iudge the world thether shall all gather together vnto him Tindale ¶ That is according to S. Paules interpretation when Christ commeth to Iudgement we shall betaken vp to méete him in the aire and so we shall be with him for euer ¶ That is the faithfull that beléeue the Gospell will repaire vnto him as rauenous birdes to the carion The Bible note And how I caried you vpon Eagles wings ¶ For the Eagles by flieng high is out of daunger And in carieng hir Birdes rather on her wings then in hir talents declareth hir loue Geneua ¶ The Eagle carieth hir young ones vpon hir wings fearing onelie mans violence which rather then they should take harme she would receiue the harme in hir owne bodie In stéed thereof serued the cloud that kept of the Aegyptians force The Bible note ELAM What is signified by Elam I Will breake the bowe of Elam 〈…〉 ¶ By Elam is signified Persia so called of Elam the sonne of Sem. And because the Persians were good Archers he sheweth that the thing wherein they put their trust should not profit them Geneua ¶ The Elamites were good bowe men in battaile and therefore is their bowe prophecied to be broken c. By which is meant that they should be ouercome in battaile of their Enimies and scattered abroad vnto the foure coastes of the earth T. M. ELDAD AND MEDAD ¶ Looke Moses ELDERS Why he nameth them Elders and not Priests IN the olde Testament the temporal heads rulers of the Iewes which had the gouernaunce ouer the laie or common people are called Elders as ye maie see in the foure Euangelists Out of which custome Paule in his Epistle and also Peter call the Prelates and spirituall Gouernours which are Bishops and Priests Elders Now whether ye call them Elders or Priests it is all one to me so that ye vnderstande they be officers and Seruaunts of the word of God vnto the which all men both high and lowe that will not rebel against Christ must obaie as long as they preach and rule trulie and no farther Tindale fol. 38. ELEAZER The meaning of this place that followeth THe childe of the stewardshippe of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco ¶ Eleazer was then Steward of Abrahams house which Eleazer had a sonne called Damascus which child because Sara was barren Abraham had thought to haue adopted for his sonne Of this Damascus tooke the Citie of Damasco his name Lyra. ELECTION What the cause of our Election is and how it is defined ELection is the frée mercie and grace of God in his owne will through faith in Christ his sonne chusing and preferring to life such as pleaseth him Bradford in the booke of Mar. The onelie good pleasure of the will and franke mercie of God by Iesus Christ without respect of anie works either present or for to come is the cause of the diuine Election F. N. B. the Italian The cause of our election is onelie the will of God And to proue this Saint Paule saith which sawe as farre in mens deseruings as we can doe bringeth in an euident example of Iacob and Esau how Iacob was elected and Esau reproued before they were borne or had done either good or bad To the which some will saie that God sawe afore that Iacob should bée good and therefore chose him and that Esau should doe no good and therefore repelled him But to those that will iudge of that that God sawe it maie be demaunded how they knowe that GOD sawe that and if he sawe it yet how knowe they that that was the cause of Iacobs election Saint Paule knoweth none other cause but the will of God whatsoeuer other discusse And if they should saie the cause whie God sawe before that Iacob shoulde doe good was because that God would giue him his grace therfore God sawe that he should doe good and so shoulde also the other haue done if God would haue giuen him that same grace Saint Paule concluding with these Scriptures saith I will shewe mercie to whome I shew mercie and will haue compassion on whome I haue compassion So lyeth it not in mans will and running but in the mercie of God He saith not I will haue mercie on him that I sée shall do good but I will shew mercie to whom I will He sayth not I will haue compassion on him that shall deserue it De congrua but of him of whom I will haue compassion This doth Austen wel proue in these wordes The disputation of them is vaine the which do defend the prescience of God against the grace of God and therfore saie that we were chosen before the making of the world because that God knew afore that we shuld bée good because he shoulde make vs good But he that saith you haue not chosen me saith not so for if he did therefore choose vs because that before he knew that we should be good then must hée also haue knowne before that we should first haue chosen him Héere it is plaine that the election of God is not because he saw afore that we should doe well But onelie the cause of the election is his mercie and the cause of our dooing well is his election And therefore Saint Paule saith not of workes but of calling I. Veron So then election is not of the willer but of God that taketh mercie ¶ It is euident by this Text that our works or merites doe not iustifie vs but that our saluation doth wholie depend vpon the frée election of GOD which béeing righteousnesse it selfe doth choose whome it pleaseth him vnto lyfe euerlasting Sir I. Cheeke Blessed are the people whome the Lorde hath chosen to bée his inheritaunce c. ¶ Of the Lordes frée election and choosing of his Citizens whome he hath predestinate and appointed to be saued the Scripture both in the olde and newe Testament speaketh much In the 20. of Saint Mathew verse 16. our sauiour saith Multi vocati pauci vero electi◠Manie bée called but fewe bée chosen All they bée called which haue had the word of GOD preached vnto them And they onelie are elect which finallie and eternallie shall be saued and inherit the euerlasting kingdome with Iesus Christ the first begotten and the onelie purchaser of lyfe eternall The elect haue these properties and blessings of GOD following them Though they doe fall and sinne of tentimes yea and peraduenture verie gréeuouslie as Dauid did or committing as Saint Peter did with his denieng and forswearing of CHRIST As Marie Magdalene and the woman of Samarie did with their fraile and foolish yéelding vnto the pleasure of the flesh yet they neuer fall from GOD but their grose and naturall falles doe cast them into such a shame of themselues and abhorring of sinnes that by their falling they rise vp the more stronger So that the elect cannot finallie bée seduced nor carried awaie from GOD. For whome Christ loueth In finem diligit hée
works that I haue they come of thée First of all thou must beléeue that thou canst not haue remission of sinnes but through pardon and forgiuenesse of God And then next that thou canst haue no good worke except hée giue it thée Last of all that euerlasting life cannot be deserued with any workes except it be giuen vnto thee also fréely What worthy thing doe we that we maye be founde in the heauenly spirits The Apostle saith I iudge that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of that glory that shall be reuealed in vs therefore I take him to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholike and more agréeable to the holy scriptures that vtterly denyeth all such kinde of merits Waldensis in his booke against Wicleffe Meritum meum c. My merite saith Saint Barnard is the mercie of God So long as God is not poore of mercie so long cannnot I be poore of merite If his mercie bee great then am I great in merite This is the whole merite of man if he put his whole affiaunce in the Lord. Forasmuch as all men are shut vp and closed vnder sinne now the saluation of man standeth not in mans merits but in Gods mercie For nothing thou shouldest saue them What is meant by these words For nothing thou shouldest saue them This is the meaning Thou findest nothing in them wherefore thou shouldest saue them and yet thou sauest them Thou findest nothing wherefore thou shouldest saue them but thou findest wherefore thou shouldest saue them but thou findest wherefore thou shouldest condemne them Aug de verbis Apostoli sermo 15. Againe Deserued paine would throwe all men into death vnlesse the vndeserued grace of God deliuered some from it Trust in mens merits leadeth to desperation and therefore S. Cypriane saith They teach vs night in stéede of day destruction in stéede of health desperation vnder the colour of hope infidelitie vnder the pretence of faith Antichrist vnder the name of Christ. Doth he thanke that seruaunt ¶ Christ doth héere with a lyuely example teach vs that nothing is due to our merites or much rather that we deserue nothing at all Our duetie is to walke diligently and with all feare in the commaundements of God and if he rewardeth vs any thing it is of his mercie and goodnesse Sir I. Cheeke How the name of merite ought to be abolished The name of merit if we will speake properly ought to be banished out of our mouths I knowe that the fathers somtimes vsed that word but yet not properly But that worde is not found in all the holy Scriptures For the nature of merite is that there be a iust proportion and equall consideration betwéene that which is giuen and that which is taken But betwéene the good things which we looke for those things which we either suffer or doe there is no proportion or agréement For Saint Paule saith that the passions of this time are not worthy the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. Farther merit hath ioyned vnto it debt which thing Paule testifieth when he saith that to him which worketh reward is rendered according vnto debt is not imputed according to grace Which selfe same Paule writeth expresly that the grace of God is eternall life Lastly vnto the nature of merite there is required that that which is giuen pertaineth to the giuer and be not due vnto him which receiueth it but workes are not of our selues for they are called the gifte of God which he worketh in vs. Wherefore Augustine verye wisely saith that God doeth crowne his giftes in vs. Now if our workes be due vnto him which we cannot denie then vndoubtedly the nature of merite is vtterly taken away c. Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 39. Saint Austen saith Let merites of men héere holde theyr peace which haue perished by Adam and let the grace of God raigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The Saints giue nothing to their owne merits they will giue all to none but to thy mercie O God In another place When man seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not of himselfe but from his God he séeeth that all that is praised in him is not of his owne merites but of the mercie of God You sée how taking from men yâ— power of dooing well he also throweth downe the dignitie of merit And Chrisostome saith Our workes if there be any which followe the frée calling of God are repaiment and debt but the gifts of God and grace and bountifulnesse and the greatnesse of liberall giuing But leauing the name lette vs looke vpon the thing I haue verely before alledged a sentence out of Barnard as it sufficeth to merit not to presume to merite so to want merits sufficeth to iudgment but by adding foorthwith an exposition he sufficiently mitigateth the hardnesse of yâ— word where he saith Therefore care thou to haue merites when thou hast them knowe that they are giuen hope for fruit the mercie of God and so thou hast escaped all daunger of pouertie vnthankfulnesse and presumption Happy is the Church which neither wanteth merites without presumption nor presumption without merites And a little before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of merites saith he why should the Church be carefull which hath a stedfaster and a surer cause to glory of the purpose of God God cannot denye himselfe he will doe that which he hath promised If there be no cause why shouldest aske by what meanes may we hope for good things Specially when thou hearest sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to merite to know that merites suffice not Caluine in his Inst. 3. b. cha 15. sect 2. S. Barnard saith Non est qua gratia intret c. Where merite hath taken vp the roome ther is no place for grace to enter Bar. super Canti Ser. 17. Saint Augustine saith Hoc est electio gratia c. This is the election of grace because 〈…〉 good merites of manâ—â— are preuented For if it were giuen by any good merites then wer it not giuen frée but rendred as ought And by this means it is not by a true name called grace where reward is As the saine Apostle saith it is not imputed according to grace but according to dutie But if that it be true grace yâ— is to say fréely giuen it findeth nought in man to whom it may be worthely owing August lib. de patientia cap. 2. Of two kindes of meriting There be two kindes of meriting that is to say of good and euill The good kinde of meriting is by Christ through Christ for Christ and in Christ. That is by casting all our care on him onely hauing him continually beaten and crucified before our eyes and crucifieng our selues vnto the world hauing no trust in our selues nor in any worke that we can doe or any other for vs setting
of Abraham of whom it is written 30. yeares before he offered his sonne Isaac Abraham beléeued it was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. wherby we doe euidently sée that Saint Iames meaning is that Abrahams fayth was no idle fayth but such faith as made him obedient to God which thing he did well declare when he did so willingly offer his sonne at Gods commaundement All that S. Iames goeth about then is to proue that faith cannot be without good works And as by fayth onely we are iustified before God so by good workes procéeding from a liuely fayth wée are iustified before men Heere wée learne also that where no good workes be there is no true iustifieng fayth but a lyght vnprofitable beléeue such as is in diuels and yet we must beware that we ascribe no parte of our iustification before God vnto our good works Sir I. Cheeke Ther can be no good work reckoned to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes God hath forgiuen Forasmuch as our best déeds are lame and corrupt Therefore they are héere called the doers of good works whom Paule calleth zelous and louers of good works But this estimation and iudgement dependeth vpon the fatherly clemency and acceptation of our God who alloweth that freely for good which deserueth to be reiected as euill and vnperfect c. Marl. fol. 170. Indéede works doe iustifie taking iustifie to be to declare iust Euen as white haires do make a man olde because they be a signe of age But works doe this before men not before God Nor they cannot take hold of forgiuenesse of sins deliuerance from their deserued condemnation For then it should be false that the Apostle saith we be iustified fréely by his grace for to him that worketh the reward is imputed vnto him for a duety and not vpon grace and fauour Wherfore the errours of those men is too grose to deceiue any of them which hath looked ouer the holy Scriptures neuer so slightly Nor it doth not agrée with the sense neither when they will haue iustifie to be as much as to make iust For works doe not go before him that is to bée iustified â—but doe followe him which is alreadye iustified witnesse Augustine and workes doe come of grace and not grace of workes witnesse the same Augustine de fide opere cap. 14. Musculus fol. 227. Of workes done before faith Saint Austen condemneth all our good workes before faith as vaine and nothing worth Read him In probo Psal. 31. That worketh not how it is vnderstood To him that worketh not but beleeueth ¶ That dependeth not on his workes neither thinketh to merit by them Gene. That is which meaneth not to obteine saluation through the worthinesse of his works The Bible note How workes are not the causes of felicitie Works indeed are to be had but not as causes wherfore Christ admonished vs saieng When ye haue done al these things say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but the thing which we ought to doe Neither passe we any thing vpon their caueling which say yâ— therfore we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts because our good works being no coÌ„modity vnto God forasmuch as God néedeth none of our good works but say they it caÌ„not be denied but yâ— we are by good works profitable vnto our selues Wée graunt indéed that it is profitable vnto vs to liue well But that vtilitie is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be the causes of our blessednesse to come Wee haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstruct or bound vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we doe the same doe we wholy owe vnto God and a great deale more then we are able to performe Wherfore as Christ admonisheth The Lord giueth not thanks vnto his seruant when he hath done his duetie And if the seruant by wel doing cannot binde his Lord to giue him thanks how shal he binde him to render vnto him great rewards Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 29. Of workes loue and faith Works are the outward righteousnesse before the world may be called the righteousnesse of the members and spring of inward loue Loue is the righteousnesse of the hart springeth of faith Faith is the trust in Christs bloud and is the gift of God Ephe. 2. 8. Tindale How our good workes are the workes of God Although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his works yet is yâ— so to be vnderstood yâ— if they be good works they are for none other cause caled any maÌ„s works but for that they are wrought in him namely by the power of the spirit of God whereby they are in very déede the workes of God S. Austen most truely saith that God crowneth in vs his owne gifts for as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 367. How we deserue nothing by our good workes Wo be to all our iustice saith S. Austen if it be iudged setting mercy a part Therefore this is a christen sentence worthy to be beaten in al mens heads Let not thy left hand know what the right hand doth Let our right hand worke those things which be good and pleasant vnto God And in the meane season let our heartes depend vpon the grace of Gods goodnesse onely not thy left hand write into thy kalender those things which be somewhat well done by the right hand Let the note of our owne good works be in Gods hand not in our owne Whatsoeuer he doth reward vs either in this life either in the life to come let vs thanke his grace for it and not our deserts Musculus fol. 234. Of the vnablenesse of our workes If the séeking of righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the kéeping of the law which God gaue vpon mount Sinai with so great glory and maiestie by the denyeng of Christ of his grace what shall we say to those yâ— will néeds iustifie themselues afore God by their owne laws and obseruances I wold wish that such folks should a little compare the one with the other and afterward giue iudgement themselues God minded not to do that honour nor to giue that glorye vnto his owne law yet they wil haue him to giue it to mens laws ordinaÌ„ces But that honour is giuen onely to his onely begotten son who alone by the sacrifice of his death passion hath made ful amends for all our sinnes past present and to come as saith S. Paule Heb. 7. 25. The meaning of this place following Work out your own saluatioÌ„ with fere trembling ¶ S. Paul saith we must work out our saluation with feare trembling But this feare riseth in consideration of our weaknesse and vnworthinesse not of any distrust or doubt in Gods mercy but rather the lesse cause we haue to trust in our selues the morâ— cause we haue to trust in God Iewel fol. 76.
or much without me it can not be done One of two must the braunches néedes doe either abide in the Uine or els burne in the Fire If it be not in the Uine then it is in the Fire D. Barnes What goodnesse can he doe saith S. Austen that is loft except he be deliuered from his miserie Can he doe anie good by his frée-will God forbid For man euill vsing his frée-will did both loose himselfe and also his frée-will And as man béeing aliue doth kill himselfe and when he hath killed himselfe he can not make himselfe aliue againe so likwise when wée doe sinne by Frée-will and sinne hath the victorie then is frée-will cleere lost For of whom a man is ouercome vnto him must hée bée seruaunt Saint Austen declaring what goodnesse frée-will deserueth without grace saith Oh cursed frée-wil without God We haue experience what Frée-will is able to do without God Behold man was made good and by his Free-will was made an euill man What shall an euill man by his frée-will forsaking God make a man good he beeing good could not kéep himselfe good And now that he is euill shall hée make himselfe good when that he was good he kept not himselfe good and now that he is euill shall I saie I make my selfe good c. Héere is the verie strength of frée-will by his strength are we made miserable and that doth experience learne D. Barnes Saint Paule saith that we are not sufficiient to thinke anie thing of our selues as it were of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God ¶ Saint Barnard vpon this place saith what shall we saie saith he is this alonelie all the merite of Fréewill that he doth alonelie consent Yea doubtlesse not that that same consent in the which is all his merite is not of God wheÌ„ we can neither think the which is lesse then to consent anie thing of our selues as though we were sufficient of our selues These words be not mine but the Apostles the which giueth vnto God not vnto Frée-will all manner thing that can be good S. Barnard giueth vnto God Now what strength hath frée-will he can neither thinke good nor will nor yet perfourme it And there is nothing but either it is included in thinking in willing or in perfourming and all these he giueth to God D. Barnes Thrée blessings there are which are necessarie to vs the first is preuenting the second is helping the third is of glorie He doth preuent our conuersation by mercie he helpeth our conuersation by his grace he doth accomplish our ending with glorie Unlesse the Lord do giue these three blessings our bodies can giue forth no fruite neither can we begin anie good thing before we be preuented by niercie or do any good thing vntill we be hâ—lpen by grace or that we can ende in goodnes vntill we be filled with glorie Iâ— Northbrooke We will but it is God that willeth it in vs We worke but it is God that worketh in vs to work according to his godlie pleasure This is behoouefull for vs both to beléeue and speak This is a godlie this is a true doctrine that our confession may be humble and lowlie and that God â—aâ—e haue the whole We liue in more safetie if we giue all vnto God rather then if we commit our selues part to our selues and partlie to God Augustin de bono prese ca. 13. Man before his fall had frée-will but after his fall both hée in himselfe and in all his prosteritie vtterlie lost that frée will So that man can now with nothing of himselfe that is good or acceptable before God All the abhominations of the thoughtes of mens hearts are euill Gen. 6. 5. and 8. 21. Out of the corrupt heart of man proceedeth all wickednesse Math. 15. 19. We are not apt of our selues to thinke anie thing that perteineth to the glorie of God 2. Cor. 3. 5. It is the grace and goodnesse of God that worketh altogether whatsoeuer is good in vs for it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God onelie that sheweth the mercie He that doth beleeue doth beléeue willinglie and of his owne accorde but that he hath a will to beléeue is not of himselfe but of GOD for GOD doth not onelie offer mercie to our wil but also giueth vs a wil to receiue it As Saint Paule testifieth God worketh in vs both to wil and to persorme whatsoeuer is good and perteining to saluation Philip. 2. 13. And where God giueth not a wil ther cannot men beleeue though grace and mercie be offered vnto them As in Iohn 12. 37. Without the grace of God Adam could not be good yea though he had free-wil Wherefore God woulde not leaue him without his grace although he left him in his fréew-ill because that frée-will is sufficient to doe euill but to good it is but of smal value if it be not aided with the goodnesse of the almightie which aide if man had not forsaken through his frée-will he had bene alwaies good but he did forsake it wherefore he was also forsaken August in his boke of correction grace Chap. 11. The counsell of Milenitan in two Canons Frée-wil weakened to the first man cannot be repaired and amended but through the grate of Baptime the which after that it is lost cannot be restored againe but by him which hath power to giue it wherefore the truth saith If the son make you frée then are you frée indéede The second Canon saith God doth worke so in the hearts of men and to frée-will that if there be anie godlie cogitation anie deliberation tending to the honour of God and anie motion of good will all the same procéedeth from God For by him we maie doe some good thing and without him we can doe nothing What hast thou that thou hast not receiued Art thou created Art thou healed Art thou saued Which of them hast thou of thy selfe Which of theÌ„ is not impossible for frée-will Thou couldest not create thy selfe when thou wast not made nor iustifie thy selfe when thou wast a sinner c. Examples how God ordereth mans will God sayd to Abimelech king of Gerar concerning Abrahams wife I kept thée also that thou shouldest not sinne against mee and therefore suffered thée not to touch her Gen. 20. 6. Be not afraide saith Ioseph to his brethren can we resist the will of God You deuised euill against me but God turned it to good Gen. 50. 19. God saith thus of Pharao I will harden his heart And in the 33. 19. of the same booke he said I wil shew mercie and haue compassion of whom it pleaseth me Exo. 4. 21. A man maie prepare his heart but it is God that gouerneth the tongue Pro. 16. 1. I knowe O Lord that it is not in mans power to order his owne waies or to rule his owne steps or goings Iere. 10. 23. I
