doctrine no example in the whole doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles therefore no man ought to go after you Your annotation is alreadie answered Luke 18. 1. The text And he spake a parable to them that it behooued ⸫ alwaies to praie and not to be wearie The note We should alwaies pray by faith hope and charitie and by working the things that be acceptable to God though speciall times of vocall praiers in the canonical howers be assigned for the stirring vs vp to God through externall signes of deuotion The answer That those which pray ought to be furnished with all things that may beautifie a Christian we denie not and that the praiers of Christians ought to be continual without ceasing we affirme bicause their néedes and necessities are continuall But the speciall thing required that their praiers may be heard and petitions granted is faith That in the great dulnes and negligence of Christians times of praier be appointed for the better stirring vp of men thereto we thinke it very necessarie What you mean by externall signes of deuotion I know not you haue so many superstitious toies as crossings beades and such like Luke 18. 11. The text The pharisie standing praied thus with himselfe God I giue thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men extortioners vniust adulterers as also this publican ⸫ I fast twise a weeke I giue tithes of all that I possesse The note To take pride of fasting tithing or any goodworke is naught though the works themselues be very good The answer And how can men auoid pride and carrie an humble mind that are instructed by you or that beléeue your doctrine will it not thinke you puffe vp a man in pride to be persuaded that his works deserue heauen and life euerlasting This praier of the pharisie doth plainly shew that the opinion of the pharisies and of the papists touching grace and works were all one and the very same And how then shall it not worke the same effect in you that it did in the pharisie And héere by the way is to be noted whence you papists learned to kéepe two fasting daies euery wéeke Luke 18. 13. The text And the publican standing a far of would not so much as lift his eies toward heauen but he ⸫ knocked his brest saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner The note So do the priests and people at the holy altar knocke their brests and say with the humble publican Deus propitius Aug. psal 31. concione 3. The answer To what purpose do you cite Augustine To prooue what your priests do now adaies he cannot tell Or to prooue the antiquitie of your altars Therein you do but delude men with the name whereas in the things there are great differences Or to prooue that Deus propitius was then in the church seruice If you had now nothing therein that then was it were hard That doth neither prooue your masse nor your mattens in a strange toong As for the people they come not néere the altar but som poore boy for the most part is faine to be spokesman for them Luke 18. 17. The text Amen I say to you Whosoeuer receiueth not the kingdome of God ⸫ as a child shall not enter into it The note In matters of faith and religion we must be as humble and obedient to the catholike church as yoong children to their parents The answer By the catholike church you vnderstand the pope and his colledge of cardinals to whom you would haue men so childishly obedient as to beléeue whatsoeuer they shal tel them though they call chalke chéese But how agréeth this with S. Paul which wil not haue vs children in vnderstanding but of ripe age to the end we may be constant and not wauering in the faith and knowledge of Christ neither caried about with euery puffe of doctrine Luk. 18. 20. The text Thou knowest ⸫ the commandement thou shalt not kil c. The note Not faith onely but also keeping the commandements purchase life euerlasting See annotations Matthew 19. 16. The answer You loue to repeat one thing often Your notes vpon this haue twise béene answered alreadie And now the third time I praie you tell vs how yée gather this or what necessitie there is of any such consequence vpon this place You know it is of all hands granted that he which fulfilleth the Law shall liue by the Law Also you know that the Apostle concludeth that therefore none liue by the Law bicause no man performeth all things that are written in the Law This man would know by what doing a man should possesse life Christ answereth his question aptlie and fitly by kéeping the commandements Doth it follow therefore that a man can kéepe the commandements and so haue life But it appéereth that the Iewish teachers had besotted this yoong man as they had done a multitude of others to make them séeke righteousnes and life where it could not be found that is in themselues and in their owne obedience Euen as you popish pharisies do now a daies bewitch men with an opinion of inherent iustice whereby they may deserue heauen Luk 18. 22. The text Yet one thing thou lackest ⸫ Sell al that euer thou hast and giue to the poore c. The note This is not a commandement or precept but counsell which the religious do follow See annot Matth. 19. The answer Now haue we the works of Supererogation of religious papists which obserue not onely cōmandements but counsels But to let you to assume that which no mā néedeth to grant you that is that this is no commandement I pray you why doth not the pope his cardinals archbishops bishops abbots priors moonks priests obey this counsell and sell their possessions and giue the money raised thereof to the poore Be not these amongst your religious men But this would gréeue them woorse then it gréeued this rich man As for your other orders which liue by the spoile of the poore and maintaine themselues in idlenes by begging they haue nothing to sell for the possesse nothing And so it falleth out that your note is a thrasonicall bragge and that none of you set store by Christs counsell which none of you do follow or séeke to obserue Luk. 18. 29. The text Amen I saie to you there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or ⸫ wife or children for the kingdome of God c. The note The Apostles amongst other things left their wiues also as Saint Hierome noteth out of this place Libro 1. adu Iouinianum The answer I maruell you haue no more copie of fathers for this matter Your note and the authority of Hierome hath béene alreadie answered Yet for farther answere we say that in that sence in which you take it it was vtterly vnlawful against the commandement of God doctrine of the holy scriptures for the apostles to leaue their wiues Also if we may
you he shall not loose his ⸫ reward The note Reward for almes deedes whereby it is euident that they be meritorious The answer If the reward be measured by the merite the reward for giuing a cup of water should skant be woorth the receiuing But make much of this euidence for though it be bad it is as good as the best ye haue Marke 9. 42. The text And whosoeuer shall ⸫ scandalize one of these litle ones beleeuing in me it is good for him rather if a milstone were put about his necke and he were cast into the sea The note To giue scandal by our life to the weake in faith is a great sinne specially in priestes preachers and princes The answer Your séeking for tearmes to the multitude vnknowen and out of vse is as you tearme it a great scandal or offence to obscure and darken of purpose the scriptures of God and therefore in you a great sinne Marke 10. 9. The text That therefore which God hath ioyned together ⸫ let not man separate The note The obligation betwixt man and wife is so great that during life it can not be broken The answer The text doeth not teach that it can not be broken but that it ought to be inuiolable That it is broken by them which after marriage haue carnall copulation with an harlot it is manifest for they make themselues one flesh with an harlot And how there can be more than two in one flesh I know not Marke 10. 16. The text And imbracing them and imposing handes vpon them he ⸫ blessed them The note Our Sauiour gaue the children his blessing The answer Whereby wée sée he accepteth of poore infants and declareth his loue and fauour which he beareth to them But magicall vertue and force which you commonlie imagine in the word of blessing I sée none Marke 10. 18. The text Good master what shall I do that I may receiue life euerlasting And Iesus said to him why callest thou me good none is good but one God Thou knowest the ⸫ commandements The note Note that the keeping of Gods commandements procureth life euerlasting The Answer Note that this young man had béene instructed by the scribes and pharisées as you also now teach your followers namelie to procure life by his déedes as appeareth by the question which he propounded to Christ. Note also that Christs answer is fit for the question for there is none other meanes by our déedes to attaine life then the perfect exact obedience of Gods commandements Note further in his answer to Christ howe foolishlie he was besotted with the opinion of his obedience and note lastlie howe Christ laid open his hypocrisie to him whereby it did manifestly appeare that he neither loued God nor his neighbour so well as him selfe Therefore our owne righteousnes and obedience failing vs God hath prouided a remedie for vs the righteousnesse of faith that is to say the righteousnes and obedience of our Christ imputed to beléeuers Marke 10. 21. The text And Iesus beholding him loued him and said to him One thing is wanting vnto thee ⸫ go sell whatsoeuer thou hast and giue to the poore The note This is a counsell of perfection not a precept which the religious professing and keeping voluntarie pouertie do follow The answer Be Gods commandements now become imperfect that perfection wanting in the commandements must be sought for in counsels Then how was the Law of the Lord a perfect Law This was a commandement giuen him to bewraie how far he was from that he vaunted of and to bring him to sée that he had not kept the commandements in such perfection as before he imagined Your voluntarie pouertie hath neither warrant by this nor any other place of scripture Mark 10. 29. The text ⸫ Amen I say to you there is no man which hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for me and for the Gospel that shall not receiue an hundred times so much now at this time c. The note Exceeding happie be they that can forsake their temporall things for religion The answer Bicause God hath promised to recompence them both héere and in the life to come Mark 11. 8. The text And ⸫ many spread their garments in the way and others did cut downe boughes from the trees and strawed them in the way The note All these voluntarie duties â—â—ere gratefull to our Sauiour and so be the like done to him in the blessed Sacrament The answer You haue gotten a good warrant for setting the Sacrament on horse backe as they say your holy father doth at Rome but for prisoning him in a pâ—â—e and trussing him vpon euery altar in a string you must fetch your president from Annas Caiphas and Pilate and not from this people But I pray you were you in good earnest when you made this note or do you thinke that those duties ought or might be done to him in the Sacrament that ought and might be done to him when he was in body here conuersant amongst vs. If you affirme it we shal finde you deny it againe with an other breath And if you dare not affirme it then what is become of your note But you care not what you speake so as you may stir vp men to idolatrous blind deuotion towards your breaden God Mar. 11. 22. 23 The text And Iesus answering said to them haue ⸫ faith of God Amen I saie to you that whosoeuer shall say to this mountaine be taken vp and be cast into the sea and shall not stagger in his hart but beleeue that whatsoeuer he saith shall be done it shall be done to him The note Faith of God is to beleeue that he is able and that he will do it if it be expedient and no impediment on our part The answer The impediment on our part here set downe is staggering which you vnder pretence of humilitie do teach your followers and so consequentlie you teach them to be doubtfull of the truth of Gods promises which how it can stand with the faith of God no wise man can sée Mark 11. 26. The text ⸫ If so be that you will not forgiue neither will your father that is in heauen forgiue you your sinnes The note God neuer forgiueth sins to him that pardoneth not his enimies from his hart Whereby it is euident that more is required than faith onlie The answer Who euer denied all vertues to be requisite for Christians If you did not know your owne scholers to be so blind and ignorant as that they vnderstand not the state of the question of iustification by faith you would neuer thus slightly deale and put vs to vnnecessarie labor and paines Faith alone embraceth the promise of remission of sins This faith worketh in vs amongst other things a readines to forgiue So though more is requisite yet faith alone embraceth Christ our righteousnes and the promises in him and with him offered
and graces offered And further wée learne that as the authoritie and credit of this woman by whom the Samaritans were first conuerted was not greater therefore then the credit and authoritie of our Sauiour Christ by whome the Samaritans were now confirmed so the authoritie of the church first drawing men to beleeue is not greater then the authoritie of the scriptures by which men be after confirmed in the truth of their beléefe As for your addition of other instructions if you meane thereby your vnwritten verities or some such like stuffe you might haue kept it for your owne stoore Iohn 5. 6. The text And there is at Hierusalem vpon ⸫ probatica a pond which in Hebrew is surnamed Bethsaida hauing fiue porches The note By our Latine text and the Greeke this miraculous pond was in or vpon probatica that is a place where sheepe to be sacrificed were kept but by other Latin copies Saint Hierome and some Greeke fathers probatica is the very pond it selfe so called bicause the sheepe of sacrifice were there washed The answer Whether the pond were probatica or in or vpon probatica whether shéepe were sold there washed there or kept there it is not materiall nor woorth the contending for Iohn 5. 29. The text Maruaile not at this bicause the houre commeth wherein all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they that haue ⸫ done good things shal come forth into the resurrection of life The note Not faith onlie but good and ill deeds shalbe counted and accordinglie rewarded at the day of iudgement The answer And who denieth this and yet then the onlie instrument of vniting vs to Christ our righteousnesse shalbe faith onlie alone Iohn 5. 39. The text Search the ⸫ scriptures for you thinke in them to haue life euerlasting and the same are they that giue testimonie of me The note Catholikes search the scriptures and finde there Peters and his successors primacie the reall presence the priests power to forgiue sinnes iustification by faith and good workes virginitie preferred before matrimonie breach of the vow of continencie damnable voluntarie pouertie penance almes and good deeds meritorious diuers rewards in heauen according to diuerse merits and such like The answer Whom haue we héere Thraso or Gnato For this can not procéed but either from a vainglorious vaunter or from a filthie flatterer You catholikes may as eâ—silie wring water out of a flint as find in the scriptures that which is not in them as in the particulars which you haue reckoned in their particular places are or shalbe shewed And to the end your credulous followers may be the lesse able to espie your fraud herein you haue hitherto kept them safe from searching the scriptures and now when by Gods good benefit you can no longer kéep them from the scriptures you haue sent them the scriptures in their mother tongue not to the end they should search but corrupted and of purpose obscured and darkened to the end to terrifie and feare men from searching for if with humilitie and hartie desire of truth they would diligently search the scriptures the testimonies of them would driue them to leaue you and to flie to Christ for life Iohn 5. 43. The text I am come in the name of my father and you receiue me not if ⸫ another shall come in his owne name him will you receiue The note He meaneth specially Antichrist then how can the pope be he seeing the Iewes receiue him not The answer He meaneth anie false and forged Christ and not Antichrist of which sort it is well knowen there were diuers both before and after Christ whom the Iewes were very readie to embrace And it is manifest that they were not onlie readie to receiue such impostors seducers as vaunted them selues to be Christ but also by a solemne embassage the prouoked and procured as much as in them lay Iohn Baptist to haue and take that honor vpon him Further you forget that which some of you haue much contended for namely the force of the Gréeke article by addition whereof in other places you will inforce Antichrist to be meant of some particular man but héere that must be meant of Antichrist which neither hath article added nor yet can possibly with anie probabilitie bée restrained to any one particular person Thus may your holie father be Antichrist still for any let that is in this place Ioh. 6. 23. The text But other boates came in from Tyberias beside the place where they had eaten the bread our Lord ⸫ giuing thanks The note These words do plainly import that the giuing thanks was an effectuall blessing of the bread and working the multiplication thereof The answer These words do plainly import that the blessing which the other Euangelists speake of was nothing else but praier and thankesgiuing by the which the creatures of God are sanctified to the vse and behoofe of men Ioh. 6. 32. The text ⸫ Amen Amen I say to you Moyses gaue you not the bread from heauen but my father giueth you the true bread from heauen The note Why we keepe the Hebrewâ—word Amen and translate it not See the annot cap. 8. vers 34. The answer This is a cloake for the raine if you had only abstained from translating such words as vse hath vpon occasion made common to other toongs we would not greatly blame you but your hunting and séeking vnder that and the like pretences to leaue things as darke as you can is that which men do iustlie condemne in you Ioh. 7. â— The text And the festiual day of the Iewes ⸫ Scenopegia was at hand The note Scenopegia Leuit. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the feast of Tabernacles which the Iewes kept from the seauenth of October for eight daies togither by Gods commandement for a memorie that their fathers dwelt by Gods protection fortie yeeres in tabernacles or tents and not in houses comming out of Egypt See Leuit. 23. 34. The answer You might haue kept your margent vnblotted if it had stoode with your pleasure to haue translated Scenopegia The place in Leuiticus would sufficiently haue shewed the cause of the institution Ioh. 7. 17 The text If any man ⸫ will do the will of him he shall vnderstand of the doctrine whether it be of God or I speake of my selfe The note The way to come to know the truth is to liue well The answer The way to come to know and vnderstand the truth is wholie to renounce resigne our owne will and to giue our selues ouer wholie to the obedience of God For the Lord himselfe wil teach the humble and méeke euen them that feare him Ioh. 7. 18. The text ⸫ He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie The note It is spoken of Antichrist specially and it is true in all heretikes Augustin tract 29. in Euangelium Io. The answer If euer it was verified of any it is most true of the bishop of
