¶ That was a lay man also and an Infidell and was not forbidden of God to reade Scriptures D. Barnes Let the word of God dwell in you plenteously The Doctours affirmations My bretheren reade holye Scripture in the which you shall finde what you ought to holde and what ye ought to flye What is a man reputed without learning what is he is hée not a Shéepe or a Goate Is he not an Oxe or an Asse is he anye better then an horse or a mule the which hath no vnderstanding It is not sufficient that yée heare the diuine Scriptures in the Church but also in your houses either reade them your selues or els desire some other to read them giue you diligent eare to it If thou wilt that thy children bée obedient vnto thée vse them to the worde of God but thou shalt not saye that it belongeth onelye to relygious men to studye Scriptures but rather it belongeth to euerye Christian man and speciallye vnto him that is wrapped in the businesse of this world and so much the more because hée hath more néede of helpe for hée is wrapped in the troubles of this world Therfore it is greatlye to thy profite that thy children shoulde both heare and also reade holye Scriptures for of them shall they learne this commaundement Honour thy Father and Mother c. I beséech you that you will oftentimes come hether and that you will diligentlye heare the lesson of holye Scripture And not onelye when you bée héere but also take in your hands when you bée at home the holy Bible and receiue the things therein with great studie for thereby shall you haue great vauntage c. O Paula and Eustochium if there bée anie thing in this lyfe that doth preserue a wise man and doth perswade him to abide with a good will in the oppressions and thraledomes of the worlde I doe recken that speciallye it is the meditations and studye of holye Scriptures séeing that wée doe differ from other creatures speciallye in that that wée bée reasonable and in that that wée canne speake Nowe is reason and all manner of wordes conteyned in the Scripture whereby we maye learne to knowe GOD and also the cause wherefore wée bée created Wherefore I doe sore meruayle that there bée certeyne men the which giue themselues to slouthfulnesse and will not learne these things that bée good but recken those men worthye to bée reproued that haue that good minde ¶ This was written to two women that were learned D. Barnes Heare me ye men of the worlde gette you the Bible that most wholesome remedye for the soule if ye will nothing else yet at the least get the newe Testament Saint Paules Epistles and the Actes that may be your continuall earnest teachers Which of you all that be héere if it were required could say one Psalme without the booke or any other place of holy Scripture not one doubtlesse but this is not onely the worst but y◠you be so slow and remisse of spirituall things and to diuelishnesse ye are hotter then fire But men will defende this mischiefe with this excuse I am no religious man I haue a wife and children and house to care for this is the excuse wherewith ye doe as it were with a pestilence corrupt all thinges for you doe recken that the study of holy Scripture belongeth onely vnto religious men when they be much more necessarie vnto you then vnto them c. ¶ Héere may we sée that this damnable reason I will read no Scripture it belongeth not vnto me was in the heartes of lay men in Chrisostomes dayes D. Barnes Ye may commonly sée that our doctrine is knowne not onely of them that that are the Doctours of the Church and ministers of the people but also euen of Tailers and Smiths and Weauers and of al Artificers yea and further also of women and that not onely of them that be learned but also of labouring women and Sewsters and seruants handmaides neither also the Citizens but also the countrie folks do very well vnderstand the same Ye may finde euen the verye Ditchers Cowheards and Gardiners disputing of the holy trinitie and of the creation of all things Looke more in the word Scripture Of lay mens books Looke Images How lay men may baptise Tertulian in his booke De Baptismo saith That lay men may bapiise Ambrose in the 4. ad Eph. saith that in the beginning it was lawfull for all men to baptise Hierome ad Luciferanos affirmeth that it was lawfull for lay men to baptise if necessitie doe require Zuinglius affirmeth the same The opinion of Iohn Caluine Now saith he if it be true that we haue set downe the Sacrament is not to be estéemed of his hand by whom it is ministred but as it wer of the hand of God from whence it certainly commeth Héereof we maye gather that nothing is added or taken from the dignitie of it by him by whom it is ministred And therefore among men if an Epistle be sent so y◠the hande and seale be knowen it skilleth not who or what manner of person carieth it Euen so it is sufficient for vs to knowe the hand and seale of the Lord in his Sacraments by whom soeuer they be deliuered Heere is the errour of the Donatists confuted who measured the worthinesse of the Sacrament to the worthinesse of the Minister Such be now a daies our Anabaptists which denie vs to be right baptised because we were baptised by wicked and Idolatrous persons in the Popes Church and therfore they furiously vrge rebaptization against whose folly wée shall be sufficiently defended if we thinke we were baptised in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost and therefore Baptime not to be of man but of God by whom soeuer it be ministred How lay men haue ministred the Sacrament S. Augustine saith In necessitie when the Bishop or Priest or any other Minister cannot be found and the daunger of him that requireth doth constraine least he should depart this lyfe without this Sacrament we haue heard that euen lay men hath giuen the Sacrament that they haue receiued ¶ Read the storie of Serapion LAIENG ON OF HANDS Whereof this custome of laieng on of hands arose THis custome of laieng on of handes is taken of the olde Fathers For in Gen. 48. 14. The Patriarke Iacob laied his hands vpon the head of Manasses and Ephraim the sonnes of Ioseph which custome afterward was confirmed to the Iewes for a Lawe and so continued till the comming of Christ who vsed the same and deliuered the vse thereof vnto his Apostles to the which Ceremonie praier was then ioyned As it doth appere in the 19. of Mathew when children were brought vnto Christ that he might lay his hands vpon them That he should lay his hands vpon them ¶ The laieng on of hands was a
and office the Father the Sonne and holie Ghost And yet but one God The same thing also is more plainlie opened vnto vs in the 18. of Genesis where it is written that the Lord appeared vnto Abraham as he sate in the Tent dore for he lifte vp his eies and sawe three men which ranne to méete them and fell to the ground and said Lord I beséech thée if I haue found fauour in thy sight goe not I praie thée from thy seruant c. Héere he sawe thrée to make vs vnderstand as I said before the pluralitie of persons And yet he honoured but one and therefore said Lord I beséech thee depart not from me And to signifie vnto vs the vnitie of the Godhead And therefore not without cause S. Iohn saith There are thrée that beare witnesse in heauen the Father the Word and the holie Ghost these thrée are one wherefore it must néedes be graunted that Christ is God Christ saith also Or Abraham was borne I am Which words I am declare vnto vs his Godhead for it is onelie the name of God as he himselfe said when he sent Moses vnto the children of Israel in Aegypt saieng thou shalt saie thus vnto them I am hath sent me vnto you Ergo Christ is God Christ said vnto his disciples Goe your waie and teach all Nations baptising them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost But yet it is not lawfull to baptise in the name of anie creature but onelie in the name of God and we are commaunded to baptise in the name of Iesus Christ. Ergo Christ is God S. Iohn saith In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word which Word also became flesh and dwelt among vs by which words it is euident that he is God and that from the beginning None hath power to make and create all things but onelie God but Christ hath made and created all things as saith Paule both in heauen and in earth visible and inuisible and S. Iohn saith the world was made by him and the world knew him not Ergo Christ is God Whatsoeuer is without beginning is God Christ is without beginning Ergo Christ is God But now to proue the Minor that Christ is without beginning it is written that in the beginning God created heauen and earth and so made yâ— world and all that are therein and this was done in the beginning But Christ was before the world was as he himselfe affirmeth saieng Glorifie me then Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thée or euer the world was Ergo Christ is God Saint Iohn saith We knowe that the Sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs aminde to knowe him which is true we are in him which is true through his sonne Iesus Christ the same is verie God and eternall life 1. Iohn 5. 20. A more euident place of scripture cannot be which affirmeth not that Christ was God by his Office as was Moses but the true and verie God and also eternall life S. Paule also affirmeth that Christ came of the Israelites which is God ouer all things blessed for euermore And Thomas said vnto Christ My Lord and my God In all which places he is called as he is indéed God It is written thou shalt honour the Lord thy God and him onelie shalt thou serue And yet S. Paule saith that in the name of Iesus Christ shall euerie knée boow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth By which sentence we see that godlie honour is due vnto him also wherefore it must néedes be graunted that he is God Esay also prophecieng of Christ saith that vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen vppon his shoulders shall his Kingdome lie and he is called with his owne name wonderfull the giuer of counsell the mightie GOD the euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace And Paule in like manner out of the Psalmes of Dauid saith He maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers flames of fire But vnto the Sonne he saith God thy seate shall be for euer euer In which places we sée he is called God yea and that the mightie God Mâ—châ—â— the Prophet saith and thou Bethleem Epheata art little among the thousands of Iuda out of thée shall come vnto 〈…〉 which shall â—ée the Gouernour of Israel whose out-going hath bene from the beginning and from euerlasting And againe Paule saith Iesus Christ yesterdaie and to daie the same continueth for euer the which sentence meruailouslie commendeth and setteth forth the diuinitie of Christ forasmuch as he is without beginning from euerlasting shall continue for euermore None is able or hath raised vp Christ from death but God as Peter affirmeth that God raised him vp and loosed the sorrowes of death But Christ hath power to raise vp himselfe for he saith Destroie this Temple meaning the Temple of his bodie and I will reare it vp in thrée daies And againe I haue power to put my life from me and haue power to take it againe Wherefore it must néedes be graunted that Christ is God Christ saith All that the Father hath are mine The Father hath the Diuine nature and Godhead in him Ergo Christ hath the same and so he is God For saith Paule in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodilie we are complete in him which is the head of all rule and power All things that the Father doeth the same doe I saith Christ for the Father giueth eternall life to as manie as beléeue in him and so doth Christ. Wherefore séeing that the Father and the Sonne haue all one action néedes must it followe then that they be of one nature and so is one God with him as he himselfe affirmeth saieng The Father and I are one teacheth vs also to beléeue that the Father is in him and he in the Father Certaine of the Arrians Obiections that Christ is not God aunswered Obiection THe Father saith Christ is greater then I. Christ ye sée in this place hath graunted himselfe to be infexiour vnto the Father wherefore it cannot be said that he is all one God equall with him Aunswere Forasmuch as there are two natures in Christ the nature of God and man as is before sufficientlie proued I aunswere that by his diuine nature he is God equall and all one with the Father as he himselfe said I and the Father are one But as touching his humaine nature he was lesse then the father And therefore he said the Father is greater then I. But how yâ— this Scripture ought thus to be vnderstood we shall sée that Saint Paule will declare the selfe same thing in effect in one sentence Iesus Christ saith he when he was in the shape of God thought it
the word of God should be saued by the fiâ—e of this examination F. N. B. the Italian If anie man build vpon this foundation golde siluer precious stones wood haie or stubble c. Heere the Apostle woulde haue vs to be feruent in good workes and earnest to doe wel he wisheth vs to be occupied in yâ— labouâ— which when the iudge of all shall come maie in his sight be acceptable maie to his word be commendable and that we should well beware what works we build vpon our foundation he plainlie sheweth that at the last daie all our dâ—â—ing shall be opened and that then the same shall be so tried as the golde-smith in fining his mettalls trieth out the drosse and base matter from the pure perfect and fine The daie saith he of our Lord shall declare it because it shall appeare in fire The daie of our Lord is the daie of iudgement the thing is so plaine as no man though he be verie peruerse maie denie it But when shall it appeare in fire euen then at the generall iudgement so is the Text. This place is onelye spoken of those which shall be saued of such as build vpon Iesus Christ vpon which foundation as all cannot builde golde precious stones and siluer as all cannot be perfect neither by martirdome be crowned nor yet by good learning shine like the starres of heauen So thereon building being bâ—t wood or haie be it but verie stubble though the worke it selfe be in the ende burned though he himselfe receiue no such reward as yâ— others yet shall he be saued and hom As it were through fire Not through fire but through the greate feare wherein he then shall stand of the iustice and iudgement of God O how comfortable is this doctrine How farre passeth it all their painted fires and â—ained flames of Purgatorie You see now that the Scripture admitteth no such place you sée the right meaning of the Apostle c. L. Euans The meaning of these places following And he heard him from heauen in fire vpon the Altar of whole burnt offerings ¶ God declared that he heard his request in that he sent downe fire from heauen for els they might vse no fire but of that which was reserued still vppon the Altar Leuit. Chap. 6. 13. and came downe from heauen Chap. 9. 14. as appeareth by the punishment of Nadab and Abihu Leuit. cap. 10. â— Geneua Shal be worthie to be punished with heâ—fire ¶ The Iewes vsed foure kindes of punishments before their gouernement was taken awaie by Herode hanging beheading stoning and burning This is it that Christ shot at because burning was the greatest punishment therefore in that he maketh mention of a iudgement a counsell and a fire he sheweth that some sins are worse then other some but yet they are all such yâ— we must giue an account for them and shall be punished for them Beza FIGGE-TREE Of the Figge-tree that Christ cursed ANd spied a Figge-trée in the waie and came to it and found nothing thereon but leaues onelie ¶ By this Figge-tree Christ doth sufficient lie shew that the Iews although they had an appearaunce of holinesse by their ceremonies yet neuerthelesse they had not the fruite of charitie by which he signified yâ— they should worthely be depriued put from this false appearance by the destructioÌ„ of Hierusalem Mar. 13. 2. Luk. 21. 6. Tin Cut it downe whie combereth it the ground ¶ Unles we do beléeue also bring foorth fruite worthie repentance we shall with the vnprofitable figge-trée be cut downe also our talent shall be taken from vs and giuen vnto an other that shall put it to better vse Sir I. Cheeke FIGVRE Proues how the bread in the Sacrament is a figure of Christs bodie THe Lord doubted not to saie This is my bodie when hée gaue a signe of his bodie And after in the same Chapter he expoundeth it For trulie so the bloud is the soule Christ was the stone And yet the Apostle doth not say the stone did signifie Christ but he saith the stone was Christ. ¶ Héere Christ calleth the figure of his bodie his bodie saith S. Austen doth compare the thrée texts of scripture This is my bodie The bloud is the soule Christ was the stone Declaring them to be one phrase and to be expounded after one fashion August contraâ— Adam The Priest saith make vs this â—â—lation acceptable c. For it is a figure of the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ Héere he calleth it plainlie a figure of Christs bodie Ambrose li. 3. de Sacra â—et that saieng be expounded by a figure I saie the thing that is spoken is not true indéede but figured vnder the cloude of an allegorie Hieromâ— aduers. 〈…〉 Ye haue heard that it is a figure Therefore meruaile not â— And béeing a figure require not al things to agrée for otherwise it were no figure Chrisostome in Gen. Homil. 35. First of all thou must take heede that thou take not a figuratiue speach according to the letter for that is it wherof Saint Paule saith The letter killeth For when the thing that is spoken vnder a figure is so taken as if it wer plainlie spoken ther is a fleshlie vnderstanding neither is there anie thing that may better be called the death of the soule August de doct Chri. li. 3. ca. 5. Figures be in vaine serue for no purpose when the things of them signified be present Lactan. insti li. 2. â—ap 1. A figure of a bodie saith Tertulian presupposeth a verie naturall bodie for of a shew or a fancie ther can be no figure But Christ gaue vnto his Disciples a figure of his bodie therefore it must needs follow that Christ had a verie naturall bodie His words be these Christ taking the bread and distributing it to his Disciples made it his bodie saieng This is my bodie that is to say This is a figure of my bodie but a figure it could not bée vnlesse there were a bodie of a truth and indeede for a voide thing as is a fantasie can receiue no figure Tertulian contra Mar. li. 4. There is a figure saith Hilarie for bread and wine be outwardlie seene And there is also a truth of that figure for the bodie and bloud of Christ be of a truth inwardlie seene This Hilarie was within lesse then 350. yeares after Christ. Crisostome affirmeth saieng that if a man vnderstand the words of Christ carnallie he shal surelie profit nothing therby For what meane these words the flesh auaileth nothing He meant not his flesh God forbid but he ment of them that fleshlie and carnallie vnderstood those things that Christ spake But what is carnall vnderstanding To vnderstand the words simplie as they be spoken nothing else For we ought not so to vnderstand the things which we see But all mysteries must be considered
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
or with anie other notablie spotted with anie kind of vice or euill manners the companie kéeper with such must néeds at the length be infected with the same vices And therefore Cato gaue a precept to young children Tu bonis ambula My childe kéepe companie with them that be good for it is most true that the Apostle saith Corrumpant mores bonos colloquia praua Naughtie filthie talke do oftentimes corrupt good manners To this purpose and ende therefore to teach men this holye wholesome lesson to beware of euill companie to ioine them to good companie was this text commonlie alledged Cum sancto sanctus eris c. Which sentence as it is verie good so it is not true nor agréeing with yâ— mind of the Prophet For his meaning in this place is yâ— God with a man yâ— is holie he wil be holy that is he wil be present with him mainteine his holines And with him that is present sound without wrinkles or wiles God will dwell with him strengthen him in his perfectnesse and with the pure the Lord will be pure and with the froward the Lord wil deale frowardlie not yâ— there is anie frowardnesse or peruertnesse in God but dealeth frowardlie after the manner of speaking of yâ— Scripture when he punisheth the frowardnesse of men Like as God is holie with them that be holie yâ— is he prospereth them in their holinesse Now ye sée yâ— albeit this as a good godly sentence gathered of these words Cum sancto sanctus eris c. With him that is holie vertuous good a man kéeping companie with such shall haue a smacke of his holinesse vertuousnesse And he that shall vse to kéepe companie with the wicked vngodlie shall grow to wickednes vngodlines yet the more true the verie Germaine sence of these words in this to applie them to the practises of God not companie kéeping with man whose propertie is to be mercifull to shew his louing fauour vnto men fréelie without our deseruing and yet this fauour doth follow them that applie themselues to holinesse and vertuousnesse Ric. Turnar HOLIE GHOST How and when the visible signe of the holie Ghost was receiued ANd they receiued the holie Ghost c. ¶ Understand in a manifest and visible signe as the Apostles themselues receiued it in the first daie or as we call it Whitsondaie which thing at yâ— time was necessarie for the furtherance stablishment of the preaching of the Gospell although not néedful to saluation But now that the preaching thereof is sufficientlie confirmed this visible miracle is ended and yet remaineth that stil which was stablished by the miracle yâ— is by the preaching of yâ— Gospell is ministred the holie Ghost although our bodilie eye sée it not by whom faith commeth which receiueth Christ to be our righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Tindale How the holie Ghost is God proued by the Scriptures Are ye not ware that ye are the Temple of God and how that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If anie man defile yâ— temple of God him shall God destroie for the temple of God is holy which Temple are ye And againe ye are the Temple of the liuing God as saith God I wil dwel among them and be their God and they shall be my people But we are also called in Scripture yâ— temples of the holie Ghost For know ye not saith Paule that your bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost which is in you wherefore it must néeds be graunted that the holie Ghost is God ¶ What man knoweth the things of man saue the spirite of man which is within him Euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God By which sentence it is euident yâ— as is the spirit of man to manward so is the spirit of God to God-ward as the spirit and bodie is but one man yet haue seuerall offices euen so the Father Sonne holie Ghost although they be distinct in name and office are yet but one God S. Paule saith If the spirit of him yâ— raised vp Christ froÌ„ death dwel in you euen he yâ— raised vp Christ from death shal quicken your mortall bodies because of his spirit that dwelleth in you And againe speaking of the same holie Ghost he sayth If ther be anie man that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his For as much then as the same holie Ghost is indifferentlie the spirit of the Father and of the â—onne it must néedes be graunted that he is of the selfe same nature and substaunce with them both and so all one God with them This sentence also proueth Christ to be God ¶ Peter sayd to Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine hart that thou shouldst lie vnto the holy Ghost And after that he saithâ— Thou hast not lied vnto me but vnto God Wherfore seeing he saith in lieng vnto the holie Ghost he lied vnto God it cannot be denied but that the holie Ghost is God ¶ None maie be euerie where and in all persons at once but God The holie Ghost maie be in all men and euerie where at one time and moment Ergo the holie Ghost is God ¶ None hath power to send forth appoint Christ to yâ— preaching of the Gospell but God but the holie Ghost hath done the same as Christ himselfe affirmeth out of Esaie the Prophet saieng The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore and hath sent me to heale the broken in heart wherefore the holie Ghost is God ¶ There are thrée saith Iohn that beare record in heauen the Father the Word the holie Ghost and these thrée are one And although some men affirme yâ— this sentence these thrée are one is not found writteÌ„ in yâ— Gréek yet is it altogether vntrue for yâ— Gréeke traÌ„slation hath it But if it were not in yâ— Gréeke what is that for vs séeing the selfe same thing maie be proued by other places of Scripture for Christ sayth I and the father are one And the holie Ghost also is not onelie the spirit of the Father but also of the sonne so is of one nature and substance with them as is before sayde wherefore it maie well bée sayd yâ— he is God and yâ— these thrée are one and beare record of the truth for he sayth If we receiue the witnesse of man yea the witnesse of God is greater The witnesse of them is the witnesse of God Ergo the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost are God ¶ It is onelie the office of God to elect and choose ministers which are fit to gouerne his Church and therfore the Apostles setting Barnabas Mathias before God sayd thus Thou Lord which knowest the heartes of all men shewe whether of these two thou hast
Moses and sée that yee walke not after strange Gods of the nations that you remaine among See that ye neither make mention sayth Iosua nor yet sweare by the name of their Gods Thus in the olde lawe were they suffered to sweare in an earnest iust and waightie cause But now after the rule of Christ be the matter neuer so true we maye not of our owne selues nor by our own authoritie and priuate power sweare or promise anie manner of thing c. What the principall causes be that stop the Iewes from Christianitie I reade in the persecution of Scotlande of one George Wisehart a Gentleman and Martyr of a certeine storie which he resiteth on this wise I once sayth hée chaunced to méete with a Iew when I was sailinge vpon the water of Rhene I dyd enquire of him what was the cause of his partinacye that he dyd not beléeue that the true Messias was come consideringe that they had séene all the prophesies which were spoken of him to be fulfilled Moreouer the prophesies taken awaye and the Scepter of Iuda by manye other testimonies of the Scripture I vanquished him that Messias was come the which hée called Iesus of Nazareth This Iewe aunswered againe vnto mée When Messias commeth he shall restore all thinges and hee shall not abrogate the lawe which was giuen to our fore-fathers as ye doe For why wée sée the poore almost perishe through hunger amonge you yet you are not moued with pitie towardes them But amonge vs Iewes though wée bée poore there is no begger founde Secondarilie it is forbidden by the Lawe to faine anie kinde of Imagrie of thinges in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the Sea vnder the earth but one God onelye to honour but your Sanctuaryes and Churches are full of them Thirdlye a peece of bread baken vppon the Ashes ye adore and worshippe and saie that it is your God In the booke of Mar. fol. 1446. Why the Iewes were suffered to be diuoâ—ced ¶ Looke Diuorcement Howe the Iewes were driuen out of diuerse Realmes About the yeare of our Lorde 1179. were many Iewes in Englande which agaynst the feast of Easter did vse to Crucifie younge children in despite of Christian Relygion ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1186. They crucified a childe in the towne of Bury About the yeare of Christ. 1235. the 18. yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the third the Iews dwelling in Norwich were accused for the stealing of a childe whome they purposed to crucifie ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1245. and the 28. yeare of Henrie the third king of England at Tollet in Spaine a Iew digging in the ground to enlarge his vineyard found a hollow stone wherin was a booke of the bignesse of a Psalter written in Gréeke Latine and Hebrew the matter wherof was of the worlds to come And declared the coÌ„ming of Christ to be the beginning of the third world which was expressed on this wise In the beginning of the third world the sonne of God shall bée borne of a Uirgin By occasion of this booke the Iewes were turned to the faith of Christ. ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1264. and in the. 47. yeare of the reigne of Henrie the third king of England 500. Iewes were slaine by the Citizens of London because one Iew would haue forced a christen man to paie more then two pence for the vsurie of xx s. the wéeke ¶ About the yeare of our Lord 1279. and in the sixt yeare of the reigne of king Edward the first king of England 284. Iews were put to execution for clipping of the kings coine ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 1475. at the citie of Trident a childe named Symon was murthered of the Iewes of that Citie in dirision of the passion of Christ for which murther and villanie the Iewes suffered great and worthie punishment ¶ In the yeare of our Lord. 1492. There were driuen out of Spaine by commaundement of the king 125. families of the Iewes of the which 30. thousand died of the pestilence in their iourneie as they were departing Of the conuersion of the Iewes Bretheren I will not haue you to be ignoraunt of this mysterie that you be not high minded in your selues for that the blindnesse is happened vpon parte of the Israelites vntill that the fulnesse of the Gentiles come in so Israel shall be saued ¶ This conuersion of the Iewes I doe disseuer from those tokens which began to be done a great while a goe do passe before the comming of the Lorde and I doe applie it vnto those signes which shall goe nearest before it But how that conuersion shall be fulfilled and what shall be the point of the fulfilling of the Gentiles let him define which is able We can rather wish it then for a certeine define it Augustine sayth that there shall be sometimes a manifest vocation or calling of the Iewes in the saluation of the Gospell but how and what time it shall be he doth not expresse Musculus fol. 451. ¶ He sheweth that the time shall come that the whole nation of the Iewes though not euerie one perticularly shall bée ioyned to the Church of Christ. Geneua IGNORAVNCE What a pleasure it is to the diuell for a man to be ignorant in the Scripture VNto the diuell it is a torment aboue all tormentes and a paine aboue all paines if they sâ—e anie man readinge the worde of GOD and with feruent studie searchinge the knowledge of Gods lawes and the mysteries and secrets of the Scriptures Héerein standeth all the flame of the diuels in this fire are they tormented for they are ceased and possessed of all them that remaine in ignoraunce The reading of the Scriptures is a greate fence against sinne and the ignoraunce of the Scriptures is a daungerous downefall and a great dungeon To knowe nothing of Gods lawe is the losse of saluation Ignoraunce hath brought in heresies and vicious life Ignoraunce hath turned all thinges vpside downe How no man is excused by Ignorance Ignoraunce excuseth no man if thou of ignoraunce followe a blinde guide thou shalt perish together with him The ignoraunce of Scriptures and the word of God is the head spring of all heresies and perniâ—ious errours For why Without the Scriptures the power of God connot be knowne which is Christ. Sir I. Cheeke vpon these words of S. Math. Ye are deceiued vnderstanding not the Scriptures Wherevnto the mainteâ—ners of ignorance maie be likened They be like that Painter that Plutarch speaketh of that had euill fauouredlie proportioned a painted Henne and therefore chased away the liue hennes least that his euill workmanship should be perceiued Those chase awaie Gods word least their fancie should be discouered I LE What is signified by the I le THey that dwell in the Iles shall sée c. ¶ Some reade And he that dwelleth in this I le c. Hierusalem