for of iust is deriued Iustice. And to say briefely to be iust is to be cleare sound and vpright according to the degrée condition office person which euery man beareth and to aunswere the same in all pointes without blame Each degrée condition estate and person hath his order and Iustite c. Musc. in his Com. pla fo 421. IVSTIFICATION What is vnderstood by Iustification BY iustifieng vnderstande none other thing then to be reconciled to God and to be restored into his fauour and to haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee As when I say God iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that God for Christs sake merites and deseruings onely receiueth vs vnto his mercie fauour and grace and forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Christ iustifieth vs vnderstand thereby that Christ onely hath redéemed vs bought vs deliuered vs out of the wrath of God and damnation and hath with his works onely purchased vs the mercie fauour and grace of God and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And when I say Faith onely iustifieth vnderstand thereby that Faith and trust in the trueth of God and in the mercie promised vs for Christs sake and for his deseruings workes onely doth quiet the conscience and certefie hir that our sinnes be forgiuen and we in the fauour of God Tindale in his Prologue to the Romanes To iustifie is nothing els then to acquite him that was accused from all filthinesse as allowing his innocencie sith therefore God iustifieth vs by the intercession of Christ he doeth acquite vs not by allowaunce of our innocencie but by imputation of righteousnesse that we maye be counted for righteous in Christ which are not righteous in our selues Cal. 3. bo chap. 11. sect 3. This word iustifie in the Latine mens eares is as much to say as to make iust lyke as magnifie to make great and sanctifie to make holy And this sence of this word the Diuine schoolemen like well which they that doe followe them doe yet earnestly stand vnto Augustine also doth in diuers places still expound this word of iustifieng in this sence when he saith Beléeuing in him which iustifieth the wicked that is to say of the wicked doth make godly The Apostle Paule out of whose writings this entraunce of Iustification is principally taken vsed the word of iustifieng not in the sence that the Latine eares doe like but in that sence which the holy Scripture vseth it according to the custome of the holy language in which he was born brought vp and instructed in from his childhood In that language to iustifie is as as much to say as to quite a man of his offence and to pronounce him iust The contrary of it is to condemne a man of naughtinesse and wickednesse c. This word iustifie is not to make one iust which is vniust and wicked but is vsed in euery place for to quite a man of his fault and to pronounce and declare him iust Musc. fol. 222. How we are iustified freely and by Faith onely It is also the cause why Faith is plainly called by S. Paule the Faith of the chosen and for the which Iustification is attributed vnto it that honour is giuen vnto it forsomuch as many doth acknowledge himselfe by the same such as he is of his owne nature to wit a poore and miserable sinner the childe of wrath subiect to death and eternall damnation therefore spoyling himselfe of his owne Iustice and of all trust in his owne workes and merites he doth imbrace Iesus Christ to be cladde with his Iustice to the ende that by it his sinnes may be couered in such sort that they come not to count at the iudgement of God and so that the poore sinner by reputed iust as though he had neuer offended and that because the Iustice of Christ is allowed vnto him Faith as though the same were proper to the man to whom it is allowed Pet. Viret All men are sinners and want the glory of God but they are iustified fréely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. ¶ Héere Paule saith We are iustified fréely If there bée any deseruing lesse or more then it is not freely He saith also Of grace if it be any part of workes then it is not of grace for as S. Paule saith Then grace were no grace S. Ambrose saith vpon this place of S. Paule All men are sinners c. They are iustified fréely saith S. Ambrose for they doing nothing nor nothing deseruing alonely by Faith are iustified by the gifte of God Héere Saint Ambrose saith Men working nothing nor nothing deseruing are iustified by Faith onely D. Barnes ¶ Origen vpon the same tâ—xt saith That the Iustification of Faith is alonely sufficient so that a man do beleeue onely he is iustified though there be no woâ—â—â—es â—oke of him at al. By Faith was the théefe iustified without yâ— workes of y◠〈…〉 for yâ— Lord did not aske him what he had done nor looke for any works of him but did accept him onely for confessing of Christ. Wherefore saith Origen a man is iustified by Faith vnto whome as concerning Iustification the works of the law help nothing ¶ Héere it is plaine by Origen that workes doe helpe nothing to Iustification but Faith onely D. Barnes What thing doth purchase Iustification The same thing that purchaseth remission of our sinnes doth also purchase Iustification For Iustification is nothing els but remission of sinnes Now Faith purchaseth vs remission of sinnes Ergo by Faith we are iustified Now that Faith purchaseth remission of sinnes is well proued by the Article of our Faith Credo remissionem peccatorum I beléeue remission of sinnes Now if I haue not this remission for Faith then Faith deceiueth me For I doe beleeue onely because I would haue remission of sinnes What néede we to beléeue remission of sinnes if I may deserue it by workes D. Barnes What the true way of Iustification is The very true way of Iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christ Iesus alonely of his méere mercie and giueth vs fréely the gifte of Faith whereby we doe beléeue God and his holy word sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to naught yet God shall be founde true in his promise For this faith sake be we the children of God This is not such a Faith as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that he is eternall beléeue also that he made the world of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all things that God speaketh must be true and fulfilled with other such things This is not the Faith that we be iustified by for Diuells and Infidells haue this faith and also we may atteine to these things by the strength of reasonâ— But the Faithâ— that shall iustifie vs must be of another manner
words al perfection as immortalitie wisdome truth innocencie power c. Geneua After the likenesse of God created he him ¶ That is after the shape and Image which was before appointed for the son of God The chiefe part of man also which is the soule is made like vnto God in a certeine proportion of nature of power working So that in that we are made like vnto God Tindale How God made man to be vndestroied God made man to be vndestroied ¶ That is when God made him in the Image of his owne likenesse neuerthelesse through the enuie of the diuell came death into the world whereby it may be easily gathered yâ— the wise maÌ„ doth speak ther of Adam being in the most perfect state of his first creation in the which if he had continued abiden still obaieng the commandement yâ— the Lord his God had giuen him neither death nor hel could haue had anie power of him he shoulde haue bene immortall he should haue liued for euer God then had created him to bée vndestroied if he had not through disobedience broken his commaundement I. Veron ¶ For God would not that man shuld perish But they after that they were created haue defiled the name of him that made them and are vnthankfull vnto him which prepared lyfe for them How the death of man and beast is alike It happeneth vnto man as it doth to beasts euen one condition to them both as the one doth so doth the other ¶ There is no difference betwéene a man and a beast as touching the body which of them both dieth but the soule of man liueth immortal the body of man riseth vp againe by the mightie power of the spirit of God The Bible note ¶ Man is not able by his reason and iudgement to put difference betwéene man and beast as touching those thinges wherevnto both are subiect or the eye cannot iudge any otherwise of a man béeing dead then of a beast which is dead Yet by the word of God and fayth we easily know the difference Geneua Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward ¶ Meaning that reason cannot comprehend that which faith beléeueth héerein Geneua ¶ The immortalitie of the soule is not knowne by carnall reason or sense but by the word of the spirit of God The Bible note How mans life is but sorow and care What profit saith the wise man hath man more of all the labour wherewith he wearieth himselfe vnder the Sunne but sorrow and care and nothing without paine griefe ¶ Euripides saith if thou which art borne mortall doe thinke to liue thy selfe without labour and vnquietnesse thou art a foole I. Northbrooke Of mans good purpose before grace A reason of the Pelagians Dunce men of mans good purpose before grace The grace of God say they doth helpe mans good purpose so that man doth first intend and purpose well as Dunce saith dispose himselfe by attrition to receiue grace and then God doth helpe him Aunswere Of truth there is no good purpose in man no good disposition nor good intent but all is against goodnesse and cleane contrarie against all things that agréeth with grace till that God of his méere mercy commeth and giueth him a will to will goodnesse yea and that when he thought nothing of goodnesse but doth cleerely resist all goodnesse This doth S. Austen proue in these words The Pelagians say that they graunt how the grace doth helpe euery mans good purpose but not that he giueth that loue of vertue to him that striueth against it This thing doe they say as though man of himselfe without the helpe of God hath a good purpose and a good minde to vertue by the which merit proceeding before he is worthy to be holpen of the grace of God that followeth after Doubtlesse the grace that followeth doth helpe the good purpose of man but the good purpose should neuer haue bene if grace had not preceded And though that the good studie of men when it beginneth is holpen of grace yet it did neuer begin without grace ¶ Héere we sée S Austen cléere against them D. Barnes How mans ordinance my be altered There be some orders in the primitiue Church commaunded by God some other were deuised by men for yâ— better training of the people Such orders as were coÌ„manded by God may in no wise be chaunged onely because God commaunded them for as God is euerlasting so is his word commaundement euerlasting On the other side such order as haue bene deuised by men may be broken vpon some good consideration only because they were men that deuised them For as they be mortall so all their wisdome and inuentions be but mortall And so indéed as touching such things as haue ben ordeined by men we are not bound of necessitie to the order of the primitiue Church But such things as God hath precisely coÌ„manded by his word may neuer be broken by any custome or consent Iewel Of the disposition of man As mans strength is so is his worke as is his will so is his worke as is his forecast so is his dooing as is his heart so is his mouth as is his eye so is his sleepe as is his mind so is his talke either of the law of the Lord or of the lawe of Behal In the Testam of Neptalin Of mans will and running It lieth not in any mans will or running but in the mercie of God Whereas some vpon this place doe ascribe part of iustification vnto the grace and mercie of God part of it vnto the same will and running or indeauour of man S. Austen maketh answere thus If saith he the Apostle did meane none other thing but that it doth not onely lye in the will and running of man except the mercy of God doe helpe we may also say on the contrary that it lyeth not only in the mercy of God without the will and running of man but sith it were a plaine vngodlynesse to saye so let vs not doubt but yâ— the Apostle did attribute all to yâ— mercy of God that he did leaue no manner of thing vnto our owne will endeuour Againe he saith in an other place Therefore that we should beléeue in God liue godly it lyeth not in the will and running of man but in the mercy of God not that we ought not both to will runne but because that he himselfe doth worke in vs both to wil and also to runne I. Veron Of two Hebrew words that signifie man A man sent from God ¶ The Hebrewes haue two words to signifie man Adam and Ish. Adam signifieth a man subiect to mortalitie miserie and calamitie Ish signifieth a man of reputation The Prophet Dauid comprehendeth both in one verse in the Psal. Heare this all ye people c. Bâ—th children of Adam and children of Ish. The Greeke word which the
ordeined by his decrée If any man héere inueigh against the foreknowledge of God he rashly vnaduisedly stuÌ„bleth For what matter is there I beséech you why the heauenly Iudge should be accused for yâ— he was not ignoraÌ„t of yâ— which was to come Therfore if there be anie iust or coulourable complaint it toucheth Predestination Neither ought it to serue an absurditie which I say that God foresawe not onley the fall of the first man in him the ruine of his posteritie but also disposed it after his own wil. For as it belongeth to his wisdome to foreknow all things that shall be So it belongeth to his power to rule gouerne all things with his handâ— And this question Augustine very well discusseth as â—e doth other saieng We must wholesomely confesse yâ— which we must rightly beleeue that the God and Lord of all things which created all things very good and foreknew that euill things should spring out of good and knew that it more perteined to his almightie goodnesse euen of euill things to doe well then not to suffer them to be euill That he so ordered the lyfe of Angels men that in it hée might first shew what frée will could doe then yâ— the benefit of his grace and iudgement could doe Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cap. 23. Sect. 7. They aske how it commeth to passe that of two betwéene whom no deseruing putteth any difference God in his election passeth ouer the one and taketh the other I â—on the other side do aske them whether they thinke that in him that is taken there is anie thing that may make the minde of God to encline toward him If they confesse as they néedes must that there is nothing it shall followe that God looketh not vppon man but from his owne goodnesse â—otâ—heth a cause why to do good to him Whereas therefore God chooseth one man refusing another this commeth not of respect of man but of his mercie alone which ought to haue libertie to shew forth and vtter it selfe where and when it pleaseth him For wee haue in an other place also shewed that there were not from the beginning manye called noble or wise or honourable that GOD might humble the pride of the flesh so farre is it off that his fauour was bound vnto persons Cal. in his Insti 3. b. cha 23. Sect. 10. Of Gods mercie and our vndeseruing in Predestination In giuing that vnto some which they doe not deserue he doth shew his frée mercie and grace but in not giuing it to al men hée doth declare what all did deserue He is good in shewing mercye to some he is iust in punishing the rest Places out of S. Austen for Predestination Christs shéepe heare his voice and he calleth his own shéepe by name for he hath their names written in the booke of lyfe he calleth his owne shéepe by name Héereof commeth it that the Apostle sayth The Lord knoweth who they be that be his Augustin his 45. treatise vpon Iohn I haue kept those that thou hast giuen me and no man of them is perished saue onely the childe of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled He that betraied Christ is called the son of perdition because he was prodestinate vnto destruction according to the Scripture which in the. 109. Psal. chiefely is prophesied of him August in his 107. treatise vpon Iohn Wherefore is that man or that man and wherefore is not that man and that man predestinate Aske not of mée I am a man I turne me to the depth of the Crosse I doe not enter farre in I am afraide I am no seacher in his iudgements are vnsearchable thou art a man I am a man it was a man that sayde O man what art thou that disputest with God Augustine in his Epistle to Paulinus 7. Sermon But thou wilt saye wherefore made hée mée to honour and an other to dishonour What shall I aunswere Wilt thou heare Augustine that wilt not heare the Apostle sayeng O man what art thou that disputest with God There are two lyttle children borne if thou séekest a due or a right both are made of one lumpe of perdition but wherefore the Mother beareth one to grace and the other choketh being asléepe What wilt thou saye vnto me what did he deserue that was â—â—oked vp by his mother in sleeping both of them deserued no good But the Potter hath power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour wilt thou dispute with me Rather wilt thou wonder and cry out with mée O the great depth of his riches let vs agrée together in feare least we perish in erâ—our Augustin in the same booke and. 12. Sermon The Predestination of God by no meanes doth make that the children of God should bée made the children of the Diuells oâ— of the temple of the holy Ghost the temple of Diuells or of the members of Christ the members of an harlot But rather Predestination doth make that of the children of the Diuell are made the children of God or of theâ— temples of diuells are made the temple of the holy Ghost oâ— of the members of an Harlot are made the members of CHRIST because he hath bounde the strong man and spoiled him of his armour Obiection If God doe finde all men guiltie let him punish them all alike If he finde them vnguiltie let him with-hold the rigour of his iustice from them all Aunswere Sith saith Saint Austen that in the first man all the whole 〈…〉 of mankinde did fall into condempnation the vessellâ— that are made of it vnto hoâ—our are nâ—â— the vessells of their owne righteousnesse but of the mercy of GOD and some are made vessells to dishonour it ought not to bée imputed vnto anye vnrighteousnesse or iniquitie but vnto iudgement Againe that God doth recompense due punishment vnto them whom he doth reproue and giueth vndeserued grace vnto them whome hée doth choose he is deâ—â—uered from all blame by the similitude of a creditour in whose power it lyeth to forgiue some the whole debt and to make the other to paye the vttermost farthing Therefore God maye giue his grace to whom he wil because that he is mercifull not giue it to al men because yâ— he is a righteous Iudge In giuing that vnto some which they do not deserue he 〈…〉 his free mercy and grace and not giuing it to all men he doth declare what we all doe deserue The similitude If a man hath many debters that do all owe vnto him the like summe of money doth it not lye in his power to forgiue some of them the whole debt and to make the other to paye to the vttermost farthing who canne laye anie thing to his charge if he will so doe Then marke we are debters vnto God for we haue all deserued euerlasting dampnation That then hée doth of his frée mercie
shew mercie and compassion is onely his blessed will and pleasure Proues of Gods will out of holy Scripture I will harden Pharaos heart and multiply miracles wonders in the land of Aegypt The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill I will shew mercie c. Which is expounded a little before Exo. 33. 19. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose grace which was giuen to vs through Christ before the world was ¶ Looke Predestination Calling Why. How we ought in all things to commit our selues to the will of God If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane ¶ In all our troubles and aduersities in diseases and sicknesse let vs put our selues wholly vnto Gods plesure and wil which knoweth best and will alwayes doe the thing that is expedient for his glory and the saluation of our soules Sir I. Cheeke VVILDERNESSE What is signified by wildernesse BUt the desart and wildernesse shall reioyce ¶ By the desarte and wildernes is signified the country of the heathen which were without grace and without the fruite of good and vertuous liuing Psa. 107. 33. It is a borrowed speach taken of the roughnesse and vnfruitfulnesse of the wildernesse T. M. ¶ He prophecieth of the full restoring of the Church both of the Iewes and Gentiles vnder Christ which shal be fully accomplished at the last day albeit as yet it is compared to a desart and wildernesse Geneua The barraine nature of mankinde shal be made fruitfull by grace promised in Christ. The Bible note How the Lord doth turne the wildernesse into riuers I turne the wildernes into riuers That is I make the doctrine of truth so generall and so easie to all men that whereas wer before wast wildernesses by which vnderstand the errors of the heathen wherwith they had made all vnfruitfull drye shall now by the grace of the Holy ghost be riuers of the water of veritie where all was full of Idolatrye of abhomination and of stinking errors ther shall the harts of the chosen be watered with godly wisdome through the Gospell glad tidings and shal be endued with faith whereby they may both profite themselues and other and so shall they be fruitfull Wildernes is often thus taken as before Esay 35. T. M. The meaning of this place following Wher shall we get so much bread in the wildernes We are all in a wildernesse so many as be in this vale of misery Christ is our Pastor shepheard which feedeth vs with his blessed word in the wildernesse that is to say among so many traditions of wherewith we are burdened S. I. Cheeke VVINE Of olde wine in new vessells NEither do we put new wine into olde vessells A mind that is nourished in blinde ceremonies superstition is not a méete vessell to receiue the pleasaunt wine of the gospel S. I. C. ¶ Olde wine was wont to be put after the manner of oyle into Goates skins euen as we do put it into our wine vessells They therfore that are skilfull in vintage or making of wine brew their new wine into new vessels for they which put new wine into olde vessells suffer double losse that is to say when the new wine worketh or spourgeth the vessells breake the wine perisheth Marl. fol. 135. What is signified by wine and oyle The oyle and wine see thou hurt not The dulcet wine and the fragrant oyle see thou hurt not saith the said voyce hinder not the word of God which is the swéet wine yâ— replenisheth the heart with gladnesse the wholsome oyle yâ— comforteth the soule in trouble delicious it is in aduersitie solatious in all weaknes Corrupt not the text with false gloses take not from vs the swéetnes therof defraud vs not of yâ— fruitfull sauor let the text be whole the fruit vncorrupt the iudgment right that shal well be if nothing be added vnto it nor nothing taken from it Bale What is signified by wine milke Come buy wine milk without any mony c. ¶ The word of God is called wine milke wine because it reioyceth the heart in that it pacifieth the conscience setteth it at rest milke because it nourisheth and increaseth the little ones in faith as ye haue 1. Pet. 2. 2. And as new borne babes desire the reasonable milke T. M. ¶ By waters wine milke and bread he meaneth all things necessary to the spirituall life as these are necessary to the corporall life Geneua The forbidding of wine and strong drinke Thou shalt not drinke wine nor strong drinke Some think that Nadab Abiu being ouercome with drink did not their ser-seruice lawfully wherevpon they thinke that this lawe of forbidding wine and strong drinke was made The Bible note How wine remaineth in the Sacrament He tooke the Cup and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it to them saieng Drinke ye all of it for this my bloud of yâ— new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes I say vnto you that I wil not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the vine vntill that day when I shall drink it new with you in the kingdome of my father ¶ Heere Christ himselfe calleth it the very fruit and generation of the grape as it was afore That it was wine saith Clement that was blessed at yâ— supper Christ himselfe shewed his disciples saieng I will no more drinke of the fruit of this vine vntill I shall drinke â— with you in the kingdome of my father Clem. de pedago li. 2. cap 2. The wine pressed out of clusters many â—rapes our Lord called his bloud Cipr. li. 3. Epist 6. Ther was wine in the mysterie or sacrament of our recâ—ption when our Lord said I will not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the vine Aug. de eccl dogmat ca. 75. Iewel fo 263. VVINDE What the foure windes doe signifie â—Olding the foure windes of the earth ¶ The spirit is compared to winde and the doctrine also and though ther be one spirit and one doctrine yet foure are heere named in respect of the diuersitie of the foure quarters of the earth where the Gospell is spread and for the foure writers thereof and the preachers of the same through the whole earth Geneua They withhold the foure windes of the earth the doctrine of the spirit which God hath sent to be blown the world ouer they withstand resist stop vexe and euermore persecute Bale How the preachers of the Gospell are likened to winde That the winde should not blow vpon the earth ¶ Like as the winde raiseth vp clouds openeth the earth moysteth it maketh it fruitfull maketh it to looke cheerefully with flowers fruits euen so the preaching of the Gospell shadoweth yâ— harts of earthly
5. 6. BATHES How bathes without God are of no force or vertue IF the Bathes that be in Swicerland◠in Iuliers in Sicilie in Valeria in England and diuers other countreies doe helpe those that are diseased the same is to be attrributed to the goodnesse of God For there is no earthlie things which haue in them any force or vertue to help men except they be made effectuall by the power of him is y◠Omnipotent Neuertheles those benefits which are giuen to vs by meanes are not to be contemned neither ought we to abuse them For all the giftes of God ought to be vsed to the glorie of God to our soules health and for the necessitie of our bodie But we must alwaies beware that we doe not ascribe that to Creatures which belongeth onelie to God Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 147. Of Bath a certaine measure And it contained two thousand Bath ¶ Bath Epha séeme to be both one measure Euerie Bath conteined ten pottels The Epha conteined in drie things that which Bath did in liquor Read Eze. 45. 10. Geneua BEELZABVB An Idoll whom the Philistines worshipped GOe and enquire of Beelzabub the God of Ekron ¶ The Philistines which dwelt at Ekron worshipped this Idoll which signifieth the God of flies thinking that he could preserue them from the biting of flies Or els he was so called because flies were ingendred in great abundance of the Sacrifices that were offered to that Idoll Geneua If they haue called the master of the house Beelzabub ¶ It was the name of an Idoll which signified the God of Flies and in despite thereof was attributed to the Diuell and the wicked called Christ by this name Geneua BEHEMOTH What beast this is thought to be THe word Behema signifieth simplie a Beast and vnder that name are Oxen al other Beasts comprehended Héere it is said in the plurall number Looke vpon Behemoth whom I created with them◠although y◠word Behemoth be the plurall number in the Hebrue yet it is spoken wit of one Beast no moe Howbeit forasmuch as God meant to betoken héere one sort of beasts that is the cause why he setteth Behemoth in the plural number Neuertheles it cannot be coniectured what kinde or beast it is that he speaketh except it be an Elephant by reason of the hugenesse of that beasts bodie c. Caluine vpon Iob. fol. 730. ¶ The Hebrues vnderstand by Behemoth the greatest beast in the earth that is an Elephant Other vnderstand thereby anie earthlie beast that is great but vnto an Elephant doe all the properties héere recited right well agrée wherfore it séemeth most agréeable to the truth that by the word by signified in Elephant T. M. BELEEVE What it is to beleeue TO beléeue is not to doubt of the promises of God but rather to be fullie perswaded of the promises of God that as God hath promised so shall it vndoubtedly chaunce vnto vs. Basill ¶ To beléeue is certainlie to be perswaded and assured in minde through the holie Ghost that by the Lord Iesus we are purged from our sinnes and made the children of God that by his mans nature we are made pertakers of his Diuinitie by his mortalitie we haue obtained immortalitie by his cursse euerlasting blessing by his death life brieflie that by his descending into the earth we ascend into heauen Traheron ¶ To beléeue in the name of Christ is to receiue him as the Sonne of God and the Sauiour of the whole world which is done of vs when we depende whollie vppon him by a sincere faith and trust and commit our selues whollie as disciples vnto him c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 18. ¶ To beléeue in God is to be sure that all thou hast is of him and all thou néedest must come of him Which if thou doe thou canst not but continuallie thanke him for his benefites which continuallie without ceasing receiuest of his hande and therto euer crie for helpe for thou art euer in néede canst no where els be holpen And thy neighbour is in such necessitie also wherefore if thou loue him it will compell the◠to pittie him and to crie to God for him continuatlie and to thanke as well for him as thy selfe Tindale fol. 238. How it is prophecied that few will beleeue Christs words Who will beléeue our report and to whom is the Arme of the Lord reuealed The Prophet sheweth that very few shall receiue this their preaching of Christ of their deliuerance by him Iohn 12. 38. Rom. 10. 16. And that none can beléeue but whose hearts God toucheth with the vertue of his holie spirit Geneua Lord who hath beléeued our report ¶ Meaning the Gospell and the good tidings of saluation which they preached Geneua How men are driuen to beleeue through the workes of God Then beléeued they his workes ¶ The wonderfull workes of God caused them to beléeue for a time and praise him Geneua The meaning of this place following He that beléeueth shall not make hast ¶ He shall be quiet and séeke none other meanes but be content with Christ. Geneua I beléeued therfore did I speake ¶ I felt all these things therfore was moued in faith to confesse thē 2. Co. 4. 13. Geneua BEAME What this beame signifieth O Hypocrite cast out first the Beame that is in thine owne eie c. ¶ Thou vnderstandest all Gods lawes falselie and therefore thou kéepest none of them trulie his lawes require mercie and not Sacrifice moreouer thou hast a false intent in all thy workes that thou doest and therefore are they all damnable in the sight of God Hipocrite cast out the Beame that is in thine owne eie learne to vnderstand the law of God truly and to doe thy workes aright and for the intent that God ordeined them and then thou shalt sée whether thy brother haue a mote in his eie or not and if he haue how to plucke it out or els not Tindale fol. 237. BENEDICT Why he is set among the Heretikes THis man was the first founder of the order commonlie called Saint Benedicts and died saith Volateran li. 21. in the yeare of our Lord. 518. He was the first and the onelie deuiser of a seuerall trade of life within y◠first 600. yeares after Christ and because he presumed to inuent a new waie which all the godlie Fathers before him neuer thought of I saith the Authour laied him heere downe for a Schismatike couched him in this Catalogue of Heretikes BERILL The description of Berill and what is betokened thereby THe eight a Berill ¶ This stone glittereth like water when the Sunne shineth vpon it and it is said to heate the hand of him that holdeth it It betokeneth men enlightened with the grace of the holie Ghost which bring other to the loue of heauenlie things by preaching and teaching the same grace Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. ¶ The Berill is of a pale