men from the true catholike and vniuersall church and so bring them to the pit of perdition Iohn 8. 49. The text Iesus answered ⸫ I haue no diuell but I do honor my father and you haue dishonored me The note He denieth not that he is a Samaritane bicause he is our keeper or protector as the word signifieth and bicause he is indeed that mercifull Samaritane in the parable of the wounded man Luk. 10. 33. August tract 43. in Iohn The answer Augustine as some other also of the fathers is much delighted with allegories sometime more then enough But why did you not spare Augustine héere where you néeded him not and vse him afore in that you knew would be denied to you to prooue that works make men the children of Abraham what is it not bicause you could get no helpe at his hand Iohn 9. 3. The text Iesus answered ⸫ neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God may be manifested in him The note Though manie infirmities fall for sinne yet not all some comming for probation and some sent that God by the cure thereof may be glorified The answer Men are not rashly to be iudged of for the afflictions or the infirmities which God laieth vpon them or theirs Considering that God hath diuers ends purposes for the which he scourgeth his owne chosen children as wel as the vngodly wicked and reprobate Iohn 9. 5. The text The night commeth ⸫ when no man can worke The note The time of working and meriting is in this life after death we can deserue no more by our deeds but must onely receiue good or ill according to the difference of works heere The answer If this note be true then how excuse you your selues in making men pay for your praiers your pardons masses diriges trentals and such like trash for the soules of their friends departed séeing works after death do them no good and séeing they must receiue according to that they haue done in their bodies whether it be good or bad Are you not ashamed to cosin your credulous followers Your coupling of works and merits déedes and deseruing is not woorth the noting bicause it cannot now besot any but méere fooles Iohn 9. 7. The text Go ⸫ wash in the poole of Siloe which is interpreted sent The note This was a figure of baptisme to which al men borne in sin and blindnes are sent for health sight Ambrose Lib. 3. cap. 2. de Sacramentis The answer Stil we must sée your great reading and your followers must thinke that there is no such clearks in the whole world againe The truth of Ambroses spéech héerin is not woorth the discussing but it is ynough to you that a father speaketh it if it be not against anie thing determined by your church of Rome Iohn 9. 24. The text They therefore againe called the man that had beene blind and said to him ⸫ Giue glorie to God we know that this man is a sinner The note So saie the heretikes when they derogate from miracles done by Saints or their relikes pharisaically pretending the glorie of God As though it were not Gods glory when his saints do it by his power vertue yea his greater glorie that doth such things by his seruants and by the meanest things belonging to them as Peters shadow Act. 5. and Paules napkin Act. 9. The answer If by pretence of giuing glorie to God the pharisies had not gone about to derogate from the glory of our Lord and Sauiour Christ their words had not béene faultie We confesse that by the smaller and weaker things God worketh the more his glory thereby appéereth Yet that maketh nothing for your impudent shamelesse forged miracles as in making our Ladie a chappell kéeper I will not saie a baude in a nunnerie xv yéeres togither to couer the vile life of Beatrix the Nun who plaied the whoore so many yéeres togither Do you thinke that such miracles as this will make to the glorie of God And yet your bookes of lies are full of them Iohn 9. 39. The text And Iesus saide to him For iudgement came I into this world ⸫ that they that see not may see and they that see may become blind The note By this we see that this miracle was not onely marueilous and beneficiall to the blind but also significatiue of taking away spirituall blindnes The answer It is very true that the miracles of Christ were not lik popish miracles strange things onlie to be wondered at but foretold by the prophet Esaie beneficiall to the parties for whom they were done or wrought and significatiue that is bearing witnes to the truth of his doctrine All which properties the lying signes and wonders of the popish church want Iohn 10. 1. The text He that entreth not by doore into the folde of sheepe but climeth vp another way he is ⸫ a thiefe and a robber The note The thiefe is the heretike speciallie and anie other that vnlawfully breake in vpon the sheepe to kill and to destroy them by false doctrine and otherwise The answer Poperie is a dunghill compacted of the shreds of many heresies Christ being the onlie doore and heauen the folde prouided for the safe kéeping of Gods flocke the papists must néedes bée théeues and robbers for that they will clime into heauen by many waies besides Christ. Iohn 10. 4. The text And when he hath let foorth his owne sheepe hee ⸫ goeth before them and the sheepe follow him bicause they knowe his voice The note That is the fashion of Iurie and other countries signifiyng that the shepherd or pastor must teach the sheepe and not they him The answer Onlie England haue their shéepe and other cattell wander abroad harmelesse hauing no kéeper which in other countries is counted a miracle Your signification we accept and therefore conclude that you are none of Christs shéepe bicause you take vpon you to set your shepherd to schoole Further it is to be noted how continuallie the scripture calleth the shéepe of Christ to the hearkening to his voice contrarie to the papists who call all to the harkening to and obeying of their church Iohn 10. 15. The text As the father knoweth me and I know my father ⸫ I yeeld my life for my sheepe The note Christs death was so necessarie for the flocke that when he might haue escaped he voluntarilie offered him selfe to death for his flocke The answer That Christs death was necessarie in word you graunt but when it cōmeth to péecing of it with other parts of your doctrine it must stand for a worke néedlesse else it can not hold togither For if the blood of saint Thomas could helpe vs to heauen what néeded Christ to haue shed his blood for vs Iohn 10. 16. The text And ⸫ other sheepe I haue that are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be made one fold
triall you flie And if anie time you make a shew of comming to it then by and by your church must giue credite to your doctrine your church cannot erre your pope cannot erre we must beléeue your doctrine not bicause you can prooue it to haue come from the Apostles but bicause your church and pope haue giuen sentence for it but if you durst abide by your note we would easily shew your doctrin to be erronious 1. Tim. 6. 10. The text For the roote of all euill is couetousnes ⸫ which certaine desiring haue erred from the faith and haue intangled themselues in manie sorrowes The note As in the first chapter the lacke of faith and good conscience so here couetousnes and the desire of these temporall things and in the ende of this chapter presumption and boasting of knowledge are causes of falling from the faith heresie often being the punishment of former sins The answer It is very true that God punisheth sin by sin and that there be many causes for which wicked men are wont to forsake the faith which they do or did somtimes professe The causes in your note assigned lacke of faith and good conscience couetousnes presumption and boasting if all the world be sought from one end to the other there cannot any be founde in whom these causes haue so euidently concurred and wrought as in your most holy fathers of Rome wherein I referre my selfe to the credite of your owne stories 1. Tim. 6. 19. The text Command the rich of this world not to be high minded nor to trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God who giueth al things aboundantly to enioy to do wel to become rich in good works to giue easelie to communicate to heape vnto themselues a good ⸫ foundation for the time to come that they may apprehend the true life The note Almes deeds and good works laid for a foundation and ground to attaine euerlasting life So say the doctors vpon this place The answer If you had shewed vs what doctors had so spoken we woulde haue shewed you their meaning But we know that neither they nor the apostles ment by the word foundation to put Christ out of his office or place but onlie to oppose against the vncertaintie of riches here the certaintie of promised blessednes in the time to come According to the saieng of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 2. TIMOTHIE ◠Tim. 1. 6. The text For the which cause I admonish thee that thou resuscitate the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of my hands The note Heere againe it is plaine that holy orders giue grace and that euen by and in the externall ceremonie of imposing the bishops hands And it is a maner of speech specially vsed in this Apostle and S. Luke that orders giue grace to the ordered and that to take orders or authoritie to minister sacrament or preach is to be giuen or deliuered to Gods grace Acts. 14. 25. The answer Héere you say that that is plaine which no wise man can sée namely that holy orders giue grace in and by the externall ceremonie of imposing of the bishops hands For if that were so what néeded there be any choise of men furnished with gifts and graces for that purpose sith in the very ordering they should be sufficiently indued with gifts and graces necessarie and néedfull And how fel it out that there were so great a number of popish priests void and destitute of al gifts graces after their ordering when the bishop had conferred and bestowed vpon them all that he could It is euident by the manifold commendations that the Apostle giueth to Timothie as well for his owne studie in the scriptures as also for his bringing vp vnder his mother and grandmother that he was a man furnished with gifts afore Paul and the elders ordered him But bicause the praiers of the church in that his consecrating to the worke of God were not in vaine that blessing and increase of aptnesse and fitnesse which God at their petitions gaue him at that time is called the gift or grace by imposition of hands In the like order it is true that all those which be rightly ordered are deliuered to the grace of God bicause the same God who of his mercifull goodnes afore indued them with gifts made them fit and méete for the worke of his ministerie and mooued his church to call them thereunto afterward by and in the imploieng of their talents to his glorie and the benefit of his church and people increaseth and augmenteth their gifts 2. Tim. 1. 13. The text Haue thou a forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and in ⸫ the loue in Christ Iesus The note Faith and loue coupled commonly togither in this Apostles writing The answer Paul so speaketh of them bicause faith and loue be companions inseparable But such mates as you are bend themselues to vncouple these to the end they might haue some probable shew of matter to prate withall against iustification by onely faith 2. Tim. 1. 16. The text Our Lord giue mercie to the house of Onesiphorus bicause he hath often refreshed me and hath ⸫ not beene ashamed of my chaine The note What an happie and meritorious thing it is to releeue the afflicted for religion and not to be ashamed of their disgrace yrons or what miserie so euer The answer Put meritorious into your purse and vnderstand true religion and then we agrée to your note 2. Tim. 2. 10. The text Therefore ⸫ I sustaine all things for the elect that they also may obtaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with heauenly glorie The note Marke heere that the elect though sure of their saluation yet are saued by the means of their preachers and teachers as also by their owne endeuor The answer Marke héere the force and might of truth which hath héere wrested this confession of truth from you that the elect are sure of their saluation to which the whole course of your doctrine is opposite The ministerie of the word and mens owne endeuors to attaine the knowledge of the truth we acknowledge to be meanes appointed of God to saue those which be his 1. Tim. 2. 16. The text But profane and vaine speeches auoid The note See the annotation before 1. Timoth. 6. verse 20. The answer We haue séene your note and do sée that both your reasons and authorities there stand very well against your selues But I refer the answer of it to the answer of all your annotations 1. Tim. 2. 25. The text But the seruant of our Lord must not wrangle but be mild towards all men apt to teach patient with modestie admonishing them that resist the truth least sometime ⸫ God giue them repentance to know the truth The note Conuersion from sinne and heresie is the gift of God and of his speciall grace yet
thing or such a thing in the scriptures is also in your church seruice It were too great a disgrace for you to say or sing in plaine English praise yée the Lord. Apoc. 19. 7. The text Let vs be glad and reioice and giue glorie to him bicause ⸫ the marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath prepared hir selfe The note At this day shall the whole church of the elect be finally and perfectly ioined vnto Christ in marriage inseparable The answer In the meane space we had néed to take great héed of being seduced by your perswasions and so of forsaking Christ and coupling our selues to another man that is to the pope which is both the popes and yours whole endeuors Apoc. 19 9. The text And he said to me write Blessed be they that are called to the ⸫ supper of the marriage of the Lambe The note That is the feast of eternall life prepared for his spouse the church The answer And not for you which imbrace another head and spouse in his stéede to whom you haue giuen greater preheminence then to Christ himselfe Apoc. 19. 13. The text And he was clothed with a garment sprinckled with blood and his name is called the word of God The note The second person in Trinitie the Sonne or the word of God which was made flesh Io. 1. The answer Who shall confound antichrist and all the power of the earth which taketh his part euen with the sword that procéedeth out of his mouth Apoc. 19. 16. The text And he hath in his garment and in his thigh written king of kings and lord of lords The note Euen according to his humanitie also The answer Our Lord and Sauior Christ God and man after his resurrection is aduanced aboue all principalities and powers and euery name that is named in heauen and in earth Apoc. 20. 1. The text And I sawe an angell descending from heauen hauing the key of the bottomlesse depth and a great chaine in his hand The note See in S. Augustine lib. 20. de ciuit ca. 7. 8. seq the exposition of this chapter The answer Your referring men to the doctors sheweth that your care is not for ignorant men to profite them for they are not the better for this reference and the learned néedeth it not Apoc. 20. ◠The text And I sawe seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen them and the soules of the beheaded for the testimonie of Iesus and for the word of God and that adored not the beast nor his image nor receiued his character in their foreheads or in their hands and haue liued and reigned with Christ a thousand yeeres The note Quid in millenario numero nisi ad proferendam nouam sobolem perfecta vniuersitas praestitae generationis exprimitur hinc per Iohannem dicitur Et regnabunt cum illo mille annis quia regnum sanctae ecclesiae vniuersitatis perfectione solidatur D. Gregorius libro 9. moral cap. 1. The answer Your poore countrimen are greatlie beholding to you they are much the better for your note they vnderstand it as well and are edified as much by it as by your church seruice And for my part bicause you haue not vouchsafed to turne it into English your selues and bicause it toucheth no matter of controuersie betwixt vs I will also take mine ease and leaue it as I finde it Apoc. 20. 7. The text And when the thousand yeeres shall be consummate Satan shalbe loosed out of his prison and shall go foorth and seduce ⸫ the nations that are vpon the foure corners of the earth Gog and Magog and shall gather them into battell the number of whom is as the sand of the sea The note Saint Augustine thinketh that these do not signifie anie certaine nations but all that shall then be ioyned with the diuell and Antichrist against the church lib. 20. de ciuitate cap. 11. See Saint Hierome in Ezechielem lib. 11. The answer We agrée with Augustine that all enemies of the church are signified open as Turkes and such like priuie as the Pope papists and such like who vnder the name and title of Christ persecute the members of Christ which the text it selfe doeth plainlie insinuate which saith that they are the nations which are vpon the foure corners of the earth Apoc. 20. 11. The text And I sawe a great white throne and one sitting vpon it from whose sight ⸫ earth and heauen fled and there was no place found for them The note They shall then be new not the substance but the shape changed 2. Peter 3. See Saint Augustine lib. 20. de ciuit cap. 14. The answer That this is to be expounded of the innouation of heauen and earth we consent but I muse for whome you gathered your notes The learned without you know whither to repaire for resolution in their doubts The vnlearned can not consult with Augustine though they would These references to sée the iudgement of Doctors haue no profit but to make a shew of your reading Apoc. 20. 12. The text And I sawe the dead great and little standing in the sight of the throne and ⸫ bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is of life the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their works The note The bookes of mens consciences where it shalbe plainlie read what euerie mans life hath bene The answer Our owne consciences and thoughts at that day shall either accuse or excuse vs. Looke therefore well into your consciences and take héede that you trust not too much and to farre to your Pope of Rome for it is well knowen that he is but a mortall man and not God Apoc. 20. 15. The text And ⸫ he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the poole of fire The note Such as do no good workes if they haue age and time to do them are not found in the booke of life The answer Your note is neither gathered out of this place neither warranted by anie other He that liueth to mans state hath age and he that liueth long hath time to do good workes but suppose they haue done none shal we cut frō them hope of mercie afore the last gaspe may not the like grace be shewed them that was graunted to the penitent theefe The time therefore of working must begin at their conuersion and true turning to God whether it be earlie or late otherwise this place sheweth nothing but that onlie the elect shalbe saued Others though in shew they haue led a painfull religious life though they shalbe able to say Lord haue not we done thus and thus in thy name yet shall haue answere depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I neuer knew you Apoc. 21. 2. The text And I Iohn sawe ⸫ the holie citie Hierusalem new descending from heauen prepared of God as a bride adorned for hir husband The note The Church
