable castigation or chaâ—â—isoment of the bodie alwaies vsed of the auncient fathers and Saints of God vsurped to this ende that the substaunce of heauenlie things might the more be inflamed that the fleshlie desires of the bodie might the more be quenched Marl. fol. 126. What true Fasting is True fasting saith Basile consisteth in fréenesse from â—ites in continencie
keyes of heauen what thing that thou binde on earth the same shall bée bound in heuen what thing soeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen also And to him after his resurrection doth Christ say Feede my shéepe And albeit he gaue equall power vnto all his Apostles after his resurrection and saith Lyke as my father sent me doe I also sende you take you the Holy Ghost If you shall retaine to any man his sinnes they shall be retained if you shall remitte to any man his sinnes to him they shall bée remitted Neuerthelesse because hée woulde declare vnitie he ordeined by his authoritie the originall of the same vnitie beginning of one The other Apostles truely were the same that Peter was endued with equall partaking both of honour and authoritie or power but the beginning commeth of one that the congregation shoulde be shewed to be one These are the wordes of Cipriane in a treatise called De simplicitate prelatorum where you may sée that Christ made all the Apostles of equall honour and like authoritie notwithstanding because he would testifie the vnitie of his Church or congregation he spake it as it were alonely to Peter when he sayd feede my shéepe and I shall giue thée Peter the keyes of heauen but in so saieng though the words séeme spoken to Peter onlye yet they were spoken to him in that he susteined the generall person of all the Church béeing as it were a common speaker for the same So that in speaking to him Christ spake vnto al other the Apostles vnto whom he gaue all the same authoritie that he gaue to Peter as you may sée both in the words of Cipriane and also the same is cléerely shewed of Saint Augustine in diuerse places but no where more plainly then in a treatise called De agone Christiano Lambart in the booke of Mar. fol. 1278. These words of Christ Louest thou me Féed my shéepe WheÌ„ they are spokeÌ„ to Peter they are spokeÌ„ to al priests ministers He addeth further and sayth Therefore wretched men while in Peter they vnderstood not Christ that is the Rocke while they will not beléeue that the keies of the kingdome of heauen are giuen not to Peter alone but vnto the church they haue quite lost the keies out of their hands Peter when he receiued the keies signified the holy Church August in Iohn Tract 50. So sayth Saint Basil Christ sayd to Peter Louest thou me Féede my shéepe in lyke sort vnto all Pastors and Doctors he gaue the same power a token whereof is this that al others bind loose equally as wel as hée Basil. in vita selâ— taria cha 23. Saint Ambrose sayth Our Lord sayd to Peter Féede my shéepe which shéepe and flocke not onely blessed Peter then receiued but he receiued the same together with vs and all wâ—e haue receiued together with him Christ saith S. Cipriane gaue vnto his Apostles like equal power Cipriane de sim. pâ—ela Saint Bede sayth The power of binding and loosing notwithstanding it séeme to be giuen onely to Peter yet without all doubt we must vnderstand that it was giuen also to the rest of the Apostles Bede in Homil. in Euangel Quem me dicunt If we speake that Peter spake we are made Peter and vnto vs it shall be sayd thou art Peter for he is the Rocke that is the Disciple of Christ. Againe he that is bound with the bandes of his owne sinne bindeth and looseth in vaine How Peter was neuer at Rome The mainteiners of the Popish kingdome do holde an opinion that Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius the Emperour and dwelt there 25. yeares by whose preaching Rome was brought to the faith of Christ as both Eusebius and Saint Hierome hath written say they To this it is aunswered thus Plaine it is that Christ suffered vppon the Crosse the. 18. yeare of Tiberius the Emperour who reigned 23. yeares After him succéeded Gaius reigned foure yeares then followed after Claudius Nowe then if Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius it must néedes be graunted that Peter came to Rome within a. 11. yeares after Christes death Againe on the other side it is plaine by the wordes of holy Scripture that Paule was not onely not conuerted to the fayth when Christ suffered vpon the Crosse but it appeareth also that hée was not conuerted when Steuen was stoned for the Scripture is plaine that he kept their Garmentes which stoned Steuen to death This being so Paule himselfe writeth to the Galathians that he came to Hierusalem 17. yeares after he was conuerted and that then he founde Peter there which was at the least 18. yers after the death of Christ. TheÌ„ if Peter wer yet at Hierusalem 18. yeares after Christ howe can it bée that he came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius which as they say was the. 11. yeare after Christs death Furthermore Peter was at Hierusalem not onely 18. yeares after the death of Christ but the same time also was he sent to preach the Gospell not to the Romanes but to the Iewes And it is to be beléeued that he preched the Gospell among the Iewes For when Paule wrote to the Romanes and saluted a greate manye there by name it is thought he would haue saluted Peter also if hée had then bene the chiefe Bishop there Wherefore it is a verie false lye that the Papists historiograpers doe write that Peter was first Pope of Rome and died there Bar. Ochâ—â—e Saint Hierome vpon the Epistle to the Romanes sayth that he hath read in certeine olde bookes that at the sending of this Epistle Narcissus whome with his family Paule saluteth was then the Senior of the congregation at Rome Ergo not Peter Iohn Bale in the pageant of popes fol. 9. Of the shadow of Peter That at the least way the shaowe of Peter when he came by might shadowe some of them ¶ God at the first publishing of his Gospell wrought wonders by these thinges that seemed trifles to the world which things as they were done for a time so now the lyke must not be looked for The Bible note How Peter is but a figure of the Church To thée will I giue the keyes of heauen ¶ To this Saint Austen saith that if Peter there had not bene the figure of the Church the Lorde had not sayde vnto him To thée will I giue the keies of the kingdome of Heauen The which if Peter receiued them not the Church hath them not if the Church hath them then Peter hath them not Philpot in the booke of Mar. PHARAO Whereof the word Pharao is deriued AMbrose writeth that the name of Pharao was not a proper name but rather a surname of al yâ— kings of Aegipt for at yâ— time they wer al called Pharaos as afterward they wer called Ptolomei when the Macedonians were the chiefe Lordes ouer all
a corruptible man For a detestable thing it is to place God in such a lykenesse in a christian Church and much more wicked it is to place it in the heart where the Temple of God is verely and indéede if it be cleansed from earthly desires and errours We must therfore vnderstande that at the right hande is as much to say as with greatest happinesse where righteousnesse and peace and gladnesse is Euen as also the Goates are placed at the left hand that is in miserie for their iniquities to their paine torment Whereas God therefore is said to sit therby is not meant the placing of his limites but his iudiciall power which his maiestie neuer wanteth in bestowing worthy rewards to those that are worthy of them c. Bullinger fol. 74. What the right hand doth signifie in this place following That I may turne me to the right hand or the left ¶ The right hand or the left hand is no more to say but tell mée one thing or another that I may know whervnto to stick and is a phrase of the Hebrewes T. M. Of the right hand of Christ. To sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to giue saith Christ but vnto them for whome it is prepared of my Father ¶ This answere made Christ to the mother of Zebedes children who desired of him that her two sons might sit in his kingdome the one vpon his right hand the other vpon his wft is as much to say that according to this present state wherein yeâ— sée meâ— I am not come to distribute places seates of my kingdome for know ye that from the beginning my Father I haue distributed and appointed themâ— Therfore be not you carefull as though they were voide This is the true vnderstanding of this place I. Proctour ROBBE How robbing is no these when God commaunded it AND shalt robbe the Aegyptiâ—ns ¶ Héere ye may not note that they stale and therefore ye may steale but note that it was done at Gods commaundement and therefore was it a iust and a righteous thing to be done for he is not the authour of euill T. M. ¶ This example may not be followed generally though at Gods commandement they did it iustly receiuing some recompence of their labours Geneua ROCKE How Christ was the Rocke THe Rocke was Christ. ¶ S. Chrisostome saith vppon this place Petra â—rat Christus c. The Rocke was Christ for it was not by the nature of the Rocke that the water gushed out but a certeine other spirituall Rocke wrought all these things that is to say Christ. Iewel fol. 254. How Christ is the true Rocke Because thou hast said to me saith Christ to Peter Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I doe also saâ— to 〈…〉 Thou art Peter for before he was called Symon but this name that he should be called Peter was giuen him of the Lorde to the ende that by that figure he might signifie the Church For because Christ is Petra the Rocke Petrus is the Christian people For Petra is the principal name And therfore Petrus commeth of Petra and not Petra of Petrus As Christus Christ is not named a Christiano but Christianus a Christian is named of Christus Christ. Therfore saith Christ Thou art Peter vppon this Rock which thou hast coÌ„fessed vpon this Rock which thou hast knowne saieng Thou artâ— Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my church yâ— is vpon my selfe being the son of the liuing God wil I build my church I will build thée vppon me and not me vpon thée for men that be builded vpon meÌ„ did say I am of Paule I am of Apollo I of Cephas yâ— is of Peter And other who would not be builded vpon Petrum Peter but vpon Petram the Rocke did say I am of Christ. And the Apostle Paule when he did know yâ— he was chosen or preferred and Christ despised by some men sayd Is Christ diuided Was Paule crucified for you Or were ye baptised in the name of Pauleâ— And as not in Paules nameâ— no more were ye baptised in the name of Peter but in the name of Christ that Peter might bée 〈…〉 vpon theâ— Rocke not the Rocke vpon Peter Nowel fol. 109. Upon this Rocke c. Upon that faith whereby thou hast confessed and acknowledged me for it is grounded vpon the iufallible truth Geneua ¶ Christ is the Rocke wherevppon the true Church is builded No man can laye anie other foundation besides that which is layde already which is Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Peter is through fayth one of the stones wherewith the Church is builded Sir I. Cheeke ROD. The opening of this place of Marke contrary to Mathew and Luke COmmaunded them that they should take nothing vnto their iourney saue a rod. ¶ Saue a rod onely although in Math. 10. 10. and Luke 9. â— be should séeme to forbid them a rodde yet the text meaneth not so indéede but forbiddeth Coaâ—â— Shâ—es Rod c. By a figure to the intent onely that they shuld vtterly put from them all carefulnesse of any such prouisions For if he had so moâ—â— yâ— they shuld haue taken no such things with them Then should it noâ— now be lawfull for any preacher to haue anie of those things with them when they goe to preach And therfore Marke expressing Christs minde more plainly giueth libertie to take a rod or a walking staffe to ease themselues withall when they were wearie Tindale Take nothing to your iourney neither staues nor sâ—rip c. ¶ Because this iourney was short and but for a time Christ willed that they shuld make hast and take nothing with them whereby they might bée letted any thing at all from the businesse The Bible note ¶ To the end they might doe their charge with greater diligence when they had nothing to let them Geneua Of the rodde and staffe of God what is meant thereby Virga tua beculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt Thy rod and thy staffe hath comforted me A rodde doth serue to beate to punish and correct children for their faults And a staffe serâ—eth not onely for a weapon to defend a man from his enimies but also a staffe serueth to saue a man from falling So that by the rod ye must vnderstand our crosse correction persecution that the godly doe suffer in this life And by the staffe our helpe our preseruation in our dayly daungers which 〈…〉 were not able to endure if God had not bene with vs and preserued vs. Ric. Turnar ROME HOW Babilon is proued to be Rome by the Scriptures SHée is fallen shée is fallen euen Babilon that great Citie ¶ signifieng Rome for as much as the vices which were in Babilon are found in Rome in greater abundance as persecution of the Church of God oppression and slauerie with destruction of the people of God
is eod How God is to be worshipped eod How God is a consuming fire 446. How his Ordinaunces may not be broken eod How God was seene eod Of Gods consolation in trouble eod What Gods cursse is eod What God appointeth and no more 447 How things come to passe by Gods wil. eod Of two wills in God eod How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the Author eod Of the God of this world eod What is ment by the God of Iacob eod What the seate of God is eod Godhead in Christ. How it is vnderstood eod How Christ in his Godhead is euerye where 448. Gods mercie Of such as presume to much thereof eod How yâ— Magistrates are called gods eo What the nature of Gods word is eod Godly sorrow What it bringeth to a man eod Godlinesse What godlinesse is 449. Gog Magog What they were eod How they shall be destroyed 450. Golde What is ment by golde siluer and precious stones 451. Of Golde frankencense Mirrhe eod Golgotha What the word signifieth eod Good What good or goodnesse is 451. How there is none good but God eod Of good and euill doing eod What a good age is eod How yâ— good life of a christeÌ„ smelleth 453 Of the good purpose of a man eod Good intent How it must agree with Gods word eod Of yâ— good intent of Nadab Abihu 454 Examples of good intents eod Goods Wher they ought to be laid vp 455. How the Church goods ought to bee bestowed eod Gortheans What they were eod Gospell What the Gospell signifieth 456. Of the Gospel preached to the dead 457. How it is likened to a bowe 458. Why the gospell is said to be euerlasting eod How it is no lesse to bee regarded then the bodie of Christ. 459. Whether the Booke or leaues bee the Gospell eod An exposition of the place 460. Goate How it signifieth Christ. eod Grace What grace is 461. The true definition of grace eod What it is to reiect grace eod The difference betweene grace and gift eod The difference betweene grace and the lawe 462. What is vnderstoode by grace and peace 464. How grace and truth are expounded eo The meaning of the place 465. Graffing How we are graffed in Christ. 466. Griefe What it is and how it is defined 467. Greekes Of whom they came eod The meaning of the places eod Great The meaning of the place 468. Groue The meaning of the places 469. Guyle The definition thereof 470. Of good and euill guyle eod H. HAlcion What Halcion was 470. What the Halcion daies be eod Hand What the hande of God signifieth 471. Of the hand that Balthasar saw eod What is ment by the place eod Hand writing what it was eod Happy The meaning of the place 472. Harden How God is said to harden 473. Heart Where the heart of man is placed eod How some mans heart is hairie eod How maÌ„s hart poisoned will not burn eo Of the heart and wombe of God eod Hart or Stag. As the Hart coueteth the water 474. Haruest What is vnderstood by har 475. Hate The meaning of the place eod When a man may hate his neighbor eod Hath The vnderstanding of the place eod Hazael How he came to his kingdome 476. Hebron What Hebron was eod Head What is ment by head of God 477 What yâ— head of the serpent signifieth eod Haires of God What they doe signifie eod Hâ—lchesaites What their opinions wer eo Helias Of the strange vision seene at his birth eod Heliseus What befell at his birth 478. Hell How it is taken in Scripture eod The meaning of the place 479. What hell meaneth heere eod Helpers of faith How men be helpers of faith eod Helindius What his heresie was 480. Hem. How we touch the hem of Christs vesture eod Hemerobapti What heretiks they wer eo Henoch What his taking vp signifieth eo Her and Anan How they wer slaine 481. Heare him How Christ is to be c. eod Heresie The definition of heresie eod The proofe of heresie 482. How it is to be auoided eod Heretikes What is to be done with theÌ„ 483. How they ought not to be compelled eo Herode Of his great crueltie 484. Why he burned the Scriptures eod Of his death 485. Of the second Herode eod How he ledde away his brother Philips wife eod Of Herode Agrippa 487. What the Herodians were 488. Heauen Of the opening of heauen eod Hide What the hiding of Gods face is eo Hienâ— Of the propertie of this beast eod Hime â—eus Of his opinion 489. High Priest How yâ— office was diuided eo How â—uery Bishop is called c. eod Hill Wâ—at is ment by this hill eod Hin Wâ—at manner of mesure it was eod Hiâ—dâ—rpart What is ment thereby eod Hipoâ— rite What an hipocrite is eod Hipocrisie described eod Hipoâ—iposis What the word signifieth 491. Hire What is ment by hire eod Why eternall life is called hire eod Historie What an historie in 492. Hobab What this Hobab was eod Holy Who is holy eod How Christ is called holy 493. What is ment by the Angels crieng Holy Holy eod The meaning of the Prophet eod Holy ghost How wheÌ„ he was c. 494. How the holy Ghost is God 495. Proued by auncient Doctors 497. Holy water How it was called of old eod Of the Popes holy water 598. Homilies Bucers iudgment thereof eod Honour What honour signifieth eod What honor is to be giuen to the wife 499 What it is to honour parents eod Of 3. manner of honours eod Hope A definition of hope 500. How hope is of things absent eod How hope hangeth vpon faith 501. Of Augustines hope eod Hormis What people they were 502. Horne What it signifieth eod Hornet What an Hornet is 503. Horseleach What hir 2. daughters be eod Hosanna What the word betokeneth eod Hot. What it is to be neither hot c. 504. Houres The distribution of yâ— houres eod What is ment by halfe an houre eod House of God What yâ— house of God is eo How the place is vnderstood 505. Humilitie A definition thereof eod Who they be that be humble 506. Hundred fold What it is to receiue c. eo Hunger and thirst eod Huâ— Of the land of Hus. 507. Husband What the husbands office is eo What is ment by the husband of one c. eo I. IAcinct The description thereof 508 What Iacinct signifieth heere 509. Iacob how he is a figure of the church eo What is ment by this word Iacob c. eo Of Iacobs Iye to his father 510. Of his wrastling with the Angell 511. What the seede of Iacob is eod How God beholdeth no sin in Iacob eod Of the finding of Iacob in Bethel eod The vnderstanding of the place eod â—am The meaning of the place 512. Iames. why he was called yâ— Lords brother eod Of the death of this Iames. eod Of the deth of Iames the brother of Iohn eod Iannes
as Filâ—â—s filâ—orum dicuntur etiam filij auorum The sonnes sonnes daughters are also called the sonnes daughters of the grandfather And so she was Abrahams sister because she was his brothers daughter How Abraham did eate Christs bodie When this promise was established to Abraham by the word of God which said In thy séed shal all the nations of the earth be blessed he beléeued which was counted to him for righteousnesse and did both eate his bodie drinke the bloud of Christ through faith beléeuing verelie that Christ should take our nature and spring out of his séede as touching the flesh also that he should suffer death to redéeme vs. And as Christ testifieth he heartelie desired to sée the daie of Christ who sawe it reioiced He sawe it in faith had the daie of Christ that is to saie all those things that shuld chance him plainlie reuealed vnto him albeit he were dead manie hundred yeres before it was actuallie fulfilled reuealed vnto the world by that faith was he saued yet neuer did eate his flesh with his téeth nor neuer beléeued yâ— bread shuld be his bodie wine his bloud And therefore sith he was saued without that faith and the same faith shall saue vs that saued him I thinke we shall also be saued if we eate him spirituallie as he did although we neuer beléeue that the bread is his bodie I. Frith vpon the Lords supper against Moore How Abraham sawe the daie of Christ. ¶ Looke My daie Of the communication betwene Abraham and the glutton The communication that the glutton had with Abraham happened spirituallie for so thought the glutton with himselfe in his torments and such aunswere receiued he in his owne conscience Heming How God tried Abrahams faith Take now thy sonne c. and offer him vp there ¶ Héerein stoode the chiefest point of his temptation séeing he was commanded to offer vp him in whom God had promised to blesse all the nations of the world Geneua How Abraham is said to be a Prophet Deliuer the man his wife againe for he is a Prophet ¶ That is one to whom God reuealeth himselfe familiarlie Geneua ¶ Of the doubting of Abraham Looke Doubt ¶ Of Abrahams riches Looke Lazarus ABSOLVTION How no mortall man can absolue from sinne THeir absolution also iustifieth no man from sinne for with the heart do men beléeue to be iustified with all faith Saint Paule Rom. 10. ver 10. that is through faith beléeuing the promises are we iustified as I haue sufficientlie proued in other places with the scripture Faith saith Saint Paule in the same place commeth by hearing that is to saie by hearing the preacher that is sent from God and preacheth Gods promises Now when they absolue in latine the vnlearned heareth not for how saith Paule 1. Cor. 14. ver 16. when thou blessest in an vnknowne tongue shall the vnlearned saie Amen vnto thy thankes giuing for he wotteth not what thou saist So likewise the laie man wotteth not whether thou loose or binde or whether thou blesse or cursse In like manner it is if the laie vnderstand Latine or though the Priest absolue in English for in his Absolution he rehearseth no promise of Christ but speaketh his owne words saieng I by the authoritie of Peter and Paule absolue and loose thée from all thy sinnes Thou saist so which art but a lieng man and neuer more then now verelie Thou saist I forgiue thée thy sinne and the scripture Iohn the first that Christ onelie forgiueth and taketh awaie the sinnes of the world and Paul Peter and all the Apostles preacheth that all is forgiuen in Christ for Christs sake Gods word onely looseth thou in preaching that mightst loose also els not Tâ—mâ— fo 149. How absolution standeth not in the will of the Priest Gratian saith Voluntas sacerdotis c. The will of the priest can neither further nor hinder but the merite of him that desireth absolution Iewel fol. 138. ABSTINENCE What the abstinence of a Christian man is THe abstinence of a Christian man is to withdrawe himselfe from sin As it is said in Toby how that he taught his sonne from his youth vp to feare God to refraine from sinne And S. Paule exhorteth the Thessalonians from fornication and other sinnes Tindale What difference is betweene fasting and Abstinence True fasting is a religious worke ordeined to testifie our humilitie and to make the flesh the more obedient vnto the spirit that we maie be the quicker to praie to all good workes But Abstinence from this or that meat with opinion of holinesse supersticious it maie easilie make a man but holie it cannot S. Paule saith It is not meat that maketh vs acceptable vnto God 1. Cor. 8. ver 8. Againe It is good to confirme the heart with grace not with meates wherein they that haue walked haue found no profit Heb. 13. Ver. 9. The meate serueth for the bellie the bellie for the meate the Lord will destroie them both 1. Cor. 6. ver 13. And againe The kingdome of God is not meate drinke Rom. 14. ver 17. Likewise Christ saith The thing that entreth into the mouth defileth not the man Maâ— 1â— ver 〈…〉 Héere it is easie to sée that fasting is one thing abstinence from flesh another The Nazaries in the Testament absteined not from flesh yet they fasted Elias 3. Reg. 17. ver 6. was fed with flesh Iohn the Baptist eate yâ— flesh of locâ—stes yet they both fasted Socrates saith that manie Christians in yâ— Lent season did eate fish birds Manie abâ—â—ained vntill 3. of the clock in the afternoone then receiued all kind of meats either fish or flesh wtout difference Likewise Epiphanius saith some eate all kind of birds or fowle absteining onelie from the flesh of foure footed beasts And yet they kept their lent trulie fasted as well as anie others Wherefore abstinence from anie one certeine kinde of meat is not of it selfe a work of religion to please God but onelie a méere positiue policie S. Austine saith Non quaero c. I demaund not what thou eatest but wherein thou hast pleasure And Saint Hierome saith of the Maniches Ieiunant illi c. They fast in déed but their fasting is worse then if they filled their bellies Iewell fol. 15. ABVSES By whom they ought to be reformed THe abuses that he in the Church ought to be corrected by Princes Let euerie soule saith Saint Paule submit himselfe to the higher powers Hezekia destroied the brasen Serpent when he sawe the children of Israel abuse it Iosaphat sent abrode his commission to suppresse and banish all Idolatrie and superstition out of his land Iosia cleansed his land from Idolatrie witchcraft sorceries and all other abuses Ioas destroied the house of Baal brake downe the Altars and corrected manie other abuses within his dominions