spoken of in the same that in the flame they felt no heate and in the fire they felt no consumption And I constantlie beléeue that howsoeuer the stubble of this my bodie shall be wasted by it yet my soule spirit shall be purged thereby A paine for a time whereon nowithstanding followeth ioie vnspeakable And he much intreated of this place of Scripture Noli timere c. Feare not for I haue redéemed thée and called thée by name Thou art mine owne when thou goest through the water I will bée with thée and the strong floud shall not ouerthrow thée when thou walkest in the fire it shall not burne thée and the flame shall not kindle vpon thée for I am the Lord thy God the holie one of Israel Which he did most comfortablie intreat off as well in respect of himselfe as appling it to the perticular vse of his friendes there present Of whom some tooke such swéet fruit therein that they caused the whole sayd sentence to be faire written in tables and some in their bookes the comfort whereof in diuerse of them was neuer taken from them to their dieng daie In the booke of Mar. fol 1131. His aunswere to a proude Papist BIlney béeing demaunded in dirision by a proud Papist when hée went to his death whie hée wrought no Myraâ—les béeing so holy a man as he was accompted aunswered with milde voice and countenance God onely sayd he worketh myracles wonders he it is that hath wrought this one wonder in your eies that I being wroÌ„gfullie accused falslie belied opprobriouslie and spitefullie handled imprisonned buffeted and condmned to the fire yet hitherto haue I not once opened my mouth with one ill word against anie of you This passeth the worke of nature and is therefore the manifest miracle of God who will by my suffering and death be glorified and haue his truth enhaunced Of the Bill of diuorcement ¶ Looke Diuorcement BINDING AND LOOSING What is meant heereby TO binde and loose is to preach the lawe of God and the Gospel or promises as thou maist sée in the third chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians wher Paule calleth the preaching of the lawe the ministration of death and damnation and the preaching of the promises the ministring of the spirit and of righteousnesse For when the lawe is preached al men are found sinners and therefore dampned And when the Gospell of glad tidings are preached then are all that repent and beléeue found righteous in Christ c. Tindale fol. 150. Whatsoeuer ye binde on earth c. ¶ That is whatsoeuer ye condemne by my word in earth the same is condempned in heauen And that ye allow by my word in earth is allowed in heauen Tindale In the. 16. Chapter verse 19. he meant this of doctrine and héere of Ecclesiasticall discipline which dependeth of the doctrine Geneua ¶ To binde is to banish the stifnecked and vnrepentant sinner from the congregation of the Saints to loose is when he repenteth and submitteth himselfe to receiue him againe into the fellowship of the elect and chosen people of God Sir I. Chee ¶ God in promising men the forgiuenesse of their sinnes giueth charge and commission to the ministers of his worde to drawe them from death according as it is expreslie saide that the keies of the kingdome of heauen are coÌ„mitted so those which preach the gospell to what end To forgiue sinnes not of their owne authoritie but to the intent that the wretched man bée the better assured of their saluation and not doubt but God receiueth them to mercie Cal. â—pon Iob. fol. 592. BISHOP What a Bishop and his office is IF a man couet the office of a Bishoppe he desireth a good worke c. ¶ Bishop is as much to say as séer to or an ouer séer Which when he desireth to féede Christs flocke with the foode of health that is with his holie word as the Bishops did in Paules time desireth a good work and the verie office of a Bishop But he that desireth honour gapeth for lucre thirsteth great rentes séeketh preheminence pompe dominion coueteth abundance of al things without want rest and hearts ease castles parkes Lordships Earledomes c. desireth not a worke much lesse a good worke and is nothing lesse then a Bishop as Saint Paule héere vnderstandeth a Bishop Tind How Bishops were chosen In choosing of Bishops the people had their libertie long preserued that none should be thrust in that were not accepted of all This therfore was forbidden in the counsell at Antioch that none should be thrust in to them against their wil Which thing also Leo the first doth diligentlie confirme Héerevpon came these saiengs Let him be chosen whom the Clergie and the people or the greater number shal require Againe let him that shall beare the rule ouer all be chosen of all For it must needs be the he that is made a ruler being vnknowne and not examined is thrust in by violence Againe let him be chosen by the Clarks and desired by the people and let him be consecrate by them of that prouince with the iudgemeÌ„t of the Metropolitane The holy Fathers tooke so great héed that the libertie of the people should by no meanes be diminished that when the generall Synode gathered together at Constantinople did ordeine Nectarius they would not doe it without the allowance of the whole Clergy and people As they testified by thrée Epistles to the Synode at Rome Therfore when anie Bishop did appoint a successor to himselfeâ— it was none otherwise stablished vnlesse yâ— who le people did confirme it Whereof you haue not onely an example but also yâ— verie forme in Augustine in the naming of Gradius And Theodorâ—te when he reheraseth that Peter was named by Athanasius to bée his successor by by addeth yâ— the elders of Priests confirmed it the magistrate nobility the people approued it with their allowing shoute Caluine in his insti 4. â— Chap. 4. Sect. 11. Of the ordination of Bishops and Ministers The ordination of Bishops hath nothing proper or peculiar besides fruits commodities that necessarilie depend therof for it is the decrée of the Lord that of them to whome they minister the secrets and mysteries of the heauenlie life they receiue the things that belong to the necessarie vses and maintenaunce of this lyfe As Saint Paule plainlie proueth to the Corinthians 1. Chapter 9. from the. 4. verse to the. 15. And the 1. to Timothie 5. 17. 18. And to the Gal. 6. 6. which thing also Christ teacheth Mat. 10. 10. Luke 10. 17. So the this is the iust right lawe of God that the Bishoppes or ministers are to bée mainteined of the Churches and such a measure is to be kept the they be neither pressed with ouer great néed nor runne riot with too much excesse for in either of them a regard is to bée had to the calling of a
intent that we should followe him and thereby haue purgation for our sinnes For beside that it is impossible to followe him without an especiall worke of the spirit either in that he fasted fortie daies or in that he was neuer hungrie This were a plaine deniall of the benefits of his passion and the setting vp of our owne worke which is vnperfect For what great matter is it to eate meate but once euerie daie to drink two or thrée times many haue so liued in old yâ— time And what holines is it to eat fish onelie do not Cormerants and such as liue by the sea side liue so like wise Christ hath commaunded vs to followe him in loue peace mercie such like But in this example as a thing impossible we haue no such commaundement except we be drawne into wildernesse by the spirit as Christ was or by anie other worke of God we be destitute of food the comfort of creatures Then loe yâ— example of Christ may strength vs teach that not by bread onelie doe we liue but by euerie word that procéed out of the mouth of God A. G. fol. 187. Why Christ is called holie ¶ Looke Holie Why Christ is called true ¶ Looke True Why Christ was borne of a woman Whie was Christ borno of a woman truelie because â—nne and death ouerflowed the world through the first woman hee worketh the mysterie of life and righteousnesse by an other woman that the blame of sinne should not be imputed to the creature which is good but to the will by which Eue sinned R. Hutehynson Why Christ died for vs. And I was dead ¶ This cannot be verified of the Angels because they be inuisible and immortall spirits But Christ to obeie his Father and to wash awaye the sinnes of mankinde was contented to yéeld himself to death for a time to the intent that he might at length by death destroie him that had yâ— power of death that is to wit the diuell and set them at libertie which for feare of death were subiect to bondage all their lyfe long Heb. 2. 14. 15 for euen from the beginning God purposed vpon the sacrifice wherin Christ the true shepheard of all men gaue his life for his sheepe Iohn 10. 15. 17. And like as Christ the head of the Church entered into his glorie by death Luke 24. 26. So becommeth it all the godlie to die with him that they maie be glorified together with him according as Paule teacheth Rom. 8. 17. 2. Timo. 2. 12. 13. and Acts. 14. 22. Marl. fol. 27. Christ died for vs. ¶ They alleadge also that Christ died for vs all and thereof they inferre that his benefits is common to all men which thing we also will easilie graunt if onelie the worthinesse of the death of Christ be considered for as touching it it might be sufficient for al the sinnes of the world but although in it selfe it bée sufficient yet it neither had nor hath nor shall haue effect in all men which thing the schoolemen also confesse when they affirme that Christ hath redéemed all men sufficientlie but not effectuallie for there vnto it is necessarie that the death of Christ be healthfull vnto vs that we take holde of it which cannot otherwise be done then by â—aith which faith is the gift of God and not giuen to all men Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 305 Obiection why did Christ choose to die vpon the crosse before other kinde of death Aunsvvere Truly because this kinde of death is accursed all that die on it as it is written Cursed is euerie one that hangeth on tree for so it commeth to passe that Christ was accursed for vs to deliuer vs from Gods curse as Paule saith Christ hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law in that he was made accursed for vs. R. Hutchynson The time and houre of Christs crucifieng One of the Euangellsts saith yâ— Christ was crucified the third houre the other the sixt houre Augustine affirmeth both to be true for yâ— Iews at the third houre cried Crucifie crucifie wherefore as touching them they slue the Lord then who yet was afterward at the sixt houre crucified by the souldiers of Pilate Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 166. Of Christs calling vpon God in his passion My God my God whâ—e hast thou forsaken me ¶ NotwithstaÌ„nding yâ— he feeleth himselfe as it were wounded with Gods wrath forsaken for our sinnes yet he ceaseth not to put his confidence in God and call vpon him which is written to teach vs in all afflictions fo trust still in God be the assalts neuer so greeuous vnto the flesh Geneua How Christ baptised and baptised not Though that Iesus himselfe baptised not but his disciples ¶ It is said in the 22. verse of the chapter going before yâ— Christ was in Iewrie that he there baptised the which Saint Iohn heere expoundeth saieng that he baptised by his disciples Therefore the Lord baptised baptised not For he baptised because it was he yâ— cleansed washed purified the sinne He baptised not bicause he vsed not the outward sacrament of dipping or ducking in the water The Disciples vsed the ministerie of the bodie And he ioyned therewith his maiestie grace Therfore the Lord baptised by the ministerie of his Disciples Marl. fol. 10â— Of Christs humanitie The Marin Vigilius saith Dei filius secundu humanitatem c. The sonne of God according to his manhood is departed from vs according to his Godhead he is euer with vs. Vigilius li 2. contra Euti Cyrillus saith Secundum carnem c. according to the flesh onelie he would depart but by the presence of his Godhead he is euer present Cyrillus in Iohn li. 9. cap. 21. Gregorie saith Verlium incarnatâ—m manet recaedet c. The word incarnate both abâ—deth with vs and departeth from vs. It abideth with vs by the Godhead it departeth from vs by the bodie or manhood â— Gregorie de pasc homi 30. Augustin saith Ibat per id quod home erat c. Christ departed by yâ— he was maÌ„ abode by yâ— he was God He departed by that yâ— he was in one place he abod by yâ— yâ— he was in al places The heauens saith Saint Peter must containe and holde him vntill the time that all things bée restored Act. 3. 21. Cyrillus saith Christus non poterat c. Christ could not be conuersant with his Apostles in his flesh after he ascended vnto the Father Cyril in Iohn li. 11. chap. 3. Of Christs descending into hell three opinions Lyra saith yâ— Christs soule was 39. houres in Lymbo sanctoru patrum In yâ— place wher yâ— soules of yâ— holie Patriarks wer reserued kept till Christs coÌ„ming he saith yâ— Christs soule was 39. houres in yâ— place which he calleth Lymbus yâ— is to saie froÌ„ yâ— 9. houre
seconde Chapter to the Hebrewes doth alleadge this vearse of the Prophet to this purpose and intent to proue that Christ tooke the same nature of man vpon him that we haue This is a verie truth that I doe now teach saith Saint Paule Qui sanctificat qui sanctificabitur ex vno omnes that is both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one Christus sanctificat purgat abluat emundat nos nos vero mortales sanctificamor illum per Christum And this Christ which by the morites of his bitter passion doth sanctifie vs and wée which are sanctified be all of one what is that to saie we come all of Adam concerning the nature and vertue of flesh and bloud Christ came of Adam as well as we and that is the cause why S. Luke describeth the pedegrâ—e of Christ after the flesh he beginneth at Ioseph qui putabat illius pater which Ioseph saith Saint Luke was thought to be Christs Father This Ioseph was the sonne of Hely Hely was the sonne of Mathat which was the sanne of Leâ—â— And so he descendeth in order vntill he come to Adam signifieng thereby that Christ concerning yâ— flesh came of Adam as wel as we And that is the thing which S. Paul saith Qui sanctificat et qui saÌ„ctificatur ex vno omnes so they yâ— sanctifie they yâ— be sanctified by Christ come all of one nempe Adamo that is to wit of Adam Propter quam causam Christus non confidetur vocare nos Fratics For the which cause Christ is not ashamed saith S. Paule notwithstanding we be sinners to call vs his brethren according as it is written Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis I will set out spread thy name among my bretheren not bretheren only by affection as when Christ saith Mater mea fratres mei hij sunt qui verbum Dei audiunt faciunt but my bretheren because they be made of the same kinde of flesh and bloud that I am my bretheren because they come of Adam as I doe Ric. Turnar ¶ We cannot haue God to be our father vnlesse we acknowledge Christ to be our brother c. Saint Ambrose saith Hée is our Mouth by the which wée speake to the Father our Eie by the which wée sée the Father our right hande by which wée offer vs vnto the Father The lieng of Christ in the Stall expounded Chrisostome saith As Christ was in the Stall so is he now vpon the Altar And as he was sometimes in the womans armes so is he now in the Priests hands ¶ Erue it is that Christ was there Christ is héere but not in one or like manner of being For he was in the stall by bodilie presence vpon the holie Table he is by waie of a Sacrament The woman in hir armes helde him reallie the Priest in his hands holdeth him in a mysterie So saith Saint Paule Christ dwelleth in our hearts and no doubt the same Christ that laie in the Stall It is one and the same Christ but the difference standdeth in the manner of his beeing there For in the stall he laie by presence of his bodie in our hearts he heth by presence of faith Chrisostome saith that Christ heth vpon the Altar as the Seraphins with their tonges touch our lips with the coales of the Altar in heauen which is an Hiperboricall loquution of which Chrisostome is full Bradford in the booke of Martirs How Christ is called the Rocke ¶ Looke Rocke What it is to put on Christ according to the Gospell The putting on of Christ according to the Gospell consisteth not in Imitation but in a new Birth and a new Creation That is to saie in putting on of Christs innorenâ—ie his righteousnesse his wisedome his power his saâ—ing health his life and his spirit We are clothed with the leather coate of Adam which is a 〈…〉 garment and a garment of Sinne that is to saie We are all subiect to Sinne all solde vnder Sinne. There is in vs horible blindnesse ignoraunce contempt and hatred of God moreouer euill concupiscense vncleannesse couetousnesse c. This garment that is to saie this corrupt and sinfull nature we receiued from Adam which Saint Paule is wont to call the olde man This olde man must wée put off with all his workes Ephe. 4. 22. That of the Children of Adam wée maie bée made the Children of GOD. This is not done by chaunging of a garment or by anie lawes or workes but by a new birth by the renuing of the inward man which is done in Baptime as Paule saith All ye that are baptised haue put on Christ. Also according to his mercie hath he saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renuing of the holie Ghost Tit. 3 5. Besides that they which are baptised are regenerate renued by the holie Ghost to a heauenly righteousnesse and to eternall life there riseth in them also a new light and a new flame there rise in them new and holie affections as the feare of God true faith assured hope c. There beginneth also in them a new will And this is to put on Christ according to the Gospell Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 167. How Christ first loued vs and not we him Who loued me and gaue himselfe for me ¶ Paule saith héere that first he began and not we He euen he saith Paule loued me and gaue himselfe for me as if he had said he found in me no good will or right vnderstanding but this good Lord had mercie vpon me He sawe me to be nothing els but wicked going astraie contemning God and flieng from him more and more yea rebelling against God taken led and caried awaie captiue of the Diuell Thus of his méere mercie preuenting my reason my will and my vnderstanding he loued me so loued me that he gaue himselfe for me to the ende that I might be free from the Law Sin the Diuell and Death c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 82. How Christs corporall presence is hurtfull I tell you truth it is expedient for you that I goe awaie ¶ The corporall presence of Christ is hurtfull vnto men and that through their owne fault For why they are too much addicted vnto it Therefore his flesh must be taken awaie from vs that we maie waxe and increase in the spirite therefore they are farre out of the waie that dreame in the mysticall bread and wine a bodilie presence Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The absence of Christ according to the flesh is profitable to the Church that we maie wholie depend vpon the spirituall power Camerarius How Christ is God by these prooues following First almightie God said let vs make man in our owne Image and after our likenesse Which words no doubt doe signifie vnto vs the Triplicitie of the persons in the Godhead which are thrée distinct in name
iustifieth he God praiseth God Tindale fol. 380 Where the name of Christian began The Disciples at Antioch were the first that were called Christians ¶ They that beléeued in Christ were afore this called Disciples and beganne first to be named Christians at Antioch which name we haue of our Lord Iesus Christ in whom we beléeue and béeing pertakers of his spirite doe reioyce in our saluation purchased vnto vs by him Therfore we must take héede that we doe not by our vncleane conuersation pollute and defile this most excellent name and so giue occasion vnto the heathen for to misreport and blaspheme it Sir I. Cheeke A Christian after the Popes religion After the Popes Catholike religion a true Christen man is thus defined First to be baptised in the Latine tongue where the Godfathers professe they cannot tell what Then confirmed by the Bishop the mother of the childe to be purified After he be growne in yeares then to come to the Church to kéepe his fasting daies to fast the Lent to come vnder Benedicite that is to be confessed to the Priest to do his penance At Caster to take his rightes to heare Masse diuine seruice to set vp candles before Images to creepe to the Crosse to take holie bread and holie water to go on Procession to carrie his Palmes and Candles and to take Ashes to fast the Imber-daies and vigils to kéepe his holie daies and to paie his tiths and offering daies to go on pilgrimage to buie pardons to worship his maker ouer the Priests head to receiue the Pope for his supreame head and to obeie his lawes to receiue S. Nicholas Clarkes to haue his beads and to giue to the high Altar to take orders if he will be a Priest to saie his Mattins to sing his Masse to lift vp faire to kéepe his vowe and not to marrie when he is sicke to be anealed and take the rightes of holie Church to be buried in the Churchyard to be rong for to be song for to be buried in a Friers coate to finde a soule Priest c. Booke of Mar. fol. 44. How the Christian maie warrant himselfe the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Saint Hilarie in his 5. Canon vpon Mathew saith It is Gods will that we should hope without anie doubting of his vnknowne will for if the beliefe be doubtfull there can be no righteousnesse obteined by beleeuing And thus we see that according to S. Hilarie a man obteineth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand except he beléeue vndoubtedly to obteine it And good right it is it shuld be so For he that doubteth is like a waue of the sea which is tossed turmoiled with the winde And therefore let not such a one thinke to obteine anie thing at Gods hand Let such foolish imaginations saith Saint Austen murmure as much as it listeth saieng Who are they How great is that glorie By what desert hopest thou to obteine it I answere assuredlie I know in whom I haue beléeued I know that he of his great goodnes hath made me his sonne I know he is true of his promise and able to performe his word for he can doe what he will And when I thinke vppon the Lordes death the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismaie me for in his death doe I put all my trust His death is my whole desart it is my refuge it is my saluation my life and resurrection the mercie of the Lorde is my desart I am not poore of desart so long as the Lord of mercie faileth me not And sith the mercies of the Lord are manie manie are also my deseruinges The more he is of power to saue the more am I sure to bée saued The same Saint Austen talking with God in an other place saith that he had dispaired by reason of his great sinnes and infinit negligences if the worde of God had not become flesh And anone after he saith these wordes All my hope all the assuraunce of my trust is setteled in his precious bloud which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him my poore heart taketh breath putting my whole trust in him I long to come vnto thée O Father not hauing mine owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of thy sonne Iesus Christ. In these two places S. Austen sheweth plainlie that the Christian must not be afraide but assure himselfe of righteousnesse by grounding himselfe not vpon his owne workes but vppon the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and maketh our peace with God S. Barnard in his first sermon vpon the Annuntiation saith most euidentlie the it is not inough to beléeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of his sinnes but by Gods mercie nor anie one good desire or abilitie to doe so much as one good worke except God giue it him no nor that a man can deserue eternall life by his workes but if God giue him the gift to beléeue But beside all these things saith Saint Barnard which ought rather to be counted a certeine enteraunce and foundation of our faith It is néedfull that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen thée for the loue of Iesus Christ c. CHVRCH What a Church or the Church is To the seauen Churches ¶ A Church is properlie a Companie or Congregation of Christen folkes redéemed by the bloud of Christ which suffer themselues to be ruled by Gods word and are alwaies in this world mingled with the vngodlie vnbeléeuers therefore being knowne onelie vnto God They be preserued vnder the protection of Christ their Shepheard that they maie not perish with this world Therfore wheresoeuer we sée Gods word sincerely preached heard and the Sacraments ministred according to Christs institution it is not to be doubted but ther is some church of God considering that his promise cannot deceiue which is Wheresoeeuer two or thrée be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Marl. fol. 7. If we take the Church in generall it signifieth assembly or companie But when we speake of the Church of God wée take it not onelie for the assemblie and companie of all sorts of people but for a companie and assemblie of men the which God hath chosen from others hath consecrated and sanctified them vnto himselfe in his sonne Iesus Christ by his holie spirit for this cause she is called holie the coâ—â—â—union of saints they be all the true faithfull which by faith are made members of Iesus Christ which is the holie one of holinesse the which hath giuen his holie spirit to his Church to sanctifie it And therefore S. Paule doth call all Christians saints Viret The verie true Church of God is not a felowship gathered in a consent of exterior thing and ceremonies as other politike felowships be but it is a felowship gathered together in the vnitie of faith hauing the holie Ghost within them to