not onely know Christ but also they knew both Moses and Helias that talked with him notwithstanding they had neuer séene them before The rich man being in hell knew both Abraham and Lazarus being in ioye Saint Gregorie in his Dialogue sayth There is a certeine thing sayth hée in Gods elect and chosen people which is to bee meruayled at for they béeing in Heauen doe not onelye knowe them whome they knewe in this worlde but they shall knowe also the good people which they neuer sawe euen as perfectlye as though they had afore both seene and knowne them For when they in that euerlasting inheritaunce shall sée the auncientâ— Fathers they shall not bée vnknowne to them in sight whome they alwayes knowe in worke For when all there with one cleerenesse do behold God what is it that they shall not there know where they knowe him that knoweth all things How the Heathen doubt not in this doctrine I haue a greate desire sayde Cato the elder to sée your Fathers whome I honoured and â—oued But I wish not onelye to talke with them whome I haue knowne in this world but with such also as of whom I haue hearde and read yea and I my selfe haue written If I were once goinge thetherward I woulde neuer haue minde to tourne hether agayne Againe he sayth O that noble and pleasaunt daye when it shall be my chaunce to come vnto the heauenlye companye and blessed fellowshippe and departe from this troublesome and stinking worlde for then shall I goe not onelye to those men of whom I spake vnto you before but also vnto my Cato who was as worthye a man as euer lyued and as noble And it is written of Socrates that when he went vnto his death among many other things he sayd that it is a most blessed and godlye thing for them to come together which haue liued iustly and faythfully And saith he what a greate pleasure thinke you it to be friendly to talke with Orpheus Mâ—saeus Homerus Hesiodus and such like verily I would dye full oft if it were possible to get those things yâ— I speake of c. Basil. ¶ Looke Luther Labans Gods How easie Labans Gods were to steale away â—Herfore hast thou stolne away my Gods ¶ Chrisostome expounding this complaint of Laban against Iacob for stealing away his Gods saith thus Wherfore hast thou stoln away my Gods O what a passing folly is this be thy gods such ones that a man may steale them And art thou not ashamed to say Wherfore hast thou stolne away my Gods This is resembled to the Sacrament hanging in the Pixe Canopy which be as easie to steale away as Labans Gods wer LABOVRS The meaning of this place following OTher men laboured and ye are entered into their labours ¶ This ought to be vnderstoode of the preaching of the kingdome of God Among the Israelites and among whom the Prophets had laboured alreadie into whose labours the Apostles did enter But when the Apostles did preach amonge the heathen they were the first labourers as Paule saith I haue planted Apollo hath watered Againe I haue layd the foundation and an other hath builded vpon it 1. Cor. 3. 6. and. 10. Sir I. Cheeke LADDER What is signified by this Ladder ANd behold ther stood a ladder vpon the earth yâ— top of it reached vp to heauen ¶ By this Ladder of many steps is signified the degrées of generatioÌ„ by the which Christ after the flesh descended from Adam vnto the virgin Marie which brought him forth which degrées are numbred in the beginning of Mathews Gospell Lyra. ¶ It maye signifie Christ by whose mediation all graces come downe to vs and all helpe and by whom we ascende vp into heauen The Bible note ¶ Christ is the Ladder by whom God man are ioyned together by whom the Angels minister vnto vs. All graces by him are giuen vnto vs and we by him ascend into heauen Geneua LAY MEN. How lay men ought to read the Scripture TAke héede to thy selfe therefore onely that thou forgette not those things which thine eyes hath seene that they depart not out of thy heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy sonnes and thy sonnes sonnes Heare O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and thou shalt loue yâ— Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy might All these wordes which I commaund thée this day shall be in thy hart and thou shalt shew them vnto thy children and thou shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thy house as thou walkest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest vp And thou shalt vinde them for a signe vpon thy hand they shall be warnings betwéene thine eyes and thou shalt write them vpon the poasts of thine house and vpon thy gates c. Thy word is a Lanterne vnto my féete and a light vnto my path Blessed is the man that setteth his delectation in the wil of God and his meditation on Gods lawe night and daye ¶ Héere men bée blessed that studye the worde of God D. Barnes Take the helmet of health and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God ¶ Héere is it lawfull for laye men to haue the spirit of God D. Barnes If anye man come to you and bring not this learning receiue him not into your house nor yet salute him ¶ This was written to a Ladie and her children D. Barnes Christ saith to the Pharesies search Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to enforme to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God maye be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes You may all interprete Scripture one by one that all may learne and all men maye haue comfort But lette your women kéepe silence in the congregation c. If anye will learne anie thing let them aske their husbandes at home ¶ The women was learned belike for he néede not to commaunde them to kéepe silence and if they were vnlearned And also how should the women learne of their husbands at home except they were learned themselues D. Barnes The noblest of Thessalonica which receiued the worde searched the Scriptures dayly whether those thinges that Paule spake were true or no. Priscilla and Aquila did expound vnto Apollo which was a great learned man the perfect vnderstanding of Scriptures ¶ These wer lay persons of whom this great learned and eloquent man disdayned not to be taught nor was not ashamed to be instructed in the doctrine of Christ of a poore christen man and his wife D. Barnes Also Eunuchus that was the treasurer to the Quéene of the Aethiopians did reade Esay the Prophet the which he vnderstoode not till God sent him Philip to declare it vnto him
the winde doth signifie a man inconstant As in Math. 11. 7. and Luke 7. 24. Geneua What is meant by the brused Rede A brused Réede shall he not breake c. ¶ By the brused Réede and smoking flaxe the aduersaries of Christ the Scribes and Pharesâ—es are vnderstoode whose power is likened vnto a brused Râ—ede and their furâ—e wherwith they persecuted the innocent vnto smoking flaxe so that it had bene as easie for Christ to haue destroyed them as it is to breake a sunder a brused Réede or to quench smoking flaxe Some suppose that the same should be vnderstoode of the Publicans and sinners whom he did not contemne nor despise but mercifully called them vnto him Sir I. Cheeke A brused Réede c. ¶ That is he will beare with them that is infirme and weake Geneua READING What profit commeth of reading holy Scripture AVgustine sayth Reading cléereth and purgeth all things who will euer be with God must euermore pray and read Aug. de tâ—mpor sermo â— If we either read not the Scriptures our selues or bée not desirous to heare other read them then are our 〈…〉 dictnes turned into wou 〈…〉 and then where we might haue had remedy we shall haue iudgement Aug. Ser. 55. Heare me ye men of the world get ye the Bible that most wholesome remedy for the soule if ye will nothing else yet at the least get the new testament S. Paules Epistles the Acts that may be your continuall and earnest teachers Chrâ— vpon the Coll. in hâ— 9. Homâ—â— Isidore saith saith that reading bringeth great profit to the hearers Tertulian saith when ye come together to the reading of holy Scripture wée féede our faith with these heauenly voyces we raise vp our affiaunce wée fasten our hope And againe he calleth the reading of thâ— scriptures the féeding of our fayth Let one of you take in hand the holy booke let him call his neighbours about him by the heauenly words let him water their mindes and also his owne Chris. in Gen. hom 6. Being at home we may both before and after meat take the holy booke in hand thereof receiue great profit and minister spirituall foode vnto our soules Chris. in Gen. Homi. 10. Would God we would all doe according as it is written Search the Scriptures Origen in Esay Homi. 10. Harken not héereto onely héere in the Church but also at home let the husband with the wife the father with the childe talke together of these matters and both to and fro let them enquire and giue their iudgements and would God they wold begin this good custome Chrisost. in Math. Homil. 78. Looke Scripture REGENERATION What this word Regeneration importeth THis worde Regeneration importeth as much as a man might say new birth As if after that wée were once borne we are borne yet againe And therefore it importeth forthwith a reformation fo the man which is a rising againe from the dead which is wrought in the spirit as the last resurrection shall be wrought in the flesh Pet. Viret Regeneration standeth chiefly in these two points In mortification that is to say a resisting of the rebellious lusts of the flesh and in newnesse of life whereby we continually striue to walke in that purenesse and perfection wherewith we are clad in Baptime How Regeneration is taken in these places following Ye which followed me in the regeneration c. In this worke whereby the world is chaunged renued and regenerate or to ioyne this word with the sentence following and so take regeneration for the day of iudgement when the elect shall in soule and body enioy their inheritaunce to the end that they might know that it is not sufficient to haue begun once Geneua By the washing of the new birth ¶ Baptime is a sure signe of our regeneration which is wrought by the holy Ghost Geneua How this place is vnderstood Except a man be borne of water and spirit ¶ Nichodemus vnderstoode not the opinion concerning regeneration or newe birth of man Therefore our louing and mercifull Sauiour more plainely expoundeth these things which before he spake mystically teaching that to be borne againe is nothing else but to be borne of water and of the spirit and that the same is the true manner of regeneration But all men for the most part by this sentence of our Sauiour Christ vnderstand Baptime and many of them doe héereby make Baptime so necessary that they affirme it impossible for a man to attaine to saluation except he be washed with the water of Baptime so disorderly they include the assuraunce of our saluation vnder the signe when as the whole Scripture attributeth the grace and power of regeneration to the Holye ghost as maye appeare in diuers places of Scripture but specially by these places noted in the margent And as touching this place we ought to vnderstand the same simply of mans regeneration and not of Baptime For the purpose of Christ was to exhort Nichodemus to newnesse of life because he was not capable of the Gospell vntill he was a newe man Therefore this is the simple meaning of this place That it behooueth vs to be born againe that we may be the sonnes of God and also that the Holy ghost is the Author of the second birth Marl. vpon Ioh. fol. 66. REYNES What they signifie YE shall vnderstand that the reynes or kidneyes of a man is that intire part from which springeth chiefely the strength the desire of naturall generation which effect or desire in man because of all other effects it is the most mightiest therfore the Scripture vseth to call the secrets or the priuie thought or effects of a man by the name of the reynes or the kidneyes Insomuch as when the Scripture saith that God knoweth all our harts our thoughts then the Scripture saith Scrutans corda reâ—es Deus God is the searcher of hearts and reynes that is of the most priuie and secret thoughts that be in man R. Tur. Trye out my reynes and my heart ¶ By the heart and reynes will he signifie the delectations and affections of yâ— flesh which let him to follow God As in the Psa. 16. 7. T. M. ¶ My reynes also teach me in the night ¶ God teacheth me continually by secret inspiration Geneua ¶ Examine my reynes and my heaâ—t ¶ My very affections and inward motions of the heart Geneua Thou hast possessed my reynes ¶ Thou hast made me in all parts and therefore most needes know me Geneua Thou art néere in their mouth and farre from their reynes They professe God in mouth and denye him in heart which is héere meant by the reynes Esay 29. 13. Math. 15. 8. Geneua REIOICE Wherefore we should chiefely reioice REioice because your names are written in heuen ¶ Though we should worke miracles and cast foorth diuells yet ought
man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Basil vpon the first Psal. I. Northbrooke In the word of God is plentie for the strong man to eate there is inough for the childe to sucke There is also milke to drinke wherwith the tender infants of the faithfull be nourished and strong meats wherwith the lustie youth of them that is perfect may receiue the spirituall increasement of holy vertue Fulgentius in his Sermon of the confessours I. Northb. Nothing can deceiue them that search the holy Scriptures for that is the candle whereby the theefe is spied Theophilactus of Lazarus I. N. The Scripture is a flud wherin the little lambe may wade and the great Olyphant may swimme Gregorie in his Epistle to Leonard I. N. The Scriptures are easie to the slaue to the husbandman to the childe and to him that may séeme to be verye simple of vnderstanding Chrisost. in his first Homil. vpon Mat. How Christ and the Church are learned in the Scriptures In the Scriptures we haue learned Christ In the Scriptures we haue learned the Church These Scriptures wée haue commonlye and why doe wee not commonlye retaine both Christ and the Church in them August Epist. 166. Against them that finde fault that the Scriptures be darke The holy spirit hath so nobly and wholesomely tempered the holy Scriptures that he might with the easie places of it serue the greedy hunger of men and with the dark places to take away the loathsomenesse For there is no point almost found in the darknesse of it which is not plainely spoken in some other place Whereby saith Musculus it is manifest inough that if any thing be spoken darkly in some place of the Scriptures the light of it must be sought ought of those places where the matter is more plainly expressed c. Mus. fol. 151. Where things are more plainely vttered in the Scriptures there must we learne how they are to be vnderstood in darke places August li. 83. quest Let vs come saith Chrisostome to the leuell and marke of the holy Scripture which doth expound it selfe And by and by after The sacred Scripture expoundeth himselfe and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Chrisostom in his 2. chap. Gen. Homil. 13. In the Scriptures are all things needfull for our saluation The holy Scriptures béeing inspired from God are sufficient to all instructions of truth Athanasius against the Gentiles Not all things the the Lord Iesus did are written as the Euangelist witnesseth For the Lord both did sayd many things that are not written but these were chosen out to be written which séemed sufficient for the saluation of the vnbeleeuers Augustin to the Bre. in the wildernesse in his 49. treatise vppon Iohn Whatsoeuer is required for our saluation is already conteined in the holy Scriptures He that is ignoraunt shall finde there what he may learne He that is stubburne and a sinner may finde there scourges of the iudgement to come the which he may feare He that is troubled may finde ioyes and promises of euerâ—asting lyfe through the beholding of which he may be stirred to good works Chrisost. in his 19. Homil. vpon Math. Reade the Scriptures wherein ye shall finde fully what is to be followed and what is to be auoided not all thinges that our Lorde Iesus did are written c. As before is sayd Augustine to the brethren in c. For as much as Christ himselfe hath not reuealed these things which of vs will saye they bée these or these For who is there either so vaine or so rash who notwithstanding hée speaketh the truth to whome he lysteth and what he lyâ—teth will affirme without anye testimonie of the Scriptures that these be the things that the Lord would not then open Augustine in the. 96. treatise vpon Iohn If there be anie thing néedfull to be knowne or not to bâ—e knowne we shall learne it by the holy Scriptures if we shall néed to report a falsehood we shal fetch it out from thence if to be corrected to be chastened to be exhorted or comforted to be short if ought lacke that ought to be taught or learned we shall also learne it out of the same Scriptures Chrisost. vpon the. 2. of Tim. the 3. chap. Lyke as in a Merchaunts ship are carried diuerse things necessarie for mans lyfe So in the Scriptures are conteined all things néedfull to saluation Lyra vpon the last chap. of the Prouerbs How holy Scripture is to be read Now to the intent that the reading of holy Scripture may be to our profite we must applye our selues to it not onelye thankfully and reuerently but also with great sobernesse and pure affection ioyning prayer therevnto also For God reuealeth his mysteries out of heauen Dan. 2. 18. He giueth vnderstanding to the lyttle ones Psal. 119. 130. according also as Christ teacheth Mat. 12. 25. Notwithstanding for as much as it is not giuen to all men to read holy writ ther is expresse mention made of hearing which ingendereth faith by the effectuall working of yâ— holy Ghost in mens harts for fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 27. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 6. ¶ Looke Search Of the ignoraunce and knowledge of Scriptures Ignoraunce of the Scriptures sayth Saint Hierome is the mother and cause of errours And in an other place he saith the knowledge of the Scriptures is the food of euerlasting life Hierom. in the. 23. of Math. How by the Scriptures all doubts are tried Consider in what daunger they be that haue no care to read the holy Scriptures for by the same Scriptures only the iudgement of this triall must be allowed Origen in his â—0 boo 16. chap. to the Rom. Neuer moue question héereof but onely learne of the holy Scriptures For the onely proues that ye shall there finde are sufficient to proue the Godhead of the holy God We must needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for our iudgements and expositions without these witnesses they carrie no credit Origen in his first Homely vpon Ieremy We must read the Scriptures with all dilligence and bée occupied in the lawe of the Lord both day night yâ— we may become perfect exchangers be able rightly to discerne what money is lawfull and what is counterfait Hierom. in his 3. b. and. 5. chap. to the Ephe. I require the voice of the shepheard read me this matter out of the Prophets read me out of the Psalmes read it out of the lawe read it out of the Gospels read it out of the Apostles August in his booke of Pastors the. 14. chap. Neither will I alleadge the Councell of Nice against you nor shall you alleadge the Councell of Arminium against mée By the authoritie of Scriptures let vs weigh matter with matter cause with cause
is eod How God is to be worshipped eod How God is a consuming fire 446. How his Ordinaunces may not be broken eod How God was seene eod Of Gods consolation in trouble eod What Gods cursse is eod What God appointeth and no more 447 How things come to passe by Gods wil. eod Of two wills in God eod How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the Author eod Of the God of this world eod What is ment by the God of Iacob eod What the seate of God is eod Godhead in Christ. How it is vnderstood eod How Christ in his Godhead is euerye where 448. Gods mercie Of such as presume to much thereof eod How yâ— Magistrates are called gods eo What the nature of Gods word is eod Godly sorrow What it bringeth to a man eod Godlinesse What godlinesse is 449. Gog Magog What they were eod How they shall be destroyed 450. Golde What is ment by golde siluer and precious stones 451. Of Golde frankencense Mirrhe eod Golgotha What the word signifieth eod Good What good or goodnesse is 451. How there is none good but God eod Of good and euill doing eod What a good age is eod How yâ— good life of a christeÌ„ smelleth 453 Of the good purpose of a man eod Good intent How it must agree with Gods word eod Of yâ— good intent of Nadab Abihu 454 Examples of good intents eod Goods Wher they ought to be laid vp 455. How the Church goods ought to bee bestowed eod Gortheans What they were eod Gospell What the Gospell signifieth 456. Of the Gospel preached to the dead 457. How it is likened to a bowe 458. Why the gospell is said to be euerlasting eod How it is no lesse to bee regarded then the bodie of Christ. 459. Whether the Booke or leaues bee the Gospell eod An exposition of the place 460. Goate How it signifieth Christ. eod Grace What grace is 461. The true definition of grace eod What it is to reiect grace eod The difference betweene grace and gift eod The difference betweene grace and the lawe 462. What is vnderstoode by grace and peace 464. How grace and truth are expounded eo The meaning of the place 465. Graffing How we are graffed in Christ. 466. Griefe What it is and how it is defined 467. Greekes Of whom they came eod The meaning of the places eod Great The meaning of the place 468. Groue The meaning of the places 469. Guyle The definition thereof 470. Of good and euill guyle eod H. HAlcion What Halcion was 470. What the Halcion daies be eod Hand What the hande of God signifieth 471. Of the hand that Balthasar saw eod What is ment by the place eod Hand writing what it was eod Happy The meaning of the place 472. Harden How God is said to harden 473. Heart Where the heart of man is placed eod How some mans heart is hairie eod How maÌ„s hart poisoned will not burn eo Of the heart and wombe of God eod Hart or Stag. As the Hart coueteth the water 474. Haruest What is vnderstood by har 475. Hate The meaning of the place eod When a man may hate his neighbor eod Hath The vnderstanding of the place eod Hazael How he came to his kingdome 476. Hebron What Hebron was eod Head What is ment by head of God 477 What yâ— head of the serpent signifieth eod Haires of God What they doe signifie eod Hâ—lchesaites What their opinions wer eo Helias Of the strange vision seene at his birth eod Heliseus What befell at his birth 478. Hell How it is taken in Scripture eod The meaning of the place 479. What hell meaneth heere eod Helpers of faith How men be helpers of faith eod Helindius What his heresie was 480. Hem. How we touch the hem of Christs vesture eod Hemerobapti What heretiks they wer eo Henoch What his taking vp signifieth eo Her and Anan How they wer slaine 481. Heare him How Christ is to be c. eod Heresie The definition of heresie eod The proofe of heresie 482. How it is to be auoided eod Heretikes What is to be done with theÌ„ 483. How they ought not to be compelled eo Herode Of his great crueltie 484. Why he burned the Scriptures eod Of his death 485. Of the second Herode eod How he ledde away his brother Philips wife eod Of Herode Agrippa 487. What the Herodians were 488. Heauen Of the opening of heauen eod Hide What the hiding of Gods face is eo Hienâ— Of the propertie of this beast eod Hime â—eus Of his opinion 489. High Priest How yâ— office was diuided eo How â—uery Bishop is called c. eod Hill Wâ—at is ment by this hill eod Hin Wâ—at manner of mesure it was eod Hiâ—dâ—rpart What is ment thereby eod Hipoâ— rite What an hipocrite is eod Hipocrisie described eod Hipoâ—iposis What the word signifieth 491. Hire What is ment by hire eod Why eternall life is called hire eod Historie What an historie in 492. Hobab What this Hobab was eod Holy Who is holy eod How Christ is called holy 493. What is ment by the Angels crieng Holy Holy eod The meaning of the Prophet eod Holy ghost How wheÌ„ he was c. 494. How the holy Ghost is God 495. Proued by auncient Doctors 497. Holy water How it was called of old eod Of the Popes holy water 598. Homilies Bucers iudgment thereof eod Honour What honour signifieth eod What honor is to be giuen to the wife 499 What it is to honour parents eod Of 3. manner of honours eod Hope A definition of hope 500. How hope is of things absent eod How hope hangeth vpon faith 501. Of Augustines hope eod Hormis What people they were 502. Horne What it signifieth eod Hornet What an Hornet is 503. Horseleach What hir 2. daughters be eod Hosanna What the word betokeneth eod Hot. What it is to be neither hot c. 504. Houres The distribution of yâ— houres eod What is ment by halfe an houre eod House of God What yâ— house of God is eo How the place is vnderstood 505. Humilitie A definition thereof eod Who they be that be humble 506. Hundred fold What it is to receiue c. eo Hunger and thirst eod Huâ— Of the land of Hus. 507. Husband What the husbands office is eo What is ment by the husband of one c. eo I. IAcinct The description thereof 508 What Iacinct signifieth heere 509. Iacob how he is a figure of the church eo What is ment by this word Iacob c. eo Of Iacobs Iye to his father 510. Of his wrastling with the Angell 511. What the seede of Iacob is eod How God beholdeth no sin in Iacob eod Of the finding of Iacob in Bethel eod The vnderstanding of the place eod â—am The meaning of the place 512. Iames. why he was called yâ— Lords brother eod Of the death of this Iames. eod Of the deth of Iames the brother of Iohn eod Iannes
fall away from the obedience of the Emperour Moreouer Iohn in his Apocalips setting foorth the Church of Rome vnto vs to be not the spouse of Christ but of Antichrist saith That he saw a certeine whore the mother of all vncleannesse abhomination of all the world holding a golden Cup in her hand of whose mingled liquor all the dwellers of the earth should be made dronke from the highest to the lowest And further this whore shall be made dronke with the blood of Saints and of the Martirs of Christ and vpon hir forhead she had written Babilonia And least any man should doubt whether Iohn speake of Rome or not hée saith plainlie that the Whore sate vpon seauen hills which thing is well knowen to be agréeable vnto Rome wherevpon it is called the Citie with seauen hills wherefore Antichrist seate must be at Rome which thing is euident both by holie scripture and also by Hierom in an Epistle he wrote to Fabiola against Iouinian to Marcello and Aglasia in the 47. Chapter of his Commentaries vpon Esay and in the second Chapter vpon Ose The same is confirmed by authoritie of Tertulian writing against the Iewes and the Gentiles in a booke of the resurrection of the bodie and of Saint Austen also in his booke De ciuitate Dei In the same opinion is Nicolaus de lyra and many other beside Bar. Ochine Of Antichrists disciples Saint Paule foretelleth of Antichrists disciples 1. Timo. 4. that they shall beare a great countenaunce of continent life forbid mariage And of such Saint Hierom saith Iactant pudicitiam suam inpudenti facie They make bragge of their chastitie with whorish countenaunce Iewel Of Antichrists progenie Antichrist was the sonne of a certaine wicked person called Sinne hauing to his mother a certaine woman called Perdition who caused him to be brought vp of a corrupt nursse called dame Falsehood the daughter of Satan The person of this Antichrist is not simple but compounded of two natures that is to say diabolicall and humaine as Iesus Christ is compounded both of diuine and humaine And as of God and man is made one Iesus Christ so of the Diuell and of the Pope is made one Antichrist And as Iesus Christ is the head of the beléeuing Church which is his bodie so is Antichrist likewise the head of the malignaunt Church which is his bodie and doth receiue of him béeing hir head all manner of corrupt humours running downe into her And because he is borne into the world onelie to bée contrarie to Iesus Christ therefore all his thoughts all his will all his workes all his doctrine and briefelie all his life is repugnaunt to IESUS CHRIST euen to the drawing of his sword against him Albeit he would haue the world beléeue that hée doth all this for the better obseruing of Christian religion F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Looke more of Antichrist in Rome Pope ANTIPAS Of his faithfull seruice to God ANtipas my faithfull witnesse was put to death among you ¶ It is a likelihood that this Antipas was some one of the notable Ministers of the Church whom the seruants of Satan could the lesse away with because he taught Christ there more earnestlie and stronglie then other did and stood more stoutly against the aduersaries in defence of the things which the true faith conteineth and that is to be coniectured vpon this that he calleth him a faithfull witnesse such a one as Stephen was at Hierusalem And trulie this name agréed verie well vnto him for this word Antipas is as much to say as before or against all men For nothing ought to moue a Christian heart from the constancie of faith and pure confession of the truth Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 44. ANTROPOMORPHITAE What a kinde of Heretikes they were THese were Monkes inhabiting the Desarts of Aegypt who affirmed that God had a bodie and members as a man had And héere vpon it rose saith Socrates li. 6. cap. 7. that God the father hath bene painted like an olde man in a graie beard They were about the yeare of our Lord. 380. The Antropomorphites perswaded themselues that God might be known by the senses as men which did attribute vnto God a humane bodie but their opinion is vtterlie reiected for the holie scripture testifieth that God is a spirit and it also putteth a manifest difference betwéene a spirit a bodie when our Sauiour saith Féele and sée because a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones And there is none which vnderstandeth not that a humaine bodie and his members cannot consist without flesh and bones Further their foolishnesse héereby appeareth because there is not a bodie found which is euerie way pure and simple for let it be as equall as thou wilt at the least way it hath parts whereof it is composed and that all composition is against the nature of God euen the Ethnicke Philosophers perceiued c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 118. APPARICIONS OF SOVLES ¶ Looke Soule APELLES What his heresie was APelles was a Marcionite he said that Prophecies were of a contrarie spirit he was guided by one Philumena a woman He thought it was not for men to reason of religion but euerie one to continue as he beléeued Eusebius li. 5. cap. 12. How Tertulian confuteth his heresies Apelles the Heretike being in manner ouercome with the foresaid reasons of Tertulian graunteth that Christ had indéed true flesh but he denied that he was borne but brought from heauen and he obiected that the bodies which were taken by Angels were true bodies but they were not borne such a bodie saith he had Christ. Tertulian aunswereth héerevnto They saith he which set forth y◠flesh of Christ after the example of the Angels saieng that it was not born namely a fleshly substance I would haue them compare the causes also as well of Christ as of the Angels for which they came into the flesh No Angel did at any time therefore descend to be crucified to suffer death and to rise againe from death If there were neuer anie such cause why Angels should be incorporate then hast thou a cause why they tooke flesh and yet were not borne They came not to die therefore they cannot be borne But Christ being sent to die it was necessarie that he should be borne that he might die for none is woont to die but he which is borne c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 210. APOLINARIS Of the heresies he fell into THis man was Bishop of Laodicia Who notwithstanding he had written 30. bookes of our faith against Porphirius fell into heresie saieng that Christ receiued no flesh of the Uirgin Mary but that in the act of his incarnation◠some part of the word was conuerted into flesh He said that Christs soule was not of that part that was rationall but onlie of that part which kept the bodie liuing And therfore in his incarnation he tooke onelie the bodie and not the