triumphant The answer The ioy and comfort of all the saints of God to thinke of Now euerie gift which we receiue in this life is a pledge and token of that loue wherewith Christ hath imbraced his church as his spouse but then she shall be perfectlie adorned and beautified and put into actuall possession of al the good things which are Christs her husbands Apoc. 21. 3. The text And I heard a loud voice from the throne saieng behold ⸫ the tabernacle of God with men and he wil dwel with them The note This Tabernacle is Christ according to his humanitie The answer Though it be true that by the incarnation of our Lord and sauiour Christ and his taking vpon him our nature God dwelleth with vs yet héere it is spoken of Gods receiuing vs into the participation of the glorie of his Christ. For then when we shall be receiued into eternall and euerlasting felicitie this societie coniunction and dwelling of God and man togither shall most cléerly and perfectly appéere Apoc. 21. 4. The text And God shall wipe away all teares from their eies and death shall be no more nor moorning nor crieng neither shall there be sorrow any more which ⸫ first things are gone The note This happie day shal make an end of all the miseries of this mortality The answer God is likened to a mother which wipeth away the teares from the infants eies and chéekes whereby is signified that not onely there shall be an end of the miseries of this mortalitie but also that there shall remaine no token step nor print of our former calamities Apoc. 21. 7. The text He that shall ouercome ⸫ shall possesse these things and I will be his God and he shall be my sonne The note He that hath the victorie in the church militant shall haue his reward in the triumphant The answer If hope of praie and spoile and liberall intertainment make men to aduenture them selues and their liues for victorie howe much more we whose liues are a continuall warfare who are most certaine and assured of victorie should manfullie and valiantlie fight against all spirituall enemies sith the liberalitie of God is so great to victors and conquerors Apoc. 21. 8. The text But ⸫ to the fearfull and incredulous and execrable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liers their part shalbe in the poole burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death The note All that commit mortall sinnes and repent not shall be damned The answer The wages of euerie sinne is death All impenitent sinners therefore how smal soeuer their sinne séeme to be shalbe damned which is also plainly here insinuated in that not onelie vnbeléeuers other grosse and foule sinners in the common iudgement of men are reckoned but also and that first of all those which are fearfull and cowards in Gods cause are set which is a fault that most men little regard and make a small account of and therefore all sins without repentance draw men to damnation Apoc. 〈◊〉 11. The text And he tooke me vp in spirit into a mountaine great and high and he shewed me the holie citie Hierusalem descending out of heauen from God ⸫ hauing the glorie of God And the light thereof like to a pretious stone as it were to the Iasper stone euen as Christall The note The glorie of the triumphant church The answer Which though it be héere excellently swéetly and delectably shadowed yet it doth excéed far the capacitie and reach of our dull braines and weake vnderstanding in this vale of miserie Howbeit the holy Ghost doth thus describe it to the end that we considering the excellencie of this description and waieng that that the holy Ghost hath but shadowed these things by the most excellent earthly things that are we should be wholy rapt and inflamed with the loue of these things and haue our eies continually vpon them and long and earnestly desire to haue the actuall fruition of them Apoc. 21. 12. The text And it had a wall great and high hauing twelue gates and in the gates twelue Angels and names written thereon which are ⸫ the names of the twelue tribes of the children of Israel The note The names of the patriarks and apostles honorable and glorious in the triumphant church The answer In respect of the promises made to the fathers and in respect of the doctrine of truth and sauing health deliuered to the whole church by the holy apostles and in whatsoeuer respect beside that you can reckon neither derogating from the glorie of God nor dissonant from the truth of his word Apoc. 21. 16. The text And ⸫ the citie is situated quadrangle wise and the length thereof is as great as also the bredth and he measured the citie with the reed for twelue thousand furlongs the length and height and bredth thereof be equall The note See S. Hierom ep 17. touching this description of the heauenly Hierusalem which is the church triumphant teaching that thes◠things must be taken spiritually not carnally The answer This admonition is very necessarie for your poore blind followers who know nothing and are vtterly destitute of all vnderstanding But alack how is it possible for them to take these things spiritually who are altogither carnall led by masters and teachers which are themselues void of the spirit of God But out of poperie in this light of the Gospell it is hard to find any so ignorant that thinketh not that these things ought to be spiritually vnderstood Apoc. 21. 22. The text And ⸫ temple I saw not therein For our Lord God omnipotent is the temple thereof and the lambe The note All externall sacrifices which now is the necessarie duetie of the faithfull shall then cease and therefore shall neede no materiall temple The answer The sacrifice which your minde runneth of is now no dutie of a christian And though we haue now places to méete in to heare and learne the word to praie and to praise God in to celebrate the misteries which he hath left to his church and to vse all spirituall exercises yet temples we haue none for God him selfe is our temple for we dwell in him and we are his temple for his spirit dwelleth in vs. As for your propitiatorie sacrifices you may take paines to returne them to Rome from whence they came Apoc. 21. 27. The text There shall ⸫ not enter into it anie polluted thing nor that doeth abomination and maketh lie but they are written in the booke of life of the lambe The note None not perfectlie clensed of their sinnes can enter into this heauenlie Hierusalem The answer You know that in this life we know but in part we loue but in part and therefore no worke perfectlie good can procéede from vs. Those therefore that put confidence in the meritoriousnesse of mens workes can not enter into this Ierusalem And I muse that you tremble not and quake not when you
and Sinods or publike praiers is of more force than of any particular man The answer It is true that the vnitie and agréement of Gods Saints ioyned in praier and the consent of many gouernors of the Church in executing discipline is of more force than if the same be done of a very few And yet your proud prelate of Rome will haue his doings being but one stand and be of force against all consent whatsoeuer Matth. 19. 11. The text Not all ⸫ take this word but they to whom it is giuen The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 capiunt The answer This most plainly sheweth that the vertue of continencie is not in euery mans will but a rare gift of God and that therefore they not onely deale rashly but also directly against Gods will and pleasure that vowe perpetuall single life And I doo not doubte but that your other annotations shall shortly be answered Matth. 19. 17. The text But ⸫ if thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements The note I see not saith Saint Augustine why Christ should say if thou wilt haue life euerlasting keepe the commandements if without obseruing of them by onely faith one might be saued Augustine de fide operi cap. 1â— The answer Augustine in that place speaketh not against those that ascribe iustification to a true and a liuely faith but against the papistical opinion of them which vnderstood by them that build vpon Christ hay and stubble such Christians as liue wickedly whom they affirmed that they should passe through purgatorie fier and so be partakers of saluation through the merite of their foundation Against these Augustine replieth that he séeth not to what purpose Christ should exact the kéeping of the commandements if such a faith that is a bare profession of Christianitie might saue What is this against that faith which worketh obedience in beléeuers as it is written By faith Abraham obeyed God who then séeth not your vanitie in applying against vs that which was spoken against the patrones of purgatorie Matt. 19. 24. The text And againe I say to you it is easier for a camel to passe thorow the eie of a needle ⸫ than for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen The note Saint Marke expoundeth it thus rich men trusting in their riches cap. 10. verse 24. The answer This as farre as I now remember is the first note saue one giuen vs by conference of places of Scripture And if this kind of gathering were more in vse with you we should haue a great many fewer controuersies betwixt vs. Matt. 19 29. The text And euery one that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or ⸫ wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receiue an hundred folde and shall possesse life euerlasting The note Hereof is gathered that the Apostles amongst other things left their wiues also to followe Christ. Hierom. lib. 1. aduer Iouinianum The Answer The Apostles were neuer taught by Christ to leaue those dueties vnperfourmed which God had imposed vpon men therfore not their dueties towardes their wiues Further to leaue these things was not absolutelie to leaue either possession or vse of them but onelie so to bridle them selues as that the hauing of these things were no withdrawing of them from cleauing to Christ folowing their calling For Matthew had stil his house in which he feasted Christ. Lazarus and his sisters dwelt in their owne at Bethania Ioseph was ritch and yet a disciple and if Peters wiues mother were cared for and healed of her feuer it is not likelie that her daughter was cast off Further what say you to the canons which you say are the Apostles which forbid priestes to leaue their wiues vnder pretence of religion But you tell vs that Hierome gathereth it what then must we therefore of necessitie beléeue it He telleth vs in the same booke that the end of marriage is death and the ende of single life is life and I am sure you therein beléeue him not But this is your practise such absurd collections as you are ashamed to set downe as your owne gathering ye gladlie shroud vnder the name of some Father to abuse your followers with Matth. 20. 11. The text And receiuing it they ⸫ murmured against the good man of the house saying The note The Iewes are noted for enuying the vocation of the Gentiles and their rewarde equall with them selues The answer It is true that the Iewes enuied the calling of the Gentiles as the papistes at this day can not abide that reformed Christians take the name of Catholike christians and Church of God but that by this murmuring that enuying of equalitie of reward is meant is your bare surmise which you can not proue For the purpose of the parable is nothing els but to shew that it is frée for God to reward whom he will though they deserue it not Matth. 20. 25. The text And Iesus called them vnto him and said you knowe that the princes of the Gentiles ouer rule them and they that are the greater exercise power against them The note Superioritie is not here forbidden amongest Christians neither ecclesiasticall nor temporall but heathenish tirannie is forbidden and humilitie commended The answer Christ here distinguisheth the regiment of his church from ciuill gouernment and denieth that any of the Apostles shalbe aduaunced ouer his fellow apostles in dignitie as kings ouer their subiectes which â—latlie striketh downe your supposed primacie of Peter As for heathenish tirannie the popes of Rome haue excéeded all that euer went before them for they haue not onelie put their Cardinals into sackes and throwne them into the sea but also they haue not suffered one another to rest in their graues Matth. 21. 12. The text And Iesus entred into the temple of God and cast out all that sold and bought in the temple The note How much the abuse of the churches by marchandizing walking or other prophane occupying of them displeaseth God here we may see The answer Prophane occupying of the church displeaseth God but héere is a further thing meant namelie buying and selling vnder pretence of religion and seruice of God as héere the selling of such things as perteined to the seruice of the temple and with you the selling of masses diriges trentals and pardons such like stuffe Where couetousnesse of sacrificing priests is the expresse cause of prophaning the temple which you sâ—ilie passe ouer bicause it toucheth your selues very nighlie Matth. 21. 19. The text And seeing a certaine ⸫ figge tree by the way side he came to it and found nothing oâ— it but leaues onelie The note The Iewes hauing the word of the lawe and not the deedes were the figge tree full of leaues and voide of fruit Aug. de verb. dom serm 44. The answer In the fig trée he did set out what end and issue remaineth for hypocrites which make a
lib. 6. contra Parmenian How aptlie he applieth this parable to saint Pauls counsell of virginitie 1. Cor. 7. as to a worke of supererogation The answer If your doctrine be true in this point then Christ did a worke of Supererogation when he suffered death for vs that is to say a worke more then he néeded to do For if we can do more then is commaunded we may haue life by our déedes and so Christ might haue spared his paines he tooke for vs besides it were strange if any thing that maketh to the glorie of God and saluation of mens soules should be a worke more than néedeth or not within compasse of Gods commaundements But Augustine saith that Paul did a worke of Supererogation when he serued as Christs souldier without taking wages as he might you do great violence to Augustine in that place by grating vpon a word to make him serue your purpose against his will when his whole scope is nothing els but to shew that Paul abstained from that which was frée for him to take for his paines and that hée laboured for his liuing whereupon he concludeth the labour of monkes to be lawfull against idle monkes which because they would liue on the sweat of other mens browes not onlie refused to labour but also maintained that it was vnlawfull for them to labour Luke 11. 20. The text But if I in the ⸫ finger of God do cast out diuels surelie the kingdome of God is come vpon you The note This finger is the spirit of God Matth. 12. 18. The answer As by the onelie power of Gods spirit the diuell was then throwen out of his possession in the first propagating and spreading of the kingdome of Christ by the preaching of his word euen so againe in these late yéeres by the like mightie working of Gods spirit with the ministerie of the word Sathan who reigned by his vicar general of Rome hath béene expulsed out of a great part of his possession Luke 11. 28. The text But he said ⸫ yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The note The said mother of God in that also was blessed that she was the temporall meanes and minister of the incarnation but much more blessed in that she continued the perpetuall keeper of his word Beda August tract 19. in Iohannem The answer You loue and delight to shew your reading in matters néedles Who knoweth not that it was an excéeding blessing of God to the virgin Marie that he vouchsafed to choose her to be the mother of his onlie begotten sonne Also who are there that confesse not that the greatest blessing of all is to be the childe of God wherof the obedient kéeping of the word is a testimonie Luke 11. 32. The text The men of Niniue shall rise in the iudgement with this generation and condemne it because they ⸫ did penaunce at the preaching of Ionas and behold more then Ionas heere The note ⸫ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marke that the great penaunce of Niniuites Ionae 3. is heere expressed by this Greeke word See annotations Matth. 3. 2. The answer The outward testimonies of true repentance shewed foorth by the Niniuites were not works of satisfaction as you imagine And it is true that they which waxe wiser especially in knowing and eschewing sinne will shewe it aswell by humbling them selues afore God for their sinnes past as also by a more carefull and diligent héede to their wayes after Luke 11. 47. The text Wo to you that ⸫ build the monuments of the prophets and your fathers did kill them The note Not the building of the Prophets monuments is condemned but their imitation of their fathers that slew the prophets Ambrose The answer Héere is an high point of learning that you bring Ambrose for We know that the memorie of Gods saints is pretious in his sight But in this you resemble your fathers the Iewes For the saints of God long ago dead you wil séeme to honor and estéeme But towards the saints aliue you are as cruell and outragious as euer were your fathers And therfore God must in iustice require of you the blood of all his saints shed since the beginning of the world to this day Luke 12. 