Pauls vvritings hold this for a certaintie as the Apostles ovvne defense vvhatsoeuer he seeme to say hereafter sounding in their sense that sinne commeth of God or may therfore be committed that he may vvorke good thereof that the Apostle him self condemneth that sense as slaunderous and blasphemous 10. Not any iust These general speaches that both Ievv and Gentile be in sinne and none at al iust are not so to be taken that none in neither sort vvere euer good the Scriptures expresly saying that Iob Zacharie Elisabeth and such like vvere iust before God it vvere blasphemie to say that these vvordes alleaged out of the 13 Psalme vvere meant in Christes mother in S. Iohn the Baptist in the Apostles c. For this only is the sense that neither by the lavv of nature nor lavv of Moyses could any man be iust or auoid such sinnes as here be reckened but by faith and the grace of God by vvhich there vvere a number in al ages specially among the Ievves that vvere iust and holy vvhom these vvordes touch not being spoken only to the multitude of the vvicked vvhich the Prophet maketh as it vvere a seueral body conspiring against Christ and persecuting the iust and godly of vvhich il companie he saith that none vvas iust nor feared God 20. By the vvorkes of the Lavv. S. Hierom and S. Chrysostom expound this of the ceremonial vvorkes only and in that sense the Apostle specially prosecuteth this proposition in his Epistle to the Galatians but it is true also of al mans moral vvorkes done vvithout faith the grace of God vvhich can not be acceptable or auailable in Gods sight to iustifie any man And so S. Augustine taketh it de Sp. lit c. â— to â— 22. Iustice of God Bevvare of the vvicked and vaine commentarie of the Caluinistes glosing the iustice of God to be that vvhich is resident in Christ apprehended by our faith and so that imputed to vs vvhich vve in deede haue not Vvherein at once they haue forged them selues against Gods manifest vvord a nevv no iustice a phantastical apprehension of that vvhich is not a false faith and vntrue imputation vvhereas the iustice of God here is that vvherevvith he endueth a man at his first conuersion and is novv in a man and therfore mans iustice but yet Gods Iustice also because it is of God Of this iustice in vs vvhereby vve be truely iustified and in deede made iust S. Augustine speaketh thus The grace of Christ doth vvorke our illumination and iustification invvardly also And againe He giueth to the faithful the most secrete grace of his Spirit vvhich seâ—retly he povvreth into infants also And againe They are iustified in Christ that beleeue in him through the secrete communication and inspiration of spiritual grace vvhereby euery one leaneth to our Lord. And againe Hemaketh iust â—eâ—evving by the Spirit and regeneration by grace 28. By faith vvithout vvorkes This is the place vvherevpon the Protestants gather falsly their only faith and vvhich they commonly auouch as though the Apostle said that only faith doth iustifie Vvhere he both in vvordes and meaning excepteth only the vvorkes of the Lavv done vvithout Christ before our conuersion neither excluding the Sacraments of Baptisme or Penance not hope and charitie or other Christian vertues al vvhich be the iustice of faith as the good vvorkes proceding thereof be likevvise the lavv and iustice of faith Al vvhich the Aduersaries vvould exclude by foisting in the terâ—e only Of vvhich kind of men S. Augustine vpon this place faith thus Men not vnderstanding that vvhich the Apostle saith vve counte a man to be iustified by faith vvithout the vvorkes of the Lavv did thinke that he said faith vvould suffise a man though he liued il and had no good vvorkes Which God forbid the vessel of election should thinke vvho in a certaine place after he had said * In Christ IESVS neither circumcision nor prepuce auaileth any vvhit he straight added but faith vvhich vvorketh by loue CHAP. IIII. That Abraham vvas not iustified by his ovvne povver but by Gods grace in vvhom he beleeued 6 vvhich is a vvay for the sinner also to come to iustice 9 And that seing he vvas not as then circumcised not only the circumcised lovv but also the vncircumcised Gentil may by beleeuing the Christian faith come to iustice as Abraham did 〈◊〉 specially considering also that Abraham vvas promised to be Father of the vvhole vvorld and not only of the Ievves to vvhom onely the Lavv vvas giuen and that not to fulfil the promise but for an other cause verse 1 VVHAT shal vve say then that ″ Abraham did finde our father according to the flesh ✠verse 2 For if Abraham vvere iustified ″ by vvorkes he hath glorie but not vvith God ✠verse 3 For vvhat saieth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it vvas reputed him to iustice ✠verse 4 But ″ to him that vvorketh the revvard is not imputed according to grace but according to dette ✠verse 5 But ″ to him that vvorketh not yet beleeueth in him that iustifieth the impious his faith is reputed to iustice according to the purpose of the grace of God ✠verse 6 ″ As Dauid also termeth the blessednes of a man to vvhom God reputeth iustice vvithout vvorkes ✠verse 7 Blessed are they vvhose iniquities be forgiuen and vvhose sinnes be ″ couered ✠verse 8 Blessed is the man to vvhom our Lord hath not imputed sinne ✠verse 9 This blessednes then doth it abide in the circumcision or in the prepuce also For vve say that vnto Abraham faith vvas reputed to iustice ✠verse 10 Hovv vvas it reputed in circumcision or in prepuce Not in circumcision but in prepuce ✠verse 11 And * he receiued the signe of circumcision ″ a seale of the iustice of faith that is in prepuce that he might be the father of al that beleeue by the prepuce that vnto them also it may be reputed to iustice ✠verse 12 and might be father of circumcision not to them only that are of the circumcision but to them also that folovv the steppes of the faith that is in the prepuce of our father Abraham ✠verse 13 For not by the Lavv vvas the promisse to Abraham or to his seede that he should be heire of the vvorld but by the iustice of faith ✠verse 14 For if they that are of the Lavv be heires faith is made voide the promisse is abolished ✠verse 15 For the Lavv vvorketh vvrath For vvhere is no lavv neither is there preuarication ✠verse 16 Therfore of faith that according to grace the promisse may be firme to al the seede not to that only vvhich is of the Lavv but to that also vvhich is of the faith of Abraham vvho is the father of vs al as it is vvritten ✠verse 17 For a
Irenaeus li. 3. c. 2. 3. 4. tried truth from falsehod and condemned old Heretikes prouing Marcion Valentine Cerdon Menander and such like false Apostles because they came in with their nouelties long after the Church was settled in former truth Sixthly This curse or execration pronounced by the Apostle toucheth not onely the Galatians or those of the Apostles time that preached othervvise then they did but it perteineth to al times preachers and teachers vnto the worldes end and it concerneth then as Vincentius Lirinensis saith that preach a new faith or change that old faith which they receiued in the vnitie of of the Catholike Church To preach any thing to Christian Catholike men saith he besides that vvhich they haue receiued neuer vvas it lavvful neuer is it nor neuer shal it be lavvful to say anathema to such it hath been and is and shal be alvvaies behooful So S. Augustine by this place holdeth al accursed that draw a Christian man from the societie of the whole Church to make the seueral part of any one sect that call to the hidden conuenticles of Heretikes from the open and knovven Church of Christ that allure to the priuate from the common finally al that draw with chatting curiositie the children of the Catholike Church by teaching any thing besides that they found in the church ep 48. Psal 103. Con. 2. mentioning also that a Donatist feined an Angel to haue admonished him to call his frende out of the Communion of the Catholike Church into his sect and he saith that if it had been an Angel in deede yet should he not haue heard him Lastly S. Hierom vseth this place wherein the Apostle giueth the curse or anáthema to al false teachers not once but tvvise to proue that the zeale of Catholike men ought to be so great tovvard al Heretikes and their doctrines that they should giue them the anáthema though they vvere neuer so deere vnto them In which case saith this holy Doctor I would not spare mine ovvne parents Ad Pammach c. 3. cont Io. Hieros 18. To see Peter In what estimation S. Peter was with this Apostle it appeareth seing for respect and honour of his person and of duety as Tertullian de praescript saith notvvithstanding his great affaires Ecclesiasticall he vvent so farre to see him not in vulgar maner but as S. Chrysostom noteth the Greeke word to import to behold him as men behold a thing or person of name excellencie and maiestie for vvhich cause and to fill him self with the perfect vew of his behauiour he abode with him fiftene daies See S. Hierom ep 10◠ad Paulinum to ◠who maketh also a mysterie of the number of daies that he taried with S. Peter See S. Ambrose in Comment huius loci and S. Chrysostome vpon this place and ho. 87 in Ioan. CHAP. II. He telleth furth the storie begonne in the last chapter and hovv he reprehended Peter 15 and then specially vrgeth the ensample of the Christian Ievves vvho sought vnto Christ for iustification and that by vvarrant also of their Lavv it self as also because othervvise Christs death had been needles verse 1 THEN after fourtene yeres I vvent vp againe to Hierusalem vvith Barnabas taking Titus also vvith me ✠verse 2 And I vvent vp according to reuelation and ″ cōferred with them the Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but apart with thē that seemed to be something lest perhaps ″ in vaine I should runne or had runne ✠verse 3 But neither Titus which vvas with me vvhereas he vvas a Gentil vvas compelled to be circumcised ✠verse 4 but because of the false brethren craftely brought in vvhich craftely came in to espie our libertie that vve haue in Christ IESVS that they might bring vs into seruitude ✠verse 5 To vvhom vve yelded not subiection no not for an houre that the truth of the Gospel may remaine vvith you ✠verse 6 But of them that seemed to be something vvhat they vvere sometime it is nothing to me * God accepteth not the person of man for to me they that seemed to be something ″ added nothing ✠verse 7 But contrarievvise vvhen they had seen that to me vvas committed the Gospel of the prepuce as ″ to Peter of the circumcision ✠verse 8 for he that vvrought in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision vvrought in me also among the Gentils ✠verse 9 and vvhen they had knovven the grace that vvas giuen me Iames and Cephas and Iohn vvhich seemed to be pillers ″ gaue to me and Barnabas the right handes of societie that vve vnto the Gentiles they vnto the circumcision ✠verse 10 only that vve should be mindeful of the poore the vvhich same thing also I vvas careful to doe ✠verse 11 And vvhen Cephas vvas come to Antioche ″ I resisted him in face because he vvas ″ reprehensible ✠verse 12 For before that certaine came from Iames he did eate vvith the Gentiles but vvhen they vvere come he vvithdrevv and separated him self fearing them that vvere of the circumcision ✠verse 13 And to his simulation cōsented the rest of the Ievves so that Barnabas also vvas ledde of them into that simulation ✠verse 14 But vvhen I savv that they vvalked not rightly to the veritie of the Gospel I said to Cephas before them al If thou being a Ievve liuest Gentile-like not Iudaically hovv doest thou compel the Gentils to Iudaize ✠verse 15 Vve are by nature Ievves and not of the Gentils sinners ✠verse 16 But knovving that * man is not iustified by the vvorkes of the Lavv but by the faith of IESVS Christ we also beleeue in Christ IESVS that we may be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the vvorkes of the Lavv for the vvhich cause by the workes of the Law no flesh shal be iustified ✠verse 17 But if seeking to be iustified in Christ our selues also be found sinners is Christ then a minister of sinne God forbid ✠verse 18 For if I build the same things againe vvhich I haue destroied I make my self a preuaricatour ✠verse 19 For I by the Lavv am dead to the Law that I may liue to God vvith Christ I am nailed to the crosse ✠verse 20 And I liue novv not I but Christ liueth in me And that that I liue novv in the flesh I liue in the faith of the sonne of God who loued me deliuered him self for me ✠verse 21 I cast not avvay the grace of God For if iustice be by the Lavv then Christ died in vaine ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. ◠Conferred vvith them Though S. Paul vvere taught his Gospel of God and not of man and had an extraordinarie calling by Christ him self yet by reuelation he vvas sent to Hierusalem to conferre the said Gospel which he preached vvith his elders the ordinarie Apostles and Rulers of the Church to put both
to feare lest I be iniurious to Peter for vvho knovveth not that the principalitie of Apostleship it to be preferred before any dignitie of Bishop vvhatsoeuer but if the grace of the Chaires or Sees differ yet the glorie of the Martyrs is one And vvho is so dull that can not see that the inferior though not by office and iurisdiction yet by the law of brotherly loue and fraternal correption may reprehend his superior Did euer any man vvonders that a good Priest or any vertuous person should tell the Pope or any other great Prelate or greatest Prince in earth their faultes Popes may be reprehended and are iustly admonished of their faultes and ought to take it in good part so they do and euer haue done vvhen it commeth of zeale loue as of S. Paul Irenaeus Cyprian Hierom Augustine Bernard but of Simon Magus Nouatus Iulian Wicleffe Luther Caluin Beza that do it of malice raâ—le no lesse at their vertues then their vices of such I say Gods Prelates must not be taught nor corrected though they must patiently take it as our Sauiour did the like reproches of the malitious Ievves and as Dauid did the malediction of Semel 2 Reg. 16. 11. Reprehensible The Heretikes hereof againe inferre that Peter then did erre in faith and therfore the Popes may faile therein also To vvhich vve ansvver that hovvsoeuer other Popes may erre in their priuate teachings or vvritings vvhereof vve haue treated before in the Annotation vpon these vvordes That thy faith faile not it is certaine that S. Peter did not here faile in faith nor erre in doctrine or knovvledge for it vvas conuersation is non prâ—dicationis vitium as Tertullian saith de praescript nu 7. It vvas a default in conuersation life or regiment which may be committed of any man be he neuer so holy and not in doctrine S. Augustine and vvhosoeuer make most of it thinke no othervvise of it But S. Hierom and many other holy fathers deâ—râ—e it to haue been no fault at all nor any other thing then S. Paul him self did vpon the like occasion that this vvhole combat vvas a set thing agreed vpon betvvene them It is a schoole point much debated betvvixt S. Hierom and S. Augustine ep 9. 11. 19. apud August CHAP. III. By their ovvne conuersion at the first 6 and by the example of Abraham and promise made to him he shevveth that the vvay to obtaine the benediction is to seeke vnto God by faith in Christ 10 Seing also that the Lavv curseth euery one that hath not euermore kept the Lavv. 15 And that the Lavv vvas not giuen to alter Gods testament 19 but to conuince the Iovves of sinne 2â— and so to be their padagogue or leader vnto Christ 25 and then to cease verse 1 O Sensles Galatians vvho hath bevvitched you not to obey the truth before vvhose eies IESVS Christ vvas proscribed being crucified among you ✠verse 2 This only I vvould learne of you By the vvorkes of the Lavv did you receiue the Spirit or by the hearing of the faith ✠verse 3 Are you so foolish that vvhereas you began vvith the spirit now you vvil be consummate vvith the flesh ✠verse 4 Haue you suffered so great things vvithout cause if yet vvithout cause ✠verse 5 He therfore that giueth you the Spirit and vvorketh miracles among you by the vvorkes of the Lavv or by the hearing of the faith doeth he it ✠verse 6 As Abraham beleeued God and it vvas reputed to him vnto iustice ✠verse 7 Knovv ye therfore that they that are of faith the same are the children of Abraham ✠verse 8 And the Scripture foreseing that God iustifieth the Gentils by faith shevved vnto Abraham before That in thee shal al nations be blessed ✠verse 9 Therfore they that are of faith shal be blessed vvith the faithful Abraham ✠verse 10 For vvhosoeuer are of the vvorkes of the Lavv are vnder curse For it is vvritten ″ Cursed be euery one that abideth not in al things that be vvritten in the booke of the Lavv to doe them ✠verse 11 But that in the Lavv no man is iustified vvith God it is manifest because The iust ″ liueth by faith ✠verse 12 But the Lavv is not by faith but He that doeth those things shal liue in them ✠verse 13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Lavv being made a curse for vs because it is vvritten Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree ✠verse 14 that on the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham might be made in Christ IESVS that vve may receiue the promisse of the Spirit by faith ✠verse 15 Brethren I speake according to man yet a mans testameÌ„t being confirmed no man despiseth or further disposeth ✠verse 16 To Abraham vvere the promises said and to his seede He saith not And to seedes as in many but as in one And to thy seede vvhich is Christ ✠verse 17 And this I say the restament being confirmed of God the Lavv vvhich vvas made after foure hundred and thirtie yeres maketh not void to frustrate the promise ✠verse 18 For if the inheritance be of the Lavv novv not of promise But God gaue it to Abraham by promise ✠verse 19 Vvhy vvas the Lavv then It vvas put for transgressions vntil the seede came to vvhom he had promised ordeined by Angels in the hand of a mediatour ✠verse 20 And a mediatour is not of one but God is one ✠verse 21 Vvas the Lavv then against the promises of God God forbid For if there had been a Lavv giuen that could iustifie vndoubtedly iustice should be of the Lavv. ✠verse 22 But the Scripture * hath concluded al things vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of IESVS Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue ⊢ ✠verse 23 But before the faith came vnder the Lavv we vvere kept shut vp vnto that faith which vvas to be reuealed ✠verse 24 Therfore the Lavv vvas our Pedagogue in Christ that vve may be iustified by faith ✠verse 25 But vvheÌ„ the faith came novv vve are not vnder a paedagogue ✠verse 26 For you are al the children of God by faith in Christ IESVS ✠verse 27 For as many of you as are baptized in Christ ″ haue put on Christ ✠verse 28 There is not Ievve nor Greeke there is not bond nor free there is not male nor femal For al you are one in Christ IESVS ✠verse 29 And if you be Christs then are you the seede of Abraham heires according to promise ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 1â— Cursed be By this place the Heretikes vvould proue that no man is iust truely before God al being guiltie of damnation and Gods curse because they keepe not euery iote of the Lavv. Vvhere in deede the Apostle meaneth not such as offend venially
as it is plaine by the place of Deuteronomie vvhence he reciteth this text but onely such as commit great and damnable crimes and so by greuous and mortal transgressions vvholy breake Gods precepts and thereby incurre the curse of the Lavv from vvhich the said Lavv could not deliuer them of it self nor by any other meanes but by the faith and grace of CHRIST IESVS 11. Liueth by faith It is neither the Heretikes special presumption and confidence nor the faith of Diuels nor faith vvithout vvorkes vvhich is dead in it self as S. Iames saith that can giue life to the iust for that vvhich is dead can not be the cause of life but it is the Catholike faith as S. Augustine vvriteth vvhich vvorketh by charitie according to the Apostles ovvne explication of this vvhole passage by vvhich the iust liueth Li. 3 c. 5. cont duas ep Pelag. See the Annotation vpon the same vvordes Rom. 1. 27. Haue put on Christ Here the Aduersaries might haue seen if they vvere not blinded by contentious striuing against Gods Church that vvhen Iustification is attributed to faith vvithout mention of good vvorkes or other Christian vertues Sacraments it is not meant to exclude any of the same from the vvorking of iustice or saluation for here vve learne that by the Sacrament of Baptisme also vve put on Christ vvhich is to put on faith hope charitie and al Christian iustice By the same vve proue also that the Sacraments of the nevv iavv giue grace for that the receiuers thereof put on Christ And the Aduersaries euasion that it is faith vvhich vvorketh in the Sacrament and not the Sacrament it self is plainely false Baptisme giuing grace and faith it self to the infant that had none before CHAP. IIII. That the Lavv vvas fit for the time of nonnage but being novv come to ful age to desire such seruitude is absurd specially for Gentils 12 And that he vvriteth this not of any displeasure but to tel them the truth remembring hovv passingly they honoured him vvhom he vvas present and exhorting them therfore not to harken to the false Apostles in his absence 21 By the allegorie also of Abrahams tvvo sonnes shevving that the children of the Ievves Synagogue shal not inherite but vve vvho are the children of the free vvoman that is of the Cath. Church of Christ verse 1 AND I say as long as the heire is a litle one he differeth nothing from a seruant although he be lord of al ✠verse 2 but is vnder tutors and gouernours vntil the time limited of the father ✠verse 3 so vve also vvhen vve vvere litle ones vvere ″ seruing vnder the elemētes of the vvorld ✠verse 4 But vvhen the fulnes of time came God sent his sonne made of a vvoman made vnder the Lavv ✠verse 5 that he might redeeme them that vvere vnder the Lavv that vve might receiue the adoption of sonnes ✠verse 6 And because you are sonnes * God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into your hartes crying Abba Father ✠verse 7 Therfore novv he is not a seruant but a sonne And if a sonne an heire also by God ⊢ ✠verse 8 But then in deede not knowing God you serued them that by nature are not Gods ✠verse 9 But novv vvhen you haue knovven God or rather are knovven of God hovv turne you againe to the ″ vveake poore elements vvhich you vvil serue againe ✠verse 10 ″ You obserue daies and moneths and times and yeres ✠verse 11 I feare you lest perhaps I haue laboured in vaine among you ✠verse 12 Be ye as I because I also am as you brethren I beseeche you you haue hurt me nothing ✠verse 13 And you knovv that by infirmitie of the flesh I euangelized to you heretofore ✠verse 14 and your tentation in my flesh you despised not neither reiected but as an Angel of God you receiued me as Christ IESVS ✠verse 15 Vvhere is then your blessednes for I giue you testimonie that if it could be done you vvould haue plucked out your eies and haue giuen them to me ✠verse 16 Am I then become your enemie telling you the truth ✠verse 17 They emulate you not vvel but they vvould exclude you that you might emulate them ✠verse 18 But do you emulate the good in good alvvaies and not only vvhen I am present vvith you ✠verse 19 My litle children vvhom I trauail vvithal againe vntil Christ be formed in you ✠verse 20 And I vvould be vvith you now and chaunge my voice because I am confounded in you ✠verse 21 Tel me you that vvil be vnder the Lavv haue you not read the Lavv ✠verse 22 For it is vvritten that * Abraham had tvvo sonnes one of the bond-vvoman and one of the free-vvoman ✠verse 23 But he that of the bond-vvoman vvas borne according to the flesh and he that of the free-vvoman by the promisse ✠verse 24 vvhich things are said ″ by an allegorie For these are the tvvo testaments The one from mount Sina gendring vnto bondage vvhich is Agar ✠verse 25 for Sina is a mountaine in Arabia vvhich hath affinitie to that vvhich novv is Hierusalem and serueth vvith her children ✠verse 26 But that Hierusalem vvhich is aboue is free vvhich is our mother ✠verse 27 For it is vvritten Reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth and crie that trauailest not because many are the children of the desolate more then of her that hath a husband ✠verse 28 But * we brethren according to Isaac are the children of promis ✠verse 29 But as then he that vvas borne according to the flesh persecuted him that vvas after the spirit so novv also ✠verse 30 But vvhat saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-vvoman and her sonne for the sonne of the bond-vvoman shal not be heire vvith the sonne of the free-vvoman ✠verse 31 Therfore brethren vve are not the children of the bond-vvoman but of the free by the ″ freedom vvhere vvith Christ hath made vs free ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IIII. ◠Seruing. There can be no external vvorship of God nor association of men in religion either true or false vvithout the vse of corporal things or elements The Heathen so vsed the creatures of elements that they serued them as their goddes The Ievves of vvhom the Apostle here speaketh serued not the creatures them selues vvhich they occupied in their ceremonies but they serued the only true God vnder the elements that is to say being serullely clogged yoked kept occupied and in avve vvith innumerable fleshly grosse and combersom offices about creatures The Christians neither serue elements as the one nor be kep◠in seruile thraldom thereby as the other but occupie only a fevv exceding easie svvete seemely and significant for an agreable exercise both of body and minde Vvhereof S. Augustine saith thus li. 3. c. 9