vnderstood by the foure Angels By these foure Angels are vnderstood noisome ministers which go about to hinder both the life doctrine of the gospell the true faith The Angell which ascended from the rising of the Sunne c. is our sauiour Christ which alwaies procureth some to further the Gospel against tyrants Antechrists Sir I. Cheek I sawe foure Angels saith S. Iohn c. These are the hypocrites with their false doctrine The Antechrists with their pestilent degrées traditions The cruel princes with their tyrannous lawes the vngodlie magistrates with their ignorance blindnesse These stand vpon yâ— foure corners of the earth they reigne in the foure quarters of yâ— world with lies in hypocrisie errours in superstition with tyrannie in power crueltie in executing humaine lawes These with-hold â—he â—oure winds of the earth The doctrine of the spirit which God hath sent to bée blowne the world ouer they withstand resist stop vexe euermore persecute least it shold blow vpon yâ— earth which is yâ— gardein of god driuing away froÌ„ thence all filth corruption Bale What is meant by the seauen Angels And I sawe the seauen Angels c. ¶ These seauen Angels bée manie Antechristes and those mightie that do harme to the faithfull hinder yâ— Gospel But Iesus Christ standeth at the Altar with the oblacion of his bodie for yâ— faithfull Sir I. Cheek Who the Angell was And shewed by his Angel ¶ Ther be yâ— think yâ— by this Angell was meant Christ but more rightlie do other vnderstand him to haue ben some one of those heauenlie spirits yâ— are called ministering spirits are sent abroad about seruice for their sake yâ— shall be heires of saluation He. 1. 14. for by this meanes Christ proued to be the Lord of Angels as by whose seruice in yâ— wonderfull administration of his kingdome he both deliuereth the godlie out of the hands of the vngodly and also punisheth the wicked from time to time Beside this we shall sée the Angell more then once refuse the worshippe that Iohn was about to yéeld vnto him in this present booke 19. 10. and. 22. 9. which thing Christ would not haue done inasmuch as he is far more excellent not onelie then man but also then all the Angels Mar. vpon the Apoc. fol. 5. Of the Angell that went downe into the poole where the sicke laie For an Angell went downe at a certeine season into the poole c. ¶ It is vncerteine when or how often the Angell came downe to the water whether once in a yeare or oftner Some thinke that he descended euerie feastiuall daie that then some one sicke person or other was healed Other-some thinke yâ— this was done vpon the daie of Pentecost Notwithstanding this is most certeine that the benefit is to bée ascribed vnto God who in working hath euer vsed the ministerie of Angels of men of Elements For that which the Angell did héere hée did it as a minister of God For it is a worke proper vnto God to cure the sicke But as he hath euer vsed the hand and worke of Angels so he hath committed these partes in charge to the Angels for the which cause the Angels are called powers or vertues not because God resigning his power vnto them sitteth himselfe idle in heauen but because he working mightelie in them mightelie declareth vnto vs his power Therefore they doe verie wickedlie which ascribe anie thing to Angels which is proper to God or which make them such mediatours betwéene God and vs that they obscure the glorie of God when as we ought rather directlie to come vnto Christ that by his conducting aide and commaundement we maie haue the Angels helpers and ministers of our saluation Mar. vpon Iohn fol. 146. ANGER What Anger is by Aristotles definition Anger is nothing els if we maie beléeue Aristotle in his Rhetorikes but a desire of reuengement because of contempt For they which perceiue themselues to be despised and contemned do straight waie thinke how they maie be reuenged and they diligentlie meditate how by some punishment they maie requite the iniurie or despite done vnto them How Anger in some respect is no sinne ANger is no sinne so that the originall thereof and the ende whether it extendeth be vertuous and procéede with charitie Moses was angrie and brake the tables of God in his zealous and godlie passion He put the idolaters to death but the ende was to destroie vice and mainteine vertue So was Dauid so was Saule so was Christ but it sprang of a loue towards God and extended to a vertuous ende the punishment of vice and commendation of vertue Whooper Be angrie and sinne not ¶ Christ was angrie at the blindnesse of the Iewes Mat. 23. and so was Moses at the idolatrie of the Israelites Exo. 32 and at the sedition of Chore Dathan and Abiram Num. 16. neuertheles this anger or wrath was but a verie zeale vnto the law of God as thou maist sée by Phinehes in Nu. 25 and by Mathathias 1. Mac. 2. As for malice vnlawfull wrath it is vtterlie forbidden as it followeth in the same chapter where he saith let not the Sunne goe downe vppon your wrath Tindale I haue bene through angrie for the Lord God of hoasts sake ¶ Anger is not héere taken for such as is betwéene enimies but such as procéedeth of seruent loue as when the Father is angrie with the sonne not bicause he would him euill but sheweth thereby that he loueth him better for in correcting him he prouideth that he fall not into worse Such an anger zeale or iealousie had Phinehes also Nu. 25. What Anger is forbidden Christ prohibiteth anger as the beginning of hatred murther and destruction For he said he that is angrie with his brother is worthie of iudgement for anger and reuengement are seperate one from an other onelie as the roote and the fruit For he that is angrie with anie man if he hurt him not that chaunceth bicause either he cannot or els feareth the punishment of the lawes He that hateth his brother saith Iohn is a murtherer But among those which are counted verie angrie kings aboue other are numbered when they perceiue that they are despised of their subiects Wherefore Homere saith Great is the anger of a kings displeasure Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. How anger or wrath is in God God is said to be angrie kisse the sonne least the Lord bée angrie when we breake his commaundements despise his threatnings set light by his promise and follow our owne corrupt appetites God is said to be angrie and chaunged but the chaunge is in vs and not in him for he is immutable with whom saith S. Iames is no variablenesse neither is he chaunged The Psalmist saith 101. He chaungeth all things as a vesture but he himselfe is immutable vnchaungeable Lactantius in the booke which he writeth of the anger of
soule Cooper APOSTLE What an Apostle is APostle is an Ambassadour a Messenger or one sent And after this manner Christ is our Apostle sent of his Father Tindale Who were Apostles Apostles are those chosen sorte which were sent by Christ himselfe to preach the Gospell ouer all the world confirming the same with miracles and bearing witnesse of Christs resurrection of which sort were the twelue Mat. 10. 1. into whose state Paule was called afterward These béeing bound to no certein abiding went from countrie to countrie preaching Christ and trauailed as ambassadours to sundrie nations planting Churches and setting vp Christs kingdome wheresoeuer they came Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 259. How the Apostles were not called the heads of the Church Augustine in his third booke writing against the letters of Petulian denieth that the Apostle Paule could be the head of the whom he had planted in the faith of Christ saieng O what a rashnesse and pride is this of man Why doest thou not rather suffer that Christ should alwaies giue faith and to make thée a Christian in the giuing of it Why doest thou not suffer that Christ should be euer the beginning of the Christian man and that the Christian man should fasten his roote in Christ that Christ be the head of the Christian man For what time 〈…〉 the spirituall grace is bestowed vnto the beléeuers by the holie and faithfull ministers the Minister himselfe doth not iustifie but he onelie of whom it is said that he doth iustifie the wicked For the Apostle Paule was not the head and beginning of them whom he planted nor Apollo the roote of them whom he watered but he which gaue them increase as he himselfe saith in the third chapter in the first Epistle to the Corinthians I haue planted Apollo hath watered but God hath giuen increase So that not be which planteth is anie thing nor he which watereth but God hath giuen increase nor he was not the roote of them but he rather which said I am the Uine and you be the braunches And how could he be their head when he said wée being manie are one bodie in Christ And when he doth report most plainlie in manie places that Christ himselfe is the head of the whole bodie This saith Augustine Musculus fol. 261. How the Apostles were equall with Peter Saint Cipriane saith Non erant vtique caeteri Apostoli c. The rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was all endewed with one fellowship both of honour of power Yet the beginning is taken of one to shewe that the Church is one Cipri de simplicita Prçlatorum Iewel fol. 109. Saint Hierom saith Dices super Petrum fundatur Ecclesia c. Ye will say the Church is founded vppon Peter Notwithstanding in another place the same thing is done vppon all the Apostles and all receiue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is founded equallie vppon them all Hierom aduers. Iouinia li. 1. Iewel fol. 107. Origen saith Quod si super vnum illū Petrum tantum c. If thou thinke the whole Church was builded vpon Peter what wilt thou then say of Iohn the sonne of thunder and of euerie of the Apostles Origen in Math. tract 1. Iewel fol. 107. S. Chrisostome of Peter saith thus Duplex crimen erat c. Peter was in double fault both for that he withstood Christ and also for that he fell himselfe before the rest Chrisost. in Math. hom 83. S. Austen saith Inter se concorditer c. Peter and his fellowes liued agréeable together August Epist. 86. Againe he saith Christus sine personarum c. Christ without anie choice of persons gaue the same authoritie to Paule to minister among the Heathen that he gaue to Peter among the Iewes The ordinarie glose saith thus of Saint Paule Non didici c. I learned not of Peter and others as of my betters but I had conference with them as with equalls and friends Glos. Gal. 2. Iewel fol. 107. Paule himselfe saith Iames Peter and Iohn that séemed to be pillers gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right hands of the fellowship which the glose expoundeth thus Societatis c. O◠fellowship that is of equalitie Iewel fol. 107. How the Apostles had wiues Haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister as well as other Apostles and as the Bretheren of the Lord and Ceyphas ¶ This text cléerelie proueth that Peter and other Apostles had wiues and wherefore then should it be vnlawfull for Priests to marrie they are no better nor no holier then the Apostles were But héere will some say that the Apostles had wiues before that Christ did choose them but afterward they forsooke their wiues followed Christ which thing is not true that they forsooke their wiues for that had bene plainly against the doctrine of their master Christ which taught thē not to forsake their wiues but in any wise to kéepe them sauing onelie for fornication And this place of S. Paule Haue we not power c. doth proue how S. Peter after his Apostleship and also other disciples of Christ carried their wiues about with them when they went a preaching wherefore it is a false lie that they had forsaken them D. Barnes Eusebius in the third booke of the Ecclesiasticall storie in the 27. chapter reporteth Clements wordes thus Clement whose words we haue héere marked writing against them which despise mariage saith these words Do they also disallow the Apostles for Peter Philip had wiues and gaue their daughters to be maried vnto men And also Paule the Apostle is not ashamed to make mention in a certeine Epistle of his owne make and companion and to greete her whom he said that he led not about with him that he might be the more readie and comberlesse to preach the Gospell I doe not backbite th◠other blessed men which were coupled in matrimonie of whom I made mention now For I wish that being worthie of God I may be found in his kingdome at their feete as Abraham Isaac Iacob as Ioseph Esay other Prophets were As Peter and Paule and the other Apostles which were coupled in mariage which had wiues not to fulfill the 〈…〉 s of the flesh but to haue issue and posteritie 〈…〉 Ignatius in Epist. ad Philadel Erasmus in his annotations vpon the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Philipians reporteth the witnesse of Ignatius on this wise The holie Martir Ignatius in an Epistle to the Philedelphians doth plainlie graunt that not onelie Peter but also Paule and other of the Apostles had wiues And that they had them in no lesse reputation therefore because Patriarchs and Prophets were married not for lusts sake but for childrens sake Chrisostome graunteth that there were some which reckoned that Paule did speake vnto his wife but dissenteth shewing no
to be brought before them as thou readest Exo. 22. Tindale AVIMS What this word doth signifie AVims was a kinde of Gyaunts and the word signifieth crooked vnright or weaked Tindale fol. 15. AVRICVLAR CONFESSION ¶ Looke Confession AXE What is meant by this Axe that Iohn speaketh of heere NOw also is the Axe put to the root of the trée ¶ The iudgement of God is at hand to destroie such as are not méete for his Church Geneua ¶ Some doe expound it thus The Axe is the power of the Romaines which were the iustruments of God to destroie vtterlie the wicked and vnfaithfull generation of the Iewes Sir I. Cheeke BAAL What Baal was and what the word signifieth OF which neuer man bowed his knée to Baal ¶ Baal was as some thinke a common name of all straunge Gods because it commonlie signifieth Lord or Maister and thereof tooke the Gods of the Gentiles their names as Baal Phegor or Phogor or Baal Peor that is the Lord or Maister or Phegor c. T. M. ¶ Baal signifieth as much as Maister or patron or one in whose power an other is which name the Idolaters at this daie giue their Idolls naming them patrons and patronesses or Ladies Beza What Baal Berith was And made Baal Berith their God ¶ In this place is perticular mention made of Baal Berith which a man maie call Iouem faederis or Iouem faederatum him made they meaning the Israelites a God ouer them and worshipped him for their God The worshipping of him séemeth to be this that they referred all the good things which they had as receiued of him they beléeued that he turned awaie from them those euills which they were not troubled with By reason of which faith they counted him for their God and worshipped his outwarde Image Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 155. What Baal Peor was They ioined themselues also to Baal Peor ¶ Baal Peor was the Idoll of the Madianites but why he was named so it is not fullie agréed vpon Truelie Bagual importeth as much as a a patron or aduocate and because P haguar signifieth to open some interpret it the God of opening and they adde that the cause was for that they destroied their priuie members before him which thing I dare not auouch for certeintie And it maie bee that it is the name of some place according as we knowe that oftentimes the heathen men gaue their Idols the names of the Countries Calâ—â—â—e vpon the Psal. BABEL What Babel signifieth BAbel signifieth confusion or mirture It was the name of a Towre builded by Nemroth before the incarnation At the building héereof was the first confusion of tongues This was done in the lande of Sennaar in the Countreie of Chaldea Eliote For what intent the Towre of Babel was built The lande was of one language at the building of the Towre of Babel which Nemroth and his people beganne to builde intending that the toppe thereof shoulde haue touched the Heauen wherein they might haue saued themselues if anie Deluge shoulde afterwarde haue happened But God séeing their pride and rebellion confused so their language that euerie one spake in such sundrie speaches that one vnderstood not an other whereby of necessitie the worke was left vnfinished Lyra. BABILON What Babilon signifieth BAbilon the great Citie ¶ Babilon signifieth Rome for as much as the vices which were in Babilon are founde in Rome in greate abundaunce as persecution of the Church of God oppression and slaunders with destruction of the people of God confusion superstition idolatrie impietie And as Babilon the first monarch was destroied so shall the wicked kingdome of Antichrist haue a miserable ruine though in bée greate and séemeth to extend throughout all Europe Geneua Whie Babilon is called an hill Beholde I will come vpon thée thou noisome hill ¶ Babilon is called an hill although it stood in a lowe place and no hills about it for that hir walls and buildings were so greate and hie as mountaines The Bible note ¶ Not that Babilon stood on a hill or mountaine but because it was stronge and séemed inuincible Geneua The description of Babilon and how it was wonne In the land of Sennaar that is in the land of the Chaldes in a great plaine was Babilon builded in processe of time mightelie stronglie augmented with rich pallaices pleasant houses strong walles and towres called the head Citie and Empire of all the world so celebrated and standing inuict with manie glorious victories by the space of 1495. yeares hauing the whole world vnder their dominion It was builded foure in square thrée thousand paces ouer from wal to wal The wall was 200. foote high and. 500. foote broade And yet was euerie foote longer by thrée fingers then ours It was in circuite without the outward walls 480. furlonges It was double walled with manie high and strong towres and by a meruailous craft and labour the floud Euphrates was brought to runne rounde about it betwixt and without the walls and through manie places of the citie It is so described of the auncient historie writers as of Ioseph Plinie Herodoto Orosio as no Citie else to bée like it But this so mightie a Citie and golden head when the king Balthazar with his nobles were feasting and banketting in the night in most securitie for that they thought their Citie to bée inexpugnable Then came king Cyrus and laide siege to Babilon Hée digged vp the bankes of Euphrates and turned the floud cleane from the Citie so that without perill hée might with his hoast enter in and then hauing the king of Babilon in such drunkennesse and securitie he slewe him and tooke the citie In that Citie yet as it is left there remaineth the Temple of Iupiters Image called Bele the finder of the Syderall science or els is there none other memoriall or scant anie vestigie thereof Melan cthon and others vpon Daniel How Babilon is fallen three manner of waies Shée is fallen in wealth and riches Her Abbeies Monesteries Nunries Frieries Hospitals Chauntreis Churches and Chappelles now ouerthrowne and made euen with the ground All landes Iewels Ornaments and great treasures that belong to the same are cleane taken awaie from them She is fallen in power and authoritie for the kings of the earth which sometimes were subiect to that monsterous beast yea the most part of the ten hornes which were all the kings and potestates of the earth which gaue ouer their power and authoritie vnto the same beast that acknowledged the Pope for their souereigne Lord doe now hate and abhorre that harlot of Rome and doe withdrawe their subiects obedience from her Shée is fallen and that chieflie in the credit of her doctrinâ— Forâ— besides so manie states of Christendome and Princes that by publike authoritie haue receiued the Gospell and vtterlie abolished all Babilonicall doctrine euen in the middest of her bloudie tyrannie and persecution greate multitudes