5. The text But I will shew you whom you shall feare ⸫ Feare him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell The note The feare of hell also is profitable contrarie to the Protestants teaching securitie of saluation and that feare of hell maketh men hypocrits The answer Your ordinarie lieng sheweth whom in conditions you resemble and whose children yeare What protestant hath taught that the feare of hell is vtterly vnprofitable We assigne many profits which it bringeth First the wicked many times with the feare thereof are terrified and bridled that they run not so headlong to the execution of their wicked desires as otherwise they would Secondly the elect and chosen children of God being by nature as other men corrupt are many times at the first by the feare of hell driuen to séeke Christ their onely remedie and deliuerer Thirdly they are strengthened against the feare of man when they sée the eschewing of bodily death wold bring eternal death It is manifest therefore that that which you charge vs with is your malitious collection and not our doctrine But our doctrine is that they which by faith haue power to become the children of God do shew foorth their obedience of méere loue and reuerence to God their father and that they would so do though there were no hell to punish disobedience in And that they who would not shew any obedience but for feare of hell are hypocriticall slaues doing some dutie not for dutifulnes but onely for feare of punishment Luke 12. 17. The text ⸫ What shall I do bicause I haue not whither to gather my fruits The note Giue it to the poore that shouldst thou do saith saint Basil. The answer You might as well haue alledged saint Paul but that so you should not reape that which you hunt after that is the estimation of great clarks for great reading amongst your ignorant vnskilfull followers But if saint Basil had béene of your religion he would haue taught the rich man to haue founded abbeies nâ—â—neries priories and chauntrâ—â—s for his soules health or else to haue bestowed his superfluitie in gilding roodlofts and finding of lights and such other toies For with you these things consume the portion of the poore Luke 12. 20. The text And God said to him ⸫ Thou foole this night they require thy soule of thee and the things that thou hast prouided whose shall they be The note A goodly warning for all rich men The answer So it was But if the practise of your popish church were well warranted there had béene no cause at all to haue pronounced him a foole For for monie he might haue béene canonized and made a saint and whatsoeuer masses diriges
and one pastor The note He meaneth the Church of the Gentils The answer It is true that Christ made of Iewes and Gentils one folde and of both he and not the pope is the one only pastor and head Iohn 10. 29. The text My father ⸫ that which he hath giuen me is greater then al. The note Another reading is my father that hath giuen me c. The answer In diuers readings you choose that which is most obscure and can not carie any true sense if it be weied with the circumstances of the place and leaue that which is plaine and carieth an inestimable comfort to all that loue God and best agréeth the Gréeke originall Iohn 11. 44. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ Loose him and let him go The note S. Cyril lib. 7. cap. vlt. in Ioh. and Augustine tract 49. in Ioh. applie this to the Apostles and priests authority of absoluing sinners affirming that Christ doth reuiue none from sinne but in the church and by the priests ministerie The answer Wée beléeue that the promise of life eternall pertaineth to none but to such as are or shalbe of the Church of God and that the ordinarie meanes whereby God effectuallie calleth men to be of his church is the ministerie of his woord But we dare not tie God to his ordinarie meanes sith he extraordinarilie called Paul and others But how well this place is applied to the ordinarie authoritie of ministers or priestes in absoluing I will spare to speake for reuerence of them whom you alledge It is well that the church hath plaine euidence of scriptures for the authoritie of binding and loosing for if it staid it selfe vpon the authoritie of men wresting such places as this to that purpose it were but a poore sillie comfort that the conscience of a poore penitent sinner could reape by the churches absolution Iohn 11. 48. The text If we let him alone so all will beleeue in him and the Romans will come and ⸫ take away our place and nation The note All men but speciall nations must take heed that whiles to saue their temporall state they forsake God they loose not both as the Iewes did August tract 49. in Io. The answer Therefore we vndergo all the perils and dangers which by your stirring vp the force and might of all the popish princes in the world can bring vpon vs rather than to displease God by giuing ouer his truth wherwith he hath blessed vs least we should prouoke his heauie indignation against vs and so perish as the Iewes haue done before vs. Iohn 12. 3. The text ⸫ Marie therfore tooke a pound of ointment of right spikenard precious and annointed the feete of Iesus and wiped his feete with hir haire and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment The note Of this womans extraordinarie offices of deuotion and how acceptable they were to Christ See the annot Mat. 26. The answer Bicause those annotations are to receiue answer by themselues therefore I thought not good to touch them here Iohn 12. 7. The text Iesus therefore said Let hir alone that she may keepe it for the day of my ⸫ buriall The note The deuout offices of balming and annointing the dead bodies of the faithfull are here also allowed The answer And we do not disallow whatsoeuer in buriall serueth either for comfort of them that be aliue and for the honest and comely bringing the dead to the graue being the last duties that men can do to their faithfull friends Iohn 12. 8. The text For the poore you haue alwaies with you but me you shall not haue alwaies The note Not in visible and mortal condition to receiue almes of you and such like offices for supply of my necessitie The answer And why do you not say not in bodie nor in humanitie Bicause you would faine with some color shift of Christs bodily absence from the earth for the better safetie and defence of your reall preseâ—ce in the sacrament You are full of fathers in matters nâ—edlesse why do you not in this place so often repeated bring vs at the least one plaine place of some father affirming that he is not simply absent in bodie from vs but onely in such sort as you do imagine Is it not a secret confession that all antiquitie is against you I maruell that you are so impudent still to glory and to cry that your faith hath continued almost xvj hundred yéeres when you know that in a number of things you are not able to bring foorth any true authoritie of halfe the age Iohn 12. 20. The text And there were certaine Gentils of them that came vp to adore in the festiuall day The note We may see there a great difference where a man pray or adore at home or in the church and holy places When the Gentils also came of deuotion a pilgrimage to the temple in Hierusalem The answer Now pilgrimages are prooued and that full pithily For the Gentiles came to adore at Hierusalem When you can find such expresse commandement of God for running to saint Iames of Compostella or our Ladie of Walsingham or visiting the holie sepulchre as was for al both Iewes and conuerts then to appéere before the Lord at Hierusalem then your reason will hold Otherwise it is as much as if I should say The Iewes and conuerts of the Gentils obeied the commandement of God in going to Hierusalem at the feast daies to worship Ergo it is lawful for me to go a roging to what place of pilgrimage in the world séemeth best in mine owne eies without further warrant As for the difference of publike and priuate praier and of seruing God at home and in the common assemblies are both knowen and practised amongst vs. Iohn 12. 40. The text Therfore they ⸫ could not beleeue bicause Esay said againe he hath blinded their eies and indurated their harts c. The note If any man aske saith saint Augustine why they could not beleeue I answer roundly bicause they would not Tract 33. in Io. See annotations Matth. 13. 15. Mark 4. 12. The answer It is true that the corruption of mans will is the cause of all euill and wickednes in man But héere either your printer made a fault or your note booke deceiued you for it is in 53. treatise And I muze why you should so much couet so force Augustine to speake for you séeing that you know that of all other he is most earnest in this cause of frée will against you For in the same place he acknowledgeth the iust iudgement of God vpon them in leauing them in blindnes and not helping them to sée And teacheth vs in inquiring why God would so leaue them to crie out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. Which exclamation sheweth that Augustine had an eie to somwhat more than their will yea and to such a somwhat as was not
persecutors he promiseth to his worshippers his manifest intercession and suffrages in homilia S. Stephani And Saint Augustine Si Stephanus non sic orasset ecclesia Paulum non haberet ser 1. de Stephano The answer Euerie one séeth that it is a very foolish collection to gather a promise of intercession to his worshippers out of this praier for his persecuters and therfore it is not the authoritie of Eusebiâ—s Emissenus that can mooue vs except he bring better reason with him But you would haue your ignorant followers to thinke that Saint Augustine helpeth you in this case and therefore you haue set him downe in latine that they might not espie that his words make nothing to your purpose for who euer mooued doubt whether Saint Steuens praier did obteine at the hand of God mercie for some of his persecuters or els the conuersion of the Apâ—stle Paul but what maketh that for the intercession of saints when they are dead and gone Actes 8. 4. The text They therefore that were dispersed passed thorow â—uangelizing the word The note This persecution wrought much good being an occasion that the dispersed preached Christ in diuers countries where they come The answer God turneth all things to good to them that loue him and your persecutions also haue had the like effect of spreading the Gospel which though you sée and can not but confesse yet you furiouslie stil rage against God and stirre vp what princes you can to persecute the Gospell and the professors thereof 〈◊〉 8. 14. The text And when the Apostles who were in Hierusalem had heard that Samaria had receiued the word of God they sent to them Peter and Iohn The note Saepè sibi socium petens facit esse Iohannem Ecclesiae quia virgo placet Arator apud Bedam in Act. The answer How chaunce you set not downe your note in English did you meane that no bodie should know it but such as could vnderstand latine If the ministerie of married men had not béene as wel accepted and liked of the church then as the ministerie of others neither would Philips dealing at Samaria béene so well allowed of as it was neither yet had saint Peter béene a méete messenger to haue bene sent about that businesse But Iohn was liked of bicause he was a virgin it well appeareth that neither Philip nor Peter were disliked bicause they were married But I praie you tell me what church now may be so bold as to send the Pope on their errand or about their businesse Either the Church then had greater authoritie then now and Peter lesse then his supposed successors haue now or els the Popes now are prouder and take more vpon them then hée did Actes 8. â—7 The text And behold a man of Aethiopia an eunuche of great authoritie vnder Candace the Queene of the Aethiopians who was ouer all her treasures was come to Hierusalem ⸫ to adore The note Note that this Ethiopian came to Hierusalem to adore that is on pilgrimage Wherebie we may learne that it is an accptable acte of religion to go from home to places of greater deuotion and sanctification The answer All that euer were Iewes borne or Iewes by conuersion were bound by the law of God to offer their sacrifices at IerusaleÌ„ at certaine times in person to appéere there before him Now if yoâ— can shew any of your places of pilgrimage so by God himselfe chosen sanctified for that purpose than we yéeld to you Otherwise your reason holdeth not as being drawen from worship commanded by God to will worship that is worship deuised by men Acts 8. 31. The text And he said Trowest thou that thou vnderstandest the things which thou readest Who said And ⸫ how can I vnles some man shew me The note The scriptures are so written that they cannot be vnderstood without an interpreter as easie as our protestants make them See S. Hierom Epistola ad Paulinum de omnibus diuinae historiae libris set in the beginning of Latin bibles The answer How easie do protestants make them Do they not take continuall paines to interpret the scriptures to the people They are hard but not all That it was not the custome of the church and people of God to fray men from them bicause of the hardnes of them which is the controuersie betwixt you and vs appéereth in that the eunuch read euen those scriptures which he vnderstood not And that God blesseth such endeuors of humble harted Christians appéereth also in that God sent him an interpreter of that which he vnderstood not And what can you gather out of Ierom to the contrarie of this Acts. 9. 4. The text And falling on the ground he heard a voice saieng to him ⸫ Saul Saul why persecutest thou me The note The heretikes that conclude Christ so in heauen that he can be no where else till the day of iudgement shall hardly resolue a man that would know where Christ was when he appeered heere in the way and spake these words to Saul The answer We answer shortly and plainly as difficult a matter as you make of it that his bodie was then in heauen when his maiestie appéered and his voice was heard vpon earth What can you oppose to this Acts. 9. 18. The text And foorthwith there fell from his eies as it were scales and he receiued sight and rising he was ⸫ baptized The note Paul also himselfe though with the diuine and heauenly voice prostrated and instructed yet was sent to a man to receiue the sacraments and to be ioined to the church Augustine in doctrina Christiana in prooemio The answer You néeded much a doctor for this which euery man confesseth and no man denieth But it is euident that you hunt for nothing but vainglorious estimation Acts. 9. 31. The text The ⸫ church truly through all Iewrie and Galile and Samaria had peace and was edified walking in the feare of our Lord and was replenished with the consolation of the holie Ghost The note The church visibly proceedeth still with much comfort and manifold increase euen by persecution The answer God in the midst of persecution sendeth sometimes peace and rest to his as he hath done to his church of England to your great griefe whose rage and furie God hath bridled and to their singular comfort Acts. 9. 36. The text This woman was full of ⸫ good works and almes deedes which she did The note Behold good works and almes deeds and the force thereof reaching to the next life The answer Though this note be but sorâ—ly collected out of this place yet we confesse that the dead resting from their labors their works follow them and yet you neuer the nigher to the proouing of your merits Acts 9. 39. The text And Peter rising vp came with them and when he was come they brought him vp into the vpper chamber and all the widowes stood about him weeping ⸫ and shewing him the cotes and