holy Ghost yâ— saluation is laid vp in store for vs because God forgiueth sins he himselfe giueth merits and he himselfe giueth rewards that we may not â—aie still in this beginning Cal. in his Insti 3. b. chap. 2. Sect. 4. From faith to faith what it is For by it the righteousnesse of God is knowne from faith to faith ¶ From faith to faith yâ— is from an vnperfect faith to a perfect faith from a weake faith to a strong faith or from one battel of faith to an other For as we haue escaped one ieoperdie through faith an other inuadeth vs through which we must wade by the helpe of faith also Tindale How the faith that saued the olde fathers shall saue vs. Looke Abraham How Faith is a worke Faith is a worke therefore will some saie we be iustified by works but yâ— answere of the which so say auaileth not because loue also other vertues be the works of God yet are we not iustified by them The maior is not so to be vnderstood we be not iustified by faith because it is a worke or qualitie in vs but because it leaneth vpon mercie receiueth mercie And this saieng we be iustified with faith must be vnderstoode by the waie of a comparison that is to saye by mercie we bée pronounced iust but it must bée receiued with faith Although then faith be a worke or new qualitie in vs yet we bée not iustified by the worthinesse thereof for this faith is as yet vnperfect like as other vertues be but we be iustified by that thing wherevpon faith leaneth and the which faith receiueth that is to saye for Christs sake Out of a booke called the Summe of Diuinitie Of Faith before workes ¶ Looke Cornelius How Faith is perfect Faith is perfect when it receiueth and taketh holde of Christ perfect And yet it hath néede of increasement to the intent it maie become full in all his partes The man that saide Lorde I beléeue had perfect faith and yet was it greatâ—â—e increased afterward Likewise Peter had a perfect faith when he saide Lorde whether shall I goe c. Which faith of Peter was much more increased after he had receiued the holie Ghost at Whitsontide c. How Faith ouercommeth the world Faith is not an idle assent or thought but it is a stoute Gyaunt which as Saint Iohn saith ouercommeth the world but how Euen through the conquerour Christ which it possesseth How Faith and inuocation are inseparable No man commeth to Christ as to a Sauiour nor calleth vppon him but hée that beléeueth vppon him for like as no man beléeueth but he that heareth so no man calleth vppon him but hée that beléeueth Rom. 10. 17. Faith and inuocation are so knitte together that ye maie sooner separate the heate from the fire then plucke them asunder one from an other Hemmyng How Faith is called the marriage Garment Faith in Christes bloud maketh the marriage betweene our soules and Christ and is properlie called the marriage garment or the signe Thau Tindale Of Faith Loue and Hope Obiection If Faith Loue and Hope be thrée vertues inseparable then faith onelie iustifieth not Aunswere Though Faith Hope and Loue be thrée vertues inseparable in this lyfe yet haue they separable and sundrie offices in effectes As heate and drieth bée inseparable in the fire haue yet their separable operations for the drieth onelye expelleth the moistnesse of all that is consumed in the fire and heat onelye destroieth all coldenesse for drieth and colde maie stande together and so maie heate and moistnesse It is not all one to say the drieth onelie and the drieth that is alone Nor all one to saie Faith onelie and Faith that is alone The office of Faith Faith onelie which is a sure and vndoubted trust in Christ and in the father through him certifieth the conscience that the sinne is forgiuen and the dampnation and imposibilitie of the lawe taken awaye c. And with such perswasions mollifieth the heart and maketh her loue GOD againe and his lawe And as oft as we sinne Faith onelie keepeth vs that we forsake not our profession and that loue vtterlie quench not and hope faile and onelie maketh the peace againe For a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ onelie not in his own merits or works or ought els for the remission of sins Tindale What one mans faith doth profit in other Obiection When as Christ by the faith of the hearers healed the man sicke of the palsie it is demaunded of some in this place of Mathew what one manâ— faith doth profit an other Aunswere First of all we know for certeine that the faith of Abraham did profit his posteritie wheÌ„ as he embraced yâ— couenant promise made to him and his séede The like we ought to iudge in all the faithfull because by their faith they spread out the grace of God to their children posteritie and that before they bée borne And also the same taketh place in children young infants who for want of age are not apt to haue faith But they which are ripe of yeares whose faith is insufficient whether they be straungers or of yâ— same line or kinred an other mans faith in respect of the eternall saluation of the soule doth nothing profit them but onelie mediate Marl. fol. 173. And when Iesus sawe the faith of them ¶ And also his faith the had the palsie for except we haue faith our sinnes cannot be forgiuen Geneua ¶ That the faithfull maie praie for me offer me vnto God with their faithfull praiers yet vnles I haue faith my selfe I cannot be saued for the righteous liueth with his owne faith Abac. 2. 4. Rom. 1. 17. Sir I. Cheeke The Centurion beléeued his seruant was healed ¶ Of this we may learne yâ— the godly by their faith maie obteine corporal benfits for other but to be saued with eternall saluation by an other mans faith it caÌ„not be for no man can be saued without his owne faith Hemmyng ¶ Againe As one man by his wisdome may make an other man proue wise so he yâ— beléeueth may by his faith obtein faith for other men But as no man is wise by another mans wisdome but by his owne so is no man saued by an other mans faith but by his owne Hemmyng How faith is taken in these places following If I had all faith so that c. ¶ Héere faith is taken for the power to do myracles For when faith is taken for that assured trust in God through the bloud of Iesus Christ it can in no wise be without charitie and loue Sir I. Cheeke Faith is héere takeÌ„ for yâ— vse of doing miracles which the wicked may haue as Mat. 7. 22. also for yâ— faith called historical which beléeueth yâ— mighty power of Christ but caÌ„not apprehend gods mercy wtout him And this diuels haue Iames. 2. 19. therefore is separate from charitie but
the faith that iustifieth in effect cannot As. 1. Iohn 2. 9. Geneua Hast thou faith haue it with thy selfe before God ¶ He speaketh to him saith Origen which knoweth beléeueth that all kinde of meats are now frée through Christ. Let him vse this his faith towards God giue thanks to him And let him not by reason of his faith campell an other man to eate with a wauering resisting conscience And let the same man haue his â—aith with himselfe let him not boast of it to the hurt of his neighbour Neither let him with ouermuch licenciousnesse vse what meats he list Paule seemeth by a certein preuencion to answere to those which said they would liue freelie and defend the faith which they had receiued Paule aunswereth haue thou this faith before God kéep it to thy selfe Pet. Mar. vpoÌ„ the Rom. foâ— 441 ¶ Faith héere is taken for a full perswasion of the christian libertie in things indifferent as the Apostle interpreteth it in the 14. verse where he saith I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that ther is nothing vncleane of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth anie thing to be vncleane to him it is vncleane Geneua If ye haue saith like â—graine of mustard séed c. ¶ But least anie man should by by gather as certeine peruerse men do that whosoeuer hath faith as a graine of mustard séed maie remoue mountaines doe all things else say we beléeue therefore that we are able 〈…〉 all things yea if néed be to remoue mountains also to cast out euill spirits we must note of what faith the Lord speaketh heere let vs vnderstand therefore yâ— ther are thrée kindes of faith The first is that by the which certeine things are beléeued to be such as they are declared to be in the Scriptures As in Scripture we heere yâ— ther is one God being omnipotent the creatour of all things this faith is called an historicall faith The second is yâ— which we beléeue the promises of God apprehend yâ— mercy grace of God in Christ Iesu this faith is said to be a iustifieng faith The third is that by the which a man doth firmeliâ— beléeue that ther is nothing impossible vnto God the minde armed by a certeine inspiration of the spirit to doe meruailous things this is called the faith of myracles The first kinde of faith is most general insomuch yâ— it perâ—eâ—eth euen to the wicked with the which faith also Satan is indued as appeareth by the words of the Apostle Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou dost well the diuels also beleeue tremble The second kinde of faith perâ—eineith onlie to the elect chosen of God as witnesseth the Apostle Paule in his Epistle to Titus by the which faith we are made members of Christs bodâ— are saued Of this â—aith Christ speaketh not heere neither doe al they the haue the same wâ—â—â— miracles straight way The third kind of â—aith perleineth so certein christians that not at all times but it hath a certeine consideratioÌ„ also This faith maie also be called a perticular of speciall faith it is no doubt a singuler gift of the holie Ghost as S. Paule teacheth saieng To some faith is giuen by the same spirit the which truly cannot be said of the iustifieng faith which perteineth not to a certeine onely but vnto all the elect and chosen of God This faith saueth no man neither doth it change the hearts of men therfore it is such a faith as is also giuen vnto the wicked therfore we haue alredie heard in the 7. chapter going before how the wicked at the day of iudgement shall say vnto Christ Lord Lord haue we not prophesied in thy name by thy name cast out diuels done manie miracles in thy name To whom it shall be answered I neuer knew you depart froÌ„me ye the worke iniquitie And in an other place the Apostle saith If I had all faith so the I could remoue mountains haue no loue it is nothing Of this faith Christ speaketh héere wher he saith If ye haue faith like a graine of mustard seed Mar. fo 387. Of the faith of lnfants Indéed saith S. Austen albeit the faith which doth consist in the will of the beléeuers do not make the childe faithfull yet the sacrament of the faith doth make him â—aithfull for it is answered that he doth beléeue so he is called also faithful not by censenting in minde to the matters itselfe but by receiuing the sacrament of the verie same matter effect And in an other place he saith This word of saith is of so great strength in the church of Christ the it doth cleanse the infant by him that doth beléeue offer blesse and wâ—â—h him neuer so little although he 〈…〉 not yet able to beléeue in heart to righteousnesse and to confesse in mouth vnto saluatâ—â— Thus â—â—saith he Epi. 2â— ad ques Bonifacâ—â— Whaâ— the faith of hypocrits is The faith of hipocrits is yâ— god forgiueth works deserueth and the same false faith in their owne works raineth the mercy promised to the merits of their own works so is Christ vtterlie excluded Tindale fol. 187. Of two manner of faithsâ— There be two manner of faiths an historicall faith a feeling â—aith The historicall faith hangeth of the truth and honestie of the telâ—er or of the common fame and consent of manie As if one had tolde me the Turke had wonne a cidie I beléeued â—o moued with the honestie of thelmâ—n Now if â—here come another yâ— seemeth more honest or that hath better 〈…〉 that it is not so I thinke immediatlie the he lied so loose my faith againe And a feeling faith is as if a man wer ther present when it wer won there were wounded had ther lost all yâ— he had were taken prisoner there alsoâ— that man should so beléeue that all the world could not turne him from his faith Tindale fol. â—66 A comparison betweene Faith and Incrudelitie Faith is the root of all good Incrudelitie is the root of al euil Faith maketh God man friends Incrudelitie maketh them foes Faith bringeth god man togethers Incrudelitie sundreth theÌ„ All the faith doth pleaseth God All the incrudelitie both disuleseth God Faith onely maketh a man god 〈…〉 〈…〉 only maketh him vniust euil Faith maketh a maÌ„ a meÌ„ber of Christ Incrudelitie maketh him a meÌ„ber of yâ— diuel Faith maketh a man yâ— inheritour of heauen Incrudelitie maketh him yâ— inheritour of hel faith maketh a man yâ— servant of God Incrudelitie maketh him yâ— seruant of yâ— diuell Faith sheweth 〈…〉 God to be a sweet father Incrudelitie sheweth him to be a terrible Iudge Faith holdeth 〈…〉 by yâ— word of God Incrudelitie wauereth here there faith counteth boldeth God to be true Incrudelitie holdeth him false
of the truth and haue bene obedient vnto the word If the Religion of our fore-fathers hath bene false or contrarie to the Scriptures wée ought in no wiâ—e to followe Lactan. de Origen erro 2. cap. The Father is greater then I. First I saie that one place of the Gospell is not to be expounded against the whole purpose of the booke which is to teach that the Lord Iesus is Gods naturall sâ—nne and equall to God And sith the Euangelist hath this word Equall plainlie and expreâ—lie they shew themselues mad yâ— would make him to incounter against himselfe Second I say that in that place the Lord Iesus compareth not his substaunce with his Fathers substaunce but compareth his present humble state with the glorious state that he should haue after his Ascension And therefore all the godly old fathers well nigh haue taught these wordes to be spoken of his mans nature which should be forthwith aduaunced to immortall and incorporall glorie by the power of the Father Some Gréeke Writers indéede admit that the Father is greater then the Sonne not because he had greater power or that there is anie difference in their substance essence but in that he is the Father and begetteth the sonne is not begotten of the sonne therefore he maie be said greater The meaning also of these words The Father is greater then I maie be this The end why I trauaile with you is not that you should staie in me and looke no farther but to bring you to the Father as to the last marke that with me ye maie see him as he is whose glorie is more deere to me then mine owne glorie and therefore I séeke it more then mine own and I think that I haue not accomplished mine office vntill I haue brought you to him c. My sonne heare thy Fathers instruction ¶ He speaketh this in the name of God which is the vniuersall Father of all creatures Or in the name of the Pastour of the Church which is as a Father Geneua Heare O ye children your Fathers instruction ¶ He speaketh this in the person of a Preacher and Minister which is as a Father vnto the people Geneua Whosoeuer shall saie to the father or mother By the gifte that is offered by me thou maist haue profite ¶ The meaning is this whatsoeuer I bestow vpon the Temple is to thy profite for it is as good as if I gaue it thée For as the Pharisâ—es in our time saie it shall be meritorious for thée for vnder this colour of religion they raked all to themselues as though that he that had giuen anie thing to the Temple had done the dutie of a 〈…〉 Beza The Father haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens téeth are set on edge ¶ The people murmured at the chastening of the Lord and therefore vsed this Prouerb meaning that their Fathers had sinned and the Children were punished for their transgressions Read Ieremie 31. 29. Geneua The fathers wickednesse punished in their children There is a double manner of punishing the wickednes of the fathers vpon the children for sometime God sheweth mercie to the children and yet notwithstanding ceaseth not to chastise the vnrighteousnes of their fathers in the persons of their children As for example we see a father that hath gotten much goods howbeit by wicked bargening by subtiltie by craft and by crueltie yet God hath pitie vpon the childe of such a man and what will he doe He will rid him quite and cleane of all those euill gotten goods because they would but bring him to confusion according as it is said that such kind of riches are as wood which in the ende will kindle the fire of Gods wrath Therefore when the Lord meaneth to saue the childe of a wicked man that hath liued amisse he bereaueth him of al the euill gotten goodes as though he should lette him bloud to saue his life that he might not be wrapped in the mischife coruption which his father had drawen vnto himselfe Behold how God punisheth the wickednes of the fathers vpon the children yet ceaseth not to be the sauiour of the children to shew them mercie Sometimes he passeth farther because the fathers haue ben so far out of al squareâ— as they haue led a stubborne froward life God forsaketh their ofspring insomuch yâ— the grace of his spirit dwelleth not with them Now when we be so destitute of Gods guiding we must néeds run into destruction néeds must the mischiefe increase more more Thus we sée yâ— when the children of the vngodly do beare the sins of their fathers it is not only for that God forsaketh them and leaueth them vp to the state of their owne natureâ— but also for that he giueth Satan full power ouer them and letteth him haue the bridle to â—aigne in such houses at his pleasure And when the diuell hath led awaie the fathers and carried them into all naughtinesse their children shall also ouer-shoote themselues into excessiue outrage We see then as now what is meant héere that is to witâ— that when the children of wicked men are 〈…〉 destitute of Gods grace walke after their inordinat◠〈…〉 they must néeds come to greater confusion then their Fathers Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 82. How our fathers did eate the same spirituall meate c. Our Fathers did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke and then dranke of that spirituall Rocke that followed them which Rocke was Christ. ¶ These words Saint Austen expoundeth saieng What is to eate the same meate But that they did eate the same which we doe Whosoeuer in Manna vnderstoode Christ did eate the same spirituall meate that we doe that is to saie that meate which was receiued with faith and not with bodies Therefore to them that vnderstoode and beléeued it was the same meate and the same drinke So that to such as vnderstoode not the meate was onelie Manna and the drinke onelie water but to such as vnderstoode it was the same that it is now To come and is come be diuers words but it is the same Christ. These be S. Austens words De vtilita poeniten How our fathers were iustified by faith as we are now The fathers were no lesse iustified onely by the faith of Christ then we Wherfore it is written in the booke of Genesis of Abraham that he beléeued and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes Iohn also testifieth that Christ said of Abraham yâ— hée had séene his daie therin reioiced The Epistle to the Hebrewes the 13 chap. affirmeth that Christ was yesterdaie to daie remaineth for euer Wherfore euen as we are said now to be saued not by workes but by the true mercie of God by faith in Christ so was it with the Fathers at yâ— time for they wer iustified by no works but only by faith in Christ. Furthermore what
267. What the feare of God is Wheras we speak of the feare of God we haue to vnderstand yâ— it is not a â—â—auish feare as men term it but it is so termed in respect of the honour which we owe for that he is our Father Masterâ— Doe we feare God Then it is certaine nothing but to honour him to be whollie his Doe we know him That must be in such wise as he hath vttered himself that is to wit that he is our maker our maintaines â—â—e that shewed such fatherly goodnes towards vs that we of dutie ought to be as children toward him if we wil not be vtterlie vnthankful Also it behoueth vs to acknowledge his dominioÌ„â— superioritie ouer vs to the end yâ— euerie of vs yeldâ—ng him his due honor may â—ern to plese him in al respects thus you see yâ— vnder this â—ere of god héere is coÌ„prehended all religion yâ— is to wit all yâ— seruice honor which the creatures owe vnto their God 〈…〉 4. They neiâ—her fâ—ared the Lord c. ¶ Not to feare the Lord is to liue carelesse and to serue their lusts and appetites and not to sette by God and his Lawe as is said Psâ—l 55 19. T. M. ¶ He meaneth this by the Israelites to whome God hat giuen his commaundements Geneua They feared the Lord but serued their Gods ¶ That is they had a certaine knowledge of God and feared him because of the punishment but they continued still Idolaters as do yâ— Papists which worship both God Iâ—ols but this is not to feare God as appeareth ver 34. Geneua How this place following is expounded Perfect loue casteth out feare â—I know there are some which interpret those words in this sense that they which loue God trulie are not afraid for pietie sake to put themselues in al manner of daungers neithâ—r doe they shame persecution but valiantlie stand fast in all manner of dangers which selfe thing Paule in the letter to Timothie writ in other words 〈…〉 We haue not receiued the spirit of fearefulnesse but of might of loue Wherefore he exhorteth Timothie not to be ashamed of the testimonie of the Lord nor of him being in â—andes for the Lords sake but couragiouslie to indure labours for the Gospels sake Although those things are true yet this is not it which this place of Iohn teacheth For it there maketh mention of the iudgment of the Lord of which he willeth the godly which loue God not to be afeard and he rendreth a reason for yâ— feare hath vexation ioined with it Wherefore I gladlie assent vnto Augustine which saith that Iohn speaketh of perfect Charitie which forasmuch as it cannot be had in this life we maie not looke to haue it without feare Further we mought in this place vnderstand that feare which is seâ—oined from confidence therfore driued men to desperation For they which beleeue loue God trulie vphold their feare with a liuely faith Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 208. Of feare that commeth of faith and of feare without faith He that fearth God trulie will eschew all things wherewith he knoweth he shall offend God and doe whatsoeuer hée perceiueth to be acceptable vnto him this feare hath his beginning of faith There is a feare of God in the vngâ—lie but it is without faith For they alwaies dread Gods iudgement against them and would rather there were no God then to bée punished for their wickednesse How we cannot vtterly shake off all feare so long as we liue heere Be not high minded but feare ¶ No man of the number of the faithfull ought to be in doubt of his saluation For the nature of faith is to make men assured of the promise of God Howbeit this is to be known yâ— it is not possible that so long as we liue héere we should not vtterlie shake off all feare for we are continuallie tossed betwéene two cogitations the one of the goodnes faith constancie of god The other of our corruption infirmitie pronesse to euill For when we consider how weak we are prone to euil coÌ„sider also the filthines imperfection of our workes though they be neuer so good therwithal the seueritie of the law in requiring euen to the vttermost the things which it commaundeth This consideration I saie if it be vehement cannot but excéedinglie make afeard the mind and deiect it But on the other side when we consider the clemencie goodnesse mercie of God his constancie in his promises therewithall remember that all the merits of Christ are communicated to vs we are refreshed and recreated and the feare is either lenified or els sometime vtterlie laide awaie And these effects where they are perfect vehement doe succéed the one the other for they cannot be both at one time or if they be both at one time then are either of them remisse not vehement But in what matter they giue place the one to the other we may by daily experience vnderstand For if a man be set vpon the top of an high tower if being ther his mind run vpon nâ—thing els but vpon the height of the tower what a déepe way he shuld fall so yâ— he cannot fall without danger of death it iâ— possible but yâ— his minde being still vpon this he should be altogether smitten with an errour but if he turne his eie aside to the barre or battlements which staie him vp that he cannot fall then will he plucke vp his spirits againe and put away al feare neither ought it to seeme vnto anie man straunge yâ— wée saie that faith expelleth that feare which is ioined with doubting of saluation when as in Iohn it is said That charitie driueth feare out a doores For it is most certeine that yâ— which the Scripture attributeth to charitie may be attributed to faith for charitie springeth of faith Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 355. FERVENT Of two sorts of feruentnesse THey haue a ferueÌ„t mind to God but not according to knowledge ¶ There be two manner of feruentnesse of minde two maner of good intents The one is grounded vpon a vaine or fleshlie opinion and not vpon Gods word this good intent is damnable before God The other procéedeth of faith and suffereth it selfe to be ruled by the wisdome and iudgement of the spirit of God Such feruentnesse was in Moses in Phinâ—hes and in Helias with other innumerable Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Looke Zeale FEASTES Feast of dedication wherefore it was ordeined THE feast of dedication ¶ That is to saie the feast of inuocation or renueng because the temple which was polluted by yâ— coÌ„mandemeÌ„t authority of Iudas Machabeus was coÌ„secrated a fresh And then it was appointed yâ— euerie yeare ther should be a feast daie of new dedication to put the people in minde of the grace and fauour of God who had taken from them
the Prophet vpbraid them with in the person of God saieng Thou gauest me not the younge brests c. As who should saie saie not that thou hast giuen me manie sacrifices both because thou gauest them not to me onelie but vnto my Caâ—ues and Baals and other Iâ—oâ—ls And also because I neuer set greatly by them nor greatly required them They greeued mee alwayes when the faith and deuotion of the giuers was awaye The Shéepe of thy burnt offeringes broughtest thou not vnto mée neither diddest thou glorifie mée with thy sacrifices but diddest onelie satisfie thine owne superstitions I compelled thée not to worshippe mee with thine offeringes but because thou so readie offeredst such things vnto Idols after the manner of the heathen I commaunded that they should not be offered vnto other Gods but vnto me Of whose gift thou receiuedst them c. None of all these profited not me in as much as thou leftest off the things which I chieflie required righteousnesse faith and iudgement Math. 23. â—3 T. M. How the Gentiles found that they sought not for What shall we saie then that the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue atteined vnto righteousnesse ¶ So then the Gentiles had no works to prepare and prâ—eure Gods mercie before hand and as for that that the Gentiles attained to that which they sought not for the mercie of GOD is to be thanked for it And in that the Iewes atteined not to that they sought after they can thanke none for it but themselues because they sought it not aright Beza GENTLENESSE What a vertue Gentlenesse is GEntlenesse is when a man is gentle and tractable in his conuersation and in his whole lyfe For such as will bée true followers of the Gospell must not be sharpe bitter but gentle milde curteous and faire spoken which shoulde encourage other to delite in their companie which can winke at other mens faultes or at least expounde them to the best Which will bée well content to yéelde and giue place to other contented to beare with those which are frowarde and intractable as the verie Heathen saide Thou maist know the manners of thy friend but thou must not hate them Such a one was our sauiour Christ as euerie wher is to be séene in the Gospell It is written of Peter that he wept so often as he remembred the swéet mildnesse of Christ which he vsed in his dailie conuersation It is an excellent vertue and most necessarie in euerie kinde of lyfe Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 262. GIVEN To whom it is giuen to know the mysteries of God TO you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God ¶ To you that is to you that are without deceite and are not curious nor trust in anie thinge that perteineth to man it is giuen of my Father of his mercifull goodnesse to know the mysterie that is the secret of the kingdome of God that is of the Gospell in which is taught the kingdome of God which is our righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holie ghost Rom. 10. which is the kingdome of all mercie and the kingdome of forgiuenesse of sins for Christs sake But vnto them that are without that is vnto such as are curious and trust more in their owne works then in the righteousnesse of Christ are all things spoken in parables that is all that they heare is euen as obscure and dark vnto them as though they wer indéed parables which 〈…〉 God therefore suffereth to be done that when they sée they should sée and not discerne and so forth 〈…〉 it followeth in the text Tindale GVIDE Who is the guide of a womans youth WHich forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the 〈…〉 of her God ¶ Guide of 〈…〉 that is her 〈…〉 which is her head and guâ—â— to 〈…〉 her from whom she ought not to depaâ—t but remaine in his sublertion and not forget the couenant of her God which is the promise made in marriage Geneua GIFT What the gift of God is THat thou stirre vp the gift of God that is in thée◠¶ The gift of God is a certeine liuelie flame kindled in our hearts which Satan and the flesh labour to quench and therefore must nourish it and stirre it vp The Bible note The difference betweene gift and grace Looke Grace GITHITH What it signifieth TO the chaunter vpon Githith c. ¶ Githith after some signifieth as much as for the wine presse after some concerning the Gethites after other some it is an instrument of musicke T. M. ¶ Whether Githith signifie an instrument of musicke or a kinde of tune or the beginning of some notable and well knowne Ballad I leaue it vncerteine For as for those that thinke the Psaline was called so because it was made in the citie of Gith then fetch their fained exposition too farre off Of the thrée former opinions it maketh no greate matter which a man take Caluine GLORIE What Glorious GLorie is nothing else but a praise most abundâ—lie published 〈…〉 63. How glorie doth follow true 〈…〉 Glorie is not to be sought for of men but glorie of her owne accord customablie doth follow true vertue How the glorie of the Lord is taken in this place following And in the morning ye shall sée the glorie of the Lord. ¶ The glorie of the Lord is 〈…〉 〈…〉 for the bright 〈…〉 â—ight that was séene in the Cloude of which glorie the 〈…〉 maketh mention 〈…〉 What is signified by the glorie of God in these places following Because the glorie of the Lord had fulfilled the house of the Lord. ¶ The glorie of the Lord fulfilling the house was a visible Cloude pre 〈…〉 yâ— God ought to be preached praised and magnified throughout the whole worlde in the congrâ—gation of the faithfull As he saith Nu. 14. 22. T. M. For the glorie of the Lord shall appeare ¶ The Prophet calleth the glorie of the Lorde the righteousnesse that shoulde be shewed by the Gospell whereby we shoulde become righteous in the sight of God the father for his sonne Christs merites This glorie shall all flesh sée that is all men as well the Iews as the Gentiles that beléeue A like saieng haue we after in the 60. 1. The glorie of the Lorde shall rise vpon thâ—e T. M. What is vnderstood by glorie in this place following And we saw the glorie of it c. ¶ Iohn saith not we saw his essence but we saw his glorie No man séeth nor hath séene the verie essence of the word But the beleening Apostles saw his glorie The which as it was 〈…〉 séene of three of the Disciples in the mount 〈…〉 Euen so by his glorious resurrection and asceâ—tion it did might 〈…〉 thine and was openlie exhibited to be séene of all the Disciples Therefore by this worde Glorie he vnderstandeth those thinges which set foorth the glorie of the word that is to saie which are certeine sure tokens of