to Bethel and transgresse to Gilgal c. ¶ He speaketh this in contempt of them which resorted to these places thinking that their great deuotion and good intention had bene sufficient to haue bound God vnto them Geneua But séeke not Bethel nor enter into Gilgal c. ¶ In these places they worshipped new Idols of which afore time serued for the true honour of God therefore he saith that these shall not saue them Geneua Reade Ieromie 48. 13. BETHLEEM How Bethleem was made famous by the birth of Christ. AND thou Bethleem in the land of Iuda art not the least ¶ Though thou meaning Bethleem be a small towne yet shalt thou be verie famous and noble through the birth of the Messias who shall be borne in thée Beza ¶ Understand because Christ was borne there Bethleem betokeneth the Christentie which in the eies of the world is little and vile but in the eies of God is great precious Tindale And thou Bethleem Epâ—rathah art little to be among the thousands of Iuda ¶ For so the Jewes diuided their countrie that for euerie thousand there was a chiefe Captaine And because that Bethleem was not able to make a thousand he calleth it little But yet God will raise vp his Captaine and gouernour therein And thus it is not the least by reason of this benefite Geneua BETHPHAGE What manner of village it was AND were come to Bethphage ¶ Bethphage was a little village at the bottome or foote of the mount Oliuete which was néere to the citie of Hierusalem béeing distant from the same not aboue two miles as we maie read in the first Chapter of the Actesâ— Marl. vpon Math. fol. 458. BETHSEDA What this word signifieth BEthseda or as some writeth Bethesda is as much to say as a spittle or an hospital whereas poore folks hath their being which place was by a poole where the Shéepe that were offered in the temple were kept And the sicke remained there looking for the mouing of the water T. ¶ If signifieth the house of powring out because the water ranne outby conduits Geneua ¶ Of this name there are diuerse interpretations and diuerse translations also for according to the Hebrue word it is sometime called Betzaida sometime Bethesda and other while Betheder wherevpon some interpret this word to signifie the house belonging to the flocke and other some the place of fishing But their opinion is more probable which expound the same to the place of effusion For so much doth the Hebrue word Eshed sound but the Euangelist hath pronounced the two last silables thus Esda as Beth-esda according to the Chaldes tongue which at that time was much vsed It is verie likelie that the water was brought to this place by conduct pipes Also this place or poole was called in latin Probatica piscma that is to saie the pond where the Priests did wash the shéep that shold be sacrificed for the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or probation signifieth a Shéepe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 145. BETRAIENG What it is to betraie TO Betraie seemeth in Latine to signifie thrée thinges namelie to bewraie to deceiue and deliuer vp Proditio therefore is an action whereby by guile bewraieng or deliuering vp our neighbour or their goods are hurt and that especiallie of those which ought rather to defend the same Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 37. BIBLE In whose daies it was translated into our vulgar tongue SAint Bede saith that one Cedman an English Poet translated the booke of Genesis and Exodus with diuerse other stories of the Bible into English Rime Likewise king Adelstone about a nine hundred years past caused the whole â— Bible to be translated into English S. Iohn Treuisa saith that Bede himselfe turned Saint Iohns Gospell into English Also hée saith that Alâ—red caused the Psalter to hée tourned into English Therefore it is vntruely said that this I le hath continued thirtéene hundred yeares without hauing the Scripture in English Iohn Treuisa li. 5. Chap. 24. and li. 6. Chap. 1 ¶ Theodoretus writeth thus Ye maie commonlie sée saith he that not onelie the teacher of the people and rulers of the Churches but also Taylers Smiths and Clothworkers and other artificers do vnderstand the principles of our religion And further yâ— not onlie learned women if there be anie such but also such women as liue by their labour sewsters and maid seruants but also husbandmen and dichers heard men and graffers can reason of the holie Trinitie and of the creation of the world and of the nature of mankinde a great deale more skilfuller then either Plato or Aristotle were euer able to doe ¶ In Policronicon it is shewed how when the Saxons did inhabite the land the king at that time which was a Saxon did himselfe translate the Psalter into the language that then was generallie vsed Yea I haue séene a booke at Crowland Abbeie which is kept there for a relique The booke is called Saint Cuthlakes Psalter and I wene verilie it is a copie of the same that the king did translate for it is neither English Latine Gréekâ— Hebrue nor Dutch but somewhat soundie to our English And as I haue perceiued sith the time I was last there béeing at Antwarpe the Saxon tongue doth sound likewise after ours and it is to ours partlie agréeable Lambert in the booke of Mar. fol. 1273. BILNEY Of the comfort he had of his friends and they of him the night before he died THe Fridaie at night which was before the daie of his execution béeing Saint Magnus daie and Saterdaie Bilney had diuerse of his friends resorting vnto him into the guilde hall where he was kept Among whom one of the said friends finding him eating of an Albrew with such a chéereful heart and quiet minde as he did said that he was glad to sée him at that time so shortlie before his heauie painfull departure so heartelie refresh himselfe Oh said he I followe the example of the husbandman of the countrie who hauing a ruinous house to dwell in will yet bestow cost as long as they maie hold it vp so doe I now with this ruinous house of my bodie and with Gods creatures in thankes to him refresh the same as ye sée Then sitting with his said friendes in godlie talke to their edification some put him in mind that though the fire which he should suffer the next daie should be of great heate vnto his bodie yet the comfort of Gods spirite shoulde coole it to his euerlasting refection At that word the said Thomas Bilney putting his hand toward the flame of the candle burning before them as also he did diuers times beside séeling the heate thereof O sayd he I féele by experience haue known it long by philosophie the fire by Gods ordinance is made naturally hot But yet I am perswaded by Gods holie word and by the experience of some
Bishop whom Saint Paule willeth to be both watching and sober and also modest herberous in 1. Cor. 9. proueth that it is lawfull for him not onelie to eate drinke at the Corinthians costs and charges as in the. 4. verse But also to enterteine a wife as in the. 5. verse and generelly to liue well and honestlie as in the. 14. verse Of vnpreaching Bishops and Pastors The world saith Gregory is full of Priests but yet in the haruest there are seldome workemen found because indéed we take vpon vs the office of Priests but we fulfill not the work of the office Againe because they haue not the bowels of charitie they will séeme Lordes They acknowledge not themselues to be Fathers They chaunge the place of humilitie into the aduauncing of lordlinesse Againe But what do we O Pastors we receiue the reward and are not workmen We are fallen to outward businesse and we take in hand one thing and performe an other we leaue the ministrie of preaching and to our punishment as I sée we are called Bishops and keepe the name of honour but not of vertue Cal. in his inst 4. b. Chap. 5. Sect. 12. How Bishops are vnlike they were in Paules time A great pitie it is to sée how farre that office of a Bishop is â—egeneraâ—â— from the origiâ—â—â— in the Scripture It was not so at the beginning when Bishoppes were at the best As the Epistle of Paule to Tit. testifieth that willed him to ordeine in euerie Citie of Crete a Bishoppe And in case there were such loue in them now as was then toward the people they would saie themselues there were more to doe for the best of them in one Citie then he could doe They knowe that the primatiue Church had no such Bishoppes as be nowe a daies as examples testifie vntill the time of Syluester the first a little and a little riches crept so into the church that men sought more hir then the wealth of people and so increased within few yeares that Bishoppes became Princes and Princes were made seruauntes So that they haue set them vp with their almes and liberalitie in so high honour that they cannot plucke them downe againe with all the force they haue Whooper What regard Bishops ought to haue in feeding the poore Manie godlie Bishops and ministers after the Apostles were so studious for the poore that they spent not onelie vppon them the goods of the church but also their owne patrimonie when that would not serue they laboured with their owne handes that by this meanes they might supplie that which lacked according to the example of Saint Paule They hired not men to kéepe the poore out of their gates but appointed men to stand before their gates after the example of Abraham and Lot to call the poore into their houses The glorie of a Bishop saith S. Hierome is to prouide for the poore but the ignominie of all Priestes to looke for their owne ease and profit Hierome de vita clericorum The Popes lawe saith Hospitalitie is so necessarie for Bishops that if they be found to be no mainteiners thereof they maie lawfullie be deposed Againe a Bishop to the vttermost of his power ought to minister vnto the poore and to the sicke which through weaknesse are not able to labour with their owne hands meate drinke and cloth ¶ A Bishop ought to haue a liberall hand he should helpe them which are in néede and thinke other mens necessitie to be his owne necessitie if he be not thus affected and minded he beareth the name of a Bishop in vaine ¶ Bishops build houses in bignesse not vnlike to Churches They haue a great delight to haue their chambers painted and set out with most goodlie and precious colours and hanged with rich and costlie clothes but the poore man goeth naked I may trulie saie the poore are manie times spoiled and robbed that stones and stockes may be garnished They garnish their halls with great and mightie pillers They set lodges before their dores but would God they were made to receiue and not to deceiue the poore ¶ S. Hierom saith Let other build Churches hang walles make great pillers and gylde the tops of them decke Altars with golde and precious stones But be thou of another minde I meane to cloath Christ in the poore to feede him in the hungrie to visite him in the sicke to receiue in them that want lodging speciallie in them that are of the householde of faith ¶ Saint Barnard likewise saith O vanitie passing all vanities and yet no more vaine then mad The Church shineth in the walles and lacketh in the poore It garnisheth hir stones with golde and leaueth hir children naked That which should be spent vpon the poore is bestowed to please the eies of the rich Thus much for this matter out of the workes of Theodore Basill Of the equalitie of Bishops ERasmus expounding S. Hieroms words saith thus Hieronimus aequare videtur omnes Episcopes c. Hierom séemeth to match all Bishops together as if they were all equallie the Apostles successours and he thinketh not anie Bishop to bee lesse then other for that he is poorer or greater then other for that he is richer For he maketh the Bishop of Eugubium a poore towne equall with the Bishop of Rome And farther hée thinketh that a Bishop is no better then a Priest sauing that the Bishop hath authoritie to order Ministers Iewel fol. 109. ¶ S. Cipriane saith Nemo nostrum c. None of vs appointeth himselfe Bishop of Bishops much lesse the Prince of all Pastours In Cons. Cartha ¶ Againe he saith that the authoritie of the Bishops in Affrica is as good as the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome And calleth them all lewd and desperate persons that will say the contrarie ¶ The words of the Counsell of Affrica Ad transmarina c. Whosoeuer shall thinke he ought to appeale to the Iudgements beyond the Seas that is to the Bishop of Rome let no man within Affrica receiue him to Communion ¶ Sain Peter calleth Christ the Prince of Pastors and not the Pope saieng thus That when Christ the Prince of Pastors shall appeare ye maie receiue the vncorruptible crowne ¶ In the Counsell of Constantinople it was decréed that the Bishop there should haue euen and equall authoritie with the Bishop of Rome Iewel fol. 112. What is meant by these two names Bishops and Deacons With the Bishops and Deacons grace be with you ¶ By the Bishops are meant both the Pastors which haue the dispensation of the word and the Elders that gouerne And by Deacons are meant those that were stewards of the Treasurie of the Church and had to looke vnto the poore Beza ¶ By Bishops héere he meaneth them that had charge of the word and gouerning as Pastors Doctors Elders By Deacons such as had charge of the distribution and of
doth onelie call his elect and chosen and whom he hath ordeined before vnto life euerlasting working so in them by the inward operation of his holie spirit that the word preached to them doth take root in their hearts and bringeth foorth fruit vnto life eternall He doth also by the same spirit testifie vnto them I meane vnto their spirites that they be the children of God and heires of the kingdome of heauen I. Veron Of two manner of callings There are two sortes of vocation the one outward and the other inward By the outward vocation I meane a common and generall vocation by the which God doth call by his outward preaching all those to whom the Gospell is preached bée they chosen or reprobates And by the inward I vnderstand a vocation wherby God doth not onelie call men by the outward preaching of his word but maketh them to feele the power and efficacie of the same by his holie spirit in such sort that they doe not onelie heare it with their outward eares but doe also receiue it into their hearts by faith whereby they are iustified Pet. Viret ¶ The calling of God is of two sorts the one is common whereby men in déede are after a sort stirred vp but they â—â—â—not bowed for that those things which are offered please them not but the other is a conuenient apt mighty calling wherby the mindes are touched and truelie chaunged After this manner was Iacob called and not Esau. Therefore the one was beloued and the other hated the one drawne and the other forsaken Caluine in his insti fol. 257. God doth call men two waies the one is a generall calling by the which God with the outward preaching of 〈…〉 word doth inuite al meÌ„ vnto him yea those to whom his word is propounded for their dampnation The other is a special â—â—ling that is a calling according to Gods purpose by the whâ—â—â— he worketh so through the inward lightening of the spirit 〈…〉 the word preached is also grounded in our hearts tru◠〈…〉 stoode faithfully beléeued Euen as we see yâ— wil of God 〈…〉 two sortes the one preached and reuealed in his holie Scripture whereby he willeth that all men should be saued albeit for their iniquities few be saued The other vnsearchable and also vnknowne to vs whereby he worketh his will both in heauen and in earth F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Sée more in these wordes Election Predestination Chosen Manie are called and few be chosen ¶ All nations and people are by the outward preaching of the Gospell called but onelie they that are ordeined chosen to life euerlasting doe beléeue and giue credit to the word Sir I. Cheeke CALFE Of the Calfe that Aaron made ANd made of it a molten Calfe They smelled of their leuen of Aegypt wher they saw calues oxen and serpents worshipped Geneua ¶ The Hebrues when they compelled Aaron to make them a Calfe to worship had not that minde to fall from the true God when they confessed that he brought them out of Aegipt This was onelie their intent to worshippe him vnder some signe or visible forme and they chose that forme whereby they had séene the Aegiptians expresse their God by Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. CAMEL How the Latin word Camelum is taken two waies IT is easier for a Camel c. ¶ The latin text is Facilius est Camelum acus transire This worde Camelum a Camell in yâ— English translation is expounded of some to signifie in this place the Cabell of a Ship and truelie that doth better agrée to the eie of a nedle And yet Pollux writing of yâ— instruments perteining to a ship maketh mention of this word Camelus Suidas onelie is found to vnderstand this word in that signification yet vnderstanding it so as it is written with i not with e as Camilos and not Camelos For though there be a little difference in the wordes yet notwithstanding in sense there is greate contrarietie for the first signifieth a beast called a Camell and the other signifieth a Rope or Cable of a Shippe Other some doe rather agrée to Hierom which followeth Origen which taketh this word Camelum being a Gréeke word as we shewed before for the beast called a Camell For Christ would haue it seeme altogether as impossible for a rich man trusting in his riches to enter into the kingdome of heauen as for a Camell being a monstrous beast to goe through the eie of a néedle But if this saieng seeme to anie man obscure let them remember the man reprehended of the Lord which went to plucke yâ— mote out of his brothers eie and could not sée the beame in his owne eie What can be more absurd then to saie that a man carieth a beame in his eie But this absurditie of his words hath a great Emphasis and force Marl. fol. 434. CANDELS OR TAPERS Against the superstitions of Candels and Tapers in the Church ANd whereas they bring thether burning Candels and that at noone daies it must néeds come from the superstition of the Ethnikes The old christian men vsed burning candels but it was in the night time because they durst not assemble together in the daie season and it was not very hansome to sit in the darke Wherevpon Hierom also saith We doe not light candels at broad daie as you doe slaunder vs without cause but by this comfort we doe delaie the darknesse of the night and doe watch by light least like blinde folke we should sléepe in darkenesse like as thou dost Musculus fol. 291. ¶ Lactantius inueighing the Heathenish or Popish superstition of Candels that hath bene vsed saith Accendimus lumina velut in tenebris c. They light candels vnto God as it were in the darke But if they wil behold heauenlie light thei we cal the sun they maie vnderstand that their God lacketh no lights that for the vse of man hath giuen so cleare a light And yet whereas in so small a circle which by reason of the distaunce séemeth no bigger then a mans head ther is so great a oliâ—â—ering that the engine of mans eie is not able to looke directly vpon it And if for a while you fixe your sight thereon diâ—â—esse darknesse doe follow your dazed eies What light what clearenes maie we thinke to be with God with whom there is no night at all Who hath so ordered this light of his that neither by too much shining beames nor ouer parching heate he should hurtâ— the Cattell And yet of both hath departed so much as either the bodies of men maie beare or riping of the fruite require wherefore he concludeth with these words saieng Is he to be thought to be in his right wits that to the Authour giuer of light offer vp the light of Candels and Tapers for a gift CANDELSTICKE Why the Church is likened to a candelsticke ANd the 7. Candlestickes which thou sawest are the 7. churches ¶
life Christ hath not forsaken it nor neuer will forsake it all our whole strife is vpon the particular churches which be mingled with good and euill together They not onelie can erre but also haue erred and doe erre yet in manie points c. Musculus fol. 267. Saint Augustine in his preface vpon the 47. Psalme alleadgeth this place of the Apostle in this wise Therefore wée must vnderstaÌ„d by the second of the sabboth none but the church of Christ but the church of Christ in his Saintes the church of Christ in them which be written in heauen the church of Christ in them which doe not yéelde vnto temptations of this world for they be worthie to beare the name of the firmament Therefore the church in them which be strong of whom the Apostle saith Wée which be strong beare with the infirmities of the weake is called the firmament whereof it is song in the Psalme Let vs heare let vs knowe let vs sound let vs glorie let vs reigne For heare you and knowe that the same also is called the firmament by the writing of the Apostle which is saith he the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth Thus saith Augustine Chrisostome doth expound this place in this sort Not as the Iewish church for this is that which conteineth the faith that is to saie the piller and establishment of the church and the preaching For truth is the piller and establishment of the church this saith he He maketh not the church to be the piller establishment of the truth but the truth of the church c. Mus. fo 268 To proue that the congregation of faithfull men is the church that cannot erre heare their owne law The whole church cannot erre â— Againe The congregation of faithfull men must néeds be which also cannot erre ¶ This church which is spred abrode throughout all the world and standeth in the vnitie of faithfull christen men is the church that God suffereth not to erre in those things that belong to saluation D. B. fol. 254. How the Church is knowne Whereas the word of God is purelie and sincerely preached the Sacraments orderlie ministred after the blessed ordinance of Christ. And wheras men do patiently suffer for the veritie And the hearers doe applie their liuing to Christ doctrine and with méeknesse receiue the holie Sacraments these be good and present tokens to iudge vpon that there be certeine members of Christs church and to proue this read the doctors following Our mother holie church faith Augustine throughout all the world scattered farre and wide in her true head Christ taught hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the crosse nor yet of death but more and more is she strengthened not in resisting but in suffering They that be in Iudea let them flie vnto the mountaines that is to saie they the be in Christendome let them giue themselues to the scriptures for in that time in the which heresies haue obteined into the church there can be no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to knowe the veritie of faith but by the Scriptures of God Afore by manie waies was it shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the congregation of the Gentiles But now there is none other waie to them the will know which is the verie true church of Christ but onely by Scriptures By works first was the church of Christ knowne when the congregation of christen men either of all or of manie were holie the which holinesse had not the wicked men But nowe christen men are as euill or worse then heretiks or Gentiles yea greater continence is found among them then among christen men Wherefore he the will knowe which is the verie church of Christ how shal he know but by the scriptures only And therefore our Lord considering that the great confusion of things should come in the latter daies for that cause coÌ„maunded he that christen men willing to reserue the stablenesse of the true faith shuld flée vnto none other thing but vnto the scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other things they shall bée slauÌ„dred shal perish not vnderstaÌ„ding which is the true church The same Doctour saith â— It can no waie bée knowne what is the Church but onelie by the Scriptures Againe Christ commaundeth that who so will haue the assuraunce of true faith séeke to nothing else but vnto the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to anie thing else they shall be offended and shall perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and by meanes héereof they shall fall into the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holie places of the Church There bée certeine bookes of our Lord vnto the authoritie whereof each part agréeth there let vs séeke for the church Thereby let vs examine and trie our matter Againe hée saith in the same Chapter I will ye shew me the holie church not by decrées of men but by the word of God August de vnit eccl cap. 3. The question or doubt is where the Church should bee what then shall wée doe Whether shall we séeke the Church in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her head which is our Lord Iesus Christ In my iudgement we ought rather to séeke the Church in his words for that he is the truth and best knoweth his owne bodie August de vnit eccle Chap. 2. Whether of vs be Scismatikes wée or you aske not me I will not aske you Let Christ be asked that hée maie shewe vs his owne Church Augustine cont litter Petilium li. 2. chap. 85. In times past saith Chirsostome there were manie waies to knowe the church of Christ that is to saie by good lyfe by myracles by chastitie by doctrine by ministring the Sacraments But from that time heresies did take holde of the church it is onelie knowne by the Scriptures which is the true church They haue all things in outward shew which the true church hath in truth They haue Temples like vnto ours c. Wherefore onely by the Scriptures doe we knowe which is the true church Verses Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum bene sâ—is satis est si caetera nescis Englished This is to be ignorant to know manie things without Christ If thou knowest Christ well thou knowest inough though thou knowest no more What is meant by the militant and triumphant Church Men doe diuide the true Church of Christ into the militant the triumphant church So that the militant church should be of them which doe yet trauaile in this mortall flesh do striue with Satan the flesh and the worldâ— The triumphant of them which are passed to heauen and haue ouercome all manner of their enimies In this sort Augustine placeth the Angels also These bée not two churches but the