beléeue you but must néedes score vp this amongst your lies Acts. 23. 18. The text ⸫ And he taking him brought him to the tribune and said The prisoner Paul desired me to bring this yoong man to thee hauing something to say to thee The note See the curtesie and equity of heathen officers toward their prisoners to saue them from all iniurie and villanie The answer And compare on the other side the barbarous and sauage crueltie of popish bishops and other officers and kéepers towards them that were their prisoners for the testimonie of the truth in the late daies of Quéene Marie and thou shalt euidentlie sée that poperie hath exiled from the professors thereof all kinde of humanitie Acts 24. 14. The text But this I confesse to thee that according to the ⸫ sect which they call heresie I do so serue the father my God beleeuing al things that are written in the law in the prophets The note Bicause Tertullus the Iewes orator called Christian religion the sect or as it is there verse 5. in the Greeke the heresie of the Nazarens Saint Paule answereth and sheweth that it is no heresie And as for the word Sect in this place it is in the Greeke according to the way which they call heresie as also Acts. 9 2. 24 22. And therefore the worde Sect is heere so taken See annot cap. 28 22. The answer By this note we sée that you read the Gréeke text and otherwise it is vtterly to no purpose For there is nothing in it but â—hat euerie boie that hath learned his Gréeke Grammer may sée As for the ioie that heretikes take of this that Christian religion is called here and else where a sect or heresie it may reioice papists as much as any other Acts. 24. 25. The text And he disputing of ⸫ iustice and chastitie and of the iudgement to come Felix being terrified answered For this time go thy waie The note The Apostolike teaching was not of onely and speciall faith but of iustice and chastitie and iudgement that is to saie of the terror of hell and other Gods iudgements in the next life answerable to our deedes in this world by which the hearers were first terrified and so induced to penance how saie heretikes that then such things make men hypocrites The answer If there be any that teach so onely and speciall faith that they omit to teach other Christian duties tell vs I praie you tell vs who they be Otherwise we shall thinke this to be an ordinarie cast of office with you to induce your ignorant followers to thinke that iustice chastitie and iudgement to come are not taught now a daies Againe if you can shew vs any that deny the preaching of the iudgements of God to be profitable for the conuersion of men froÌ„ wicked waies tell vs that we may also detest them Yet we saie that they which neuer learne to yéeld obedience to God of sonnelike dutie but of seruile feare are but hypocrites when they are at the best Acts. 25. 11. The text But if none of those things be whereof they accuse me no man can giue me to them ⸫ I appeale to Caesar. The note If Saint Paule both to saue himselfe both from whipping and from death sought by the Iewes doubted not to crie for succor of the Romain lawes and to appeale to Caesar the prince of the Romaines not yet Christened how much more may we call for aide of Christian princes and their lawes for the punishment of heretikes for the churches defence against them Augustine epist. 50. The answer It is lawfull for man being wronged at an inferior magistrates hand to séeke for defence and protection at the hands of the superior and higher It is lawfull also for true catholikes to vse the defence of their owne princes and soueraignes against the violence of heretikes and to vse the benefit of their lawes for the punishment of them But it is vnlawfull to séeke to set princes togither by the eares one with another and to constreine other mens subiects and their dominions by force of armes to accept and embrace religion For this neither the example of Paul approueth neither yet Augustine alloweth Acts. 25. 19. The text Of whom when the accusers stood vp they brought no cause which I thought till of but certaine questions of their owne superstition which they had against him and of one ⸫ Iesus deceased whom Paule affirmed to liue The note This whom he tearmeth by contempt one Iesus hath now made al the Romaine Emperours and princes of the world to know him and hath giuen the seate of the Caesars to his poore seruants Peter and his successours The answer Saint Peter neuer vsurped Caesars seate Those whom you vntrulie tearme his successors like traitors haue by treason displaced their soueraigne Lords and by force and fraude set themselues in their place But that this was giuen them by Christ is your surmise which you can neuer prooue Acts. 26. 20. The text Whereupon king Agrippa I was not incredulous to the heauenly vision but to them first that are at Damascus and at Hierusalem and vnto al the country of Iurie and to the Gentiles did I preach that they should do ⸫ penance and turne to God doing works woorthie of penance The note Penance often inculcated and works agreeable to the same The answer Repentance which you corruptly call penance and workes woorthie of the same we inculcate in our sermons oftener more earnestly and more fruitfully then you And yet we foster no such confidence in the merits of mens works and doings as you flatter and puffe vp men withall Acts. 27. 9. The text And when much time was spent and wheras now it was not safe sailing bicause the ⸫ fast now was past Paule comforted them saieng to them The note It may signifie the Iewes fast of the seauenth moneth September after which the nauigation was perilous winter approching The answer It is verie likely that Luke reckoned the time according to the maner and custome of the Iewes and that therefore it is their fast in the feast of reconciliation that is here spoken of Which if you would haue vouchsafed to haue cited Master Beza or Master Caluine for you should haue done well for of them or one of them you learned this But whatsoeuer you reape by them you haue not any good maners to be thankfull to them for it Acts. 27. 24. The text Feare not Paul thou must appeere before Caesar and behold God hath ⸫ giuen thee all that saile with thee The note Paul saith S. Hierom had so many soules in the ship giuen him that is so many men saued for his sake and after he is with Christ shall he shut his mouth and not be able once to speake for them that haue beleeued in his Gospell Hierom aduer Vigil Whereby he prooueth that if God do much for the merits of saints in this life much more at their intercession and
wait for the comming of the Lord you would not wilfully serue his enimie and oppose your selues to his knowen truth 2. Corinthians 2. Cor. 2. 10. The text For my selfe also that which I ⸫pardoned if I pardoned any thing for you in the person of Christ That we be not circumuented of satan For we are not ignorant of his cogitations The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though he did great penance saith Theodoret yet he calleth this pardoning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a grace bicause his sinne was greater than his penance The answer It is happie you will confesse one man pardoned of grace which had not by gretnes of penance deserued it Theodorets meaning was not to part his pardoning betwixt penance and grace And the text prâ—â—ueth cléerly that how great testimonies so euer man giueth of true repentance yet remission and pardon of sinnes is not merited but procéedeth méerely of grace and fauor 2. Cor. 4. 17. The text For that our tribulation which presently is momentanie and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall waight of glorie in vs we not considering the things that are seene but the things that are not seene The note The English bible 1577 doth falsely translate Prepareth The answer This translation although not so proper in word yet all one in sense with the rest is alreadie iustified by master D. Fulke against Martinius The reason which he yéeldeth for your fault finding is to be noted for it sheweth that you would haue that which is momentanie and light to deserue that which is eternal and of great waight and so make a small matter to deserue eternall life and glorie So lightly you thinke to come by heauen â— Cor. 5. 8. The text But we are bold and haue a good will to be pilgrimes rather from the bodie and to be ⸫ present with our Lord. The note This place prooueth that the saints departed now since Christ sleepe not till the day of iudgement and that they be not holden in any seuerall place of rest from the fruition of God till the resurrection of their bodies but that they be present with God in their soules The answer You would say that this prooueth that the soules of the saints sléepe not with their bodies till the day of iudgement I maruell much why the apostle speaketh nothing héere of purgatorie sith by your churches doctrine the soules of the greater part of Gods saints after the earthly house of this habitatioÌ„ is dissolued go for a time to the paines of purgatorie which is directly against the apostles doctrine in this place deliuered For he immediately after our dissolution appointeth vs an house to dwell in not for a time but eternally nor in pugatorie but in heauen not seuered from the fruition of God but in the presence of our Lord from which he placeth none absence but whiles we are héere in the bodie 1 Cor. 5. 2â— The text Him that knew no sin for vs he made sinne that we might be made the iustice of God in him The note That is to say a sacrifice and an host for sinne See the last annot of this chapter The answer If men should héere without all reason sticke vpon the letter as you do in This is my bodie what can you say for this exposition that might not be iustly returned against you in that Your annotation you send vs vnto is a childish cauill grounded vpon this that the scripture calleth him iust that doth iustice But doth it call none else so The publican departed better iustified than the pharisie I pray you what iustice had he done God iustifieth the wicked He is iust or blessed to whom God imputeth no sin The iust man liueth by faith So obteined the théefe vpon the crosse to be iustified and saued You sée then that the Scripture speaketh of some other kind of iustice besides that which consisteth in our owne doings Leaue therefore your foolish cauilling 2. Cor. 5. 10. The text As sorrowfull but alwaies reioicing as needie but enriching manie as ⸫ hauing nothing and possessing all things The note Saint Augustine in Ps. 113 gathereth hereby that the Apostles did vowe pouertie The answer Wilfull pouertie bicause you sée no reason to gather it out of this place you make Saint Augustine your buckler for it but I thinke your note booke deceiued you I take it that there is no such matter in the exposition of that Psalme But he saith there that in calling images by the names of those whom God created men turne the truth of God into a lie and that their forme and shape their honorable placing and setting a loft in the church hath more force to draw people to idolatrie then the consideration that they haue no life nor vse of their parts and members hath to induce men to the contrarie I do not remember that I haue reade any thing in Augustine that fauoreth wilfull pouertie But in his booke of the worke of moonkes he is verie earnest against such idle bellies as thought it vnlawfull for them to gaine any thing by worke or labor but would liue altogither vpon the offerings and liberality of others and he both telleth them that they refuse to obey the Apostle Paul and confuteth their foolish reasons 2. Cor. 6. 14. The text ⸫ Beare not the yoke with infidels The note It is not lawfull for catholikes to marrie with heretikes and infidels See S. Hier. câ—ont Iouian lib. Cocil Laod. cap. 10. 31. The answer It is not lawfull for catholikes to marrie with papists or other heretikes or infidels For this there néedeth no authority of men for the word of God is plaine and it is not called into question â— Cor. 7. 10. The text For ⸫ the sorow that is according to God worketh penance vnto saluation that is stable but the sorow of the world worketh death The note Contrition or sorowfull lamenting of our offences is the cause of saluation Not onely faith then saueth as the heretikes affirme The answer You deceiue your selues and others whiles of euerie consequence you make a cause It is verie true that faith and repentance must be ioined companions in them that shall be saued and yet neither of both properly the cause of saluation 2. Cor. 8. 5. The text And not as we hoped but their owne selues they gaue first to the Lord then ⸫ to vs by the wil of God The note The principall respect next after God is to be had of our masters in religion in all temporall and spirituall duties The answer If there were not iust cause of suspicion of your euil and lewd minde and meaning this note might passe without controlement as an hyperbolicall spéech tending to the reuerence and credit of Gods ministers But bicause your whole course of dealing bewrateth manifestly that you séeke to preferre your pope and your selues to be regarded and respected aboue princes in temporall duties therefore the reader is to be admonished that
that meaning procéedeth out of diuellish pride and hath no ground nor warrant out of this place For the Apostle héere doth nothing else but commend the liberalitie of the Macedonians in contributing to the reléefe of Gods afflicted saints Whereby they gaue good testimonie that they had wholy addicted themselues to God to be ruled and aduised by the Apostle and other ministers of Gods word All which the Apostle doth to that end to stirre vp them of Achaia to the like liberalitie 2. Cor. 9. 4. The text Least when the Macedonians shall come with me and find you vnreadie we that may not ye may be ashamed in this substance The note That is in this matter of almes Chrysost. Theophilact The answer This is well noted you might haue spared your fathers 2. Cor. 9. 9. The text As it is written he distributed he gaue to the poore his iustice remaineth for euer The note The fruit of almes is the increase of grace in all iustice and good works to life euerlasting God giuing these things for reward and recompence of charitable works which therefore be called the seed or meritorious causes of these spirituall fruits The answer I pray you tell vs how you collect this What necessarie consequence out of this place you can make thereof Otherwise wée must estéeme it as we estéeme of the most part of your other notes as of collections tied to your texts with poynts that will scant hold the tieng 2. Cor. 11. 2. The text For I haue ⸫ despoused you to one man to present you a chaste virgin vnto Christ. The note The Apostles and their successors did despouse the people whom they conuerted to Christ in all puritie and chastitie of truth and wholy vndefiled and void of error and heresie The answer The pope and his cleargie do despouse the people whom they seduce to the purpled whoore of Babylon in all spirituall impuritie and fornication and vntruth full of error and lies 2. Cor. 11. 4. The text For if he that ⸫ commeth preach another Christ whom we haue not preached or you receiue another spirit whom you haue not receiued or another Gospel which you haue not receiued you might well suffer it The note The note of a false teacher to come that is without lawfull calling or sending to thrust and intrude him selfe in another mans charge The answer This note is true but not well collected out of this text For I suppose you do not thinke that false teachers may well be suffered But howsoeuer you haue gathered it your note doth most liuely describe your wandering Iesuits and seminarie priests which without all lawfull calling or sending do secretly thrust themselues into other mens charges preach a new Christ and a new Gospell vnheard of in the daies of Paul 2. Cor. 11. 13. The text For such Apostles are ⸫ craftie workers transfiguring themselues into Apostles of Christ. The note A proper terme for heretikes that shape themselues into the habit of true teachers specially by often allegation and commendation of the scriptures Read the notable admonition of the ancient writer Vincentius Lirinensis in his golden booke against the prophane nouelties of all heresies The answer It is indéed a proper terme and no heretike euer did beare a more glorious shew than the papist Uincentius Lirinensis was carefull both to auoid all heresies himselfe and also to admonish others to take héed thereof His lessons be good such as we practise and you refuse For first he alloweth the canonical scriptures as perfect and sufficient to determine al controuersies which you refuse Secondly to auoid the wrangling of heretikes about the true interpretation of them he adioineth tradition which he doth not take to be vnwritten verities not spoken of in the scriptures as you do but for the sense and interpretation of them which was held and beléeued in the first churches planted by the Apostles by the Apostles I say and their coadiutors direction Thirdly he thinketh that not only the men of greatest fame and estimation in the church might erre but also that the whole or greatest part of the visible church might erre contrarie to your assertion which hold that the church cannot erre and that in that case he that will not be caried into error with multitude and companie must repaire vnto antiquitie which is far from suspition of prophane noueltie euen as we at this day appeale to the scriptures and primitiue church Now then if you will be iudged by his rules it will appéere that papists are craftie workers and so consequently heretikes and bringers in of profane nouelties 2. Cor. 11. 28. The text My daily ⸫ instance the earefulnes of all churches The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrysostom and Theophilact interpret it of daily conspiracie against him Others of the multitude of cares instant and vrgent vpon him The answer Your latter exposition whereof you kéepe close the authors is the better and to be preferred bicause it is Paules owne who so interpreteth his owne meaning in the next words following 2. Cor. 12. 2. The text I know a man in Christ aboue fourteene yeeres ago whether in bodie I know not or out of the bodie I know not God doth know such a one ⸫ rapt euen into the third heauen The note By this we may prooue that it is neither impossible incredible nor indecent that is reported by ancient fathers of some that haue beene rauished or rapt whether in bodie or out of the bodie God knoweth and brought to see the state of the next life as well of the saued as of the damned The answer Bicause that which hath béene done may be done and it is neither impossible nor incredible must we therefore beléeue all fabulous narrations whereof great number are forged vnder the names of fathers others too readilie receiued and beléeued of men not espieng at that time the subtiltie of the diuell in working those illusions If this foundation faile you your purgatory goeth to the ground Paul vttereth nothing of that he heard and saw there bicause they were secrets vnlawful to be vttered Shal not that condemne the rash boldnesse of others that take vpon them to vtter and tell all and more then all 2. Cor. 12. 21. The text Least againe when I come God humble me amongst you and I mourne manie of them that sinned before and ⸫ haue not done penance for the vncleannes fornication and incontinencie that they haue committed The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Augustine epist. 108. is spoken heere of doing great penance for hainous sinnes as paenitents did in the Primitiue church So that it is not onlie to repent or amend their liues as protestants translate it The answer You haue béene often inough answered for our translations in this case If amendment of life true repentance could be without anie tokens or testimonies of heartie griefe and sorrow for sinnes passed then your quarrell might haue some probable shew in it