of the letters but the Gospell is in the marking of the sentence of Scriptures This sentence approueth Saint Paule saieng thus The kingdome of God is not in worde but in vertue and Dauid saith The voice of the Lorde that is his worde is in vertue And after Dauid saith Through the worde of God the heauens were made And in the spirit of his mouth is all the vertue of them In the booke of Mar. fol. 644. An exposition of this place following For I am not ashamed of the Gospell ¶ The Gospell is that heauenly message which declareth vnto vs yâ— Iesus Christ is the power of God in whom and by whom God doth set foorth vnto the world all his heauenlie treasures that whosoeuer doth beléeue in him whether he be a Romaine or a Iew Gréeke or other he should not perish but haue lyfe euerlasting Sir I. Cheeke Saint Bede affirmeth that in his time and almost a thousand yeares after Christ héere in Britaine Easter was kept after the manner of the East church in the full moone what daie in the wéeke so euer it fell on and not on the Sundaie as wée doe now whereby it is to be collected that the first preachers in this land haue come out froÌ„ the East part of yâ— world where it was so vsed rather then from Rome Petrus Cluniacensis writing to Barnard affirmeth that the Scottes in his time did celebrate their Easter not after the Romaine manner but after the Gréeks And as the sayd Britaines were not vnder the Romaines in the time of this Abbot of Cluniake So neither were they nor would bee vnder the Romaine Legate in the time of Gregorie nor woulde admit anie primacie of the Bishop of Rome to be aboue them Ghildas saith that Ioseph of Aramathia that tooke downe Christ from the crosse béeing sent hether by Philip the Apostle out of Fraunce he beganne to preach the Gospell first in this Realme in the time of Tiberius the Emperour Nicephorus saith that Symon Zelottes about the same time came into this land and did the like Theodoretus sayth that Saint Paule immediatly after his first deliuerie in Rome vnder the Emperour Nero preched the Gospell in this Ilande and in other Countries of the West Tertulian saith of his time that the countries of Britaiâ—e which the Romaines could neuer attaine vnto are now subiâ—ct to Christ. Origen saith the same GOATE How this Goate doth figure Christ. PUtting them vpon the head of the Goat ¶ Héere this Goat is a true signe of Iesus Christ who beareth the sinnes of the people Esay 53. 5. Geneua Why it is called the scape Goate And the other for a scape Goate ¶ In the Hebrew it is called Azazel which some saie is a mountaine néere Sinai whether this Goate was sent but rather is called scape Goate because it was not offered but sent into the desart as verse 21. Geneua GRACE What Grace is BY grace vnderstand the fauour of God and also the gifte of working of the spirit in vs as loue kindnesse patience obedience mercifulnesse despising of worldlie thinges peace concord and such like Tindale The true definition of grace The true definition of Grace and agréeing to the holy scriptures is the free beneuolence of God whereby he counteth vs déere in Christ Iesus and forgiueth vs our sinnes giueth the holie Ghost an vpright life and eternall felicitie by this definition is séene not onlie what we call grace but also by whom we haue it and with all the principall effects thereof Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 140. Receiued grace of all Apostleship ¶ Grace is throughout all the Epistles of Paule taken for the fauour and frée mercie of God whereby he saueth vs fréelie without anie desertes or workes of the lawe In like maner peace is taken for the tranquilitie of the conscience being fullie perswaded that through the merites of Christs death and bloud-shedding there is an attonement and peace made betwéene God and vs so that God will no more impute our sinnes vnto vs nor yet condemne vs. Sir I. Cheeke What it is to reiect grace To reiect and refuse the grace of God is to séeke righteousnesse by the law or to deserue grace by our owne righteousnes What difference is betweene grace and gift Grace properlie is Gods fauour beneuolence or kind mind which of his owne selfe without deseruing of vs he beareth vnto vs wherby he was moued inclined to giue Christ vnto vs with all his other gifts of grace Gift is the holie Ghost his working whom he powreth into the hearts of theÌ„ on whom he hath mercie whom he fauoureth Though the gifts of yâ— spirit increase in vs dailie haue not yet the full perfection yea though there remaine in vs yet euill lusts sinne which fight against the spirit as he saith héere in the seauenth Chapter and in the fift to the Galathians and as it was spoken before in the third Chapter of Genesis of the debate betwéene the womans seede and the séede of the Serpent yet neuerthelesse GODS fauour is so greate and so strong ouer vs for Christs sake that wee are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towardes vs diuideth not her selfe increasing a lyttle and little as doe the giftes but receyueth vs whole and altogether in full loue for Christes sake our intercessour and Mediatour And because the giftes of the spirite and the battell betwéene the spirite and euill lustes are begunne in vs alreadie Of this nowe vnderstande thou the. 7. Chapter where Paule accuseth himselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. Chapter sayth There is no dampnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the gifts of the spirite are begunne Sinners wée are because the flesh is not full killed and mortified Neuerthelesse in as much as we beléeue in Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the spirite and woulde faine bée perfect GOD is so louing and fauourable vnto vs that he will not looke on such sin neither will count it as sinne but will deale with vs according to our beliefe in Christ and according to his promises which hée hath sworne to vs vntill the sinne bée full slaine in vs and mortified by death Tindale in his Prol. to the Rom. The difference betweene grace and the Lawe Chrisostome noteth certeine diefferences betwéene the Lawe and Grace The Lawe sayth hée setteth â—oorth a Crowne but first requireth workes and battailes Grace first crowneth and afterwarde bringeth vnto the battayle By this hée teacheth that the righteousnesse which is set forth the Lawe is obteined by workes for wée cannot bée iustified by the lawe vnlesse wée haue accomplished all the thinges which are commaunded in the lawe But that other righteousnesse which wée haue by grace through fayth doth first crowne vs with a newe generation and adoption to be the children of
euermore since the beginning of the world commaunded all inuocation all praiers all supplications all hope and confidence of helpe either bodilie or Ghostlie to be put whollie and onelye in him the onelie fountaine of life grace goodnesse health or plentie and whatsoeuer we haue Therefore it séemeth to be a dangerous sentence to saie O Iacob this is the generation of them that séeke thy face To the vtter auoiding of this inconuenience ye must note yâ— by this word Iacob is not vnderstood yâ— person of Iacob the Patriarke which was the son of Isaac â— brother to Esau but by this word Iacob the Scripture doth customablie vnderstand the whole family the whole household and the congregation of Gods people which in their manners and liuings doe follow the steppes of Iacob which according to his name was a mightie wrastler against all worldly wayes and lewde lusts of the flesh To proue that this word Iacob doth signifie all the whole people of God we haue to witnesse beside the words of the Prophet in diuers places of yâ— Psalm the manifest words of the Prophet Esa. 44. 1. Audi Iacob seruus meus Israel quem elegi c. Hearken O Iacob my seruaunt and O Israel whom I haue chosen thus saith the Lord thy fashioner and â—ormer thy helper and protector from the womb of thy mother I wil poure my spirit vppon thy seede and my blessing vppon thy stocke so that this man shall say I am the Lords and another shall call in the name of Iacob Certaine it is that these words were spoken many hundred yeares after Iacob the Patriarke was departed out of this lyfe So that the Prophet héere by the name of Iacob and Israel which was all one man vnderstandeth all the Congregation of Gods people whome he biddeth to be of a good chéere and in the Lord to ioye in this lyfe for vpon all the seed of Iacob that is vpon all faithful people that do follow the fashioÌ„ of Iacob in faith purenes of life god promiseth to poure vpon them their seede his holy spirit so that this man in this corner shall say I am the Lords another man in another corner shall call on the name of Iacob that is in the name of the same God that Iacob called on which is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. This is inough to teach that by this one word Iacob is vnderstood all the faithfull flocke people of God which doe séeke the face of Iacob when they doe follow the steppes of Iacob in good liuing Ric. Turnar Of Iacobs lye to his father And Iacob said to his father I am Esau thy first begotten sonne c. ¶ Although Iacob was assured of this blessing by faith yet he did euil to séeke it by lyes and the more he abuseth Gods name therevnto Geneua ¶ This subtill dealing of Rebecca and Iacob with Isaac considered by it selfe is altogethers blame-worthy but if it be referred to the will of God and setting foorth of his decrée it is commendable The Bible note ¶ Some to excuse Iacobs lye saith thus Though Iacob was not the person of Esau yet in office and dignitie he was because he had obtained the birth-right So doth Christ say that Iohn was Helias because he came in yâ— persoÌ„ spirit of Helias Lyra Of Iacobs wrastlyng with the Angell When Iacob was afraid of his brother Esau and had praied to God he would deliuer him out of his hands God to comfort Iacob and to declare vnto him that he should not feare his brother Esau caused an Angell in the likenesse of a man to wrastle with him till it was day and could not preuaile against Iacob till he exercised a poynt aboue mans strength which was that he smote Iacob vnder the thigh wherewith the sinow of Iacobs leg shranke Then said Iacob I will not let goe my hold vntill thou blesse me What is the name said the Angell Iacob sayd he Well said the Angell thou shalt be called Iacob no more but thy name shal be Israel that is by interpretation a man that séeth And because thou hast wrastled with me which doth represent the person of God and hast preuailed feare not but thou shalt preuaile against men By this mystical wrastling he was ascertained that he should ouercome his brother Esau. As euermore at length the good men shall ouercome the bad R. Turn What the seede of Iacob is All men that doe wrastle fight manfully against the flesh the world and the diuell shall at length of Iacobs wrastlers be made Israelites that is the perfect séers of God in ioye and blisse euerlasting with Iacob All such spiritual wrastlers because they follow the steps of Iacob otherwise named Israel are called Semen Israel the séede of Israel Turnar How God beholdeth no sinne in Iacob He beheld no wickednesse in Iacob nor saw Idolatrie in Israel ¶ There is no people without sinne neither yet Israel but God looketh not on it he waxeth not angrie in the ende he auengeth it not according as it deserueth but amendeth it by his grace T. M. Of the finding of Iacob in Bethel ¶ Looke Bethel The vnderstanding of this place following The name of the God of Iacob defend thée By the God of Iacob or Israel is vnderstood the God of the whole stocke progenie and ofspring of Iacob or Israel and farther of all the people of the Lord as in Esay 44. 1. The cause why is that Iacob which as ye read Gen. 35. 10. was after called Israel was father to the twelue patriarks of whom the twelue tribes the whole people of Israel descended T. M. I AM. The meaning of this place following I Am that I am or I will be that I will be ¶ I will bée that I will be I am as some doe interpret it which is I am the beginning and ending by me haue ye all things and without me haue ye nothing that good is Iohn 1. 3. T. M. I am that I am ¶ The God that euer hath bene am shall beâ— the God almightie by whom all thinges haue their beeing and the God of mercie mindfull of my promise Apoc. 1. 4. IAMES Why he was called the Lords brother IAmes the Lords brother ¶ He was called the Lords brother for kinred sake for he was borne of Marie and Cleophe who was sister to Christs mother D. Heines Of the death of this Iames. Clement saith that he was cast downe from the pinacle of the Temple and being smitten with the instrument of a Fuller was slaine Booke of Mar. fo 53. Of the death of Iames the brother of Iohn ¶ This Iames saith Clement when he was brought to the tribunall seate he yâ— brought him was the cause of his trouble séeing him to be condemned and that he should suffer death as he went to execution he being moued therwith in heart and
office without blaspheming of Christ. Furthermore he hath redéemed vs without the helpe of Saints why shal he not be whole Mediator without Saints redemption is the chiefe act of a Mediatour D Barnes If any man doe sinne we haue an Aduocate by the Father Christ Iesus ¶ Heere is none assigned but Christ Iesus by him haue we onely remission of our sinnes D. Barnes The spirite of God maketh intercession for vs with mightie desires that cannot be expressed with tongue ¶ If the spirite of God make intercession for vs then haue we no néede of other Mediatours for he is able to obtaine all things for vs and hath taken this office on him for vs It were a great rebuke to him that Saints should be set in his steede and ioyned with him in his office as though he were vnsufficient D. Barnes Christ sitteth also on the right hand of the Father the which doth also pray for vs. Héere S. Paule saith That Christ praieth for vs can the Father of heauen denye and thing of his praier Doth not he aske things necessary for vs And as Scripture saith He is our wisedome he is our iustice he is our sanctification and our redemption made of God Now what resteth for Saints to aske What will you desire more then wisdome iustice sanctification and redemption All these hath Christ obteined for vs. D. Barnes Christ saith No man commeth to the Father but by mée ¶ Note these words First he saith No man c. Ergo as many as euer shall come to the Father of heauen be héere conteined Then addeth he But by me héere be all Saints and merites cleane excluded in this word But wherefore it is plaine that whatsoeuer he be that maketh any other Mediatour or goeth about by any meanes seeme it neuer so holy but by Christ onely to come to the Father of Heauen First he dispiseth Christ and if he dispise Christ he dispiseth also the Father which hath allowed him onely to be our Mediatour and waye to him as it is written I am the waye onely to the Father D. Barnes Whatsoeuer you aske in my name the Father shall giue it you â— Marke these words Whatsoeuer and that we should runne to none other he adddeth In my name Héere is nothing excluded but all things be giuen vs fréely and that for his names sake not for no Saints name nor for none of our merites Therefore let vs not run from the swéete promises of our most louing Sauiour Redeemer and onely Mediatour Iesus Christ to Saints for that is an euident token of our infidelitie and that we thinke him vntrue and will not fulfill his promise and make him a lyar D. Barnes Saint Paule saith He meaning the Father of heauen hath giuen his onely sonne for vs how canne it be that he shall not giue all things with him ¶ Marke he saith all things He yâ— saith all things excludeth not the tooth-ake D. B. All good things commeth from the father of light ¶ Héere they make a distinction that God is good onely for his owne nature and Saints are good by receiuing goodnesse of him Aunswere Saints haue no more goodnesse then they haue receiued and that that they receiued was for themselues onelye and canne giue none of it to other for they receiued it for themselues and no more then was necessarie and that but onely of mercye as it is open in Mathewe in the Parable of the fiue wise virgins and the fiue foolish Thus we doe openly against God when we desire anie thing of Saints séeing the Scripture knoweth all good things to come of God onely and that he is the onelye giuer of them All the Prophets and Fathers in all their tribulations cried vnto him as Dauid testifieth of himselfe saieng When I am in trouble I will crye vnto the Lord and hée will helpe me Psal. 120. 1. My helpe is of God that made heauen and earth Psal. 121. 2. Christ also himselfe teaching all creatures to pray biddeth vs not to go to any other but onely to the father of heauen Math. 6. 9. D. Barnes Obiection The Saints must pray for vs and be mediatours to God for vs that by them we may be able to receiue our petition This is Richards opinion De media villa Aunswere This is a great blasphemie to Christs bloud for if Saintes be necessarie to be mediatours for vs then is Christ vnsufficient For Philosophers did neuer put two causes when one was sufficient And if anie thing be giuen vs for Saintes sake then be not all things giuen vs for Christes sake The which is plainly against Saint Paules saieng Rom. 8. 32. God for vs all hath giuen his sonne and shall he not giue vs all things with him D. Barnes An other of his reasons If Saints when they were heere and not confirmed in grace did of their Charitie praye for vs Ergo now must they praye much more séeing they are now confirmed in Charitie Aunswere A reason without Scripture must haue a like aunswere The Saints when they were héere did of their Charitie cloath naked men and féede the hungrie and gaue drinke to the thirstie and visited them that wer in prison Ergo much more now for they be confirmed in Charitie Likewise Saint Paule when he was héere did of his charitie write Epistles and declare the veritie Ergo now must he much more write so that where afore he wrote but one now must he at the least write thrée or els he is not confirmed in Charitie D. Barnes Another like reason Lyke as a man cannot come to the speach of a King but that he must haue certaine Mediators as Dukes Earles and such men as be in fauour betwéene him and the King that may intreate his matter Aunswere Saint Ambrose aunswereth this reason thus Men are wont saith he to vse this miserable excusation that by these things we maye come to God as we maye come to Kings by Earles I aunswere We come vnto the King by the meanes of Dukes Earles because that the King is a man and knoweth not to whome he may commit the Common weale But to God from whom nothing can be hid he knoweth all mens merites we néede no spokes-men nor no Mediator but only a deuoâ—t minde D. Barnes ¶ Looke Saints Mediator IOB His name interpreted SOme interprete this name of Iob to signifie wéeping or wailing And other some take it for an vtter Enemie not such a one as he hateth but such a one as is as it were a white for mâ—n to shoote at Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 2. It is not knowen nor can be gessed in what time Iob liued sauing that it may be perceiued he was of great antiquitie Some of the Iewes haue bene of opinion that Moses was the Authour of his booke But forsomuch as there is no certaintie thereof it is left in suspense Yet it may be well perceiued by the Prophet Ezechiel that
of strength for it must come from heauen and not from the strength of reason It must also make me beléeue that God the maâ—er of heauen and earth is not onely a Father but also my Father yea and that through the fauour that Christ hath purchased me from the which fauour neither heauen nor earth tribulation nor persecution death nor hell can deuide me But to this sticke I fast that he is not alonely my father but also a merciful father yea and that vnto me mercifull so mercifull that he will not impute my sins vnto me though they be neuer so many nor so great so long as I hang on the blessed bloud of Christ Iesus and sinne not of malice but of frailtie and of no pleasures D. Barnes How Cornelâ—us was iustified Cornelius a Gentile did great almes and praied vnto God alwaies vnto whome the Angell spake on this maner Thy praier and thine almes are come vp into remembraunce in the presence of God Of this text some doe gather that his good workes did helpe to Iustification The solution The Holy ghost hath openly declared himselfe there for he saith that this Cornelius was a deuout man and one that feared God How could this be without that God had taught him inwardly by Faith Yea how could he know God and that deuoutly but by faith Ergo he was iustified before God by his Faith but the world knew not his Iustification And therefore the Holy ghost doth declare his inward Iustification when hée saith that he was deuout and feared God And also doth showe openly the fruits of his Iustification when he saith that he did Almes Moreouer you haue there that the Holy ghost fell on them afore they were baptised in water the which declareth openly that they were iustified before God This well declareth in your owne lawe whose words be these Cornelius Centurion being yet an Heathen man was made cleane by the gifte of the Holy ghost afore all good workes for he was an heathen man D. Barnes ¶ Looke more in Cornelius Iustified by grace what it meaneth Are iustified fréely by his grace ¶ This saieng doth S. Ambrose expound on this wise They working nothing nor acquiting him any whit are iustified by Faith alone by the gift of God This word Fréely although many be therewith offended is also euidently expressed by Paule himselfe in these words Fréely without the lawe without workes it is a gifte and such lyke which thou maist marke for they are all one with this foresaid exposition of S. Ambrose By Faith alone we are iustified which saieng signifieth thus much onely by the beliefe wherewith we beléeue that the mercie of God graunted in Christs bloud doth saue vs are we proâ—ounced righteous The word alone exclude the workes not that thou shouldest not doe them for vnto all good workes commaunded in the Scripture art thou bound and called to walke in them and must earnestly studie and indeuour thy selfe to leaue none of them vndone but that thou shouldest in noâ— condition thinke that thou art thereby iustified or made righteous before God Tindale How this place following is vnderstood The doers of the lawe shall be iustified ¶ So must it bée vnderstood saith S. Austen that we may knowe that they can no otherwise be the doers of the lawe except they be first iustified not that Iustification belongeth vnto doers but that Iustification doth procede all manner of doing ¶ Thus by the minde of S. Augustin we see that Iustification is first giuen that men might be able to doe the workes of the lawe This is also the exposition of the common glose D. Barnes Against those men which doe say they iustifie others Bretheren saith S. Austen we haue Iesus Christ our Aduocate with our Father he is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes he that helde this was in no heresie he that helde this was in no schisme For whereof came the schismes Truly when men do say we be iust when men do say we do sanctifie them that be vncleane we do iustifie the wicked we do pray and we doe obtaine But what saith Iohn If a man doe sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ c. ¶ Thus saith he by which words he did no more touch the Donatists then hée should now a dayes if he were a lyue gall them which doe so much chalenge to themselues all the authoritie in the Church to sanctifie and to iustifie men and doe for filthie gaine set the same also ouer vnto others Mus. in his Com. pla fo 224. How God doth iustifie vs. We said in the first Article of the word of iustifieng that to be iustified is as much to say in this matter according to yâ— meaning of the Scripture as to be acquited by grace from sinne to be taken for iust Therefore God doth so iustifie vs that hee forgiueth our sinnes he hideth them doth not charge vs with them any more but doth rather impute Iustice vnto vs not ours which is none but the Iustice of his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ. And by this imputation of Iustice he maketh vs saued and blessed So the Apostle doth foure times set forth this Iustification to the Romanes least we should séeme to bring any thing with vs of our owne Lyke as Dauid saith he doeth expresse the blessednesse of yâ— man to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saieng Blessed be they whose wickedness be forgiuen and whose sinnes be hidden Blessed is the man to whom God doth not impute sinne It appeareth verye well that the Iustification which is imputed by grace without works is the forgiuenesse of sinne the help vnto saluation For where as he might haue said Blessed hée they whome God doth iustifie without workes he saith Blessed â—e thou whose sinnes be forgiuen and whose sins be hidden Blessed is the man to whom God doth not impute sinne Muscul. fo 225. Iustifieng of the vngodly But beléeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly ¶ God is said to iustifie the vngodly because he pardoneth his sinnes and of a wicked man maketh him good The Bible note ¶ Which maketh him that is wicked in himselfe iust in Christ. Geneua Of two manner of Iustifications There is two manner of Iustifications vnderstood in holye Scripture the one before God the other before man Of Iustification before God it is truly said of S. Paule Rom. 4. 3. Credidit autem Abraham c. Abraham beléeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse And of Iustification before men S. Iames speaketh in the 2. chapter of his Epistle verse 21. Abraham pater noster c. Was not our father Abraham iustified through workes when he had offered his sonne vp vpon the Altar c. And yâ— he so ment appeareth by his very words which followeth within few lines after thus Credidit autem Abraham c. Abraham beleeued God it was reputed vnto him for righteousnesse he was