gréene colour betokening those faithfull persons which of Christian compassion hath dolorouslie lamented the fall of their bretheren Of this godlie nature was Steuen which praied for them that stoned him to death So was afore his time Samuel which mourned for Saule when he saw him cast out of the Lords fauour Bale vpon the Apoc. fol. 100. Berillus the Bishop of a Towne in Arabia named Bustra taught that Christ neither was before his carnall natiuitie nor had anie proper diuinitie but onelie the Deitie of God the father dwelling in him whom Origen confounded and brought againe to the vnitie of the Church Eusebius li. 6. Chap. 32. BEAST Of the beast that came out of the bottomlesse pitte THe Beast that came out of yâ— bottomlesse pit shal make war ¶ This Beast that is to saie Antichrist is said to come out of the bottomlesse pit because that being ingendred of the Diuell and starting out of the innermost dungeon of hell hee is mounted vp so hie in pride that like as the Giaunts went about in old time to driue their Iupiter out of heauen as the Fables report euen so séemeth he to be desirous to thrust Christ the King of all Kings from his Kingdome following the footesteps of his father Satan who hath bene a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 154. Of the beast that rose out of the Sea I sawe a Beast rise out of the Sea hauing 7. heads c. ¶ By the 7. heads he meaneth Rome because it was first gouerned by seauen Kings or Emperours after Nero and also is compassed about with seauen Mountaines Geneua ¶ This Beast is the Kingdome of Rome The Cat of the mountaine is the errours and blasphemous vices of the whole world gotten in battell The Beares feete Tyrannie The mouth of the Lion is spoilefull and gréedie to deuoure wounded by insurrections and ciuill warre vntill Dominion and gouernaunce came in one mans hande This other Beast that commeth out of the earth is the pompe of the Romish Bishop He pretendeth to be a Lambe This is the second Kingdome of Rome S. I. Cheeke How the number of the beast noteth the Popes comming Count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man ¶ Number of a man that is such as maie be vnderstood by mans reason For about 666. yeares after this Reuelation the Pope or Antichrist beganne to bée manifest in the world for these Charâ—cters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signfie 666. and this number is gathered of the small number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the whole make 666. and signifieth Latinus or Latin which noteth the Pope or Antichrist who vseth in all things the Latin tongue and in respect thereof he contemneth the Hebrue and Greeke wherein the word of God was first and best written and because Italy in olde time was called Latinum the Italians are called Latini so that héereby he noteth of what Countrey chieflie he should comeâ— Geneua Of the beast the woman sate on I sawe a woman sit vpon a Scarlet coloured Beast c. ¶ The Beast signifieth the auncient Rome The Woman that sitteth thereon newe Rome which is the Papistrie whose crueltie and bloudshedding is declared by Scarlet Geneua ¶ Looke Woman Of the miraculous comming of the beasts into the Arke of Noe. When Noe with his wife and thrée sonnes with their wiues entred into the Arke sodeinlie there came together to him beasts of all kinds not brought thether by man but euen by the miracle of God Neither did Noe take them but suffered them as they came to enter neither came anie moe of vncleane beasts then two a male and a female And of cleane beastes 7. foure Males and thrée females of which one male was reserued for Sacrifice after the floud the residue were kept for generation Lanquet ¶ God compelled them to present themselues to Noe as they did before to Adam Gen. 2. 19. when he gaue them names Geneua Of the beast called Booz The propertie of this Beast is when he is pursued with hunters and hounds not to defend himselfe with his hornes but hauing a long bagge hanging downe vnder his chinne wherein is gathered much water he defendeth himselfe therewith For in his running and chasing the water in the bag then wareth so scalding hot that when he casteth it vpon the houndes that followe him it scaldeth and burneth them so sore that they are forced to giue ouer their suite Policro li. â— fol. 26. Of foure sorts of beasts Whatsoeuer parteth the hoofe c. He noteth foure sorts of Beasts Some chewe the Cud onelie and some onelie haue the foote clouen Other neither chewe the Cud nor haue the foote clouen The fourth both chewe the Cud haue the hoofe clouen The last maie be eaten Geneua BETHEL Of the scituation of Bethel BEthel is a place famous both for praise and dispraise viiâ— miles from Hierusalem on the right hand as one iourneith from Hierusalem to Sichar or Naples because of the golden Calfe which king leroboam set vp 3. Reg. 12. 29. The Iewes of contempt called it Bethauen that is the house of an Idoll whereas Iacob gaue it the name of the house of God Gen. 28. 17. How Bethel is both the name of a citie and of a mount That goeth out from Bethel to Luz ¶ Luz is thought to bée a citie at the end of mount Bethel which is also named Bethel Gen. 28. 19. And so Bethel is both the name of a Citie and of a mount The Bible note How Bethel and Bethauen are not both one Which is beside Bethauen on the East side of Bethel ¶ Héere it appeareth that Bethel and Bethauen were two places not both one Although Bethel were after turned into Bethauen when the right seruice of God was turned into luore and to Idolatrie 1. Reg. 13. 6. Ose. 5. 8. Bethel that before was called the house of God after that Ieroboams calues were set vp in it was called Bethauen that is to saie a house vnprofitable and the house of an Idoll Hierom. in Ose. li. 1. Cap. 4 How Bethel is taken in this place following And came vp to Bethel ¶ Bethel inâ— this place is not the name of a citie but is taken for the house of God and signifieth a place where the Arke of the couenant remained Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 269. Of two Bethels The same is Bethel ¶ Which was in the Tribe of Ephra iâ— an other Bethel was in the Tribe of Beniamin Geneua Of the finding of Iacob in Bethel He found him in Bethel and there he spake with vs. ¶ He found Iacob as he laie sléeping in Bethel Gen. 28. 12. and spake with him there that the fruit of that speach apperteined to the whole bodie of the people whereof we are Geneua Of the peoples worshipping at Bethel and other places Come
there was an other booke opened which is the Booke of life ¶ This is the booke wherein the chosen are reported to be written before the beginning of the world by reason of the certaintie of their Predestination whereof thou readest thus either forgiue them this offence or if thou wilt not doe it wipe out of the booke of life which thou hast written Exodus 32. 32. Also be glad for your names are written in heauen Luk. 10. 20 Also whose name are in the booke of life Phil. 4. 3. Moreouer it is a similitude borrowed of the custome of men who in taking musters are wont to write the choicer sort and to call them by name So is God said to take view of his seruaunts by name and to call them by name Exo. 33. 12. and Iohn 10. 3. Mar. vpon the Apoc. fol. 281. ¶ After this was an other booke opened of a farre diuerse nature from the other bookes for it was the swéete booke of life wherein were registred all that were predestinate to be saued from the worlds beginning And this booke is the eternall predestination of God Bale Who be written or wiped out of the booke of life And I will not wipe him out of the booke of life ¶ To bée wiped out of the booke of life is as much as not to be reckoned among the liuing blessed and happie sort For the booke of life is nothing els but the register of the righteous which are fore ordeined to life according as Moses saith Exo. 32. 32. And as it is written in Psal. 69. 27. and in Dan. 12. 2. This regester saith Gasper Megander doth God reserue in his owne kéeping And therefore it is nothing els but his eternall dteermination fore purposed in his brest In like manner Dauid saith let them be wiped out of the booke of the liuing Psal. 69. 27. that is to saie let them not be reckoned among Gods chosen whom he allotteth to the possession of his church and kingdome In this booke of life that is to saie in this election or choice determination purpose knowledge or predestination of God there is not registred ante misbeléeuing Turke anie wicked Iewe anie vnâ—epentant noughtie packe nor anie stubborne hypocrite vnlesse they turne to the Lord acknowledge Christ the onelie sonne of God For none be written in it but such as beléeue aright in Christ. And that we maie read this booke we need not to climbe vp into heauen with the worldlie wise men to search out Gods secrets but must come to the plaine Shepheard to the Dxe â—all where Christ laie Luke 2. 16. We must looke vpon Christ who is become man and was crucified and put to death for vs and if we finde our selues in Christ then doe we reade our name written in the booke of life For he that beléeueth in the sonne of God hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. 36. And he shall not come to damnation but is passed from death to life Iohn 5. 24. And in this place Christs meaning is that he which ouercommeth not but like a weakling and coward shrinketh in this incounter by consenting to wicked errour shall be cast awaie with shame haue his name striken out of the booke of life Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 59. And the Bookes were opened◠¶ These bookes séeme to be the consciences of all men be they good or bad which shall be then laied open according as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 4â—5 by reason that Christ shall bring all the things to light which were couered before Other some take these bookes to be the olde and newe Testaments that forasmuch as there is shewed in them what God had commanded it shuld appeare also by them what euerie man had done or not done But the first exposition is the truer Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 280. Of what credit the bookes of Machabees be in the scripture Saint Austen receiued it for Canonicall But first of what sure credite did he receiue it The Iewes saith he estéeme not the writings of the Machabees as they doe the Lawe the Prophets and the Psalmes of which the Lord himselfe hath witnessed as of his witnesses saieng It was necessarie that all things should be fulfilled that are writen in the Lawe and the Psalmes and Prophets concerning me But it hath bene receiued of the Church not vnprofitablie if it be sobâ—rlie read or heard And Hierome teacheth without anie doubting that the Authoritie thereof is of no force to the prouing of Doctrines And it euidentlie appeareth by that olde booke which is intituled vnder the name of Cipriane concerning the exposition of the Crede that it had no place at all in the olde Church But why do I héere striue without cause as though the Authour himselfe did not sufficientlie shewe how much he is to be credited when in the ende he craueth pardon if he haue spoken anie thing not well Truelie he that confesseth his writing to néede pardon saith plainlie that they are not the Oracles of the Holie Ghost Beside all that the godlinesse of Iudas is praised for none other cause but for that he had an assured hope of the last resurrection when he sent an offering for the dead to Hierusalem Neither doth the writer of that historie referre that which Iudas did to be a price of redemption but that they might be partakers of the eternall life with the other faithfull that had died for their Countrey and Religion This doing was indéed not without superstition and preposterous zeale but they are more then fooles that drawe a Sacrifice of the Lawe so farre as vnto vs forasmuch as we knowe that things doe cease by the comming of Christ that then were in vse Caluine in his institutions 3. li. chap. 5. Sect. 8. Of certeine bookes of holie scripture lost Whereof it shall be spoken in the booke of the Battailes of the Lord. ¶ Which séemeth to be the Booke of the Iudges or as some thinke a Booke which is lost Geneua Is it not written in the booke of Iasher ¶ Some read in the booke of the righteous meaning Moses The Chaldes text readeth in the Booke of the Lawe but it is like that it was a booke thus named which is now lost Geneua In the Booke of Nathan the Prophet in the Booke of Gad ¶ The Booke of Nathan the Prophet and the Booke of Gad are thought to haue bene lost in the Captiuitie Geneua Written in the Booke of Chronicles of the Kings of Iuda ¶ Which Bookes are called the Bookes of Semeia and Iddo the Prophets 2. Par. 12. 15. Geneua Of the booke of the Lawe found I haue found the Booke of the Law of the Lord. ¶ This was the copie that Moses left them as appeareth 2. Par. 34â— 14. which either by the negligence of the Priests had bene lost or els by the wickednesse of idolatrous Kings had bene abolished Geneua BORDERS Wherefore
no robberie to bée equall with God neuerthelesse he made himselfe of no reputation taking on him the shape of a seruant and was found in his apparel as a man c. Héere we sée that forasmuch as he was in the shape of God he was equall with God and inasmuch as he was in the shape of man he was lesse then the father for he made himself of no reputation Thus ye doe sée the sentence they bring foorth is verie true and yet maketh nothing for that purpose they alleadge it But if they list to cauill about this word shape or likenesse of God therefore he was not God for it is one thing to be in the shape and likenesse of GOD and another to bée GOD. To that I aunswere that as he saith he was in the shape of GOD so he saith also that he tooke on him the shape of a seruant and was found as a man And if they will prooue him heereby not to bée God so on the other side I will proue him not to be man because he tooke on him the shape of a seruant and was found as a man and the one is euen as true as the other which if it shuld bée graunted the whole work of our saluation should be of none effect Thus do you sée of what force this argument of theirs is Obiection Christ saith all power is giuen vnto me in heauen earth And againe the Father loueth the sonne hath giuen al things into his hand Thus sée we the Father giueth and the sonne receiueth and greater is he that giueth then he that receiueth wherefore it cannot be that he should be equall and all one God with the Father Aunswere This obiection maie be answered like as the other the Christ was equall with his Father as touching his diuinitie lesse then the Father as concerning his humanitie In the which humanitie he receiued all things of his Father but as touching his diuinitie he created and made all thinges and giueth the selfe same gifts to men that the Father giueth For Saint Iohn saith the world was made by him and as manie as receiued him to them gaue he power to bée the sonnes of God Thus sée we the Scripture which they alleadge serueth nothing for their purpose Obiection S. Paule 1. Cor. 15. 25. saith Then commeth the end when Christ hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God the Father whē he hath put downe all rule all authoritie and power For hée must reigne vntill he put all his enimies vnder his feet For as much then as Christ shall deliuer vp his kingdome to God the Father and shall reigne vntill he put all his enimies vnder his feete néeds it must be graunted that his kingdome shall haue an end whereby it is euident that he is not God Aunswere The kingdome of Christ doth consist in conquering our auncient enimie the diuell vnder whom we were a long time in bondage in that he should die to redeeme the people and so together in one and so to ascend vp on high and to leade awaie captiuitie captiue to sit on the right hand of God to make intercession for vs and last of all to sit in iudgement on all flesh whereof part is alreadie done and the other part is a dooing part to be done For first y◠redemption of man is alreadie done and wrought by his death and passion Againe euen vnto this daie he fighteth in his members against Satan the enimie of God and reigneth as a king in the heartes of them that be his beside this he continuallie maketh intercession for vs. And the last daie he shall as a righteous Iudge reward them that be his with eternall lyfe but the vngodlie with death euerlasting All the which béeing done this kingdome of his shall cease For he shall deliuer it vp vnto his Father so haue an end For it shal be no longer néedfull forasmuch as the saluation of man shall there vs altogether finished and made perfect But doth it nowe followe that although this kingdome of his shall haue an end that then he shall cease to reigne and haue no kingdome By the selfe same reason maie it bée proned that God the Father was without a kingdome all the while y◠this kingdōe of Christ hath continued for Christ saith All power is giuen me of my Father Héere ye sée that the Father gaue all power and authoritie vnto Christ Ergo the Father was without power and authoritie for the time that Christ had it The which I am well assured that no man that is in his right minde will bée content to graunt And beside all this we haue the plaine testimonie of Scripture that the kingdome of Christ is euerlasting For the Angell said Of his Kingdome there shall bée no ende Thus if the Scripture be well weied it maketh nothing at all for their purpose What Christ hath done for vs. Christ is the Sauiour of the world Iohn 4. 42. Christ is the Sauiour Luke 2. 11. Christ died for vs. Rom. 5. 6. Christ died for our sins Rom. 4. 25. Christ bought vs with his bloud 1. Pe. 1. 17. Christ washt vs with his bloud Apo. 1. 5. Christ offered himselfe for vs. Gal. 1. 4. Christ bare our sinnes vpon his back Esay 53. 11. Christ came into the world to saue sinners 1. Tim. 1. 15. Christ came into this world to take awaie our sins 1. Iohn 3. 5. Christ was the price that was giuen for vs and our sins 1. Timo. 2. 6. Christ hath paied our debt for he died for vs. Coll. 2. 14. Christ is our sanctification 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ is our redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ is our peace Coll. 2. verse 14. Christ hath pacified the Father of heauen for vs. Rom. 5. 1. Christ is ours and all his 1. Cor. 3. 22. Christ hath deliuered vs from the lawe from the diuel and from hell Coll. 2. 14 The Father of heauen hath forgiuen vs our sinnes for Christs sake or anie other like the same which declare vnto vs the mercie of God ◠Iohn 1. 7. In the booke of Mar. fol. 1110 CHRISTIAN The definition of a Christian. SEE that will expresse the name of a Christian must bée such a man as excelleth through the knowledge of Christ and his doctrine in modestie righteousnesse of minde in constancie of life in vertuous fortitude and in confessing of sincere pietie toward the one and the onely vniuersall God Eusebius fol. 8 The right Christen man consenteth to the lawe that it is righteous and iustifieth God in the lawe For he affirmeth that God is righteous and iust which is the author of the law He beléeueth the promises of God and iustifieth God iudgeing him true and beleeuing that he will fulfill his promises With the lawe he condemneth himselfe and all his déedes and giueth all the praise to God He beléeueth the promises and ascribeth all truth vnto God thus euerie where
sanctifie their spirits which doth set their trust onlie in the redemption promised theÌ„ in Christs blessed bloud this church by Christ is made without spot or wrinkle D. Barnes fol. 313. The Church saith Lyra doth not stand by reason of spirituall power or secular dignitie for many Princes many Popes other inferiour persons haue swarued from the faith wherfore the church doth stand in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and confession of faith and veritie Lyra in Math. Chap. The holie church are we saith Augustine but I do not say are we as who should say we that be héere alonelie that heare me now but as manie as bee héere faithfull christen men in this church the is to say in this citie as manie as be in this regigion as many as be beyonde the sea as manie as be in all the whole world for from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same is the name of God praised So is the church our mother August sermo 99. de tempore Saint Paule calleth the church the spouse of Christ for that she ought in all things to giue eare to the voice of the Bridegrome Likewise he calleth the church the piller of the truth for that that she â—aieth hir selfe onlie by the word of God without which word the church were it neuer so beautifull should bée nâ— church The holie church is all they that haue bene and that nowe are and alwaies to the end of the world shall bée a people the which shall endeuour them to know to kéepe the commandements of God dreading ouer all things to offend God and louing and séeking most to please him c. Booke of Mar. 632. The church saith Lambart I doe take for to be all those that GOD hath chosen or predestinate to be inheritours of eternall blisse and saluation whether they be temporall or spirituall king or subiect bishop or deacoâ— father or childe Grecian or Romaine c. Booke of Mar. fol. 1276. Of whom the Church began When Adam and Eue his wife had taken comfort of Gods promises which was that Christ should come of the womans séede to redeeme the world from sinne death and hell then they beléeuing the same stedfastlie in their heartes were the beginning of the true Church Lanquet Whie the Church is holie and Catholike On this consideration saith Saint Austen the Church is holy and Catholike not because it dependeth on Rome or anie other place nor of anie multitude obedient to Rome both which are donatistical but Quia recte credit in Deum because it beléeueth rightly in God I. Bridges fol. 543. The Fathers began to call this true and right teaching the Church of Christ the catholike Church which is as much to saie as vniuersall Augustine to his cosin Seuerinus This is saith he the catholike Church wherevpon it is also called Catholice in Gréeke because it is spred throughout al the world Isichius vpon Leuiticus For the vniuersal Church saith he is Hierusalem the citie of the liuing God which conteineth the Church of the first begotten written in heauen And Gelasius vnto Anastatius the Emperour The same is called saith he the Catholike Church which is by a pure cleane and vndefiled fellowship sequestred from all the vnfaithfull and their successours and companions otherwise there should not be a difference giuen of God but a miserable mingle mangle c. Musculus fol. 258. Cipriane the Bishop and Martyr in his booke De simplicitate Clericorum saith The Church is one which is spread further and further abrode by fertile increase euen as there are manie heames of the Sunne and but one light and manie boughes of a tree yet but one Oke grounded vpon a stedfast roote And where as manie brookes issue out of one spring though the number séeme to be increased by the abundaunce of store yet it is but one at the head Plucke a beame of the Sun from the Gloabe that one once separated is voide of light Breake a bough from the Tree it can bring foorth no fruite Cutte a Brooke from the Springe and béeing cutte of it drieth vp Guen so the Church lightened with Gods light which is spread euerie where neither is the vnitie of the bodie seperated she extendeth hot braunches with plenteous increase throughout all the earth she sendeth out her plentifull riuers all abrode Yet is there but one head and one spring and one mother plentifull with fertile successâ—â— c. Bullinger fol. 841. How the Church is made cleane by Christ. If the feare of God haue deliuered you then are yée trulie deliuered You are washed you are sanctified you are iustified in the name of Iesus Christ and in the spirit of God Of Christ is the Church made faire first she was filthie in sinnes afterward by pardon and grace was she made faire D. Barnes 253. How the Church hath spots and wrinkles in her The whole Church praieth Lorde forgiue vs our sinnes wherefore she hath spottes and wrinkles but by knowing of them her wrinkles are stretched out knowledging her spots be washed awaie The Church continueth in praier that shée might be cleansed by knowledging of her sinnes and as long as we héere liue so standeth it And when euerie man departeth out of this bodie all such sinnes are forgiuen him which ought to be forgiuen him For they be forgiuen by dailie praier and he goeth hence cleansed And the Church of God is laide vp in the treasure of God for golde and by this meanes the Church of God is the treasure of our Lord without spotte or wrinkle Sequitur Let vs praie that God maie forgiue vs and that we maie forgiue our debters séeing it is said And it shall be forgiuen vnto you Wee saie this dailie and dailye we doe this and this thing is done dailie in vs. We are not héere without sinne but we shall depart without sinne D. B. fol. 254. How it is said aright that the Church cannot erre The Church is the pillor and foundation of the truth how then can it erre Wée aunswere brieflie saith Musculus wée doe knowe right well that the Church is the onelie and welbeloued spouse of Christ the kingdome of heauen the it is ruled by the masterie and leading of the holie spirit and that wée bée alwaies taught by his anoninting and that it is the piller and foundation of the truth But these saiengs do perteine not vnto all particuler Churches but vnto that onelie vpright and catholike church which is the communion of the Saints and elect throughout all the worlde which doth beléeue in Christ their Lord and spouse in all ages And touching this ther is no variaunce there is none of vs that saie that the catholike church hath erred in the faith of Christ. For how can it erre when it followeth Christ and walketh not in darknesse but hath the light of