stirred him to beléeue that it was no vaine doctrine but that it must néeds be of God in the it had such power with it For it happeneth that they which will not heare the word at beginning are afterward moued by the holie conuersation of them the beléeue c. Read 1. Pet. 3. 1. 1. Cor. 16. Tin How the church is our Mother Christ is our Father as the Church his sponse is our Mother As all men naturallie haue Adam for their father Eue for their mother so all spirituall men haue Christ for their Father and the church for their mother And as Eue was taken out of Adams side so was the church taken out of Christs side whereout flowed bloud for the satisfaction and purging of our sinnes D. Harpsfield in the booke of Mar. fol. 1791. He shall not haue God to be his Father which acknowledgeth not the church to be his Mother Moreouer without the church saith Saint Austen be the life neuer so well spent it shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen ¶ This is not ment of the Popish Church but of the holie catholike or vniuersall Church which is the communion of Saints the house of God the citie of God the spouse of Christ the piller and staie of the truth out of this Church there is no saluation indeede N. Ridley How the Church is visible The Church is none otherwise visible then Christ was héere on earth that is by no exteriour pompe or showeâ— that setteth hir foorth commonlie and therfore to see hir we must put on such eies as good men put on to see Christ when he walked heere on earth for as Eua was of the same substaunce that Adam was of so was the Church of the same substaunce that Christ was of flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone as Paule saith Ephe. 5. 30. Looke therfore how Christ was visiblie known to be Christ when he was héere on earth that is by considering him after the word of God so is the Church knowen Bradford Markes whereby the Church is knowen The Church saith the Papists hath thrée markes vnitie antiquitie and consent These thrée saith the Aunswere maie be as well in the euill as in the good as well in sinne as in vertue as well in the Diuells church as in Gods Church As for example Idolatrie among the Israelites had all these thrée Chrisostome telleth plainlie that the Church is well knowen tantummodo per Scripturas alonelie by the Scriptures Bradford Master Caluine saith This honour is méete to be giuen to the word of God and to his Sacrraments that wheresoeuer we see the word of God trulie preached and God according to the same trulie worshipped and the Sacraments without superstion administred there we maie without all controuersie conclude the Church of God to be And a little after So much we must estéeme the word of God and his Sacraments that whersouer we may finde them to be there we certainelie know the Church of God to be although in the common life of men manie faults and errours be found Whitegift fol. 81. Of the Church of Antichrist the Pope The tyrannie of the Popes Church sheweth them not to be Christs Church The Church saith S. Hylarie doth threaten with vanishments and imprâ—onments and the compelleth men to beleeue hir which was exiâ—ed and cast into prison She hangeth on the dignitie of their fellowship the which was consecrated by the threatnings of persecutors she causeth priests to flée that was increased by the chasing away of Priests Shée glorieth that she is loued of the world the which could neuer be Christs except the world did hate hir To proue that the spirituall aâ—aiâ— and gorgeous apparrell that is vsed in the Popes Church doth not make the Church S. Barnard saith thus They be the Ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist They go gorgeouslie araied of our Lords goods vnto whom they giue no honour And of these commeth the decking of harlots that thou seest dailie the game-plaiers disguisings and kings apparrell Of this commeth golde in their bridles in their saddles and in their spurres so that their spurres be brighter theÌ„ the Altars Of this commeth their plenteous wine presses and their full sellers belking from this vnto that Of this commeth their Tonnes of sweete wines Of this bée their bagges so filled For such things as these be wil they be rulers of the Church as Deacons Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops c. D. Barnes fol. 2 6. Obiection Hath God saith the Papists forsaken his Church a thousand yeares and were all our fathers deceiued before Luther was borne such antiquitie vnitie and vniuersalitie was it al in errour c. Aunswere Was the world deceiued so manie hundred yeares Whie should it not The Lord ordeined that there should come an apostacie and generall fall from the saith of Christ that the world might be seduced with the man of sin whose age began in the Apostles time and shall not vtterlie die till the daie of Christ. Thus the Lord appointed and so let it be for all things are for his glorie Deering Of the vniuersall Church ¶ Looke Vniuersall CIRCVMCISION What circumcision doth represent CIrcumcission representeth the promises of God to Abraham on the one side and that Abraham and his séede should circumcise and cut of the lusts of their flesh on the other side to walke in the waies of the Lord. Tindale fo 6. There be two Circumcisions the one outward made in the flesh by mens hands cutting awaie a round péece of the skinne of the secret members And this Circumcision was not necessarie to saluation after the Gospell was openlie preached after Christs passion but was abrogated and left as indifferent and not necessarie to saluation The other Circumcision was the inward Circumcision by yâ— spirit of God by yâ— which yâ— who le bodie is mortified put away cléerelie by the spirit by faith in Christ. And this Circumcision is necessarie to saluation L. Ridley Circumcision is nothing of it self it signifieth yâ— blessed séede in which al nations are blessed And it signifieth yâ— circumcision of the hart which consisteth in yâ— spirit not in yâ— flesh D. Heynes The Nazares did contend no Nation to appertaine to the Church of God vnlesse they were circumcised Paule Barnabas said that all as well Gentiles as Iewes if they beléeue in Christ should be saued without circumcision D. Heynes Circumcision was the holie action whereby the flesh of the fore-skinne was cut awaie for a signe of the couenaunt that God made with men Or to describe it more largelie Circumcision was a marke in the priuie members of men betokening the eternall Couenaunt of God and was ordeined by God himselfe to testifie his good will towards them that were circumcised to warne them of regeneration and cleannesse and to make difference betwixt the confederates of God and other people or nations Bullinger fol. 355. What
were as white as Snowe and with him was seene Moses and Helias talking with him Et ecce nubes lucida obumbrauit â—os And behold a cléere Cloud did shadow them and close them in and out of the Cloud was heard a voice saieng Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi bene complacui ipsum audite This is my beloued Sonne for whose sake I am pleased and pacified toward all them that beléeue in him and will hearken vnto his doctrine ipsum audite heare him Furthermore in the first chapter of the Actes of the Apostles we read that a Cloud compassed and closed in the bodie of our Sauiour Iesus ascending vp into heauen and so tooke him out of the sight of the Apostles Thus by these manifest places of Scriptures conferred together ye see euidentlie the wordes of the Prophet put in practise when he saith The Lorde hath made the darkenesse his secret closet and the Cloudes of the aire his Tabernacle to compasse him round about Ric. Turnar How the Cloudes are called Gods pauilions and Chariots The Cloudes and all the cope of heauen are tearmed Gods Pauilions or Tents And diuers times it is said that yâ— Clouds are his Chariots namelie because he guideth them and maketh them to goe forward or els doth as it were walke vpon them to make his triumphs Thus you sée how God is presented vnto vs as a Prince in that he vseth the Heauens as his Palaice and his maiestie sheweth it selfe there Againe the Clouds are as ye would saie the pillers of his pauilion to the end we shuld be the more moued to consider the royall workmanship Then séeing it is so let vs learne to yéeld God that which is his owne and let not his glorie be lefaced through our vnthankfulnesse Cal. vpon Iob. 672. COCKATRICE EGGES The meaning of the place following THey breede Cockatrice Egges and weaue the Spiders web ¶ To bréede Cockatrice Egges is to go about that which is mischieuous and wicked to weaue the spiders web is to go about vaine and trifling things which are of no value although they séeme neuer so excellent vnto the doers T. M. ¶ Whatsoeuer commeth from them is poyson and bringeth death Geneua COLDE What it is to be colde I Would thou wert either hotte or colde ¶ In some mens opinion to be colde is as much as to be vtterlie void of faith and to be hot is to persist stedfastlie and stoutlie in faith that is workfull by loue and to be luke warme is nothing els but to be a counterfetter and dissembler that is to saie to be hot and faithfull to outward appearaunce inwardly to be void of faith Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 67. I know by thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold c. ¶ Thy works are euidentlie open before me saith the Lord I knowe them in their kinde I sée thou art neither cold nor hot thou art neither a full Infidel nor a full beléeuer neither a perfect Pagan nor a perfect Christian thou art neither constant in thy faith nor yet all without faith Outwardlie thou art hot but within thou art cold as yâ—e Inwardlie thou abhorrest the word of God yet dost thou not outwardlie condemne it I wold thou wert either cold or hot either a Christian or none at all either a perfect louer of the veritie or els a ful hater of it not a dissembling Hypocrite as thou art iudging euill good and good euill calling darknesse light light darknesse making sower swéete and swéete sower allowing fables and lies and contemning the wisedome of God None is so farre from the kingdome of heauen as is a false Christian. Much sooner is he conuerted to the truth that is all colde or all without faith then he that vnder the colour and pretence of Gods lawes maintaineth errors and lies Forsomuch therefore as I finde thee betwéene both neither of both halfe colde halfe hot and neither fullie cold nor hot neither faithfullie giuen to Gods word nor all whole with out it but a false and glosing hyporrite I will begin to vomit thée as a morsell out of season spew thée out of my mouth as a thing out of kinde Thou shalt not be digested Neither shall my word allow thee nor my promise admit thée to rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen But thou shalt be throwen forth into exterior darknes wheras shal be wéeping gnasâ—â—ng of téeth I will cast thee out detest thee abhorre thee For much worse are they that abuse or despise yâ— gift of God then they which neuer receiued it c. Bale vpon the Apoc. COALES OF FIRE What the meaning of S. Paule is in this place FOr in so doing thou shalt heape hot coales of fire vppon his head ¶ This place maie be vnderstood two manner of waies either that our gentle kindnesse towards our enimie shal be vnto him a cause of great damnation and so by the coales we shall vnderstand the vengeaunce of God or that our enimie being ouercome by our gentlenesse and as a man might saie being kindeled with loue might repent and become our friend Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Either thou shalt wound him with thy benefit or els his conscience shall beare him witnesse that Gods burning wrath hangeth ouer him Geneua ¶ Thou shalt as it were by force ouercome him insomuch that his owne conscience shall moue him to acknowledge thy benefites and his heart shall be inflamed Geneua ¶ After this sort doth Salomon point out the wrath of God that hangeth ouer a man Beza COMFORTLES The meaning of this place of Iohn I Will not leaue you comfortlesse ¶ Some vnderstande this of the returne of Christ vnto his Disciples after his Resurrection But other some a great deale better referre the same vnto the comming of the holie Ghast As if Christ should haue said ye shall thinke when I am gone from you in my bodelie presence that you are Orphants without a Father but if you consider the matter well I will neuer leaue you For I will come vnto you with the spirit of consolation which shall helpe you with fatherlie affection in all aduersities So beneficiall shall my departure be vnto you so great profite shall my death bring vnto you Marl. COMMAVNDEMENTS OF GOD. How they be impossible for man to fulfill IF thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commaundements ¶ Remember that when God commaundeth vs to do anie thing he doth it not therefore because that we of our selues can doe that he commaundeth but that by the Lawe we might sée and know our horrible damnacion and captiuitie vnder sinne and therefore should repent and come to Christ receiue mercie and the spirit of God to loose vs strength vs and to make vs able to doe Gods will which is the Lawe Now when he saith if thou wilt enter into life kéepe the Commaundements is as much to
man saith he hath a tyrannicall heart for he would rule all men as hée lust and not by anie reason or lawe Also he writing in his 3. booke De repub saith that Dronkennesse maie be suffered in anie man rather then in a Magistrate for a dronken man knoweth not the ground whereon he is on If a Magistrate be dronke then hath the kéeper néede of a kéeperâ— This is moreouer to be added that there is nothing kept secret where Dronkennesse raigneth How Dronkennesse is condempned by holie Scripture Paule saith Be ye not made dronken with wine wherein is wantonnesse But be ye filled with the spirite speaking to your selues by Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs Upon which place â—ierom saith we cannot at one time be filled with wine and the Holie ghost for the Apostle putteth these things as contraries euen as we cannot serue two masters He that is filled with the spirit hath wisedome méeknesse shamefastnesse and chas 〈…〉 cie and he which is filled with wine hath foolishnesse furiousnesse malipartnesse and filthy lusts They which are not â—illed with wine can easelie sing Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs which thing they cannot doe which haue gorged themselues with wine Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 162. Proplâ—ne examples of Dronkennesse Alexander of Macedoniâ— the Conquerour of the world was most filthelie ouercome with wine and being dronke slew Clitus his friend most valiant and faithfull whose diligence industrie labour prudence strength he had in warres long time vsed to his great commoditie Wherefore when he had slept after his wine and being awaked and remembring the wicked act that he had committed he was so ashamed and sorie that he wished himselfe dead But yet he amended not the vice of dronkennesse Yea once afterward he dronke so much wine in one night that he fell into a Feuer and for that he would not temper himselfe from wine within a while after he died Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 163. King Philip father to Alexander the great was a noble Prince and fortunate yet notwithstanding yâ— vice of dronkennesse raigned too much in him wherefore it followed that after he had giuen iudgement vpon a time against a poore widdow woman she aunswered straight she appealed The Nobles then present hearing the woman what she said demaunded to whom she appealed since the king himselfe had giuen sentence She aunswered and said I appeale to King Philip which is now dronk that when he is sober he returne and giue sentence The woman was nothing deceiued in hir appelaâ—ion for after king Philip had reposed and slept a little he reâ—oked and repeaâ—ed that sentence that he had before giuen against hir This Cambices the sonne of Cyrâ—s had a Counsalour about him named Prexaspes because he admonished the King somwhat boldlie of his dronkennesse he commaunded Prexaspes to bring his youngest sonne vnto him for I quod he will shoote at him with my bowe And if I hit his heart with my dart then maist thou thinke that I am not beside the capacitie of reason but if not then maie it worthelie be saide I am dronke and so the childe being bound to a post the king after he had well dronke shot at the childe with his dart and pearced him through the heart which being ript he shewed to Prexaspes the childes father saieng heere thou hast good euidence that I am not dronk for the heart is rightlie hit Carion A good woman had an husband who would be oftentimes dronken wherewith she being ashamed and deuising by what meanes she might cause him to leaue that horrible vice at the last when he was asleepe she caried him vnto the Charnel house wherin were put the bones of dead men and leauing him lieng there she made â—ast the dore and departed and when she thought he was waking she taking with hir bread and meate returned to the Charnell house knocked at the dore hir husband faintlie asked who knocked there The good woman aunswered I which haue brought meate with me for the dead men Peace quod hir husbandâ— thou increasest my paine in speking of meat bring me some drinke I praie thee that hearing the good woman Alas said she tâ—at euer I was borne for this vice gotten by custome my husband hath made it an habite which will neuer forsake him â—xamples of Dronkennesse out of the Scripture Noe a great man iust and loued of God who saw two constitutions of the world for he liued both before after the floud is set foorth vnto vs as an example vtterlie to auoid Dronkennesse When as he hauing dronke more wine then was méete laie in the Tabernacle most filthelie naked and his priuie partes which were wont to be couered he lefte bare and vncouered and hée that was wont to be a Master of vertues was a great offence vnto his children Châ—m mocked him the other two sonnes of a better and holier nature were sorie and verie much ashamed of their fathers filthinesse By this act it is sufficientlie declared that shame derision and offence folowe Dronkennesse But of this sinne we haue a notable example in Lot who vndoubtedlie dranke not immoderatelie to the ende he would abuse his Daughters and to commit incest but to put awaie care and griefes which he had taken for the ouerthrow of the 5 cities for the losse of his deere wife and also of his substance He would also comfort his daughters that they should not take too much thought speciallie â—or the losse of their mother although he ought to haue inuented other waies of comforting But this I speake onelie least that anie man shoulde thinke that he didde with hiâ— will drinke too much to pollute himselfe with most filthie lusts yet for all that toâ— much abundaunce of drinke was the cause of his most vile incest being otherwise an olde man in a time farre out of purpose for as much as the iudgements of God were declared against the filthie lusts of the 5. Cities And which is wonderful wine so alienated Lot from himself that he vnderstood not with what women he had companied Wherefore rightlie saith Seneca in his 84. Epistle They which are dronken doe manie things which afterward when they are sober they are ashamed of Lot sought to make himselfe merrie with wine and he incurred a perpetuall heauinesse Let them therefore which séeke to be made merrie with wine remember that they put themselues in a most present daunger and by that meanes maie easelie throwe themselues headlong into most grieuous wicked actes Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 162. ¶ Through Dronkennesse and other vices wer the Cities of Sodome and Gomorra destroied Gen 19. 24. Eze. 16. 49. ¶ Ammon being dronke was slaine 2. Reg. 13. 29. ¶ Ela the sonne of Baasa King of Israel being dronken was slaine of his seruaunt Zimri ¶ Benhadad King of Syria with his 32. Kings being dronken were all ouercome of King Achab.
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
the Resurrection yea and all the déedes of Matrimonie are pure spirituall if they proceede of faith and whatsoeuer is done within the lawes of God though it be wrought by the bodie as the verie wiping of shooes such like howsoeuer grose they appeare outward Without such vnderstanding of these words thou canst neuer vnderstand this Epistle of Paule neither any other place in the holie scripture Take héed therfore for whosoeuer vnderstandeth these words otherwise the same vnderstaÌ„deth not Paul whatsoeuer he be Tin in his Prol. to the Ro. The meaning of this place following The Flesh profiteth nothing ¶ The flesh of Christ profiteth nothing to wit if it be considered as separated from his diuine nature and from his holie spirit but it is the spirit that giueth life meaning God dwelling in Iesus Christ corporallie as Paule saith Col. 2. 9. To dwell reallie and indéede reconciling the world vnto himselfe Tindale ¶ To wit if it be separated from the spirit whereof it hath the force that commeth of the power of the spirit that the flesh giueth vs life and féedeth And therefore that we maie be truly fed and nourished with it wée must bring the spirituall mouth of faith to receiue it The Bible note ¶ Saint Austen expoundeth these words thus Understand ye spirituallie the things that I haue spoken ye shall not eate the bodie that ye sée Likewise Chrisostome saith My words must be heard spirituallie who so heareth them carnallie or according to the flesh getteth nothing nor hath no profitte by them FLORINVS Of the heresie he taught at Rome FLorinus a Priest of Rome and one Blastus fell from the Church and taught at Rome that God was the authour of euill whom Ireneus confuted Euse. li. 5. ca. 13. 18. FOLLOVVERS Who be the followers of Christ and of his Apostles ANd ye became followers of vs and of the Lord. ¶ They are true followers of the Apostles and of Christ which receiue the word of God They do receiue the word of God which doe beléeue it and frame their liues after it béeing readie to suffer patientlie all manner of aduersities for the name of the Lord as the Lord himselfe and all the Apostles did S. I. Cheeke FOOLE That calleth his brother fole ¶ Looke Racha Of the foolish woman ¶ Looke Woman FORGET How God is said to forget God is said to forget when he taketh his mercie from vs forgetting his statutes ordinaunces commaundements and to remember vs when we chaunge and not he ¶ Although God take vs out of this world yet forgetteth hée vs not though he séeme to forget vs hée keepeth those that are his alwaies in his hande and custodie And as for those that are damned they be reserued as it were in chaines vnto the daie of executing the sentence Ye see then that God doth beare vs alwaies in minde And when the Scripture saith that he hath forgot vs it is because we perceiue not his present succour like as if a poore man that lingereth in paine desire God to helpe him and féele not his helpe nor sees any likelihood that God heareth him Thus ye sée after what sorte it is saide that he hath forgotten vs but yet for all that hée remembreth vs continuallie Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 257. FORGIVE How it is vnderstood FOrgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue our trespassers ¶ We maie not thinke that by forgiuing vnto our brethren we shall obtaine forgiuenesse of our sinnes but rather this is added for a plaine and infallible token to certifie therewith our conscience that we haue through faith in Iesus Christ for remission of our sins For if we can finde in our hearts vnfainedlie to forgiue vnto our bretheren their trespasses it is a most infallible token that our sinnes are cleane washed awaie quite forgiuen Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Because he knoweth that our nature is so weake that we cannot but sinne dailie therefore he teacheth vs dailie to repent and to reconcile our selues together dailie to aske God forgiuenesse Séeing he commandeth vs to aske we may be bold so to do and to beléeue that he will forgiue vs. No man therefore néedeth to despaire that can repent aske forgiuenesse how déepe soeuer he hath sinned And me thinke if we looke a little néere vpon this text we néeded not to make the Pope so great a God for his pardons For Christ which is a man to be beléeued sheweth vs héere a more sure way yea and that a sensible way which we may féele that we be pardoned our sinnes forgiueÌ„ We can haue no experience of the Popes things whether they be so or no He can with all his Pardons deliuer no man of any Pargatorre that God putteth vs vnto in this world He cannot blesse or heale anie man so mush as of a poore â—gue or Tooth-ach which diseases yet by his own confession GOD putteth on vs to purge vs from our sinne But where we cannot see feele or haue anie experience at all that it so is there is he mightie If I were come home out of a land where neuer man was before and were sure neuer man should come I might tell as many wonders as Master Moore doth of Vtopia and no man could rebuke me But héere Christ maketh thée sure of pardon for if thou canst forgiue thy Brother GOD hath bound himselfe to forgiue thee What if no man haue sinned against mee that were hard in this life Neuerthelesse if that profession be in thy heart that thou knowest that is thy dutie to forgiue thy brother for thy fathers sake and art obedient vnto thy fathers ordinaunce and wouldest forgiue if anie of thy bretheren had offenced thée and did aske thee forgiuenesse then hast thou that same spirit which God desireth to be in 〈…〉 Marke what Christ saith aboue in the beginning of the 〈…〉 chapter Blessed be the mercifull for they shall haue mercie Doest thou 〈…〉 thy bretheren that sinne and doest thy best to aâ—â—nd them that thy fathers name maie be honoured Then hast thou that whereby thou art sure of mercie as soone as thou desirest it And againe Blessed be the peace makers for they shall be Gods children Loe if there be anie variaunce among thy bretheren that one haue offended the other do thy best to set them at one and thou hast the same thing that God 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 and â—orthwith he hath bound himself to forgiue thée Tindale in the 6. of Math. FORNICATOR ¶ Looke Sa 〈…〉 FORSAKE What it is to forsake a mans selfe IF anie man will follow me let him forsake himselfe ¶ To forsake himselfe is vtterlie to 〈…〉 against the will of the flesh mortifâ—eng the affections of his minde working the glorie of God and the 〈…〉 of his neighbour as is 〈…〉 Rom. 15. 2. ¶ None of them saith S. Luke that refuseth not all that he possesseth can be my disciple that is he that casteth not away
them that would not obey ¶ About the yeare of our Lord. 747. Constantine the Emperour did persecute them which worshipped Images When we were going saith Epiphanius to the holye place which is called Bethel there to celebrate the Communion with them according to the Ecclesiasticall manner and was come to the farme place called Anablatha and did sée there passing by a light burning and did aske what the place was and had learned that it was a Church and hadde gone for to praye there I found as it were a vale dyed or painted and hauing the Image as it were of Christ or of some Saint for I doe not well remember whose Image it was Therfore when I did sée the Image of man did hange in the Church contrarye to the Scriptures I rent it and did rather giue counsell to the Wardens of the place that they shoulde wind some poore dead body therin And a little after Bid I be séeâ—h thâ— yâ— elders of yâ— place to receiue of the bearer the vale yâ— is sent by vsâ— charge from hencefoorth yâ— no such vales be hanged in the Church of Christ yâ— are contrary to our religion For it becommeth thine honestie to haue 〈…〉 care that the 〈…〉 for the church 〈…〉 Christ and the people comm 〈…〉 〈…〉 I. Veron Epiphanius saith Estote memores c. My deere children be ye mindfull yâ— ye bring no Images into the Churches that ye erect vp none at yâ— burial of Saints But euermore carie God in your heartsâ—â—ay suffer not Images 〈…〉 not in your priuate houses For it is not lawfull to lead a Christian man by the eyes but rather by studie exercise of the minde For this cause Epiphanius saith The superstition of Images is vnfit for the Church of Christ. Iewel fol. 505. How God cannot be presented by no manner or similitude or Image Whose is this Image and superscription ¶ Tho Image 〈…〉 God is not in the gold but in the man therfore gold and siluer with other riches ought to be paide vnto Caesar. But our consciences and soules ought to be kept cleane vnto the Lorde our God Sir I. Cheeke Let them tell me I pray them how God doth aunswere or is knowne by such thinges Is it by the matter or stuffe that is about them and whereof they be made or by the forme or shape that is giuen them If it be of the stuffe what néede is there of the forme or shape and why did not God rather aford they were fashioned and shapen appeare and manifest himselfe by the vniuersall stuffe But if the forme or shape that they haue receiued is the knowledge of God what néed is there of golde or anie other stuffe Or why is not God rather reuealed by the true liuing creatures whose shapes and â—ormes the Images are for truely according to their owne reason the glorie of God should better be knowne if God were manifested or reuealed rather by the liuing and reasonable creatures then by the vnliuing and vnreasonable No caruer or maker of Images was esteemed among the Iewes Origen in his fourth booke against Celsus commendeth the Iewes on this wise Among them saith hée nothing was euer accounted God beside him which ruleth all nor in their Common-wealth any caruer of Idols or Image maker was as whome the lawe it selfe droue awaye from them to the intent they shoulde haue no occasion to make anye Images which might plucke certeine foolish persons from God and turne the eyes of their soules to the contemplation of earthlye things Of the harme that commeth by Images It is written in the booke of wisedome that the creature of God through the vse of Images be made temptation to the soules of men and a trappe to the féete of the vnwise for as much as the séeking out of Images is the beginning of whooâ—dome and the finding of them is the corruption of mans lyfe Also in the xv chapter it is sayd that they lead into errour and that their worke is without fruit and that by their sight alone they stirre a desire in the foolish The Church cannot haue Images without ieopardie for if there were no perill of Idolatrie in hauinge of Images what néeded Iohn to haue sayde Beware of Images A place of Chrisostome opened Chrisostome sayth That he that doth anie iniurie or villanie to the Image of Caesar he doth commit the same against Caesar himselfe ¶ Chrisostome in this saieng concludeth not that therefore wée must haue Images of God and of Christ in the Church but he that doth iniurye to anye man that is made after the Image of God or disobeyeth a magistrate which representeth the person of God c. He doth iniurie to God for he that doth make an Image of God doth God greate iniurie transforming the glorie of the inuisible God into the shape of any corruptible creature Rom. 1. 23. God hath forbidden an Image or an Idoll as well to be made as to bee worshipped as farre as making goeth before worshipping so farre is it before that the thing be not made that may be worshipped Some men will saye I make it but I worshippe it not as though he durst not to worshippe it for anie other cause but onelye for the same cause for which he ought not to make it I meane both wayes for Gods displeasure naye rather thou worshippâ—â— the Image that giueth the cause for others to worship it Saint Austen is against the Image of the Trinitie Man was made after the similitude and likenesse of God howe Not in bodye but in soule and minde in the inwarde man Wherefore Saint Austen a man most expert in Gods worde crieth out against the Image of the Trinitie callinge it Sacrilegium a staining of Gods honour and an Idoll because the glorye of the immortall God is chaunged into the similitude and Image of mortall man forbidding such an Image not onelye in the Church but also in thought and mind When Philip desired Christ to shew him the Father hée rebuked him and aunswered Hée that séeth mee séeth the Father It is sinne to set foorth to the inuisible and vnfashionable God an Image of an olde man with an hore head For it is forbidden that no Image bée made for God Deut. 4. 12. You sawe no likenesse in that daye when the Lorde God spake to you in Hebrewe And Esias 40. 18. sayth To whome therefore shall wée make God like Or what Image shall we set to him It is a verye wicked matter to chaunge the glorie and maiestie of the inuisible and incorruptible God into the liâ—enesse of a corruptible man as we maye sée in the Epistle to the Romanes 1. 23. And because they shall not saye that the blame which the Apostle founde was to bée vnderstoode onelye of the Gentiles they shall bee yet stopped with the writinge of Saint Austen who writeth thus Wée beléeue also that hée sitteth at the right hande