be the sonne of the Church For a good Emperour is within the Church not aboue the Church Ambr. lib. 5. Epist Orat. de Basil trad 30. As Angels As Christ proueth here that in heauen they neither marry nor are married because there they shal be as Angels by the very same reason is proued that Saints may heare our prayers and helpe vs be they neere or farre of because the Angels do so and in euery moment are present vvher they list and neede not to be neere vs when they heare or helpe vs. 30. As Angels Not to marry nor be married is to be like to Angels therfore is the state of Religious men and women and Priests for not marrying worthely called of the Fathers an Angelical life Cyp. lib. 2. de discipl haâ— Virg. sub finem 32. Of the dead S. Hierom by this place disproueth the Heretike Vigilantius and in him these of our time which to diminish the honour of Saincts call them of purpose dead men 40. On these two Hereby it is euident that al dependeth not vpon faith only but much more vpon charitie though faith be the first which is the loue of God and of our neighbour which is the summe of al the law and the Prophetes because he that hath this double charitie expressed here by these two principal commaundemeÌ„ts fulfilleth and accomplisheth al that is commaunded in the Law and the Prophetes CHAP. XXIII The Scribes and Pharisees after al this continuing stil incorrigible although he wil haue the doctrine of their Chaire obeied yet against their workes and namely their ambition he openly inueigheth crying to them eight woes for their eightfold hypocrisie and blindnes 34 and so concluding with the most worthy reprobation of that persecuting generation and their mother-citie Ierusalem with her Temple verse 1 THEN IESVS spake to the multitudes and to his disciples ✠verse 2 saying Vpon â— the chaire of Moyses haue sitten the Scribes and the Pharisees ✠verse 3 Al things therfore â— vvhatsoeuer they shal say to you obserue ye and doe ye but according to their vvorkes doe ye not for they say and doe not ✠verse 4 For * they binde heauy burdens importable and put them vpon mens shoulders but vvith a finger of their ovvne they vvil not moue them ✠verse 5 But they doe al their vvorkes for to be seen of men for they make brode their phylacteries and enlarge their * fringes ✠verse 6 And they â— loue the first places at suppers and * the first chaires in the Synagogs ✠verse 7 and salutations in the market-place and to be called of men Rabbi ✠verse 8 But be not you called Rabbi for â— one is youâ— maister and al you are brethren ✠verse 9 And call none father to your selfe vpon earth for one is your father he that is in heauen ✠verse 10 Neither * be ye called â— maisters for one is your maister Christ ✠verse 11 He that is the greater of you shal be your seruiteur ✠verse 12 And he that exalteth him self shal be humbled and he that humbleth him self shal be exalted ◠✠verse 13 But vvo to you â— Scribes Pharisees hypocrites because you shut the kingdom of heauen before men For your selues do not enter in those that are going in you suffer not to enter ✠verse 14 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you * deuoure vvidovves houses â— praying long prayers for this you shal receiue the greater iudgement ✠verse 15 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you goe round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte and vvhen he is made you make him the childe of hel â— double more then your selues ✠verse 16 Wo to you blinde guides that say Whosoeuer shal svveare by the temple it is nothing but he that shal svveare by the gold of the temple is bound ✠verse 17 Ye foolish and blinde for vvhether is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold ✠verse 18 And vvhosoeuer shal svveare by the altar it is nothing but vvhosoeuer shal svveare by the gift that is vpon it is bound ✠verse 19 Ye blinde for vvhether is greater the gift or the altar that â— sanctifieth the gift ✠verse 20 He therfore that svveareth by the altar svveareth by it and by al things that are vpon it ✠verse 21 and vvhosoeuer shal svveare by the temple svveareth by it and â— by him that dvvelleth in it ✠verse 22 and he that svveareth by heauen svveareth by the throne of God by him that sitteth thereon ✠verse 23 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you tithe mint and anise and cummin and haue left the vveightier things of the lavv iudgemeÌ„t and mercie and faith these things you ought to haue done not to haue omitted those ✠verse 24 Blinde guides that straine a gâ—at and svvallovv a camel ✠verse 25 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you make cleane that on the outside of the cuppe and dish but vvithin you are ful ' of rapine and vncleannes ✠verse 26 Thou blinde Pharisee first make cleane the inside of the cuppe and the dish that the outside may become cleane ✠verse 27 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you are like to vvhited sepulchres vvhich outvvardly appeare vnto meÌ„ beautiful but vvithin are ful of dead mens bones and al filthines ✠verse 28 So you also outvvardly in deede â— appeare to men iust but invvardly you are ful of hypocrisie and iniquitie ✠verse 29 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees ye hypocrites because you build the Prophets sepulchres and â— garnish the moniments of iust men ✠verse 30 and say If vve had been in our fathers dayes vve had not been their felovves in the bloud of the Prophets ✠verse 31 Therefore you are a testimonie to your ovvne selues that you are the sonnes of them that killed the Prophets ✠verse 32 And fil you vp the measure of your fathers ✠verse 33 You serpents vipers broodes hovv vvil you flee from the iudgement of hel ✠verse 34 Therfore behold I send vnto you Prophets and vvise men and scribes and of them you shal kil crucifie and of them you shal scourge in your Synagogs and persecute from citie into citie ✠verse 35 that vpon you may come al the iust bloud that vvas shed vpon the earth from the bloud of * Abel the iust eueÌ„ vnto the bloud of * Zacharias the sonne of Barachias vvhom you murdered betvvene the temple and the altar ✠verse 36 Amen I say to you al these things shal come vpon this generation ✠verse 37 * Hierusalem Hierusalem vvhich killest the Prophets and stonest them that vvere sent to thee hovv often vvould I gather together thy children as the henne doth gather together her chickens vnder her
to helpe the neede of the Christians in Hierusalem vvhereof he speaketh 1. Cor. 16 And concerning the collections that are made for the saincts as I haue ordeined to the Churches of Galatia so doe you also By vvhich vvordes also it is euident that the Corinthians had not at then made their gathering But vvhen he vvrote the Second to them vvhere in the 11 Chapter he maketh mention of 14 yeres not onely after his Conuersion as to the Galatians but also after his Rapte vvhich seemeth to haue bene vvhen he vvas at Hierusalem Act. 9. foure yeres after his Conuersion in a traunce as he calleth it Act. 22 17 then vvere they readie For so he saith 2. Cor. 8 You haue begone from the yere past and 2. Cor. 9 For the vvhich I doe glorie of you to the Macedonians that also Achaia is ready from the yere past hovvbeit it folovveth theire But I haue sent the brethren that as I haue said you may be ready lest vvhen the Macedonians come vvith me and find you vnready vve be ashamed But vvhen he vvrote to the Romanes then vvas he novv come to Corinth for the purpose and had receiued theire contribution and vvas readie to goe vvith it vnto Hierusalem For so he saith Rom. 15. Novv therfore I vvil goe vnto Hierusalem to minister to the saincts For Macedonia and Achaia haue liked vvel to make some coÌ„tribution vpoÌ„ the poore saincts that are in Hierusalem So then the Epistle to the Romanes vvas not the first that he vvrote But yet it is and alvvaies vvas set first because of the primacie of that Church for vvhich cause also he handleth in it such matters as perteined not to them alone but to the vniuersal Church and specially to al the Gentiles to vvit the very frame as it vvere of the Church of Christ Tanquam enim pro ipso Domino legatione fungens hoc est pro lapide angulari vtrumque populum tam ex Iudais quà m ex Gentibus connectis in Christo per vinculum gratiae so saith S. Augustine giuing vs briefly the arguments in english thus As being a legate for our Lord him self that is for the corner stone he knitteth together in Christ by the baÌ„d of Grace both peoples as vvel of the Ievves as of the Gentils Shevving that neither of them had in their Gentilitie or Iudaisme any vvorkes to bragge of or to chalenge to them selues iustificatioÌ„ or saluation thereby but rather sinnes they had to be sorie for and to humble themselues to the faith of Christ that so they might haue remission of them and strength to doe meritorius vvorkes aftervvard In vvhich sort because the Gentils did humble them selues therefore had they found mercy though they neuer vvist of the Lavv of Moyses But the Ievves because they stoode vpon their ovvne vvorkes vvhich they did by their ovvne strength vvith the knovvledge of the Lavv being therefore also called the vvorkes of the Lavv so would not humble themselues to beleeue in Christ crucified they missed of mercy and became reprobate excepting a few Reliquiae that God of his goodnes had reserued to himself Hovvbeit in the end vvhen the fulnes of the Gentils is come into the Church then shal the fulnes of the Ievves also open their eies acknowledge their errour and submit themselues to Christ and his Church in like maner In the meane time those that haue found the grace to be Christians he exhorteth to perseueraÌ„ce as it vvas specially needeful in those times of persecutions and to leade their whole life now after Baptisme in good workes and to be careful of vnitie bearing therefore one with an other both Iew and Gentil al that they may and geuing no offence to them that are weake Thus he disputeth and thus be exhorteth through the whole Epistle though if we wil diuide it by that which is principal in ech parte vve may say that vnto the 12 chapter is his disputation and from thence to the end his exhortation Novv in those points of faith and in al others as also in example of life the commendation that he giueth to the Church of Rome is much to be noted Your faith is renoumed in the vvhole vvorld and your obedieÌ„ce is published into euery place I reioyce therfore in you And againe you haue obeied from the hart vnto that forme of doctrine vvhich hath been deliuered to you And therevpon againe I desire you brethren to marke them that make dissensions and scandals contrarie to the doctrine vvhich you haue learned and auoide them For such doe not serue Christ our Lord but theire ovvne belly and by svveete speaches ad benedictions seduce the harts of innocents Therfore to shunne Luther and Caluin and al their crewes vve haue iust reason and good vvarrant They make dissensions and scandals against the doctrine of the Romane Church Let no man therefore be seduced by their sugred vvordes THE EPISTLE OF PAVL THE APOSTLE TO THE ROMANES CHAP. I. The foundation of his Apostleship being laid 〈◊〉 he highly commendeth the Romanes and protesteth his affection tovvardes them and so coÌ„ming to the matter saith our Christian Catholike doctrine that teacheth al to beleeue to be the vvay to saluation 118 because the Gentiles first of al could not be saued by their Philosophie vvhereby they knevv God for so much as they did not serue him but Idolâ—â— he therfore iustly permitting them to fall into al kind of most damnable sinne verse 1 PAVL the seruant of IESVS CHRIST called to be an Apostle * separated into the Gospel of God ✠verse 2 vvhich before he had promised by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures ✠verse 3 of his sonne vvho vvas made to him of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh ✠verse 4 vvho vvas predestinate the sonne of God in povver according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrectioÌ„ of our Lord IESVS CHRIST from the dead ✠verse 5 by vvhom vve haue receiued grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith in al Nations for the name of him ✠verse 6 among vvhom are you also the called of IESVS CHRIST ⊢ ✠verse 7 to al that are at Rome the beloued of God called to be saincts Grace to you and peace from God our father and our Lord IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 8 First I giue thankes to my God through IESVS CHRIST for al you because ″ your faith is renoumed in the vvhole vvorld ✠verse 9 For God is my vvitnes vvhom I serue ″ in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that vvithout intermission I make ″ a memorie of you ✠verse 10 alvvaies in my praiers beseeching if by any meanes I may sometime at the length haue a prosperous iourney by the vvil of God to come vnto you ✠verse 11 For I desire to see you that I may imparte vnto you some spiritual grace to confirme you âœ
Lavv or in the name either of Ievv or Christian but in doing good vvorkes and keeping the Lavv by Gods grace 29. In spirit not letter The outvvard ceremonies Sacraments threates and commaundements of God in the Lavv are called the letter the invvard vvorking of God in mens hart and enduing him vvith faith hope and charitie and vvith loue liking vvil and abilitie to keepe his commaundements by the grace and merites of Christ are called the spirit In vvhich sense the carnal Ievv vvas a Ievv according to the letter and he vvas circumcised after the letter but the true beleeuing Gentil obseruing by Gods grace in hart and in Gods sight that vvhich vvas meant by that carnal signe is a Ievv according to the spirit and iustified by God Of the spirit and letter S. Augustine made a famous vvorke very necessarie for the vnderstanding of this Epistle CHAP. III. He graunteth that the Ievves did passe the Heathen Gentils in Gods benefits 9 but not in their ovvne vvorkes concluding that he hath shevved both Ievv and Gentil to be sinners 18 and therfore inferring that there must be some other vvay to Saluation indifferent to both vvhich is to beleeue in IESVS CHRIST that for his sake their sinnes may be forgiuen them verse 1 WHAT preeminence then hath the Ievv or what is the profit of circumcision ✠verse 2 Much by al meanes First surely because the vvordes of God vvere coÌ„mitted to them ✠verse 3 for vvhat if certaine of them haue not beleeued Hath their incredulitie made the faith of God frustrate ✠verse 4 God forbid but * God is true * euery man a lyer as it is vvritten That thou maiest be iustified in thy vvordes and ouercome vvhen thou art iudged ✠verse 5 But ″ if our iniquitie commend the iustice of God vvhat shal vve say Is God vniust that executeth vvrath I speake according to man ✠verse 6 God forbid othervvise hovv shal God iudge this vvorld ✠verse 7 For if the veritie of God hath abounded in my lie vnto his glorie vvhy am I also yet iudged as a sinner ✠verse 8 and not as vve are blasphemed and as some report vs to say let vs doe euil that there may come good vvhose damnation is iust ✠verse 9 Vvhat then do vve excel them No not so For vve haue argued the Ievves and the Greekes al to be vnder sinne ✠verse 10 as it is vvritten That ″ there is not any man iust ✠verse 11 there is not that vnderstandeth there is not that seeketh after God ✠verse 12 Al haue declined they are become vnprofitable together there is not that doeth good there is not so much as one ✠verse 13 Their throte is an open sepulchre vvith their tonges they dealt deceitefully The venim of aspes vnder their lippes ✠verse 14 Vvhose mouth is ful of malediction and bitternes ✠verse 15 Their feete svvift to shede bloud ✠verse 16 Destruction and infelicitie in their vvaies ✠verse 17 and the vvay of peace they haue not knovven ✠verse 18 There is no feare of God before their eies ✠verse 19 And vve knovv that vvhatsoeuer the Lavv speaketh to them it speaketh that are in the Lavv that euery mouth may be stopped and al the vvorld may be made subiect to God ✠verse 20 because * ″ by the vvorkes of the Lavv no flesh shal be iustified before him For by the Lavv is the knovvledge of sinne ✠verse 21 But novv vvithout the Lavv ″ the iustice of God is manifested testified by the lavv and the Prophets ✠verse 22 And the iustice of God by faith of IESVS CHRIST vnto al and vpoÌ„ al that beleeue in him For there is no distinction ✠verse 23 For al haue sinned and doe neede the glorie of God ✠verse 24 Iustified gratis by his grace by the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS ✠verse 25 vvhom God hath proposed a propitiation ' by faith in his bloud to the shevving of his iustice for the remission of former sinnes ✠verse 26 in the toleration of God to the shevving of his iustice in this time that he may be iust and iustifying him that is of the faith of IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 27 Vvhere is then thy boasting it is excluded by vvhat lavv of deedes No but by the lavv of faith ✠verse 28 For vve account a man to be iustified ″ by faith vvithout the vvorkes of the Lavv. ✠verse 29 Is he God of the Ievves only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also ✠verse 30 For it is one God that iustifieth circumcision by faith and prepuce by faith ✠verse 31 Do vve then destroy the Lavv by faith God forbid but vve do establish the Lavv. ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III. 5. If your iniquitie No maruel that many novv a daâ—es deduce false and detestable conclusions out of this Apostles high and hard vvritings seeing that S. Peter noted it in his daies and him self here confesseth that his preaching and speaches vvere then falsely misconstrued as though he â—ad taught that the Ievves and Gentils il life and incredulity had been directly the cause of Gods more mercie and that therfore sinne commeth of God to the aduancement of his glorie and consequently that men might or should doe il that good might ensue thereof Vvhich blasphemous constructions they tooke of these and the like vvordes vvhere sinne abounded there did grace more abound and The Lavv entered in that sinne might abound and our our of the Psalme 50. That thou maiest be iustified in thy vvordes and ouercome vvhen thou art iuâ—ged As though he meant that men do sinne to the end that God may be iustified And at al these and the like places of the Apostle though forevvarned by S. Peter and by the Apostles ovvne defense and Protestation that he neuer meant such horrible things yet the vvicked also of this time do stumble and fall But the true meaning is in al such places that God can and doth vvhen it pleaseth him conuert those sinnes vvhich man committeth against him and his commaundements to his glorie though the sinnes them selues stand not vvith his vvil intention nor honour but be directly against the same and therfore may not be committed that any good may fall for vvhat good so euer accidentally falleth it procedeth not of the sinne but of Gods mercie that can pardon and of his omnipotencie that can turne il to good And therfore against those earnal interpretations S. Paul very carefully diligently giueth reason also in this place v. 6 that it is impossible because God could not iustly punish any man nor sit in iudgement at the later day for sinne vvithout plaine iniurie if either him self vvould haue sinne committed or man might doe it to his glorie Therfore let al sincere readers of the Scriptures and specially of S.