stirred him to beléeue that it was no vaine doctrine but that it must néeds be of God in the it had such power with it For it happeneth that they which will not heare the word at beginning are afterward moued by the holie conuersation of them the beléeue c. Read 1. Pet. 3. 1. 1. Cor. 16. Tin How the church is our Mother Christ is our Father as the Church his sponse is our Mother As all men naturallie haue Adam for their father Eue for their mother so all spirituall men haue Christ for their Father and the church for their mother And as Eue was taken out of Adams side so was the church taken out of Christs side whereout flowed bloud for the satisfaction and purging of our sinnes D. Harpsfield in the booke of Mar. fol. 1791. He shall not haue God to be his Father which acknowledgeth not the church to be his Mother Moreouer without the church saith Saint Austen be the life neuer so well spent it shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen ¶ This is not ment of the Popish Church but of the holie catholike or vniuersall Church which is the communion of Saints the house of God the citie of God the spouse of Christ the piller and staie of the truth out of this Church there is no saluation indeede N. Ridley How the Church is visible The Church is none otherwise visible then Christ was héere on earth that is by no exteriour pompe or showeâ— that setteth hir foorth commonlie and therfore to see hir we must put on such eies as good men put on to see Christ when he walked heere on earth for as Eua was of the same substaunce that Adam was of so was the Church of the same substaunce that Christ was of flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone as Paule saith Ephe. 5. 30. Looke therfore how Christ was visiblie known to be Christ when he was héere on earth that is by considering him after the word of God so is the Church knowen Bradford Markes whereby the Church is knowen The Church saith the Papists hath thrée markes vnitie antiquitie and consent These thrée saith the Aunswere maie be as well in the euill as in the good as well in sinne as in vertue as well in the Diuells church as in Gods Church As for example Idolatrie among the Israelites had all these thrée Chrisostome telleth plainlie that the Church is well knowen tantummodo per Scripturas alonelie by the Scriptures Bradford Master Caluine saith This honour is méete to be giuen to the word of God and to his Sacrraments that wheresoeuer we see the word of God trulie preached and God according to the same trulie worshipped and the Sacraments without superstion administred there we maie without all controuersie conclude the Church of God to be And a little after So much we must estéeme the word of God and his Sacraments that whersouer we may finde them to be there we certainelie know the Church of God to be although in the common life of men manie faults and errours be found Whitegift fol. 81. Of the Church of Antichrist the Pope The tyrannie of the Popes Church sheweth them not to be Christs Church The Church saith S. Hylarie doth threaten with vanishments and imprâ—onments and the compelleth men to beleeue hir which was exiâ—ed and cast into prison She hangeth on the dignitie of their fellowship the which was consecrated by the threatnings of persecutors she causeth priests to flée that was increased by the chasing away of Priests Shée glorieth that she is loued of the world the which could neuer be Christs except the world did hate hir To proue that the spirituall aâ—aiâ— and gorgeous apparrell that is vsed in the Popes Church doth not make the Church S. Barnard saith thus They be the Ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist They go gorgeouslie araied of our Lords goods vnto whom they giue no honour And of these commeth the decking of harlots that thou seest dailie the game-plaiers disguisings and kings apparrell Of this commeth golde in their bridles in their saddles and in their spurres so that their spurres be brighter theÌ„ the Altars Of this commeth their plenteous wine presses and their full sellers belking from this vnto that Of this commeth their Tonnes of sweete wines Of this bée their bagges so filled For such things as these be wil they be rulers of the Church as Deacons Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops c. D. Barnes fol. 2 6. Obiection Hath God saith the Papists forsaken his Church a thousand yeares and were all our fathers deceiued before Luther was borne such antiquitie vnitie and vniuersalitie was it al in errour c. Aunswere Was the world deceiued so manie hundred yeares Whie should it not The Lord ordeined that there should come an apostacie and generall fall from the saith of Christ that the world might be seduced with the man of sin whose age began in the Apostles time and shall not vtterlie die till the daie of Christ. Thus the Lord appointed and so let it be for all things are for his glorie Deering Of the vniuersall Church ¶ Looke Vniuersall CIRCVMCISION What circumcision doth represent CIrcumcission representeth the promises of God to Abraham on the one side and that Abraham and his séede should circumcise and cut of the lusts of their flesh on the other side to walke in the waies of the Lord. Tindale fo 6. There be two Circumcisions the one outward made in the flesh by mens hands cutting awaie a round péece of the skinne of the secret members And this Circumcision was not necessarie to saluation after the Gospell was openlie preached after Christs passion but was abrogated and left as indifferent and not necessarie to saluation The other Circumcision was the inward Circumcision by yâ— spirit of God by yâ— which yâ— who le bodie is mortified put away cléerelie by the spirit by faith in Christ. And this Circumcision is necessarie to saluation L. Ridley Circumcision is nothing of it self it signifieth yâ— blessed séede in which al nations are blessed And it signifieth yâ— circumcision of the hart which consisteth in yâ— spirit not in yâ— flesh D. Heynes The Nazares did contend no Nation to appertaine to the Church of God vnlesse they were circumcised Paule Barnabas said that all as well Gentiles as Iewes if they beléeue in Christ should be saued without circumcision D. Heynes Circumcision was the holie action whereby the flesh of the fore-skinne was cut awaie for a signe of the couenaunt that God made with men Or to describe it more largelie Circumcision was a marke in the priuie members of men betokening the eternall Couenaunt of God and was ordeined by God himselfe to testifie his good will towards them that were circumcised to warne them of regeneration and cleannesse and to make difference betwixt the confederates of God and other people or nations Bullinger fol. 355. What
the Gentiles are counted as dead men in comparison of the Iewes And afterward where he saith All that are in graues shall heare the voice of the Sonne of man c. He meaneth the generall resurrection which shall be in the last daie Tindale ¶ The Dead shall heare c. ¶ And who be those Dead Surelie no man can bée exempted for where at beginning God to make his doctrine auaileable in vs euen at the drawing of vs out of the spirituall death wherein we were all held for till such time as God enlighteneth vs by his word wée bée blinde till he open our eares we be deafe till he giue vs faith we haue neither soule nor heart True it is that we maie well séeme to haue some outward shewe of life The vnbeléeuers doeate and drinke as well as the faithfull againe they can goe about their businesse yea and oftentimes there séemes to be great vertue in them but all that is nothing because that in as much as they be strangers from God all that is in them is but death and vtter confusion God then must be faine to drawe vs out of death vnto himselfe as the point wherat he must begin to make his word auaileable in vs c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 447. How the Dead praise not God The Dead praise not thée O Lord. ¶ It is not ment that they doe not praise him in their minde but is ment they cannot tell his praise to other Caluine ¶ The Dead praiseth not God for the benefits poured dailie vpon the earth for them as they that be aliue do or ought to doe The Bible note ¶ Though the dead set foorth Gods glorie yet he meaneth héere that they praise him not in his Church and Congregation Geneua How this place following is vnderstood Let the dead burie the dead ¶ That is Let Infidells alone with their infidelitie and followe thou me that is beleeue thou in me and goe preach the Kingdome of God Tindale ¶ We maie not followe that which séemeth best to vs but onelie Gods calling And héere by Dead he meaneth those that are vnprofitable to serue God Geneua To doe good to them that be dead what is meant thereby Doe good euen to them that be dead ¶ To do good to them that be dead is to burie their bodies with honour against the daie of resurrection as did Abraham and Ioseph c. To deale faithfullie and trulie with their children committed to thy charge as did Dauid with the children of his friend Ionathan The Bible note Of the dead Israelites O Lord God almightie the God of Israel heare now the praiers of the dead Israelites ¶ Ye must vnderstand that Baruch in his praiers speaketh not of them that wer dead with bodilie death but of the wicked which liuing vnto the world were dead vnto God which figuratiue manner of speaking is oftentimes vsed in the Scripture For in the Gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ he saith Suffer the dead to burie the dead as if he should saie let the worldlings that be dâ—ad vnto God and good workes burie them that be departed out of this life for that is an office most méet for them but do thou the things that be for the liuing The like phrase or manner of speaking doth the holie Apostle vse when he saith A widdow liuing in deliciousnesse though she be aliue yet she is dead Besides this Baruch by such kinde of words doth set forth the miserable estate of the Children of Israel which were euen as dead men are in the world because of their captiuitie and thraldome straight bondage or slauerie that they were in which was vnto them as a graue or pit that the dead be buried in This is the true vnderstanding of Baruch in this place How this place following is vnderstood How shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein ¶ They are said of Paule to be dead to sinne which are in such sorte made pertakers of the vertue of Christ that the naturall corruption is dead in them that is the force of it is put out and it bringeth not foorth his bitter fruits and on the other side they are said to liue to sinne which are in the flesh that is whom the spirite of God hath not deliuered from the stauerie of the corruption of nature Beza Against the custome of giuing the Lords supper and Baptime ouer the Dead It hath bene also decréed and determinded that the Sacrament of thankes-giuing should not be ministred vnto the dead bodies for it is said of the Lorde Take and eate but the dead corpses canne neither take nor eate we must beware that our weake bretheren doe not beléeue that that it is lawfull to baptise ouer the dead vnto whom it is not lawfull to minister the Sacrament of thanks-giuing ¶ This doth sufficientlie declare that both S. Austen all other fathers ought to be vnderstood when they speak of the praiers for the dead of the sacrifice that is offred for them for they are not of opinion that their praiers oblations could help the soules departed out of Purgatorie which began in Austens time to be onlie in question he himselfe daring affirme nothing touching the same I. Veron Whether the dead knowe what we do in this life As concerning that Iob saith that the men which is departed knoweth not what is done héere below nor whether his ofspring be poore or rich it is not to ground an Article of our faith vpon that such as be gone out of this world knoweth not what our state is For Iob spake as a man encombred Therfore we must not take héere anie certaintie of doctrine neither is it greatly for vs to enquire of such matters And why Let it suffice vs that God hath set vs in this world to coÌ„municate one with another euory man ought to employ himselfe vpon his neighbours God hath giuen me such a gift or abilitie and therfore I must applie my selfe yâ— waie Againe one of vs maie praie for another but when he hath taken vs out of this world the said communicating is taken awaie from vs there is no communicating as there was before Neither must we do as the Papists doe who are woont to runne to the deceased Saints as though they had not yet finished their course Now forasmuch as the Scripture teacheth vs not what we ought to doe in this behalfe lette vs leaue that thing in doubt and in suspense whereof we haue no certaine resolution by the word of God For singlenesse of minde is also a thing wherein it behooueth vs to walke c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 265 DECEIPT ¶ Looke Guile DEEDES ¶ Looke Workes DEAFE MAN By whose faith this deafe man was healed ANd they brought vnto him one that was deafe and had an impediment in his speach and they praied him to putte his hand vpon him ¶ It séemeth by this mans
because through his manifest temptations he maketh men sin by which death raigneth c. Deering Of euerlasting death He shall neuer sée death ¶ What els is the meaning of this which Christ saith he shall neuer sée death but because he sawe another death from yâ— which he came to deliuer vs. That is to saiâ— the second death euerlasting death death of hell fire the death of damnation with the Diuell and his Angells that is death indeede Therfore neuer to see death is nothing els but to haue euerlasting life So that we maie note and learne héere that faith is the waie to immortalitie and that Christians doe trulie liue and neuer die although in this world they bee more like to dead men then to liuing men to die in bodie by other men For the saieng of Christ héere is most true to the which also agreeth this place Euerie one which liueth and beleeuth in me shall neuer die Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 329. How this place following is vnderstood Some there be standing heere shall not tast of death til they shall sée the Sonne of man come in his kingdome ¶ The same is to be vnderstood of his glorious transfiguration as if he should saie there are some standing among you which shall not die till they haue seene me in the same glorie and maiestie that I shall come in at the last daie of Iudgement Sir I. Cheeke This was fulfilled in his Resurrection and was as an entrie into his kingdome and was also confirmed by sending the Holie Ghost whereby he wrought so great and sundrie miracles The meaning of this place following In death there is no remembraunce of thée ¶ His meaning is that if he shall by Gods grace be deliuered from death he wil be thankfull and mindfull of it And he bewaileth that this power shall be â—erefte him if he should be taken out of this world because he should be no more conuersant among men so set out the praise of God But héerevpon doe some wrongly vnskilfullie gather that the dend are void of all sense and that ther remaineth no perseuerance at all in them wheras in this place he intreateth of nothing els but of the mutuall praising of Gods grace wherein men exercise themselues while they be aliue For we knowe wée are placed on this earth to this purpose thâ—â— wee shoulde with one consent and one mouth praise GOD which thing is the ende for which wée liue Now â—hen although that death make an ende of such praisings yet doth it not followe that the faithfull soules which are loosened from their bodies are bereft of vnderstanding or touched with no affection to God ward Caluine vpon the 6. Psal. ¶ He lamenteth that occasion should be taken from him to praise God in the Congregation Geneua In what respect the children of God maie wish death O that God would begin to smite me that he would lette his hand goe and take me awaie ¶ True it is that Gods children maie well wish death howbeit to another ende and for another respect then Iob doth héere like as all of vs must with S. Paule desire to be let loose from the bondage of sinne wherein we be helde prisoners Saint Paule is not mooued there with anie temptation of his flesh but rather the desire that he hath to imploie himselfe in Gods seruice without let seemeth him to wish that he might passe out of the prison of his bodie Why so For so long as we be in this worlde we must be wrapped in manie miseries and we cease not to offend God being so weak as we be S. Paule is then sorie that he must liue so long in offending God and this kinde of desire is good and holie and procéedeth of the holie Ghost Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 108. Of foure manner of deaths Beside the mortall and eternall death bée other two the spirituall death and the temporall death which be not so well knowen nor so soone espied of the simple as the naturall and eternall death is The spirituall death is when the bodie is yet liuing the soule is dead as the Apostles proueth by the widdowes that liue at pleasure béeing aliue in bodie and yet dead in soule The temporall death is when the affections lusts of the bodie are so killed that the spirit maie liue wherof the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. exhorting vs to mortifie our earthlie members to kill all the strength of our corrupt nature that striue against the spirite For by obaieng our lustes at the first came death into the world as it appeareth by Eue when she eate of the forbidden fruit M. Luther How death is not to be feared Example of a Panim I finde that a learned Panim wrote that we should neither care for life by it selfe nor yet for death by it selfe Hée saith that we should care to liue well and to die well and let life and death passe without care for life is not good but to liue well is good If Panims haue this right consideration of life and death what shame is it for Christen men to care for death Seeing Christ whose wordes cannot but be true so vehementlie forbiddeth vs the same that Panims sawe by reason to be done c. Lupset DEBT How debtes ought to be required and how not ESaie the Prophet seemeth to account it in the Iewes a great fault to aske their debt saieng Et Omnes debitores repetitis Ye chalenge and charge all your debters ye call all debts back againe Whie is it not lawfull for a good christen man to cal for his debts Yea and if neede so require to sue for them by the lawe God forbid else otherwise there could no good order no pollicie no ciuilitie nor Common wealth endure If buyeng and selling keeping of contracts couenants were not lawfull then all things should be common then we should liue like lawlesse beasts wée needed no king no maigistrate But yée must vnderstand that in a case charitie will not suffer right to call for her debt The case shall bée this My brother my neighbour is burnt with fire is lamed of his limmes is robbed of his sight at one word is so oppressed with pouertie that he is not able to paie In this case charitie will commaunde iustice to giue place and not to aske her debt but rather to giue more of their owne The Iewes were so hard hearted that they spared not forgaue no debters were they neuer so poore nor so pitifull And therefore Esaie layeth it to their charge saieng Omnes debitores vestros repetitis Ye cal vpon al your debters as wel them that be in extreame néede and vnable to paie as they that be wealthie and able inough to paie Beside this the Iewes had a certeine ciuill lawe giuen vnto them by God vnto the which we now are not bound The lawe was this Euerie seauenth yeare thou shalt kéepe a frée yeare
and meaning of the text séemeth to be this that whatsoeâ—er graces God doth poure vpon vs they doe also spring from this Well For whatsoeuer we doe receiue of Christ he doth not onelie giue it vnto vs as GOD but also the Father hath so giuen all things into the handes of Christ that whatsoeuer we receiue from GOD they come to vs by Christ as by a conduct Pipe They iudge therefore rightlie which saie that we are watered by the graces powred vpon Christ. This was the anointing with the which he was anointed and that he might anoint vs all with him wherevpon he is called Christ that is to saie anointed and we Christians that is to saie anointed by him c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 24. ¶ Looke on the next Leafe before GRAFFING How we are graffed in Christ and also cut off THere be thrée kinds of graffing in and two manners of cutting off First the children of the faythfull vnto whome by the vertue of the couenaunt that is made with the Fathers the promise doth perteine are graffed in Secondlye they are graffed in that receiue the séede of the Gospel but before it can bring forth anie fruite it is choked in them Thirdlie they bée graffed in that by the vnchangeable purpose or decrée of God are ordeined and chosen to lyfe euerlasting Now the first are cutte off when they doe vnfaithfullie refuse the promise that is made vnto their Fathers or els will not of a certeine malicious minde receiue it The second are cut off when the séede is choked in them I. Veron GRIEFE What greife is and how it is defined GRiefe as saith Cicero in his Tusculane questions is a disease which vexeth the minde and it is taken by reason of the euill which séemeth to be alreadie at hande and to bée present For yâ— disease which is taken for an euil which is come is not called griefe but feare If a man demand from wheÌ„ce this griefe springeth I answere from loue For when it goeth euill with them to whom we would good we begin to be grieued But if vnto them whom we care not for or who are not déere vnto vs there happen anie misfortune that is not customablye grieuesome vnto vs. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 237. GREEKES Of whome the Greeks came OF Iauan the sonne of Iaphet sprang the Greekes which is a part of Europe Lanquet Whie the Title was written in Greeke Latin and Hebrew In Gréeke letters and in Latine and Hebrew ¶ That the thing might be knowne to all nations because these three languages were most common Geneua The meaning of these places following There arose a murmuring of the Grecians towards the Hebrewes ¶ Whos 's ancestors were Iewes and dwelled in Grecia Therefore these spake Greeke and not Hebrew Geneua And disputed with the Greekes ¶ Which were Iewes but so called because they were dispersed through Grecia and other countries Geneua Spake vnto the Grecians ¶ He meaneth not the Iewes which being scattered abroad in diuerse countries were called by this name but the Grecians which were Gentiles Geneua I am debter both to the Greeks and Barbarous ¶ All those that were not Iewes by a common word were called heathen And heere they are diuided into Greeks barbarous By Greeks he vnderstandeth those that were learned â—iuill of good bringing vp By Barbarous he meaneth the rude and sauage people with whom no man could wel haue to doe The Bible note Of the Iewe first and also of the Grecian By the Grecian he vnderstandeth the Gentile and euerie one that is notâ— a Iewe. Geneua GREAT An exposition of this place following WHosoeuer will be great amonge you ¶ He saith not no man ought to be chiefe among you which he should haue said If it had not bene lawfull in the kingdome of God for some to bée greate and chiefe or if it had béene necessarie that all should haue ben in all things equall The celestiall spirits be not equall The Starres be not equall The Apostles themselues be not equall Peter is found in manie places to bée the chiefe amonge the rest which wée doe not denie Therefore this is not the meaning of Christ to haue none greate or chiefe among Christians séeing the verie necessitie of our state requireth that some be superiours and betters so farre it is from béeing repugnant to charitie In like manner there must be in the Church Gouernours Presidents Rulers of whome Paule maketh mention Rom. 13. l. Cor. 12. 28. Heb. 13. 17. And there is also in the bodie some principall members some inferiour c. Therefore Christ doth not require that in his kingdome all should be equall but this he doth require That none should desire to be greate or to be thought or counted chiefe Mus◠¶ The Anabaptists saith Bucer thinke héere that they are able to proue that it perteineth not to a Christian to beare rule that no man can be together a Magistrate a Christian because Christ said héere to his disciples Vos auteÌ„ non siâ— not considering that those which godlie and according to the wil of the Lord beare rule Nihil minus c. Doe nothing lesse then beare rule indéede yea verilie doe most of all serue Surelie Christ woulde haue his Apostles to haue their authoritie in Churches and they themselues did greatlie require to be obeied but because in that they sought nothing vnto themselues but onlie saluation and the glorie of God in those whom they ruled they did gouerne the Churches They had euerie where the superioritie they ruled such as beleeued they would haue yâ— godly to be obedient vnto them Interim nihilominus seruierunt omnibus c. And yet in the meane time serued all and had dominion ouer all So also in the ciuill gouernement who was euer in greater dignitie then Moses or more to bée feared for authoritie and power And yet who euer serued mo more diligentlie and more humblie which neuer sought anie thing for himselfe c. but day and night to the vttermost of his power â—ought for the safetie of the people c. If anie now so beare office and rule the workes of the hands of the Lord and gouerne the Shéepe of his pasture according to his will what doth hée else but serue all those whome he gouerneth And therefore Christ doth not héere dehort from bearing rule and béeing a Magistrate but from â—éeking rule and dominion For I had rather take this saieng of the Lorde in this generalitie then to restraine it to the Apostles onelie Eo quod omninus pius c. Because a godlie Magistrate doth altogether serue and not beare rule and hath by himselfe all things agreeable to this present exhortation of the Lord. Bucer GROVE The meaning of these placeâ— following THe groue also remained still in Saâ—â—aâ—â—a ¶ Wherein they did committe their Idolatrie and which the Lorde had commaunded to bée destroyed Deut. 16. 21.