scholers say that these keyes be nothing els but an authoritie giuen to the Priests whereby they giue sentence that heauen must be opened to this man and shut vnto the other so that heauen is opened shut at the sentence of the Priest Saint Hierome is against Dunce whose words be these I shall giue thée the keyes of heauen c. This place saith Saint Hierome the Bishops Priests not vnderstanding haue vsurped vnto themselues somewhat of the Pharesies pride so that they thinke they may condemne innocents and loose them that be guiltie when afore God not the sentence of the priest but the life of the guiltie is regarded c. ¶ Héere you haue plainly that the sentence of the Priest is not looked vpon nor able to loose a sinner afore God Marke also that S. Hierom saith You vnderstand not this place D. Bar. fol. 257. How the Priests be but the key bearers The keye saith Chrisostome vpon Math. chapter 23. is the word of the knowledge of the Scriptures by which the gate of truth is opened vnto men And the key bearers are the priests to whome is committed the worde of teaching and interpreting the Scriptures Bullinger Of the keye of Dauid or keyes of the Church Which hath the keye of Dauid ¶ That is to say full power ouer the throne of Dauid that is to wit ouer the Church For the Metaphore of keyes not onely in the Scripture but also by the custome of men betokeneth the ful authoritie and ordering of a kingdome or a citie or a house Such as loseph had in the Realme of Pharao King of Aegypt and Eliakim in the house of the King of Iuda according as it is sayd I will laye the Keye of Dauids house vppon his shoulder hée shall open and no man shall shutte and hée shall shutte and no man shall open Esay 22. 22. Euen so CHRIST our Lorde béeing of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh hath all power in the kingdome of the heauenly father For looke whom the father hath foreordeined vnto saluation them receiueth Christ into his â—locke that is to say into his Church and thrusteth the rest out of the dores he openeth yâ— vnderstanding of his seruants yâ— they may be inlightened vnderstand the scriptures the rest he blindeth by his secret howbeit rightful Iustice. Whervpon he saith All things are deliuered me by my father Math. 11. 27. And againe All power is giuen vnto me both in Heauen and in Earth Math. 28. 18. And the Angell saide to Maâ—y The Lord will giue him the â—eate of his father Dauid and he shal reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne there shall be no ende Luke 1. 32. To him alone therefore doeth it pertaine to rule the Church whereof he is head which thing he doth euen now by the seruice of his ministers to whom hee hath therefore promised the Keyes of the heauenly Kingdome to the intent they should set open the way for the godly vnto heauen and shut the vnbeléeuers out of heauen by the preaching of the Gospel Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 60. To whom the Keye of the Bottomelesse Pit was giuen And vnto him was giuen the keye of the bottomelesse Pit ¶ A keye is a token of power or authoritie and publike administration receiued Iohn therefore meaneth that God in his wrath hath giuen power to Heretikes and deceiuers to thrust their diuelish opinions into the Church Thou séest openly héere lyke as in many other places of the Scripture how it happeneth not but by Gods prouidence that errours and vntruths are brought in to deceiue men withall wherevnto also hée giueth such force effectuall working that they go for good payment as I said a little before Therefore we sée héere how power is giuen to deceiuers and heretikes to set their errours openly abroad and to seduce fonde men by vaine Philosophie the doctrine of whom is rightly lykened to a bottomelesse pitte For looke as no man is able to gage the ground of a bottomelesse pit euen so the more a man followeth the doctrine of heretikes so much the lesse substauncialnesse and proofe shall hée finde And in this place wee sée the Bishop of Romes Keyes which he boasteth off so greatly Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 126. How the Popish Prelates haue not the keyes of heauen but of hell As touching the authoritie of the keyes censours no Christian man ought to estéeme Satan whom men call the Pope and his vniust censours more then the hissing of a Serpent or the blast of Lucifer Also that no man ought to trust or put confidence in the false Indulgences of couetous Priests which Indulgences doe draw away the hope which men ought to repose in God to a sort of sinfull men and doe robbe the poore of such almes as is giuen to them such Priests be manifest betrayers of Christ and of his whole Church and be Satans owne stewards to be guilâ— Christian soules by their hypocrisie and fained pardons Also forsomuch as those Prelates and Cleargie men liue so execrable a life contrarie to the Gospell of Christ and example of his Apostles and teach not truly the Gospell but onely lyes and the traditions of wicked and sinfull men It appeareth most manifestly that they haue not the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen but rather the keyes of hell And they may bée right well assured that God neuer gaue vnto them authoritie to make and establish so many ceremonies traditions which be contrary to the libertie of the Gospell and are blockes in Christian mens wayes that they can neither know nor obserue the same his Gospell in libertie of conscience and so attaine a ready way vnto heauen Booke of Mart. fol. 651. KEEPE What it is to keepe the saiengs of Christ. HE that loueth not me kéepeth not my saiengs ¶ To kéepe the saiengs of Christ is nothing els but to beléeue that the same is true and wholesome and also to cleaâ—e vnto the same with our whole heart euen as we may gather by the Scripture Heare O Israel the Ordinaunces and the Lawes which I propose vnto you this day that ye may learne them and take heede to obserue them If by kéeping the Commaundements of God ye vnderstand the fulfilling of them no man shall keepe them but iâ— yâ— vnderstand for seeking to fulfill them then all the godly kéepe them For he cannot choose but giue himselfe to the keeping of the Commaundements of God which truly knoweth the same to be of God Contrary not to kéepe the Lordes saiengs is to reiect the doctrine of Christ and to contemne his commaundements which all the wicked are wont to doe Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 495. How this place following is vnderstood I haue sinned what shall I doe vnto thée O thou kéeper of men ¶ Some men expound this as though lob should dispute against God saieng I can doe none other but
God by a mediatour and a meane which was onely borne without sinne liued and was slaine vnto the rising againe of the flesh and to euerlasting lyfe August in his Enchirid to Laurence the. 32. chap. Saint Paule saith Vnus est Mediator c. Ther is one mediatour betwéene God and man Christ Iesus being manâ— Upon this place S. Austen saith thus Paulus non facet se mediatorem c. Paule maketh not himselfe a mediatour betwéene God and the people but requireth that they pray all one for an other béeing all the members of the bodie of Christ. August contra Epist. perminiani li. 2. chap. 8. Againe in the same booke he writeth thus of Saint Iohn St. Iohannes ita dicerit c. If Iohn would say this haue I written vnto you that ye sinne not and if ye sin ye haue me your mediatour before God I will intreate for your sinnes as Permenian the heretike in a certeine place made the Bishop a mediatour betwéene God and the people what good faithful christen man could abide him Who would looke vpon him as the Apostle of Christ and not rather to thinke him to be Antechrist Tell me woman sith thou art a sinfull and wicked woman how durst thou goe vnto him I know saith she what I do Beholde the wisdome of the woman Shée prayeth not vnto Iames Shée entreateth not Iohn She goeth not vnto Peter She did not get her selfe vnto the company of the Apostles She sought for no mediatour but for all those things She tooke repentance for her companion which did fulfill the roome and place of an aduocate and so she did goe to the high fountaine Chrisost. in his 12. Ho. of the woman of Ca. There is no néed of porter of a mediatour of minister say onely Lord haue mercie vpon me we haue no néede of aduocates with God nor of any running and gadding about for to speake faire vnto other For although thou be alone and without an aduocate and praye vnto God by thy selfe thou shalt obteine thy petition Chrisostome in his Sermon of going forward in the Gospell Saint Austen saith Christen men doe mutally commende themselues in their praiers But he for whom none maketh intercession but he for all he is the onely true mediatour Paule the Apostle though he were a principall member vnder yâ— head yet because he was a member of the body of Christ knew that the greatest truest Priest of the Church entred not by a figure into the inward places of the vaile to heauen to a holinesse not shadowish but eternall commendeth himself also to the praiers of the faithfull neither doth he make himselfe a mediatour betweene the people and God but praieth that all the members of the bodie of Christ should mutuallye praye for him because the members are careful one for another of all the members yet trauailing in earth may ascend to the head which is gone before into heauen in whom is apeacement for our sinnes For if Paule were a mediatour the other Apostles should also be mediatours and if there were many mediatours then neither Paules owne reason stood fast in which he had sayd for there is one God one mediatour betweene God men the man Christ in whoÌ„ we also are one if we kéepe the vnitie of faith in the bonde of peace Againe in another place but it thou séeke for a Priest he is aboue the heauens wher he maketh intercession for thée which in earth died for thée Yet do we not dreame yâ— he falleth downe at the fathers knées and in humble wise intreateth for vs but we vnderstand by the Apostle the he so appeareth before the face of God that the vertue of his death auaileth to be a perpetuall intercession for vs yet so that being entered into the Sanctuarie of heauen vnto the ende of the ages of the worlde he alone carrieth to God the prayers of the people abiding farre off in the porch Caluine in his Instit. â— booke chap. 20. Sect. 20. Brethren saith Saint Austen we haue Iesus Christ the iust for our aduocate with the Father he is the propiciation for our sinnes He which held this committed no heresie he which held this opinion committed no Scisme For wherevppon are Scismes committed When men doe saye we be iust wée doe make holye vncleane we doe iustifie the wicked we doe desire and we doe obteine But I beséech you by the way howe much more past shame be they which doe saye we doe determine we doe commaunde and what sayde Iohn And if a man doe sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust But some man will saye Doe not the Saintes then praye for vs Doe not the Bishoppes and superintendentes pray for the people Marke the Scriptures and sée that the ouerséers also doe commend themselues to the people For the Apostle saith to the people prayeng togethers for vs also The Apostle prayeth for the people and the people prayed for the Apostle we doe praie for you brethren but pray fo vs also Let al the members pray together one for an other let the head make meanes for all This saith Augustine in yâ— place in which words he doth plainely openly attribute the office of intercession which perteyneth to the chiefe Priest to none but to Christ the head Againe he writeth thus But if the Apostle shuld haue sayd thus This I write vnto you to the intent yee should not sinne and in case anye man doe sinne you haue a mediatour to the Father I doe praye for your sinnes as Perminianâ—s in one place doth make the Bishoppe mediatour betweene the people and GOD what good and faythfull Christen folkes could abide him Who wold estéeme him as yâ— Apostle of Christ and not rather an Antichrist for all christen men do commend themselues one to an other in their praiers but he for whome none doth intreate but he himselfe intreateth for al. He is yâ— only and true mediatour forasmuch as the figure of him was resembled in the Priest of the olde Testament there is none sound theâ—â— that euer prayed for the Priest Musculus fol. 149. The man Christ Iesus alone which gaue himselfe a raunsome for al men is our sufficieÌ„t mediatour aduocate intercessour as the holy Scripture teacheth in diuers places Whosoeeuer therefore refuseth to pray vnto this man Christ Iesus to be his mediatour and aduocate vnto God the father and flyeth to other without all doubt he is an enimie vnto Christ and to the vttermost of his power he laboureth to make Christ as they vse to say Iaâ—ke out of office For since the time of his ascention his chiefe and principall office is to be our intercessour mediatour and aduocate ¶ Looke more at Aduocate MEEKE Who are meeke THe meeke are such as are not easilye prouoked by iniuries who by euery offence are not wayward froward but are rather readie
the Saints washed their garments in the bloud of the Lambe The Pardons teache men to washe their garmentes in the bloude of Saints Leo Bishoppe of Rome writeth notablye well to the Padestines against these Sacriâ—edges Although sayth hée the death of manye Saintes hath béene precious in the â—ight of the Lorde yet the killing of no innocent hath béene the perpetuation of the worlde The righteous receiued but gaue no Crownes and out of the valyauntnesse of the faythfull are graue examples of patience not giftes of righteousnesse for their deathe it were euerye one singular to themselues and none of them did by his ende paye the debt of an other for as much as there is one Lord Christ in whom all are crucified all are dead buried and raised vp againe Which sentence as it was worthy to bée remembred he repeated in an other place Saint Austen speaketh no lesse fitlye to the same effect Though fayth hee wee bye bretheren for bretheren yet the bloud of no Martyrs is shedde for the forgiuenesse of sinnes Which thing Christ hath done for vs that wée shoulde followe him but hath giuen vs a thing to reioyce vppon Againe in an other place As onely the sonne of GOD was made the sonne of man to make vs with him the sonnes of GOD So hée alone for vs hath taken vppon him punishment without euill deserninges that wée by him might without good deseruings obteine grace not due vnto vs. Caluine is his Institu 3. 〈…〉 chap. 5. Sect. 2. and. 3. Pardons are not knowne vnto vs by the authoritie of the Scriptures but by the authoritie of the Church of Rome and of the Popes which is greater then the authoritie of the Scriptures O blasphemous mouth so to saye I. N. Thus I aunswere It cannot well appeare from whom Pardons first begunne Amonge the olde Doctoure and Fathers of the Church there was either no talke at all or very little talke of Purgatorie But as long as Purgatorye was not cared for there was no man that sought for Pardons for the whole price of Pardons hangeth vppon Purgatorye take awaye Purgatoryeâ— and what shall wée néede of Pardons Pardons beganne when folkes were afraide of the paines of Purgatorie I. N. There is nothing in the Scripture lesse opened or wherof the olds learned fathers haue lesse written then Pardons Of Pardons there is no mention Alphe de Castro in his 8. booke or Pardons ¶ Looke Purgatorie PASSEOVER How the Lambe was called the passeouer FOr it is the Lords passeouer ¶ The 〈…〉 was called the passeouer that the very name it selfe should kéepe in memorie what was signified thereby which phrase and manner of speaking the Scripture vseth often calling the signe by the name of the thing that is signified As Gen. 16. b. T. M. ¶ The Lambe was not the passeouer but signified it As the Sacraments are not the thing it selfe which they do represent but signifie it Geneua ¶ This was the passeouer of the Iewes but our paschall Lambe is Christ as witnesseth Saint Paule 1. Coâ— 5. 7. The Bible note What the passeouer was The passeouer was an holy action ordeined by God in the killing eating of a Lambe partly to the end that the Church might kéepe in memorie the benefit which God did for them in the land of Aegypt to be a testimonie of Gods good will towards the faithfull to be a tipe of Christ and partâ—ye also togather all the pâ—r takers thereof into the fellowship of one body and to put them in minde to be thankfull and innocent Bullinger fol. 362. And they â—â—ue the passouer ¶ The Scripture vseth in sundrie places to call the Lambe the passeouer which was but the signe of the passeouer Because in all Sacraments yâ— signes haue the names of the things signified How this place following is vnderstood There was no passeouer holden like that which Iosias held from the dayes of the Iudges that iudged Israel nor in all the dayes of the kings of Israel and the kings of Iuda ¶ This is onelâ— spoken in the respect of the multitude zeale of the people â—â—ith the great preparation not because the passeouer was not all thâ—â— time celebrated D. Whitegift fol. 9. Of the passeouer offering of the cleane and vncleane If a man be cleane and not let in a iourney and yet was negligent to offer passeouer the same soule shal perish from his people c. ¶ In like manner it is with vs in our spirituall Easter or passeouer whosoeuer doth not reuerently beléeue the redemption of mankinde which was throughly finished in the true lambe Christ and amendeth not his life nor turneth from vice to vertue in the time of this mortall lyfe shall not belong vnto the glorie of the resurrection which shall be giuen to theâ— true worshippers of Christ but shal be rooted out from the companie of the Saints T. M. PASSION What a passion is WHatsoeuer moueth the minde in an vngodly desire is called a passion as malice rancour ire enuie ambition couetousnesse lecherie pride hatred studie of praise studie of enuieng and such other which stirre akd moue the minde out of his naturall rest to loue or to hate without reason measure As when a body suffereth any torment we say we be in a passion So wheÌ„ our minde suffreth any such inordinate desire we haue the mindes passion And euery such motion of minde out of his due course is called a passion Lupset What is now the passions and sufferings of Christ. Now ioye I in my sufferings which I suffer for you fulfill that which is behinde of the passions of Christ in my flesh c. ¶ Passions sufferings of Christ is the passions which we must suffer for his sake for we haue professed and are appointed to suffer with Christ. Iohn 20. 21. As my Father sent mée so send I you Tindale ¶ As Christ hath once suffered in himselfe to redéeme his Church to sanctifie it so doth daily suffer in his members as pertakers of their infirmities therfore a reuenger of their iniuries Geneua PASTOR Who are pastors and Shepheards PAstors or Shepheards are such as being endued with a singular gift know how to féed Christs hungry shéepe with his healthfull word as with most pleasaunt pasture how to heale them that be attainted how to bring backe them yâ— be astray to kéepe away the wolues from the Lords flocke These haue some certeine flocke committed to their charge which is the marke wherby they be discerned from the other afore And concerning these ther be diuerse things written by the Prophets and specially by Ezec. 34. 1. and also by Iohn 10. 11. 21. 15. And in the Act. 20. 28. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 259. Looke Shepheard PATERNIANI What the opinions of these heretikes were PAterniani were heretikes which thought that the neather partes of mans bodie were made not by God but by the
beléeue to sée them As soone therefore as our soules shall enter into the celestiall ioye prepared for vs in Christ we haue the very sight and fruition of that euerlasting blisse which we beléeued and hoped to come vnto and therfore when Christ saith to Peter I haue praied that thy faith shall neuer faile it is ment of the confession that Peter made when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of God This thy confession Symon Peter this thy faith shall neuer faile vnto the worlds ende And that it may the better stande and flourish see that thou Symon Peter after thou shalt be throughly conuerted which shall bée after my Passion and receiuing of the Holy Ghost in a visible signe Confirma fratres tuos Sée that thou do confirme thy bretheren exhort them comfort them and encourage them manfully to resist Satan and all his people and to cleaue to the faith that thou hast confessed Ric. Turnar When Christ praied for Peter that his faith should not faile it did not follow therfore that he was Pope and could not erre for he erred after that time sundry times and namely when he expressely denyed Christ the Sonne of God But when Christ perceiued Peters timerous boldnesse that shortly after he would shamefully denie him to arme and strengthen him against the temptation which should ensue least the greatnesse of the fault might hurle him downe into desperation hée sayd vnto him Satan goeth about to sifte you lyke Chaffe and to vndoe and destroy you yea you had bene already vtterly lost if I had not praied for you and for thée especially Peter by name that thy faith shoulde not faile because thou wilt fall fowler then the rest And I knowe that God hath heard my prayer For although thou wilt denye me with thy mouth yet thou wilt not denye me with thy heart Thou wilt sinne but sinne shall not raigne in thée so that in thy heart thou shalt not yéelde to naughtie temptations I will suffer thée to haue a foule fall that by the meanes thereof thy timerous boldnesse may be brideled and rebuked And againe that after when thou shalt come to thy selfe and perceiue thine owne infirmitie thy heart shall be touched with compassion against those that shall sinne raising them vp with knowledge and confirming and boldening them with thine example Barnar Ochine Peter I haue praied for thée that thy faith shall neuer faile and thou being once conuerted confirme thy bretheren ¶ Surely that speaketh onely of the fall of Peter knowen to Christ by his godly prescience whereof he gaue him an inckling that after the time of his fall he should not dispaire but retourâ—e againe and confirme his bretheren as he euer being most seruent of them was wont to doe The place doth plainlye open it selfe it cannot be otherwise taken but this to be the verye meaning of it and not to be spoken but to Peter For els his successours must first fayle in the faith and then conuert and so confirme the bretheren Tonstall in the b. of Mar. fol. 1212. Christ sayd to Peter I haue praied for thée that thy faith shal neuer faile ¶ Saint Austen saith Numquid pio petro rogabat c. Did Christ praye for Peter and did hee not praye for Iohn and Iames. Againe This night hath Satan desired to thresh you as it were wheate but I â—aue praied to my father not for Peter onely but for you that your faith may not faile Origen saith Numquid audeamus dicere c. May we dare to say that the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against Peter but shall preuayle against the other Apostles and Rulers of the Church Were the â—â—yes of the kingdome of Heauen giuen onely to Peter And shall no holye man els receiue the same Naye all the thinges both that were sayde before and also that followe after as spoken to Peter are common and belong vnto them all Peters seate what it is Peters seate is no stoole or chayre for what hath the kingdome of God to doe with such baggage but it is a spirituall thing Christ saith in the Gospell The Scribes and Pharesies sit in Moses seate what was Moses seate there a Chayre or a Temple or the Church or Synagogue of the Lord Nay verely for Moses came neuer there But Moses seate was Moses Lawe and doctrine Euen so Peters seate is Peters doctrine the Gospell of Christ which Peter taught and the same doctrine is Peters keyes So that Peters seate Peters keyes and Peters doctrine is all one thing Now is Peters doctrine Paules doctrine and the doctrine of all the twelue Apostles indifferently for they taught all one thing Wherefore it followeth that Peters keyes and Peters seate be the keyes and seate of Paule also and of all the other xij Apostles and are nothing saue the Gospell of Christ. And thus as Peters doctrine is no better then Paules but one thing euen so Peters seate is no greater nor higher or holyer then the seate of the other xij Peters seate now is Christs seate Christs Gospel on the which all the Apostles sate and on which this day sitteth they only which preach Christ truly Wherfore as Antichrist preacheth not Christs doctrine which is Christs Gospell he sitteth not on Peters seate but on the seate of Satan whose Uicar he is and on the seate of his owne lawes and ceremonies and false doctrine wherevnto he compelleth all men with violence of sword Tindale 359. How Peter was rebuked of S. Paule There was a fault in Peters conuersation not any errour in his doctrine or preaching for in their doctrine Peter Paule agréed wonderfull well It is not good and profitable saith S. Austen to correct an open fault in secret An open correction is better then a secret loue Pro. 27. 5. D. Heynes How Peter had a wife ¶ Looke Apostles How Peter suffered nothing for the truth against his will And lead thée whether thou wouldest not ¶ Not that Peter suffered ought for the truth of God against his will for we read that he came with ioye and gladnesse when he returned from the Councell where he was whipped but because this wil commeth not from the flesh â—ut from that gifte of the spirite which is giuen vs from aboue therefore he sheweth ther shuld be a certaine striuing and conflict or repugnacie which also is in vs in all our sufferaunces as touching the flesh Theo. Beza How Peters power was no greater then the rest of the Apostles As Peter was Christs Uicar euen so was Paule and the other Apostles and the one no lesse then the other If it be true that Saint Cipriane doeth write which is also consenting to Scripture He saith thus That Christ spake vnto Peter saieng I say quoth our Sauiour that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke of stone shall I build my Congregation the gates of hell shal not ouercome it to thée wil I giue the
may iudge it by the word of Saint Ambrose to be detestable I. Veron We doe make Sacrifices and Oblations for the dead euery yeare on a certaine day saith Tertulian This with another place of Cypriane doth the Papists obiect to make for the praieng for the dead Aunswere This word Oblation and Sacrifice among these auncient Writers is taken for an Hymne of laude and praise for an earnest thanks-giuing or els for a thankfull and solemne commemoration or remembrance of them yâ— were dead in the faith of our sauiour Iesus Christ. For in the olde time when any of the bretheren was deceased the Superintendent Bishoppe or Minister did giue thankes vnto God for him And sometime made a funerall Sermon as Ambrose did for Theodotus The people did also pray and thanke God that he had vouchsafed to call their christen brother or sister out of this world in the fayth of his sonne Iesus Christ beséeching him that hée woulde giue them grace to depart in the same beliefe I. Veron How praier in a straunge tongue profiteth nothing The Gréekes name God in the Gréeke tongue and the Latines in the Latine tongue and all seuerall nations pray vnto God and praise him in their owne naturall mother tongue for he that is Lord of all tongues heareth men praieng in all tongues none otherwise then if ther were one voice pronounced by diuerse tongues for he that ruleth the whole world is not as some one man that hath gotten the Gréeke or Latine tongue and knoweth none other Origen in his 8. booke against Celsum What profit is there in speach be it neuer so perfect if the vnderstanding of the hearer cannot atteine vnto it For there is no cause why we should speake at all if they vnderstand not what we speake for whose sake we speake that they may vnderstand vs. August in his 4. b. and. 10. chap. of Christ doct Unlesse I speak that you may plainely and cléerly vnderstand but onely shew my selfe to haue the gift of tongues yée shall depart away hauing no fruite of those things that ye vnderstand not For of a voice that ye know not what profit can ye haue Chrisost. in his 35. Homil. vpon the. 1. Cor. 14. Some entring into the Church stretcheth forth and draweth at length their praier till they haue sayd a thousand verses as though the great number of wordes were néedfull before God as though he knewe not what thou doest aske which knowest before thou think euen they wot not what they say Their lips onely moueth and their mind is without fruite and his eares are vnto them deafe Thou hearest not that is vnderstandest not and takest no héede of thy praier and yet thou wilt that God shall heare thy praier Chrisostome in his 12. Homil. of the woman of Cana. Of Common praier Saint Basil in the vsing of Common praier in his time saith thus In our praiers that we make vnto God we raise vp such a sound of the voices of men women children prayeng togethers as if it were the noise of the waues beating against the sea banks ¶ By this it appeareth that in S. Basils time men women children song in the church altogether Of praier and fasting This kinde goeth not out but by praier and fasting ¶ Satan the flesh which are our most mortall enimies are ouercome by faith praier true abstinence or sobernesse of liuing if we vse the same according to Gods word and the doctrine of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke ¶ The best remedy to strengthen the weake faith is prayer which hath fasting added vnto it as an helpe to the same Geneua How praier ought to be made according to Gods will Saint Austen vpon the fortie Psalme sayth Call vppon God with praise and thankes-giuing and not with reprehention for why when thou callest vpon him to destroy thine enimie when thou wilt reioyce of an other mans hurt and callest God to that euill thou makest him pertaker of thy mallice For why thou supposest God to be as thou art therefore it is said vnto thée in an other place These things hast thou done and I held my peace O thou wicked creature thou doest coniecture that I would be like thée Hetherto Austen Now therfore our praiers must be made after the rule of the Lords and we must euermore pray with these exceptions Thy will bée done and not ours Biblian fol. 109. What modestie ought to be vsed in praier Let these wordes saith Cipriane and praiers of such as praie be orderly gouerned kéeping modestie shamefastnesse Let vs thinke we stand in the sight of God God his eyes must be delighted both in the iesture of our bodyes and manner of our words For as it is the part of an impudent person to vse clamorous shoutes in praieng so contrariwise it beséemes a shamefast person to praye with modest prayers Some foolishly imagine that praier is made either better or worse by the iesture of our bodyes Therefore let them heare Saint Austen li. 2. ad SimplicianuÌ„ quest 4. saieng It skilleth not after what sorte our bodyes be placed so that the minde béeing present with God bring her purpose to passe For wée both praye standing as it is written the Publicane stoode a farre of and knéeling as we reade in the Acts of the Apostles And sitting as did Dauid and Helias And vnlesse we might praye lieng it should not haue bene written in the Psalmes euery night wash I my bed For when any man seeketh to pray he placeth the members of his bodye after such a manner as it shall séeme most méete vnto him for the time so stirre vp his deuotion Bullinger fol. 929. To pray continually how it is vnderstood There were a sort of heretiks Massaliani of their first Captaine Massalianus which vnder the pretence of long praieng did studye to liue idlely and condempned all manner workes and labour of the handes alleadging for themselues a great sorte of Scriptures but speciallye this place of Saint Paule Orate sine intermissione doe yée praye continnallye to this they ioyned the example of the primitiue Church which when Saint Peter was â—ast in prison by Herode prayer was made without ceasing of the congregation vnto GOD for him Also that our Sauiour Christ did teach his Disciples that they should alwayes praye and neuer cease And also that the Prophet Dauid sayth I will alwayes praise the Lorde euermore shall his praise bée in my mouth Upon these places did these heretikes ground their errours which they vnderstood not aright For God hath set this generall order for all men Sixe dayes shalt thou worke and doe therin all thy businesse but vppon the seauenth daye thou shalt doe no bodely labour neither thou nor thy seruaunt nor thy cattell for in sixe daies the Lorde made heauen and earth the sea and all that therein is and vpon the