sending to thrust and intrude him self into an other mans charge ⸬ A proper terme for Heretikes that shape theÌ„ selues into the habit of true teachers specially by often allegation and commentatioÌ„ of the Scriptures Reade the notable admonition of the auncient vvriter Vincentius Livinensis in his golden booke Against the Prophane neuelties of al heresies The Epistle vpon the Sunday of Seâ—agesme Phil. 3 5. Dou. 25 3. Act. 16 23. 14 18. 27 15. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrysostom and Theophylacte interpret it of daily conspiracie against him others of multitude of cares instaÌ„t vrgeÌ„t vpoÌ„ him c non vror 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 9 24. As Eue by the Serpent so the people are seduced by Heretikes Heretikes sometime eloquent Knovvledge better then gay wordes Yong orators among heretikes preferred before the auÌ„cient Doctors ⸬ By this vve may proue that it is neither impossible incredible nor vndecent that is reported by the auncient fathers of some that haue been rauished or rapt whether in body or out of body God knovveth brought to see the state of the next life as vvel of the saued as damned ` Againe ⸬ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vvhich S. Augustine saith ep 108 is spoken here of doing great penance for heinous sinnes as Pâ—niâ—â—ntes did in the primitiue Church So that it is not onely to repent or to amend their liues as the Protestants translate it VisioÌ„s haue no credite with heretikes â— Machâ— 15 11. The Apostles some greater then other we must sticke to the faith first 〈◊〉 â—anted by miracles Deu. 19 15. ` shal knovv c Ecclesistical power to punish offenders by the ceÌ„sures of the Church The Epistle in a â—otiâ—e Masse of the B. Trinitie c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 16 16. 1. Co. 16 20. Vve may knovv that we haue faith but not that vve are in grace ⸬ New Gospellers that peruert corrupt or alter the one onely true and first deliuered Gospel are to be auoided See S. Augustine Cont. Faustum li. 32. c. 27. c The Epistle vpon the Commemoration of S. Paul Iun. 30. Act. 9 1. ⸬ S. Iames was called our Lordes brother after the hebrew phrase of the Iewes by vvhich neere kinsmen are called brethreÌ„ for they were not brethren in deede but rather susters children S. Paul sent to preache by ordinarie impositioÌ„ of haÌ„des No shevv of learning or vertue must moue vs from the faith Preaching coÌ„trarie to the saith receiued is forbidden not other preaching Traâ—t 98 in Ioan. The Gospel is not onely in the written word of scripture but in vnwritten tradition also After-preaching ouersowing of nouelties â—rgueth false doctrine The Apostles curse vpon al that teache nevv doctrine and dravv men from the Cath. Church Li. cont proph haer nouit * Aug. ep 165. Zeale against heretikes B. Paul doth visite S. Peter of honour and reuerence tovvard him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deu. 10 17. c See the marginal Annotation Rom. 2. v. 25. c That is in presence before them al as â—eza him self expoundeth it Yet the English Bezites to the more disgracing of S. Peter translate to his face No. Test an 1580. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 3 19. 20. ⸬ By this and by the discourse of this whole epistle you may perceiue that when iustification is attributed to faith the vvorkes of Charitie be not excluded but the vvorkes of Moyses law that is the ceremonies sacrifices and sacrameÌ„ts thereof principally and consequently al workes done merely by nature and free wil without the faith grace spirit aide of Christ S. Paul conferreth vvith S. Peter and the rest for trial of his doctrine The heretikes submit their doctrine to no trial of Bishops or CouÌ„cel The approbation of S. Paules doctrine by Peter the rest vvas very requisite No absurditie that the Scriptures be approued by the Churches testimonie The Church maketh not Canonical Scripture but declareth that it is so The Scripture Church coÌ„pared together for antiquitie authoritie c. The Scriptures alvvaies true in them selues are so knovven to be by the Church The Apostles commissioÌ„ general through the vvorld yet peculiar to certaine prouinces Iewes and Gentiles specially committed to the two principal Apostles Mat. 15. Ro. 15. Neither Peter only of the Ievves nor Paul Apostle of the GeÌ„tiles only Act. 10. 15. v. 7. Calu. li. 4. v. 6. nu 15. Iustit Caluins folish reason that Peter vvas not B. of Rome his derogacioÌ„ from Peters Apostleship The Church founded at Rome by S. Peter and S. â—aul Al Catholike preachers and Pastors must communicate vvith Peter his successors The heretikes ridiculous argumeÌ„t against Peters preeminence The heretikes malitiously derogate from S. Peter Paules reprehension of Peter teacheth vs the zeale of the one and humilitie of the other It proueth nothing agaist Peters superioritie that he vvas reprehended The superior may be reprehende or admonished of the inferior Heretikes reprehension of Catholike Bishops in rather railing S. Peters errour vvas not in faith but in conuersation or behauiour Luc. 22 32. * See S. Chrysost Theophyl c. ⸬ For any people or person to forsake the faith of their first Apostles Conuersion at the voice of a few nouellaries seemeth to wise men a very bewitching sensles brutishnes Such is the case of our poore couÌ„trie Germanie and others Gen. 15 6. Ro. 4. 3. ⸬ This faith whereby Abraham was iustified and his children the Gen. iâ—s beleeuing in Christ implieth al Christian vertues of which the first is faith the grouÌ„d foundation of al the rest and therfore here and els where often named of the Apostle Gen. â—â— 3. Deu. 27 26. Abac. 2. Ro. 1. Leu. 18. Deu. 21. The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 13 SuÌ„day after Pentecost Gen. 22 18. Ro. 3 9. 11 32. Notwithstanding venial sinnes men are truely iust and may keepe the coÌ„maundements Iac. 2. Not only faith Baptisme giueth grace and iustification not faith only The Epistle vpon Twelfth eue ⸬ That is the rudiments of religioÌ„ wherin the carnal Iewes vvere trained vp or the corporal creatures wherein their manifold sacrifices sacraments and rites did consist Ro. 8 15. ⸬ So ought al Catholike people receiue their teachers in religion vvith al duetie loue reuerence The Epistle vpon the 4 SuÌ„day in Lent Gen. 16 15. 21 2. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Es 54 1. Ro. 9 8. ⸬ This mutual persecution is a figure also of the Church iustly persecuting Heretikes contrarivvise of Heretikes vvhich be the childreÌ„ of the bondvvoman vniustly persecuting the Catholike Church Aug. ep 48. Gen. 21 10. External vvorship of God by vse of creatures necessarie hovv the Heathen Ievves Christians differ in the same The vse of external elemeÌ„ts in the Sacraments Our Sacraments fevv easie in respect of the Ievves S. Augustine falsely alleaged of the Heretikes for tvvo Sacraments only ep 118. c. 1. in ps 103. coÌ„c 1 The other
And he spake the vvord openly And Peter taking him began to rebuke him ✠verse 33 Who turning and seeing his Disciples threatened Peter saying Goe behind me Satan because thou sauourest not the things that are of God but that are of men ✠verse 34 And calling the multitude together vvith his Disciples he said to them If any man vvil folovv me let him deny him self and take vp his crosse and folovv me ✠verse 35 For he that vvil saue his life shal lose it and he that shal lose his life ″ for me and the Gospel shal saue it ✠verse 36 For vvhat shal it profit a man if he ″ gaine the vvhole vvorld and suffer damage of his soule ✠verse 37 Or vvhat permutation shal a man giue for his soule ✠verse 38 For he that shal be ashamed of me and of my vvordes in this aduouterous and sinful generation the Sonne of man also vvil be ashamed of him vvhen he shal come in the glorie of his father vvith the holy Angels ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VIII 6. Gaue to his disciples He serueth the people not immediatly him self but by the Apostles ministerie to teach vs that we must receiue Christes Sacraments and doctrine not at our owne hand but of his Priests and our Pastours 7. Blessed them So is it in some ancient Greeke copies agreable to our Latin and in S. Luke expresly in the common Greeke text that he blessed the fiue loaues and the two fishes which must be alwaies marked against the Heretikes which denie this blessing to pertaine to the creatures but â—eine it alwaies to be referred to God for thanks giuing For if it were so he would haue said grace but once for that whole refection but he did seuerally blesse both the bread first and afterward the fishes also multiplying them by his said blessing as * he did mankind and other creatures in the beginning by blessing them and so working effectually some change or alteration in the very creatures them selues 35. For me and the Gospel By the Gospel is signified not only the foure Euangelistes but al Scriptures and whatsoeuer Christ said that is not in Scripture for he saith in this very place He that shal be ashamed of my wordes the Sonne of man wil be ashamed of him c. Neither his owne wordes only but whatsoeuer the Apostles taught in word or writing for our Sauiour saith He that despiseth you despiseth me For defence of any of al these and of euery Article of the Catholike faith we ought to die and this is to lose our life for Christ and his Gospel 36. Gaine the whole world Let such note this that for feare or flattery of the world coÌ„descend to obey the vniust lawes of men touching religion against their owne consciences and be content for the rest of a few daies of this life and for sauing their temporal goods to lose their soule and the ioyes of heauen CHAP. IX The more to confirme them he giueth them in his Transfiguration a sight of his glorie wherevnto Suffering doth bring 9 and then againe doth inculcate his Passion 14 A Diuel also he casteth out which his Disciples vpon whom therfore the peruerse Scribes triumphed in his absence could not for lacke of fasting and praying 30 Being yet in Galilee he reuealeth more about his Passion 33 And because in the way to Capharnaum they contended for the Primacie he teacheth them that humility is the way to Primacie before God 38 bidding them also not to prohibit such as be not against them nor to giue scandal to any one of the faithful and on the other side the faithful to auoid them by whom they may be scandalized and fall be they neuer so neere vnto them verse 1 AND he said to them Amen I say to you that there be some of them that stand here vvhich shal not tast of death vntil they see the kingdom of God comming in povver ✠verse 2 And after six daies IESVS â—aketh Peter and Iames and Iohn and bringeth them alone into a high mountaine apart and vvas transfigured before them ✠verse 3 And his garments vvere made glistering and vvhite excedingly as snovv the like vvhereof a fuller cannot make vvhite vpon the earth ✠verse 4 And there appeared to them Elias vvith Moyses and they vvere talking vvith IESVS ✠verse 5 And Peter ansvvering said to IESVS Rabbi it is good for vs to be here and let vs make three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moyses and one for Elias ✠verse 6 For he knevv not vvhat he said for they vvere frighted vvith feare ✠verse 7 and there vvas a cloude ouershadovving them and a voice came out of the cloude saying This is my Sonne most deere heare ye him ✠verse 8 And immediatly looking about they savv no man any more but IESVS only vvith them ✠verse 9 And as they desceÌ„ded from the mountaine he commaunded them that they should not tel any man vvhat things they had seen but vvhen the Sonne of man shal be risen againe from the dead ✠verse 10 And they kept in the vvord vvith them selues questioning together vvhat that should be when he shal be risen from the dead ✠verse 11 And they asked him saying What say the Pharisees then and the Scribes that * Elias must come first ✠verse 12 Who ansvvering said to them Elias vvhen he commeth first shal restore al things and hovv ' it is vvritten of the Sonne of man that he shal suffer many things and be contemned ✠verse 13 But I say to you that ″ Elias also is come and they haue done to him vvhatsoeuer they vvould as it is vvritten of him ✠verse 14 And * coÌ„ming to his Disciples he savv a great multitude about them and the Scribes questioning vvith them ✠verse 15 And forth vvith al the people seeing IESVS vvas astonied and much afraid and running to him saluted him ✠verse 16 And he asked them What do you question of among you ✠verse 17 And one of the multitude ansvvering said Maister I haue brought my sonne to thee hauing a dumme spirit ✠verse 18 who vvheresoeuer he taketh him dasheth him and he fometh and gnasheth vvith the teeth and vvithereth and I spake to thy Disciples to cast him out and they could not ✠verse 19 Who ansvvering them said O incredulous generation hovv long shal I be vvith you hovv long shal I suffer you bring him vnto me ✠verse 20 And they brought him And vvhen he had seen him immediatly the spirit troubled him and being throvven vpon the ground he tumbled foming ✠verse 21 And he asked his father Hovv long time is it since this hath chaunced vnto him But he said From his infancie ✠verse 22 and often times hath he cast him into fire and into vvaters to destroy him but if thou canst any thing helpe vs hauing compassion
vvisedom of Salomon and behold more then Salomon here ✠verse 32 The men of Niniuee shal rise in the iudgement vvith this generation and shal condemne it * because they did penance at the preaching of Ionas and behold more then Ionas here ✠verse 33 * No man lighteth a candel and putteth it in secrete neither vnder a bushel but vpon a candlesticke that they that goe in may see the light ✠verse 34 * The candel of thy body is thine eie If thine eie be simple thy vvhole body shal be lightsome but if it be naught thy body also shal be darkesome ✠verse 35 See therfore that the light vvhich is in thee be not darkenesse ✠verse 36 If then thy vvhole body be lightsome hauing no part of darkenesse it shal be lightsome vvholy and as a bright candel it shal lighten thee ⊢ ✠verse 37 And vvhen he vvas speaking a certaine Pharisee desired him that he vvould dine vvith him and he going in sate dovvne to eate ✠verse 38 And the Pharisee began to thinke vvithin him self and to say Vvhy he vvas not vvashed before dinner ✠verse 39 And our Lord said to him * Novv you Pharisees doe make cleane that on the out side of the cuppe and of the platter but that of yours vvhich is vvithin is ful of rapine and iniquitie ✠verse 40 Fooles did not he that made that on the outside make that also that is on the inside ✠verse 41 But yet that that remaineth ″ giue almes behold al things are cleane vnto you ✠verse 42 But vvo to you Pharisees because you tithe minte and revve and euery herbe and passe ouer iudgement and the charitie of God but these things you ought to haue done and not to omit those ✠verse 43 Vvo to you Pharisees because you loue the first chaires in the synagogs and salutations in the market-place ✠verse 44 Vvo to you because you are as monuments that appeare not and men vvalking ouer are not vvare ✠verse 45 And one of the Lavvyers ansvvering saith to him Maister in saying these things thou speakest to our reproche also ✠verse 46 But he said ″ Vvo to you Lavvyers also because you lode men vvith burdens which they can not beare and your selues touch not the packes vvith one of your fingers ✠verse 47 Wo to you that build the monumēts of the Prophets and your fathers did kil them ✠verse 48 Surely you doe testifie that you consent to the vvorkes of your fathers because they in deede did kil them and you build their sepulchres ✠verse 49 For this cause the vvisedō also of God said I vvil send to them Prophets and Apostles and of them they vvil kil and persecute ✠verse 50 that the bloud of al the Prophets that vvas shed from the making of the vvorld may be required of this generation ✠verse 51 * from the bloud of Abel vnto the * bloud of Zacharie that vvas slaine betvvene the altar and the temple Yea I say to you it shal be required of this generation ⊢ ✠verse 52 Vho to you Lavvyers because you haue taken avvay the key of knovvledge your selues haue not entred and those that did enter you haue prohibited ✠verse 53 And vvhen he said these things to them the Pharisees and the Lavvyers began vehemently to vrge him and to stoppe his mouth about many things ✠verse 54 lying in waite for him seeking to catch some thing of his mouth that they might accuse him ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XI 27. Blessed is the vvombe Let vs also saith Venerable Bede lift vp our voice vvith the Catholike Church of vvhich this vvoman vvas a figure let vs lift vp our hartes among the people and say to our Sauiour Blessed be the vvombe that bare thee and the pappes vvhich thou didst sucke for blessed in deede is the mother vvhich bare the King that ruleth heauen and earth for euer 29. The signe of Ionas Of al miracles his Resurrection after he had been according to his body in the graue according to his soule in Hel three daies vvas the greatest and most conuinceth the incredulous Ievves and therfore a greater or more euident then that he saith he vvil not giue them 41. Giue almes The great force of almes is here and in diuers places of holy vvrite signified In one place they extinguish sinne in an other they redeeme sinnes in an other they deliuer from death in an other to them giuen or omitted our iudgement to heauen or hel is attributed and here they make cleane and satisfie for the Ievves former offenses for as S. Augustine saith c. 70 Enchiridij almes deedes profite not a man that hath a vvill to continevv in his sinnes but they are to be done for a propitiation to God of former offenses Novv hovv vvel the Protestants like this doctrine so euidently set forth in Scripture let the indifferent iudge and hovv vvel it agreeth vvith their onely faith 46. Wo to you Lavvyers These vvere Doctors of Moyses Lavv othervvise called Scribes Shal we therfore crie out against al Lavvyers novv or ought the name of Lavvyer be odious vvith vs because of these naughty Lavvyers among the Ievves much lesse ought the name of Priests to be odious as Heretikes would haue it because of the Ievves Priests that vvere so busy against our Sauiour CHAP. XII He prepareth his Disciples against persecutions to come vpon them at their publishing of his doctrine 13 With deuiding the brethrens inheritance he wil not medle but exhorteth them against auarice 22 and his Disciples by this occasion against solicitude so much as of necessaries 32 yea counseling them to geue al in almes 35 and to be ready at a knocke 41 namely admonishing Peter and other Prelats to see to their charge 49 and al not to looke but for persecution 54 The Iewes he reprehendeth for that they wil not see this time of grace 58 whereas it is so horrible to die without reconciliation verse 1 AND when great multitudes stoode about him so that they trode one an other he began to say to his Disciples Take good heede of the leauen of the Pharisees vvhich is hypocrisie ✠verse 2 * For nothing is hid that shal not be reuealed nor secrete that shal not be knovven ✠verse 3 For the things that you haue said in darknesse shal be said in the light and that vvhich you haue spoken into the eare in the chambers shal be preached in the house-toppes ✠verse 4 And I say to you my frendes Be not afraid of them that kil the body and after this haue no more to doe ✠verse 5 But I vvil shevv you vvhom ye shal feare feare him vvho after he hath killed hath povver to cast into hel yea I say to you feare him ✠verse 6 Are not fiue sparovves sold for tvvo farthings
Peter might redound by Peter to the rest of the Apostles S. Augustine also Christ praying for Peter prayed for the rest because in the Pastor and Prelate the people is corrected or commended And S. Ambrose writeth that Peter after his tentation was made Pastor of the Church because it was said to him Thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Neither was this the priuilege of S. Peters person but of his Office that he should not faile in faith but euer confirme al other in their faith For the Church for whose sake that priuilege was thought necessarie in Peter the Head thereof was to be preserued no lesse afterward then in the Apostles time wherevpon al the Fathers apply this priuilege of not failing and of confirming other in faith to the Romane Church and Peters successors in the same To which saith S. Cyprian infidelity or false faith can not come And S. Bernard saith writing to Innocentius Pope against Abailardus the Heretike we must referre to your Apostleship al the scandals and perils which may fall in matter of faith specially For there the defects of faith must be holpen where faith can not faile For to what other See was it euer said I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith do not faile So say the Fathers not meaning that none of Peters seate can erre in person vnderstanding priuate doctrine or writings but that they can not nor shal not euer iudicially conclude or giue definitiue sentence for falshod or heresie against the Catholike faith in their Consistories Courts Councels decrees deliberations or consultations kept for decision and determination of such controuersies doubts or questions of faith as shal be proposed vnto them because Christes prayer and promes protecteth them therein for confirmation of their brethren And no maruel that our Maister would haue his vicars Consistorie Seate infallible seeing euen in the old Law the high Priestod and Chaire of Moyses wanted not great priuilege in this case though nothing like the Churches and Peters prerogatiue But in both any man of sense may see the difference betwene the person and the Office as wel in doctrine as life Liberius in persecution might yeld Marcellinus for feare might commit Idolatrie Honorius might fall to Heresie and more then al this some Iudas might creepe into the Office and yet al this without preiudice of the Office and Seate in which saith S. Augustine our Lord hath set the doctrine of truth Caiphas by priuilege of his Office prophecied right of Christ but according to his owne knowlege and faith knew not Christ The Euangelists and other penners of holy write for the execution of that function had the assistance of God and so far could not possibly erre but that Luke Marke Salomon or the rest might not erre in other their priuate vvritings that we say not It was not the personal wisedom vertue learning or faith of Christs Vicars that made S. Bernard seeke to Innocentius the third S. Augustine and the Bishops of Afrike to Innocentius the first and to Celestinus ep 90. 92. 95 S. Chrysostome to the said Innocentius S. Basil to the Pope in his time ep 52 S. Hierom to Damasus ep 57. 58. to 2. but it was the prerogatiue of their Office and higher degree of Vnction and Christs ordinance that would haue al Apostles and Pastors in the vvorld for their confirmation in faith and Ecclesiastical regiment depend on Peter The lacke of knowledge and humble acceptation of which Gods prouidence that is that one is not honoured and obeyed of al the brotherhod is the cause of al Schismes and Heresies saith S. Cyprian A point of such importance that al the Twelue being in Apostleship like Christ would yet for the better keeping of vnity and truth haue one to be head of them al that a head being once appointed occasion of Schisme might be taken away saith S. Hierom. li. 1. adu Iouinian c. 14. CHAP. XXIII The Ievves accuse him to Pilate the Gentil 4 Who seeking earnestly to deliuer him specially after that Herod sent him backe 17 they not onely preferre the murderer Barabbas but also crie CRVCIFIGE 26 in the vvay to Caluarie he foretelleth the vvomen that lamented vpon him the horrible destruction of their Hierusalem â—2 vpon the crosse he is betvvene tvvo theeues â—5 scorned of the Ievves 36 of the souldiars 39 and of one of the theeues 40 but euen there confessed of the other theefe 44 and after his death because of the great miracles concurring also of the Centurion 4â— yea and of the vvhole multitude 50 and finally he is buried honorably verse 1 AND all the multitude of them rising vp led him to Pilate ✠verse 2 And they began to accuse him saying Vve haue found this man subuerting our nation prohibiting to giue tributes to Caesar and saying that he is Christ the king ✠verse 3 And Pilate asked him saying Art thou the king of the Ievves But he ansvvering said Thou sayest ✠verse 4 And Pilate said to the cheefe Priests and multitudes I finde no cause in this man ✠verse 5 But they vvere more earnest saying He stirreth the people teaching through out al Ievvrie beginning from Galilee euen hither ✠verse 6 But Pilate hearing Galilee asked if the man vvere of Galilee ✠verse 7 And vvhen he vnderstoode that he vvas of Herods iurisdiction he sent him backe to Herod vvho vvas also him self at Hierusalem in those daies ✠verse 8 And Herod seeing IESVS vvas very glad for he vvas desirous of a long time to see him for because he heard many things of him and he hoped to see some signe vvrought by him ✠verse 9 And he asked him in many vvordes But he ansvvered him nothing ✠verse 10 And there stoode the cheefe Priests and the Scribes constantly accusing him ✠verse 11 And Herod vvith his armie set him at naught and he mocked him putting on him a vvhite garment and sent him backe to Pilate ✠verse 12 And Herod and Pilate vvere made frendes that day for before they vvere enemies one to an other ✠verse 13 And Pilate calling together the cheefe Priests and magistrates and the people ✠verse 14 said to them You haue presented vnto me this man as auerting the people and behold I examining him before you haue found no cause in this man of those things vvherein you accuse him ✠verse 15 No nor Herod neither for I sent you to him and behold nothing vvorthie of death is done to him ✠verse 16 I vvil chasten him therfore and dimisse him ✠verse 17 And he of necessitie had to release vnto them vpon the feast day one ✠verse 18 But the vvhole multitude together cried out saying Dispatch him and release vs Barabbas ✠verse 19 vvho vvas for a certaine sedition made in the citie and murder cast into prison ✠verse 20 And Pilate againe spake to them desirous