scholers say that these keyes be nothing els but an authoritie giuen to the Priests whereby they giue sentence that heauen must be opened to this man and shut vnto the other so that heauen is opened shut at the sentence of the Priest Saint Hierome is against Dunce whose words be these I shall giue thée the keyes of heauen c. This place saith Saint Hierome the Bishops Priests not vnderstanding haue vsurped vnto themselues somewhat of the Pharesies pride so that they thinke they may condemne innocents and loose them that be guiltie when afore God not the sentence of the priest but the life of the guiltie is regarded c. ¶ Héere you haue plainly that the sentence of the Priest is not looked vpon nor able to loose a sinner afore God Marke also that S. Hierom saith You vnderstand not this place D. Bar. fol. 257. How the Priests be but the key bearers The keye saith Chrisostome vpon Math. chapter 23. is the word of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which the gate of truth is opened vnto men And the key bearers are the priests to whome is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures Bullinger Of the keye of Dauid or keyes of the Church Which hath the keye of Dauid ¶ That is to say full power ouer the throne of Dauid that is to wit ouer the Church For the Metaphore of keyes not onely in the Scripture but also by the custome of men betokeneth the ful authoritie and ordering of a kingdome or a citie or a house Such as loseph had in the Realme of Pharao King of Aegypt and Eliakim in the house of the King of Iuda according as it is sayd I will laye the Keye of Dauids house vppon his shoulder hée shall open and no man shall shutte and hée shall shutte and no man shall open Esay 22. 22. Euen so CHRIST our Lorde béeing of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh hath all power in the kingdome of the heauenly father For looke whom the father hath foreordeined vnto saluation them receiueth Christ into his â—locke that is to say into his Church and thrusteth the rest out of the dores he openeth yâ— vnderstanding of his seruants yâ— they may be inlightened vnderstand the scriptures the rest he blindeth by his secret howbeit rightful Iustice. Whervpon he saith All things are deliuered me by my father Math. 11. 27. And againe All power is giuen vnto me both in Heauen and in Earth Math. 28. 18. And the Angell saide to Maâ—y The Lord will giue him the â—eate of his father Dauid and he shal reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne there shall be no ende Luke 1. 32. To him alone therefore doeth it pertaine to rule the Church whereof he is head which thing he doth euen now by the seruice of his ministers to whom hee hath therefore promised the Keyes of the heauenly Kingdome to the intent they should set open the way for the godly vnto heauen and shut the vnbeléeuers out of heauen by the preaching of the Gospel Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 60. To whom the Keye of the Bottomelesse Pit was giuen And vnto him was giuen the keye of the bottomelesse Pit ¶ A keye is a token of power or authoritie and publike administration receiued Iohn therefore meaneth that God in his wrath hath giuen power to Heretikes and deceiuers to thrust their diuelish opinions into the Church Thou séest openly héere lyke as in many other places of the Scripture how it happeneth not but by Gods prouidence that errours and vntruths are brought in to deceiue men withall wherevnto also hée giueth such force effectuall working that they go for good payment as I said a little before Therefore we sée héere how power is giuen to deceiuers and heretikes to set their errours openly abroad and to seduce fonde men by vaine Philosophie the doctrine of whom is rightly lykened to a bottomelesse pitte For looke as no man is able to gage the ground of a bottomelesse pit euen so the more a man followeth the doctrine of heretikes so much the lesse substauncialnesse and proofe shall hée finde And in this place wee sée the Bishop of Romes Keyes which he boasteth off so greatly Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 126. How the Popish Prelates haue not the keyes of heauen but of hell As touching the authoritie of the keyes censours no Christian man ought to estéeme Satan whom men call the Pope and his vniust censours more then the hissing of a Serpent or the blast of Lucifer Also that no man ought to trust or put confidence in the false Indulgences of couetous Priests which Indulgences doe draw away the hope which men ought to repose in God to a sort of sinfull men and doe robbe the poore of such almes as is giuen to them such Priests be manifest betrayers of Christ and of his whole Church and be Satans owne stewards to be guilâ— Christian soules by their hypocrisie and fained pardons Also forsomuch as those Prelates and Cleargie men liue so execrable a life contrarie to the Gospell of Christ and example of his Apostles and teach not truly the Gospell but onely lyes and the traditions of wicked and sinfull men It appeareth most manifestly that they haue not the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen but rather the keyes of hell And they may bée right well assured that God neuer gaue vnto them authoritie to make and establish so many ceremonies traditions which be contrary to the libertie of the Gospell and are blockes in Christian mens wayes that they can neither know nor obserue the same his Gospell in libertie of conscience and so attaine a ready way vnto heauen Booke of Mart. fol. 651. KEEPE What it is to keepe the saiengs of Christ. HE that loueth not me kéepeth not my saiengs ¶ To kéepe the saiengs of Christ is nothing els but to beléeue that the same is true and wholesome and also to cleaâ—e vnto the same with our whole heart euen as we may gather by the Scripture Heare O Israel the Ordinaunces and the Lawes which I propose vnto you this day that ye may learne them and take heede to obserue them If by kéeping the Commaundements of God ye vnderstand the fulfilling of them no man shall keepe them but iâ— yâ— vnderstand for seeking to fulfill them then all the godly kéepe them For he cannot choose but giue himselfe to the keeping of the Commaundements of God which truly knoweth the same to be of God Contrary not to kéepe the Lordes saiengs is to reiect the doctrine of Christ and to contemne his commaundements which all the wicked are wont to doe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 495. How this place following is vnderstood I haue sinned what shall I doe vnto thée O thou kéeper of men ¶ Some men expound this as though lob should dispute against God saieng I can doe none other but
alone till either God himselfe did strike them or stirred vp by some especiall or extraordinary means some forreine or domestical persecutor of them Thirdly this maketh nothing to proue that those kings whom the Pope taketh vpon him to pronounce they be no kings are no longer kings except he will make himselfe God yea and aboue God too For although God say they reigne not by me yet he calleth them kings but the Pope calleth them vsurpers that reigne not by him I. Bridges fo 1056. Of two kinges the one secceeding a good Father the other a wicked Manasses being at the age but of xii yeares when he succéeded that godly king Ezechias his Father was no sooner entered into his kingdome but the false Prophets of Baal for lacke of good gouernours so be witched and so farre seduced him that he vtterly forsooke all his Fathers wayes to mainteine idolatrie witchcraft sorcery and such lyke wickednesse which turned not only to his owne perdition but also to yâ— vtter desolation of Hierusalem and Iuda for beholde sayth yâ— Lord Because Manasses hath done such abhominations c. I will bring such euill vpon Hierusalem and Iuda that who so heareth of it his eares shall tinckle and I will wipe out Hierusalem as a man wipeth a dish and when he hath wiped it turneth it vpside downe Iosias on the other side being of the age but of viii yeares when he succéeded wicked Amon his Father was no sooner entred into his kingdome but through the speciall grace of God good gouernours did that which was right in the sight of the Lorde and walked in the wayes of Dauid his fore-father and bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left Wherfore God sayd to him by his Prophetesse Because thine heart did melt and because thou hast humbled thy selfe before me the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place c. Beholde I will receiue thée vnto thy Fathers and thou shalt be put into thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not sée all the euills which I will bring vppon this place These two were both of them young kings and immediate successours the one of Ezechias who had extirped idolatrye by the roots the other to a worshipper of false Gods otherwise also a wicked man And yet Manasses through peruerse in intifers fell from GOD to all naughtinesse And Iosias being younger of age then hée did by the helpe of godly and faithfull Counsailours apply himselfe to all godlinesse and thereby prospered N. V. Tokens of a wicked king or kingdome The signes or manifest markes of a wicked king of kingdome are these to teach and suffer to be taught anye doctrine contumelious iniurious blasphemous against God An other to kill the faithfull good preachers and professours of Gods word and to take away the Scriptures the foode of their soules from the simple and poore thirsting for the word of their saluation c. Melancthon vpon Daniel How a Kings word must stand A saieng there is among men that the wordes promise and oth of a king should stande and so it ought indéede in case it bée true lawfull and expedient else were it much better to bée broken then kept Dauid made a solempne oth to slay Nabal and to destroye all that perteined vnto him but he neuer performed that oth and yet he was a king He put vp his swoorde againe sayth Bede and neuer repented him of any fault done Homeli 45. Precepts that Hermes the Philosopher giueth vnto kings If a king be negligent in searching the workes of his enimyes and the hearts and wills of his subiects he shall not long be in suretie in his Realme ¶ The strength of a king is the friendship loue of his people ¶ The most secrete counsell of a King is his conscience and his vertuous déedes are his chiefest treasures ¶ Ye Kinges remember first your King the gouernour of all And as you would be honoured of your subiectes so honour you him ¶ Use no familiaritie with no wicked person ¶ Trust none with your secrets before yée haue proued him ¶ Sléepe no more then shall suffice the sustentation of your bodyes ¶ Loue righteousnesse and truth ¶ Embrace wisedome ¶ Féede measurablye ¶ Rewarde your trustye friends ¶ Fauour your communaltie considering that by it your Realmes are mainteined ¶ Loue learned men that the ignoraunt thereby may bée encouraged to learning ¶ Defende the true and iust and punish the euill dooers that other monished thereby maye flée the lyke vices ¶ Cutte off the stealers hande ¶ Hang vp the théeues and robbers that the high wayes may bée the surer ¶ Burne the Sodomits ¶ Stone the adulterers ¶ Beware of lyars and flatterers and punish them ¶ Suffer not the swearers to escape scot frée ¶ Uisite your prisoners and deliuer the vngultie ¶ Punish immediatlye such as haue deserued it ¶ Followe not your owne wills but be ruled by counsell so shall you giue your selues rest and labours to other ¶ Be not too suspitious for that shall hâ—th disquiet your selues and also to cause men to 〈…〉 from you KINGDOME What the Kingdome of Heauen is THE Kingdome of heauen is nothing else but a newnesse of lyfe by the which GOD doth restore vnto vs a hope of euerlasting blessednesse Marl. vpon Math. fol. 40. An exposition of this place following Lette thy kingdome come ¶ That is that we which before haue serued the world héereafter may come vnder the dominion of Christ as he promiseth Math. 25. 34. ¶ Or thus séeing that thou art ouer all make all to know thée and make the kinges and rulers which are but thy substitutes to commaunde nothing but according to thy worde and to them make all subiects obeye Tindale How the Kingdome of God is taken two wayes And speaking of the Kingdome of God ¶ The Kingdome of God is taken two manner of wayes First it is taken for that blessedfull lyfe and for that euerlasting felicitie which we shall enioye after this mortall lyfe Secondlye when by the preaching of the Gospell the heartes of the godlye are prepared and made the temples of the holye God It is sayde and that right well That God doth reigne in the hearts of the godly through fayth innocencye and purenesse of lyfe Of this Kingdome did Christ speake of vnto his Disciples Sir I. Cheeke The exposition of this place following Thou art not farre from the kingdome of GOD. ¶ That is thou hast the true knowledge of the lawe and lackest nothing but fayth and trust in me by which onely commeth euerlasting lyfe The meaning of this place following There bée some of you that stande heere which shall not taste of dâ—ath till they sée the Kingdome of GOD. ¶ This kingdome of God which Saint Marke in the. 9. Chapter verse â— writeth to come with power is the kingdome of Christ which some of them did then sée which
were Peter Iames and Iohn which sawe in the Clowdes the glorye of Christ transformed and heard the testimonie and witnesse of the Father of heauen of Moses and Helias for then did all those abundantlye testifie that Christ was a king and the sonne of God Tindale How the kingdome of God is within vs. For beholde the kindome of God is within you ¶ The kingdome of God is to loue God with all thy heart and to putte thy whole trust in him according to the couenaunt made in Christ and for Christs sake to loue thy neighbour as Christ loued thée and all this is within thée Tindale How Christs kingdome is not of this world My kingdome is not of this world ¶ That is my kingdome is not a worldly kingdome that consisteth in strength in harnesse in men in sword and in subduing of wordly thinges but my kingdome is spirituall which is in the heartes of the faithfull that are ruled not by the swoorde but by the Gospell Tindale ¶ Quasâ—â—ecepti estis c. As though he should say ye are deâ—eiâ—ed for I hinder not your gouernement in the world And so sayth Lyra Non querit c. He séeketh not the temporall gouernement of this worlde c. My kingdome is not from 〈…〉 that is to say so farre as to get these temporall things But against this seemeth that which is spoken in the Psa. 46. God is the king of all the worlde but he is verie God as he is very man therfore his kingdome is of this world we must say that according to the veritie of his diuinitie all things are subiect to Christ notwithstanding so farre as apperteineth to his humanitie he came not in his first comming to gouerne temporally but rather serue and sufferâ— and 〈…〉 appeareth that he sufficiently excludeth that that was layd to his charge of vsurping the kingdome of lewrie because there was no question of him but in that he was man and for the present state that he was in which apperteyned to his first comming I. Bridges fol. 1012. ¶ Nihil deâ—ique monstrauit c. He neuer shewd any such thing He neuer had souldiers 〈…〉 princes nor horses nor burden of mules nor anie such thing about him but he â—â—ad his lyfe humbly and poore carrieng about with him 12. â—ase men according to his diuinitie all things wer subiect vnto him Howbeit as touching his humanitie in his first comming he came not to rule temporally and to reigne but rather to serue suffer Whervpon he denieth not yâ— he is a king but rather graunteth it Because according to the truth he was king of kinges But yet to take away occasioÌ„ of escaping he tempereth his answere saieng that he séeketh not the temporall dominion of this world because his kingdome is not of this world so far as touching the séeking hauing these temporall things And therfore his kingdome was neither against the Iewes nor yâ— Romanes nor hindred their authoritie because they onelye regarded an earthly kingdome yâ— is of this world as though he said vnto theÌ„ ye are deceiued I hinder not your Empire in this world least vainely ye shuld feare rag 〈…〉 but come ye to yâ— heauenly kingdome by beleeuing that is not of this world to the which by preaching I inuite you Christ sayd My kingdome is not of this world But yet notwithstanding many prelates which are his Uicars some in their dooing do say the contrarie in pompe making themselues equall to Princes or rather excéeding them I. Bridges fol. 1014. KISSE The vnderstanding of this place following KIsse the Sonne so readeth the Hebrewe It is a figuratiue speach in which by the signe is vnderstoode that which is signified thereby for by the kisse of the kinges hande euen now a daies in many countries do the subiects testifie that they will be in the faith and power of a king He calleth him Sonne because he before brought in the Father saieng Thou art my sonne c. The Gréeke readeth Receiue instruction or bée learned meaning thereby that they shoulde submit themselues vnto the king Christ and receiue his instruction and chastening T. M. KNOVVLEDGE The meaning of this place following AND I knewe mine ¶ In this hée commendeth his loue towardes vs. For knowledge commeth of loue and bringeth also with it a care The Lorde knoweth who are his Also it is sayde I knowe whome I haue chosen There are two kinde of knowledge The one is by which we knowe what a thing is By this kinde of knowledge all thinges are knowne vnto Christ not onely the Shéepe but also the Goates the Wolues the Théeues and the Murtherers and that infernall Satan also The other is that by which wée knowe such as are our owne yea by which we knowe them kéepe them and defende By this kinde of knowledge the reprobates are not knowne but the elect onely for to them it shall be sayde Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie And again Uerily verily I say vnto you I know you not As Christ therefore hath a speciall care ouer his Shéepe because they heare his voice and followe him euen so he giueth vs to vnderstand that hée hath no care at all for those which obeye not the Gospell euen as in the second member he repeateth confirmeth that which he had spoken before namely that he is in like manner knowne of his shéepe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 371. How Ioseph knew not Marie vntill c. He knewe her not vntill she brought forth her first begotten sonne Ergo after she had brought him foorth he knewe her This is Helindius obiection Aunswere This worde Did knowe in the sacred Scripture is vnderstoode two manner wayes sometime it is taken for the carnall copulation betwéene man and wife and sometime Pro scientia that is for knowledge or acquaintaunce Helindius and those of his sect doe vnderstande by this woorde Knowe for the copulation betwéene man and wife Whereas it is certeine that it ought to be referred to acquaintaunce and perfect vnderstandinge of anie thinge for although Ioseph was hand-fasted or betrothed vnto Marie yet the almightie hadde by visions and dreames reuealed his will vnto him as wée hearde before in the first Chapter where the Angell sayde Ioseph Feare not to take vnto thée Marye to wife for that which is conceiued in her commeth of the holye Ghost And in the seconde lykewise Arise and take the childe and his Mother and flie into Aegypt and abide there vntyll I bringe thée woorde So that the knowledge that Ioseph had was the sure and vndoubted faith of those thinges that were reuealed vnto him from aboue And that this worde Knowe is taken Pro scientia in the Scripture oftentimes it appeareth by this place The childe Iesus abode in Hierusalem and his parents knewe not of it Marl. fol. 19. Of knowing one an other after this life When Christ was transfigured the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn did