person to forsake the faith of their first Apostles and conuersion at the voice of a few nouellaries seemeth to wise men a very bewitching and senselesse brutishnes Such is the case of our poore countrie Germanie and others The answer That Rome hath forsaken the faith and doctrine taught by their first Apostles Paul and Peter as this Epistle doth most euidently testifie at the voice of their most proud prelats and that other countries haue from thence tasted of the same cup séemeth not to wise worldlings but to the spirit of God and to those that are thereby led and guided a very bewitching and yet withall the iust iudgement of God vpon those that had not or haue not any loue to the truth Thus haue you most manifestly your note returned vpon your selues For Paule and Peter were out of all doubt the Apostles of God and the doctrine deliuered by them voide of all filth and corruptions Galat. 3. 7. The text Know yee therefore that they that are of ⸫ faith the same are the children of Abraham The text This faith wherby Abraham was iustified and his children the Gentiles beleeuing in Christ implieth all Christian vertues of the which the first is faith the ground and foundation of all the rest and therfore here and else where often named of the Apostle The answer Sée your foule shifts when we say faith iustifieth then you vrge against vs a dead faith voide of all Christian vertues yea you go farther for you affirme that all faith and so consequently a true liuely faith may be without charitie Againe on the contrarie side when the force and plainnes of the text driueth you to confesse iustification by faith then faith implieth all Christian vertues So when it may serue your turne things inseparable as true faith hope and charitie must be separated and againe for the like aduantage things distinct must be confounded and one must imply and comprehende an other But for answer we confesse that faith is accompanied with all Christian vertues but neither they nor faith do iustifie by their owne vertue or merit as qualities inherent or resiant in vs. But faith is said to iustifie bicause by it we apprehend and lay hold vpon Christ and his righteousnes which is thereby made ours by Gods imputation And this office is proper to faith and not to any other vertue Galat. 4. 3. The text So we also when we were litle ones were seruing vnder the elements of the world The note That is the rudiments of religion wherein the carnall Iewes were trained vp or the corporall creatures wherin their manifold sacrifices sacraments and rites did consist The answer If the corporall creatures vsed in the multitude of their sacrifices sacraments and rites were an argument of their seruile estate vnder the law then consider the great heape of rites and ceremonies in your church and sée whether they doo not serue to bring Christians into seruitude and bondage againe by making them to serue vnder the elements of the world againe Naie the state of the Iewes was lesse seruile and more tolerable both in respect of number and multitude of ceremonies and in respect of the commander For the greater the dignitie of the commander is the more tolerable and better is the condition and state of the seruant Galat. 4. 14. The text And your tentation in my flesh you despised not neither reiected but as an ⸫ Angell of God you receiued me as Christ Iesus The note So ought all catholike people receiue their teachers in religion with all dutie loue and reuerence The answer The name of catholike being to true catholikes applied wée imbrace your note Galat. 4. 29. The text But ⸫ as then he that was borne according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit so now also The note This mutuall persecution is a figure also of the church iustly persecuting heretikes and contrariwise of the heretikes which be the children of the bond woman vniustly persecuting the catholike church Augustine epist. 48. The answer The text is plaine that he that is after the flesh persecuted him which is after the spirit a plaine figure of your persecuting church The casting out of the bondwoman and her sonne done by Abraham may be drawne by Augustin or some other father to that purpose that you alledge it Galat. 5. 17. The text For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these are aduersaries one to another ⸫ that not whatsoeuer things you will these you do The note Heere men thinke saith Saint Augustine the apostle denieth that we haue free libertie of will not vnderstanding that it is said to them if they will not hold fast the grace of faith conceiued by which onely they can walke in the spirit and not accomplish the concupiscences of the flesh in cap. 5. Gal. The answer The text is plaine against both libertie and abilitie of will And Saint Augustine as you know confesseth that when he wrote this he did not vnderstand that the words were verified of them which were vnder grace and not vnder the law Bicause that though such do not consent to the concupiscence of the flesh against the which in spirit they long yet they would not haue any of those corruptions of the flesh if they might and they do not whatsoeuer they would bicause they would want them and can not But then they shall not haue them when they haue not corruptible flesh Do yée not sée what a patron you haue of S. Augustine and are you not ashamed to alledge that as his which you know he himselfe hath reuoked Galat. 5. 21. The text Which I foretel you as I haue foretold you that they which ⸫ do such things shall not obtaine the kingdome of heauen The note Saint Augustine sheweth hereby that not onely infidelitie is a damnable sinne The answer Wherein we not onely agrée with Saint Augustine but also say farther that willing ignorance the mother of popish deuotion in the which you were woont to nussell your followers is a great and damnable sinne Galat. 6. 9. The text And doing good let vs not faile For in due time we shall ⸫ reape not failing The note The works of mercy be the seede of life euerlasting and the proper cause thereof and not faith onely The answer This is plaine blasphemie to place the proper cause of eternal life and saluation not in Christ but in our selues and in our owne works of mercie which you here most plainely do Your reason is taken out of the metaphor of séede and sowing The vanitie of it is in this that you racke the metaphor beyond the scope and meaning of the apostle For the apostle exhorteth them to liberalitie especially towards their teachers and instructers in the faith To incourage men therunto he telleth them that they shall be as sure or more sure of the rewardes promised of God then the sower shall be to reape that which
God in truth The note He sheweth that the Church and Christs gospell should daily growe and be spred at length through the whole world which cannot stand with the heretikes opinion of the decay thereof so quickly after Christs time nor agree by any meanes to their obscure conuenticles See S. Augustine epist. 80. in fine The answer It is true that Christs faith did grow and spread in the whole world yet you your selues will confesse that it doth not alwaies spread alike For I know you will except our times And we wil except the times wherein the Arrians florished who as you report continued longer and was better defended by princes and worldly power than we are now Then it cannot be a question how quickly some corruptions grew but whether any great diminution or lessening of the number of true Catholikes may be But the ancient testimonies of stories do also put that out of doubt This repugnance you speake of we sée not Neither haue our conuenticles as it pleaseth you to terme them béene at any time more obscure than the assemblies of Christians in the primitiue church as you your selues cannot choose but confesse S. Augustine whose authoritie you alledge in his latter daies saw a greater decay of the Christian faith by the cruel inuasion of many barbarous nations that did ouerrun both Europe and Affrike than he did thinke when he wrote that Epistle possible to haue béene in so short a space And further if we consider the stories of the times since we shal find that that the bounds of Christendom haue béene greatly lessened and diminished since saint Augustines time Flat contrarie to his opinion in that Epistle Colos. 1. 10. The text That you may walke ⸫ worthie of God in al things pleasing The note See S. Ambrose and the Gr. doctors Or thus woorthily pleasing God The answer What néed you haue of Ambrose or any other great doctors for this I cannot imagine Colos. 1. 10. The text Fructifieng in ⸫ al good works and increasing in the knowledge of God The note Many things requisite and diuers things acceptable to God besides faith The answer This is your accustomed dealing to make ignorant men beléeue that your aduersaries allow of nothing but faith When as we confesse many things requisite for Christians and acceptable to God besides faith but nothing without faith Colos. 1. â—â— The text Giuing thanks to God and the father who hath made ⸫ vs woorthie vnto the part of the lot of the saints in the light The note We are not onely by acceptation or imputation partakers of Christs benefits but are by his grace made woorthie thereof and deserue our saluation condignly The answer You prate much of your owne woorthines and prooue nothing The benefits of iustification and saluation we haue by imputation onely other benefits as newnes of life sanctification and whatsoeuer pertaineth to that change alteration which God by the gracious working and guiding of his holy spirit maketh in those which be his be really and actually in vs. We are made woorthie indéede in respect of Christs righteousnes wherewith we are adorned and in respect of our selues none otherwise than the hungrie are said to be woorthie of meate and the thirsty woorthie of drinke not bicause they deserue it but bicause they earnestly desire it The deseruing therfore of our saluation condignly as you haue learned of your schoolemen to terme it might haue béene kept in your purse for héere is no place to vent it in our market serueth not for the sale thereof Colos. 2. 4. The text But this I say ⸫ that no man deceiue you in loftinesse of words The note Heretikes do most commonly deceiue the people with eloquence namely such as haue it by the gift of nature as the heretikes of all ages had and lightly all seditious persons which draw the vulgar sort to sedition by the allurement of their toong Nothing saith saint Hierom ep 2â— ad Nepotian is so easie as with volubilitie of toong to deceiue the vnlearned multitude which whatsoeuer it vnderstandeth not doth the more admire and woonder at the same The Apostle heer calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persuasible speech The answer Héere is long labour about washing of a tile Who knoweth not that papists and such heretikes as they are by fine retoricall persuasible spéeches do carrie poore ignorant men after them and to the intent they may as saint Ierom saith be the more admired and woondered at of the people that vnderstand not they not onely endeuor to kéepe the people without knowledge but also hunt after strange and vnwoonted words such as the eares of the people haue not béene acquainted withall and their intelligence reacheth not vnto whereof this your translation is a good euidence Turne therefore this note against your selues examine well your owne consciences and repent whiles you haue time Colos. 2. 18. The text Let no man seduce you ⸫ willing in the humilitie and religion of Angels walking in the things which he hath not seen in vaine puffed vp by the sense of his flesh The note That is wilfull or selfe willed in voluntarie religion For that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof commeth the word following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superstition v. 23. See annotations v. 21. The answer If voluntarie religion and will worship were quite and cléere banished from amongst all those that call themselues Christians then where should poperie become For you your selues cannot for the greatest part of it shew any other ground but the will and deuise of men Colos. 2. 19. The text And not holding the head whereof the whole bodie by ioints and bands ⸫ being serued and compacted groweth to the increase of God The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is taking subministration of spirituall life and nourishment by grace from Christ the head The answer The Gréeke word signifieth our strait coniunction in Christs mysticall bodie as our bodies are ioined and knit togither by ioints and sinewes and so your note declareth the consequence of that ioining being drawen from the truth of the signification of the word Colos. 3. 15. The text And let the peace of God exult in your harts wherein you are also called in one bodie and be thankfull The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 triumph and haue the victorie The answer By a metaphor drawen from the games of the Ethnikes wherein some had pricke and praise for actiuitie and strength Colos. 3. 24. The text Knowing that you shall receiue of our Lord the retribution of inheritance The note Retribution or reward for good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth rendering one for another The answer Out of Gods rendering or rewarding meriting cannot be collected and in this place the word of inheritance cléereth all For if it be our inheritance we haue it not by our deseruing Colos. 4. 3. The text Be instant in praier watching in it with thansgiuing praieng withall ⸫ for
most shamefully the simplicitie of the ignorant to offer largely to you vnder colour of honoring them And therefore if you should not maintaine this note that butter would not cleaue to your bread Hebr. 11. 26. The text Esteeming the reproch of Christ greater riches then the treasure of the Egyptians For ⸫ he looked vnto the remuneration The note The protestants that denie we may or ought to do good in respect or for reward in heauen are hereby confuted The answer You haue confuted your own shadow and not the protestants for it is your slander and not our assertion that is hereby confuted For we confesse that in well doing men may respect and haue an eie to such rewardes as God hath promised But this we say withall that it is not the reward onlie or chiefelie that the saints of God haue respect or regard to for that were either hipocriticall or seruile but the reuerence that sonnes owe vnto their father who the more assured they are of his fatherlie fauor the gladder they are to please him and the loather to displease Hebr. 12. 15. The text Looking diligentlie least anie man ⸫ be wanting to the grace of God lest anie roore of bitternesse springing vp do hinder and by it manie be polluted The note That we be not good there is no lacke on Gods part who offereth his grace to vs but the defect is in our selues that are not answerable to Gods calling of vs and grace towards vs. The answer This note is verie true and therefore we ought carefullie to call vpon God to reforme vs and to renue vs that we be not also amongst them that stubburnly refuse the grace of God calling them Hebr. 12. 16. The text Least there be anie fornicator or prophane person as ⸫ Esau who for one dish of meat sold his first birth rightes The note Such as forsake their saluation and religion to saue their lands and goods are like Esau. The answer This note must haue a fauorable interpretation and some cautions exceptions except you will leaue no place of repentance to them that haue once preferred goods afore religion but either hipocriticall or too late as Esaus was Hebr. 12. 22. The text But ⸫ you are come to mount Sion and the citie of the liuing God heauenlie Ierusalem and the assemblies of manie thousands of Angels and the Church of the first borne which are written in the heauens and the iudge of all God and the spirits of the iust made perfect and the mediatour of the newe Testament c. The note The faithfull are made fellowes of Angels and of all the perfect soules departed since the beginning of the world and of Christ him selfe The answer Bicause the church is the fellowship of all the saints which haue béene are or shall be whereof Christ and not the pope is head and chiefe and which with Christ make one bodie Hebr. 13. 9. The text With ⸫ various and strange doctrines be not led away The note New diuers changeable and strange doctrines to be auoided for such be hereticall against which the best remedie or preseruatiue is alwaies to looke backe to our first Apostles and the holie fathers doctrine The answer I would to God you would once kéepe promise to looke backe in truth to our first Apostles doctrine so should our controuersies be soone at an end but you commonlie by your first apostle meane your corrupt monke Augustine And if by him you would examine your doctrine you must cast away a number of your chiefe corruptions which he neuer knew of Hebr. 13. 21. The text And the God of peace which brought out from the dead the great pastor of the sheepe in the blood of the eternall testament our Lord Iesus Christ ⸫ fit you in all goodnesse that you may doe his will c. The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is make you perfect and absolute in all goodnesse The answer This you learned either of master Beza or of Erasmus or of both giue them thankes for it IAMES Iam. 1. 14. The text For ⸫ euerie one is tempted of his owne concupiscence abstracted and allured The note The ground of temptation to sinne is our concupiscence not God The answer Tentations are either outward or inward Tentations outward are afflictions wherebie God is woont to trie and prooue men as gold and siluer is tried in the fire Tentations inward whereof Iames speaketh in this place are inordinate desires prouoking soliciting vs to sinne but bicause men who receiue corruption from Adam are prone and readie to do as Adam did that is to lay their faults frō them selues to God therfore Iames earnestlie admonisheth them to looke into them selues and there to espie and sée the roote and matter of all corruption Iam. 1. 25. The text But he that hath looked into the law of perfect libertie and hath remained in it not made a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shalbe ⸫ blessed in his deede The note Beatitude or saluation consisteth in well working The answer Weldoers or workers are blessed and saued and yet notwithstanding beatitude saluation doth not consist in our weldoing but in the mercie goodnes of God bestowed vpon vs in Christ. Therefore it is to be obserued that in this place Iames maketh a comparison betwéene hearers of the word whereof one sort are negligent forgetfull therefore neuer the better for the things they heare The other sort are diligent and commit to memorie and put in practise in life the thing they learned by hearing these latter so doing and not the former shew them selues to be blessed and saued For Christ preached is their saluation their workes do testifie their faith whereby they haue laied hold on Christ their righteousnes as fruits do witnes the goodnes of a trée Iames. ◠20. The text But wilt thou know ⸫ ô vaine man that faith without works is idle The note Ile speaketh to all heretikes that say Faith onely without works doth iustifie calling them vaine men The answer You shew your delight you séeke to deceiue your selues and others by equiuocations For you know well ynough that faith is not taken héere for a true and a liuely faith which worketh by loue as Paul and we take it when we speake of iustifieng by faith Secondly you know also that we make no account of anie such faith as is idle or separated from loue Thirdly you know that saint Iames taketh not héere iustifieng for being made iust but for being declared and shewed to be iust as appéereth by the example of Abraham which he bringeth For God first made him iust and afterward he was declared and shewed so to be by that most excellent example of obedience in offering his sonne Isaac There is therfore no contrarietie betwixt vs and Iames though you go about to prooue that by sound of words which by sound or iust meaning you cannot effect and bring to passe 〈◊〉 3.