euil into the resurrection of iudgement ⊢ ✠verse 30 I can not of my self doe any thing As I heare so I iudge and my iudgement is iust because I seeke not my vvil but the vvil of him that sent me ✠verse 31 If I giue testimonie of my self my testimonie is not true ✠verse 32 There is an other that giueth testimonie of me and I knovv that the testimonie is true vvhich he giueth of me ✠verse 33 * You sent to Iohn and he gaue testimonie to the truth ✠verse 34 But ″ I receiue not testimonie of man but I say these things that you may be saued ✠verse 35 He vvas the lampe burning and shining And you vvould for a time reioyce in his light ✠verse 36 But I haue a greater testimonie then Iohn For the vvorkes vvhich the Father hath giuen me to perfit them the very vvorkes them selues vvhich I doe giue testimonie of me that the Father hath sent me ✠verse 37 And the Father that sent me him self hath * giuen testimonie of me neither haue you heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape ✠verse 38 and his vvord you haue not remaining in you because vvhom he hath sent him you beleeue not ✠verse 39 ″ Search the scriptures for you thinke in them to haue life euerlasting and the same are they that giue testimonie of me ✠verse 40 and you vvil not come to me that you may haue life ✠verse 41 Glorie of men I receiue not ✠verse 42 But I haue knovven you that the loue of God you haue not in you ✠verse 43 I am come in the name of my Father and you receiue me not if an other shal come in his ovvne name him you vvil receiue ✠verse 44 Hovv can you beleeue that receiue glorie one of an other and the glorie vvhich is of God only you seeke not ✠verse 45 Thinke not that I vvil accuse you to the Father there is that accuseth you Moyses in vvhom you trust ✠verse 46 For if you did beleeue Moyses you vvould perhaps beleeue me also for of me he hath vvritten ✠verse 47 And if you doe not beleeue his vvritings hovv vvil you beleeue my vvordes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 2. A pond This is as great a wonder and worke as was in the old Law yet neuer recorded in the Scripture before the conditions and circunstances of the same much to be distinctly weighed against the Miscreants of this time for many causes First that God without derogation to his honour yea to the great cōmendation of it doth giue vertue of miracles and cure to water or other creatures Secondly that he giueth such vertues to these creatures specially which be by vse and occupying in sacred functions or otherwise as it were sanctified for this pond was it wherein the carcasses of sheepe therfore called Probatica other beasts to be sacrificed were first washed to which being alwaies red as S. Hierom saith with the bloud of hostes this force was giuen for the commendation of the sacrifices of the Law there offered How much more may we acknowledge such workes of God miraculously done in or about the Sacrifice or Sacrament of the new Testament which faithlesse men wholy reiect and condemne for fables because they know not the Scriptures nor the power of God Thirdly that this operation was giuen at one time more then an other rather on great festiual daies then other vulgar times for this vvas the feast of Pasche or of Pentecost as daies more sanctified and vvhen the people made greater concourse which shevveth that vve should not vvonder to see great miracles done at the Memories and feastes of Martyrs or other great Festiuities more then at other places and times Fourthly that the Angels or some special Saincts are Presidents or Patrones of such places of miracle and workers also vnder God of the effects that there extraordinarily be done Which ought to make Christians lesse doubt that the force of diuers waters in the world is iustly attributed by our forefathers and good stories to the prayers and presence of Saincts which profane incredulous men referre onely to nature vntruely pretending that God is more glorified by the workes of nature which be of his ordinarie prouidence then by the graces of Miracle giuen to his Saincts or Angels by his extraordinarie prouidence Fifthly that miracles be not wrought on men by their faith onely and as wel by their presence in spirit as in body or vpon the parties desire or deuotion onely according to the Heretikes pretext that God is a like present by his power and grace to euery man and place and therfore that men neede not to go from their owne houses or countries to seeke holines or health at the places of Christs or his Saincts birth death memories for none could haue benefite of this water but he that could touch it and be in it corporally and at that iust time when the water was in motion by the Angel Yea sixtly we may consider that in such cases to make the matter more maruelous rare and more earnestly to be sought for and to signifie to vs that God hath al such extraordinary operations in his owne wil and commaundement without al rules of our reasons and questioning thereon none could be healed but that person who first could get into the pond after the Angel came and stirred the same Seuenthly that these graces of corporal cures giuen to this water * prefigure the like force of the Sacrament of Baptisme for the cure of soules though we neede not seeke correspondence thereof to the figure in euery point Lastly Christ by his power of excellencie and prerogatiue could and did heale this poore man that could get no body to help him into the water because he earnestly and long desired the remedie by God appointed but was excluded by necessitie as our Lord saueth al such as die without Baptisme if they in their owne persons earnestly intended desired and sought for the same 14. Sinne no more We may gather hereby that this mans long infirmitie was for punishment of his sinnes and that men often attribute their sicknes to other natural defects and seeke for remedies of the world in vaine when the sinne for which it was sent remaineth or is not repented of◠and therfore that in al infirmities men should first turne to God goe to their Ghostly father and then call for the wordly Phisicions afterward 34. I receiue not Our Maister meaneth that mans testimonie is not necessarie to him nor that the truth of his Diuinitie dependeth on worldly witnesses or mens commendations though to vs such testimonies be agreable and necessarie and so for our instruction he vouchsaued to take the testimonies of Iohn the Baptist and Moyses and the Prophets and departing out of this world to send forth al his Apostles and in
tribunal of Pope Councels Bishops Synodes but eche man to his ovvne phantastical spirit his ovvne sense of Scriptures and his ovvne vvilful obdurate rebellion against Gods Church and his Superiors in the same But here vve see S. Paul and Barnabas men that vvere Apostles and ful of the Spirit of God and the other parties though neuer so much partial to the ceremonies of their Lavv by their former long vse and education therein yet not to stand stifly to their ovvne opinion on either side but to condescend to referre the vvhole controuersie and the determination thereof to the Apostles Priests or Auncients of Hierusalem that is to say to commit the matter to be tried by the heads and Bishops and their determination in Councel This is Gods holy and vvise prouidence among other iudgements in his Church to keepe the Christian people in truth and vnitie and to condemne sectes and false teachers and troublers of the Church By vvhich iudgements and order vvhosoeuer vvil not or dare not be tried in al their doctrine and doings they shevv them selues to mistrust their ovvne cause and to flee from the light and ordinance of God Vvithout vvhich order of appeasing al differences in faith and constructions of the Scriptures the Church had beene more defectual and insufficient then any Commonvvealth or Societie of men in the vvorld none of vvhich euer vvanteth good meanes to decide al discordes and dissension arising among the subiects citizens of the same 6. Apostles and Auncients The Heresies of our Protestants vvhich vvould haue al men to giue voice or to be present in Councels and of others that vvould haue none but the holy or elect to be admitted are refuted by this example vvhere vve see none but Apostles Priests or Ancients assembled to dispute of the matter though many deuout people vvere in the citie the same time Neither did euer any other in the Auncient Councels of the Church assemble to debate and define the matter but such though many other for other causes be euer present Secular men or vvomen be their gifts neuer so great can not be iudges in causes of faith and religion If any thing saith God â—e hard and doubtful thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuitical stocke and thou shalt folovv their sentence Againe The lippes of the Priest shal keepe knovvledge and the Lavv thou shalt require of his mouth Againe Aske the Lavv of the Priest Much more must vve referre al to our Bishops and Pastors vvhom God hath placed in the regiment of the Church vvith much larger priuilege then euer he did the old Priests ouer the Synagogue to vvhom it is said He that despiseth you despiseth me And it is to be noted that the Bishops so gathered in Councel represent the vvhole Church haue the authoritie of the vvhole Church and the Spirit of God to protect them from error as the vvhole Church SS Paul and Barnabas come hither for the definition of the vvhole Church The sentence of a plenarie or general Councel saith S. Augustine is the consent of the vvhole Church And so it must needes be in the Church because the Magistrates Senate Councel or deputies of al commonvvealthes represent the vvhole body and to haue it othervvise as the Churches Rebels vvish vvere to bring al to hel and horrour and them selues to be perpetually by the seditious and popular persons vpholden against Lavv reason and religion in their vvickednes â— Assembled A Councel vvas called to discusse the matter vvhich Councel vvas the more easily gathered because the Christian Bishops and countries vvere not yet so many but that the principal Gouernours of the Church being not far dispersed and as many learned men as vvere necessarie might be in Hierusalem or easily called thither And it vvas not a Prouincial Councel or Synode only but a general Councel consisting of the cheefe Apostles and Bishops that then vvere though the number vvas nothing so great as aftervvard vsed to assemble vvhen the Church vvas spred into al nations 7. Peter rising vp S. Peter as the head of the Church speaketh first as his Successors haue euer had not only in their personal presence but in their absence by their legates and substitutes the cheefe voice in al Councels general none euer receiued into authoritie and credite in the Church vvithout their Confirmation And therefore the Councels of the Arians and of other Heretikes vvere they neuer so great vvanting the Popes assent assistance or Confirmation did shamfully erre as Ariminense for the Arians and Ephesinum secundum for the Nestorians and such like condemned Assemblies 7. Chose that by my mouth Though Paul vvere called and appointed specially to be the Apostle of the Gentils yet that vvas S. Peters special priuilege by Gods ovvne choise that the first Gentils should be called by his mouth and that he first should vtter to the Church that truth of the admission of the Gentils him self for that he vvas Christes Vicar being notvvithstanding as his Maister vvas Minister Circuncisionis that is Apostle of the Ievves Christ deferring al preeminence vnto him in that point also 1â— Iames. S. Iames because he vvas an Apostle and also Bishop of Hierusalem gaue his sentence next for the speache interposed of SS Paul and Barnabas vvas but for their better information in the decision of the matter and for confirmation of S. Peters sentence though they being Apostles and Bishops had voices in the Councel also as many mâ— had though their sentences be not heare reported And vvhere S. Iames in his speach saith I iudge it is not meant that he gaue the principal definitiue sentence for he as al the rest folovved and allovved the senteÌ„ce of S. Peter as it is plaine in the text the vvhole assembly for reuerence of his person and approbation of his sentence holding their peace Al the multitude saith S. Hierom held their peace and into his sentence Iames the Apostle al the Priests did passe together For though S. Iames did particularise certaine points incident to the question debated as of eating strangled meates c. yet the proper controuersie for vvhich the Councel assembled vvas Vvhether the Gentils conuerted vvere bound to obserue the Lavv of Moyses and it vvas concluded that they vvere not bound nor ought not to be charged vvith Moyses Lavv or the Sacraments and ceremonies of the same this is the substance and principal purpose of this Councels decree vvhich doth binde for euer and Peter saith S. Hierom in the same place vvas Prince or author of this decree the matter of fornication and Idolothytes being but incident to the question or resolution and the forbidding of eating strangled and bloud but a temporal prohibition vvhich by the consent of the Church or othervvise aftervvard vvas abrogated the Church of God hauing the true sense of difference of times place persons vvhen and
verse 27 For the hart of this people is vvaâ—en grosse and vvith their eares haue they heauily heard and their eies they haue shut left perhaps they may see vvith their eies and heare vvith their eares and vnderstand vvith their hart and be conuerted and I heale them ✠verse 28 Be it knovven therfore to you that this Saluation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they vvil heare ✠verse 29 And vvhen he had said these things the Ievves vvent out from him hauing much questioning among them selues ✠verse 30 And he taried ful tvvo yeres in his hired lodging and he receiued al that came into him ✠verse 31 preaching the kingdom of God and â—eaching the things that concerne our Lord IESVS CHRIST vvith al confidence vvithout prohibition ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXVIII â— Shaking of the beast The promes of Christ Marc. 16 that venemous serpents should not hurt them that beleeue in him is fulfilled not in al beleuers but in such as had the gift of miracles as S. Paul had Vvhom here a viper by nature so venemous that the people thought he should haue died out of hand did no vvhit annoy he extinguishing by the povver of Christ al the poison of the beast Yea and as the Christian people there til this day beleeue by S. Paules praiers the Iland vvas deliuered for euer from al such venemous serpents in so much that children there play vvith scorpions euer since that time and Pilgrimes daily carie vvith them peeces of stones out of the place vvhere S. Paul abode by vvhich they affirme that they heale them vvhich in other countries adioyning are bitten of scorpions the medicine therfore being called S. Paules grace The Heretikes that knovv not the povver of God nor the miraculous vertues giuen to his Saincts maruel and blaspheme vvhen they beare such things as be proper to certaine countries attributed sometimes to Gods miracles done by his Saincts â— as though that vvere not possible or vvere not as much to Gods honour and more then things proceding only of natural causes Such profane men vvould not haue attributed the holsomâ—es of the vvaters of Iericho to Eliseus his vertue and miracles amending them by casting salt into them if the Scripture had not expresly testified the same It is the part of al faithful men to referre such things to God vvhen any iust occasion is giuen therevnto rather then to nature though the incredulous doe alvvaies contrarie for feare of superstition dishonouring God As though this escape of drovvning might better and more to Gods glorie be referted to chaunce and the mariners industrie then to S. Paules praiers and extraordinarie vvorking â—0 Chaine I vvould vvish novv saith S. Chrystome to be for a time in the place vvhere these chaines remaine and to see the â—etters vvhich Diuels feare and Angels reuerence homil 5 ad populum Antiochenum See also S. Gregorie lib. â— episto â—0 of the miracles done by S. Paules chaines and that he sendeth to the Emperesse Constantia some dust thereof 〈◊〉 of for a great Relike and holy gift 22. Concerning this sect The Heretikes of al sortes comfort them selues much vvhen they finde here or els vvhere the Christian faith called of the Ievves or incredulous persons a Sect or an Heresie sometimes in contempt of Christes person the Maister of the same the Secte of the Nazarens as though the Church of God might as vvel erre in naming their doctrine Heresie as the Ievves and Pagans might and did misse in condemning Christian religion for an Heresie or as though the Protestants doctrine vvere as vvel proued and tried to be no Heresie by the Prophâ—ts and other Scriptures miracles and consent of al Nations and ages as Christes blessed doctrine is Vvhereas in deed the Protestants doctrine is euidently conuinced to be heretical by the same arguments that Christes religion is proued to be the only true doctrine of saluation and not an heresie And vvhosoeuer can deduce the Christian faith from Adam to this day through out al the Fathers Patriarches Prophetes Priests Apostles and Bishops by descent and succession of al lavves and states of true vvorshippers and beleeuers vvhich is the only or special vvay to proue that the Christian faith is no heresie he shal by the same meanes al at once proue the Protestants doctrine to be an heresie and a false secte That the Ievves therfore and il men in al places contradicted the Christian religion calling it an Heresie or a Sect as though it had a beginning of some certaine Sect-Maister other them God him self they vvere deceiued and the Church of God neuerthelesse calling the Protestants doctrine Heresie in the vvorst part that can be and in the vvorst sort that euer vvas doth right and most iustly The end of the Actes of the Apostles Vvherevnto we ioyne for the readers behalfe tvvo Tables of the tvvo cheefe Apostles and a note of the rest as an abridgement of the said booke and a supply of some things not there mentioned THE SVMME OF THE ACTES OF THE APOSTLES CONTEINING SPECIALLY THE GESTES OF THE TVVO PRINCIPAL Apostles SS Peter and Paul in such order of time and yeres of the Emperours and from Christs Natiuitia and Ascension as they vvere done so â—â—r as by holy Scriptures or Ecclesiastical vvriters may be gathered Wherein though is be not possible to set dovvne the procise and vndoubted time or yere of euery thing because neither S. Luke nor others do note particularly and orderly the moments of euery action of the said Apostles noâ— vve folovv the most probable and plaine 〈◊〉 that vve finde in holy Scripture and auncient vvriters Whereby the studious reader may easily discouer the folly of the Protestants that can finde no time when * Peter might possibly come to Rome be Bishop and die there diuers things in S. Paules actes being no lesse hard to reconcile to the course of S. Lukes narration then any thing touching the historie of S. Peter namely his * three yeres preaching in Arabia al vvhich must needes be true vvhether vve bit the very iust time or no and hovv so euer authors differ about the same A TABLE OF S. PETER Tiberij Nat. DnÌ„i Ascen  18 34 1 PETER causeth the Disciples to procede to the election of an other Apostle in Iudas roome Act. 1.    Receiuing vvith the rest the gifts of the Holy Ghost on Vvhit-sunday he made the first Sermon and conuerted 3000. Act. 2.    He cureth one borne lame preacheth Christ and penance to the Ievves so that 5000 beleeued Act. 3 4.    He is imprisoned released againe threatened and commaunded to preache no more but he vvith Iohn ansvvereth that they must obey God more then man Act. 4.    He striketh to death vvith a vvord Ananias and Saphira for sacrilege Act. 5.    He is sent
vvere circumcised and had receiued the Lavv by Moyses for such carnal respects they trusted in themselues as though God and Christ vvere vnseparably bound vnto them attributing also so much to their ovvne workes vvhich they thought they did of them selues being holpeÌ„ with the knovvledge of their lavv that they vvould not acknovvledge the death of Christ to be necessarie for their saluation but looked for such a Christ as should be like other princes of this vvorld and make them great men temporally Herevpon did S. Paul vvrite his Epistles to shevv both the vocation of the Gentiles and the reprobation of the Ievves Moreouer to admonish both the Christian Gentiles not to receiue Circumcision and other ceremonies of Moyses lavv in no vvise and the Ievves also not to put their trust in the same but rather to vnderstand that novv Christ being come they must cease Againe to shevv the necessitie of Christs comming and of his death that vvithout it neither the Gentiles could be saued no nor the Ievves by no vvorkes that they could doe of them selues although they vvere also holpen by the Lavv telling them what vvas good vvhat vvas bad for so much as al vvere sinners and therfore also impotent or infirme and the Lavv could not take avvay sinne and infirmitie and giue strength to fulfil that vvhich it gaue knovvledge of but this vvas God onely able to doe and for Christs sake onely vvould he doe it Therfore it is necessarie for al to beleeue in Christ and to be made his members being incorporat into his Body vvhich is his Catholike Church For so although they neuer yet did good vvorke but al il they shal haue remission of their sinnes and nevv strength vvithal to make them able to fulfil the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„ts of Gods lavv yea their vvorkes after this shal be so gracious in Gods sight that for them he vvil giue them lift euerlasting This is the necessitie this is also the fruite of Christian Religion And therfore be exhorteth al both Gentils and Ievves as to receiue it humbly so also to perseuêre in it constantly vnto the end against al seduction of heresie and against al terror of persecution and to vvalke al their time in good vvorkes as novv God hath made them able to doe The same doctrine doth the Catholike Church teach vnto this day most exactly to vvit that no vvorkes of the vnbeleeuing or vnbaptized vvhether they be Ievves or Gentiles can saue them no nor of any Heretike or Schismatike although he be baptized because he is not a member of Christ yea more then that no vvorke of any that is not a liuely member of Christ although othervvise he be baptized and continue vvithin his Church yet because he is not in grace but in mortal sinne no vvorke that he doth is meritorious or able to saue him This very same is S. Paules doctrine he denieth to the vvorkes of such as haue not the Spirit of Christ al vertue to iustifie or to saue neither requireth he a man to haue had knovvledge of the Lavv or to haue kept it afortime as though othervvise he might not be saued by Christ but yet vvhen he is Christened he requireth of necessitie that he keepe Gods commaundements by auoiding of al sinne and doing good vvorkes and to such a mans good vvorkes he attributeth as much vertue as any Catholike of this time Neuerthelesse there vvere certaine at that time as also al the Heretikes of this our time vvhom S. Peter termeth vnlearned and vnstable vvho reading S. Paules Epistles did misconster his meaning as though he required not good vvorkes no more after Baptisme then before Baptisme but held that onely Faith did iustifie and saue a man Therevpon the other Apostles vvrote their Epistles as S. Augustine noteth in these vvordes Therfore because this opinion Ad salutem obtinendam sufficere Solam sidem that onely faith is sufficient to obteine saluation was then risen the other Apostolical Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames Iude do against it specially direct theire intention to auouch vehemently fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse that saith vvithout vvorkes profiteth nothing As also Paul him selfe did not define it to be quamlibet fidem qua in Deum creditur whatsoeuer maner of faith vvherevvith vve beleeue in God but that holesome expresse Euangelical faith vvhose vvorkes procede from loue and the faith quoth he that vvorketh by loue vvherevpon that faith vvhich some thinke to be sufficient to saluation he so affirmeth to profite nothing that he saith If I should haue al faith so that I could remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing He therfore that vvill not erre in this point nor in any other reading either S. Paules Epistles or the rest of the holy Scriptures must sticke fast to the doctrine of the Catholike Church vvhich Church S. Paul termeth the piller and ground of the truth assuring him self that if any thing there found to him as contrarie herevnto he faileth of the right sense and bearing alvvaies in his minde the admonition of S. Peter saying As also our most deere brother Paul according to the vvisedom giuen to him hath vvritten to you as also in al his Epistles speaking in them of these things in the vvhich are certaine things hard to vnderstand vvhich the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also the rest of the Scriptures to theire ovvne perdition You therfore brethren foreknovving take heede lest ye be led amis by the error of the vnvvise and fall avvay from your ovvne stedfastnes THE TIME VVHEN THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANES VVAS VVRITTEN and the Argument thereof THE historie of S. Paul vntil be came to Rome S. Luke in the Actes of the Apostles vvrote exactly and though vvithout any mention of his Epistles yet certaine it is that some of them he vvrote before he came there to vvit the â—vvo vnto the Corinthians and this to the Romanes * as it seemeth before them al the Epistle to the Galatians Vvherein yet because he maketh mention of the fouretenth yere after his conuersion it appeareth that he preached so long vvithout any vvriting And this order may thus briefely be gathered First he preached to the Galatians Act. 16 and passing through Phrygia and the countrey of Galatia Vvhereof he maketh mention himselfe also Gal. 1 Vve euangelized to you and Gal. 4 I euangelized to you heretofore After vvhich the false Apostles came and persuaded them to receiue Circumcision Vvherevpon he saith Gal. 1 I maruel that thus so soone you are traÌ„sferred from him that called you to the grace of Christ vnto an other Gospel and vvisheth therfore Gal. 4. saying And I vvould I vvere vvith you novv And accordingly he came vnto them aftervvard as vve reade Act. 18 Vvalking in order through the countrie of Galatia and phrygia confirming al the Disciples At vvhich time also it seemeth that he tooke order vvith them about those contributions