How the lawe is called a yoake Why tempt ye God to put on the disciples necks that yoake which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare ¶ He meaneth the holy lawe and not the ceremonies onely and calleth it a yoake not able to be borne because no man not the most holiest and perfectest that euer was Christ onely excepted was able to perfourme the same in all pointes both outwardly according the Letter and inwardly according to the Spirit The Bible note The difference betweene Gods law and mans Mans lawe onely requireth externall and ciuill obedience Gods lawe both externall and internall Who hath fulfilled the lawe Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnesse to all that beléeue ¶ That is Christ hath fulfilled the whole lawe therfore whosoeuer beléeueth in him is counted iust before God as well as he had fulfilled the whole Lawe himselfe The Bible note ¶ The ende of the lawe is to iustifie them which obserue it therefore Christ hauing fulfilled it for vs is made our Iustice sanctification c. Geneua How the Gentiles were not without a lawe Whosoeuer hath sinned without lawe c. ¶ It is not to be thought that the Gentiles were altogether without a lawe for they had the lawe of nature but not the lawe written which we call the Ten commaundements therefore they cannot excuse themselues from sinne Sir I. Cheeke How the lawe maketh all men sinners Whatsoeuer the lawe saith it saith it to them which are vnder the lawe c. ¶ In this place the lawe is taken for all the holy scripture as it appeareth by these places testimonies that be alledged héere before wherby it is made euident plain that all men without exception are sinners Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The lawe doth not make vs guiltie but doth declare that we are guiltie before God and deserue condemnation Geneua How the lawe maketh vs to hate God In the faith which we haue in Christ finde we mercie life fauour and peace in the lawe we finde death damnation and wrath moreouer the cursse and vengeance of God vpon vs. And it that is to say the lawe is called of Paule the ministration of death and damnation In the lawe we are proued to be the enimies of God and that we hate him For how can we be at peace with God and loue him seeing we are conceiued and born vnder the power of the diuell and are his possession and kingdome his captiues bondmen led at his will and he holdeth our harts so that it is impossible for a man to fulfill the lawe of his owne strength and power séeing that we are by birth and nature the heires of eternall damnation c. Tind in his booke named the wicked Mammon fol. 6. How the lawe is spirituall The lawe is spirituall ¶ The lawe is called spirituall because that it requireth the spirit that is to say the righteousnes and holinesse of the heart and not the outward workes onely How we dye to the lawe For I through the lawe am dead to the law ¶ The law that terrifieth the conscience bringeth vs to Christ and he onely causeth vs to dye to the law indéed because y◠by making vs righteous he taketh away from vs the terrour of conscience and by sanctifieng vs causeth the mortifieng of lusts in vs that it cannot take such occasion to sinne by the restrint which the lawe maketh as it did before Rom. 7. 10. 11. ¶ For I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that is by the lawe of libertie and grace graunted in Christ I am deliuered from the lawe of bondage ministred by Moses and from the burthen and cursse thereof Tindale To dye in the defence of the lawe If we do praise saith S. Austen the Machabees that with great admiration because they did stoutly stand vnto death for the laws of their country how much more ought we to suffer al things for our baptime for y◠sacraments of the body bloud of Christ. The meaning of these places following Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to do them ¶ All the which meaning the things contained in the lawe since no man doth fulfill them it is manifest that no man can be iustified by the words of the lawe No man is iustified before God because saith S. Hierome no man kéepeth the lawe therefore it is said that the beléeuers must be saued by faith onely Moreouer he will shewe that no man canne be iustified by the workes of Moses lawe vnlesse he haue faith which giueth pardon to him that beléeueth in God neither yet he that beléeueth in Christ liueth without a lawe D. Heynes And I say the heire as long as he is a childe c. ¶ While we were yet younglings we had néede of the law as our tutours not that it should alwaies rule vs but so long till we come to mans state and haue the knowledge of Christ which knowledge when we haue we be deliuered from the seruitude of the law for Christs sake not for feare of punishment abstaining from euill but led by the spirit of God we are prepared made fit to fulfill all good works which the lawe commandeth D. Heynes ¶ The Church of Israel was vnder the lawe as the Pupill subiect to his Tutor euen vnto the time of Christ when she waxed strong and then hir pupilship ended Geneua ¶ Looke before where the Lawe is our schoolemaister An Argument of the Lawe If I cannot haue my sinnes forgiuen me except I kéepe and fulfill the lawe then the kéeping of the lawe iustifieth me Aunswere I cannot haue forgiuenesse of my sinnes except I haue sinned Ergo to haue sinned is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Tindale A disputation betweene the Law and the Gospell The Law saith pay thy debt the Gospell saith Christ hath payed it The Lawe saith thou art a sinner dispaire and thou shalt be damned the Gospell saith thy sinnes are forgiuen thée be of good comfort thou shalt be saued The Lawe saith made amends for thy sinnes the Gospell saith Christ hath made it for thée The Law saith the father of heauen is angry with thée the Gospell saith Christ hath pacified him with his bloud The law saith wher is thy righteousnes thy goodnes satisfaction the Gospell saith Christ is thy righteousnesse thy goodnesse and satisfaction The Lawe sayth thou art bound and obliged to me to the diuell and to hell the Gospell saith Christ hath deliuered me from them all Booke of Mar. fol. 1110. The nature and office of the Lawe and Gospell The Lawe sheweth vs our sinnes Ro. 3. 20. The Gospell sheweth vs remedie for Iohn 1. The Lawe sheweth vs our condemnation Ro. 7. The Gospell sheweth vs our redemption Coll. 1. The Lawe is the word of ire Rom. 4.
Leuiathan that crooked Serpent ¶ Leuiathan betoketh héere the Diuell after some expositours Albeit that it properlye signifie a Whale as it is sayd Iob. 40. Serpents also betokeneth the Diuell because of their subtilenesse and wilinesse Gen. 3. 1. The Hebrews vnderstand héere by Serpents mightie kings and Princes T. M. ¶ By Leuiathan the greatest of fishes in the sea is meant the kingdome of Satan and the mightie tyrants of the world enimies of Christ and persecutors of his religion The Bible noâ—e The Lord with his sore and great and mightie sword shall visite Leuiathan ¶ That is by his mightie power and by his worde hée prophesieth héere of the destruction of Satan and his kingdome vnder the name of Leuiathan Geneua LIBANVS AND CHARMEL What Libanus and Chaâ—mel doe signifie Sée ye not that it is harde by that Libanus shall bée truned into Charmel c. ¶ As though hée shoulde saye it is not longe to that goodlye trées which are signified by Libanus shall be tourned into plaine fieldes and that the plaine fieldes which are signified by Charmel shall become â—ough and full of bushes The time that Christ should come is â—he short time that hée meaneth which the Scripture doth oft call a short time Then shall the vnfruitfull rough and woodye heathnesse which is vnderstoode by Libanus bée tourned vnto the religion of Christes congregation or Church and vnto the true seruice of the true GOD which is vnderstoode by Charmel that fruitfull and well tilled fielde T. M. ¶ Shall there not be a chaunge of all things Charmel that is a plentifull place in respect of that it shall be then may bée taken as a forrest as Cha. 32. 15 and thus he speaketh to comfort the faithfull Geneua LIBERTIE OF CHRIST What it is to stand in the liberties of Christ. STand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs frée ¶ They do not stand in yâ— libertie of Christ which being not content with the sole onely grace of Christ doe set their mindes vpon the lawe as though Christ were not sufficient to saue alone but had néede of the helpe of the lawe Yet we must take héede that we doe not misuse this libertie thinking we may doe whatsoeuer we list Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The libertie and fréedome that we haue in Christ ought euery man to stand by Tindale LYE The definition of a lye HE is sayde to lye which with a will to receiue speaketh that which is false and that to lye is nothing else but to speake against the minde for lyers speake otherwise then they haue in their hearts But the desire to deceiue is vtterly against iustice and amitie which we mutually owe one to an other There are thrée things therfore in a lye First to speake that which is false secondly his will in speaking and thirdly desire to deceiue The first part longeth to the matter The other two partes perteine vnto the forme Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 87. ¶ Octauian the Emperour demanded vpon a time this question of Pisto the Philosopher Tell me Pisto what shall men doe if he be brought to this extremitie that if he speake truth he condemneth himselfe and if he make a lye he saueth himself The vertuous man saith he ought rather to choose to be ouercome with truth then to ouercome by lyes for it is vnpossible that a man which is a lyar shoulde continue longe in prosperitie Whether we may lye to preserue the lyfe of our neighbour or no. What if a murtherer shoulde persecute a man to kill him and thou knowest that he lyeth there kidden where thou presentlye art and they demaunde of thée if thou knowest whether he be there or no He aunswereth that if thou be of a valiant courage and as it becommeth a Christian thou must saye where he is I knowe but I will not vtter it doe ye what ye will But when the matter commeth to this point that for the safetie of any mans life thou must make a lye know thou that thou oughtest to commit the thing vnto God that thou hast nothing therein more to doe Either thou must answere that thou wilt not betray him or els thou must hold thy peace But by thy silence the murtherer will suspect that he is in thy house and thou shalt séeme to giue occasion of his taking But in verie déede thou hast not so done for thou canst not let him to thinke what he will Wherefore the matter is rather to be committed vnto God then that thou shouldest make a lie Howbeit thou must verie well weigh with thy selfe namely to speake so that thou say not al and yet speake not falsely For in these cases I thinke it is not forbidden yea I iudge it is most lawfull to speake doubtfully Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic. fol. 90. Of the Midwiues lye and of Rahabs lye Now to speak of the Midwiues of Aegypt of Rahab God did not reward them for their lye but for their mercie because they dealt kindly with his people for which also he forgaue them theyr lye wherein they sinned vndoubtedlye g 〈…〉 uously For the mouth which lieth killeth the soule Sap. 1. 11 If those Midwiues had béene perfect women they would haue refused that office wherevnto Pharao appointed them for it was to murther the infants of the Israelites And Rahab had done better if she had not lyed but answered I know where they bee but because Ilfeare God I will neuer shew it they could haue lost nothing by this answere although they had suffered death therefore For blessed be the dead that die in the Lord. How Paules lye is excused Saint Paule made no lye when he sayd that he was a citizen of Rome for he was indéed a citizen of Rome because his father was frée As at London the children of frée men be Citizens and free Of one that would not lye When the Emperour sent his officers to one Ferninus Bishop of Tagasta to search after a certeine man whome hée had hidden hée béeing enquired for him sayde that he woulde not denie that he had hidden him because of lieng but that he wold neuer betray him for which aunswere he was grieuously punished but no paine could cause him to disclose where the man was The Emperour meruailing at his stedfastnesse deliuered him Ro. Hutchynson Of Aabrahams lye to Abimelech ¶ Looke Abraham Of Dauids Iye to Ahimelech ¶ Looke Dauid LIFE How these places following are expounded AND the life was the light of men ¶ This sentence is sundrie wise expounded for some thinke that the meaning is that the lyfe which Gods sonne giueth creatures shoulde be a light to man to shew them Gods sonne Some take the worde Life for Gods sonne himselfe as if Saint Iohn should saye that Gods sonne who is verye lyfe is the lyght of men Some other gather this sentence that the lyfe that Gods son giueth to men
chastitie Let euery man for auoyding of fornication haue his wife and euery woman haue hir husband ¶ Héere S. Paule commaundeth that where as any daunger of fornication is yâ— euery man in auoiding of vicious lyuing should take a wife héere is no man excepted for the text saith euery man and specially to them that cannot liue sole The occasion that S. Paule had to write this text to the Corinthians there were certaine men among them that reckoned it an holinesse and a perfection as certaine men do now for Priests that Christen men should liue sole without wiues as the text declareth it is good for a man not to touch a woman To this their holy hypocrisie S. Paule doth aunswere in this manner To auoyd fornication saith he let euery man marrie a wife marke how he biddeth them to marrie he biddeth them not to fast nor to labour nor yet to weare haire to chasten their bodyes but alonely to marry As who should saye God had ordained and approued a lawfull and lawdable remedie for euery man that had not the gifte of chastitie D. Barnes Against condemners of marriage The spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue héede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuells which speake false through hypocrisie and haue their conscience burned with an hot yron forbidding to marry c. ¶ S. Paule hauing the spirite of God did prophecie that there should come men in the latter dayes which should forbid mariage and these men shall speake lyes through hyprocrisie Now marke the text Men shall forbid mariage and that in the latter daies The truth is that no man hath forbidden any certaine state of men to marrie but the Pope onely wherefore this text must néedes touch his kingdome seeing that he is also in the latter dayes There were certaine Heretikes called Taciani which did condemne fully and wholy all manner of marriage And though S. Paule speaketh against them yet in very deede the Popes doctrine is not excepted séeing it is contained in these latter dayes For though there were twentie heresies more then â—aciam yet must the text be applied against them all that doth condemne or els dispise marriage in the whole or in part for the text is against them all that doth condemne marriage specially in the latter daies But he that doth forbid his Priests to marry doth forsomuch forbid marriage Ergo the texte is against the Pope Note also that these men which forbid marriage shall haue an holy colour of hypocrisie Now hath the Pope forbidden the Priests to marry vnder the coulour of holynesse because as he saith his Priests must be pure and cleane As who should saye that marriage were vncleane and vnpure for Priests to vse What can be holy hypocrisie if this be not hypocrisie Heere is the holy and pure institution of God condemned as a thing vncleane for his Priests to vse Moreouer the Tacians did not forbid marriage vnder the coulour of holinesse but they said it was fully and wholly an vnlawfull thing the which doctrine had no manner of colour But the Pope saith Mariage is good and laudable in it selfe but his Priests be too pure and too holy for to vse that simple thing for it is not a thing saith he that doeth become the state of perfect men but it belongeth to weake and vnperfect men Now iudge whether the Taciani or the Papiani doth pretend the greatest colour of holinesse Heretikes saith S. Hierome and all such as pretend that they loue chastitie doe very seldome loue it indéede as Manicheus Arrius Marâ—ion Tacianus the renuers of the olde heresie They promise honny with a poysoned mouth but according to the saieng of the Apostle It is a filthy thing to vtter what they doe in secret Eph. 5. 12. ¶ Saint Hierome in this place inueigheth against the old heretiks which wold not marrie themselues nor allow marriage in other but pretended such a hollinesse with a shewe of virginitie and hatred of marriage that with their holy lookes and swéete wordes they deceiued the people Doct. Ponet How marriage is no hinderaunce to godlinesse Notwithstanding marriage haue much trouble in it selfe yet may it be so taken and vsed that it shall be no hinderance to perfect lyfe Againe he sayth excuse not thy selfe by thy marriage thy Lorde was at the marriage feast be honoured marriage with his presence And yet doest thou blame marriage And saist thou that marriage is an hinderance vnto godlines I tell thee marriage is no manner hinderance vnto godlinesse Wilt thou know that it hindereth not to haue wife children Had not Moses wife and children Behold Peter a piller of the Church he had a wife therefore finde no fault with marriage Againe writing vpon the words of the Prophet Esay Vidi dominum c. He sayth who speaketh these words Esaias the beholder of the celestial Seraphins Who not withstanding he had company with his wife yet he quenched not the grace of God Againe Esay had a sonne and a wife that thou maist vnderstand that marriage is not euill but that fornication is ill Againe what did marriage hinder thee No thy wife is giuen thee to be thy helper and not to deceiue thée Iewel fol. 178. and. 179. Proues for the marriage of Priests For this is the will of God euen that ye should be holy and that ye should absteine from fornication that euery one of you should knowe to kéepe his own vessell in holynesse and honour ¶ Héere Saint Paule saith that it is the wil of God that euery man should abhorre fornication who will then resist the wil of God and not regard the thing that God will haue done Furthermore the will of God is sayth S. Paule yâ— euery man should kéepe his vessell in honour Now if Priestes be men haue not the gift of chastitie then are they bound to regard this commaundement for he saith euery man Marke how S. Paule also calleth the vessell of married men honourable sanctified wherefore then shuld it be vnlawfull for a Priest to vse a sanctified and an holy vessell How can man now for anie occasion curse that thing that God hath sanctified or make it vncleane that God hath purified but Saint paule prophesied of such men D. Barnes Haue we not power to lead about a wife béeing a sister as well as other Apostles as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas ¶ This text doth cleerly proue that Peter other Apostles had wiues And wherefore then shoulde it be vnlawfull for Priests to marrie they are no better nor no holyer then the Apostles were But heere will some say that the Apostles hadde wiues before that Christ did choose them but afterwarde they forsooke their wiues and followed Christ which thinge is not true that they forsooke their wiues for that hadde beene plainely against the doctrine of their Maister
foundation of his Church vpon Peter truly he would haue said Thou art Peter vpon thée wil I build my Church Christ is onely that proued corner stone which as Daniel saith shall breake all the kingdomes of the world and it selfe shall endure for euer a stable and strong foundation of the kingdome and congregation of Christ which thing is also confirmed by the Prophet Esay And Saint Paule teaching the same doctrine saith that we must be raised vp in this holy building of the Church not vpon Peter but vpon the most strong foundation of the Prophets and of the Apostles And where as many might chaunce to stomble at the stone thinking that Christ during the time of his béeing in earth was the foundation of the Church but when he was once lifted vp into heauen he then lefte Peter in his stead Paule the Apostle teacheth the contrary in especiall words when he saith There can none other foundation be layed then that which is laied already which is Iesus Christ. And whereas some doe say that Peter or some other Bishop of Rome is the foundation of the Church of Christendome is as false as God is true for Saint Paule writing to the Galathians saith not that Peter was the foundation of the Church of Christ but calleth him a piller as he called also Iames and Iohn making him equall but not superiour Bar. Ochine In the 16. chapter of Saint Mathew the question beeing put in generall of Christ to all his Apostles what they thought or iudged of him Peter aunswering for them all as he was alwayes ready to aunswere said Thou art Christ the sonne of the lyuing God to whom Iesus aunswered againe Blessed be thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thée but my father which is in heauen I say vnto thée Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not preuayle against it That is to say vpon this Rocke of thy confession of me to bée the sonne of God I will build my Church For this faith containeth the whole summarie of our faith and saluation As it is written Rom. 10. The word of faith that wée doe preach is at hand in thy mouth and in thy heart For if thou confesse with my mouth our Lord Iesus Christ and with thine heart doe beléeue that God hath raised him from death to life thou shalt be saued c. And this confession being first vttered by the mouth of Peter vpon the same confession of his and not vppon the person of Peter but vpon the faith Christ hath builded his Church And what is the faith This thou art the son of the liuing God That is to saye vpon this Rocke That is Uppon this confession of Peter c. And with this saieng of Chrisostome all auncient Expositours doe agree For if we should expound that place that the Church is builded vpon the person of Peter wée shoulde put another foundation of the Church then Christ which is directlye against Saint Paule saieng No man may put any other foundation but that which is put already which is Christ Iesus Tonstall in the bo of Mar. fol. 1208. How Peter was not the Rocke but Christ. Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke which thou confessest vpon this Rocke which thou acknowledgest saieng Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church I will build thée vppon me and not me vpon thée For men willing to build vpon men said I am of Paule I am of Apollo I holde of Cephas side which is Peter others that would not build vpon Peter but vpon the Rocke sayd I holde of Christ. And the Apostle Paule when he did knowe that he was chosen and preferred and Christ despised by some men sayd Is Christ deuided Was Paule crucified for you Or were ye baptised in the name of Paule And as not in Paules name no more were ye baptised in the name of Peter but in the name of Christ that Peter might be builded vppon the Rocke and not the Rocke vpon Peter Againe Saint Austen saith Christ is the Rocke and that Petra the Rock is the principall name and that Petrus Peter is deriued of Petra the Rocke And not Petra the Rocke vpon Petrus Peter Of Peters denieng of Christ. But he denied before them all ¶ Peter had before confessed that Christ was the onely begotten sonne of the liuing God and now he vtterly denieth him Yet for all that as soone as he repented and did call for mercie he was forgiuen That opinion then is false which affirmeth that if a man fall after hée hath knowen the trueth hee shall neuer be forgiuen Sir I. Cheeke ¶ An example of our infirmitie that wée maye learne to depende vppon GOD and not putte our trust in our selues How Peter speaketh for all As Christ did not onely aske Peter but all the rest of the Apostles with him when he said but who say you that I am So also Peter made aunswere in the name of all the Apostles or els they all being demaunded shoulde euerye one haue aunswered for themselues But there was much communication among them at sundrye times before and they all confessed with one accorde that hee was the Sonne of GOD although Iudas with a lyuelye faith beléeued not so And Christ at an other time asked all his Apostles Will you also departe Peter onelye in the name of the rest made aunswere Thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe which thing is euident of the words that followe to whom shall we goe We knowe and beléeued long agoe that thou art Christ the son of the liuing God Of a like sort he answered in the name of them all when he spake these wordesâ— Thou art Christ the sonne of God And because Peter in the mouth of them all confessed Christ to be the sonne of God ye must graunt that when Christ sayd Thou art Peter vpon this Rocke will I build my Church that he spake not only to Peter but to them all although it were in the name of Peter As though he had sayd Peter onely is not the liuing Rocke but all such as following his example verely beléeue confesse Christ to be the sonne of God be liuely Rockes which be builded vpon the vnchaâ—ngeable and precious corner stone Christ the onely foundation of his Church Bar. Ochme How Peters faith is praied for that it should not faile Symon behold Satan hath desired to fifte thée as it were Wheate to trye whether he by his olde crafte that he once practised vpon Eue could ouercome thée but I haue made a petition or praier for thée that thy faith shall neuer faile not the faith that thou beléeuest that I am the Sonne of God for so euery mans faith endeth when this life endeth Forasmuch as faith properly is only of those things which we see not nor féele not but