seruice vnto God of whose folly Arnobius writeth thus Nudi cruda c. They go about naked in the raw Winter other haue their cappes on they carry about with them olde targets beate their skinnes they lead their Gods a begging round about the stréetes they suffer some Chappell 's to be gone to once a yeare some must not bée seene at all some a man may not come vnto some other are holy inough without women and for a seruaunt to be at some of them is an hainous offence So much Arnobius PROMISE A constant rule of all humane promises ALl promises ought among the godly so farâ—e foorth to be of force as they doe agrée with the word of God which thing if Iephthe had diligently considered he would neuer haue suffered himselfe to haue committed so vnworthy things against his daughter this condition surely in all couenaunts ought to be counted for a most constant rule Pet. Mar. vppon Iudic. fol. 37. What promise it was that the olde Fathers receiued not And receiued not the promise c. ¶ This which Saint Paule saith that the Fathers hath not obtained the promise ought not to be vnderstood of the euerlasting rest or ioye that wee haue by the merites of Christ his death but rather of the Incarnation and comming of Christ. Sir I. Cheeke ¶ They hadde not such cléere lyght as wée for they looked for that which wée haue Therefore it were shame for vs if at least wée had not as great constancie as they Geneua How promises may be broken They returned into their countrey another waye ¶ Promise ought not to bée kept where Gods honour and the preaching of the truth is hindered The wise men not withstanding their promise mad to Herode returned home into theyr owne Countrey by another waye PROPER AND IMPROPER Of proper and improper speaches in Scripture WHen the Scripture saith thus God is a spirite it is a proper speach And why Because he is so of his owne nature But when it giueth him a body members and the vse of them resembling it to man as we see it doth in diuers places then it is an improper speach ¶ When the Scripture saith that the Lord God is vnchaungeable it is a proper speach because he is so of his owne nature But when it maketh shewe that he is chaungeable as when it saith he repented that he had made man And in another place he repented that he had made Saule king then it is an improper speach ¶ When it saith that God is in euery place it is a proper speach because it is so conuâ—nient for his nature for the confirmation of all things which he hath created although he bée also perticularly in the hearts is of the faithfull for the speciall â—ffect of their sanctification but when it sayth Hée went downe to sée the Tower of Babel then it is an improper speach Of proper and improper speaches in Christs words When Christ saithâ— I am the light of the world it is a proper speach for it is true indéede that Iesus Christ is the onely sonne of righteousnesse which doth lighten the world with true lyght And afterwarde when he saith to his Disciples Ye are the lyght of the worlde that is an improper speach because they are not the lyght in themselues but in the Lord. ¶ When he saith to his Apostles Preach repentaunce and remission of sinnes in my name he speaketh most properly because it is hée of whome the Prophets doe beare witnesse that whosoeuer beléeueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes through his name But when he saith afterward To whomsoeuer you shall remit sinnes they shall be remitted he speaketh improperly because he giueth that vnto the Apostles which properlye belongeth vnto himselfe For the Apostles are but his ministers and messengers to pronounce remission of sinnes which commeth properly from Iesus Christ to those that beléeue in him F. N. B. the Italian PROPHECIE How Prophecie sometime commeth out of the month of wicked men He prophecied that Iâ—â—â—â—ould dye for the people ¶ Héereby we doe gather that the gifte of Prophecie is giuen not onely to good men but also to the reprobate beeing set in publike office euen as oftentimes it is permitted to the wicked to worke miracles as we maye reade in the. 7. chapter of S. Mathew So also we read of Saule who béeing annoynted with the kingly vnction by Samuel began to prophecie with the rest of the Prophets c. Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 424. God made him to speak neither could his impietie let Gods purpose who caused this wicked man euen as he did Balaam to be an iâ—strument of the Holy Ghost Geneua PROPHETS What the Prophets were THe Prophets were the notable interpreters of Prophecies who through a certain singuler gift of reuelation were able to apply them to the present matter Marl. fol. 259. Against false Prophets O Israel thy Prophets are like to the Foxes vppon the drye field for they stand not in the gaps neither make they an hedge for the house of Israel ¶ O Israel thy Prophets c. Thy Preachers of mens traditions doth the Prophet compare vnto Foxes which faine a seruice of God and increase Ceremonies and teach a way to please God by such workes as they enrich theÌ„selues with By the hedge héere may ye vnderstand praier donâ— in faith T. M. How the people gaue eare rather to false Prophets then to the true But whereas you say that God hath raised vs vp Prophets at Babilon c. ¶ Such Prophets as preached vnto them the things which they were desirous off did they greatly allow yea euen after they came to Babilon in them they reioiced as though they had bene sent of the Lord and yet wer they indéede false Prophets But Ezechiel the true Prophet of the Lord which preached the contrary did they persecute By the false Prophets they said God hath sent vs Prophets and their doctrine did they followe but the true Prophet did they mocke and laugh to scâ—â—ne and would neither beleeue his doctrine nor giue eare vnto it T. M. How a false Prophet is knowen Ye shall know them by their fruits ¶ The fruite of the Prophets is their doctrine Therefore if thou wilt know the true Prophet from the false trye their doctrine at the touch stone of Gods word for els by the outward conuersation thou maist be deceiued and beguiled Theo. Beza The meaning of this place following Art thou a Prophet He aunswered no. ¶ They inquire of some great Prophet and not of Christ for Iohn had denied before â—hat he is Christ for they thought that some great Prophet should be sent lyke vnto Moses wrasting to that purpose that place of Deut. 18. 15. which is to be vnderstood of all the company of the Prophets and Ministers which haue bene and shall be to the ende and especially of Christ who is the head of all Prophets Beza PROSELITE
owe thée euill will ¶ Scornful or mocking persons after Dauid Kimhi are those which be subtill and craftie to hurt other and which are ready to defame other and to open and tell secrets and so to breake concord vnitie those also which make a mocke at the word of God and despise it for foolishnesse as in the 14. 6. and. 19. 25. and. 22. 10. ¶ Rebuke not a scorner c. Meaning them that are incorrigible which Christ calleth dogs swine or he speaketh this in comparison not that the wicked should not be rebuked but hée sheweth their mallice and the small hope of profit Geneua SCORPION The Papists compared to Scorpions IN three respâ—cts are Heretikes and specially the Disciples of Antichrist Hipocrites compared to Scorpions First because that lyke as a Scorpion whereas he is milde to looke vnto doth at length strike priuely with venomous sting for these men pretend simplicitie before the world and yet worke mischiefe by defaming men behinde their backes Secondly because that the Scorpions â—ting s 〈…〉 ngeth with his taile so these men preferre temporail gaine before spirituall graces wound mens consciences deadly when they promise most to help theÌ„ And thirdly because that when a Scorpion stingeth with his taile he is not felt at the first but yet sheweth in his poyson by little and little afterward So they that be beguiled with those Heretikes féele not the wound at the first but when the poyson hath rankeled through all the inward parts then they feele theÌ„selues stong in the end Of these men the Apostle writeth thus They that be of that sect serue not the Lord Iesus but their bellies and deceiue the hearts of the simple through faire speach flatterie Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 129. ¶ They stung their consciences with terrible dreames and visions and with fearfull reâ—elations of Purgatorie of Hell to builde them vp faire houses and to lyue in wealth and pleasure Finally they venomed their faith with their poysoned councells and promises so tooke they from them yâ— true hope in Christ making merchandise of them through couetousnes faire words Thus cloystering together lyke Locusts they haue left nothing gréene but they haue withered and destroyed No workes might then be vsed of Gods prescription but such as were fantasied by them for aduauntage as Masses founding Chauntries building Priests singing Images gylting kissing of reliques praieng to dead men and such lyke And when they were once franke and full they stoode vp togethers proudly against the Lord and his word Bale ¶ As the Scorpions of the earth haue power That is secretly to persecute and to sting with their taile as Scorpions do such is the fashion of the Hypocrites Geneua As the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hée hath stong a man ¶ For at the beginning the sting of the conscience séemeth as nothing but except they soone seeke remedye they perish Esay 2. 19. Ose. 10. 8. Luke 23. 30. Geneua SCRIBE What a Scribe is A Scribe was he that had the office of interpreting aunswering vnto the sentences of the Prophets as it appeareth of Herod as king the Scribes in the third chapter afore In an other place he supposeth that they wer officers as our Bishops Chauncelers Commissioners Archdeacons Officials Tind Euery Scribe which is taught c. ¶ The office of Scribes was to interpret and to expound the Law and the Prophets He is then a Scribe taught to the Kingdome of God that hath the spirit that is to say the true meaning of the Law and of the Prophets and not onely out of the dead letter but out of the treasure of his heart and with a feruent spirite of GOD bringeth â—oorth Christ out of the Lawe and Prophets Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Because the Scribes office was to expound the scriptures he meaneth him that doth interpret them aright and according to the spirit Geneua ¶ Euery Scribe bringeth forth of his treasure things both new and olde new things that is the swéete tidings of yâ— Gospell to vnbinde vs and olde things that is the olde Testament and Moses lawe to binde vs. The Scribes were the Doctors of the Lawe foolish and superstitious Glosers maintainers of blinde customes contrarye to the truth Epiph. de haeres SCRIPTVRE How the Scriptures are easie to be vnderstood IT may be said the Scriptures are hard yet that notwithstanding if thou read them they shall doe thee good for the Lord Iesus Christ if he finde vs occupied in the scriptures and exercised in the studie thereof not only vouchsafeth himselfe to be refreshed and fed in vs but also séeing such a banket prepared bringeth with him his father vnto vs. Origen in his 20. hom vpon Iosua Northbrooke At the comming of Messias the people shall be lifted vp and shall prophecie that before lay asléepe vnder their masters And they shall goe vnto the mountaines of the Scriptures there shall they finde Mountaines Moses and Iosua the sonne of Nun the Mountaines of the Prophets the Mountaines of the new Testament the Apostles and Euangelists and when they shall flye to such Mountaines and shall be occupied in the reading therof if they finde not one to teach them yet shal their indeuour or good minde be allowed for that they haue fledde to the Mountaines Hierom vpon the. 3. Chap. of Nahum I. Northbrooke It cannot be possible that he that with earnest studie and feruent desire readeth the Scriptures should euermore be forsaken for although he want the instruction of man yet God him selfe from aboue entring into our hearts lighteneth the minde powreth his beames into our wits openeth things that wer hidden becommeth vnto vs a schoolemaster of that we know not Namely if we will doe so much as lyeth in vs. Chrisost. in his 36. hom vpon Genesis I. Northbrooke We by our selues without a master shal be able to vnderstand the things which are there intreated off So that we occupie our selues in these Epistles day and night for we doe not by the sharpnesse of wit and vnderstanding pearse vnto all those things which we vnderstand For euen they which are of more dull wits doe by continuall studie atteine to hard things Euen as the cogitations and senses of man are most hard to bée knowne yet notwithstanding our friends whom we feruently loue and with whom we are continually conuersant do oftentimes euen by a becke open vnto vs the cogitations and senses of their mindes without any token of words speach by them spoken So shall it come to passe in these Epistles of holy scriptures so that a man loue them and be continually conuersant in them He which asketh receiueth and he which séeketh findeth vnto him that knocketh it shall be opened Chris. in his Pref. to the Rom. I. N. The Scripture of God is lyke vnto a Pothecaries shoppe full of medicines of sundrie sortes that euery
How many Sects are layde to Luthers charge Fredericus Staphilus sheweth in his Apology that out of Luther haue sprung three diuerse heresies or Sects The Anabaptists the Sacramentaries and the Confessionists otherwise called the Protestants And that the Anabaptists be diuided into sixe Sects The Sacramentaries into eight and the Confessionists into twentie Which all be laide to Luthers charge and for suffering the rude and rash people to haue the Scriptures in their owne tongue Aunswere At the first preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles of Christ and other holy Fathers there grew vp immediatly with the same sundrie sorts of Sects to yâ— number of 90. as they are reckoned in perticular by S. Augustine all flowing out of one spring all confessing one Gospell and all knowne by the name of Christ. Besides that the very Apostles and other holy fathers hath séemed to be diuided by some discention among theÌ„selues as Peter froÌ„ S. Paule S. Paule from Barnabas S. Cipriane froÌ„ Cornelius S. Augustine from Hierome S. Chrisostome from Epiphanius and so forth Now if Staphilus had ben in the primitiue church séene all these hot and troublesome discentions doubtlesse as he saith now all these diuersities sprung from D. Luther so would he then haue said all these former diuersities and formes of heresies sprang onely from Christ and so haue concluded as he doth now that the rude and rash people should in no wise be suffered to read the Scripture SECVNDIANI What they were SEcundiani of secundus together with Epiphanes and Isidorus taught the lyke with Valentinus in lyfe they were beastly all women among them were common They denyed the resurrection of the flesh Epiphan herees 32. SEE OR SELING What is meant by seeeing in this place And I turned me about to sée the voice that spake to me ¶ After the Hebrue phrase to sée is put for to vnderstande or to heare for a voyce is not séene but heard So read we in Moses the people sawe the voice Ex. 20. 18. vnlesse any man had leuer to referre this saieng vnto him yâ— vttered the voice as if Iohn should say I turned me about to see him that vttered this great voice so as the effect should be put for the cause Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 20. How the people sawe God And sawe the God of Israel ¶ They sawe God that is they knew certeinly that he was there present and they sawe him as in a vision not in his godly nature but as it were by a certeine reuelation T. M. And they sawe the God of Israel As perfectly as their infirmities could behold his maiestie Geneua How the iust shall see God They which are not delighted with craft deceit but walke godly purely and sincerely among men which also adioine theÌ„selues with a sincere and feruent minde vnto Christ such I say shall see God that is first they shall be endued with the perfect knowledge they shall vnderstand his will and minde last of all they shall haue euerlasting life when they shal behold him not in darke speaking of faith but face to face with his holye Angels Marl. vpon Math. fo 79. SEEDE How the seede of the righteous man is said to inherit the earth ANima eius in bonis demorabitur semen eius heriditabiâ— terram His soule shall long inioye good things and his séed shall inherit the earth ¶ This is not a generall warrant that euery good man shall haue good children which shall inioye and inherit their Fathers land For we read in Scripture of many good Fathers which haue had children some foolish some godly Isaac the holy Patriarke had to his sonnes Iacob the vertuous and Esau the scapethrift King Ezechias was a noble and a godly king of Iuda whose sonne Manasses was a murtherer of the Prophets of God and a cruell shedder of innocent bloud Salomon excelled in wisdome whose son heire named RoboaÌ„ was a rash and a foolish man And on the other â—ide Amon was a wicked Idolater but Iosias his sonne was a noble vertuous and a most excellent king wherefore we cannot certeinly conclude that the words of the Prophet when he sayth The soule of that man which feareth the Lorde shall long inioy good things and his séede shall inherit the earth that euery good man shall haue good children which shall inioy and inherit their fathers land but the meaning is this By the vertuous or righteous mans séede ye must not vnderstand his naturall séede but his spirituall séede his spirituall seede are all those which doe followe his godly steppes of liuing All that his séed which doe labour to liue a godly lyfe and study with all reuerence and feare to please the Lord all that séede shall long inioy good things c. Ric. Turnar How the field may not be sowen with mingled seede and what it meaneth Let none of thy cattell gender with a contrarie kinde neither sowe thy field with mingled seede ¶ Cattell may not gender with a contrary kinde against the order of nature much lesse reasonable creatures made to the Image of God as men and women The field may not be sowen with mixt séed that is our déede and words may not be mingled with hypocrisie neither may our garments be made of lynnen wollen that is we may not mingle false doctrine with true or shew a carnall lyfe vnder pretence of religion Tho. Mathew Thou shalt not sowe thy vineyard with diuerse kindes of séedes c. ¶ The tenour of this lawe is to walke in simplicitie and not to be curious of new inuentions Geneua SEEKE The meaning of this place following THey shall séeke me early but they shall not finde me ¶ Because they sought not with affection to God but for ease of their owne griefe Geneua They seeke me that hitherto haue not asked for mée ¶ Meaning the Gentiles which knewe not God shoulde seeke after him when he had moued their heartes with his holye spirit Rom. 10. 20. Geneua What it is to seeke after God Oâ— séeke after God ¶ To séeke after God is at no haÌ„d to séeke our owne in any thing but both to doe and suffer all things to the glory of God profit of our neighbour to denie our selues and all ours and become the seruants of all men and this is the especiall point of godlynesse against which no man striue more stifly then the bloud thirstie and deceitfull which thinke they séeke God and séeke themselues T. M. That would vnderstand and séeke God ¶ Whereby he condemneth all knowledge and vnderstanding that tendeth not to seeke God Rom. 3. 10. Geneua SELAH What this word Selah signifieth SElah signifieth a lifting vp of the voice It admonished the singers of the Psalmes to sing out in their highest tune because the matter of that part of the Psalme where that word is found was especially to be hearkened vnto and to be considered
SEleuciani or Hermiani of one Seleucus taught that the substaunce whereof the world was made was not made of God but was coeternall with God That God maketh not the soule but Angells of fire and spirit that euil is somtimes of God and sometimes of the thing it selfe that Christ sitteth not in the flesh at the right hand of the father but hath his seate in the Sunne that there was no visible Paradise that Baptime is not to be receiued by water that there shall be no resurrection but the dayly generation of children Aug. li. de haer SELL How this place following is vnderstood GOe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore ¶ Go and sell all that thou hast that is plucke thy heart from all that thou dost possesse and so forsake them with all thy heart that in thy minde thou doest sell them and be readye also indéede to sell them if the necessitie of thy neighbour require it the effect and trust in things possessed must we euer renounce or els are we not perfect As Mat. 19. 21. Luke 12. 33. Tindale ¶ He hath sold all that euer he hath that surely intendeth for the loue of Christ to helpe the poore withall that he may Voluntas reputatur pro facto The will is accepted to the deede as is said commonly And this saieng both of Iames and also of the Euangelist I thinke verely belongeth to all Christen men that they should performe it none except neither man ne woman as wée vse to say but to them as well as to any other we call religious Lamb. in the b. of Mar. fol. 1266. ¶ This is to be noted that Christ doth not onely commaund to sell all that we haue but also to giue vnto the poore because to cast away riches without any regard is not a vertue but rather vaine ambition Crates of Thebes is highly commended of prophane Historiographers because he cast his money his precious Iewells that he had into the Sea because that hée thought that without the losse of his riches he could not be safe As though indéed it had not ben better to distribute yâ— to others which he counted superfluous vnto himselfe then so to haue done Truly seeing that charitie is the bond of perfection hée that depriueth himselfe of the vse of money deserueth no commendation at all Therefore the selling of the goods is not héere commended simplye of our Sauiour Christ but the lyberalytie in helping the poore Marl. fol. 431. ¶ Christ héere discouereth his Hipocrisie and caused him to feele his owne weaknesse not generally commaunding all to doe the lyke Geneua Solde vnder sinne what it meaneth But I am carnall solde vnder sinne ¶ Lyke as bond-men are violently thrust hurled and turmoiled as it pleaseth theyr cruel master so are we through heaps of sins drawen to many euill dooings which wée doe neither lykeâ— nor allowe The Bible note SELVM The misery that happened vnto the Iewes is described vnder this man AS touching selum the sonne of Iosiah c. ¶ Some vnderstand héere by Selum all the sonnes of Iosiah verely they were all taken prisoners with great shame and dyed out of Hierusalem yea out of the land of Israel and were buried without the honour due vnto Kings First Iehoahaz whom manye thinke to be specially signified by Selum was brought into Aegypt and there he dyed 4. Reg. â—3 31. And his brother Eliakim which came in his stéed was taken of Nabuchodonosor fettered brought to Babilon 2. Par. 36. 4. Whose successour Iehoachim was also brought to Babilon and his mother too 4. Reg. 24. 25. At the last his Unckle Zedekiah through his falsehoode both to God and man betrayed the whole kingdome and was also brought to Babylon and there had his children slaine before his face his own eyes put out 4. Re. 25. 7. Al this lamentable businesse should Ieremy séeme to note héere in few words If any man think this Prophecie to belong onely to Iehoahaz with him will I not striue T. M. SENECHDOCHE What kinde of figure it is SEnechdoche is a figure where part is vsed for the whole and the whole for the part SENNACHARIB How and wherefore his owne sonnes slewe him WHen the Princes of Assyria sawe such a number of the Assyrians slaine in one night by the Angell of God for the great pride of Sennacherib and his blasphemy against the God of Israel they were sore troubled and moued against him The King fled to Niniue and being in great feare of his lyfe gate him into the Temple of his God Nesrah and prayed promising his God that if he escaped the great daunger he was in of his Lords and Commons that he would sacrifice both his sonnes vnto him for a Sacrifice His sonnes now hearing of this fell vpon their father in the Temple and slew him and so fled into yâ— land of Armenia They did not thus slay their father of a desire they had to raigne after him for then they wold not haue fled but they slew him only to saue their own liues Lyra. ¶ This was the iust iudgement of God for his blasphemy yâ— he shuld be slain before yâ— Idol whom he preferred to the liuing God by theÌ„ by whom he ought of nature to haue ben defended Ge. SENT How this place following is vnderstood HOw shall they preach except they be sent ¶ Except they be sent that is except the worde bée giuen them of God Except they be sent ye wil aske of whoÌ„ Uerely of him which is the owner of the Gospel yâ— is God of him be they sent which preach Christ truly and purely without the desire of vaine-glorie or gaines Of the same manner doth Christ proue that hée was sent of his father because he spake to the glory of his father not of himselfe Iohn 7. 17. But such as vnder the pretence of preaching the Gospell preach mens traditions whereby they seeke the praise of themselues are false Apostles and sent of Antichrist not of Christ. Tindale SEARCH Why God is sayd to search GOd is said to search for that that which men desire perfectly and exactly to know they diligently search for it so God because he beholdeth our most hidden thoughts is saide to search the harts otherwise he before he begin to search knoweth what we haue néede of Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fo 224. How we are commaunded of Christ to search the Scriptures Search the Scriptures ¶ The Scriptures are giuen to vs from aboue not to the ende we might haue onely in bookes so layed vp as our treasure as we see many men doe neither yet are they giuen that we might simply slightly read them either that by a supersticious opinion the reading of theÌ„ might be in stéede of worship and diuine seâ—uice as we sée the Papists doe and as the Iewes continually doe on the Sabboth dayes but they are giuen to this