vvriting to the Romanes but his desire vvas to preach vnto them for that vvas the proper commission giuen to the Apostles to preach to al nations The vvriting of the bookes of the Testament is an other part of Gods prouidence necessary for the Church in general but not necessarie for euery man in particular as to be taught and preached vnto is for euery one of age and vnderstanding And therfore S. Peter vvho vvas the cheefe of the Commission vvrote litle many of them vvrote nothing at al and S. Paul that vvrote most vvrote but litle in comparison of his preaching nor to any but such as vvere conuerted to the faith by preaching before 17. Liueth by faith In the 10. to the Hebrevves he shevveth by this place of the Prophete Abacue's that the iust though he liue here in peregrination and seeth not presently nor enioyeth the life euerlasting promised to him yet holdeth fast the hope thereof by faith In this place he applieth the Prophetes vvordes further to this sense That it is our faith that is to say the Catholike beleefe saith S. Augustine li. â— cont â— ep Pelag. Which maketh a iust man and distinguisheth betvvene the iust and vniust and that by the lavv of faith and not by the lavv of vvorkes Vvhereof it riseth that the Ievv the Heathen Philosopher and the Heretike though they excelled in al vvorkes of moral vertues could not yet be iust and a Catholike Christian man liuing but an ordinarie honest life either not sinning greatly or supplying his faults by penance is iust And this difference riseth by faith not that faith can saue any man vvithout vvorkes For it is not a reprobate faith that vve speake of as the holy Doctor saith but that vvhich vvorketh by charitie and therfore remitteth sinnes and maketh one iust See S. Augustines place 18. Is reuealed By al the passage folovving you may see that the Gospel and Christs lavv consisteth not only in preaching faith though that be the ground and is first alvvaies to be done but to teach vertuous life and good vvorkes and to denounce damnation to al them that commit dealdy sinnes and repent not And againe vve see that not only lacke of faith is a sinne but al other actes done against Gods commaundements 26. Hath deliuered them vp As he saith here God deliuered them vp so to the Ephesians c. 4 19 he saith of the same persons and things They deliuered them selues vp to al vncleannesse So that it is not meant here that God doth driue force or cause any man to sinne as diuers blasphemous Heretikes do hold but only that by his iust iudgement for their ovvne deseruing and for due punishment of their former greuous offenses he vvithholdeth his grace from them and so suffereth them to fall further into other sinnes As for their crime of Idolatrie to suffer them to fall into vnnatural abominations as novv for heresie he taketh his grace and mercie from many and so they fall headlong into al kind of turpitude as contrarievvise for il life he suffereth many to fall into heresie And for Christes sake let euery one that is entangled vvith the ldolatrie of this time that is to say vvith these nevv sectes looke vvel into his ovvneconscience vvhether his forsaking the true God may not come vnto him for a punishment of his former or present il life vvhich he liueth 12. Worthy of death Here you see vvhy the Church taketh some sinnes to be deadly and calleth them mortal to vvit because al thaâ— doe them are vvorthy of damnation others be venial that is to say pardonable of their ovvne nature and not vvorthy of damnation CHAP. II. Nâ—vv also he shevveth that neither the levves could be saued by the knovvledge of the Lavv of the vvhich they did so much braggâ— against the Genâ—ils seing they did notvvithstanding sinne as the Gentils did 14 And therfore that the true levv is the Christian though he be a Gentil vvho by grace in his hart doeth the good vvorkes that the Lavv commaundeth verse 1 FOR the vvhich cause thou art inexcusable ô man vvhosoeuer ″ thou be that iudgest For vvherein thou iudgest an other thou condemnest thy self for thou doest the same things vvhich `thou ' iudgest ✠verse 2 For vve knovv that the iudgement of God is according to veritie vpon them that doe such things ✠verse 3 And doest thou suppose this ô man that iudgest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God ✠verse 4 Or ″ doest thou contemne the riches of his goodnes and patience and longanimity not knovving that the benignity of God bringeth thee to penance ✠verse 5 But according to thy hardnes and impenitent hart thou heapest to thy self vvrath in the day of vvrath and of the reuelation of the iust iudgement of God ✠verse 6 vvho vvil * render to euery man ″ according to his vvorkes ✠verse 7 to them truely that according to patience in good vvorke seeke glorie and honour and incorruption life eternal ✠verse 8 but to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credite to iniquitie vvrath and indignation ✠verse 9 Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soul of man that vvorketh euil of the Ievve first and of the Greeke ✠verse 10 but glorie and honour and peace to euery one that vvorketh good to the Ievv first and to the Greeke ✠verse 11 for * there is no acception of persons vvith God ✠verse 12 For vvhosoeuer haue sinned vvithout the Lavv vvithout the Lavv shal perish and vvhosoeuer haue sinned in the Lavv by the Lavv shal be iudged ✠verse 13 For * ″ not the hearers of the Lavv are iust vvith God but the doers of the Lavv ″ shal be iustified ✠verse 14 For vvhen the Gentiles vvhich haue not the Lavv naturally doe those things that are of the Lavv the same not hauing the Lavv them selues are a lavv to them selues ✠verse 15 vvho shevv the vvorke of the Lavv vvritten in their hartes their conscience giuing testimonie to them and among them selues mutually their thoughtes accusing or also defending ✠verse 16 in the day vvhen God shal iudge the secretes of men according to my Gospel by IESVS CHRIST ✠verse 17 But if thou be surnamed a Ievv and restest in the Lavv and doest glorie in God ✠verse 18 and knovvest his vvil and approuest the more profitable things instructed by the Lavv ✠verse 19 presumest that thy self art a leader of the blinde a light of them that are in darknes ✠verse 20 a teacher of the folish a maister of infants hauing the forme of science of veritie in the Lavv. ✠verse 21 Thou therfore that teachest an other teachest not thy self that preachest men ought not to steale thou stealest ✠verse 22 that saiest men should not commit aduoutrie thou committest aduoutrie
that abhorrest idols thou doest sacrilege ✠verse 23 that doest glorie in the Lavv thou by preuatication of the Lavv doest dishonour God ✠verse 24 For the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles as it is vvriten ✠verse 25 Circumcision in deede profiteth if thou obserue the Lavv but if thou be a preuaricátour of the Lavv thy circumcision is become prepuce ✠verse 26 If then the prepuce ″ keepe the iustices of the Lavv shal not his prepuce be reputed for circumcision ✠verse 27 and shal not that vvhich of nature is prepuce fulfilling the Lavv iudge thee that by the letter and circumcision art a preuaricátour of the Lavv ✠verse 28 For not he that is in open shevv is a Ievv not that vvhich is in open shevv in the flesh is circumcision ✠verse 29 but he that is in secrete is a Ievv and the circumcision of the hart ″ in spirit not in the letter vvhose praise is not of men but of God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 1. Thou that iudgest Such as by publike authoritie either spiritual or temporal haue to punish offenders be not forbidden to iudge or condemne any for their offenses though them selues be sometimes guilty in their conscience of the same or greater yet may it be matter of aggrauating sinnes before God vvhen they vvil not repent of those offenses them selues for the vvhich they punish others but if they be open offenders them selues in the same sort for vvhich they iudge other they giue scandal and thereby aggrauate their sinnes very much Proprely here he forbiddeth to charge an other falsely or truely vvith these crimes vvhereof him self is as farre guilty or more then the other as the Ievves specially did the Gentils to vvhom he speaketh here 4. Doest thou contemne This proueth that God offereth his grace and mercie to many and by long patience and sufferance expecteth their repētance differring their punishment of purpose that they may amend and that he is not delighted in their perdition nor is the cause of their sinne but contrarievvise that they harden their ovvne hartes and of their ovvne free vvil relect his grace and contemne his benignitie 6. According to his vvorkes Though the holy Apostles special purpose be in this Epistle to commend vnto the Gentiles that trusted so much in their moral vvorkes the faith in Christ yet lest any man should thinke or gather vntruely of his vvordes that Christian mens vvorkes vvere not meritorious or the cause of Saluation he expresly vvriteth that God giueth as vvel euerlasting life and glorie to men for and according to their good vvorkes as he giueth damnation for the contrarie vvorkes And hovv so euer Heretikes fondly flee from the euidence of these places yet S. Augustine saith Life euerlasting to be rendered for good vvorkes according to this manifest Scripture God shal render to euery man according to his vvorkes 13. Not the hearers This same sentence agreable also to Christes vvordes Mat. ◠21 is the very ground of S. Iames disputation that not faith alone but good vvorkes also do iustifie Therfore S. Paul hovvsoeuer some peruersly conster his vvordes in other place meaneth the same that S. Iames. And here * he speaketh not properly of the first iustification vvhen an Infidel or il man is made iust vvho had no acceptable vvorkes before to be iustified by of vvhich kind he specially meaneth in other places of this Epistle but he speaketh of the second iustification or increase of former iustice vvhich he that is in Gods grace daily procedeth in by doing al kind of good vvorkes vvhich be iustices and for doing of vvhich he is iust in deede before God and of this kinde doth S. Iames namely treate Vvhich is directly against the Heretikes of this time vvho not only attribute nothing to the vvorkes done in sinne and infidelitie but esteeme nothing at al of al Christian mens vvorkes tovvard iustification and saluation condemning them as vncleane sinful hy pocritical Pharisaical vvhich is directly against these other Scripture and plaine blaspheming of Christ and his grace by vvhose spirit and cooperation vve doe them 13. Shal be iustified Of al other Articles deceitfully handled by Heretikes they vse most guile in this of Iustification and specially by the equiuocation of certaine vvordes vvhich is proper to al contentious vvranglers and namely in this vvord Iustifie Vvhich because they finde sometime to signifie the acquiting of a guilty man of some crime vvhere of he is in deede guilty for vvhich he ought to be condemned as by mans iudgement either of ignorance or of purpose often a very malefactor is deemed or declared and pronounced innocent they falsly make it so signifie in this place and the like vvheresoeuer man is said to be iustified of God for his vvorkes or othervvise as though it vvere said that God iustifieth man that is to say imputeth to him the iustice of Christ though he be not in deede iust or of fauour reputeth him as iust vvhen in deede he is vvicked impious and vniust Vvhich is a most blasphemous doctrine against God making him either ignorant vvho is iust and so to erre in his iudgement or not good that can loue and saue him vvhom he knovveth to be euill And a maruelous pitieful blindnes it is in the Churches Aduersaries that they should thinke it more to Gods glorie and more to the commendation of Christes iustice merites and mercie to call and count an il man so continuing for iust then by his grace and mercie to make him of an il one iust in deede and so truely to iustifie him or as the vvord doth here signifie to esteeme and approue for iust in deede him that by his grace keepeth his lavv and commaundements For that the keepers or doers of the commaundements be iust and so reputed it is plaine by the correspondence to the former vvordes Not the hearers are iust but the doers Vvherevpon S. Augustine de Sp. lit c. 26. to ◠hath these vvordes When it is said The doers of the Lavv shal be iustified vvhat other thing is said then The iust shal be iustified for the doers of the Lavv verily are iust 26. Keepe the iustices If a Gentile either novv since Christ by his grace and faith or any other before Christ not of the stocke of Abraham through the Spirit of God keepe the iustices of the Lavv he is iust no lesse then if he had been outvvardl◠circumcised and shal condemne the circumcised Ievv not keeping the Lavv vvithout vvhich his outvvard Sacrament can not serue him but shal be much to his condemnation that hauing the Lavv and peculiar Sacraments of God he did not keepe the Lavv nor invvardly exercise that in his hart vvhich the outvvard signe did import And al this is no more but to insinuate that true iustice is not in faith only or knovvledge of the
and specially because of the fruite here and the end aftervvard both of the one and of the other verse 1 WHAT shal vve say then Shal vve continue in sinne that grace may abound ✠verse 2 God forbid For vve that are dead to sinne hovv shal vve yet liue therein ✠verse 3 Are you ignorant that al vve vvhich are baptized in Christ IESVS in his death vve are baptized ✠verse 4 For vve are buried together vvith him by Baptisme into death that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glorie of the father so vve also may vvalke in nevvnesse of life ✠verse 5 For if vve be become complanted to the similitude of his death vve shal be also of his resurrection ✠verse 6 Knovving this that our old man is crucified vvith him that the body of sinne may be destroied to the end that vve may serue sinne no longer ✠verse 7 For he that is dead is iustified from sinne ✠verse 8 And if vve be dead vvith Christ vve beleeue that vve shal liue also together vvith Christ ✠verse 9 knovving that Christ rising againe from the dead novv dieth no more death shal no more haue dominion ouer him ✠verse 10 For that he died ″ to sinne he died once but that he liueth he liueth to God ✠verse 11 So thinke you also that you are dead to sinne but aliue to God in Christ IESVS our Lord. ⊢ ✠verse 12 Let not ″ sinne therfore reigne in your mortal body that you obey the concupiscences thereof ✠verse 13 But neither doe ye exhibite your members instruments of iniquitie vnto sinne but exhibite your selues to God as of dead men aliue and your members instruments of iustice to God ✠verse 14 For sinne shal not haue dominion ouer you for you are not vnder the Lavv but vnder grace ✠verse 15 Vvhat then shal vve sinne because vve are not vnder the Lavv but vnder grace God forbid ✠verse 16 * Knovv you not that to vvhom you exhibite your selues seruants to obey you are the seruants of him vvhom you obey vvhether it be of sinne to death or of obedience to iustice ✠verse 17 But thankes be to God that you vvere the seruants of sinne but haue obeied from the hart vnto that ″ forme of doctrine into the vvhich you haue been deliuered ✠verse 18 And being made free from sinne you vvere made seruants to iustice ✠verse 19 I speake an humane thing because of the infirmitie of your flesh for as you haue exhibited your members to serue vncleannesse and iniquitie vnto iniquitie so now exhibite your meÌ„bers to serue iustice vnto sanctification ✠verse 20 For when you vvere seruants of sinne you were free to iustice ✠verse 21 What fruite therfore had you then in those things for vvhich novv you are ashamed for the end of them is death ✠verse 22 But novv being made free from sinne and become seruants to God you haue your fruite vnto sanctification but the end life euerlasting ✠verse 23 For the stipends of sinne death but ″ the grace of God life euerlasting in Christ IESVS our Lord. ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI. 3. We that are baptized That vvhich before he chalenged from the Lavv of Moyses to faith is novv attributed to baptisme vvhich is the first Sacrament of our faith and the entrance to Christian religion Whereby it is plaine that he meaneth not onely faith to iustifie but the Sacraments also and al Christian religion vvhich he calleth the Lavv of spirit grace and faith 6. Old man body of sinne Our corrupt state subiect to sinne and concupiscence comming to vs from Adam is called the Old man as our person reformed in by Christ is named the Nevv man And the lumpe and masse of sinnes vvhich then ruled is called the corps or body of sinne 10. To sinne he died Christ died to sinne vvhen by his death he destroied sinne Vve die to sinne in that vve be discharged of the povver thereof vvhich before vvas as it vvere the life of our persons and commaunded al the partes and faculties of our soule and body as contrarievvise vve liue to God vvhen his grace ruleth and vvorketh in vs as the soule doth rule our mortal bodies 12. Sinne reigne Concupiscence is here named sinne because it is the effect occasion and matter of sinne and is as it vvere a disease or infirmitie in vs inclining vs to il remaining also after Baptisme according to the substance or matter thereof but it is not properly a sinne nor forbidden by commaundement til it reigne in vs and vve obey and folovv the desires thereof August â—i de nupâ— concupise c. 23. Cont. 2 epist Pelag. li. 1 c. 13. Conc. Trident. Sess 5. decret de pec orig 17. Forme of doctrine At the first conuersion of euery nation to the Catholike faith there is a forme rule of beleefe set dovvne vnto vvhich vvhen the people is once put by their Apostles they must neuer by any persuasion of men alter the same nor take of man or Angel any nevv doctrine or Analogie of faith as the Protestants call it 23. The grace of God life euerlasting The sequele of speache required that as he said death or damnation is the stipend of sinne so life euerlasting is the stipend of iustice and so it is and in the same sense he spake in the last chapter that as sinne reigneth to death so grace reigneth by iustice to life euerlasting but here he changed the sentence somevvhat calling life euerlasting grace rather then revvard because the merites by vvhich vve attaine vnto life be al of Gods gift and grace August Ep. 105 ad Sixtum CHAP. VII Our former husband sinne vvith his lavv is dead in Baptisme and novv vve are maried to an other husband to Christ to bring forth children to God that is good vvorkes 7 And hovv the Lavv being good vvas yet to vs the lavv of sinne and death because concupiscence reigned in vs. 17 But novv by Baptisme grace reigneth in vs though also concupiscence doth remaine and tempt vs still verse 1 ARE you ignorant brethren for I speake to them that knovv the Lavv that the Lavv hath dominion ouer a man as long time as he liueth ✠verse 2 for * the vvoman that is vnder a husband her husband liuing is bound to the lavv but if her husband be dead she is loosed from the lavv of her husband ✠verse 3 Therfore her husband liuing she shal be called an aduouteresse if she be vvith an other man but if her husband be dead she is deliuered from the lavv of her husband so that she is not an aduouteresse if she be vvith an other man ✠verse 4 Therfore my brethren you also are made dead to the Lavv by the body of Christ that you may be an other mans vvho is risen againe from the dead
that vve may fructifie to God ✠verse 5 For vvhen vve vvere in the flesh the passions of sinnes that vvere by the Lavv did vvorke in our members to fructifie vnto death ✠verse 6 but novv vve are loosed from the lavv of death vvherein vve vvere deteined in so much vve serue in nevvnesse of spirit and not in the oldnes of the letter ✠verse 7 Vvhat shal vve say then is the Lavv sinne God forbid But sinne I did not knovv but by the Lavv. for concupisceÌ„ce I knevv not vnlesse the lavv did say ″ Thou shalt not couet ✠verse 8 But ocoasion being taken sinne by the commaundement vvrought in me al coÌ„cupiscence For vvithout the Lavv sinne vvas dead ✠verse 9 And I liued vvithout the Lavv sometime But vvhen the commaundement vvas come sinne reuiued ✠verse 10 And I vvas dead and the commaundement that vvas vnto life the same to me vvas found to be vnto death ✠verse 11 For sinne taking occasion by the commaundement seduced me and by it killed me ✠verse 12 Therfore * the Lavv in deede is holy and the commaundement holy and iust and good ✠verse 13 That theÌ„ vvhich is good to me vvas it made death God forbid but sinne that it may appeare sinne by the good thing vvrought me death that sinne might become sinning aboue measure by the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t ✠verse 14 For vve knovv that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal sold vnder sinne ✠verse 15 For ″ that which I vvorke I vnderstand not for ″ not that vvhich I vvil the same do I but vvhich I hate that I doe ✠verse 16 And if that vvhich I vvil not the same I doe I coÌ„sent to the Lavv that it is good ✠verse 17 But novv not I vvorke it any more but the sinne that dvvelleth in me ✠verse 18 For I know that there dvvelleth not in me that is to say in my flesh good For to vvil is preseÌ„t vvith me but to accomplish that vvhich is good I finde not ✠verse 19 For ″ not the good vvhich I vvil that doe I but the euil ″ vvhich I vvil not that I doe ✠verse 20 And if that vvhich I vvil not the same I doe novv not I vvorke it but the sinne that dvvelleth in me ✠verse 21 I finde therfore the Lavv to me hauing a vvil to doe good that euil is present vvith me ✠verse 22 For I am delighted vvith the lavv of God according to the invvard man ✠verse 23 but I see an other lavv in my members repugning to the lavv of my minde and captiuing me in the lavv of sinne that is in my members ✠verse 24 Vnhappie man that I am vvho shal deliuer me from the body of this death ✠verse 25 The grace of God by IESVS Christ our Lord. ⊢ Therfore I my self ″ vvith the minde serue the lavv of God but vvith the flesh the lavv of sinne ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VII â— Thou shalt not â—â—uet It is not the habitual concupiscence or infirmitie of our nature or sénsual desire or inclination to euil coueting against the spirit that is forbidden properly in this precept but the consent of our reason and minde vnto it to obey and folovv the lustes thereof that is a sinne and prohibited 15. That vvhich I vvorke This being vnderstood of S. Paul himself or any other iust person the sense is that the flesh and inferiour part stirreth vp diuerse disordered motions and passions or perturbations against the minde and vpon such a soden sometimes inuadeth the same that before it atteÌ„deth or reason can gather it self to deliberate maÌ„ is in a sort though vnvvittingly entangled Vvhich as soone as it is perceiued being of the iust condemned reiected and resisted neuer maketh him a sinner 15. Not that vvhich I vvil He meaneth not that he can do no good that he vvilleth or desireth or that he is euer forced to do that vvhich his vvill agreeth not vnto but that by reason of the forciblenesse of concupiscence vvhere of he can not rid him self during life he can not accomplish al the desire of his spirit and minde according as he saith to the Galatians The flesh coueâ—eth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that not vvhatsoeuer you vvill you can do 19. Not the good vvhich I vvill So may the iust also be forced by the rage of concupiscence or sensual appetite to do or suffer many things in his inferiour part or external members vvhich his vvill consenteth not vnto And so long it is so farre from sinne that as * S. Augustine faith he neede neuer say to God forgiue vs our sinnes for the same for sinne is voluntarie and so be not these passions 19. Which I vvil not It maketh not any thing against free vvill that the Apostle saith that good men do or suffer sometimes in their bodies that vvhich the â—vill agreeth not vnto but it proueth plainely free vvil because the proper act thereof that is to vvill or nill to consent or dissent is euer as you may see here free in it self though there may be internal or external force to stay the members of a man that they obey not in euery act that vvhich the vvill commaundeth or prescribeth And therfore that is neuer imputed to maÌ„ vvhich he doth in his external or internal faculties vvhen vvil concurreth not Yea aftervvard v 20 the Apostle saith Noâ— ego opâ—ror man doeth not that vvhich is not done by his vvill vvhich doth most euidently proue free vvill â—5 With the minde vvith the flesh Nothing done by concupiscence vvhich the Apostle here calleth sinne vvherevnto the spirit reason or minde of man consenteth not can make him guilty before God Neither can the motions of the flesh in a iust man euer any vvhit deâ—file the operatioÌ„s of his spirit as the Lutherans do hold but make them often more meritorious for the continual combat that he hath vvith them for it is plaine that the operations of the flesh and of the spirit do not concurre together to make one acte as they imagine the Apostle concluding cleane contrarie That in minde he serueth the Lavv of God in flesh the lavv of sinne that is to say concupiscence CHAP. VIII That novv after Baptisme vve are no more in state of damnation because by the grace vvhich vve haue receiued vve are able to fulfil the Lavv vnles vve do vvilfully giue the dominion againe to concupisâ—ence 1â— Then because of the persecutions that then vvere he comforteth and exhorteth them vvith many reasons verse 1 THERE is novv therefore no damnation to them that are in Christ IESVS that walke not according to the flesh ✠verse 2 For the lavv of the spirit of life in Christ IESVS hath deliuered me from the lavv of sinne and of death ✠verse 3 For that vvhich vvas impossible to the Lavv in that it vvas vveakened by the
also to shevv to the vvorld that no obstinacie of neuer so mightie offenders can resist me to doe any thing vvhich shal not fall to my glorie Vvhich is no more to say but that God often for the punishment of Nations and to shevv his iustice and glorie giueth vvicked Princes vnto them and indueth them vvith povver and al prosperitie and taking his grace from them vpon their deserts hardeneth their hartes so as they vvithsand and contemne God and afflict his people in vvhose end and fall either temporal or eternal at the length God vvil euer be glorified Neither vvould he either raise or suffer any such or giue them povver and prosperitie in this life vvherevpon he knovveth they vvil be vvorse but that he can vvorke al that to his honour and glorie mary that he vseth not such rigorous iustice on al that deserue it that is his great grace and mercie And that he exerciseth his iustice vpon some certaine persons rather then vpon other some of equal deserts that lieth vvholy vpon his vvil in vvhose iudgements there be many things secrete but nothing vniust 20. Who art thou Here the Apostle staieth the rashnes and presumption of such poore vvormes as take vpon them to question vvith God of their election or reprobation as certaine impious Heretikes of our time haue done setting out bookes farsed vvith most blasphemous and erroneous doctrine cōcerning this high and hidden mysterie and haue giuen occasion to the ignorant vvhich alvvaies be curious to iangle and perniciously to erre in these things that are impossible to be vnderstood of any or vvel thought of but of the obedient and humble 31. The potter This example of the pot and potter reacheth no further but to declare that the creature may not reason vvith God his maker vvhy he giueth not one so great grace as an other or vvhy he pardoneth not one as vvel as an other no more then the chamber pot may chalenge the Potter vvhy he vvas not made a drinking pot as vvel as an other And therfore the Heretikes that extend this similitude to proue that man hath no free vvil no more then a peece of clay doe vntruely and deceitfully apply the example specially vvhen vve may see expresly in the booke of Exodus that Pharao notvvithstāding his indurate hart had free vvil vvhere both it is said He vvould not dismisse the people and He indurated his owne hart him self Exo. c. ◠15. and in the Hebrue v. 32. c. 9. 35. 1 Reg. 6 6. And this Apostle also vvritheth that * a man may cleanse him self from the filthy and so become a vessel of honour in the house of God CHAP. X. The Lavv vvar not as the Ievves ignorant zeale supposed for them to iustifie them selues by it considering that they could not fulfil it ◠but to bring them to Christ to beleeue in him and so for his sake to be iustified by the grace of God 5 according to Moyses saying and the Apostles preaching 11 that so the Gentils also according to the Prophets hearing and beleeuing might come to iustice the Ievves in the meane time though inexcusably remaining incredulous verse 1 BRETHREN the vvil of my hart surely and praier to God is for them vnto saluation ✠verse 2 For I giue them testimonie that they haue zeale of God but not according to knovvledge ✠verse 3 For not knovving ″ the iustice of God seeking to establish their ovvne they haue not been subiect to the iustice of God ✠verse 4 For the end of the Law is Christ vnto iustice to euery one that beleeueth ✠verse 5 for Moyses vvrote that the iustice vvhich is of the Lavv the man that hath done it shal liue in it ✠verse 6 But ″ the iustice vvhich is of faith saith thus Say not in thy hart Vvho shal ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ dovvne ✠verse 7 Or vvho descendeth into the depth that is to call Christ againe from the dead ✠verse 8 But vvhat saith the Scripture The vvord is nigh in thy mouth and in thy hart this is the vvord of faith vvhich vve preach ✠verse 9 For if thou confesse vvith thy mouth our Lord IESVS and in thy hart beleeue that God hath raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued ✠verse 10 For vvith the hart vve beleeue vnto iustice but vvith the mouth confession is made to saluation ✠verse 11 For the Scripture saith Vvhosoeuer beleeueth in him shal not be confounded ✠verse 12 For there is no distinction of the Iew and the Greeke for one is Lord of al riche tovvard al that inuocate him ✠verse 13 For euery one vvhosoeuer shal innocate the name of our Lord shal be saued ✠verse 14 ″ Hovv then shal they inuocate in vvhom they haue not beleeued Or hovv shal they beleeue him vvhom they haue not heard And hovv shal they heare without a preacher ✠verse 15 But hovv shal they preach ″ vnles they be senti as it is vvritten Hovv beautiful are the feete of them that euangelize peace of them that euangelize good things ✠verse 16 But al do not obey the Gospel For Esay saith Lord vvho hath beleeued the hearing of vs ✠verse 17 Faith then is by hearing and hearing is by the vvord of Christ ✠verse 18 But I say haue they not heard And certes into al the earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the endes of the vvhole vvorld the vvordes of them ⊢ ✠verse 19 But I say hath not Israel knovven Moyses first saith I vvil bring you to emulation in that vvhich is not a nation in a folish nation I vvil driue you into anger ✠verse 20 But Esay is bold and saith I vvas found of them that did not seeke me openly I appeared to them ″ that asked not of me ✠verse 21 But to Israel he saith Al the day haue I spred my handes to a people that beleeueth not and contradicteth me ANNOTATIONS CHAP. X. ◠The iustice of God The iustice of God is that vvhich God giueth vs through Christ the Ievves ovvne or proper iustice is that vvhich they had or chalenged to haue of them selues and by their ovvne strength holpen onely by the knovvledge of the Lavv vvithout the helpe or grace of Christ 6. The iustice of faith The iustice vvhich is of faith reacheth to the life to come making man assured of the truth of such Articles as concerne the same as of Christs Ascension to heauen of his Descending to Hel of his comming dovvne to be Incarnate and his Resurrection and returne againe to be glorified by vvhich his actions vve be pardoned iustified and saued as by the Lavv vve could neuer be 8. The vvord of faith The vvord of faith is the vvhole Lavv of Christ concerning both life and doctrine grounded vpon this