beléeue to sée them As soone therefore as our soules shall enter into the celestiall ioye prepared for vs in Christ we haue the very sight and fruition of that euerlasting blisse which we beléeued and hoped to come vnto and therfore when Christ saith to Peter I haue praied that thy faith shall neuer faile it is ment of the confession that Peter made when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of God This thy confession Symon Peter this thy faith shall neuer faile vnto the worlds ende And that it may the better stande and flourish see that thou Symon Peter after thou shalt be throughly conuerted which shall bée after my Passion and receiuing of the Holy Ghost in a visible signe Confirma fratres tuos Sée that thou do confirme thy bretheren exhort them comfort them and encourage them manfully to resist Satan and all his people and to cleaue to the faith that thou hast confessed Ric. Turnar When Christ praied for Peter that his faith should not faile it did not follow therfore that he was Pope and could not erre for he erred after that time sundry times and namely when he expressely denyed Christ the Sonne of God But when Christ perceiued Peters timerous boldnesse that shortly after he would shamefully denie him to arme and strengthen him against the temptation which should ensue least the greatnesse of the fault might hurle him downe into desperation hée sayd vnto him Satan goeth about to sifte you lyke Chaffe and to vndoe and destroy you yea you had bene already vtterly lost if I had not praied for you and for thée especially Peter by name that thy faith shoulde not faile because thou wilt fall fowler then the rest And I knowe that God hath heard my prayer For although thou wilt denye me with thy mouth yet thou wilt not denye me with thy heart Thou wilt sinne but sinne shall not raigne in thée so that in thy heart thou shalt not yéelde to naughtie temptations I will suffer thée to haue a foule fall that by the meanes thereof thy timerous boldnesse may be brideled and rebuked And againe that after when thou shalt come to thy selfe and perceiue thine owne infirmitie thy heart shall be touched with compassion against those that shall sinne raising them vp with knowledge and confirming and boldening them with thine example Barnar Ochine Peter I haue praied for thée that thy faith shall neuer faile and thou being once conuerted confirme thy bretheren ¶ Surely that speaketh onely of the fall of Peter knowen to Christ by his godly prescience whereof he gaue him an inckling that after the time of his fall he should not dispaire but retourâ—e againe and confirme his bretheren as he euer being most seruent of them was wont to doe The place doth plainlye open it selfe it cannot be otherwise taken but this to be the verye meaning of it and not to be spoken but to Peter For els his successours must first fayle in the faith and then conuert and so confirme the bretheren Tonstall in the b. of Mar. fol. 1212. Christ sayd to Peter I haue praied for thée that thy faith shal neuer faile ¶ Saint Austen saith Numquid pio petro rogabat c. Did Christ praye for Peter and did hee not praye for Iohn and Iames. Againe This night hath Satan desired to thresh you as it were wheate but I â—aue praied to my father not for Peter onely but for you that your faith may not faile Origen saith Numquid audeamus dicere c. May we dare to say that the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against Peter but shall preuayle against the other Apostles and Rulers of the Church Were the â—â—yes of the kingdome of Heauen giuen onely to Peter And shall no holye man els receiue the same Naye all the thinges both that were sayde before and also that followe after as spoken to Peter are common and belong vnto them all Peters seate what it is Peters seate is no stoole or chayre for what hath the kingdome of God to doe with such baggage but it is a spirituall thing Christ saith in the Gospell The Scribes and Pharesies sit in Moses seate what was Moses seate there a Chayre or a Temple or the Church or Synagogue of the Lord Nay verely for Moses came neuer there But Moses seate was Moses Lawe and doctrine Euen so Peters seate is Peters doctrine the Gospell of Christ which Peter taught and the same doctrine is Peters keyes So that Peters seate Peters keyes and Peters doctrine is all one thing Now is Peters doctrine Paules doctrine and the doctrine of all the twelue Apostles indifferently for they taught all one thing Wherefore it followeth that Peters keyes and Peters seate be the keyes and seate of Paule also and of all the other xij Apostles and are nothing saue the Gospell of Christ. And thus as Peters doctrine is no better then Paules but one thing euen so Peters seate is no greater nor higher or holyer then the seate of the other xij Peters seate now is Christs seate Christs Gospel on the which all the Apostles sate and on which this day sitteth they only which preach Christ truly Wherfore as Antichrist preacheth not Christs doctrine which is Christs Gospell he sitteth not on Peters seate but on the seate of Satan whose Uicar he is and on the seate of his owne lawes and ceremonies and false doctrine wherevnto he compelleth all men with violence of sword Tindale 359. How Peter was rebuked of S. Paule There was a fault in Peters conuersation not any errour in his doctrine or preaching for in their doctrine Peter Paule agréed wonderfull well It is not good and profitable saith S. Austen to correct an open fault in secret An open correction is better then a secret loue Pro. 27. 5. D. Heynes How Peter had a wife ¶ Looke Apostles How Peter suffered nothing for the truth against his will And lead thée whether thou wouldest not ¶ Not that Peter suffered ought for the truth of God against his will for we read that he came with ioye and gladnesse when he returned from the Councell where he was whipped but because this wil commeth not from the flesh â—ut from that gifte of the spirite which is giuen vs from aboue therefore he sheweth ther shuld be a certaine striuing and conflict or repugnacie which also is in vs in all our sufferaunces as touching the flesh Theo. Beza How Peters power was no greater then the rest of the Apostles As Peter was Christs Uicar euen so was Paule and the other Apostles and the one no lesse then the other If it be true that Saint Cipriane doeth write which is also consenting to Scripture He saith thus That Christ spake vnto Peter saieng I say quoth our Sauiour that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke of stone shall I build my Congregation the gates of hell shal not ouercome it to thée wil I giue the
Pastour had sayd I will not féede you This Pastour by an other name is called the Abhomination of desolation that shall sit in the Temple of God as though he were God Therefore the sword of the Lord shall be vpon his right arme vpon his right eye that the force of him all y◠bosting of his might might be dried vp withered awaye the knowledge that vnder a false name he promised to himselfe shall be◠obscured with eternall darknesse I. Bridges fol. 1092. In what respect the Popish Church may be called Catholike As a certaine scholer of Oxford by a certaine woman whom other praised did merily say she was a Catholike woman meaning a common queane So the Popish Church in like sence is a Catholike Church that is to say a common strumpet prostitute to all Idolatry and not the chast spouse of Christ c. I. Bridges fol. 165. What the Pope saith of himselfe I cannot erre I haue all lawes both temporall spirituall in my brest I am aboue all general Councels I may iudge al mē but all the world may not iudge me be I neuer so wicked I am king of kings lord of lords I can do whatsoeuer Christ himself can do I am all aboue all all power is giuen to me as well in heauen as in earth c. What the Popes owne lawe saith If the Pope care neither for his own health neither for his brothers be found vnprofitable and negligent in his workes further apt to no good that hurteth himselfe and other leadeth with him people innumerable by Legions vnto the Diuell to be punished with him in paines most dolorous for euer being Pope no man should presume to reprehend his faults for he iudgeth all men and is to be iudged of no man How the Pope hath power ouer Angells The Pope saith Felinus hath Christs lieuetenauntship not onely ouer things in heauen ouer things in earth ouer things in hell but also ouer the Angells both good and badde Iewel fol. 543. How the Pope is the Diuels Viceregent and Antichrist It is most certaine that the Pope is Uicar to the Prince of this world and the Diuell is said in the Gospell to be the Prince of this world Who doubteth then but if the Pope bée Uicar to the Prince of this world he is Uiceregent to the Diuell and as Iesus Christ appeared to this world to vndoe the workes of the Diuell so likewise the Diuell hath made the Pope who is his Neatheard héere vpon earth to appeare to the world to vndoe the workes of Iesus Christ. And therefore the Pope studieng diligently to obay the will of his Prince fully is forced dayly to be contrary to Iesus Christ and what is this but onely to be Antichrist F. N. B. the Italian POVVER How neither Pope nor Priest hath power to forgiue sinnes THe word of God forgiueth sinnes the Priest is the iudge the Priest executeth his office but he exerciseth no right of power The Lord hath graunted the office of baptising to manye but the power and authoritie in Baptisme to forgiue sinnes he hath reserued onely to himselfe So saith Ambrose it is our part to remoue the stone from the graue by preaching by counsell and by exhortation but it is the Lords worke to raise vp the dead it is the Lordes worke to bring him from the pitte It is not the ambassadour it is not the messenger but the Lord himselfe that hath saued the people The Lord remaineth alone For no man can be partner with God in forgiuing sins This is Christs onely office that hath taken away the sinnes of the world And yet is not the Priests office void of power He hath power and commission to open the will of God and as S. Paule saith to speake vnto the people euen as in the person of Christ. So Tertulian saith The chiefe Priest that is to say the Bishop hath right and power to giue Baptime But as S. Austen saith God gaue the ministerie of remission of sinnes vnto his seruaunts but the power thereof he retained vnto himselfe c. Iewel 158. How all power is in and of God and not in man Thou couldest haue no power against me except it were giuen thée from aboue ¶ Héere we doe learne that all power is of God Yea the power of darkenesse which God causeth to raigne for our sinnes and disobedience to him his word Iob. 34. Whosoeuer therefore resisteth any power he doth resist the ordinaunce of God and so purchaseth vnto himselfe vtter destruction vndoing Let also Magistrates remember of whom they haue receiued their power and vse their authoritie according to the will of him vnto whom they must render accompt of all their doings Sir I. Cheeke How the higher powers are to be obaied The powers that be are ordeined of God ¶ We are bounde in all manner of things to obaye the Magistrates sith that they are the ordinaunce of God whether they be good or euill vnlesse they command Idolatry and vngodlinesse that is to say things contrary to true Religion Then ought we to saye with Peter We ought rather to obaye God then men But wée must beware of tumult and insurrection The weapon of a Christian man in this matter ought to be the sword of the spirite which is Gods worde and prayer coupled with humilitie and due submission and with heart ready rather to dye then to doe any vngodlinesse Sir I. Cheeke Let euerye person be subiect to the higher Powers ¶ This saith Chrisostome is ordained to the Ecclesiasticall◠and Cleargie and to the Monkes or any other whatsoeuer it be For thy obedience and subiection doth not alter thy seruice towards God ¶ By what title saith Saint Barnard is it speking of the temporall sword that the Pope selleth these things it is not according to the right vse Apostolicall for Saint Peter could not giue that which he himselfe had not but hée hath left to his successours that which he had to wit the order of the Churches Item saith he your powers are not ouer possessions but ouer the sinnes forasmuch as ye haue receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen not to be great Lords but to haue the correction of vices which dignitie séemeth greatest to you to forgiue sinnes or to distribute possessions There is no comparison These earthly superiorties haue their Iudges which be Kings of the earth And wherefore vsurpe you the Office dignities and lymittes of other men Learne saith he to haue a Spade to delue and dresse the Uineyard of the Lord not to beare a Scepter And yet more it is saith he a cleare thing that all Lordships is forbidden to the Apostles Go thou then which vsurpest the title of an Apostle in ruling Lordlike goe where the authoritie and power is fette in the Apostolike seate c. Theodore Beza What absolute power is Absolute
béeing receiued Christ departeth For there is no agréement betwéene Christ and Behal Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 441. How the standing of Satan among the Angels is to be vnderstood And Satan also came among them ¶ It is not so to be vnderstood that Satan wound himselfe in as though he had bene of the company and order of the Angells but it is to shewe vs that he is vnder Gods obeysaunce as well as the Angells howbeit that it is in a farre other qualitie For the Holy ghost nameth him aduersarie whereas the Angels be called the children of God to signifie vnto vs that the Angells â—â—e â—bey with their good will and that they be willing seruants whereas Satan is inforced so as there is nothing but necessitie and constraint in him Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 16. When the seruaunts of God came and stoode before the Lord Satan came also among them ¶ Thinke not that God sometime appeareth to the Angells and sometime not for the good Angels do alwaies see the face of God neither communeth God either with the Angels or with the Diuel with bodely speach but the holy ghost in the scripture speketh many things vnto vs according to our féeling and vseth a manner of speaking familiar vnto vs attributing appearing speaking enquiring and aunswering to God and to Angells which thing man onely vseth to the intent that we thereby may the easlier perceiue his meaning The comming of the Angells héere is none other thing then to giue accompts of the office enioyned them which they giue knowing that God seeth with what trust they did it and to giue thankes and waite for their reward They came saith Origen honouring magnifieng praising giuing thankes Of Satan also writeth he thus He came neither with gooing too or comming in but he came in thought counsell and most wicked desire to accuse the righteous before God his thought and desire are taken for a comming The Diuell then is counted to haue come into the sight of God not that the most wicked came indeede in the sight of the good God but because his cruell and most wicked thoughts came into the sight of God And thus euen now a dayes also commeth the Diuell with them into the sight of God in that he daily accuseth findeth faults persecuteth and troubleth the godly T. M. ¶ This declareth that although Satan be aduersarye vnto God yet is he compelled to obey him and doe him all homage without whose permission and appointment he can do nothing Geneua Of the man that Paule deliuered to Satan what it meaneth To deliuer him to Satan ¶ To deliuer to Satan is 〈…〉 banish a man from the Congregation of the faithfull which is the mysticall body of Christ. Ye shall vnderstand that there vs but two Kingdomes that is to say the Kingdome of Christ which is the Church or Congregation of the faithfull and the Kingdome of Satan Whosoeuer then is a rotten member cut off from the body of Christ he is immediately receiued into the kingdome of the Diuell as though he were delyuered vp vnto Satan and that ought to be done to the intent that carnal and fleshly wisdome hautines of minde may be ther-through abated Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Which is to be as an Heathen man and Publican For being wounded with shame and sorrow his flesh or olde man should dye and the spirit or new man shall remaine alyue and enioye the victorye in that daye when the Lord shall iudge the quicke and the dead 1. Pet. 4. 6. Geneua How Peter is called Satan Get thée behinde me Satan ¶ The Hebrues call him Satan that is to say an aduersarie whom the Grecians call Diabolos that is to say slaunderer or tempter But it is spoken of them that either of mallice as Iudas Iohn 6. 70. or of lyghtnes and pride resist the will of God Beza ¶ Which words signifieth an aduersarie who resisteth the wil of God either of mallice as did Iudas or of rashnesse and arrogancie as Peter did Geneua ¶ We ought to rebuke sharply all them that goe about to pluck vs away from the obedience that we owe vnto God and to his word Sir I. Cheeke How Satan can do no more then God permitteth him Go then went they out departed into the Heard of Swine ¶ Satan the diuel can do no more then God doth permit suffer him no not so much as to enter into a filthie hog we are much better then many Hogges before God if we cleaue vnto his sonne by faith Sir I. Cheeke How Satan entered into Iudas And after the soppe Satan entered into him ¶ He was entered into him before as this Euange list affirmeth in the beginning of this Chapter verse 2. but now began he more to inforce his strength and more openly to shewe himselfe In like manner as the Apostles had the Holy Ghost before Christs resurrection when they beléeued in him when they confessed him to be the Sonne of God but they euidently receiued him when Christ was ascended Act. 2. Tindale Of the binding vp and loosing againe of Satan And I saw an Angell descending from heauen hauing a key of the bottomlesse Pit a great chaine in his hand he tooke the Dragon the old Serpent which is the Diuell Satanas bound him for a thousand yeares and put him in the bottomles dungeon shut him vp signed him with his seale that hée should no more seduce the Gentiles till a thousand yeres were expired and after that he must be loosed againe for a litle shew of time And I saw seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen vnto them and the soules I sawe of them which were beheaded for the testimonie of Iesus ¶ By these words of the Reuelation héere recited three special times are to be noted First the being abroad of Satan to deceiue the world Second the binding vp of him Thirdly the loosing out of him againe after a thousand yeres consumate for a time Concerning the interpretation of which times I sée the common opinion of many to be deceiued by ignoraunce of Histories and state of things done in the Church supposing that the comming vp of Satan for a thousand yeares spoken of in the Reuelation was ment from the time of Christ our Lord. Wherein I graunt that spiritually the strength dominion of Satan in accusing and condemning vs for sinne was cast downe at the passion and by the passion of Christ our Sauiour and locked vp not onely for a thousand yeare but for euer and euer Albeit as touching his malitious hatred and fury of that Serpent against the outward bodyes of Christs poore Saints which is the héele of Christ to afflict and torment the Church outwardly that I iudge to bée meant in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn not to bée restrayned till the ceasing of those terrible persecutions of the Primitiue Church At which time it pleased God to pittie