to suffer anie thing then they will bée lyke vnto the wicked finally they are such which doe not resist euill but doe ouercome euill 〈…〉 dooing that which is good Marl. fol. 77. How the meeke shall pssesse the earth Blessed are the méeke for they shall possesse the earth ¶ By the earth vnderstand all that we possesse in this worlde which all God will keepe for vs if wée bée soft and méeke And whatsoeuer 〈…〉 arise yet if we will be patient and abide the end will goâ— on our side As it is written in the Psalme 37. 9. The wicked shall bée wéeded out but they that abide the Lords leasure shall inherit the land And againe within a while the wicked shall be gone thou shalt see his place where he was and he shall be away but the meeke shall inherite the earth Euen as Be still and haue thy wilt of a little medling commeth great 〈…〉 for a patient man shall weare out all his enâ—mied Tindale fo 210. How that God doth guide the Meeke in iudgement Dirigit mansuâ—tos in iudicio docebit mitos viaâ— suas Them that bée méeke shall be guide in iudgement and such as be gentle them shal he teach his waies ¶ To guide yâ— méeke in iudgement is not meant onely to be their helpe onely when they shall come before the Iudges of this world but to guide them in iudgement iâ— héere meant to make them through his grace knowledge of his law to liue orderly vprightly in all their doings with right iudgement true discerning of vertue froÌ„ vice This great gift doth God of his gratious goodnes giue vnto men that be sinners but yet saith the Prophet not to all manner of sinners but onely to those yâ— be méeke gentle Vniuersa via Domini misericordia veritas requirentibus testamentum eius testimonia eius All the wayes of the Lord are mercie truth but yet sayth the Prophet Requirentibus testamentum eius testimonia eius Unto such as kéepe his couenaunt and testimonies To the sturdy rebellious sinners Via Dominni odor mortis fuit The wayes of yâ— Lord is a deadly sauour and a pestilent stinke which neuerthelesse of themselues and namely to all good men are Odor vitae the sweete odour of life So that to the wicked the wayes of the Lorde his commaundements are the occasion of their great damnation but vnto the méeke and such as feare the Lord they are light vnto life ouerlasting through the mercie and truth graunted vnto vs in and by Iesus Christ our Lord. Riâ— Turn MELCHISEDECH How he is a figure of Christ. WIthout Father without Mother without kinne c. ¶ So called because that Moses maketh no mention of his parents kinsfolkes but as he had bene sodeinly sent of God into the world to be a figure of Christ or euerlasting Priest and shortly taken out of the worlde againe So Christ as touching his humanitie had no Father and concerning his diuinitie had no mother Geneua ¶ It is sayd that Melchisedech is without father mother because that no mention at all in Scriptures is made of his parents nor yet of his genealogie And thus doth the Scripture declare yâ— he is a liuely figure of Christ which as touching his Godbead is without mother being begotten of his father without all beginnings and as touching his manhood is without father being conceiued by the mighty operation of the holy Ghost Sir I. Cheeke How Melchisedech and Sem is one person Lyra sayth that Melchisedech was the same person which in Scripture is called Sem the first son of Noâ— And S. Paule Heb. 7. saith that Melchisedech was without father without mother without kinne and hath neither beginning of his dayes nor yet end of his lyfe So that by this it should séeme Melchisedech Sem not to be one person To this aunswere is made on this wise that the Apostle reporteth Melchisedech to be without father mother because the Scripture maketh no mention of them not that he was without parents kinsfolks c. For although yâ— Scripture make mention of yâ— father mother of Sem and of his Genelogie yet it is not vnder the name of Melchisedech but vnder the name of Sem. And so is yâ— Apostle to be vnderstood that vnder the name of Melchisedech no mentton is made in the Scripture of his father and mother Lyra. The meaning of Saint Paule in making mention of Melchisedech Saint Paule writing to the Hebrewes goeth about to disswade them from the vaine confidence they had in the sacrifices and ceremonies of Moses lawe to perswade them to put their trust in that onely sacrifice that Christ had offered himselfe once for all And least they shoulde reiect his doctrine as hauing no ground in holy Scriptures he putteth them in minde of Melchisedech who was a figure of Christ and of his Priesthoode which was also a figure of Christs Priesthoode First he was a figure of Christ saith Saint Paule in that he was called Melchisedech which is by interpretation the king of righteousnesse the king of Salem which is the king of peace And in that hée was a Priest of the most high God and hath neither beginning nor ende of dayes noted in holy histories his Priesthoode séemed to be an euerlasting Priesthood and therfore saith Saint Paule he is likened to the sonne of God that is euerlasting and hath an euerlasting Priesthoode and is alwaie able to saue them that séeke saluation at his handes because he lyueth euer to make intercession for vs. This is the minde of Paule And not that Melchisedech was a figure of Christ and of his Priesthood in that he vsed to offer to God a sacrifice of bread and wine c. Crowley How Melchisedech is brought in of the Papists to mainteine the sacrifice of the Masse Melchisedech say they was a figure of Christ for hée was yâ— Priest of the highest And as Dauid saith Christ is an eternal Priest after the order of Melchisedech and therefore he offered bread and wine vndoubtedly Melchisedech was a figure of Christ but Saint Paule manifestlye declareth in what thinges he was the figure of Christ. In the rehearsing of the honours and dignitie of Melchisedech which is that he was an eternall Priest and king of peace and righteousnesse There is not one word of bread and wine They cannot finde in the booke of Genesis that Melchisedech did sacrifice vnto God but that he offered bread and wine to Abraham for sustenaunce of his people as Christ offered to vs his worde Melchisedech brought bread and wine and Abraham paide him tithe Christ after the same sorte gaue vs the Sacrament of his bodye and bloude but he did not offer it to God The Scripture sheweth forth Melchisedech vnder the figure of an eternall and onely Priest But the Papists appoint other Priests to bée Christs Uicars after his ascention into
is defined CIcero doth define mercie to be the sorrowe of the minde and griefe conceiued vpon the misery of some other redy to aids the same Seneca in his booke De clementia saith that mercie is the griefe of minde had vpon the séeming of the miseries of others or els the sorrow conceiued for other mens euills which it is thought that they deserue not Augustine saith what is mercie but a certaine compassion in our heart of some others misery wherby we be compelled to help them if we can For who knoweth not that mercie is named of that that it maketh a mans heart miserable pitifull sorrowing for another mans euill So they doe define mercie commonly to be touched stroken within in the heart with the misery of others The Hebrues do cal mercy by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word doth properly signifie the belly they do apply it vnto the signification of mercy because y◠the inward parts of them which be touched with y◠sight of other mens miseries are wont to be moued with some affection of compassion pitie Mus. fo 978. What it is to haue mercie or be mercifull To haue mercie or be mercifull is to haue compassion and to féele another mans disease and to mourne with them that mourne and suffer with them that suffer and to helpe and succour them that are in tribulation and aduersitie and to comfort them with good counsell and wholesome instruction and louing wordes And to bée mercifull is louingly to forgiue them that offende thee as soone as they knowledge their misdoing and aske thée mercie To be mercifull is patiently long to abide the conuersion of sinners with a lustie courage and hope that God will at the last conuert them and in the meane time to pray instantly for them And to be mercifull is to interpret all things to the best and to looke through the fingers at many things and not to make a grieuous sinne of euery small trifle And to suffer forbeare in his owne cause the malice of them that will not repent nor be a knowen of their wickednesse as long as hée canne suffer it and as long as it ought to be suffered and when he can no longer then to complaine to them that haue authoritie to forbid wrong and to punish euill doers Tindale Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie ¶ Héere God hath made a couenaunt with vs to be mercifull vnto vs if we will be mercifull one to another So that the man which sheweth mercie vnto his neighbour maye bée bolde to trust in GOD for mercie at all needes And contrariwise iudgement without mercie shall be to him that sheweth not mercie So now if he that sheweth no mercie trust in God for mercie his faith is carnall and worldly and but vaine presumption For God hath promised mercie onely to the mercifull and therefore the mercilesse haue not Gods word that they shall haue mercie but contrariwise that they shall haue iudgement without mercie Tindale What is meant by mercie and truth Let not mercie and truth forsake thée binde them vpon thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart ¶ By mercie and truth he meaneth the commaundements of the first and second table or els the mercie and faithfulnesse that we ought to vse toward our neighbours Kéepe them saith he as a most precious Iewell and haue them euer in remembraunce Gen. What the mercie seate was And he made a mercie seate ¶ Mercie seate was the place where God spake vnto the Children of Israel which was vpon the Arke of witnesse figuring Christ as it is said He. 9. 8. T. M. Of the mercifulnesse of Zabulon ¶ Looke Zabulon MERRY How the children of God may and ought to be merry TRue it is that the children of God may will be merry when they haue prosperitie lyke as when God sendeth vs wherewith to be fed and maintained when he dealeth so with vs as we want nothing when he giueth vs health quyetnesse and all other like things we may well be merrie yea and we ought so to be according as it is said in the law Thou shalt eate and drinke before thy God and be merry But yet must not the faithfull settle their ioye vppon the present benefits nor hold themselues onely tyed vnto them yea rather if they want meate and drinke or be troubled with sicknesse they must not therefore cease to trust in God but must learne Saint Paules lesson which is to haue skill both to be poore and rich to endure hunger and scarcitie and also to haue abundaunce Thus ye see that the mirth of Gods Children differeth greatly from the mirth of the vnbeléeuers and worldlyngs c. Caluine vpon Iob. MERIT What Merit is MErit is sometime taken for the worke it selfe which is taken to be meritorious In which sence Augustine in a place saith that merit must goe before the reward Sometime it is taken for the reward which is worthely giuen to him that worketh The first sence is concerning him that worketh the la◠concerneth him that giueth the reward to the other c. Musculus fol. 234. What merit of congruence is Some will haue the merit of congruence to be when although that he to whom the thing is giuen bee vnworthye to haue it giuen him and that his dooing is not such that it deserueth it yet that it becommeth him to whome it is done to giue him As although the sinner deserue no fauour yet it is conuenient for God of his goodnesse to forgiue the repentaunt and to giue him his grace But some saye that the merit of congruence is when a man of his owne good motion comming by nature doth deserue the first grace which they call the preuenting grace What merit of worthinesse is They call the merit of worthinesse when the iust person doth intreate for the sinner For they saye it is worthye that the iust be heard So when grace is giuen to the sinner at the prayer of the iust they doe attribute this to the merit of worthinesse that is to say of the iust which doth make meanes for him What merit of condigne is They will haue the merit of condigne to be when a man holpen by the first grace doth make himselfe by the first grace worthy of euerlasting life for he by that meanes doing well is worthy they say to haue reward for his labour This pestilent plague of the Pelagians is to bée withstoode with all our might and we must firmely hold that we cannot deserue neither grace nor saluation by any strength or works of our owne for any merit either of congruence worthinesse or condigne but that all is simply and méerly to be referred to the grace of God in Christ. You be saued through grace by faith saith the Apostle and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not by workes least any man might
glorie After y◠schoolmens diuinitie we should haue saide you haue deserued your first grace by y◠good motion of your hearts produced of nature but ye haue not yet obtained saluation but must deserue the same by good workes of condigne when Christ saith He that beléeueth in me hath life euerlasting he speaketh not lyke a schooleman For he should haue said he that beleeueth in me by the good motion picked out of nature he shall deserue the first grace but he shall haue euerlasting lyfe at that time when he hath deserued it of a condignes by his good works Paule calleth not euerlasting life the merit of condignes but the gift of God Therefore looke how farre wide this doctrine or the merite of congruence and condigne is from the Scriptures so farre it is to be cast off from the eares and hearts of the faithfull Musculus fol. 235. Obiection THey obiect that saieng of the Apostle I haue fought a good fight I haue runne out my race I haue kept my faith for the rest there is layed vp for me a crowne of iustice which which God shall restore mée in that daye the iust Iudge Is not héere mention made of both say they by the Apostle both the good woorke which hée didde and the rewarde also which hée looked for of God Aunswere AVgustine aunswereth saieng on this wise The Lord saith he shall render me my crowne the iust iudge Ergo hée oweth it me who shall render it thée than Ergo he shall render it as a iust Iudge for when he considereth our worke hée cannot vpon that consideration of the worke deny vs a reward I haue fought a good fight it is a worke I haue finished my race it is a worke I haue kept my faith it is a worke There remaineth a Crowne of Iustice for me that is the reward As for thy rewarde thou doest nothing and as for thy worke thou doest it not alone Thy Crowne commeth from him and thy worke from thy selfe but yet not without his helpe And a lyttle after Therefore thou seest when he doth render good things he doth preuent himselfe giuing good things to thée before to whome he maye render good things also after Loe hée rendereth reward vnto that good thing by the good workes to him that fought out his fight to him that ranne out of his race and kept his faith He rendereth good things but for what good things The same that he gaue before himselfe Did not he giue it thée to fight out thy good fight If it were he that gaue it thée why doest thou saye in another place I haue laboured more then they all but not I but the grace of God with me Loe thou saist againe I haue runne out my race Did not he giue thee also to runne out thy course If he gaue it thée not to runne out thy race what is that thou sayest in another place It standeth not in the willer nor in the runner but in GOD which hath mercie I haue kept my faith hast thou kept thy faith I knowe it and am content withall I graunt thou hast kept it But vnlesse the Lord doe kéepe the Citie they doe watch in vayne that doe kéepe it Therefore thou hast both fought out thy good fight and runne out thy race and kept thy faith euen through him as ayding thée giuing it to thée Giue me leaue O Apostle I know nothing of thine own but naughtinesse Giue me leaue O Apostle we say that thou didst teach I heare thée confessing God I finde thee not vnthankefull But we perfectly knowe that there be none of thine owne things gotten to thée by thy selfe but euill things Therefore when God doth crowne thy merites hée crowneth nothing els but his owne giftes Thus saith Saint Austen Musculus fol. 237. How we can merit nothing after our death When thou art departed from hence saith S. Austen thou shalt be receiued according to thy deserts and shall rise againe to receiue that which thou hast done Then God shall crowne not so much thy merits as his owne gifts This saith he And Hierom after he had recited the opinion of them which do hold that after we be departed out of this life we may both hurt reasonable creatures do good yet he doth expound that place of Ecclesiasticus The dead knoweth nothing and there is no reward any more for them in this wise They y◠do liue may for feare of death do good works but they which be dead can adde nothing to that which they haue caried hence with them out of this life Item They can neither doe iustly nor sinne not adde neither vertue nor vice This saith he ¶ And no doubt there is one season to worke in and another season to receiue for that which a man hath wrought in this life And men shall bée iudged at the iudgment to come not for the workes or merits which bée done after this lyfe but for the same which is done in this body as the Apostle saith Wherefore it appeareth that we haue no merit neither before this life nor in this life neither after this life Muscu fol. 234. Augustin saith God doth many things in man which man doth not but man doth nothing which God maketh not man to doe Wherefore we must in any wise beware that we doe not so establish mans merits that we do make voyd y◠grace of Christ and contemne the iustice of God For merit and grace be so contrarye one to another that as Barnard saith there is no meanes for grace to enter where merit doth kéepe place Musculus fol. 238. Proues that the merit of man is nothing auailable to purchase saluation Say ye that we bée vnprofitable seruants for notwithstanding we haue done all things that are commaunded yet haue we done no good thing for if our doings were good indéed then were we not vnprofitable but any good deede of ours is called good not rightly or duely but by abuse of speach Origen in his 8. treatie vpon Math. He that trusteth not to his owne déedes nor hopeth so be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercie of God Basil vpon the 32. Psal. This is our full and perfect reioicing in God when we acknowledge that we are voide of any of our righteousnesse and are iustified by onely faith in Christ. Basil. in his booke of humilitie I say not vnto the Lord despise not the workes of my hands I haue sought the Lord with my hands and was not deceiued But I doe not praise or commend the workes of my handes For I am afraid least when thou lookest vpon them thou shalt finde more sinnes than merits This onely I say this I praye this I couer Despise not the workes of thine hands Sée thine owne worke in me and not mine for if thou séest mine thou doest condemne if thou séest thine thou crownest For all the good
to forgiue him all such and secret hid sinnes wherein hée had offended the most pure and perfect lawe of God but also he desireth him vtterly to pourge him of all his secret and subtill sinnes saieng Ab occultis meis munda me vnto this place of the Prophet séemeth the saieng of Saint Paule to agree very well when he saith Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc iustificatus sum Mine owne conscience accuseth me of no fault and yet I am not because of that iustified before God for we sinne vpon a good intent and so by ignoraunce commit great offence against God In all such cases a man offendeth not his owne conscience and yet he offendeth God Ric. Turnar OFFERINGS What Offerings did signifie vnto the people THe Offerings were signes and did certefie a man that God was at one with him and was his friend and loued him For the fat of the beast was offered and wine thereto as though God had sate and eate and dronke with them and the rest they and their housholds did eate before God as though they had eaten and dronken with God and were commaunded to bée merry to make good chéere full certified that God was at one with them and had forgotten all olde offences and now loued them that he woulde fulfill all his promises of mercie with them Tindale OYLE What Oyle doth signifie in this place following ANd make of them holy annoynting Oyle ¶ This holy annoynting Oyle doth figure the vertue of the Holy ghost declared or shewed by the word of God and descending downe first on the head of Aaron which is Christ and consequently vpon the Apostles and all the faithfull As Psalme 133. 2. T. M With my holy Oyle haue I annoynted him ¶ By the holy Oyle is vnderstood the holy Ghost the grace the mercie and word of God by the which the soule is refreshed and deliuered from paine to spirituall ioye Geneua Is lyke the Oyle that runneth vpon the head c. ¶ The oyntment was a figure of the graces which came from Christ the head vnto the Church Geneua What the Oyle of gladnesse is The Oyle of gladnesse is the gifte of the spirite of God gladnesse to our selues because it filleth vs with ioye in the Lord and gladnesse to other because it powreth grace into our lippes to comforte the weake hearted and to make vs a swéete sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe to all that hearken vnto vs. Deering Thy God hath annoynted thée with the Oyle of gladnesse ¶ Hath established thy kingdome as the figure of Christ which is the peace and ioye of the Church Of the Oyle that Saint Iames speaketh off Annoynt him with Oyle in the name of the Lord. ¶ Among those Nations vnto which S. Iames wrote this Epistle it was the manner to annoynt their bodye with Oyle which thing Christ commaundeth his Apostle to doe And Oyle is to manye diseases as a wholesome medicine We where such annoynting is not vsed maye vnder the name of Oyle vnderstande the Office and duetie of Charitie in ministring vnto the sicke such things as he néedeth Tindale ¶ Oyle was much vsed in Palestina and was counted medicinable Mark 6. 13. Luke 10. 34. Therefore where the Apostles doth commaund that Elders should annoynt with Oyle the bodies of the sicke his meaning is that they shall in no wise despise those meanes that God hath appointed naturally to be vsed for the healing of the sicke Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The Oyle that S. Iames speaketh of was not a necessary Sacrament of the Church to continue for euer but it was a miraculous gifte of healing lasting for the time lyke as other miracles did Iewel And they annointed many with Oyle that were sicke and healed them ¶ This oyle was a signe of this miraculous working and not a medicine to heale diseases so that the gifte of miracles ceasing the ceremonie is to no vse How the Oyle that the Papists doe vse came not from the Apostles The Apostles in olde time gaue the Holy ghost by laieng on of hands but now a daies because Bishops he not so holy order hath bene taken that they should giue this Sacrament with Chrisme Iewel ¶ Extreme vnction as they tearme it was that Ceremonie which the Apostles vsed oftentimes when they healed the sick annoynting theÌ„ with Oyle For as they laied their hands vpon those whom they baptised giuing to them the Holy ghost visibly so lykewise when they healed any sicke man they did eftsoones annoint him with Oyle to signifie vnto him from whence the gift of health did come that is from the Holy ghost F. N. B. the Italian How the Oyle is compared to the bread in the Sacrament Cyrillus writing of the Oile saith thus Beware thou think not this to be Oyle onely For as the bread of the Sacrament after the inuocation of the Holy ghost is no longer common bread but the body of Christ so this holy Oyle is no longer bare or common Oyle but it is the grace of Christ. ¶ By these words there appeareth lyke chaunge in the Oyle and bread For as the Oyle is the grace of God so is the bread the bodye of Christ and as the nature and substaunce of the Oyle remaineth still although it be not bare or common oyle so the nature and substaunce of bread remaineth still although it be not common or bare bread OLDE MAN What is vnderstood by our olde man KNowing this that our olde man is crucified with him ¶ By the olde man he vnderstandeth our naturall disposition that we haue of our first parents which is slow to vertue but most prone and ready to sinne It is also called the body of sinne Sir I. Cheeke Olde wine ¶ Looke Wine ONELT FAITH How onely faith iustifieth proued by the Doctors SAint Ambrose saith They are iustified freely because working nothing requiting nothing they are iustified by onely saith through the gift of God Againe he saith in the same place This was Gods determination that the lawe surceaâ—â— the grace of God should require onely faith vnto saluation Againe he saith Rom. cap. 9. Onely faith is laied or appointed for saluation He knoweth himselfe to be voide of true righteousnes and to be iustified by onely faith in Christ. Theodorus saith Not by any workes of ours but by onely â—aith he haue got the mysticall good things Origen saith Wher is now thy boasting of thy good works it is shut out Paule saith that the iustification of only faith iustifieth so that all men onely beléeuing maye be iustified although he haue done no good workes at all Chrisostome saith they sayd Who so stayeth himselfe by onely faith is accursed Contrariwise Saint Paule saith that whosoeuer stayeth himselfe by onely faith he is blessed They be manifestly blessed whose wickednesse be forgiuen without any labour or worke and their sinnes hidden without any workes of