ende that they might be read with diligence and with a minde desirous to finde out those things which belong to true knowledge and true godlinesse The readers of the Scriptures must be searchers and not corrupters wresters dreamers or supersticious murmurers And the scriptures do not require any searching but that which is godly hūble and desirous to know and imbrace one truth onely otherwise a man may finde some which read the Scriptures but not to search out Gods truth but rather to hinder the same Euen so Herode inquired out the truth out of the Scriptures concerning the place where Christ shoulde be borne not to the ende he might worship him but rather to destroy him Also y◠Pharesies said to Nichodemus Search the Scriptures and sée how that a prophet commeth not out of Galile They said not sée what is written in the Scriptures concerning Christ. So lykewise wicked and vngodly men doe search the Scriptures to corrupt them to their owne destruction By this word Scripture is vnderstood the olde Testament For Christ did not first of all begin to be manifest in the Gospell but hauing testimonie out of the Lawe and Prophets he onely exhibited himselfe in the Gospell Therefore that which Christ saith heere agreeth with that which he spake to his Disciples after his resurrection saieng These are the words which I spake vnto you when I was with you that all must néeds be fulfilled which was written of me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes c. Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 179. Though that miracles bare record vnto his doctrine yet desired he no faith to be giuen either to his doctrine or to his miracles without record of the Scriptures When Paule preached Act. 17. 11. the other searched the Scriptures dayly whether they were as he iudged them Why shall not I likewise sée whether it be the Scripture that thou alledgest yea why shal not I sée the christure and the circumstannces and what goeth before and after that I may know whether thine interpretation be the right sense or whether thou iugglest and drawest the Scripture violently vnto thy carnall and fleshly purpose or whether thou be about to teach me or to deceiue me Tindale And searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so ¶ In this place are all Christians taught what they ought to doe to trye the Preachers and other that came vnder colour to set foorth true religion vnto vs according to the saieng of Saint Paule Trye all things and choose out that which is good 1. Iohn 4. 1. Learne héere that the word is the touchstone Sir I. Cheeke ¶ This was not onely to trye if those things which they had heard wer true but also to confirme themselues in the same to increase their faith Geneua SERPENT What Serpent doe signifie Looke Leuiathan Wherefore the Serpent was called Nehustan Looke Nehustan What it is to sucke the Serpents head He shall sucke the Serpents head ¶ That is he shall be subiect to all cursednesse and suffer all manner sorrowes It is such a manner of speach as is before in the. 15. 16. of drinking wickednesse T. M. ¶ He compareth euill gotten goods to the venyme of Aspes which Serpent is most daungerous noting that Iobs great riches were not truly come by and therefore God did plague him iustly for the same Geneua SERVICE What the true seruice of God is WE cannot know wherewith we shall serue the Lord till we come thether ¶ This was an outward seruice but the true and right seruice of God is to feare him as a Father to loue him and kéepe his commaundements and to commit a mans selfe onely vnto him trusting in his mercie onely setting all thought and care vpon him and when we haue offended to repent to be sorie and knowledge our offences beléeue that he wil forgiue it vs for his truth sake as 1. Pe. 5. Psa. 37. 3. T. M. How the seruice ought to be ministred in a knowen tongue Obiection Paule went ouer many countries as Pamphilia Cappadocia Phrigia c. But he spake not to euery man in diuers tongues therefore some were spoken too in an vnknowen tongue which was not their owne Aunswere Fredericus Furius a Spaniard which dedicated his booke to Cardinall Burgensis a Spaniard telleth a quite contrary tale for saith he Andrew Peters brother preached vnto the Scythi Segdiani Sacri in their tongue Barthelmew to the Indians in their tongue Iacob to the twelue Tribes in their tongue Thomas to the Parthians in their tongue to the Medes in theyr tongue to the Persi Hercani and Bracchi in their tongue But put case Fredericus Furius were a tonguelesse man had now yet said nothing I wéene that place of the Acts of the Apostles wil easely choke D. Saunders and all those barkers Lonanians The people there saye then Non omnes qui loquuntur linguis Galilei sunt c. Are not all these y◠speak héere men of Galile is it not much that euery one of vs doth heare his owne vulgar ◠mother tongue We Parthians Medes Elamites of Mesopotamia of Iewry Cappadocia Pontus of Asia Phrigia Pamphilia and Aegypt of Lybia Rome Crete Arabia where these men speake y◠noblenes of matters diuine in our own tongue T. D. Obiection The Catholikes affirme that the Protestants cannot proue that in the Primitiue Church the publique seruice was in the Siriacall or Arabicke or Aegyptian or any other barbarous tongue Aunswere S. Hierom describing the pompe of Paulas funeral hath these words At hir funeral all y◠multitude of the citie of Palestine met together The Psalmes wer song in order in y◠Hebrue Gréeke Latine and Syrian tongue Héere in one Citie foure seuerall Nations in their common seruice vsed foure seuerall tongues Again S. Austen willing y◠Priests to apply their study to correct the errors of their latin speach addeth therto this reson y◠the people vnto the things they plainely vnderstand may say Amen Which sētēce of S. Au. semeth to be spokē generaly of al tōgues SEATE OF GOD. What the seate of God is GOds seat is the euerlasting state of his power y◠rainbow signifieth his mercie patient suffering y◠24. seates the. 24. Elders doe signifie y◠most highest iustice of God that y◠most special friends of God both of the old new Testament are incorporate vnto the kingdome of God The sea of glasse may signifie vnto vs the aduersities of this life which serue to the glorye of God and the profit of the faithfull Sir I. Cheeke SETHIANI What manner of heretikes these were SEthiani wer heretiks deriuing their pedegrée of Seth the son of Adam whom they honored called Christ. They affirmed also y◠Iesus in y◠beginning of the world was called Seth but in the latter daies Christ Iesus Epipha haer 39. saith that he disputeth with some of them in Aegypt
and that the last of them were in his time August li. de haer SEAVEN How the number of seauen is taken in Scripture IOhn to yâ— 7 churches yâ— are in Asia ¶ The churches yâ— were at that time in Asia were estéemed to excell almost all the Churches of the whole world both in multitude of people in holinesse of life according as it is to be séene in the Acts of the Apostles and in Paules Epistles Now although that by the name of Asia is ment the lesser Asia which is the third part of this world yet not withstanding by these seauen Churches by the seauen Bishops of them are easily vnderstood al other Churches and all Curates of the whole world According as by the number of seauen the Scripture doe commonly betoken a generalitie or an vniuersalitie Lyke as in these texts where the number of seuen is put indefinitely or vncertainly Untill the barren woman haue borne seauen Children that is to say many children 1. Reg. 2. 5. Also seauen women that is to say many women shall take holde vpon one man Esay 4. 1. Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 7. This number seauen importeth a great and as it were an infinite quantitie And héere ye sée why it is said in yâ— Prouerbs that the righteous falleth seauen times a day and riseth again True it is that some men vnderstand this to be ment of sinning but Salomon speaketh onely of the mischaunces we fall into for we be beaten with many roddes one while there commeth some disease another time some other aduersitie Now some man shall trouble vs anone another shal do vs some wrong Ye sée then the falls which godly children fall into Some stande of holding them vp with strong hand it séemeth that he letteth them tumble downe like little babes that haue no strength But what When we be so fallen God doth alway releeue vs and specially as he saith in another place he will laye his hand vnder vs and will not suffer vs to fall ouer hard Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 99. A iust man falleth seauen times and riseth againe ¶ That is he is subiect to many perills but God delyuereth him Geneua What the seauen Angells doe signifie And I saw the seauen Angells stand before God ¶ These seauen Angells be manie Antichrists and these mightie that do harme to the faithfull and hinder the Gospell but Iesus Christ standeth at the Altar with the Oblation of his body for the faithfull Sir I. Cheeke ¶ And I saw saith S. Iohn seauen Angells standing before the maiestie of God which signifieth the preachers of his word for the seauen seuerall times of the seauen seales opening to euery seale corresponding an Angell For all that the preachers hath done from the beginning of the Gospell to the time of this last seale opening shall then appeare at once In that day saith Esay the Trumpet shal be blowen they that were lost shal come from the Assyrians the scattered â—tock shal come from Aegypt and worship the Lord in Hierusalem Bale SEAVENTIE INTERPRETERS Of their translating of the olde Testament out of Hebrue into Greeke THe seauentie Interpreters at yâ— request of Ptolomeus king of Aegypt translated the olde Testament out of Hebrue into Greeke 275. yere before the incarnation of Christ. And wheras some hath reported and beléeued that these 70. Interpreters being diuided into 70. Cellulas that is lyttle studies or sundry lyttle Chambers at the Citie of Alexandria should all translate one way is a lye saith S. Hierom For neither Aâ—stias that was a man learned and a Writer euermore learned at Ptolomeis hand did neuer note no such miraculous thing by them No nor yet Iosephus which being a most diligent 〈…〉 riographer and also a Iewe borne of whom it is not lyke yâ— he would haue hid the praise of his Countrey-men yet did he neuer in no part of his 20. bookes that he wrote in Grâ—ke De Antiqâ—itatibus Iudaicus make mention of any such miraculous interpretation yâ— the 70. Interpreters should make But Aâ—stâ—des also Iosephus is contented to write to grant yâ— the 70. Interpreters being gathered together in one large lodging or Chamber In vna basilica did conferre togethers so made a volume a worke in Gréeke of the Bible that they translated out of their owne countrey speach the Hebrue tongue Thus they write of them and this I thinke to be true saith S. Hierome This is drawen out of the Preface which S. Hierome made to the 5. bookes of Moses wherin S. Hierom doth reproue the 70. Interpreters of errour for omitting certaine text of scripture which were in the Hebrue veritie and also alleadged of the Euangelists and for adding in their Translation more then was found in the Hebrue veritie Also he reproueth those which saith there is no Hebrue veritie nor no credite to be giuen to the Hebrue tongue but rather to our Latine Bibles The Preface is notable which beginneth on this wise Desiderij mei c. These words Respice in me which be added in our Latine Psalters are not found in the Hebrue veritie for S. Hierom in the second Apologie yâ— he wrote answering vnto the rayling of Ruffinus finding great fault with Saint Hierome for his enterprising to translate the olde Testament saith expresly that these words Respice in me wer added only by the 70. Interpreters and were not in the originall text of the Hebrue veritie Ric. Turnar SEVERVS Of his hereticall opinions SEuerus an Eucratite of whom Seueriani maintained the opinions of Tatianus adding therevnto of his owne reuilyng Paule reiecting his Epistles and denieng the Actes of the Apostles He said that a woman was of the Diuell and that man from the girdell vpward was of God and beneath of the diuell Epiphan haeres 45. Euseb. li. 4. cap. 27. SHADOVV ¶ Looke Wing SHAME What shame is SHame is an affection which springeth by reason of some filthinesse and it may be either a feare or els a griefe for if a man be afraid least of that which he doth or which he taketh in hand should happen any dishonestie vnto him hée is made ashamed as we see happeneth in young men which when they are either demaunded or hidden to do any thing they blush because they are afraide least they shoulde not aunswere aptly or should not be very able to doe that thing which they are bidden to doe But if an olde man or a young man be putte in remembraunce of any thing which seemeth not to be well done they blush because of the sorrow of the dishonestie whereinto they sée themselues to haue incurred Pe. Ma. vp the Ro. fo 156. How and whereof shame came first Shame came of disobedience and breaking of the commaundement of God for when Adam his wife had eaten of yâ— fruit which Adam was forbidden to touch their eyes were so opened that they sawe themselues both naked at the which sight they were
2. 31. Ro. 10. 13. Now they that forsake the truth blaspheming Christ taking part against the Holy ghost cannot repent For if sinners would conuert call vpon God they should be sure of remission Tindale Christ himselfe said vnto the Pharesies Euery blasphemiâ— shall be forgiuen but the blasphemie against the Holy ghost which Iohn calleth a sinne vnto death shall neuer be forgiuen but is guiltie vnto euerlasting damnation What sinne or blasphemie is this Uerely that declareth S. Marke saieng They said he had an vncleane spirite that was the sinne vnto death euerlasting that was the sinne that should neuer be foruen He proueth so euidently vnto them that his miracles wer done by the spirit of God that they could not denie it and yet of an hard and obstinate hart euen knowing the contrary they said that he had a Diuell within him These Pharesies dyed not forthwith but lyued peraduenture many yeares after Notwithstanding if all the Apostles had praied for these Pharesies while they were yet liuing for all that their sinne shoulde not haue bene forgiuen them And truth is that after they dyed in impatiencie and desperation which was the fruit of their sin but not the sinne it selfe Now see ye the meaning of this text and what the sinne vnto death or against the Holy ghost is If any man perceiue his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death that is not against the Holy ghost let him aske he shall giue him life that is let him pray vnto God for his brother and his sinne shall be forgiuen him But if he see his brother sinne a sinne vnto death that is against the Holy ghost let him neuer pray for him for it booteth not and so is not the text vnderstood of prayer after this lyfe as Master Moore imagineth but euen of prayer for our brother which is lyuing with vs. I. Frith How our sinne is made Christs sinne Longe a salute mea ¶ Séeing that this is most true that S. Paule saith of Christ that he neuer did sinne neither was there any guile or deceipt found in his mouth how then can these words be verified in the person of Christ Longe á salute mea verba delictorum meorum The words of my sinnes or my sinfull words are â—arre from my health Uerely they cannot bée applyed to Christ for his owne person Neuerthelesse after the minde of S. Austen these words are therefore spoken by Christ the head because they be only verefied in Christs members So that the Prophet maketh Christ in this place to speake in his owne person that thing which is verefied of vs that be sinners for whose sake he suffered his death passion that in this place is so lyuely touched Yea this is S. Austens saiengs these be his words Christ did wel say My sinful words are far from my health not for any of his owne sinne Sed nostra delicta sua delicta fecit vt suam iustitiam nostram iustitiam facerit But hée hath made our sinnes to be his sinnes that he might make his righteousnesse to be our righteousnesse That is he is contented to be reputed and deemed as a sinner because that in his vniust suffering he might iustly saue sinners that beleeue in him The most part of the learned Expositours be of this minde Ric. Turnar How sinne is forgiuen in Baptime Saintâ— Austen saith that all sinne is forgiuen in Baptime not that it should not be at all but that it should not be reckoned for sinne Sinne offering what was ment thereby They that offered a Sinne offering must lay their hand vppon it meaning that they themselues had deserued that death also that they did consecrate it to God therby to be sanctified Sold vnder sinne ¶ Looke Solde SION What Sion is AS many as haue euill will at Sion ¶ Sion in the Scripture signifieth the whole Church and Congregation of God and euery faithfull soule that hath his whole intent affection desire towards God T. M. What the daughters of Sion signifieth Therefore shall the Lord shane the heads of the daughters of Sion ¶ To shaue the heads of women is to make them confounded and ashamed for it is a shame for a woman to be shauen 1. Cor. 11. 5. So that the Prophet héereby signifieth by a borrowed speach that the Lord shall make the daughters of Sion by which vnderstand the women of Iewrie confounded and ashamed and bring them to extreme aduersitie and pouertie and euen to naught Iosephus maketh mention that Hierusalem which was the chiefe Citie thereof was once so famished that a certaine woman of the Citie eate hir owne childe Albeit some vnderstand euen heere also by the daughters of Sion the townes villages and castells of Sion as it doth indéed oftentimes in the Scripture Because the daughters of Sion are hautie c. ¶ He meaneth the people because of the pride and arrogancie of their women which gaue themselues to all wantonnes dissolution Geneu SIR How men of countenaunce may be called Sir SIr we would faine sée Iesus ¶ These Greekes call Philip Sir and he refuseth not the same It was the custome of those Countries to call men of wealth and countenaunce by that name Wherevpon also Mary Magdalen called Christ at the Sepulcher after he was risen Sir when as notwithstanding she tooke him to be a gardener The Apostles did not gainsay this custome neither were they serupulous in the same as we sée the Anabaptists to be Mar. vpon Iohn fol. 434. SIRTES What the Sirtes were LEast we should haue fallen into the Sirtes ¶ Sirtes are periâ—lous sundry places in the Sea about the coasts of Affrica of the nature of Whirlepooles Tindale SISTER How Abraham made his wife to say she was his sister SAy I pray thée that thou art my Sister ¶ By this we maye learne not to vse vnlawful meanes nor to put other in danger to saue our selues Read ver 20. Albeit it may appeare that Abraham feared not so much death as that if he should dye with out issue Gods promise should not haue taken place wherein appeared a weake faith Geneua ¶ Looke Abraham SIT What it is to sit in the Temple of God SHall sit as Godin the Temple of God ¶ To sit in the Temple of Ged is to rule in the consciences to commaund wher God onely hath place ought onely to raigne which is as much as to be exalted aboue God Tindale Who sitteth in the Temple of God Compare the commaundements of God with the constitutions of men and you shall easely vnderstand that the Bishop of Rome whom they call the Pope to sit in the Temple of God as God and to be exalted aboue all that is called God It is written The Temple of the Lord is holy which is you Therfore the conscience of man is the Temple of the Holy ghost in which Temple I will proue the Pope to
sit as God and to bée exalted aboue all that is called God For whoso contemneth the Decalogue of the table of the commaundements of God there is but a small punishment for him neither is that punishment to death but contrariwise he yâ— shal contemn or violate speaking to Frier Brusiard the constitutions which you cal the sanctions of men is couÌ„ted by all mens iudgmeÌ„ts guiltie of death What is this but the high bishop of Rome to sit to raign in yâ— temple of God yâ— is in mans conscieÌ„ce as God Bil. in the b. of M. 1140 What it is to sit on the right hand of God Sit thou on my right hand c. ¶ To sit on the right hand is to haue yâ— same glory of the godly maiestie the he hath to rule gouern as largly as he doth Ephe. 1. 20. whom he set on his right hand in heauenly things aboue all rule c. That is made him equall with himselfe and ruler ouer all things T. M. What it is to sit in the dust Thou shalt sit in the dust ¶ To sit in the dust is to bée brought low to be poorely araied decked to sit without pompe and to fall from hir estate and degrée As is said Ionas 3. 6. The Prophet héere describeth the destruction of Babylon vnder the figure of a proud Quéene which was deliciously and dainetely brought vp and after fell into extreame pouertie miserie and wretchednesse T. M. Why they sate not downe at the eating of Passeouer ¶ Looke Passeouer SIXE TROVBLES What it is to deliuer out of vi troubles HE shall deliuer thée in vi troubles ¶ We had néede to minde well this lesson that is to wit that God wil deliuer vs out of vi troubles as if it had ben said we must not trust in God onely for a daye or two or onely for one push but forasmuch as our lyfe is full of many miseries so yâ— we be not sooner crept out of one aduersitie but there commeth another fresh in the necke of it so we be tormented with miseries out of number Therefore insomuch as we haue a continuall battell and should be ouerthrowen incontinently if God were not at hand to helpe vs we must beléeue for a certaintie that he will not faile vs. Some expound this text more precisely as though it were said that God will deliuer vs from miseries all yâ— time of our life and in the ende make vs to passe out of all by taking vs out of this world For lyke as the world was made in vi daies so also mans life is willingly comprehended in that number then commeth rest wheÌ„ God strippeth vs out of this mortall body for ye sée how he then maketh an ende of all our labours griefes and battells But let it suffice vs to hane the plain meaning of this text which is that although we be â—ossed with many miseries during this present lyfe God will continually make vs way out of them bring as to a good hauen Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 99. This sentence propounded after the manner of a Prophecie in the 5. chap. of Iob signifieth all one with that of Paul 1. Coâ— 10. 13. God is faithfull which shall not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but shall in the middes of the temptation make a waye to escape out Eliphas meaneth he hath verelye wrapt thée in many miseries but when the seuenth commeth when it shall seeme to him that the offence is sufficiently punished and that thou hast left thine impatiencie for that layeth he to Iob though vniustly then will he prosper thée with so great health that thou shalt after leade thy lyfe most â—ortunate T. M. ¶ Alluding the sixe troubles to the sixe daies of Gods first worke and the seuenth daye he rested meaning that of all thy cares and troubles God wil delyuer thee and bring thée to rest as in the seuenth day The Bible note ¶ He will send trouble vpon trouble that his children maye not for one time but coÌ„tinually trust in him but they shal haue a comfortable issue euen in the greatest and the last which is héere called the seuenth Geneua What time of the daye the sixt houre was ¶ Looke Houre SLEEPE How sleepe is taken in Scripture THe maide is not dead but sleepeth ¶ Sleepe in the scripture is taken oftentimes to dye neither is it so saide of the good onely but also of the wicked It is said of Steuen when he had thus spoken he fell asleepe and of Lazarus Our friend Lazarus is asléepe but I goe that I may awake him Moreouer it is written Of the which some remaine as yet other some are asléepe Also of wicked Ieroboam it is said And he slept with his Fathers Both the wicked and the vngodly sléepe vnto the Lord and shall be raised of him but this is onely beleeued of the godly which know yâ— God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing that all things liue vnto him Héer vpon yâ— Christians with a singular faith calleth the place of the burial Coimeteâ—iou which is in Latin DormitoriuÌ„ as much to say in English properly a sléeping place which commonly we now call a Sepulcher a Tombe or a graue But heere in this place Christ taketh it otherwise For Christ maketh a speciall difference betweene sleepe and death to the ende he might bring hope of life as if he should haue said She is not so dead that she sleepeth in death for ye shall see hiâ— arise by and by whome ye thinke to be deadâ— Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 191. Concerning them which are fallen asléepe ¶ To sléepe in this place is taken to dye because of the sure hope of the resurrection For we are not so sure to rise againe when we laye our selues downe to sléepe as we are sure by the word of God that our naturall bodies shall be raised againe and this sléepe ought onely to be applied to the body and not vnto the soule which is immortall S. I. Cheeke But while men slept ¶ This sléepe signifieth the negligence that men haue of God which connueth by the carefulnesse of riches and pleasures of this world Tindale Sléepe henceforth and take your rest ¶ This is an Ironie which is one thing spoken another ment And héere in hidding them sleepe he signifieth that it had bene more méeteâ— for them to haue gone about other businesse then to fall a sléeping at this time Tindale ¶ He speaketh this in a contrary sense meaning they shuld anone be well wakened Geneua What Dauid ment by this sleepe That I sléepe not in death c. ¶ That is that I sléepe not the sléepe of death that I dye not and be ouercome of mi 〈…〉 enimies and therefore followeth it least mine enimies say they haue preuailed against me T. M. The meaning of this place following And many sléeping in the earth
he departed from him for a season ¶ If at any time we ouercome Satan through the grace giuen vs of God let vs not therefore bée proude or thinke that we are not without perill but rather let vs be circumspect and warie for Satan wil come vpon vs againe as be did vpon Christ whome after hée had beene ouercome by him he tempted many wayes by his limmes Sir I. Cheeke It is not inough twice or thrice to resist Satan for he neuer ceaseth to tempt Or if he relent a little it is to the ende that he may renue his force and assaile vs more sharpelye Geneua God suffereth none to be tempted aboue his strength But shall with the temptation make a waye to escape c. ¶ He that led you into this temptation which commeth vnto you either in prosperitie or aduersitie or for your sinnes past will turne it to your commoditie and deliuer you Geneua TEN What the number of ten signifieth AND ye shall haue tribulation for ten dayes ¶ That is to say many dayes For it betokeneth that the Church shall bée in continuall warfare vnder the crosse of persecution For the number of ten is the number of fulnesse and therefore it is not to be obserued too nicely So sayd Iacob to his father in lawe Beholde thou hast chaunged my wages ten times Ge. 31. 7. And in an other place it is sayd They haue tempted mée now ten times Nu. 14. 22. Also beholde ye haue offered me reproch ten times Iob. 19. 3. That is to say oftentimes sundry waies Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 42. What the ten hornes doe signifie Ten hornes ¶ The ten hornes doe signifie many prouinces Geneua How the ten commaundements are diuided into two Tables It is certeine faith Ambrose that the first commaundement is conteined in this Thou shall haue none other Gods but me The second Thou shalt not make thy selfe anie lykenesse of any thing that is in heauen c. The third Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine The fourth Thou shalt obserue my sabboth daies The fift Honour thy father c. But bicause these first foure precepts perteineth vnto god they must be vnderstood to be conteined in the first table The rest perteineth to men as to honour thy parents not to kill not to coÌ„mit fornication not to steale to beare no false witnesse to couet nothing of thy neighbours These sixe commaundements séemeth to be written in the second table whereof the first is Honour thy Father c. Thus much Ambrose Musc. fo 36. Of the ten virgins ¶ Looke Saints TENTS How Tents were first inuented IVbal the sonne of Lamech by Ada his wife first made the poâ—tatiue tents for to féede his cattell ordered his flocks disseuering the shéep from the goats found out yâ— certein time when the Rams shuld be put to the Ewes taught it other Lanquet Of three manner of tents That they defile not their tents among which they dwell ¶ There were thrée sorts of tents among the Hebrues The tent of the Lord that is the Tabernacle The tent of the Leuite and the tent of Israel The lepers were excluded them all The impure of an issue from the two first and the defiled by the dead onely from the Tabernacle of the congregation The Bible note TEARES Whereof teares commeth THe naturall Philosophers agrée not among themselues in this matter Some doe thinke that teares doe come by reason of the gall being troubled vnto which opinion agréeth yâ— first booke De mirabilibus sacrae Scripture the. 10. cap. which booke is intituled to be Augustines writing Other suppose theÌ„ to be a certeine kinde of sweate which Plutarch affirmeth but some do thinke that euen as from milke is separated whaye so also a watrish humour is separated from bloud wherof the greater part turneth into vrine yâ— which remaineth is thrust forth into teares Lastly Seneca in his 100. Epistle to Lucillus thinketh that with the stroke of griefe and sorrow the whole body is almost shaken there withall the eyes out of the which eyes the humour lieng nigh vnto them is expressed Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fo 62. The meaning of these places following My teares haue ben my meate day and night ¶ As other take pleasure in eating and drinking so he was altogether giuen to wéeping Geneua Put my teares in thy bottell ¶ If God kéepe the teares of his Saints in store much more will he remember their bloud to auenge it and although tyrants burne the bones yet can they not blot the teares and bloud out of Gods register Geneua And the Lord God will wipe a way the teares from all faces ¶ He will take away all occasions of sorrow and fill his with perfect ioy Apoc. 7. 17. 21. 4. Geneua And couered the altar of the Lord with teares ¶ Ye cause the people to lament because that God doth not regard their sacrifices so that they séeme to sacrifice in vaine Geneua TEREBINT The meaning of this place following and the nature of the tree AS yâ— Terebint haue I stretched out my braunches ¶ The Terebint is a hard trée spread abroad with long boughes whereout runneth the gum called a pure Turpentine which cleanse the stomake of putrified humours purifieth yâ— eares so the wisdome of God declared in his Scriptures spreadeth abroad her manifolde braunches of knowledge and vnderstanding to purge the inward eares and corruption of the soule The Bible note TERTVLIANIST AE What Heretikes they were THese men denied second marriage said that the soules of wicked men became diuels after their departure out of this life that the soule is continued by going from one into an other as much to say by carnall descent succession Aug. TESTAMENT What a Testament is TEstament is an appointment made betwéene God man and Gods promises Tindale fol. 6. TETRARCHA What Tetrarcha were TEtrarchia or Tetrarcha are wordes vsurped of the Romane writers but taken from yâ— Gréeks Tetrarcha were princes hauing the fourth part of some portion of the kingdome Such are they which we cast deputies or presidents The Romanes diuiding their kingdomes to suppresse rebellion limited yâ— same to diuers presidents or gouernours which they called Tetrarchae or Toporchae and the regions themselues Toporchas or Tetrarchas the which thing we may read in Plinie Mar. fo 305 TEVDAS ¶ Looke Theudas THAMAR Wherefore she is reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ. ONely such women are named in the Genealogy of Christ as the Scripture doth openly reproue yâ— we seeing Christ to be borne and come of sinners touching the flesh might beléeue that he would be mercifull vnto sinners Sir I. Cheeke And Iudas begat Phares Zara of Thamar ¶ By incestuous adultery yâ— which shame setteth forth his great humilitie who made himselfe of no reputation but became a seruant for our sakes yea a worme no man