Paule maketh no moe Sauiours but God alone for he attributeth saluation vnto the instruments whereby God worketh saluation When as Dauid killed Golias with a sling he that saith Dauids sling killed Golias with a â—ling saith not there was more slayers of Golias beside Dauid for the sling was the proper weapon that Dauid killed Golias with And so is Timothy Gods instrument wherby he wrought the saluation of Timothy and of them that beleeued his preaching But if a man say that a launce killed Golias the same man maketh another killer of Golias beside Dauid for the Launce was none of the weapons that Dauid killed Golias with So he that giueth saluation instrumentally to any instruments which God hath onely appointed and vsed to worke saluation vnto other instruments then are peculiar and proper vnto God which God neither appointed neither at any time hath vsed neither will allowe for his instruments maketh another Sauiour beside God I. Veron Thou gauest them Sauiours c. ¶ Sauiours are héere called the Princes or Captaines which saued the people from theyr enimies Iudic. 3. T. M. How this place following is vnderstood Whosoeuer will saue his lyfe shall loose it ¶ Whosoeuer will saue his lyfe that is whosoeuer in this world regardeth so his lyfe that he will not put it in ieopardye for me when the time requyreth the same shall loose his lyfe eternally Tindale To bee saued by hope what it meaneth For we are saued by hope ¶ We are saued by hope that is we hope to be deliuered out of the corruption of our bodyes into the glory that Christ now is in and therefore saint not in our tribulations Tindale SAVLE Why he was called Paule THen Saule which also is called Paule ¶ Of the name of Paule doe manye dispute but the most allowed opinion is that of the Hebrewes hée was called Saule and after the manner of speach of the Gentiles and Romanes hée was called Paule How Saule rent Samuels coate When Saule tooke Samuel by the lap of his coate and rent it Samuel said vnto Saule The Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israel from thee this day Some expositours doe say that Samuel did giue this token to Saule that such a man shuld raigne in his steede as should cut off the lap of his coate which thing Dauid did For Saule when he saw the lap of his coate in Dauids hand said vnto him Now I know surely that thou shalt raigne after me Lyra. SCAPE GOATE ¶ Looke Goate SCEPTER What the Scepter of Christ is HIs scepter is a scepter of righteousnesse not onely a righteous Scepter that is that whatsoeuer he ordeineth it is righteous but the scepter of righteousnes that is whatsoeuer is righteous is ordeined of him and all spirituall scepters of all Kings which are not directed by him they are crooked broken scepters of superstition and scepters of Idolatry there is none of righteousnesse but only the scepter of Iesus Christ. The Scepter is a little wande which Princes haue accustomed to beare in their hands and it is a signe of their gouernment and by a Metonimia it signifieth héere the gouernmeÌ„t it selfe Now the scepter of Christ is as his kingdome is not a scepter of wood or mettall like other kings for his kingdome is not of this worlde as theirs is but his scepter the Prophet Esay in plaine words describeih it He shall smite the earth saith he with the scepter of his mouth with the breath of his lips shall kill the vngodly In which words of the Prophet we sée both what is the scepter why it hath the name of righteousnes The scepter is the word of his mouth yâ— is the preaching of the Gospell not decrées nor decreâ—alls nor traditions of men nor vnwritten verities by none of al these we haue receiued the spirit of God but onely by hearing faith preached it therefore alone is the scepter c. Deering SCISME What Scisme is and how it is defined SCisme is a Gréeke word lyke as Hersie is and signifieth a cutting off a diuision or a breach deriued from the Gréek word Okizio which is as much to say as to cut to deuide and to breake asunder Augustine doth allow their definition which doe define Scisme to be a new discention of some Congregation vpon a diuersitie of opinions and Heresie an olde worne Scisme But séeing the signification of this word is manifest knowen I thinke it a plainer way to define a Scisme to bée a cutting a sunder of the Ecclesiasticall vnitie and peace whereby the fellowship of the faithful is deuided into two parts and opinions and that it skilleth not whether it be new or olde or els from whome it procéede It was surely a Scisme that the Corinthians were deuided into two parts and said one I am of Paule and another I am of Cephas and another I am of Apollo Like as the Scisme of the kingdome of the Israelites was when the ten Tribes were separated from Iuda and Beniamin vnder Roboam was as well a Scisme when it came to be olde vnder the last king of that people as when it was yet new begun vnder Roboam So the Schismes of the Church be as well Scismes after all their auncientie of times and continuance as they were at the first beginning though they conuey themselues neuer so great a colour of the Catholike church because they haue bene so long vsed and accustomed Mus. fol. 542. Of Scismes good and euill That is an euill schisme whereby the good vnitie and concord is cut and put a sunder and that is a good scisme when the naughtie knot and nest was broken The vnitie of the Iewes was naught before they heard the doctrine of Christ concord was broken by scisme after the hearing of Christ. So we do read in Iohn And ther was a scisme a new among the Iews because of these words talke For many of them saide He hath a Diuell and is mad why doe ye hearken vnto him Other sayde These be not the words of one that hath the Diuell can a diuell open the eyes of the blind This scisme the doctrine of Christ stirred vp among the Iewes And what godly person will say that the vnitie concord which went before was better then it By the lyke scisme the whole world was dâ—uided afterwarde through the preaching of Christs Gospell which diuision Christ doth expresly challenge to himselfe saieng I came not to send peace but a sword for I came to seperate c. This scisme came vpon good that is to say vpon the Gospell of saluation and it tendeth to good ende that is to saye vnto the saluation of mankinde and it did breake vp the naughtie vnitie which rested in the Catholike or vniuersall blindnesse of mens mindes and it called all men vnto the true vnitie Muscul. fol. 543. SCORNER The propertie of a scorner or mocker REproue not a scorner least he
of men by manifest signes of his Diuinitie Geneua How the sonne is punished for the fathers fault He shall dye the death and his bloud shall be vpon him ¶ He sheweth how the sonne is punished for his fathers fault that is if he be wicked as his Father was doeth not repent he shall be punished as his father was or els not Geneua SONNE OF GOD. How Christ is proued to be the Sonne of God THou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thée ¶ That is this daye haue I declared that thou art my naturall son meaning especially the time in which he made him knowen in the world by his wonderfull workes as S. Paule ment when he said God was made manifest in the flesh noting the working of the spirit working in his birth life death resurrection ascension so this daye noteth no perticular time but al times in generall wherein God hath shewed his power in Christ as especially in the time he liued among vs c. Deering Of the Sonne of Gods deliuering vp his kingdome vnto his father Then commeth the ende when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God the father when he hath put downe all rule authoritie and power for he must raigne till he haue put all his enimies vnder his feete but where he saith all things are put vnder him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things vnder him when all things are subdued vnto him then shall the sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all ¶ S. Paule in this place doth the Corinthians to wit that then shall the ende come that all things shall be subdued vnto Iesus Christ and Christ his Sonne shall delyuer vnto his Father his kingdome that is the Church the whole number of the elect which he hath by his death redéemed Then also Christ the son himselfe shall be subiect vnto the father touching the dispensation of his flesh in his members the Saints by which it is meaned that then the mysterie of Christ shall cease the preaching of the Gospell shall be left and no longer any such in the euerlasting kingdom of God the saints shal be as was in the militant Church when the world was subiect vnto the preaching of the Gospell For wher no sin nor disease is ther néedeth no remission or medicine And this subiection of the Saints shal be the most frée kingdom vnto them for then Iesus Christ very God man shal be al in al God in God raigning in all things creature in creatures to God subiect as a creature c. Uerely touching the dispensation of the flesh and the misterie now in force and vre Christ shal be subiect to his father but being true God and cousubstanciall sonne of God the Father hath and shal euerlastingly haue one indiuisible raigne kingdome with the father I. Proctor ¶ Now Christ shall surrender the Kingdome that was giuen vnto him that we may cleaue perfectly vnto God howbeit he shall not by that meanes vtterly giue vp his kingdom wherof as the Scripture teacheth there is no ende but he shall as it were conuay it from his manhood to his Godhead For then we shall haue an open entrie and frée accesse to the diuine maiestie where now our weaknesse will not suffer vs to approch Christ then shall this waye bée subiect to his Father for then the vale shall be taken away and the office of his mediation shall some way cease and we shall sée God face to face raigning in his glory without any countring or meane And where S. Paul saith that God may be all in all some think he speaketh so because we shall haue than without any meane many commodities which God now ministreth vnto vs by creatures For maintenance of our lyfe we shal then haue no néed of bread and drinke c. Neither for edifieng shall we haue any néede of the Sacraments of the Church nor the outward word of the Scripture nor Ecclesiasticall offices for God by himself shall be all in all Other teach the meaning of those wordes to be that the flesh shall couet no more the spirit but God shal possesse euery part of vs and raigne in vs fully perfectly which thing in this life is only begun B. Traher ¶ Looke Subiection How the sonne of God is equall to his father Thought it no robbery to be equall with God ¶ If the sonne be equall to the father then is ther of necessitie an equalitie which Arrius that Heretike denieth And if the sonne bée compared with the father then is there a distinction of persons which Sebellius that heretike denieth Beza Who are the sonnes of God The sonnes of God are the sonnes of Seth which hadde instructed and nourished them in the feare of God The sonnes of men are the sonnes of Cain instructed of him to all wickednesse Tindale The sonnes of God séeing the daughters of men that they were faire S. Austen saith that those which are ther called the sonnes of God were in very déede men namely comming of the stocke of Seth. For when they worshipped God truly sincerely and called vpon him holily and purely being adorned with his fauour and grace they are called by the Scriptures the sons of God But when at the length they began to burne in filthie lusts with those women which came of the stocke of Cain and by that meanes fell into fellowship with the vngodly taking them to their wiues and cleauing also to superstitious and wicked worshippings they were chaunged from the sonnes of God not onely into men but also into flesh And this will I say by the waye Aquila translating these wordes out of Hebrue They were not saith he the sonnes of God but the sonnes of Gods for the cause so called as I suppose because their progenitours were holy men but their Children miserably fell from God and godlinesse by inordinate loue of women And Simmachus translateth it the sonnes of the naughtie c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 16. ¶ By the sonnes of God are vnderstood those that descended from Seth which wer instruct in the true knowledge and worship of God as in manye places both in the olde Testament and in the new the faithfull are called the sonnes of God And by the daughters of men are vnderstoode the women that came of the generation of Cain which were giuen to all vngodlynesse and with them Seth commaunded his children by the will of GOD that they should make no contract of marriage as the Lord commaunded the Children of Israel to make no marriage with the women of the Cananites Lyra. ¶ The Sonnes of the godlye ioyned themselues with the Daughters of the wicked without all feare of God Geneua How we are borne the sonnes of God Which are borne not of bloud c. ¶ These words pertain◠to the description
causes of true repentaunce that bringeth forth wéeping One is for because we haue through negligence omitted many things which we ought not to haue done These are commonly called sins of committing omitting And in the same place he interpreteth this sentence Bring forth worthy fruit of repentance after this manner that wee should wéepe for the sinnes already committed and we should take héede that we doe not the same againe Chrisostome also vpon the Epistle to the Collossians the. 12. homely complaineth that the christians abused teares And when as otherwise teares are good creatures of God they defame them in adioyning them to those things which deserue not weeping Sinnes onely sayth he are to be wept for not onely our owne sins but other mens also Which Paule performed in very deede who in the second to the Corinthians sayde That he was afraide not to come vnto them but so that he was deiected and compelled to wéepe for very many which had fallen and not repented Yea and hée exhorted the same Corinthians to wéepe for other mens sinnes when in the first Epistle he sayd Ye are puffed vp and ye haue not mourned namely for the grieuous crime of an incestuous man And Dauid in his 119. Psalme writeth Mine eyes haue brought forth riuers of waters because they haue not kept thy lawe That holy Prophet wept because of yâ— publike transgressions of the lawe when he sawe the same transgressions perpretated he abundantly powred out teares c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 63. How godly men doe easilier weepe then laugh Ezechiel in the. 8. chapter commended certeine which wept for the wicked acts of other men And héereof it commeth that when holy men sée horrible spectacles of sinners oftentimes to happen they easilyer burst forth into teares then into laughter for so Christ vsed whom we read to haue oftentimes wept but neuer to haue laughed which selfe same thing also we must doe at this day when as so great and euill an haruest of sins doth on euery side offer it selfe vnto vs. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 63. VVHY Why God doth this or that we ought noâ— to aske WHen it is asked saith S. Austen why God did this thing or that thing we must aunswere that he did it because yâ— it was his will so to doe If thou goest any farther asking why it was his will so to doe thou doest aske a thing which is both greater and higher then the will of God which thing cannot be found out Aug. cont Mad. li. 1. cap. 3. Why God doth more for one then for another If a man doe aske why God doth shew mercye more to one then to another S. Austen maketh aunswere by an apt similitude on this wise If a man haue many debters that doth owe vnto him the like sum of money doth it not lye in his power to forgiue some of them the whole debt to call vpon the other for the whole sum who can lay any thing to his charge for so doing Then marke saith he we are all debters vnto God and haue all deserued euerlasting damnation that he doth then of méere mercy and goodnesse forgiue some and to some againe he doth according to righteous iudgement who shall be so bolde to blame him for it I. Veron Why doth not God will some say giue his grace to all alike when his word is preached but suffereth some to receiue it other to despise it S. Luke in the Act. 13. 48. And they saith he did beléeue yâ— were ordeined before to life euerlasting Againe he could doe it saith S. Austen because he is almighty and why then doth he it not because saith he that he will not And why he will not that doe we leaue vnto him Veron ¶ Looke Predestination Will of God Vaine Questions VVHITE What is vnderstood by the white horse BY the white horse may be vnderstood the first state of the christian Church without blemish By the second seale red horse vnderstand the state of the kingdome of Christ in yâ— time of yâ— martirs By the third scale the beast yâ— black horse ballance measure vnderstand dearth want of victuals with the portion that was allowed for one man for his dayes spending which happened to all the world either when Claudius or â—raianus raigned Emperours By the fourth seale the beast the voyce and the pale horse vnderstand the heretikes which diuers waies vexe the holy Church with false doctrine The fift seale may signifie the right godlye Christian men The sixt seale the great misery affliction which shall rise be procured through Antichrist Marl. ¶ Looke Seale ¶ By the white horse is signified the Apostles and the first disciples of Christ for why yâ— scripture doth so call them These horses were white they were made pure righteous cleane by Iesus Christ and bare him by their preaching the world ouer Such a white horse to the glory of God was Paule when he bare the name of Christ before the Gentiles the Kings the Children of Israel c. Bale What is meant by the white stone And will giue him a white stone ¶ Arethas writeth that such a stone was wont to be giuen to wrastlers at games or els that such stones did in olde time witnesse the quitting of a man Beza ¶ By the white stone is signified the election before God also euerlasting peace and confidence in the grace and fauour of God vnto euerlasting life Sir I. Cheeke ¶ I will also giue him for a token of perpetuall peace and loue that pure and precious stone Iesus Christ so white as the Lily â—loure innocent and cleane from all contagious vices to be his onely and whole wisedome righteousnesse light health and redemption Bale VVHOLE BVRNT OFFERING Wherefore it was called a whole burnt offering ¶ Looke Burnt offering VVHOREDOME How whoredome is taken in the Prophet Ose. THe vse of whoredome or fornication throughout the Prophet is to take another God beside the true God to serue Images and beléeue in them T. M. How whoredome was punished by death Bring ye hir forth let hir be burnt ¶ We sée that the law which was written in mans heart taught them yâ— whoredome should be punished with death albeit no law as yet was giuen Geneua How whoredome being suffered spreadeth abrod Whoredome saith Basil stayeth not in one man but inuadeth a whole Citie For some one young man commeth to an harlot and taketh vnto himselfe a fellowe and the same fellowe taketh another fellow wherefore euen as fire béeing kindeled in a Citie if the winde blow vehemently stayeth not in yâ— burning of one house or two but spreadeth farre and wide draweth a great destruction with it so this euill being once kindled spredeth ouer all parts of the Citie Pet. Mar. vpon Iudi. fo 233. How whoredome is spued out As it spued out the people that were before you ¶
confusion superstition Idolatry impietie as Babilon the first Monarch was destroid so shal this wicked kingdome of Antichrist haue a miserable ruine though it hée great and séemeth to extend throughout all Europa Geneua And their corps shall lye in the stréets of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt where our Lord was crucified ¶ Meaning the whole iurisdiction of the Pope which is compared to Sodome and to Aegypt because the true libertie to serue God is taken away from the faithfull and Christ was condemned by Pilate who represented the Romane power which should be enimie to the godly Obiection What impudencie is it to affirme that Christ was crucified at Rome and all the worlde knoweth he suffered death at Hierusalem Aunswere Rome béeing vnderstood for the Regiment c. As is aforesaid the proofe is euidently made that our Sauiour Christ suffered and was crucified at Rome Reasons to proue that Christ suffered at Rome By whom was he condemned was it not by Pilate the deputie or lieuetenant of the Romane Empire c For what cause or crime was he iudged to dye Was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romane Empire With what kinds of execution was he put to death Was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romanes for such hainous offences as were vniustlye layde to his charge Finally was not the place where he suffered within the circuite of the Romane Empire May not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome when by the Romane Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romane state executed by a kinde of death appointed by the Romane lawes in a place of the Romane dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilatâ— had them take him iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shuld decree some light punishment against him they aunswered It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death he hath defeâ—ued to die As touching to cause although they accused him of blasphemy because he made himselfe the son of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate wild admit no accusation but such as conteined a crime against the Romane lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be propeâ— to the Romanes for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blaphemie according to yâ— lawâ— of Moses And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Hierusalem it is manifest by these reasons First that he calleth it the greate Citie which tearme coulde neuer bée spoken of Hierusalem Also vs calleth it Sodoma and Aegypt which was the Sea of the monsterons beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon c. Adde héerevnto that Hierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in Saint Iohns time which wrote this reuelation For the second proofe sée the. 13. Chapter of this Reuelation and the. 17. chapter where this euill shapen beast is described with 7. heads 10 hornes Also sée Daniel the 7. Chapter describing the foure beastes especially the fourth beast which all men must confesse to be the Monarch of Rome which is the fourth Monarch The third Argument or proofe is taken out of the 17. chapter verse 9. of this Reuelation Where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the beast with seauen heads declareth in verye plaine wordes that the seauen heads do signifie seauen hills wherevpon the woman sitteth which al writers Poets historiers cosmographers with one consent do confesse to be Rome which is builded vpon 7. hills whose names are these Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Caelius The Poet Virgil describeth Rome with this Periphrasis in his Georgikes Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces Which hath compassed 7. hils within her walls The fourth and last proofe is taken out of the. 17. chapter of this Reuelation the last verse where the Angell expoundeth that the woman which Saint Iohn sawe which was the great whoore Babylon is that great Citie which hath cominion ouer the kings of the earth And what man is so impudent as to saye that anie other Citie in Saint Iohns time had dominion ouer the kings of the earth but Rome How Babylon is proued to bee Rome by the Doctours Ireneus one of the most auncient and autenticall writers that the Church hath in the fift booke of his treatise against all hereliks speking of the sea of Antichrist vpon the last verse vppon the. 13. chap. of this Reuelation where it is said yâ— the number of the beasts name is sixe hundred sixtie and sixe sheweth that the opinion of many in his time was that séeing this name Lateinos which is in English the Latin man or Romane in the numerall Gréeke letters conteineth this number that Antichrist must be sought at Rome his words are these Sed a Lateinos nomen fex centorum sexaginta sex numerorum c. Et valde verisimile est quoniam verissim regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant Also saith he this name Lateinos conteining the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichrist it is very like so to be for that which most vndoubtedly is a kingdom hath that name for they be Latines which now doe reigne Tertulianus a verye auncient writer in his third booke against Marcion which denied that Christ had a true bodye wherefore Tertulian vseth this reason against him That thing which hath a figure in it might bée a thing of truth so discoursing of many things figured and the figures of them commeth to theseâ— wordes Siâ— Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum c. Euen so doth Babylon in the Apocalipsis of our Saint Iohn beare the figure of the Citie of Rome which is altogether as great and as proude in reigneâ— and as great a persecuter of the Saintes as Babylon was Chrisostome in his Commentaries vppon the seconde Epistle to the Thessaloâ—â—ans Capter 2. in his fourth Homelye where as Paule speaketh of the manifestation of Antichrist sayth they knewe what was the cause that hée was not presentlye reuealed â— but when that staye is taken awaye hée shoulde bee râ—â—â—â—led in his due time Chrisostome 〈…〉 deth this staye too bee the Romane Empire which must giue place to Antichrist that like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans the Grecians in the place of the Persians and the Romanes in the place of the Grecians Euen so our Antichrist should inuade the Empire of the Romanes Vacantem imperiâ— principatum inuadit tentabit ad se capere hominum Deâ— imperium Antichrist saith he shal inuade the vacant principalitie of the Empire and shall assay to drawe vnto