15. The text But if you haue bitter zeale and there be contentions in your harts glorie not and be not liers against the truth for this is not ⸫ wisdome descending from aboue but earthly sensuall diuelish The note The difference betwixt the humane wisedome specially of heretikes and the wisedome of the catholike church and hir children The answer If a man compare the fruits of heauenly wisedome with the fruits of the wisedome of your church he shall find them as contrarie as white is to blacke All stories testifie that your church hath béene the author of most of the wars and contentions in Christendome these thrée hundred yéeres and vpwards Your bookes in praise of Sodomitriâ— your curtesans maintained in the eies and bosome of your most holy father and the beastly life of your priests testifie the chastitie of your church The mercie of your church the massacres of France and the Marian storme in England not yet forgotten do sufficiently shew I might go thorough the rest but peace chastitie and mercie wanting amongst you doth sufficiently shew your wisedome to be earthly sensuall and diuelish Iames. 4. 6. The text And ⸫ giueth greater grace for the which cause it saith God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble The note The boldnes of heretikes adding heere the word scripture to the text thus And the scripture giueth greater grace The answer The blindnes of you papists which thinke it a boldnes to set the nominatiue case before the verbe I pray you tell vs what it is that as saint Iames héere saith giueth greater grace if it be not the scripture But the place is plain the words afore and the words following do inforce that the word scripture must be supplied but there is none other cause of your wrangling in this but that you would haue euery thing left as obscure and darke as might be possible to fray poore men from studieng that which they cannot vnderstand Iames. 4. 8. The text ⸫ Approch to God and he will approch to you The note Free will and mans owne endeuor necessarie in comming to God The answer Why do you not plainly say that we must preuent and go before the grace of God by our will and our endeuor bicause Iames setteth our approching first That we know to be your meaning for that your sophisters commonly contend for But to answer you shortly we are commonly and vsually by the spirit of God exhorted to that which God must worke in vs therefore frée will is not prooued by those exhortations Iames. 4. 11. The text ⸫ Detract not one from another my brethren The note He forbiddeth detraction euill speaking and slandering The answer Uices wherein you set a great péece of your delight as in your annotations most manifestly doth appéere Iames. 4. 15. The text For that you should say ⸫ If our Lord will and if we shal liue we will do this or that The note All promises and purposes of our worldly affaires are to be made vnder condition of Gods good liking and pleasure and it becommeth a Christian man to haue vsually this forme of speech in that case If God will If God otherwise dispose not The answer If this note had come from Rome as it doth from Rhemes from Italie as it doth from France we should haue woondered how they teach others that which they haue not learned themselues It may be you know the common Italian prouerbe In despite of God And this I know that neither this good counsell of Iames was vsed in time of poperie and when in the time of the Gospell men began to leaue former corruptions and reformed their spéeches according to this rule the papists scorned at it and derided it as too much holines Iames. 5. 1. The text Go to now ye rich men weepe ⸫ howling in your miseries which shall come to you The note A fearfull description of the miseries that shall befall in the next life to the vnmercifull couetous men The answer But your religion giueth them hart of grace to contemne all threats for your father the pope will sell them heauen for mony â—ames 5. 7. The text Behold the husbandman expecteth the pretious fruit of the earth patiently bearing till he receiue ⸫ the timely and the lateward The note He meaneth either fruit or raine The answer It is an Hebraisme and therefore better expounded of raine than of fruit bicause the phrase is vsuall in the Hebrew and so vsually signifieth Iames. 5. 10. The text ⸫ Confesse therefore your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that you may be saued The note The heretikes translate Acknowledge your sinne c. So little they can abide the very word of confession The answer Héere is a knot sought in a rush To acknowledge and to confesse in English eares is all one That we cannot abide the word of confession is one of your impudent and shamelesse slanders from the which the vsuall and common vsing of it in our translations do sufficiently cléere vs. Iames. â— 20. The text My brethren if any of you shall erre from the truth and a man conuert him he must know that he that maketh a sinner to be conuerted from the error of his way shall saue his soule from death and ⸫ couereth a multitude of sinnes The note He that hath the zeale of conuerting sinners procureth heerby mercie and remission to himselfe which is a singular grace The answer You dreame still of mans procuring mercie and remission to himselfe by his owne works but S. Iames hath no such thing but onely this that the soule of the conuerted man is saued and his sinnes couered that is to say abolished 1. PETER 1. Peter 1. 13. The text For the which cause hauing the loines of your mind girded sober trust perfectly in that grace which is offered you in the reuelation of Iesus Christ. The note Chastitie not onely of bodie but also of mind is required S. Beda vpon this place The answer Then all chastitie doth not consist in single life for in mind none haue béene more impure than your single men 1. Pet. 1. 17. The text And if you inuocate the father him which without acceptition of persons iudgeth according to euerie ones worke in feare conuerseye the time of your peregrination The note God will iudge men according to euery ones works and not by faith onely The answer Who euer denied that in the iudgement of God that it may appéere as it is indéed iust the godly and vngodly shall be discerned a sunder by their works and yet you neuer the nigher to your merits 1. Pet. 1. 18. The text Knowing this that not with corruptible things gold and siluer you are redeemed from your vaine conuersation of your fathers ⸫ tradition but with the pretious blood as it were of an immaculate and vnspotted lambe Christ. The note He meaneth the erros of gentilitie or if he wrote to the Iewes dispersed he meaneth the
brasse stone and wood can they see heare or walke haue you done penance from the works of your hands or will you wilfully go to the diuell Apoc. 10. ◠The text And I saw an other angell strong descending from heauen clothed with a cloud and a rainbowe on his head and his face was as the sunne and his feet as a pillar of fier The note Christ the valiant angell is heere described The answer I maruell that you followed not your Liranus to expounde this of the bishop of Rome but that flatterie you are ashamed of though in other things you excéede him But the circumstances make it plaine his dignitie power strength his decking from top to toe the greatnes of his voice the brightnes of his countenance his vnused steps comprehending lande and sea togither can not well agrée to any other Apoc. 10. ◠The text And when the seauen thunders had spoken their voices I was about to write And I heard a voice from heauen saieng vnto me Signe the things which the seauen thunders haue spoken and ⸫ write them not The note Manie great mysteries and truths are to be preserued in the church which for causes knowen to Gods prouidence are not to be written in the booke of holie Scripture The answer Farre fetched and déere bought is good for ladies Iohn was forbidden to write Ergo they are kept in the church When you can prooue that your church knoweth those things which Saint Iohn was forbidden to write and those things which Saint Paule heard and sawe in heauen and might not vtter then will I beléeue all your vnwritten verities Apoc. 10. ◠The text And the angell which I saw standing vpon the sea and vpon the land ⸫ lifted vp his hand to heauen and he sware by him that liueth for euer and euer c. The note This was the maner of taking an othe by the true God as Deut. 32. The answer There were diuers and sundrie maners of taking othes by the true God which I do not thinke so necessarie here to be noted as that you haue taught men to forsake God and to sweare by those which are not Gods and as the thing which is héere sworne that is that time shalbe no more which is most necessarie for men to consider that they flatter not them selues with the eternall continuance of the world Apoc. 10. ◠The text And he said to me Take the booke and ⸫ deuoure it The note By earnest studie and meditation The answer You say well adde this I pray you that it is not onlie to be read studied and thought vpon but also in as large measure as we are able to attaine to vnderstood and laied vp in our harts Apoc. 10. 9. The text And it shall make thy bellie to be bitter but in thy mouth it shalbe ⸫ sweete as it were honie The note Sweete in the reading but in the fulfilling somewhat bitter bicause it commandeth works of penance and suffring of tribulations The answer The promises of the most gratious fauour of God and good life to beleeuers are swéete and delectable but that we must passe through manie and bitter tribulations to come to life to flesh and blood can not be but bitter As for your satisfactorie workes of penance which your mind runneth on are not to be found any where in this booke but your hart is alwaies on your half penie Apoc. 11. 2. The text But the court which is without the temple cast foorth and measure not that bicause it is giuen to the Gentiles and they shall tread vnder foot the holie citie ⸫ two fourtie moneths The note Three yeeres and an halfe which is the time of Antichrists raigne and persecution The answer But that these moneths are to be measured here by our ordinarie moneths that resteth to be prooued The onlie thing that we can learne by this is that Antichrists raigne shall not endure alwaies but in comparison of Christes raigne which shalbe eternall if shalbe verie short But how long or how short so euer the time is this is certaine and plaine against the papists that during Antichrists raigne the holie citie that is the church shall be troden vnder foote Apoc. 11. 7. The text And when they shall haue finished their testimonie the ⸫ beast which ascended from the depth shall make warre against them and shall ouercome them and kill them The note The great Antichrist The answer The bishop of Rome who though in the eies of the world séeme to preuaile and to kill the witnesses of Gods truth yet he can not do it till they haue finished their testimonie that is the time that God hath appointed them for the execution of their office Apoc. 11. 8. The text And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the ⸫ great citie which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where the Lorde also was crucified The note He meaneth Hierusalem named Sodome and Egypt for imitation of them in wickednes so that we see his chiefe raigne shalbe there though his tirannie may extend to all places of the world The answer How faine you would turne mens eies from Rome to looke for the great Antichrist els where Séeing the names and other attributes are spirituall descriptions of this citie and that Rome resembleth Hierusalem in killing Christ in his members is like Sodom in beastlie filthinesse and like Egypt both in ambition and superstition and in indeuor to hold the people of God in seruitude and thraldom I sée not why we should still thinke that to be the great citie here spoken of Apoc. 11. 10. The text And the inhabitants of the earth ⸫ shall be glad vpon them and make merrie The note The wicked reioice when holie men are executed by the tirants of the world bicause their life and doctrine are burdenous vnto them The answer This is verie true and taught by dailie experience vnder the Pope and such tirannous princes as bend their might force and authoritie to aduance his dignitie Apoc. 11. 15. The text And the seuenth Angel sounded with a trumpet and there were made loud voices in heauen saieng ⸫ The kingdome of this world is made our Lordes and his Christes and he shall raigne for euer and euer Amen The note The kingdome of this world vsurped before by Satan and Antichrist shall afterward be Christs for euer The answer This last trumpet summoneth all the dead to rise againe and so to come to iudgement at which time all enemies shalbe destroied and God sole seazed in quiet possession for euer and euer of the whole world Apoc. 11. 18 The text And the Gentiles were angrie and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead to be iudged and ⸫ to render reward to thy seruants the prophets and saints and to them that feare thy name little and great c. The note To repaie the hire or wages for so both the Greeke word and the Latin signifie due to holie men proueth against
the protestants that they did trulie merite the same in this life The answer Whatsoeuer it pleaseth you to conceiue in your imagination that is by and by sufficientlie prooued The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath beene often examined and yet it could neuer be shewed that it alwaies signifieth hire or wages due and that for worke for that must be prooued afore merit can follow For that which is not otherwise due but by promise may prooue the liberalitie of the giuer but not the merit of the receiuer And thus your proofes prooue nothing but that brag is a good dog and doth diligently serue your turne Apoc. 12. ◠The text And a great signe appeered in heauen The note The dragons incredulous persecuting multitude and Antichrist the chiefe head thereof The answer You haue deliuered a briefe summe of this chapter in my iudgement both bréefly and truly Apoc. 12. 1. The text ⸫ A woman clothed with the sunne and the moone vnder hir feet and on hir head a crowne of twelue stars The note This is properly and principally spoken of the church and by allusion of our blessed Ladie also The answer There be some of your side which least they should be driuen to admit Ecclesiam latentem an hidden church wrangle hard for the contrarie and so your doctors are not agréed on the case Apoc. 12. 3. The text And there was seene another signe in heauen and behold ⸫ a great red dragon hauing seuen heads and ten horns on his head seuen diademes The note The great diuell Lucifer The answer Bicause my purpose is but to answer you where cause is and not to write commentaries therefore I will not meddle with that which might be noted vpon the description of the diuell vnder the forme of a dragon Apoc. 12. 4. The text And his taile drew the third part of the stars of heauen and cast them to the earth The note The spirits that fall from their first state into apostasie with him and by his meanes The answer The taile of the dragon be hypocriticall false prophets As dragons and serpents carie their venim that they sting and poison withall in their tailes so the diuell seduceth and beguileth by his false lieng prophets The stars of heauen cast downe to the earth are the most noble and notable men that séeme far to excell all others brought to be altogither earthly minded and to refuse celestiall things Apoc. 12. 4. The text And the dragon stood before the woman which was readie to be deliuered that when she should be deliuered he might ⸫ deuour hir sonne The note The diuels endeuor against the churches children and specially our blessed Ladies onely sonne the head of the rest The answer It is true that the diuell that is so great an enimie to the children of the church beareth also a speciall malice to Christ the head of the church and would haue deuoured him but could not And bicause he knoweth that he cannot otherwise hurt nor harm Christ therefore he séeketh to swallow and deuour vs Christs brethren by the séed of the word and mightie working of Gods spirit begotten and borne of the church to God Apoc. 12. 