9 to many other good actions 17 and specially to louing of their enemies verse 1 I BESECH you therfore brethren by the mercie of God * that you exhibite your bodies ″ a liuing host holy pleasing God your reasonable seruice ✠verse 2 And be not conformed to this vvorld but be reformed in the newnes of your minde * that you may proue vvhat the good and acceptable and perfect vvil of God is ✠verse 3 for I say by the grace that is giuen me to al that are among you not to be more vvise then behoueth to be vvise but to be vvise vnto sobrietie * to euery one as God hath deuided the measure of faith ✠verse 4 For as in one body vve haue many members but al the members haue not one action ✠verse 5 so vve being many are one body in Christ eche one an others members ⊢ ✠verse 6 And hauing giftes according to the grace that is giuen vs differēt either prophecie ″ according to the rule of faith ✠verse 7 or ministerie in ministring or he that teacheth in doctrine ✠verse 8 he that exhorteth in exhorting he that giueth in simplicitie he that ruleth in carefulnes he that shevveth mercie in cheerefulnes ✠verse 9 Loue vvithout simulation Hating euil cleauing to good ✠verse 10 Louing the charitie of the brotherhod one toward an other Vvith honour preuenting one an other ✠verse 11 In carefulnes not slouthful In spirit feruent Seruing our Lord. ✠verse 12 Reioycing in hope Patient in tribulation Instant in praier ✠verse 13 Communicating to the necessities ' of the sainctes Pursuing hospitalitie ✠verse 14 Blesse them that persecute you blesse and curse not ✠verse 15 To reioyce vvith them that reioyce to vveepe vvith them that vveepe ✠verse 16 Being of one minde one tovvard an other Not minding high things but cōsenting to the humble ⊢ Be not vvise in your ovvne conceite ✠verse 17 To no man rendring euil for euil Prouiding good things not only before God but also before al men ✠verse 18 If it may be as much as is in you hauing peace vvith al men ✠verse 19 Not reuenging your selues my deerest but giue place vnto vvrath for it is vvritten Reuenge to me I vvil revvard saith our Lord. ✠verse 20 but if thine enemie hunger giue him meate if he thirst giue him drinke for doing this thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head ✠verse 21 Be not ouercome of euil but ouercome in good the euil ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 1. A liuing host Lest men should thinke by the former discourse of Gods eternal predestination that no reward were to be had of good life and workes the Apostle now earnestly recommendeth to them holinesse of life 1. A liuing host Man maketh his body a sacrifice to God by giuing it to suffer for him by chastising it vvith fasting vvatching and such like and by occupying it in workes of charitie and vertue to Gods honour whereby appeareth how acceptable these workes are to God and grateful in his sight being compared to a sacrifice which is an high seruice done to him 6. According to the rule of faith By this and many places of holy write we may gather that the Apostles by the holy Ghost before they were sundered into diuers Nations set downe among them selues a certaine Rule and forme of faith and doctrine conteining not onely the Articles of the Crede but al other principles groundes and the whole platforme of al the Christian religion Which Rule was before any of the bookes of the new Testment were written before the faith was preached among the Gentiles by vvhich not onely euery other inseriout teachers doctrine was tried but al the Apostles and Euangelistes preaching vvriting interpreting which is here called prophecying were of gods Church appointed and admitted or disproued and reiected This forme by mouth and not by Scripture euery Apostle deliuered to the countrie by them conuerted For keeping of this forme the Apostle before praised the Romanes and afterward earnestly warneth them by no man 〈◊〉 speache to be drawen from the same This he commendeth to Timothee calling it his 〈◊〉 For not holding this fast and sure he blameth the Galatians further also denouncing to him self or an Angel that should write teach or expound against that which they first receiued 〈…〉 and commanding alwaies to bevvare of them that taught otherwise For feare of missing this line of truth him self notwithstanding he had the Holy Ghost yet lest he might haue preached in vaine and lost his labour he went to conferre with Peter and the rest for tho fast keeping of this Rule of truth the Apostles held Councels and their successors by their example For the holding of this Rule and by the measure thereof were al the holy Scriptures written for and by the same al the glorious doctors haue made their sermons commendries and interpretations Gods vvork al vvritings and interpretatiōs no otherwise admitted nor deemed to be of God but as they be agreable to this Rule And this is the sure Analogies 〈◊〉 measure of faith set downe and commended to vs euery where for the Apostles tradition and not the phantastical rule or square that euery Sectmaister pretendeth to gather out of the Scriptures falsely vnderstood and wrested to his purpose by which they iudge of doctor Scripture Church and al. Arîus had by that meanes a rule of his owne Luther had his false weightes and Caluin his owne also According to which seueral measure of euery Sect they haue their expositions of Gods word and in England as in other infected Countries they kept of lare an apish imitation of this prophecying which S. Paul here and in other places speaketh of and which was an exercise in the primitiue Church measured not by euery mans peculiar spirit but by the former Rule of faith first set downe by the Apostles And therfore al this new phantastical Prophecying al other preaching in Caluins schoole is iustly by this note of the Apostle condemned for that it is not according to but quite against the Rule of faith CHAP. XIII To yeld obedience and al other duties vnto Potestats 8 to loue their neighbour vvhich is the fulfilling of the Lavv 11 and specially to consider that novv being the time of grace vve must doe nothing that may not beseeme day light verse 1 LET ″ euery soul be subiect to higher powers for there is ″ no povver but of God And those that are of God are ordeined ✠verse 2 Therfore he that resisteth the povver resisteth the ordinance of God And ″ they that resist purchase to them selues damnatiō ✠verse 3 for princes are no feare to the good worke but to the euil But wilt thou not feare the povver Doe good and thou shalt haue praise of the same ✠verse 4
and read as him self telleth li. 8 Confesâ—e 12. CHAP. XIIII Like a moderator and peacemaker betvvene the firme Christians vvho vvere the Gentils and the infirme vvho vvere the Christian Ievves hauing yet a scruple to cease from keeping the ceremonial meâ—tes and daies of Moyses Lavv be exhorteth the Ievv 〈◊〉 to condemne the Gentil vsing his libertie and the Gentil againe 〈◊〉 to condemne the â—â—rupulous â—ew but rather to abstaine from vsing his libertie and them offending the Ievv 〈◊〉 be an occasions vnto him of aposting verse 1 AND him that is vveake in faith take vnto you not in disputations of cogitatioÌ„s ✠verse 2 For one beleeueth that he may ″ eate al things but he that is vveake let him eate ' herbes ✠verse 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and he that eateth not let him not iudge him that eateth for God hath taken him to him ✠verse 4 Vvho art thou that iudgest an other mans seruant To his ovvne Lord he standeth or falleth and he shal stand for God is able to make him stand ✠verse 5 For one iudgeth ″ betvveene day and day and an other iudgeth euery day let euery one abound ″ in his ovvne sense ✠verse 6 He that respecteth the day respecteth to our Lord. And he that eateth eateth to our Lord for he giueth thankes to God And he that eateth not to our Lord he eateth not and giueth thankes to God ✠verse 7 For none of vs liueth to him self no man dieth to him self ✠verse 8 For whether vve liue we liue to our Lord or vvhether we die we die to our Lord. Therfore vvhether vve liue or vvhether vve die vve are our Lords ✠verse 9 For to this end Christ died and rose againe that he may haue dominion both of the dead and of the liuing ✠verse 10 But thou vvhy iudgest thou thy brother or thou vvhy doest thou despise thy brother For * vve shal al stand before the iudgement seate of Christ ✠verse 11 For it is vvritten Liue I saith our Lord that euery knee shal bovve to me and euery tongue shal confesse to God ✠verse 12 Therfore euery one of vs for him self shal render account to God ✠verse 13 Let vs therfore no more iudge one an other but this iudge ye rather that you put not a stumbling blocke or a scandal to your brother ✠verse 14 I knovv and am persuaded in our Lord IESVS Christ that nothing is coÌ„mon of it self but to him that supposeth any thing to be coÌ„mon to him it is common ✠verse 15 For if because of meate thy brother be greeued novv thou vvalkest not according to charitie * Do not vvith thy meate destroy him for vvhom Christ died ✠verse 16 Let not then our good be blasphemed ✠verse 17 For the kingdom of God is ″ not meate and drinke but iustice and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost ✠verse 18 for he that in this serueth Christ pleaseth God and is acceptable to men ✠verse 19 Therfore the things that are of peace let vs pursue and the things that are of edifying one tovvard an other let vs keepe ✠verse 20 Destroy not the vvorke of God for meate * Al things in deede are cleane but it is il for the man that eateth by giuing offence ✠verse 21 It is good not to eate flesh and not to drinke vvine nor that vvherein thy brother is offended or scandalized or vveakened ✠verse 22 Hast thou faith ″ haue it vvith thy self before God Blessed is he that iudgeth not him self in that vvhich he approueth ✠verse 23 But ″ he that discerneth if he eate is damned because not of faith for ″ al that is not of faith is sinne ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XIIII 2. Eate al things By similitude of vvordes the simple are soone deceiued and Heretikes make their vauntage of any thing to seduce the vnlearned There vvere diuers meates forbidden in the Lavv of Moyses and for signification made and counted vncleane vvhereof the Ievves might not eate aâ— al as porke hare conny and such like both of fishes foules and beasts a great number Christ discharged al them that became Christians after his Passion of that obseruance and al other ceremonies of the old Lavv Notvvithstanding because diuers that vvere brought vp in the Lavv had a religion and conscience sodenly to foresake their former maner the Apostle here admonisheth such as bestronger and 〈◊〉 instructed in the case to heare vvith the vveaker sort that being Christians could not yee finde in their hartes to eate and vse the meates forbidden by God in the Lavv as on the other side he vvarneth the vveake that vvould not eate not to take offence or scandal at them that did eate vvithout scruple any of the irregular or forbidden meates in the Lavv nor in any vvise to iudge or condemne the eater but to commit that to God and finally that neither nother should condemne the other for eating or not eating Now the Protestants foÌ„ndly apply al this to the fastes of the Church and differences of meates in the same as though the Church did forbid any meate vvholy neuer to be eaten or touched or made any creatures vncleane or othervvise prescribed any abstinence then for chastising of mens bodies and seruice of God It is a great blindnesse that they can put no difference betvvixt Christes fast of fourtie daies Mat. 4. Iohns abstaining from al delicate meates and drinkes Mat. 11. the vvidovv Annes Luc. â— 1â— the Nazareites Num. 6. the Recabites Ierem. 15 14. the Niniuities Ion. 3. S. Paules 2 Cor. 11 27. S. Timothees 1 Tim. 5 23. Iohns Disciples and Christs Disciples fast Mat. 9 14. 15. which he said they should keepe after his departure from them and the ceremonial distinction of creatures and meates cleane and vncleane in the old Lavv. of vvhich it is euident the Apostle treateth in al this chapter of none other at al. Therfore vvhen the Protestants by the vvordes of this place vvould proue that vve be either made free from fasting and from obeying the Churches commaundement or folovving Christes example in that matter or that the obseruers of Christian fastes be vveake in faith ought not in any vvise coÌ„demne of sinne the breakers of the prescribed fastes of the holy Church they doe abuse ignorantly or vvilfully the Apostles vvordes and discourse 5. Betvvene day and day By the like deceite they abuse this place against the Holy-daies of Christ and his B. mother and Saincts vvhich concerneth onely the Ievves festiuities and obseruation of times vvhereof in the Epistle to the Galatians c 4. 10. 6. Euery one in his ovvne sense The Apostle doth not giue freedom as the Churches enemies vvould haue it that euery man may doe or thinke vvhat he list but in this matter of Iudaical obseruation of daies and meates that for a time onely til the
barbarous Yea and the Seruice of our ovvne language vvithin a fevv hundreth yeres or rather euery age shal vvholy become barbarous and vnknovven to our selues our tongue as al vulgar doth so often change And for edification that is for increase of faith true knovvledge and good life the experience of a fevv yeres hath giuen al the vvorld a ful demonstration vvhether our forefathers vvere not as vvise as faithful as deuout as fearful to breake Gods lavves and as likely to be saued as vve are in al our tongues translations and English praiers Much vanitie curiositie contempt of Superiors disputes emulations contentions Schismes horrible errors profenation and diuulgation of the secrete Mysteries of the dreadful Sacraments * vvhich of purpose vvere hidden from the vulgar as S. Denys Eccl. Hier. c. 1. and S. Basil de Sp. Sanct. c. 27. testifie are fallen by the same but vertue or sound knovvledge none at al. Vvherein this also is a grosse illusion and vntruth that the force and efficacie of the Sacraments Sacrifice and common praier dependeth vpon the peoples vnderstanding hearing or knovvledge the principal efficacie of such thinges and of the vvhole ministerie of the Church consisting specially of the very vertue of the vvorke and the publike office of the Priests who be appointed in Christes behalfe to dispose these Mysteries to our most good the infant innocent idiote and vnlearned taking no lesse fruite of Baptisme and al other diuine offices meete for euery ones condition then the learnedst Clerke in the Realme and more if they be more humble charitable deuour and obedient then the other hauing lesse of these qualities and more learning Vvhich vve say not as though it were inconuenient for the people to be vvel instructed in the meaning of the Sacraments and holy ceremonies and Seruice of the Church for that to their comfort and necessarie knovvledge both by preaching Catechizing and reading of good Catholike bookes Christian people do learne in al Nations much more in those countries vvhere the Seruice is in Latin then in our Nation God knovveth But we say that there be other wales to instruct them and the same lesse subiect to danger and disorder then to turne it into vulgar tongues Vve say the simple people and many one that thinke them selues some body vnderstand as litle of the sense of diuers Psalmes Lessons and Oraisons in the vulgar tongue as if they vvere in Latin yea and often take them in a vvrong peruerse and pernitious sense vvhich lightly they could not haue done in Latin Vve say that such as vvould learne in deuotion and humilitie may and must rather vvith diligence learne the tongue that such Diuine things be vvritten in or vse other diligence in hearing sermons and instructions then for a fevv mens not necessarie knovvledge the holy vniuersal order of Gods Church should be altered For if in the kingdom of England onely it be not conuenient necessarie nor almost possible to accommodate their Seruice booke to euery prouince and people of diuers tongues hovv much lesse should the vvhole Church so do consisting of so many differences Neither doth the Apostle in al this Chapter appoint any such thing to be done but admonisheth them to pray and labour for the grace of vnderstanding and interpretation or to get others to interprete or expound vnto them And that much more may vve doe concerning the Seruice in Latin vvhich is no strange nor miraculously gotten or vnderstood tongue but common to the most and cheefe churches of the vvorld and hath bene since the Apostles time daily vvith al diligence through out al these partes of Christendom expounded in euery house schole church and pulpit and is so vvel knovven for euery necessarie part of the diuine Seruice that by the diligence of parents Maisters and Curates euery Catholike of age almost can tel the sense of euery ceremonie of the Masse vvhat to ansvver vvhen to say Amen at the Priestes benediction vvhen to confesse vvhen to adore vvhen to stand vvhen to kneele when to receiue vvhat to receiue vvhen to come vvhen to depart and al other dueties of praying and seruing sufficient to saluation And thus is it euident that S. Paul speaketh not of the common tonges of the Churches Seruice Secondly it is as certaine that he meaneth not nor vvriteth any vvord in this place of the Churches publike Seruice praier or ministration of the holy Sacrament vvherein the Office of the Church specially consisteth but onely of a certaine exercise of mutual conference wherein one did open to an other and to the assemblie miraculous giftes and graces of the Holy Ghost and such Canticles Psalmes secrete Mysteries sorts of Languages and other Reuelations as it pleased God to giue vnto certaine both men and vvomen in that first beginning of his Church In doing of this the Corinthians cōmitted many disorders turning Gods gifts to pride and vanitie and namely that gift of tonges vvhich being in deede the least of al giftes yet most puffed vp the hauers and novv also doth commonly puffe vp the professors of such knovvledge according as S. Augustine vvriteth thereof This exercise and the disorder thereof vvas not in the Church for any thing we can reade in antiquitie these fourtene hundreth yeres and therfore neither the vse nor abuse nor S. Paules reprehēsion or redressing thereof can concerne any vvhit the Seruice of the Church Furthermore this is euident that the Corinthians had their Seruice in Greeke at this same time and it vvas not done in these miraculous tonges Nothing is meant then of the Church Seruice Againe the publike Seruice had but one language in this exercise they spake in many tonges In the publike Seruice euery man had not his ovvne special tongue his special Interpretation special Reuelation proper Psalmes but in this they had Againe the publike Seruice had in it the ministration of the holy Sacrament principally vvhich vvas not done in this time of conference For into this exercise vvere admitted Catechumens and Infidels and vvhosoeuer vvould in this vvomen before S. Paules order did speake and prophecie so did they neuer in the Ministration of the Sacrament vvith many other plaine differences that by no meanes the Apostles vvordes can be rightly and truely applied to the Corinthians Seruice then or ours novv Therfore it is either great ignorance of the Protestants or great guilfulnes so vntruely and peruersly to apply them Neither is here any thing meant of the priuate praiers vvhich deuout persons of al sortes and sexes haue euer vsed specially in Latin as vvel vpon their Primars as Beades For the priuate praiers here spoken of vvere psalmes or hymnes and sonnets nevvly inspired to them by God and in this conference or prophecying vttered to one an others comfort or to them selues and God onely But the praiers psalmes and holy vvordes of the Christian people vsed priuately are not composed by them nor diuersely inspired
to come to thee quickly to vvit vnto Ephesus vvhere he had desired him to remaine although in his voiage to Hierusalem before his being at Rome he said at Milétum to the Clergie of Ephesus vpoÌ„ probable feare And now behold I knovv that you shal no more see my â—ace Vvhere it vvas vvritten it is vncertaine though it be commonly said at Laodicia Vvhich seemeth not because it is like he vvas neuer there as may be gathered by the Epistle to the Colossians vvritten at Rome in his last trouble vvhen he vvas put to death THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO TIMOTHEE CHAP. I. He recommendeth vnto him to inhibite certaine Ievves vvho iangled of the Lavv as though it vvere contrarie to his preaching 11 Against vvhom he auoucheth his ministerie though he acknovvledge his vnvvorthines verse 1 PAVL an Apostle of IESVS Christ according to the commaundement of God our sauiour and of Christ IESVS our hope ✠verse 2 to Timothee his beloued sonne in the faith Grace mercie and peace from God the father and from Christ IESVS our Lord. ✠verse 3 As I desired thee to remaine at Ephesus vvhen I vvent into Macedonia that thou shouldest denounce to certaine ″ not to teache othervvise ✠verse 4 nor to attend ″ to fables and genealogies hauing no ende vvhich minister ″ questions rather then the edifying of God vvhich is in faith ✠verse 5 But ″ the ende of the precept is charitie from a pure hart and a good conscience and a faith not feined ✠verse 6 From the vvhich things certaine straying are turned into vaine talke ✠verse 7 ″ desirous to be doctors of the Lavv not vnderstanding neither vvhat things they speake nor of vvhat they affirme ✠verse 8 But vve know that * the Lavv is good if a man vse it lavvfully ✠verse 9 knovving this that ″ the Lavv is not made to the iust man but to the vniust and disobedient to the impious and sinners to the vvicked and contaminate to killers of fathers and killers of mothers to murderers ✠verse 10 to fornicatours to lyers vvith maÌ„kinde to man-stealers to liers to periured persons and vvhat other thing soeuer is contrarie to sound doctrine ✠verse 11 vvhich is according to the Gospel of the glorie of the blessed God vvhich is committed to me ✠verse 12 I giue him thankes vvhich hath strengthened me Christ IESVS our Lord because he hath esteemed me faithful putting me in the ministerie ✠verse 13 vvho before vvas blasphemous and a persecutor contumelious but I obteined the mercie of God because I did it being ignorant in incredulitie ✠verse 14 And the grace of our Lord ouer-abounded vvith faith and loue vvhich is in Christ IESVS ✠verse 15 A faithful saying vvorthie of al acceptatioÌ„ that Christ IESVS came into this vvorld * to saue sinners of vvhom I am the cheefe ✠verse 16 But therfore haue I obtained mercie that in me first of al Christ IESVS might shevv al patience to the information of them that shal beleeue on him vnto life euerlasting ✠verse 17 And to the king of the vvorldes immortal inuisible onely God honour glorie for euer and euer Amen ✠verse 18 This precept I commend to thee ô Timothee according to the prophecies going before on thee that thou warre in them a good vvarfare ✠verse 19 hauing faith and a good conscience vvhich certaine repelling haue made shipvvracke about the faith ✠verse 20 Of vvhom is Hymenaeus Alexander vvhom I haue ″ deliuered to Satan that they may learne not to blaspheme ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 3. Not to teach othervvise The proper marke of Heretikes false preachers is to teach othervvise or contrarie to that vvhich they found taught and beleeued generally in the vnitie of the Catholike Church before their time al doctrine that is odde singular new differing from that vvhich vvas fâ—rst planted by the Apostles and desceÌ„ded downe from them to al nations and ages folowing vvithout contradiction being assuredly erroneous The Greeke vvord vvhich the Apostle here vseth expresseth this point so effectually that in one compound terme he giueth vs to vvit that an Heretike is nothing els but an after-teacher or teacher-otherwise vvhich euen it self alone is the easiest rule euen for the simple to discerne a false Prophet or preacher by specially vvhen an heresie first beginneth Luther found al Nations Christian at rest and peace in one vniforme faith and al preachers of one voice and doctrine touching the B. Sacrament and other Articles so that vvhat so euer he taught against that vvhich he found preached and beleeued must needes be an other doctrine a later doctrine an after-teaching or teaching othervvise and therfore consequently must needes be false And by this admonitioÌ„ of S. Paul al Bishops are vvarned to take heede of such and specially to prouide that no such odde teachers arise in their dioceses 4. To fables He speaketh specially of the Iewes after-doctrines and humane constitutions repugnant to the lawes of God vvhereof Christ giueth warning Mt. 23 and in other places vvhich are conteined in their Cabala and Talmud generally of al heretical doctrines vvhich in deede how so euer the simple people be beguiled by theÌ„ are nothing but fabulous inuentions as vve may see in the Valentinians Manichees and oâ—hers of old by the brethren of loue Puritans Anabaptistes and Caluinistes of our time For which cause Theodorete entitleth his booke against Heretikes Hereticarum fabularum Of Heretical fables 4. Questions Let our louing brethren consider vvhether these contentious and curious questionings and disputes in religion vvhich these vnhappie heresies haue in gendered haue brought forth any increase of good life any deuotion or edification of faith and religion in our daies and then shal they easily iudge of the truth of these new opinions and the end that wil folovv of these innouations In truth al the world now seeth they edifie to Atheisme and no othervvise 5. The end Charitie Here againe it appeareth that Charitie is the cheese of al vertues and the end consummation and perfection of al the law and precepts and yet the Aduersaries are so fond as to preferre faith before it yea to exclude it from our iustification Such obstinacie there is in them that haue once in pride stubbernes forsaken the euident truth Charitie doubtles which is here commended is iustice it self and the very formal cause of our iustification as the vvorkes proceding thereof be the vvorkes of iustice Charitas incheata saith S. Augustine inchoata iustitia Charitas prouecta prouecta iustitia Charitas magna magna iustitia Charitas perfecta perfecta iustitia est Charitie novv beginning is iustice beginning Charitie grovven or increased is iustice grovven or increased great Charitis is great iustice perfect Charitie is perfect iustice Li. de nat grat c. 70. 7. Desirous to be Doctors It is the