repentaunce sought of them but onely that they must beléeue Arbitramur hominem iustificari absque operibus legis We béeing taught of Christ thinke saith Thomas according to the truth of the Apostle that euery man whether he be Ieâ— or Gentile is iustified by faith Act. 15. 19. By faith purifieng theyr hearts and that without the workes of the lawe And that not onely without the Ceremoniall workes which did not giue grace but also without the workes of the Morall commandements according to that saieng of Titus 3. ver 5. Not of the workes of the righteousnesse that we haue wrought The reason is presumed that we are saued for our merites the which he excludeth when he saith Not of the workes of the righteousnesse which we haue done but the true reason is the onely mercie of God There is not therefore in them the hope of iustifitation Sed in sola fide but in faith onely Workes are not the cause that any body is iust before God but they are rather the executions and the ministring of righteousnesse In this point though he swarue from the truth in many other points he speaketh right I. Bridges fol. 143. Our Aduersaries when they doe teach that the iustifieng of vs doth not consist in faith onely but in workes also what doe they els but obscure the glory of Gods grace and extoll the merite of our workes They doe not waye that it is necessarye that our iustifieng doe consist in faith onely for as much as it is bestowed freely If they cannot abide the word onely or alone let him leaue it and vse this word fréely For in case we be iustified fréely by faith as the Apostle doeth testifie it must néedes followe that we be not iustified by faith works but by faith onely If it be not by faith onely but by workes withall then is it not freely but of duetie If it be of dutie and not fréely then there is no glory of Gods grace at all Musculus fol. 229. ONE Of one Mediatour ¶ Looke Mediatour What the Prophet Ose doth meane by one head THen shall the Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head ¶ To wit after the captiuitie of Babilon when the Iewes wer restored but chiefe this is referred to the time of Christ who should be the head both of the Iewes and Gentiles Geneua ¶ The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sande of the Sea shore that cannot be numbred And it shall come to passe in the place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are no people of mine there shall it be sayd vnto them ye are the children of the lyuing God And the Children of Iuda the Children of Israel shall assemble together and shall appoint to themselues one head Upon which words S. Hierom writeth thus All these things shall come to passe because it is the great daye of the séed of God which séede is expounded not the Pope but Christ. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles the Children of Israel that is to say the Heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say not one Pope but one Christ. Iewel fol. 101. ¶ Let vs remember saith Augustine the corner stone that is Christ and not the Pope and the two walls the one of the Iewes and the other of the Heathen Iewel fol. 101. Of one Sheepefold And there shall be one Shéepefold ¶ When the Gentiles haue receiued the Euangelicall faith they shal be associate and ioyned to the faithfull people of the Iewes and so of them both there shall be one folde that is of the Iewes Gentiles there shall be one Church One God saith Paule one Faith and one Baptime Therefore we must be one euen as wée are called into one hope c. They which gather vpon this place that there shall be a mutual consent and agréement among men in the whole world insomuch as none shall remaine as Inâ—â—dell or vngodly doe erre and know not the Scriptures neither doe consider what is the state and drift of this place Againe ther are some which gather of this place that after the last day of Iudgment all both good and bad shall be gathered into one place of eternall life But the opinion of those men is most foolish For then shall the Shéepe be seperated from the Goates the iudgement of the Shéepe shal be one the iudgement of the Goates another as the Scripture plainly testifieth Marâ— vpon Iohn fol. 374. Of one Spirit He that cleaneth vnto God is one spirite with him ¶ Nico. Lyra vpon this place saith Vâ—us non secundum rem c. One spirit with God not one in déede but one in loue or according to affection So that we are vnited vnto God by faith and loue and none otherwise ORACLE What an Oracle is AN Oracle is properly the minde and aunswere of God by some diuine Interpreter declared as by some Prophet Priest or otherwise by man ORIGENIANI Of whom these Heretikes bare their name ORigeniani were Heretikes called after aâ—e Origen not he that was the great Cleark of Alexandria they condemned marriage yet liued they beastly their manner was to haue among them religious women like Nunnes whom they deâ—â—led yet vsed meanes to kéepe them from swelling Epiph. haer 63. Of the Heretikes that sprang of the learned Origen Origeniani againe were Heretikes which so called themselues of Origen Adamantius the great Clearke of Alexandria they taught as Epiphan saith haeres 64. that there was no resurrection that Christ was a creature the Holy ghost a like that the soules were first in heauen came downe into the bodies as it wer into prison that in the end the diuels should be saued Epiphanius as I read in Socrates Eccl. hist. li. 6. ca. 11. was become the enimy of Origen through the spite malice of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria The diuell bare Origen a displesure he procured heretikes to father vpon him lewd opinions He complaineth himselfe in a certaine Epistle how that Heretikes corrupted his works Pamphilus Martir the great friend and familiar of Eusebius wrote an Apologie in his behalfe Eusebius li. 6. ca. 3. 18. 20. 26. reporteth of the famous men that fauored Origen Socrates Eccle. histor lib. 6. cap. 12. writeth in his commendation Athanasius gaue of him a notable testimonie Chrisostome would in no wise bée brought to condemne either Origen or his works Socrates li. 6. cap. 11. 12. 13. ORIGINALL SINNE That no man is without originall sinne THe death of our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is a mightie remedie against the wound of originall sin wherewith the nature of all men is in Adam corrupt and slaine and from whence the infection of all concupiscence hath sprong Augustine in the Articles falsely
mortifie his body for to liue according to the doctrine yâ— he himselfe did teach least be should be reproued of men when they should sée him doe contrary or contemne yâ— thing which he taught other to doe Ric. Turnar Of Paules vnquietnesse of the flesh ¶ Looke Flesh. How Paule wrought with his hands He abode with them wrought Their craft was to make tents ¶ How doe they followe Paules example which neither giue themselues to the studie of holy Scriptures to feede the flocke of Christ nor yet will labour with their hands but liue idly with the sweate of other mens browes there was a lawe among the Massilians that if any man did go about to liue idly vnder the pretence of some kind of religion he shuld in no wise be receiued into their citie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Thus he vsed where euer he came but principally at Corinthus because of the false Apostles which preached without wages to winne the peoples fauour His craft was to make tents or pauilions which were made of skinnes Geneua Wherefore Paule wished himselfe to be seperate from Christ. For I haue wished my selfe to be seperated from Christ for my bretheren c. ¶ The Apostle loued his bretheren so entirely that if it had bene possible he would haue bene ready to haue redeemed the casting away of the Israelites with the losse of his owne soule for euer For this word seperate betokeneth as much in this place Beza ¶ He sawe the losse and destruction of his whole nation falling so farre from Gods true religion he considered how far God should be dishonoured when his wonderfull benefits and blessings bestowed vpon his people should take none effect but vtterly be defaced which so mightely moued him the he wished rather to be cut off from Christ then those things should come to passe The Bible note ¶ He would redéeme the reiection of the Iewes with his owne dampnation which declareth his zeale towardes Gods glorie Read Exo. 32. 32. Geneua How Paule had a wife Paule wished that all men were as he was That is hée wished that all the Corinthians which aduaunced themselues of virginitie widowhood could liue chast without a woman as he did which left his wife in an other place then where hée preached that all men were without care as he was which thing commonly followeth marriage ¶ Looke Apostles had wiues what Erasmus saith thereof ¶ Ignatius and also Clemens Alexandrinus which were verie nigh the Apostles time doth plainely affirme that S. Paule had a wife Ecclesiast histo li. 3. cap. 30. What Paule calleth the infirmitie of the flesh Paule calleth the infirmity of the flesh no disease of yâ— body or temptation of the flesh but his suffering and affliction which he suffered in his bodie So that he setteth the same against the vertue and power of the spirit But least we should séeme to wrast and peruert Paules words let vs heare himselfe speaking in the. 2. Cor. 12. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions and anguish for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I stronge And in the. 11. chapt 13. In labours more abundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more plenteous in death oft of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I was thrise beaten with roddes I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwracke c. These afflictions which hée suffred in his body he calleth infirmities of the flesh and not corporall diseases Of Paules voice Looke Voice PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS Of the heresie that this man taught THis man was Bishop of Antioch He denied the trinitie He taught that Christ tooke his beginning of our lady And was a man onely of our common nature which heresâ—e was condemned by a generall Councell Paulus excommunicated He was about the yeare of our Lord. 267. PEACE How Christ came not to send peace on earth but debate SUppose ye that I am come to send peace on earth I tell you nay but rather debate ¶ So the peace as this world loueth which is then at peace when mens appetites and desires are satisfied and when the euill agrée with the euill came I not to send on earth but therfore came I with yâ— words of very peace to destroy the peace of this world For sith the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth all peace shal be enuied of many it cannot be but debate must arise euen amongest greatest friends while they that loue this world will sooner exercise cruelty towards them yâ— they loue best then leaue yâ— vices which they haue bene accustomed vnto And againe those whome the fire of the charitie belonging to the Gospell hath touched will by no meanes suffer themselues to be deuided from that which they haue begun to cleaue to Betwixt these two am I not come to set peace but debate Tindale What it is to be at peace with God Because therefore that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ To be at peace with God is none other thing then to haue tranquility rest in our hearts to Godward knowing assuredly the we be accepted of him do please him which thing we finde by fayth onely in that it receiueth forgiuenesse of sinnes newnesse of life euerlasting by mercy obteined at Christs hands Our own workes can bring no such tranquilitie because they be vnsure and engender doubt of which followeth desperation and of it dampnation we are not ashamed of our hope for we are sure by the death of Christ that God loueth vs and will bring our hope to passe ¶ By peace héere is meant that incredible and most constant ioye of minde when we are deliuered from all terrour of conscience and fully perswaded of the fauour of God this peace is the fruit of faith Geneua ¶ By peace which is the fruite of faith is ment the incredible and most constant ioy of minde our conscience being quiet and established in Gods grace The Bible note How peace makers be blessed Blessed be the peace makers c. ¶ To inherit this blessing it is not onely required that thou haue peace in thy selfe and that thou take all to the best and be not offended lightly and for euery small trifle alway ready to forgiue nor sowe â—o discord nor auenge thine owne wrong But also that thou be feruent and diligent to make peace go betwéene person persoÌ„ that thou leaue nothing vnsought to set theÌ„ at one Tin ¶ Cursed be the peace breakers pikequarrellers whispers backebiters sowers of discord dispraisers of them that be good stirrers vp of Princes to battell bée-liers of the true preachers of Gods word c. Tindale What peace offering is To offer peace offering of Oxen vnto the Lorde ¶ Peace offering is to reconcile God towards men to be at peace with them to forgiue
meanes seperated from the vnbeléeuers Or inasmuch as it was with God from eternitie before men were borne Of this Paule speaketh writing to the Galaâ—hians that hée was sette aparte to preach the Gospell from his mothers wombe longe before hée was conuerted And vnto the Ephesians also he sayth that we were predestinate before the foundation of the worlde were layde And to the Romanes of the Twinnes he sayth before they hadde done either good or bad Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated And we at this present speake of this eternall Predestination of God Wherefore the other is nothing but a declaration of this Predestination therefore maye bée taken both commonly and properly But forsomuch as God doth all thinges by an appointed Counsell and nothing by chaunce or fortune vndoubtedly whatsoeuer he createth or doth he appointeth to some ende and vse After this manner neither the wicked nor the Diuell himselfe nor sinners canne be excluded from Predestination for all these things doth God vse according to his will c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 291. Augustine in his booke De Predestinatione sanctorum the 10. Chapter thus defineth Predestination that it is a preperation of grace And in the. 12. Chapter hée sayth it is foreknowledge and a preparation of the gifts of GOD by which they are certeinly deliuered which are deliuered but the rest are left in the masse and lumpe of perdition In an other place he calleth it the purpose of hauing mercye The Maister of the Sentences in the first booke Distinct. 40. defineth it to bée a preparation of grace in this present time and of glorye in time to come These definitions I reiect not Howbeit because they comprehende not the whole matter I will bring in an other definition more full as nigh as I canne I saye therefore that Predestination is the most wise purpose of GOD whereby he hath before all eternitie constantlye decréed to call those whome hée hath loued in Christ to the adoption of his children to iustification by faith and at length to glorye through good workes that they maye bée made lyke to the Image of the sonne of God and that as then should bée declared the glorye and mercye of the creator This definition as I thinke comprehendeth all thinges that perteine vnto the nature of Predestination and all the partes thereof maye be proued by Scripture Pet. Mart. vpon the Rom. fol. 292. Predestination wée call the eternall and immutable decrée of God by the which he hath once determined with himselfe what hée will haue to bée done with euerye man For he hath not created all to bée of one condition Or if we will haue the definition of Predestination more large wée saye that it is the most wise most iust purpose of God by the which before all times hée constantly hath decréed to call those whome hee hath loued in Christ to the knowledge of himselfe and of his sonne Christ Iesus that they maye bée assured of theyr adoption by the iustification of fayth which working in them by charitie maketh their workes to shine before men to the glorie of their Father so that they made conforme to the Image of the same God maye finally receiue the glorye which is prepared for the vessells of mercye These latter partes to wit of vocation iustification of fayth and of the effect of the same I haue added for such as thinke that wée imagine it sufficient that we bée predestinate howe wickedlye soeuer wée liue We constantly affirme the playne contrarye to wit that none liuing wickedly canne haue the assuraunce that he is predestinate to lyfe euerlasting yea though man and Angell woulde beare recorde with him yet will his owne conscience condempne him vnto such time as he vnfeinedly turne from his conuersation Knox. Who hath predestinate vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ. ¶ This is the true vnderstanding of Predestination that without anye merites or deseruings of ours yea afore the foundation of the world was laid GOD hath decreed with himselfe to saue through Christ all them that doe beléeue How Predestination was the first worke that God made God before the beâ—inning of the worlde did worke but onelye the worke of Predestination of the which Saint Paule sayth Ephesians 1. GOD hath predestinate and chosen vs to him through Christ our Lord before the foundation of the world was laide So that the work of Predestination was the first worke of God that we doe reade of in the scripture which was perfectly finished before the world began The second worke of God was the worke of creation that is of making all things of nothing Of this worke it is written Qui viuit in eternum creauit omnia semel He that liueth euerlastingly without beginning and without ending made all things at once By all thinges is vnderstoode the matter and substaunce whereof all thinges was afterwarde made which is called of Moses Coelum terram That vndigested and vnshaped and vnfashioned lumpe called of the Poettes Chaos whereof all the Firmament and the foure Elementes were afterwarde made that was made by the woorke of creation Idque semel and that all at once The worke of creation béeing ended God procéeded to the diuiding and setting of things in order which is called Opus distinctionis And in this worke we reade that GOD was occupied sixe daies This worke béeing ended almightie God ceased from making of any mo new things and yet he neuerthelesse worketh continually in the redressing in the preseruing and in the gouerning of the things that he hath made Indéede vpon the sixt day he made man and blessed him with the strength of generation in his posteritie vnto the end of the worlde by vertue of which blessing all men doe increase doe multiplye doe flourish and come into the world And yet notwithstanding that work of the sixt day God stil a pace worketh by his diuine prouidence gouerning of man wonderfully which is called Opus gubernationis for the which his worke we are bound euery man to praise him and to magnifie him according as we be taught by the prophet in the Psalme saieng in the person of Christ O Father Tues qui extraxisti me de ventre c. Thou art he yâ— tookest me out of my Mothers wombe Ric. Turnar No reason can be giuen why God did predestinate this man more then that but onely that it was his pleasure so to doe I aske how came it to passe that the fall of Adam did wrap vs in eternal death so many nations with their children being infants without remedy but because it so pleased God Heare their tongues which are otherwise so pratling must of necessity be dumb It is a terrible decrée I grauÌ„t yet no man shal be able to deny but yâ— God foreknew what end man shuld haue ere hee â—reated him therfore foreknew it because he had so
the Priests eare for that is but mans inuention but to God in the heart and before all the Congregation of God how that we be sinners and sinfull and that our whole nature is corrupt and inclined to sinne and all vnrighteousnesse and therefore euill wicked and damnable his lawes holy and iust by which our sinfull nature is rebuked And also to our neighbour if we haue offended any man perticularly Then Contrition sorrowfulnesse that we be such damnable sinners and not onely haue sinned but are wholly inclined to sin still Thirdly Faith of which our olde Doctors haue made no mention at all in the description of their Penaunce that God for Christs sake doth forgiue vs and receiue vs to mercie and is at one with vs will heale our corrupt nature And fourthly satisfaction or amends making not to God with holy works but to mine neighbour whome I haue offended if anye open crime be found in me and submitting of a mans selfe vnto the Congregation of the Church of Christ. And note this as satisfaction and amends making is counted righteous before the world and a purging of sinne so that the world to whome I haue made a full amends hath no farther to complaine euen so faith in Christs bloud is counted righteousnesse and a purging of all sinne before God Moreouer he that sinneth against his brother sinneth also against his Father almightie God as the sinne committed against his brother is purged before the world with making amendes or asking forgiuenesse Euen so is the sinne committed against God purged through faith in Christs bloud onely for Christs â—ake Iohn 8. 24. Except ye beleeue that I am he ye shall dye in your sinnes that is to say If ye thinke that through anye other Sacrifice or satisfaction to God-ward then me ye remaine euer in sinne before God how soeuer righteous you appeare before the world Wherefore now whether ye call this Motanoe Repentaunce Conuersion or toâ—â—ing againe to God either amending c. Or whether ye say repent be conuerted turne to God amend your liuing or what ye list I am content so ye vnderstande what is meant thereby as I haue now declaâ—ed Tindale fol. 37. HOW repentaunce is attributed to God I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vppon them ¶ When the Scripture attributeth repentaunce vnto God it is not that he doth contrary to that which he hath ordeined in his secret counsell But when he threateneth it is a calling to repentaunce and when he giueth man grace to repent the threatening which euer containeth a condition in iâ— taketh no place And this the Scripture calleth repentaunce in God because it so appeareth to mans iudgement Geneua The Lord repented of the plague ¶ In the diuine nature there is no such affections or chaungâ—ablenesse But God is sayde after the mauner of men to repâ—â—it when he doth not execute that he had denounced or doth deferre the plague which he had threatened Geneua I repent me that I made Saule King ¶ God in his eternall counsell neuer chaungeth nor repenteth as ver 29. though he séemeth to vs to repent when many things goeth contrarye to his temporall election Geneua ¶ The repentaunce of God is onely chaunging of the deede And as the affection of mercie and of fatherly loue is attributed vnto God euen so doth the Scripture attribute vnto God after his manner of speach to affliction of anger and of fury and of repentaunce also for men cannot otherwise speake of God T. M. ¶ It repented the Lord that he had made man ¶ God doth neuer repent but he speaketh after our capacitie because he did destroy him and in that as it were did disaâ—owe him to be a creature Geneua Of Esaus repentaunce And founde no place of repentaunce ¶ Nouatus did not well vnderstande this place gathering thereby that they which doe of a fraylenesse sinne though they repent neuer so truly ought not be receiued to fauour againe For heere is not one word spoken of remission of sinnes but of the right of the first borne which being sold for a vile messe of poâ—age could not be recouered againe though he sought it with teares Sir I. Cheeke The meaning of this place following My repentings are rouled together ¶ Meaning that his loue wherewith he first loued them made him betwéene doubt and assuraunce what to doe and héerein appeareth his fatherly affection that his mercie towards his shall ouercome his iudgements as he declareth in the next verse Geneua Of two manner of repentaunce I finde saith Frith to Rastall two manner of repentaunce one is without faith is such a repentaunce as Iudas Rastals Christen men which continue still in sinne haue at latter end which doth rather purchase them an halter then the remission of sinnes Another repentance followeth instification remission of sins is a florishing fruit of faith for when by faith wee do perceiue the fauour kindnesse yâ— our louing father hath shewed vs in his sonne Iesus Christ and that he hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by the bloud of his sonne then begin we to loue him the more we hate the body of sinne and lament and be sory that our members are so fraile that they cannot fulfill the lawe of God and so in mourning and bewailing our infirmitie it causeth vs to abstaine both from meate and drinke and worldly pleasures which is the pure fasting that we talke off but you vnderstand it not And this repentaunce commeth not to purge the sinnes which is committed before but onelyâ— taketh an occasion by the sinnes before committed to know what poyson there remaineth in our flesh and seeketh by all meanes to make vs hate this body of sinne and to subdue it with all manner of workes that God hath appointed to the intent that it should in time to come no more displease God our most mercifull Father which of gentlenesse so often pardoneth and forgiueth vs as I touched before This is the manner of repentaunce which I finde in scripture but this helpeth that we should sinne no more but what Rastall dreameth I wote not But to expresse the vttermost what I meane by repentaunce marke this example If a man builde an house which doth cost him much labour and money and haue layed no sure foundation but that when a tempest commeth his house doeth fall then will he be very sorie and repent that he hath so foolishly bestowed his money and labour Notwithstanding all this great sorrow and repentaunce cannot set vp his house againe which is fallen but onely it taketh an occasion by the ruine of the house to teach the owner wit against another time yâ— when he buildeth againe he may make a sure foundation Euen so though thou repent neuer so much that cannot get remission of thy sinnes that is but that must be pardoned onely by the faith in Christs bloud Neuerthelesse it doth
Saints Redemption is the chiefe act of a mediatour D. Barnes Saint Iohn saith if a man doe sinne we haue an aduocate by the father Christ Iesus ¶ Héere is none assigned but Christ Iesus and by him haue we onely remission of our sinnes ¶ Looke Aduocate D. Barnes Saint Paule sayth The spirit of God maketh intercession mightely for vs with mightie desires that cannot be expressed with tongue ¶ If the spirit of God doe make intercession for vs then haue we no neede of other mediatours For he is able to obteine all things for vs and hath taken this office on him for vs. It were a great rebuke to him that Saints should be set in his stéede ioyned with him in office as though he were vnsufficient D. Barnes Paule saythâ— Christ siâ—teth on the right hand of the father the which doth also praye for vs. ¶ He sayth that Christ praieth for vs can the Father of heauen denie any thing of his prayer Doth he not aske all things necessary for vs And as Scripture saith he is our wisdome he is our iustice he is our sanctification and our repemption made of Godâ— Now what resteth for Saints to askeâ— Now what will ye desire more then wisâ—ome iustice sanctification and redemption All these hathâ— Christ obteined for vs. D. Barnes Christ saith No man commeth to the father but by mée ¶ Note these wordes First he saith No man c. Ergo as many as euer shall come to the father of heauen be héere conteined Then addeth he But by me Héere be all Saints and merits cleane excluded in this word But Wherfore it is plaine that whatsoeuer he be that maketh any other mediatour or goeth about by anye meanes seeme it neuer so holye but by Christ he despiseth also the father which hath allowed him onely to bée our mediatour and way to him as it is written I am the way onely to the Father D. Barnes Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name the Father shall giue it you ¶ Marke these wordes Whatsoeuer and that wée shoulde runne to none other he addeth also in my name Heere is nothing excluded but all things be giuen vs fréely and that for his names sake not for any Saints name nor for none of our merites therefore let vs not runne from the sweete promises of our most louing Sauiour redeemer and onely mediatourâ— Iesus Christ to Saints For that is an euident token of our infidelitie and that we thinke him vntrue and wil not fulfill his promise and make him a lyer D. B. S. Iames sayth All good giftes commeth from the Father of lighâ— Heere they haue destinction the God is good only of his own nature Saints are good by receiuing goodnes of him Answer Saints haue no more goodnesse then they haue receiued that yâ— they receiued was for theÌ„selues only can giue none of it to other for they receiued it for theÌ„selues no more then was necessarie that but only of mercy As it is open in Mathew in yâ— parable of yâ— 5. wise virgins the. 5. foolish Thus we do openly against God when we desire any thing of Saints séeing the scripture knowledgeth all good things to come of God only the he is the onely giuer of them All the Prophetsâ— fathers in al their tribulations cried alonely on him as Dauid testifieth of himself in these words following When I am in trouble I cry vnto the Lord he wil helpe me c. ¶ Héere he did not doubt for al that he was a sinner also in this place following My helpe is of God that made heauen earth c. Also Christ himself teaching vs to pray biddeth vs not to go to any other thing but alonely to the Father of heauen Wherefore Saints deeds doe serue All the Saints deeds perteineth to the glorifieng of God And not to this end that we should put our hope and trust in them and their helpe D. Heynâ—s How Saints haue not merits sufficient for themselues Obiection I remembor sayth Frier Brusiard to Bilney in a certeine sermon of years you sayd that no Saint though his suffering were neuer so great and his life most pure deâ—erued any thing for vs with God either by his death or lyfe which is contrary to S. Austen Aunswere Christ sayth one thing S. Austen an other whether of these two should we beleeue For Christ willing to deliuer vs out of this dark â—â—eon of ignorance gaue forth a certein parable of â— virgins of which â—iue were fooles and fiue were wise â—By the fiue faolish virgins wanting the oyle of good works he ment vs all sinners by the wise virgins he meant the companye of all holy Saints How let vs heard what the fiue wise virgins sayd to the foolish crauing Oyle of them No sayd they least peraduenâ—ure we haue not sufficient for vs and for you Get you rather to them that sell and buy of them to serue your turne Wherfore if they had not oyle sufficient for themselues and also for the other where be then the merits of Saints wherwith they can deserue both for themselues and for vs Eeries I cannot see Bilney in the booke of Mar. fo 11â—40 How the faithfull liuing on earth are Saints To proue that the faithfull liuing yet héere in earth be called Saintes heare the wordes of Ananiâ—s in the Acts of the Apostles Lord saith he I haue heard by many of this man how much harme he hath done to thy Saintes at Hierusalem and how he hath power of the high Priests to binde all those that cal vpon thy name Now heare what S. Austen saith concerning this matter He writing vpon the Psalmes do alleadge these words of the Apostle And some of you were such but ye are washed but ye are sanctified Si ergo eos sanctificauit dicit c. If he call them sanctified let euery one of the faithfull say I am a Saint This is not the pride of him yâ— is puffed vp but yâ— confessio of him yâ— is ingrate or vnthankful for if thou say thou art a Saint of thy selfe thou art a proud man Againe beeing faithfull in Christ if thou say thou art not a Saint thou art ingrate vnthankfull Say vnto thy God I am a Saint because thou hast sanctified me because I haue receiued it not because I had it because thou hast giuen it not because I deserued it For on yâ— other side thou beginnest to do iniury vnto thy Lord Iesus Christ. For if all christians faithfull all they yâ— bée baptised in him or are apparelled with him as the Apostle saith As many as are baptised in Christ are apparelled with him If they be made meÌ„bers of his body say yâ— they are not Saints they doe iniury vnto the head himselfe whose members are not holy Now see where thou art take dignitie of thy head let euery christen man say yea