1◠The text And ⸫ they ouercame him by the blood of the lambe and by the word of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto death The note When the Angels or we haue the victorie we must know that it is by the blood of Christ and so all is referred alwaies to him The answer You should haue said if you would haue spoken truly and so as much as please vs is referred to him For for to haue all referred to him is al that we contend and striue for Faith in his blood is the victorie whereby we ouercome the world and all our enimies The strength of nature the abilitie of frée will merits of our works crossing holie water indulgences pardons masses and whatsoeuer trumperie you striue for beside do nothing auaile to this Apoc. 12◠14. The text And there were giuen to the woman two wings of a great eagle that she might flie into the desert vnto hir place where she is nourished ⸫ for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the serpent The note This often insinuation that Antichrists reigne shall be but three yeeres and an halfe Dan. 7. 25. Apocalipse 11. 2. 3. and in this chapter v. 6. c. 13. 5. prooueth that the heretikes be exceedingly blinded with malice that hold the pope to be Antichrist who hath ruled so many ages The answer Master Saunders in his demonstrations hath as doughtily done for you as so darke proofes out of such doubtful places could suffer and hath already receiued answer sufficient at the hands of that learned and reuerend man Master Whitakers You know how doubtfully all expositors expound these descriptions of the time and must we néedes credit you that it must be taken according to our vsuall supputation As for the ages which you suppose your pope hath ruled you may cut off the one halfe of them which I am sure you imagine Apoc. 13. 3. The text And all the earth was ⸫ in admiration after the beast The note They that now follow the simplest and grossest heretikes that euer were without seeing miracles would then much more follow this great seducer working miracles The answer They which learne of them that preach the word truly and sincerely cannot be seduced by miracles Bicause they know and haue learned that whatsoeuer miracles serue not to the confirmation of that doctrine which is taught vs in the word they are but illusions of the diuell and lieng signes of Antichrist which God doth send permit and suffer to shew who they be which constantly cleaue to him and his truth But on the contrarie part it is no maruell though your followers be easily seduced and beguiled First bicause they be ignorant and know nothing secondly bicause they depend vpon men who as they say cannot erre and not vpon the word of truth and therefore beléeue many things wherof they haue no ground but either lies or illusions Apoc. 13. ◠The text And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemies toward God ⸫ to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those that dwell in heauen The note No heretikes euer liker Antichrist than these in our daies specially in blasphemies against Gods church sacraments saints ministers and all sacred things The answer Lay away lieng and speake the woorst you can truly of those whom you call the heretikes of these daies and I am sure you cannot prooue your slanderous spéeches by them But in truth none be so like Antichrist as the pope and you his friends Wherin we will report nothing maliciously by any of contrary religion vnto you deuised but truly testified reported and witnessed by friends and fautors of the Romish power in their stories and writings One poisoned his God another cast his God into the fire
another would eate his peacocke in despite of God another counted the religion of Christ a fable or a tale It were infinite to set downe all their blasphemies But if these blasphemed not then tell me what you call blasphemie Apoc. 13. 11 The text And I saw ⸫ another beast comming vp from the earth and he had two hornes like to a lambe and he spake as a dragon The note Another false prophet inferior to Antichrist shall worke woonders also but all referred to the honor of his master Antichrist So doth Caluin other archheretikes peruert the world to the honor of Antichrist and so do their schollers also for the honor of them The answer How faine you would turne all things from your selues to others The former beast comming out of the sea betokeneth all those kingdoms and potentates that haue opposed themselues to Christ and with force and violence sought to suppresse the kingdome of Christ. The second beast like a lambe betokeneth all orders of the papisticall cleargie who vnder the name of Christ and his church oppugne Christ and his church and reteine some similitudes of the old church to deceiue withall and are maruellous cunning artificers to coine forge feigne and counterfet miracles Apoc. 14. 1. The text And I looked and behold ⸫ a lambe stood vpon mount Sion and with him an hundred fortie and fower thousand hauing his name and the name of his father written in their foreheads The note Christ and the same number of the elect which were signed c. 7. The answer This is set downe for our comfort that we should neither be caried away by the vniuersality of them that are seduced neither terrified with the greatnes of the troubles and miseries wherewith the children of God are afflicted For howsoeuer in the eies of the world the pope and his séeme to preuaile for a time yet Christ and his elect stand vpon mount Sion which is a figure of his true church triumphing Apoc. 14. 4. The text These are they which were not defiled with women for they are ⸫ virgins These follow the lambe whither soeuer he shal go The note One state of life more excellent than another and virgins for their puritie passing the rest and alwaies accompanieng Christ according to the churches himne out of this place Quocunque pergis virgines sequuntur c. The answer You are the most grosse and the most carelesse heretikes that euer set pen to paper Were all the elect votaries and professed single life who can beléeue you Especially séeing the Israelites to whom this number here spoken of was in the seuenth chapter properly applied did desire earnestly and thought it a great blessing of God to haue fruit of their bodies It cannot therefore be otherwise but that virgins be héere called those which are not defiled with spirituall fornication in which sense Paule prepared the Corinthians to present them a pure virgin vnto Christ. Apoc. 14. 4. The text These were bought from among men the first fruits to God and the lambe The note This the church applieth to the holy innocents that died first for Christ. The answer Your church hath verie obedient children of you for if she say the crow is white you will beléeue hir For otherwise if you had eies in your head you might sée that she applieth this scripture at randon as she doth in a maner all that she dealeth withall For the circumstances of this place maketh it very plaine that the whole number afore spoken of are the first fruits to God and the lambe Apoc. 14. ◠The text And an other angell followed saieng fallen fallen is that great ⸫ Babylon which of the wine of the wrath of her fornication made all nations to drinke The note The citie of the diuell which is the vniuersall societie of wicked misbeleeuers and ill liuers in the world The answer If euill liuers be a parcel of this society your church of Rome must néeds haue her part in it I maruel what Saint Augustine meant in his daies to make Rome the vniuersall head of this societie and that Enochia which Cain built was a figure of Rome that being the first citie in time and Rome the first in dignitie the foundations of both being laide in blood the founders of both being murderers murderers I saie of their owne naturall brethren And that Babylon must néedes be here taken for Rome this maketh it manifest that you your selues cannot assigne any other citie that hath made all nations to drinke of the wine of her fornications spirituall Apoc. 14. 10. The text If any man adore the beast and his image and receiue the character in his forehead or in his hand ⸫ he also shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holie angels and the sight of the Lambe The note The great damnation that shall follow them that forsake Christ and the church and worship antichrist or his image The answer Into which stubborne and obstinate papists do headlong run and will not be reclaimed by any meanes Apoc. 14. 12. The text Here is the patience of saints which ⸫ keepe the commandements of God and the faith of Iesus The note Faith is not enough to saluation without keeping the commandements The answer This cauill hath béene often enough answered Obedience alwaies followeth a true liuely iustifieng faith and yet it is not our obedience that iustifieth and saueth vs. Apoc. 15. 1. The text And I sawe an other signe in heauen great and maruellous seauen angels hauing the seauen last plagues Bicause in them the wrath of God is consummate The note The tribulations about the daie of iudgement The answer The tribulations that God hath afflicted the world withall since the first spreading of the Gospell and shall afflict it with at any time betwixt this and the daie of iudgement Apoc. 15. 2. The text And I sawe as it ⸫ were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that ouercame the beast and his image and the number of his name standing vpon the sea of glasse hauing the harpes of God The note Baptisme The answer Least the greatnes and the multitude of the gréeuous plagues should ouermuch dismay the godlie the holy Ghost afore hande setteth downe their happy and blessed estate wherein they shall eternally ioie and reioice with God and his Christ that haue their eies fixed vpon that to the end they may the easilier deuour and swallow vp the great troubles and miseries of this life Apoc. 15. 3. The text And singing the ⸫ song of Moyses the seruant of God and the song of the lambe saieng Great and maruellous are thy works Lord God omnipotent iust and true are thy waies king of the worlds The note The song of Moyses and Christ is the new Testament and the old The answer This song is the ioifull
thankesgiuing that the saints of God vse for his benefits It is called the song of Moyses and Christ bicause the benefits of all times of the lawe and of the Gospell are therein considered the deliuerie of the children of Israel and the redemption of all nations vnder heauen It consisteth of thrée parts namely in considering the woonderfulnes and gloriousnes of Gods works the iustice and truth of God in his waies and the terriblenes and fearefulnes of his iudgements Apoc. 1◠6. The text ⸫ Bicause they haue shed the blood of the saints and prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke for they are woorthie The note The great reuenge that God will do at the later daie vpon the persecutors of his saints The answer The great reuenge that God hath done and shewed vpon all the persecuting tyrants of the primitiue church And this withal is to be diligently remembred that Gods arme is not shortened and his hand is stretched out still And therefore still blood must be the drinke of them that delight in blood and they that loue darknes shall haue their rewarde in the kingdome of darknes and they that loue not the truth must be giuen ouer to beléeue lies Apoc. 16. 9. The text And men boiled with great heate and ⸫ blasphemed the name of God hauing power ouer these plagues The note The desperate and damned persons shall blaspheme God perpetuallie which shall be such onely as do not repent in this life The answer If I did not perceiue that these plagues are referred to former times I would referre this to you whome I sée blinded with hipocrisie and drunken with the confidence of your owne merits so that when you intend and purpose to serue God you commit idolatrie and bicause you sée not your sinnes you can not abide anie admonition or reproouing and when God striketh and punisheth you bicause you vnderstand not the cause you are neuer the better but grudge and blaspheme and runne headlong to the diuell without repentance But when I looke vnto those former times which are here spoken of I finde the same rootes of euill in them which are in you although not so déepe rooted in them as in you that is the philosophicall doctrine of frée will and confidence in them selues and their workes which made them suppose that they pleased God when they killed his saints enemies to those opinions and bicause they did not imagine that they did amisse therefore no maruell though they repented not but grudged and blasphemed at the plagues which God powred vpon them For the same causes must néedes in euerie one haue like effectes Apoc. 16. 11. The text And they blasphemed the God of heauen bicause of their paines and woundes and ⸫ did not penance from their works The note See chapter 9. verse 2. in the margent The answer The foole will not giue his bable for the tower of London for then he should misse a great deale of good sport Your marginall annotation hath bene viewed and answered the substance wherof being friuolous and foolish you haue repeated I knowe not howe oft in these annotations Apoc. 16. 13. The text And I sawe from the mouth ⸫ of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet three vncleane spirits in maner of frogges The note The dragon is the diuell the beast Antichrist or the societie whereof he is the head the false prophet either Antichrist him selfe or the companie of heretikes and seducers that follow him The answer That by the dragon the diuell is signified and by the beast the Pope or the societie whereof he is the head we easilie consent with you but the false prophet here we suppose to be Mahomet that hath seduced the whole empires of the Turkes and Persians And al these by euill wicked and seducing spirits bend them selues and all their force against the Church and kingdome of Christ. Apoc. 16. 16. The text And he shall gather them into a place which in Hebrewe is called Arina-gedon The note The hill of theeues by Saint Hieroms interpretation The answer The coniectures of interpreters is very diuers vpon this word but this is plaine that being in the time of the sixt Angels powring foorth his viall it is a matter to be accomplished néere about our times and it is therefore the diligentlier to be considered and weighed of vs with the issue of it The summe of it is that the diuell and Antichrist shall by their false prophets perswade the Kings of the earth to bend all their whole force against the church and against the Gospel of God to extinguish and destroy it By all likelihoode the time of accomplishing this is nowe at hand for I suppose there was neuer afore anie such conspiracie of princes for that purpose But God who drewe Iabin and Sisera to Magiddo which bicause it was placed by a mountaine is called héere Arma-gedon to giue them and all their great armie into the hand of a woman to destruction hath promised to doe the like héere to the great comfort and consolation of his church and people especiallie of those which are now gouerned by Deborah Apoc. 16. 19. The text And ⸫ the great citie was made into three parts and the cities of the Gentiles fell The note The citie or common welth of the wicked diuided into three partes into infidels heretikes and euill Catholikes The citie is here called Babylon whereof see the next chapter verse 5. The answer The citie still I take for Rome called héere Babilon The diuision of it I take to be into Epicurean Atheists close hipocrites and cruell superstitious and yet openlie wicked ignorant people Apoc. 17. ◠The text And there came to me one of the seuen Angels which had the seuen vials and spake with me saieng Come I will shewe thee the damnation of the great harlot The note The small damnation of the whole companie of the reprobate called heere the great whore The answer The finall damnation of the popes of Rome and their church there so euidentlie described by their maners nature properties conuersation of life apparell power ouer the kings of the earth that neither man nor place vpon the earth can be found to which euerie part of this description can so aptlie agrée to as to these Open therefore your eies and espie her whom the holie Ghost laieth out so openlie before you and flie from her betimes least you be partaker of her plagues and damnation Apoc. 17. 1. The text Which sitteth vpon ⸫ many waters The note These many waters are many peoples verse 15. The answer Héere you haue found scripture for your vniuersalitie The whoore hath a large dominion and many people vnder hir euen as many as without all iudgement receiue whatsoeuer it pleaseth the bishops of Rome to obtrude to them Apoc. 17. 8. The text The beast which thou sawest ⸫ was and is not and shal come vp out of