vvhile he that is to come vvil come and vvil not slacke ✠verse 38 and my iust ″ liueth of faith ⊢ but if he vvithdravv him self he shal not please my soule ✠verse 39 But vve are not the children of vvithdravving vnto perdition but of faith to the vvinning of the soule ANNOTATIONS CHAP. X. 1. A shadovv The sacrifices and ceremonies of the old law vvere so far from the truth of Christs Sacraments and from giuing spirit grace remission redemption and iustification and therevpon the entrance into heauen and ioyes celestiall that they vvere but mere shadowes vnperfectly and obscurely representing the graces of the new Testament and of Christes death vvhereas all the holy Churches rites and actions instituted by Christ in the Priesthod of the new law conteine and giue grace iustification and life euerlasting to the faithful and vvorthy receiuers and therfore they be not shades or darke resemblances of Christes passion vvhich is the fountaine of all grace and mercie but perfect images and most liuely representations of the same specially the sacrifice of the altar vvhich because it is the same oblation the same host and offered by the same Priest Christ IESVS though by the ministerie of man and in mysterie is the most pure and neere image character and correspondence to the sacrifice of Christes passion both in substance force and effect that can be 2. They should haue ceased If the hostes and offerings of the old law had been of them selues perfect to all effectes of redemption and remission as the Hebrues against vvhom the Apostle disputeth did thinke and had had no relation to Christes sacrifice on the Crosse or any other absolute and vniuersal oblation or remedie for sinne but by and of their owne efficacie could haue generally purged and cleansed man of all sinne and damnation then they should neuer haue needed to be so often repeated and reiterated For being both generally auailable for all by their opinion and particularly applied in as ample sort as they could be to the seueral infirmities of euery offender there had been no sinnes left But sinnes did remaine euen those sinnes for vvhich they had offered sacrifices before notvvithstanding their sacrifices vvere particularly applied vnto them For offering yerely they did not onely offer sacrifices for the new committed crimes but euen for the old for vvhich they had often sacrificed before the sacrifices being rather recordes and attestations of their sinnes then a redemption or full remission as Christes death is Vvhich being once applied to man by Baptisme vvipeth away all sinnes past God neuer remembring them any more nor euer any sacrifice or sacrament or ceremonie being made or done for them any more though for new sinnes other remedies be daily requisite Their sacrifices then could not of them selues remitte sinnes much lesse make the general redemption vvithout relation to Christes Passion And so you see it is plaine euery vvhere that the Apostle proueth not by the often repetition of the Iewish sacrifices that they vvere no sacrifices at all but that they vvere not of that absolute force or efficacie to make redemption or any remission vvithout dependance of the one vniuersal redemption by Christ his vvhole purpose being to inculâ—ate vnto them the necessitie of Christes death and the oblation of the new Testament As for the Churches holy sacrifice it is cleane of an other kinde then those of the Iewes and therfore he maketh no opposition betwixt it and Christes death or sacrifice on the Crosse in all this Epistle but rather as a sequele of that one general oblation couertly alvvaies inferreth the same as being in a different maner the very self same host and offering that vvas done vpon the Crosse and continually is vvrought by the self same Priest 4. Impossible The hostes and sacrifices of the old law vvhich the carnal Iewes made all the count of vvithout relation to Christes death vvere not onely not perfect and absolute sufficient in them selues but they did not nor could not remit any sinnes at all being but onely signes therof reserring the offenders for remission in deede to Christes Passion I or the bloud of bruit beastes could haue no other effect nor any other element or creature before Christes death the fruite vvhereof before it vvas extant could be no othervvise properly applied vnto them but by beleefe in him 5. Host and oblation He meaneth not that God vvould no host nor sacrifice any more as the Protestants falsely imagin for that vvere to take away not onely the sacrifice of Christes body vpon the altar but the sacrifice of the same body vpon the Crosse also Therfore the Prophet speaketh onely of the legal and carnal sacrifices of the Iewes signifying that they did neuer of them selues please God but in respect of Christ by vvhose oblation of his owne body they should please 5. But a body If Christ had not had a body he could not haue had any vvorthy matter or any matter at all to sacrifice in visible maner other then the hostes of the old law Neither could he either haue made the general redemption by his one oblation vpon the Crosse nor the daily sacrifice of the Church for both vvhich his body vvas fitted by the diuine vvisedom Which is an high conclusion not vnderstood of Ievves Pagans nor the Heretikes of our time that Christes humane nature vvas taken to make the Sonne of God vvho in his diuine nature could not be either Priest or host fitte to be the sacrifice and Priest of his father in a more vvorthy sort then all the Priests or oblations of the old law And that this body vvas giuen him not onely to be the sacrifice vpon the Crosse but also vpon the altar S. Augustine affirmeth in these vvordes The table vvhich the Priest of the nevv Testament doth exhibit is of his body and bloud for that it the sacrifice vvhich succeded al these sacrifices that vvere offered in shadovv of that to come For the vvhich also vve acknovvledge that voice of the same Mediatour in the psalme BVT A BODY THOV HAST FITTED TO ME because in steede of all those sacrifices and oblations his body is offered and is ministred to the partakers or receiuers Li. 17 Ciuit. Dei c. 20. And againe li. 4 de Trin. c. 14. Who so iust and holy a Priest as the onely sonne of God What might so conueniently be offered for men of men as mans flesh and vvhat so fitte for this immolation or offering as mortal flesh vvhat so cleane for cleansing the vices of mortal men as she flesh borne of the virgins vvombe and vvhat can be offered and receiued so gratefully as the flesh of our sacrifice made the body of our Priest 8. Neither did they please thee By that he saith the things offered in the Lavv did not please God and likevvise by that he saith the former to be taken avvay that the second may haue
to abuse the simple do falsifie this sentence of the Apostle to make it serue for the mariage of Votaries it is notorious First they vse deceit in supplying the verbe substantiue that vvanteth making it the Indicatiue moode thus Mariage is honorable c. as though the Apostle affirmed al mariage to be honorable or lavvful vvhere the verbe to be supplied ought rather to be the Imperatiue moode Let mariage be honorable that so the speache may be an exhortation or commaundement to them that be or vvil be maried to vse them selues in that state in al fidelity cleanlinesse and coniugal continencie one tovvard an other as vvhen S. Peter also and this Apostle exhorte maried men to giue honour to their vviues as to the vveaker vessels and to possesse their vessel in honour not in the passions of ignominie and vncleanlinesse this is honorable or chast mariage to vvhich he here exhorteth And that it is rather an exhortation then an affirmation it is euident by the other partes and circumstances of this place both before after al vvhich are exhortations in their owne translations this only being in the middes and as indifferent to be an exhortation as the rest by their owne confession they restraine of purpose Our text therfore and al Catholike translatioÌ„s leaue the sentence indifferent as it is in the Greeke and as true translatours ought to do not presuming to addict it to one side lest they should restraine the sense of the holy Ghost to their owne particular fantasie Againe our new Translatours corrupt the text in that they translate in omnibus among al men because so they thinke it vvould sound better to the ignorant that Priests Religious and al vvhosoeuer may marie vvhere they can not tell either by the Greeke or Latin that in omnibus should be the masculine gendre rather then the neutre as not only Erasmus but the Greeke doctors also take it to signifie that mariage should be honorably kept betweene man and vvife in al pointes and in al respectes See S. Chrys and Theophyl in hunc locum For there may be many filthy abuses in vvedlocke vvhich the Apostle vvarneth them to take heede of and to keepe their mariage-bed vndefiled But the third corruption for their purpose aforesiad and most impudent is that some of the Caluinistes for in omnibus translate inter quosuis vvith a marginal interpretation to signifie al orders conditions states and qualities of men So boldly they take away al indifferencie of senses and make Gods vvord to speake iust that vvhich them selues vvould and their heresie requireth in vvhich king they passe al impudencie and al heretikes that euer vvere 7. Remember your Prelates Vve be here vvarned to haue great regard in our life and beleefe to the holy fathers Doctors glorious Bishops gone before vs in Gods Church not doubting but they being our lawful Pastors had and taught the truth of vvhom S. Augustine said That vvhich they found in the Church they held fast that vvhich they learned they taught that vvhich they receiued of their fathers the same they deliuered to their children Cont. Iulian. li. 2 c. 10. Vvhich respect to our holy forefathers in faith is now in this vvicked contempt of the Heretikes so much the more to be had See the said holy doctors second booke against Iulian the Pelagian throughout vvhat great account he maketh of them in the confutation of heresies and hovv far he preferreth them aboue the proud Sectmaisters of that time as vve must now doe against our new doctors This place also is rightly vsed to proue that the Church of God should keepe the memories of Saincts departed by solemne holidaies and other deuout vvaies of honour 9. Not vvith meates He speaketh not of Christian fastes but of the legal difference of meates vvhich the Hebrues vvere yet proâ—e vnto not considering that by Christes faith they vvere made free from al such obseruations of the Law 10. We haue an altar He putteth them in minde by these vvordes that in folowing to much their old Iewish rites they depriued them selues of an other maner and a more excellent sacrifice and meate meaning of the holy altar and Christes ovvne blessed body offered and eaten there of vvhich they that continue in the figures of the old Law could not be partakers This altar saith I sychius is the altar of Christes body vvhich the Ievves for their incredulity must not behold Li. 6 c. 21 in Leuit. And the Greeke vvord as also the Hebrue ansvvering therevnto in the old testament signifieth properly an altar to sacrifice on and not a metaphorical and spiritual altar Vvhereby vve proue against the Heretikes that vve haue not a common table or profane communion borde to eate mere bread vpon but a very altar in the proper sense to sacrifice Christes body vpon and so called of the fathers in respect of the said body sacrificed Greg. Nazianz. in orat de sorore Gorgonia Chrys demonst quòd Christus sit Deus Socrat. li. 1. c. 20. 25. Aug. ep 86. De ciu Dei li. 8. c. 27. li. 22. c. 10. Confess li. 9 c. 11. 13. Cont. Faust Manich. li. 20. c 21. Theophyl in 23. Mat. And vvhen it is called a table it is in respect of the heauenly foode of Christs body and bloud receiued 15. The hoste or praise Though it may signifie the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thankesgiuing of vvhat sort soeuer ye it specially may be thought to signifie the great Sacrifice of the B. body and bloud of Christ not as vpon the Crosse vvhich vvas but once done in bloudy sort but as in the Church and new Testament vvhere it is daily done vnblouddily being the proper host of laude and thankes giuing and therfore called the Eucharist and being the fruite and effecte of Christ and his Priests lippes or vvordes that is of consecration because this sacrifice is made by the force of the holy vvordes And vvhen vve reade in the psalme and other places of the olde Testament of the host of praise it may be thought to be a prophecie of the nevv Sacrifice not of euery vulgar thankes giuing And so the old fathers in the primitiue Church to hide the mysteries from the vnvvorthy or heathen often speake What is saith S. Augustine a more holy sacrifice of praise then that vvhich consisteth in thankes giuing all vvhich the faithful do knovv in the sacrifice of the Church Li. 1. cont aduers leg preph c. 18. Againe c. 20. The Church from the times of the Apostles by the most certaine successions of Bishops offereth to God in the body of Christ the Sacrifice of praise And a 〈◊〉 aftervvard Novv Israel according to the spirit that is the Church offereth a singular Sacrifice according to the spirit of vvhose house be vvil not take calues nor goates but vvil take the Sacrifice of praise not according
that are in dispersion greeting ✠verse 2 Esteeme it my brethren al ioy vvhen you shal fall into diuers tentatiōs ✠verse 3 knovving that * the probatiō of your faith vvorketh patience ✠verse 4 And let patience haue a perfect vvorke that you may be perfect entire failing in nothing ✠verse 5 But if any of you lacke vvisedom let him aske of God who giueth to al men aboundantly and vp braideth not and it shal be giuen him ✠verse 6 But * let him ◠aske in faith nothing doubting for he that doubteth is like to a vvaue of the sea vvhich is moued caried about by the vvinde ✠verse 7 therfore let not that man thinke that he shal receiue any thing of our Lord. ✠verse 8 A man double of minde is inconsant in al his vvaies ✠verse 9 But let the humble brother glorie in his exaltation ✠verse 10 and the riche in his humilitie because * as the floure of grasse shal he passe ✠verse 11 for the sunne rose vvith heate parched the grasse and the floure of it fel avvay and the beautie of the shape thereof perished so the riche man also shal vvither in his vvaies ✠verse 12 Blessed is the man suffereth tentation for vvhen he hath been proued he shal receiue the crovvne of life vvhich God hath promised to them that loue him ⊢ ✠verse 13 ″ Let no man vvhen he is tempted say that he is tempted no man ✠verse 14 But euery one is tempted of his ovvne cōcupiscence abstracted and allured ✠verse 15 Aftervvard ″ concupiscence vvhen it hath cōceiued bringeth forth sinne but ″ sinne vvhen it is consummate ingendreth death ✠verse 16 Do not erre therfore my deerest brethren ✠verse 17 Euery best gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue descending from the Father of lightes vvith vvhom is no transmutation nor shadovving of alteration ✠verse 18 Voluntarily hath he begotten vs by the vvord of truth that vve may be some beginning of his creature ⊢ ✠verse 19 You knovv my deerest brethren And * let euery man be svvift to heare but slovv to speake and slovv to anger ✠verse 20 For the anger of man vvorketh not the iustice of God ✠verse 21 For the vvhich thing casting avvay al vncleannesse and aboundance of malice in meekenesse receiue the engraffed vvord vvhich is able to saue your soules ⊢ ✠verse 22 But * be doers of the vvord and not hearers only deceauing your selues ✠verse 23 For if a man be a hearer of the vvord and not a doer he shal be compared to a man beholding the countenance of his natiuitie in a glasse ✠verse 24 For he considered him self and vvent his vvay and by and by forgat vvhat an one he vvas ✠verse 25 But he that hath looked in ″ the lavv of perfect libertie and hath remained in it not made a forgetful hearer but a doer of the vvorke this man shal be blessed in his deede ✠verse 26 And if any man thinke him self to be religious not bridling his tong but seducing his hart this mans religion is vaine ✠verse 27 ″ Religion cleane and vnspotted vvith God and the Father is this to visite pupilles and vvidovves in their tribulation to keepe him self vnspotted from this vvorld ⊢ ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 6. Aske in faith nothing doubting The Protestants vvould proue by this that no man ought to pray vvithout assurance that he shal obtaine that vvhich he asketh Where the Apostle meaneth nothing els but that the asker of lavvful things may not either mistrust Gods povver and hability or be in diffidence and despaire of his mercie but that our doubt be onely in our ovvne vnworthinesse or vndue asking 13. Let no man say that he is tempted of God Vve see by this that vvhen the Scriptures as in the Pater noster and other places seeme to say that God doth sometimes tempt vs or leade vs into tentation they meane not that God is any vvaies the author causer or mouer of any man to sinne but onely by permission and because by his gratious povver he keepeth not the offender from tentations Therfore the blasphemie of Heretike making God the author of sinne is intolerable See S. August ser 9. de diuers c. 9. 13. God is not a tempter of euils The Protestants as much as they may to diminish the force of the Apostles conclusion against such as attribute their euil tentations to God for other tentations God doth send to trie mens patience and proue their faith take and translate the vvord passuely in this sense that God is not tempted by our euils Vvhere more consonantly to the letter and circumstance of the vvordes before after as agreably to the Greeke it should be taken actiuely as it is in the Latin that God is no tempter to euil for being taken passiuely there is no coherence of sense to the other vvordes of the Apostle 15. Concupiscence vvhen it hath conceiued Concupiscence vve see here of it self is not sinne as Heretikes falsely teach but vvhen by any consent of the minde vve do obey or yeld to it then is sinne ingendred and formed in vs. 15. Sinne consummate ingendreth death Here vve see that not al sinne nor al consent vnto concupiscence is mortal or damnable but vvhen it is consummate that is vvhen the consent of mans minde fully and perfectly yeldeth to the committing or liking of the acte or motion vvherevnto concupiscence moueth or inciteth vs. 25. The lavv of perfect libertie The lavv of the Gospel and grace of Christ is called the lavv of libertie in respect of the yoke and burden of the old carnal ceremonies and because Christ hath by his bloud of the nevv Testament deliuered all that obey him from the seruitude of sinne and the Diuel But not as the Libertines and other Heretikes of this time vvould haue it that in the nevv Testament euery man may follovv his ovvne liking and conscience may choose vvhether he vvil be vnder the lavves and obedience of Spiritual or Temporal Rulers or no. 27. Religion cleane True religion standeth not onely in talking of the Scriptures or onely faith or Christes iustice but in puritie of life and good vvorkes specially of charitie and mercie done by the grace of Christ This is the Apostolical doctrine and far from the Heretical vanitie of this time CHAP. II. Against acception of person 10 From al and euery sinne vve must absteine hauing in al our vvordes and deedes the Iudgement before our eies vvherein vvorkes of mercie shal be required of vs 14 and onely faith shal not auaile vs. 18 And that the Catholike by his vvorkes shevveth that he hath faith vvhereas the Heretikes hath no more faith than the Diuel talke he of faith neuer so much and of iustification thereby onely by the
booke to be Canonical Scripture But Caluin and his companions disagreing vvith their Maisters confesse it to be holy Scripture but their shiftes and fond gloses for ansvver of so plaine places be as impudent as the denying of the Epistle vvas in the other vvho vvould neuer haue denied the booke thereby to shevv them selues Heretikes if they had thought those vulgar euasions that the Zuinglians and Caluinists do vse vvhereof they vvere not ignorant could haue serued In both sortes the Christian Reader may see that al the Heretikes vaunting of expresse Scriptures the vvord of God is no more but to delude the vvorld vvhereas in deede be the Scriptures neuer so plaine against them they must either be vvrested to sound as they say or els they must be no Scriptures at all And to see Luther Caluin Beza their fellovves sitte as it vvere in iudgement of the Scriptures to allovv or disallovv at their pleasures it is the most notorious example of Heretical pride miserie that can be See their prefaces and censures vpon this Canonical Epistle the Apocalypse the Machabees and other 21. Abraham vvas he not iustified by vvorkes It is much to be noted that S. Augustine in his booke de fide operibus c. 14. vvriteth that the heresie of onely faith iustifying or sauing vvas an old Heresie euen in the Apostles time gathered by the false interpretation of some of S. Paules profound disputation in the Epistle to the Romans vvherein he commended so highly the faith in Christ that they thought good vvorkes vvere not auilable adding further that the other three Apostles Iames Iohn and Iude did of purpose vvrite so much of good vvorkes to correct the said errour of onely faith gathered by the misconstruction of S. Paules vvordes Yea vvhen S. Peter Ep. 2 c. 3. vvarneth the faithful that many things be hard in S. Paules vvritings and of light vnlearned men mistaken to their perdition the said S. Augustine affirmeth that he meant of his disputation concerning faith vvhich so many Heretikes did mistake to condemne good vvorkes And in the preface of his commentarie vpon the 31 Psalme he vvarneth al men that this deduction vpon S. Paules speache Abraham vvas iustified by faith therfore vvorkes be not necessarie to saluation is the right vvay to the gulfe of Hel and damnation And lastly vvhich is in it self very plaine that vve may see this Apostle did purposely thus commend vnto vs the necessitie of good vvorkes and the inanity aud insufficiencie of onely faith to correct the errour of such as misconstrued S. Paules vvordes for the same the said holy Doctor noteth that of purpose he tooke the very same example of Abraham vvhom S. Paul said to be iustified by faith and declareth that he vvas iustified by good vvorkes specifying the good vvorke for vvhich he vvas iustified and blessed of God to vvitte his obedience and immolation of his onely sonne But hovv S. Paul saith that Abraham vvas iustified by faith see the Annotations vpon that place Ro. 4. v. 1. 22. Faith did vvorke vvith Some Heretikes hold that good vvorkes are pernicious to saluation and iustification other that though they be not hurtful but required yet they be no causes or vvorkers of saluation much lesse meritorious but are as effectes and fruites issuing necessarily out of faith Both vvhich fictions falshods and flightes from the plaine truth of Gods vvord are refuted by these vvordes vvhen the Apostle saith That faith vvorketh together vvith good vvorkes making faith to be a coadiutor or cooperator vvith vvorkes and so both ioyntly concurring as causes and vvorkers of iustification yea aftervvard he maketh vvorkes the more principal cause vvhen he resembleth faith to the body and vvorkes to the spirit or life of man 23. The frend of God By this also an other false and friuolous euasion of the Heretikes is ouertaken vvhen they feine that the Apostle here vvhen he saith vvorkes do iustifie meaneth that they shew vs iust before men and auaile not to our iustice before God For the Apostle euidently declareth that Abraham by his vvorkes vvas made or truely called the freend of God and therfore vvas not as the Heretikes say by his vvorkes approued iust before man onely 24. Not by faith onely This proposition or speache is directly opposite or contradictorie to that vvhich the Heretikes hold For the Apostle saith Man is iustified by good workes and not by faith only but the Heretikes say Man is not iustified by good vvorkes but by faith only Neither can they pretend that there is the like contradiction or contrarietie betwixt S. Iames speache and S. Paules for though S. Paul say man is iustified by faith yet he neuer saith by faith onely nor euer meaneth by that faith vvhich is alone but alvvaies by that faith vvhich vvorketh by charitie as he expoundeth him self Though concerning vvorkes also there is a difference betwixt the first iustification vvhereof S. Paul specially speaketh and the second iustification vvhereof S. Iames doth more specially treate Of vvhich thing els vvhere there is ynough said The fathers in deede vse sometimes this exclusiue sola onely but in far other sense then the Protestants For some of them thereby exclude only the vvorkes of Moyses law against the Iewes some the vvorkes of nature and moral vertues vvithout the grace or knowledge of Christ against the Gentiles some the necessitie of external good vvorkes vvhere the parties lacke time and meanes to doe them as in the case of the penitent theefe some the false opinions sectes and religions contrarie to the Catholike faith against Heretikes and miscreants some exclude reason sense and arguing in matters of faith and mysterie against such as vvil beleeue nothing but that they see or vnderstand some the merite of vvorkes done in sinne before the first iustification some the arrogant Pharisaical vaunting of mans ovvne proper vvorkes and iustice against such as referre not their actions and good deedes to Gods grace To these purposes the holy Doctors say sometimes that only faith saueth and serueth but neuer as the Protestants vvould haue it to exclude from iustification and saluation the cooperation of mans free vvil dispositions and preparations of our hartes by praiers penance and sacraments the vertues of hope and charitie the purpose of vvel-vvorking and of the obseruation of Gods commaundements much lesse the vvorkes and merites of the children of God proceding of grace and charitie after they be iustified and are now in his fauour vvhich are not only dispositions and preparations to iustice but the meritorious cause of greater iustice and of saluation 25. Rahab This Apostle alleageth the good vvorkes of Rahab by vvhich she vvas iustified and S. Paul 11 Hebr. saith she vvas iustified by faith Vvhich are not contrarie one to the other for both is true that she vvas saued by faith as one faith and that she vvas saued by her vvorkes as the