by Salt for as Salt maketh meates sauorie so godly wisdome causeth our communication and talke to be allowable and haue a grace we ought to take héede with whom and before whom we do talke according to the audience to moderate and rule our communication Sir I. Cheeke Let your speach be alwaies gratious c. ¶ Perteining to edification and mixt with no vanitie Geneua How the nature of Christ is set out by the ceremonie of salt Upon all thine offering thou shalt bring Salt ¶ By this ceremonie is the nature of Christ set forth which is figured in all sacrifices For Christ is the true and heauenly Salt by whoÌ„ all that beleeue in him be made sauorie and pleasant vnto God the father so that they shall neuer so putrifie that they shall Perish The Bible note How salt in Baptime is not Christs ordinaunce The vse of Salt in the olde Testament was appointed to the Iewes by the law prescribed by Moses to them that were vnder the lawe If it had bene Christs pleasure yâ— his ministers should haue looked backe vnto the rites of Moses taken out of them such as they listed he would rather haue had declared the same or els the Apostle wold haue done it wherefore our opinion is saith Musâ—ulus that this vse of Salt also in Baptime is to be attributed vnto yâ— wil worship of the Bishops Mus. fo 290 Of the salted couenant Let it be a salted couenant for euer ¶ Like as Salt doth preserue flesh from corruption so this couenant shuld be sure stable and incorruptible The Bible note Neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the couenant of thy God to be lacking ¶ All offerings must be salted with Salt signifieng that al our works must be directed after the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets and then shall they be acceptable in the sight of the Lord if they sauour of the Salt thereof or else not T. M. What the sowing of Salt meaneth Destroied the citie and sowed Salt in the place ¶ He sowed Salt there to make it barren for euer for Salt maketh the â—round vnapt to bring forth any thing as saith Plinie in hisâ— 13. booke the. 17. chapter Abimelech after he had destroied the citie of Sichem soweâ— Salt therein which was a token of a wildernesse and desart For Salt drieth the ground and maketh it vnfruitfull In Hebrew Malach signifieth Salt Thereof commeth the Uerbe Malach which is to Salt but in the Coniâ—gation Niphal Niuilah is a Uerbe which signifâ—eth to destroy to breake downe to wast That word leremy vsed in his 14. chapter And Dauid in his 107. Psalme God turneth a fruitfull land into a saâ—â—ish ground that is maketh it wast desart In the yeare 1165. Frederike Oenobarbus the Emperour ouerthrew Millaine sowed Salt there For that citie tooke part with Alexander the third being Pope against Caesar which thing Frederike tooke in ill part Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 170. SALVATION A firme Argument for the certeintie of our saluation ANd seeing it is sayd that faith shall be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnesse as it was in times past imputed vnto Abraham we haue a most firme argument of the certeintie of saluation For as Abraham behaued himselfe towardes the promise of God as touching that he should haue issue So must we behaue our selues towardes the promises of the remission of sinnes But he was certeine neither doubted hée whereof we ought to be certeine of the saluation promised vnto vs and by no meanes to doubt thereof This reason let vs holde fast and not suffer it to slip from vs. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 96. As the holy Scriptures teacheth vs we ought to hope such is the nature of hope not to confound we may manifestly infer that we ought not to doubt of our saluation There are which pretend the their doubt héereof springeth for yâ— they are vncertein whether they shal perseuer vnto yâ— end or no. But these meÌ„ shuld coÌ„sider yâ— we ought alwais to pray for perseueraÌ„ce For as saith Cipriane whom Augustine followeth in all the things which we aske in the Lords prayer is included perseueraÌ„ce And as Iames teacheth we must aske without doubting wherfore it is manifest yâ— we must by no meanes doubt of perseuerance especially seeing we haue in our hearts the holy Ghost alwayes bearing an excellent testimonie vnto vs thereof For as Saint Paule saith in this Epistle It is the spirit that beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and â—e which hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his And Paul writeth of himselfe that he is sure that neither life nor death nor principalitie nor power can pluck him from yâ— loue of God namely from the loue wherewith God loued him Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 967. How without the Church is no light or saluation S. Cipriane De simplicitate praelatorum saith Whosoeuer is separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulterous church yâ— same man is separated from the promises of the church neither perteineth he to Christs merits which hath left yâ— church of Christ. He is a strauÌ„ger he is vncleane he is an enimy He cannot now haue God his father who hath not the church his mother If he may scape that was out of the Arke of Noe he may also escape that is abroad out of the church He must néeds be a most wicked man whosoeuer he be that leaueth his owne country the fellowship of very good men and falleth away to the enimies Lactantius therefore most truely sayd It is onely the catholike church which receiueth true religion Héere is the fountaine of truth This is the household of faith This is yâ— temple of God into the which if one enter not or out of the which if any depart he is excluded from the hope of saluation life euerlasting for our sauiour said that out of the sheepfolde life is not to be sound Bullinger fo 843. The causes of our saluation The speciall cause why we obteine euerlasting life is yâ— voluntarie frée will of God And the second cause are yâ— merits of Christ for he died for the saluation of mankinde but this is also a frée gift of the good will of God The third cause is our faith by the which we embrace receiue this good wil of God and the merits of Christ. Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 373. It is most true that the eternall election of God in Iesus Christ is the onely and sole cause of saluation vnto vs miserable and mortall men And holy faith imbracing the mercie of God in Iesus Christ by the testimonie of the holye Ghost in our heartes is that which doth assure vs that it is so Moreouer I say vnto thée that if any man should goe about to take from thée this assurednes and to make thée doubtfull of thy saluation he goeth about
Hierome aduersus Iouinian lâ— 1. Of the virgin that was sought for Dauid Let there be sought for my Lord the king c. ¶ Dauid tooke this virgin not for lust but for the health of his body by the aduise of his counsell which séemeth to be done by the speciall dispensation of God and therfore not to be followed as an example The Bible note Wherefore virginitie is praised S. Paule praiseth virginitie in them that are apt and able to embrace that state of liuing that they might with more speede go forth to preach and to serue the congregations He praiseth it not because he iudgeth that state to deserue the more grace for this errour fighting against the iustificatioÌ„ of faith he most of all abhorreth We deny it not saith Melancthon but yâ— ther be distinct states of liuing The Maior of the citie excelleth yâ— ship-maister but yet deserueth not the Maior more grace for gouerning the citie then the Shipper for ruling the Ship Yea it is possible that the shipper may worship God better in his ship then the Maior in the citie Wherefore these degrées differ not concerning the spirituall life by faith or any grace therby to be obteined although they conferred together in yâ— externe life one excelleth another for God willeth an order to be in offices and states of liuing A memorable fact of a virgin in defence of her country Aeneas Siluius otherwise Pope Pius the second in describing of Asia minor cap. 74. reciteth a certeine fact of a worthy virgin who at what time the Turkes were besieging a certeine towne in Lesbos and had cast downe a great part of the walls so yâ— al the towns men had giuen ouer putting on a mans harneis stepped forth into the breach where not only she kept the Turks from entring in but â—lue of them a great sort The citizens séeing the rare courage good successe of the maide toke to them againe their heart and harneis and so lustely laied about them that an incredible number of the Turks wer slaine The rest being repulsed from the land reculed into their ships who being then pursued by a nauie of Calisa were worthely discomfited likewise vpon the sea And thus was the I le of Lesbos at that time by a poore virgin that is by the strongâ— hand of the Lord working in a weake creature preserued from the Turks In the booke of Mar. VNBELEEVERS What S. Paule doth meane heere by vnbeleeuers BEare not the strange yoke with the vnbeléeuers ¶ Nothing in this world can hinder a man so much from true godlinesse as doth the amitie and friendship with the vngodly The sonnes of God did in the beginning ioyne themselues in amitie or friendship with the children of men and they were all destroyed by a floâ—d Hée that toucheth Pitch shall be defiled therewith Beware therefore if ye wil continue and abide stedfast in the true doctrine that ye accompanye not your selues with vngodly Epicures which without the feare of God doe giue themselues to all kinde of mischiefe and blasphemie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ He séemeth to allude to that which is written Deut. 23. 10. where the Lord commandeth that an Ore and an Asse be not yoked together because the match is vnequall So if the faythfull marrie with the Insidells or else haue to doe with them in anye thing vnlawfull it is héere reproued Geneua VNCIRCVMCISED LIPPES What is meant by vncircumcised lips SEeing that I haue vncircumcised lips ¶ To be of vncircumcised lips is to haue a tongue that lacketh good vtterance to set out matter withall T. M. ¶ Uncircumcised lips ¶ Or barbarous and rude in speach And by this word Uncircumcised is signified the whole corruption of mans nature Geneua VNCLEANE SPIRIT How this place of the Euangelist is vnderstood WHen the vncleane spirit is gone out c. ¶ Unlesse wée doe now at this present take better héede to our selues vse thankfully the grace of God nowe offered vnto vs by his Gospell and labour to expell these soule spirites that yet remaine among vs as couetousnesse whoordome vncleanenes c. the same that Christ héere threateneth vnto the Iewes shal happen vnto vs. Sir I. Cheeke When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man c. ¶ The vncleane spirit after he is cast out when he commeth findeth his house swept and garnished taketh to him seauen worse then himselfe and commeth and entreth in and dwelleth there and so is the end of that man worse then the beginning The Iewes they had cleansed themselues with Gods worde from all outward Idolatry and worshipping of Idolls but theyr hearts remained still faithlesse to Godward and towarde his mercy and truth and therefore without loue also and lust to the law and to their neighbour for his sake and false trust in their owne works to the which heresie the childe of perdition yâ— wicked Bishop of Rome with his lawiers hath brought vs Christen were more Idolaters then before and became tenne times worse then in the beginning For the first Idolatry was soone spied and easie to be rebuked of the Prophet by yâ— Scripture But the latter is more subtile to beguile withall and an hundred times of more difficultie to be wéeded out of mens hearts Tindale fol. 35. ¶ When by the grace of God we are induced brought into the knowledge of the truth then are we deliuered from the power of Satan Therefore we must take héede that hée doe not to our vtter destruction returne againe into vs that is to say that wée fall not againe into our own infidelitie superstition and ignorance Then indéed shal we be in worse case then we were before Sir I. Cheeke What is meant by these three vncleane spirits ¶ And I sawe thrée vncleane spirits like frogges come out of the mouth of the Dragon ¶ That is a strong number of this greate Diuell the Popes Ambassadours which are euer crieng and croking lyke Frogges out of Antichrists mouth because they shoulde speake nothing but lyes and vse all manner of craft and deceite to maintaine their rich Euphrates against the true Christians Geneua VNFAITHFVLL How the vnfaithfull eate not Christs bodie ¶ Looke Eating Wicked Euill will VNGODLY The meaning of this place of the Prophet THe vngodly haue bent their bow c. ¶ That is a borrowed speach by which is signified the wicked enimies of Dauid were most prest and readyâ— to destroye him for this Psalme as some suppose was made when he fledde from Saule and hid himselfe from him in diuers and sundry places As ye read 1. Reg. from the. 22. to the. 27. wher his persecution was so great that at length he was faine to flye out of yâ— coasts of Israel vnto the Philistines after the like manner do our Saules daily persecute the christen Psa. 37. 12. T. M. ¶ Looke Wicked VNICORNES What is meant by the Vnicornes ANd heare me from among
foreordeined to grace For touching themselues they did that God would not but touching the omnipotencie of God they could no way doe it For euen in this that they did against Gods will Gods will was fulfilled vpon them or touching them for therefore great and exquisite are the Lords workes throughout all his will that after a meruailous and vnspeakable manner that is not done beside Gods will that is done against Gods will Nothing is done that procéedeth not out of the inward and intelligible Court of the souereigne Emperour according to his vnspeakable Iustice. For where doth not the wisedome of almightie God worke that he will which reacheth from ende to ende strongly and disposeth all things sweetely Againe S. Austen hath these wordss It is than his will only froÌ„ which is sprong whatsoeuer is Also nothing set in mans frée will ouercoÌ„meth the wil of God And though man be against Gods will yet against his will which is himselfe we ought to think nothing to be so done as though he wold haue it to be done it is not done or yâ— he would not haue to be done it is done For yâ— will is euer fulfilled either touching vs or of vs. Touching vs it is fulfilled but we fulfil it not when we sin Of vs it is fulfilled when we do good Item so of man also God euer fulfilleth his will for man doth wherof God worketh not that he will Item Gods will is the necessitie of all things It is then in the power of the naughtie men to sin but yâ— in sinning the same naughtinesse shall doe this or this it is not in their power but in the power of God who diuideth darknesse ordereth it that of this also that they do against Gods wil there is nothing fulfilled but Gods will Aug. in the 1. bo of the Predest of Saints cha 16. Which holy scripture if it be diligently looked into sheweth that not only the good wils of men which he made of euil wils and being made good by him guideth to good acts but also those wils yâ— continue the creation of the world be so in Gods power that he maketh them to be bowed whether he will when hée wil either to do good to some or to punish some as he himself declareth by his most hidden indéede but vndoubtedly most iust iudgmeÌ„t For we find some sins to be punishmeÌ„ts euen of other sins As in yâ— hardening of Pharao the cause wherof is also declared to shew Gods power in him Wherefore the Lord saith to Iosua The Children of Israel shall not be able to stand What is this they shall not be able to stand why did they not stand by their free-will but fled their will being troubled through feare sauing that God ruleth ouer the wills of men when he is angry turneth whom he wil into feare Did not the shameles man that son of Iemini raile vpon king Dauid by his own wil Neuertheles what saith Dauid suffer him to raile for yâ— Lord hath coÌ„maunded him to raile vpon Dauid Lo how it is proued yâ—â—od vseth the hearts euen of euill men to yâ— praise aid of good men Who should not tremble saith he at these iudgements of God whereby he worketh euen in yâ— hearts of euill men whatsoeuer he will rendring yet to them according to their deserts And againe by these such testimonies of the holy scripture it is made manifest inough that God worketh in yâ— hearts of men to boow their wills whether soeuer he will either to good things according to his mercie and to euill according to their deserts through his own iudgement without doubt sometimes open sometimes hidden but euer iust Some will babble say if all things come to passe according to Gods â—oresight prouidence certain vnmouable vnchangeable ordiuaunce then they will make no prouision for meate to satisfie their hunger they will vse no medicine in their sicknes they will not procure to auoide any daunger c. for the good things yâ— God hath ordeined for them they shall haue the euill yâ— God hath appointed they cannot eschew So that either it shall not néede or it shall not boote to labor â—or the obtaining of yâ— one or auoiding of the other sith al must be as it is alredy decréed determined wtout alteratioÌ„ or change Aunswere O rude rabble what if God will vse your labour the wisdome and gifts wherewith he hath furnished you to serue his prouidence will ye refuse to be his instruments with all yâ— ye haue of him if it be his ordinaÌ„ce to feed you through your trauel wil you lye gaping till meat fal into your mouths froÌ„ yâ— clouds which you perceiue he hath not appointed If it plese him to hele you by yâ— vertue he hath giueÌ„ to herbs or other simples you wil not be healed I wold ye shuld be sick still If he wil haue you to escape daungers through yâ— wisedome yâ— he hath planted in your harts you will not vse theÌ„ you are worthy to perish in them and so God will vse your folly to your owne destruction The godly euer lyke that well that pleaseth God neither will they shew themselues so vnthankfull or so foolish as to despise or refuse the meanes that he hath appointed and though they know that nothing can come to passe otherwise then he hath ordeined yet they know not whether this way or yâ— way by this meanes or that meanes he will bring his purpose to passe and therefore they vse the meane with thankes that seemeth most lykely according to the wisedome that God hath giuen them For whether God worke things by him or by those meanes and instruments that he hath appointed all is one to them and they acknowledge his wisedome and goodnesse as well in the one as in the other c. B. Traheron How there is two wills in God The will of God is two manner of wayes considered in the Scripture It doth ascribe vnto God an absolute will which is hidden from vs and can in no wise be resisted for whatsoeuer God hath determined by his absolute will it can neuer be altered Secondly Scripture doth speake of the diuine and blessed will of God as it is set forth vnto vs in Gods holy word wherby we doe learne what God will haue vs to doe and what hee will haue vs to leaue vndone we do all contrary to this will when we do breake his commaundement And so Adam doing contrary to Gods will brought himselfe to naught and to vtter destruction I. Veron The meaning of this place following I will shew mercie to whom I will shew mercie will haue compassion on whom I haue compassion That is as much as if he should say that nothing doth moue him to mercie but only that he will shew mercie that is to say that the only thing that moueth him to be mercifull or to
Looke Saluation Of the workes of darknesse and of the spirit For ye were sometimes darknesse ¶ They are called darknesse that walke yet in the night of incredulitie misbeléefe doing the works of darknesse which are whooredome adultery wantonnesse c. but they are contrariwise called the children of light that bring forth the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 21. How they know not God that denieth him in deedes They confesse they know God but with works they deny him ¶ As infidelitie is the headspring of all wickednesse and vice so on the contrarie side faith is the original well fountaine of all vertue and godlynesse Which faith is declared not onely by works but by such déeds works as God hath commaunded vs in his holy and sacred Scriptures And where no such works be speake they neuer so godly ther is no true liuely faith Sir I. Cheeke VVORLD What the world signifieth in this place ANd the world knew him not◠The world in this place signifieth all men for it cannot be taken in a straighter sense In the sentence going before the world was made by him In other places of Scripture the world signifieth y◠reprobate onely Héere the world is condemned of vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse that it hath not embraced but shamefully refused reiected his maker It is vnnaturall it is horrible abhominable that men should not acknowledge him by whom they haue euen this that they be men Trah Why Paule doth call this world present and euill To deliuer vs from this present and euill world ¶ Hée calleth this whole world which hath bene is and shall be the present world to put a difference betwixt this and that euerlasting world which is to come Moreouer he calleth it an euill world because that whatsoeuer is in this worlde is subiect to the mallice of the Diuell reigning ouer the whole world◠For this cause the world is sayd to be the kingdome of the Diuell for ther is nothing else in this world but ignorance contempt blasphemy and hatred of God Also disobedience against all the words and works of God In and vnder the kingdome of this world are we c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 20. Of the disputers of this world Where is the disputer of this world ¶ He that is so subtile in discussing of questions and héerein Paule reprocheth euen the best lerned as though not one of them could perceiue by his owne wisdome this mysterie of Christ reuealed in the Gospell Geneua The meaning of this place following We haue receiued not the spirit of the world Wée are not moued with that spirit which techeth things wherwith the world is delighted which men vnderstand by nature◠Ge. VVORME How Christ compareth himselfe to a worme EGo sum vermis non homo I am a worme and no man The scorne of men the outcast of the people ¶ How truly and how iustly Christ might say I am a worme no man euery man knoweth that hath read either the. 26. of Mathew or the. 14. of S. Marke how the Iewes did spit in his face did buffet him with fists so vilely intreated him as no man could be worse and therefore it is very properly said of the Prophet◠I am a worme and no man A worme is a vile thing in daunger of treading on and killing with euery mans foot No man regardeth it no man loueth it nor pittieth it though he be a right good man To expresse therefore liuely and properly the vile reputation of Christ at the time of his passion it is verye aptly sayde Ego sum vermis non homo c. Beside this Saint Austen supposeth him to bée called Vermis for an higher consideration Why is Christ called Vermis saith he Because he aunswereth he was mortall he was borne of the flesh and begotten without the companieng together of man and woman in the act of generation And therefore he sayth thus Sicut vermis calefaciente sole de puro limo formatur sic spiritu sancto c. As the worme is ingendered of the pure and onely slime or mudde being made hotte with the warme Sunne Euen so the holy Ghost illustrating and halowing the heart of the virgin She was conceiued with childe without any humane act of ingendering wrought therein In consideration whereof Christ comparing himselfe to a worme sayth by Dauid I am a worme and no man that is I am not conceiued after the manner fashion of man Thus farre Saint Austen Ric. Turnar VVORMEVVOOD How false teachers heretiks be compared to wormewood THe name of the starre was called wormewood Wormewood is an hearbe faire inough vnto the eye◠but very bitter to the tast Euen so be heretiks and as many as fauour Antichrist the more they seeme to excell in holines the more do they annoy Marl. ¶ The nature of wormwood is to withdraw all sweetnesse These meaning pernitious heretikes with their bitter heresies and their noysome doctrine destroyed y◠pits of Abraham they troubled the text they mixed the truth with falshoode they poysoned the waters they tooke away the louesomnes of them they left them vnpure and vnperfect not that they can be so of themselues but of their false working they made them vnpleasaunt vnprofitable yea and most perillous vnto many c. Bale ¶ The third plague came vpon the starres of heuen that is vpon the most holiest people which were taken for the spirituall state order as Monkes Friers Priests which through their hipocrisie haue heaped vnto themselues money goods and treasures and haue gotten lands and dominions for the which great diuision was among them And whereas the world shuld haue learned of them faith loue and knowledge it was nothing but slaundered offended deceiued seduced and sore hindered by them both in faith and in godly liuing behauiour both which were vtterly decayed in these persons to the great vndoing and destruction both of body and soule And thus the swéete honnye of Christian loue and concord among these Orders is turned into bitter wormwood by the which many soules are destroyed Erasmus in his Paraphrase VVORSHIP What is meant by worshipping BY worshipping whether it was in the olde Testament or new vnderstand the bowing of a mans selfe vpon y◠ground as we oftentimes as we knéele in our praiers boow our selues and lye on our armes and hands with our faces to the ground Tindale fol. 11. ¶ Whereas the Latin word of worshipping is of that nature that it signifieth both to serue and obserue and honour it is aptly referred to God so that all that seruice obseruation reuerence and deuotion whereby we doe worship God as wel inwardly in our hearts as outwardly in deede is called the worship of God Muscul. fol. 351. ¶ To worship God is the first precept euen to beléeue him to be our God and to haue no strange Gods in his sight that