The Gospel on the Imber Saturday in Sept. ⸬ The figtree vvith only leaues no fruite is the Iewes synagogue euery other people or persoÌ„ which hath faith and faire wordes and no good workes Mt. 13 31. Mr. 4 30. ⸬ See Annota Matth. 13 31. Mt. 13 33. Mt. 7 13 ⸬ Christians in their liues must seeke the strait way but in religion the ancient common way ⸬ The Gentils comming into Gods fauour later are preferred before the Iewes which were first c Non capit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mt. 23 37. ⸬ The Iewes lost their preeminence by their owne free will not by Gods causing who ceased not to call and crie vpon them and they would not heare Whereby free will is plainly proued Some punished for example Nu. 16. 2 Mach. 3 Act. 5. Diseases not natural Penance Schisme Cont. lit Petil. li. 2 c. 55. The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 16 SuÌ„day after Pentecost ⸬ Reward for charitable deedes and that they may be done for reward against our Aduersaries The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 2 Sunday after Pentecost ⸬ Worldlines wealth and voluptuousnes are the things that specially hinder men from God The Gospel for a Martyr that is a Bishop And for S. Basil Iun. 14. Mt. 10 37. ⸬ No creature so deere vnto vs vvhich vve must not hate or forsake if it hinder vs and in that respect that it hindereth vs from Christ or his Church our Saluation ⸬ He that is a right Christian man must make his account that if he be put to it as he often may be in times of persecution he must renouÌ„ce al that euer he hath rather then forsake the Catholike faith Mt. 5 13. Mar. 9 50. Free-vvil ep 50 paâ—lo post princip ep 204. li. 1 cont ep Gaudent 6. 25. Heretikes may by penal lawes be coÌ„pelled to the Catholike faith The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 3 Sunday after Pentecost ⸬ This man is our Sauiour Christ whose care trauaile in serching reducing sinners to repentaÌ„ce al spiritual men specially should folow Mat. 18 12. ⸬ This vvoman is the catholike Church vvho also coÌ„tinually seeketh her lost children The Gospel vpoÌ„ Saturday in the 2 weeke of Lent The prodigal sonne is a paâ—ble both of the Gentils conuersion also of euery dissolute sinner peniteÌ„tly returning to God ⸬ Gods wonderful and tender mercie toward penitent sinners Ioy in heauen for euery penitent The Angels and Saincts knovv our hartes Mt. 22 14. The B. SacrameÌ„t and Sacrifice of the Altar The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 8 SuÌ„day after Pentecost c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸬ MaÌ„mon saith S. Hierom q. 6. ad Algas in the Syriake tongue signifieth riches Mammon of iniquitie because they are often il gotten or il bestowed or occasion of euil or at the least worldly false not the true heaueÌ„ly riches Mat. 6 24. Mat. 11 12. Mat. 5 18. Mat. 5 31. 19 9. Mar. 10 11. 1. Cor. 7 11. The Gospel vpoÌ„ Thursday in the 2 weeke of LeÌ„t ⸬ Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and rest but both in hel and not in the kingdom of heauen before Christ Hiero. ep 3. Epitaph Nepot ⸬ To be in continual pleasures ease wealth peace and prosperlty in this world is perilous a signe of paines in the next S. Hiero. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a horrible distance ⸬ AbrahaÌ„ had knowledge of things in earth which were not in his time as that they had Moyses and the Prophets bookes which he neuer saw August de cura pro mor. c. 14. Good vvorkes Tob. 12 9. Mat. 25. Almes meritorious The Saincts do pray for vs. Mariage after diuorce vnlavvfull Vnmerciful riche men Abrahams bosome Limbus patruÌ„ Zach. 9 11. Esa 42 7. * Aug. in Ps 85. Ep. 99. Christ desceÌ„ded into Hel and deliuered the fathers Purgatorie Aug. ep 99. Saincts do heare our praiers and haue care of vs. Gen. 32. Calu. li. 3 Caluins blasphemie Iustit c. 22 sect 24. Mt. 18 7 ⸬ Not of mere necessitie for then it were no fault but praesupposing the great wickednes of men it is impossible but there shal be scandals therfore it foloweth VvoÌ„ to him by whom they come Mar. 9 42. Mt. 18 21. Mat. 17 20. THE fourth part of this Gospel The coÌ„ming of Christ into Iewrie towardes his Passion The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 13 SuÌ„day after Pentecost Leu. 14 2. ⸬ And yet we see here it vvas not only faith but also his thankfulnes returniÌ„g to giue glorie to God ⸬ Vvhile they aske and looke for a temporal kingdoÌ„ in pompe and glorie loe their king Messias was now amoÌ„g theÌ„ whose spiritual kingdoÌ„ is vvithin al the faithful that haue dominioÌ„ ouer sinne Mt. 24 23. Mar. 13 21. ⸬ No man must ruÌ„ne out of the Church after Schismatikes to heare them preach Christ in corners Christs doctrine being open in al the world See annot Mt. 14 23. * Gen. 7 5 Gen. 19 24. Gen. 19 26. How we are vnprofitable profitable seruants Mt. 25 〈◊〉 Io. 15 14. Confession to the Priest ⸬ Vve should pray alwaies by faith hope and charitie and by working the thinges that be acceptable to God though special times of vocal praiers in the Canonical houres be assigned for the sturring of vs vp to God through external signes of deuotion The Gospel vpoÌ„ the 10 Sunday after Pentecost ⸬ To take pride of fasting tithing or any good worke is naught though the workes theÌ„ selues be very good ⸬ So doe the priests and people at the holy Altar knocke their breasts say with the huÌ„ble Publicane Deus propitius August ps 31 conc 3. Mt. 19 13. Mr. 10 13. ⸬ In matters of faith religion we must be as humble obedient to the Catholike Church as yong childreÌ„ to their parents Mt. 19 16. Mr. 10 17. Exo. 20 13. ⸬ Not faith only but also keeping the coÌ„maundements purchase life euerlasting See annot Mat. 19 16. ⸬ This is not a commaundmeÌ„t or precept but counsel vvhich the religious do folow See Annot Mat. 19. ⸬ The Apostles among other things left their wiues also as S. Hierom noteth out of this place li. 1 adu Iouin ⸬ Life euerlastiÌ„g the reward for leauing or losing willingly our goods for Christs sake Mt. 20 17. Mr. 10 32. The Gospel vpoÌ„ the Sunday of Quiquagesme The Church erreth not in faith Hier conâ— Lucif c. 6. Aug. de vnit Ec. c. 15 de verb. Do. Ser. 〈◊〉 The Gospel vpoÌ„ the Dedication of a Church Zachaeus Mt 18 12. The Gospel for a confessor that is not a Bishop and namely for S. Lewis the king of France August 25. Mt. 25 14. ⸬ Marke here against the aduersaries that the rewards of these two good seruants be diuers vnaequal according to the diuersitie or inequality of their gaines that is their merites and yet one receiueth the peny Mt. 20 9. as wel as the other that is heauen or life
in Christmas vnto Septuagesme The Epistle vpoÌ„ Christmas eue Act. 13. 2. â— Faith must not be subiect to sense reason arguing or vnderstaÌ„ding but must coÌ„maund be obeied in humilitie and simplicitie c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸬ S. Augustine vseth this place and the like agaiÌ„st Heretikes vvhich vvould dravv the common Catholike faith of al natioÌ„s to some certaine countries or corners of the world Aug. ep 161. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸬ He praieth without intermission that omitteth no day certaine times of praier Aug. here 's 57. ⸬ The Romanes vvere conuerted and taught by S. Peter before therefore he vseth that speach to confirme them in their saith Author Com. apud Hierony Theodoret in 16. Rom. Chrys ⸬ He meaneth not Gods owne iustice in him self but that iustice vvhervvith God endueth man vvhen he iustifieth him Aug. de Sp. lit c. 9. Whereby you may gather the vanitie of the Heretical imputatilue iustice Abac. 2 4. c Lo these and the like are the Images or Idolâ— so often condeÌ„ned in the scriptures and not the holy Images of Christ and his Saincts ⸬ Eph. 4 19. he saith They haue deliuered or giuen vp them selues to al vncleannesse By vvhich coÌ„fereÌ„ce of scripturâ— vve learne that them selues are the cause of their ovvne sinne and damnation God of his iustice permitting leauing them to their ovvne vvil and so giuing them vp into passions c. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolical salutation or blessing Epiph. hâ—res 6â— The same vsed of Heretikes The Romane faith highly coÌ„mended Luc. 22. It can not false not be corrupted Proâ—â— li. 2. Com. in ep ad Gal. The Romane statioÌ„s a token of greater faith and deuotion The Catholike and Romane faith al one Hovv God is serued in spirit Praies for conuersion of soules The Gospel is not only the written word Mat. 28. The Apostles vvriting and preaching vvhether more necessarie and hovv The Catholike or Christian â—aith with good vvorkes iustifieth vvithout this faith no vvorkes whatsoeuer Not only faith God is not the author of sinne God punisheth sinne by permitting men to fall further and further Sinnes mortal and venial Good men also according to the merits of their good vvil shal haue their reward Aug. â—p 4â— Ps 61 13 c That is the Gentile Deu. 10 17. Act. 10. 34. Mt. 7 21 Ia. 1 22 ⸬ It is a shameful and damnable thing for preachers teachers or other guides of mens life to commit the same things them selues which they reproue in other Es 52 5. Ez. 36 20. c It is a great sinne that by the iâ— life of the faithful our Lordes name should be il spoken of amoÌ„g the misbeleuers many vvithdravven from the true religioÌ„ thereby ⸬ Prepuce is the foreskinne not circumcised therfore signifieth the Gentiles or the state and conditioÌ„ of the Gentiles as circumcisioÌ„ the Ievves and their state Iudging other men Gods long suffering is for our repentance Good vvorkes meritoriouâ— Li. de grat lib. arb c. 8. Aug. de Sp. lit c. 16. to 3. The first iustification vvithout vvorkes the second by vvorkes S. Paul speaketh of the first specially S. Iames of the second Against imputatiue iustice True inherent iustice more for Gods glorie for the commendation of Christs merites True iustice both in Ievv and Gentile is by keeping the Lavv. The letter and the spirit The carnal and spiritual Ievve de sp lit to 3. Io. 3 33. ⸬ â—od only by nature is true al mere men by nature may lie deceiue and be deceiued yet God by his grace spirit may and doth preserue the Apostles and principal Gouerners of his people the Church and Councels in al truth though they vvere and are mere men Ps 115 11. Ps 50 6. Ps 13 1. 52 3. Ps 5 11. Ps 139 4 c Aspidum A kinde of litle serpents Ps 9 7. Es 19 7. Pro. 1 16 Ps 35 2. Gal. 2 16. c To beleeue in him here compriseth not only the act of faith but of hope charitie as the Apostle explicateth him self Galat. 5 6. ⸬ No man atteineth his first iustification by the merites either of his faith or workes but merely by Christes grace and mercie though his faith workes procedâ—g of grace be dispositioÌ„s preparations therevnto ` propitiatour 2. â—et 3. S. Paules speaches mistaken of the vvicked Ro. 5 2â— Ro. 3 4. The sense of the places that sound as if God caused sinne Iob. 1. Hovv it is said none iust * Luc. 1â— No vvorkes auaile vvithout faith and grace The Heretikes phantastical or imputatiue iustice De pâ—â—mer li. 1 â— 9. 10. True inhaerent iustice Vvhat vvorkes are excluded from iustification de grat lib. arb c. 7. Gal. 1. Gen. 5 6. Gal. 3 6. Ia. 2 23. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 31 1. ⸬ The vvord Reputed doth not diminish the truth of the iustice as though it vvere reputed for iustice being not iustice in deede but signifieth that as it vvas in it self so God esteemed reputed it as the same greeke vvord must needes be taken v. 4. next going before 1 Cor. 4 â— and els where c Our Sacraments of the nevv Lavv giue ex opere operato that grace and iustice of faith vvhich here is commended vvhereas circuÌ„cisioÌ„ vvas but a signe or marke of the same Gen. 17 10. Gen. 17 4. ` he beleeued Gen. 15 5. Abrahams Workes before faith Iustice before men and iustice before God Not vvorkes but mere grace is cause of our first iustificatioÌ„ c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretical translation Vvhat is Sinnes couered or not imputed Io. 1 29 2 Cor. 6 11. Apoc. 1 5. The SacrameÌ„ts are not mere markes but causes of iustification By vvhat faith vve are iustified Luc. 1 45. The Epistle on Imber Saturday in vvhitsonweeke And for many Martyrs ⸬ Christian meÌ„ do not vaunt theÌ„ selues of the certaiÌ„tie of their saluatioÌ„ but glorie in the hope thereof onely vvhich hope is here insinuated to be giuen in our iustificatioÌ„ is aftervvard to be coÌ„firmed by probation in tribulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c The Heretikes falsely translate of no strength to take avvay al free vvil No. Test. 15â—0 ` sinner ⸬ Here vve may see against the Heretikes that they vvhich be borne of Christ and iustified by him be made constituted iust in deede not by imputation only as al that be borne of Adam be vniust and sinners in truth not by imputation Against the Heretikes special faith and securitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IustificatioÌ„ attributed much to faith as to the fâ—ndation Our hope is strengthened by vvel doing Charitie is a qualitie in vs. Conc. Tri. sess sâ— decr de peâ— orig Al by Adam borne in original sinne Christ only not conceiued in sinne and as it is thought our B. Lady The Lavv did not cause more sinne though that vvere the sequele
Gentils general good ⸬ If God could and did turne their fall and sinne into the good of the Gentils much more vvil he vvorke good of their general conuersion vvhich shal be at length the accomplishmeÌ„t of the Church consisting of both the Nations ⸬ We see that he vvhich standeth by faith may fall from it and therfore must liue in feare and not in the vaine presumption and securitie of the Heretikes Esa 59 20. The Epistle vpoÌ„ Trinitie Sunday Esa 40 13. Gods answer to Elias of 7000 maketh nothiÌ„g for the Protestants Inuisible Church 2 Par. 17. What workes are not what are the cause of saluation God is not anthor of sinne Aug. Ep. 105. ad Sixtum A paraphrastical explication of the text conceruing the Iewes and Gentils their standing falling rising againe c. How far to deale and to know in the doctrine of predestination The Heretikes writings of predestination The second part of this Epistle moral The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 1 Sunday after the Epiphanie Phil. 4 18. Eph. 5 17. 1. Th. 4 3. ⸬ None must presume to medle aboue the measure of Godsgift or out of the compasse of his state and vocation 2 Cor. 12 11. Eph. 4 7. The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 2 Sunday after the Epiphanie ⸬ Prophecie is interpretatioÌ„ of the Scriptures which is according to the rule of faith when it is not against the right faith or when it is profitable to edifie charitie as S. Augustine speaketh li. 5. Doct. Chr. c. 27 and li. 1. c. 3â— and in effect he saith the same li. 12. Confess c. 18 vnto c. 32. c dilectio ` memories ⸬ Cursing is a vice wherevnto the common people is much giuen who often curse theÌ„ on whom they can not otherwise be reuenged they may see here that it is a great fault b The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 3 SuÌ„day after the Epiphanie Deu. 32 35. Pro. 25 21. The body chastifed by penaÌ„ce is a grateful sacrifice The Apostolical rule or analogie of faith c. 6 17. c. 16 17. 1. Tim. 6 20. Gal. 1 6. Gal. 2 1. Act. â—5 6. The Heretikes phaÌ„tastical rule or rather rules of faith many and diuers one from an other Tit. 3 7. 1. Pet. 2 13. Mt. 22 21. The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 4 Sunday after the Epiphanie Exo. 20 13. ⸬ Here vve learne that the Law may be is fulfilled by loue in this life against the Aduersaries saying it is impossible to keepe the commaundements Leu. 19 18. The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 1 Sunday in Aduent Obedience to teÌ„poral rulers in what cases Act. 4 19 3 29. In what sense al power or superioritie is of God Chrys in ep Ro. ho. 〈◊〉 In things lawfully coÌ„maunded it is mortal sinne not to obey our Superiors The Apostle speaketh of teÌ„poral powers Heresies against rule and Superioritie The obedience of Catholikes both to Spiritual and temporal Superiors Hiero. in Mat. 17. The Clergie exempted from tribute S. Augustines conuersion ` eateth 2. Cor. 5 10. Es 45 23. ⸬ Common that is vncleane See Annot. Marc. 7 2. Though he vvish the vveake to be borne vvithal yet he vttereth his minde plainly that in deede al the meates forbidden and vncleane in the Lavv are novv throught Christ cleansed lawful for euery maÌ„ to vse 1. Cor. 8. Tit. 1 15 The Apostles meaning about eating or not eating certaine meates The Heretikes fondly abuse this place against the fastes of the Church Folish Heretikes see not the differeÌ„ces of things Distinction of daies The text explicated concerning euery mans coÌ„science in Iudaical meates and drinkes Not eating but disobedience damnable To doe against our conscience is sinne Chrys hâ— 26. in ep Râ— Vvhat actions of infidels are sinne and what are not Luther Psa 68 10. The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 2. Sunday in Aduent ⸬ He meaneth al that it vvitten in the old TestameÌ„t much more al things vvritten in the nevv TestameÌ„t are for our learning and comfort c Vnitie in religion commended ⸬ Christ did execute his office and ministerie onely tovvards the people of Circumcision that is the Iewes Psa 17. 50. Deu. 32. 43. Psa 116 1. Esa 11 10. Es 52. 13 ⸬ He 〈◊〉 the holy persons that hauing forsaken al their goods for Christ vvere vvholy 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 our Lord vvith al their minde â— Hiero. against Vigilantius the Heretike reprehending the almes giuen to 〈◊〉 as do the Heretikes also of our time ⸬ In that the Apostle desired to be praied for vve may be moued to seeke the same as a great benefite c The onely salutation of so vvorthy a man is sufficient to fil him vvith greate grace that is so saluted Chrys in 2. Tim. 4. ⸬ This domestical Church vvas either that faith ful and ChristiaÌ„ houshold or rather the Christians meeting together there in such good houses to heare diuine seruice and the Apostles preaching in those times of persecution ` Iunia c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Protestants here teasoÌ„ thus Peter is not here saluted therfore he vvas neuâ—r at Rome See the Annotation c Of the Prince of the Apostle saith Theodorete vpon this place ⸬ The special vvay that Heretikes haue euer had to beguile vvas and is by svveete vvordes gay speaches which their sheepes cote see before described particularly in the Aunotations vpon S. Matthevv c. 7 15. That S. Peter was at Rome Chalced. conc act 1. See the Annotations 1 Peto c. 5 18. The Protestants great argument that Peter was neuer at Rome Epiph. har 27. The Heretikes hatred of the Romane see li. 2. cont li. Petil. c. 51. Kissing the Pax. Orig. in 1â— ad Ro. Against Sect-maisters hovv to examine our saith Heretikes giuen to voluptuousnes Act. 19 21. 1 Cor. 16 5. The 1. part Of Schismes that vvere about their baptizers preachers ⸬ The beginning of al Schismes is ouer much admiring addicting mens selues to their owne particular Maisters Act. 18 8. Es 38 18 The Epistle for S. Agatha Febr. 5. Ier. 9 23 Faith coÌ„meth by hearing rather then reading Christ is made our iustice because he is the author of the iustice in vs. Act. 18 1. Es 6 4 4. Esa 40 13. Hovv Angels and Saincts mortal men knovv our cogitations Act. 5. 4. reg â— 6. * Luc. 15 7. The Heretikes allegatioÌ„ for their vaine securitie ansvvered The sensual man The spiritual man Hovv the spiritual man â—udgeth al is iudged of none Iren. li. 4. â— 6â— The Church is vnder no mans iudgement ⸬ The Church onely hath truth both in her milke and in her bread that is vvhether she instruct the perfect or the imperfect who are called carnal Aug. li. 15. c. â— cont Faust ` carnal c A maruelous dignitie of spiritual pastors that they be not onely the instruments or ministers of Christ but also Gods coadiutors in the vvorke of our Saluation c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 5 13. Ps 93 11 Good vvorkes meritorious and the
Vvhich Iames vvrote this epistle Iâ— 1. The Church readeth these Catholike or Canonical Epistles in order at Mattins froÌ„ the 4 SuÌ„day after Easter vntil Vvhitsunday The Protestants abhorre the vvord Catholike Euseb li. 2. hist c. 22. The Epistle for a Martyr Ro. 5 3. Mat. 21 22. Mar. 11 24. Ps 102 15. Eccl. 14 18. Es 4 6 1 Pet. 1 24. The Epistle for a Martyr that is a Bishop Iob 5 17. ⸬ The grouÌ„d of teÌ„tation to sinne is our coÌ„cupiscence not God The Epistle on the 4 Sunday after Easter Prou. 17 27. The Epistle on the 5 Sunday after Easter Mat. 7 21. Ro. 2 13. ⸬ Beatitude or saluation consisteth in vvel vvorking Vvhat faith is required in praier God is not author of euil Partial and vvilful translation * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ConcupisceÌ„ce of it self no sinne Not euery sinne mortal Vvhat is the lavv of libertie in the Nevv Testament Good vvorkes a part of mans iustice Leu. 19 15. Deu. 1 16. Pro. 24 23. Eccl. 42 1. Leu. 19 18. Mat. 22 39. Rom. 13. Leu. 19 37. Deu. 1 18. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Io. 3 17 ⸬ He speaketh to al heretikes that say faith onely without vvorkes doth iustifie calling them vaine men and comparing them to Diuels ` dead Gen. 22 10. Gen. 15 6. Ro. 4 3. Gal. 3 Ios 2 1. 18. and 6 22. Scripture abused by the Anabaptistes to make no distinction of persons Vvhat the Apostle meaneth by acception of persons How he that offendeth in one commaundement is guilty of al. Vvorkes of mercie exceding grateful to God The proud impudent dealing of the heretikes against this Epistle because it is so plaine against only saith Only faith an old heresie S. Iames the rest inculcate good vvorkes against the errour of only faith falsely gathered of S. Paules vvordes Ioco citate S. Augustines vvhole disputation in this poiÌ„t very notable directly against only faith * Li. 83 q. q. 76. Heresies against good vvorkes Workes coÌ„curre vvith faith as cause of iustification Workes make vs iust in deede before God The Protestants say by faith only S. Iames cleane contrarie Not by faith only * Gal. â— * See the annot vpon the epistle to the Romans c. 2. v. 13. The manifold meaning of certaine fathers vvhen they say Only faith S. Paul nameth faith S. Iames vvorkes causes of iustification but neither the one faith only nor the other vvorkes only Faith vvithout vvorkes is a true saith but not auailable as the body vvithout the spirit is a true body though it be dead Vvhat faith the Apostle speaketh of that he knevv no special faith Mat. 23 8. Eccl. 14 1. 19 16. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ` litle ` can it yeld salt and svveete vvater ⸬ The difference betwixt the humane vvisedom specially of heretikes and the vvisedom of the Catholike Church her children Many maisters are many proud Sect-maisters 1. Io. 2 15. ⸬ The boldnes of Haeretikes adding here the vvord Scripture to the text thus And the Scripture giueth greater grace Prou. 3 35. 1 Pet. 5 5. c Free vvil mans owne endeuour necessarie in comming to God 1 Pet. 5 6. c He forbiddeth detractioÌ„ euil speaking slaundering c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 14 4. ⸬ Al promises and purposes of our worldly affaires are to be made vnder condition of Gods good liking pleasure and it becommeth a Christian man to haue vsually this forme of speache in that case if God vvil if God otherwise dispose not Mans vvorking vvith Gods grace is no derogation therevnto ⸬ A feareful description of the miseries that shal befall in the next life to the vnmerciful couetous men ` condemned c He meaneth either fruite or raine ` is as hand Mt. 5 34 The Epistle in a votiue Masse for the sicke Mr. 6 13 b The Epistle in Maioribus Litanijs on S. Markes day and in the Rogation daies the heretikes translate Acknovvledge your sinnes c. So litle they can abide the very vvord of confession 3 reg 17. Eccl. 48. Lu. 4 25 3. reg 18 41. ⸬ He that hath the zeale of conuerting sinners procureth thereby mercie and remission to him self vvhich is a singular grace The sinnes crying to heauen Vvhat othes are lawful vvhat are not Heretical traÌ„slation against Priesthod Neither their Elders so called nor their Ministers can be those vvhoÌ„ the Apostle here calleth Presbyteros They haue no reason to call their Ministers by that name Their DeacoÌ„s should rather be called Ministers They should keepe the name Priest as vvel as deacon The SacrameÌ„t of EXTREME VNCTION The heretikes obâ—ections against the said Sacrament ansvvered and vvithal it is proued to be a Sacrament Remission of sinnes annexed to creatures Holy vvater Holy oile blessed by the Bishop The peoples deuotion tovvard such hallowed creatures The sacrameÌ„tal vvordes The three effects of this Sacrament Priests and not Elders are the ministers of this sacrament * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In hunc locum Confession Truthes vnvvritten and knovven by tradition Conuerting of soules Our saluation attributed to men vvithout derogation to Christ â— 10. v. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 1 Pet. 5. * See the Annotation 1 Pet. 5. v. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 1 Pet. 5. * See the AnnotatioÌ„ vpon S. Iames epistle c. 2. v. 21. The Epistle In Cathedra S. Petri. Roma Ian. 10. 2 Cor. 1 3. Eph. 1 3. The Epistle for many martyrs ⸬ Chastitie not onely of body but also of minde is required S. Bede vpon this place Leu. 11 19. 20 7 Deu. 10. c God vvil iudge men according to euery ones vvorkes and not by faith onely Ro. 2. Gal. 2. 1 Cor. 6 20. 7 23 ⸬ He meaneth the errours of Gentility or if he vvrite to the Iewes dispersed he meaneth the yoke of the Law vvith the fond and heauy additioÌ„s of their later Maisters called Deuterôses The Heretikes to make it sound to the simple against the traditions of the Churche corrupt the text thus Which you haue receiued by 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 fathers Ro. 16 25. Col. 1 26. Tit. 1 2. Esa 40 6. The Epistle vpon Saturday in Easter weeke ` a spiritual house Es 28 16. Ps 117. Mt. 21. Act. 4. Es 8. ` vvhereto also they are ordeined Ro. 9 33. Exo. 19. c The Protestants can no more gather of this that al Christians be Priests then that al be kings as is most plaine Apocalyp 1 6. and 5 10. Thou hast made vs a kingdom or kings priests Apoc. 1. Ose 2. Ro. 9. Gal. 5 16. The Epistle vpoÌ„ the 3 Sunday after Easter Mt. 5 16 ⸬ So is the Greeke but the Protest in fauour of temporal lawes made against the Cath. religion translate it very falsely thus to al maner ordinaÌ„ce of man theÌ„ selues boldly reiecting Ecclesiastical decrees as meÌ„s ordinances c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 13 1. c In this speache is often commeÌ„ded the vnitie of al Christians among them selues The