the coine that was figured in the Image of Caesar Persuadit illis debere Caesari perswadeth them that those things are owing to Caesar that are his that is those that haue his Image both in corporall and outward things we must obey the king but in inward things spirituall onely God I. Bridg. fo 639. TRINITIE How the whole trinitie is approued by the Scripture AND sayd Lord if I haue found fauour c. ¶ He saw thrée but directed his speach but to one whereby the mysterie of the Trinitie is declared The Bible note ¶ Speaking to one of them in whom appeare to be most maiestie for he thought they had bene men Geneua Iohn sawe heauen open and the holy Ghost descending vpon him like a Doue there came a voice from heauen Mar. 1. 10. c. ¶ Christ did come down the holy Ghost came down But Christ the sonne of God did appeare a true naturall essentiall body whereas the holy Ghost did come downe in the likenesse not in the true essential body of a doue The father did also speake from heauen Héere ye haue the whole Trinitie TRVMPET Whereto Trumpets serue AND seauen Trumpets were giuen vnto them ¶ Trumpets serue to many purposes among which also is one that publike Magistrates are wont to publish proclaime yâ— lawes ordinances which they haue made by the sound of trumpets The same vse doth Iohn assigne héere to the Angels By whoÌ„ notwithstanding we may wel meane the Apostles Ministers of the word according to the commaundement of the Lord giuen vnto Esay 58. 1. Set out thy throte cry straine thy selfe as a Trumpet lift vp thy voice c. And Christ sayd to his Apostles Looke what I saye vnto you in the darke speak you it in the light and that which you heare in the eare preach you vpon the house tops Mâ—th 10. 27. Marl. How the Scribes Pharesies did vse them The Scribes and Pharesies in common and publike places whervnto many people wer wont to resort did distribute their doles or almes to the poore in the which their ostentation was manifest because they sought frequented places to haue many witnesses of their deeds not contented with this they caused trumpets to be sounded They fained truely that they called yâ— poore together by the noise of the Trumpet so that they neuer wanted a cloake to shadowe their hypocrisie when as it is for certein that they did it to haue fame renowme praise of men Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 112. The very meaning both that we blow no Trumpet that the left hand know not what the right hand doth is yâ— we do as secretly as we can in no wise séeke vaine glory or to receiue it if it were profered but to do our déeds in singlenesse of conscience to God because it is his coÌ„mandement euen of pure compassion loue to our bretheren not that our good déeds though standing in our owne conceit shuld cause vs to despise them Tindale TRVTH Truth defined THat is truth according to yâ— Hebrue phrase which is the most perfect essence of any thing the very absolute perfection it selfe of a matter Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 309. Why Christ is called true and soothfast Thus saith he that is holy true ¶ He is called true or soothfast because he only teacheth vs true certeine substantial infallible things therfore he anoucheth himself to be yâ— truth it selfe Iohn 14. 6. And onely Schoolemaister Math. 23. 8. whoÌ„ all men ought to giue care vnto euen by the commaundement of the father Math. 17. 5. Also God is sayd to be true or soothfast because hée kéepeth touch in his promises notwithstanding mens iniquities Rom. 3. 3. 4. Marl. fol. 60. Who they be that are true of heart The true of heart shall be glad thereof ¶ The true of heart are these that neither for the prosperitie of the vnfaithfull nor pouertie of the good are seduced But alwaies iudging well of God as pleased with that he doth contented onely with his promise in his word Psa. 73. 1. T. M. TVVELVE MONETHS ¶ Looke Yeare TVVO How two in one flesh is vnderstood THey commit adultry that marry at one time two wines and say if a man haue an hundred as he may haue as well as two yet all is but two and one flesh in the Lorde Christ doth not so interpret two Math. 19. but referreth two to one man and one woman as the text that he alleadgeth out of Genesis chapter 1. and 2. declareth saieng Haue ye not read that he that made man from the beginning made the male female therfore shal man leaue Father and mother and associate his wife and shall be two in one flesh This text admitteth not pluralitie of wiues but destroyeth plaine the sentence of those that defend the coniunction of many wiues with one man For at the beginning of Matrimony was but one man and one woman created and married together no more shuld there be now in one matrimonie as Christ there teacheth and expoundeth two in one flesh and not thrée or foure in one flesh The word of God must be followed and not the examples of the Fathers in this case Whooper Of two sorts of calling ¶ Looke Calling Of two Sacraments As concerning Sacraments which ought to be holden properly for lawfull Sacraments he hath ordeined two in the Christian Church The first is Baptime the other is the supper The other that hath bene added to these by the Papists may not be accounted for true and lawfull Sacraments for so much as they haue no certeine foundation in the word of God without the which no Sacrament is lawfull Pet. Viret Saint Cipriane sayth Tunc demum plane sanctificari c. Then may they be throughly sanctified and become the children of God if they be new borne by both the Sacraments Cipri li. 2 Epist. 1. ad Steph. Augustine saith Quedam pauca pro multis c. Our Lord his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacramentes in stéede of many and the same in doing most easie in significatioÌ„ most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as in the Sacrament of Baptime the celebration of the body bloud of our Lord. Aug. de doct christ li. 3. cap. 9. Againe speaking of Baptime and the supper he saith thus Haec sunt c. These be the two Sacraments of the Church Aug. de Cymbolo ad Catechemenes Paschasius sayth Sunt Sacramenta c. These be the Sacraments of Christ in the Catholike Church Baptime the body and bloud of our Lord. Paschasius de coena Domini Bassarius sayth Hoc duo solo Sacramenta c. We reade that these onely two Sacramentes were deliuered to vs in the Scriptures Bassarius de Sacramenta Euchari Against these foresaid saiengs the late pretensed Councell of Trident hath concluded thus
causes of true repentaunce that bringeth forth wéeping One is for because we haue through negligence omitted many things which we ought not to haue done These are commonly called sins of committing omitting And in the same place he interpreteth this sentence Bring forth worthy fruit of repentance after this manner that wee should wéepe for the sinnes already committed and we should take héede that we doe not the same againe Chrisostome also vpon the Epistle to the Collossians the. 12. homely complaineth that the christians abused teares And when as otherwise teares are good creatures of God they defame them in adioyning them to those things which deserue not weeping Sinnes onely sayth he are to be wept for not onely our owne sins but other mens also Which Paule performed in very deede who in the second to the Corinthians sayde That he was afraide not to come vnto them but so that he was deiected and compelled to wéepe for very many which had fallen and not repented Yea and hée exhorted the same Corinthians to wéepe for other mens sinnes when in the first Epistle he sayd Ye are puffed vp and ye haue not mourned namely for the grieuous crime of an incestuous man And Dauid in his 119. Psalme writeth Mine eyes haue brought forth riuers of waters because they haue not kept thy lawe That holy Prophet wept because of yâ— publike transgressions of the lawe when he sawe the same transgressions perpretated he abundantly powred out teares c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 63. How godly men doe easilier weepe then laugh Ezechiel in the. 8. chapter commended certeine which wept for the wicked acts of other men And héereof it commeth that when holy men sée horrible spectacles of sinners oftentimes to happen they easilyer burst forth into teares then into laughter for so Christ vsed whom we read to haue oftentimes wept but neuer to haue laughed which selfe same thing also we must doe at this day when as so great and euill an haruest of sins doth on euery side offer it selfe vnto vs. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 63. VVHY Why God doth this or that we ought noâ— to aske WHen it is asked saith S. Austen why God did this thing or that thing we must aunswere that he did it because yâ— it was his will so to doe If thou goest any farther asking why it was his will so to doe thou doest aske a thing which is both greater and higher then the will of God which thing cannot be found out Aug. cont Mad. li. 1. cap. 3. Why God doth more for one then for another If a man doe aske why God doth shew mercye more to one then to another S. Austen maketh aunswere by an apt similitude on this wise If a man haue many debters that doth owe vnto him the like sum of money doth it not lye in his power to forgiue some of them the whole debt to call vpon the other for the whole sum who can lay any thing to his charge for so doing Then marke saith he we are all debters vnto God and haue all deserued euerlasting damnation that he doth then of méere mercy and goodnesse forgiue some and to some againe he doth according to righteous iudgement who shall be so bolde to blame him for it I. Veron Why doth not God will some say giue his grace to all alike when his word is preached but suffereth some to receiue it other to despise it S. Luke in the Act. 13. 48. And they saith he did beléeue yâ— were ordeined before to life euerlasting Againe he could doe it saith S. Austen because he is almighty and why then doth he it not because saith he that he will not And why he will not that doe we leaue vnto him Veron ¶ Looke Predestination Will of God Vaine Questions VVHITE What is vnderstood by the white horse BY the white horse may be vnderstood the first state of the christian Church without blemish By the second seale red horse vnderstand the state of the kingdome of Christ in yâ— time of yâ— martirs By the third scale the beast yâ— black horse ballance measure vnderstand dearth want of victuals with the portion that was allowed for one man for his dayes spending which happened to all the world either when Claudius or â—raianus raigned Emperours By the fourth seale the beast the voyce and the pale horse vnderstand the heretikes which diuers waies vexe the holy Church with false doctrine The fift seale may signifie the right godlye Christian men The sixt seale the great misery affliction which shall rise be procured through Antichrist Marl. ¶ Looke Seale ¶ By the white horse is signified the Apostles and the first disciples of Christ for why yâ— scripture doth so call them These horses were white they were made pure righteous cleane by Iesus Christ and bare him by their preaching the world ouer Such a white horse to the glory of God was Paule when he bare the name of Christ before the Gentiles the Kings the Children of Israel c. Bale What is meant by the white stone And will giue him a white stone ¶ Arethas writeth that such a stone was wont to be giuen to wrastlers at games or els that such stones did in olde time witnesse the quitting of a man Beza ¶ By the white stone is signified the election before God also euerlasting peace and confidence in the grace and fauour of God vnto euerlasting life Sir I. Cheeke ¶ I will also giue him for a token of perpetuall peace and loue that pure and precious stone Iesus Christ so white as the Lily â—loure innocent and cleane from all contagious vices to be his onely and whole wisedome righteousnesse light health and redemption Bale VVHOLE BVRNT OFFERING Wherefore it was called a whole burnt offering ¶ Looke Burnt offering VVHOREDOME How whoredome is taken in the Prophet Ose. THe vse of whoredome or fornication throughout the Prophet is to take another God beside the true God to serue Images and beléeue in them T. M. How whoredome was punished by death Bring ye hir forth let hir be burnt ¶ We sée that the law which was written in mans heart taught them yâ— whoredome should be punished with death albeit no law as yet was giuen Geneua How whoredome being suffered spreadeth abrod Whoredome saith Basil stayeth not in one man but inuadeth a whole Citie For some one young man commeth to an harlot and taketh vnto himselfe a fellowe and the same fellowe taketh another fellow wherefore euen as fire béeing kindeled in a Citie if the winde blow vehemently stayeth not in yâ— burning of one house or two but spreadeth farre and wide draweth a great destruction with it so this euill being once kindled spredeth ouer all parts of the Citie Pet. Mar. vpon Iudi. fo 233. How whoredome is spued out As it spued out the people that were before you ¶
Godhead S. Iohn sayth not Caro verbum facta est as the Arrians expound it and say the flesh receiued the worde but hée sayth Verbum caro factum est The word was made flesh I. Proctour ¶ In that he sayth the word became flesh and not man hée sheweth how farre Gods sonne humbled and abased himselfe For the Scripture calleth man flesh when he will signifie the pouertie vilenesse and miserie of man As when it is said All flesh is grasse and he remembred that we were but flesh my spirit shall not euer striue in man for he is flesh But when yâ— Euangelist sayth The word became flesh we may not imagin that Gods sonne ioyned to his diuine nature flesh only and not mans soule as Appolinaris thought in his traunce that flesh and the Godhead made one person without mans soule For he imagined that the diuinitie was in steede of a soule But so it should follow that the Lord Iesus was not a very man For flesh is not a man For the soule is the formall part of a man namely that wherby a man is a man without which a man cannot be And that the Lord had a mans soule beside his diuinitie he himselfe testifieth where he saith My soule is heauy vnto yâ— death Neither can Appol 〈…〉 is aide himselfe with this place For when the Scripture calleth men flesh it meaneth not that they are without soule for then they were no men indeede Traheâ—on What the Euangelist meaneth by the word in this place of Iohn In the beginning was the worde c. ¶ By the word the Euangelist meaneth the second person in the holy Trinitie namely our Lord Iesus Christ touching his diuine nature as it appeareth afterward when he saith And the worde became flesh Héere we must consider why Gods son is called a word Auncient writers consider a worde two wayes For they teach that there is an outward word and an inward word The outward word is that foundeth and passeth awaye The inwarde worde is the conceite of the heart which remaineth still in the heart when the sound is past So they saye that God hath an outward worde which is sounded pronounced and written in bookes And that hée hath an inwarde worde which remaineth within himselfe whereof the outwarde worde is an Image effect and fruite This inwarde worde euer remaining in him is called his sonne as the conceite of the heart maye bée called the ingendered fruite of the heart and the heartes childe They thinke also that he is called the worde of God because that as a worde is the Image of mans minde and representeth it vnto vs so the Lorde Iesus is Gods Image and most liuely representeth vnto vs his power his Godhead and his wisedome For whatsoeeuer is in the Father shineth in the Sonne Some other thinke that the worde héere is taken for a thing after the Hebrew manner of speaking For the Hebrewes vse Dabar which signifieth a worde for a thing When Esay the Prophet asked king Ezechias what the Babylonians had seene in his house he aunswereth thus They sawe all that was in my house Iohaial dabar there was not a word that is to say any one thing that I shewed not vnto them in my treasures The Prophet replyeth Behold the daies come that whatsoeuer is in thine house shall be taken away and whatsoeuer thy father haue laid vp in store vnto this day shal be carried to Babylon Ioij vather dabar ther shall not a word remain saith the Lord that is to say there shall not one thing be left behinde The Angel also in S. Luke when the virgin Mary meruailed how she shuld coceiue a childe without mans helpe sayd vnto her No word shall be impossible vnto God yâ— is nothing shal be impossible for him to do So that after this vnderstanding S. Iohns mening is that in the beginning ther was a diuine and heauenly thing with God Traheron How the word of God is called the light Thy word saith Dauid is a lanterne vnto my féet Psa. 119. 105 Againe the commaundements of the Lord is lightsome giuing light to the eyes Psal. 19. 7. Theophilact saith Verbum Dei est lucerna c. The word of God is the candle whereby the théefe or false preacher is espied How the word of God endureth for euer S. Hierome sayth Quomodo eternae erunt Scripturae diuinâ— c. How shall the holy Scriptures be euerlasting séeing the world shall haue an ende True it is that the parchment or leaues of the books with the letters and all shall bée abolished but forsomuch as the Lord addeth My words shal neuer passe doubtlesse though the papers and letters perish yet the thing that is promised by the same letters shall last for euer Of the nature and strength of the word of God For the word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then anye two edged swoorde and entereth through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioyntes and of the marrowe and is a discouerer of the thoughts and the intent of the heart neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all thinges are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome wée haue to doe Surely as the raine commeth down and the Snow from heauen and returneth not thether but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth bud that it may giue séed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me in vaine but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it How the word of God hath sundrie names The word of God according to the sundry effectes and propertyes thereof hath sundry names as thus It is called seed for that it encreaseth and multiplyeth It is called a sword for that it cutteth the heart and diuideth the flesh from the spirit It is called a net for that it taketh vs and encloseth vs together It is called water for that it washeth vs cleane it is called fire for that it inflameth vs It is called bread for that it féedeth vs. Euen so it is called a key for that it giueth vs an entrye into the house The house is the kingdome of heauen Christ is the doore the word of God is the keye Iewel fo 144. How the word of God is the key ¶ Looke Key How the word of God is plaine They are all plaine vnto him that will vnderstand ¶ Meaning that the word of God is easie to al that haue a desire vnto it and which are not blinded by the Prince of this worlde Geneua The more that Gods word is troden downe the more it groweth The Pharesies sayd thus of Christ Videtis nos nihil proficere c. Ye sée we can doe no good lo the whole world
diuided Iosephus writeth that Adam and Seth diuided the yeare into twelue months and first obserued and taught the course of the celestiall bodies Lanquet YOKE How the yoke of Christ is to be vnderstood TAke my yoke on you and learne of me ¶ We must so shake of the yoke of mens traditions that in the meane season we doe not refuse to submit our neckes vnto the swéete pleasant yoke of our Sauiour Christ that is to say we must so put the intollerable burdens of Antichrists dreames that in the meane season we seeke no carnall libertie in the Gospell S. I. Cheeke Take my yoke vpon you saith Christ for my yoke is sweet my burthen is light ¶ By which words they argue the commaundements of God to be easie possible to be kept I aunswere that these words of Christ meane not the law of Moses but are to be vnderstood of the receiuing to be our Messias and Sauiour and that we should become subiects vnder his kingdome that is to beléeue in him and to be his Disciples who in so doing shall finde his yoke and subiection vnder him to be plesaunt and swéete For there shall we haue remission of all our sinnes shall ouercome the Diuel and the world shal be frée from death shal be eased of ceremonies shal be raised in the resurrection to euerlasting life andâ— in the meane time shall tast yâ— swéete comfort of the Holy ghost in our hearts Fox ¶ In that Christ calleth it Iugum meum my yoke he meaneth a difference betwéen his doctrine and the lawe and that in respect of the straitnesse of the law and the easinesse of his doctrine and of that he requireth of his children and scholars but how heauie a lumpe the lawe is S. Peter describeth in the 15. of the Acts where he saith thus Nunc ergo c. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put on the disciples necks the yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare I. Gough What the yoke of seruitude is The yoke of seruitude is to beléeue that Circumcision and the fulfilling of the lawe is necessary to obtaine euerlasting saluation D. Heynes What this yoke signifieth For thou shalt breake the yoke of the peoples burthen the staffe of his shoulder c. ¶ This yoke figureth the yoke and burthen of the law which so oppressed the people that Saint Peter could say to the Apostles yâ— neither they nor their fathers were able to keepe it Act. 15. 10. This yoke hath Christ broken according to the Prophecie of Esay and vtterly discharged the burden thereof For we know now that God is satisfied and contented in the bloud of his sonne Christ and that the many thousand fold punishments which are due to our sinnes are cleane pardoned and forgiuen for the merites of the same Christ. 1. Iohn 2. 2. The Hebrues expound this of the destruction of the hoast of Sennacherib which was done by the Angell of the which in the 37. ver 36. And call the hoast of the Assyrians the yoke of the peoples burthen the staffe of the shoulder the rod of the oppressour But it is a more grieuous bondage wherewith the spirituall Sennacherib of whom the Assyrians was a certaine figure and shadow bound vs and from which Christ hath deliuered vs. T. M. What the yoke of transgression is The yoke of my transgression is bound vppon his handes ¶ Mine heauie sinnes are continually before his eyes as hée that tyeth a thing to his hand for a remembraunce Geneua What is ment by the yoke in this place It is good for a man that he â—eare the yoke of his youth He sheweth that we can neuer begin too timely to be exercised vnder the Crosse that when the afflictions grow greater our patience also by experience may be stronger Geneua YRON FVRNACE What is meant by this yron furnace ANd brought you out of the yron furnace of Aegypt By this yron furnace is vnderstood anguish and griefe sorrow carefulnesse of heart 3. Reg. 8. 51. for Aegypt was to them an yron furnace for the great anguish sorrow and carefulnesse of heart which they there suffered T. M. Zachary How Zachary and his wife are counted iust in Scripture SCripture commendeth Zachary and Elizabeth to be both iust before God and to walke in all the commaundements and iustifications of the Lord. To this saith Master Fox I could aunswere thus yâ— if Zachary Elizabeth his wife were both iust before God it was not because God could not but because he would not finde fault with them But to let mine owne aunswere goe I will set S. Hierome to aunswere therevnto where he declareth two manner of perfections to be in holy Scriptures One which is agréeable to the vertues of God and is voide of all sinne and immutable And this saith he is appropriate onely to God was héere declared in Christ The other which agreeth to our fragilitie and is not pure from all sinne and is called perfect not by comparison to Gods iustice but so accounted in the knowledge of God who séeth the good indeuour of the fraile creature accepteth the same in the same produceth this example both of Zachary Elizabeth also of Iob. The like answere may be gathered out of S. Austen who speaking of the worthinesse which is in iust men heere saith yâ— it may be called perfect so far as they both truly acknowledge humbly confesse their own imperfection going wtall c. So yâ— of the righteousnes of Zachary we may say as S. Paule said by the righteousnes of Abraham yâ— if he haue any thing to glory he hath to glory with men not with god in whose iudgment saith Dauid no flesh shal be iustified c. only yâ— flesh of the sonne of God excepted who onely being iust died for yâ— vniust as Saint Peter witnesseth wherevpon I ground this reason Christ dyed for the vniust Zachary and Elizabeth were not vniust before God as they say Ergo Christ died not for them which is absurd to graunt so that rather this argument is to be holden A sensu contrario Christ dyed for the vniust Christ dyed for Zachary and Elizabeth Ergo Zachary and Elizabeth were vniust Againe They that doe the commaundements doe liue therein Zachary and Elizabeth lyued not in the commandements but died Ergo Zachary and Elizabeth did not all the commaundements so iustly as they should Master Fox in his sermon of Christ crucified fo 36. ¶ They were both righteous before God walked in all the lawes ordinaunces of the Lord without reproch These words are not to be vnderstood as though Zachary Elizabeth absolutely fulfilled the law for then they had no néed of Christ and Christ had not then said truly in the 17. of Luke Dicite c. Say ye we are vnprofitable seruants c. But therfore they are said to be iust because God in Christ
God doth not onelie attribute this vnto God that he séemeth to be angrie when he doth chasten and punish sinners but he doth expreslie giue vnto him a certeine commotion also which we doe call anger And I will not grudge to resite his words These things saith he which be naught must of necessitie displease him that is good and iust and he that is displeased with euill is moued when he seeth it done We doe rise to reuenge not because we be hurt and anoied but that discipline maie be kept mens manners corrected libertie refrained This is a iust anger which as it is necessarie in man for the redresse of naughtinesse so is it also in God from whom the example came vnto man For like as it behooueth vs to chasten them which be subiect vnto our iurisdiction so it beséemeth God to chasten the sinnes of all and that he maie doe that he must néedes be angrie For it is naturall for the good to bee moued and stirred at the sinne of an other Therefore they shold haue defined it thus that anger is the motion of the mind meaning to chastice sinne For the definition of Cicero Anger is a desire to reuenge is not much different from that we said afore But the same angerâ— which we maie call either furie or rage ought not to be in man because it is altogether faultie But that anger which belongeth to correction of vice neither ought to be taken from man neither can be taken from God because it is both profitable necessarie for meÌ„ This saith Lactantius by which words he doth not take from God the commotion and sturre of anger but that onelie which is ioined with fault and is vnséemelie also for man Musculus fol. 438. For some when they heard prouoked him to anger ¶ He is angrie héere because they refused wisdome and imbraced follie because they forsooke yâ— word of truth â—olowed vaine deuices because they would not enter into the rest promised them but had more desire to returne to yâ— heauie labour bondage of Aegipt This madnesse of yâ— people the Lord is angrie with as a louing Father yâ— had care ouer them So if we will haue holie anger let it be frée from all hatred reuenge arise onelie for the profit and well dooing of our neighbour Thus we read our Sauiour Christ was angrie when he sawe yâ— frowardnesse of the Iewes who by no admonitions would be made wiser Thus S. Paule prouoketh Timothie when he saith Reproue sharplie rebuke men yâ— they turne not awaie from yâ— truth So S. Iude biddeth vs all if we fall into companie with froward men to saue them with feare as if we would sodeinlie pluck them out of the fire Thus if we can haue our affections moued we are holiâ—â—e angrie for the end of our doings is yâ— profit of our brother Deering By wrath is vnderstood not a disturbance or perturbatioÌ„ of the mind for these things can haue no place in God But as Augustin hath wel interpreted in his booke of yâ— Trinitie Wrath in God signifieth a iust vengeance And God is said to be angrie when he sheweth foorth his effects of an angrie man which are to punish aâ—enge So he is said to repent himselfe that he had made man because like a man that repenteth himselfe he would ouerthrow his worke Pet Mart. vpon the Rom. 107. And the wrath of the Lord wared hotâ—e against Israel c. Wheras yâ— wrath of God wared hot against Israel is not so to be vnderstood as though God had anie affections for that perteineth onelie vnto men But according to the coÌ„mon receiued exposition of these places we féele yâ— God is like vnto men yâ— are angrie after which selfe same reson it is written yâ— he somtime repenteth wherefore God either to repent or to be angrie is nothing els but that he doth those things which men repenting or to be angrie vse to doe for the one do either alter or els ouerthrowe that which before they had done and the other take vengeance or iniuries done vnto them Ambrâ—se in his booke of Noe the Arke the 4. Chapter speketh otherwise of the anger of God for neither doth God saith he thinke as men doe as though some contrarie sentence should come vnto him neither he is angrie as though hâ—â— wore mutable but therefore these things are beléeued to expresse the bitternesse of our sinnes which hath deserued the wrath oâ— God to declare that the fault hath so much so farre increased that euen God also which naturallie is hot moued either by anger or hatred or anie passion séemeth to be prouoked to wrath c. And aptlie is there mention made of the anger before the punishment For men vse first to be angrie before they reuenge Pet Mar. vpon Iudic. fol 70. Of two kindes of Anger He was excéeding wrath c. ¶ There are two kindes of anger the one deserued the other vndeserued The deserued anger is with the which God is prouoked against sinners parents against disobedient children Magistrates against wicked subiects and maisters against negligent schollers and such like He that giueth occasion of such anger offendeth and is in fault bicause the partie against whome the offence is committed is iustlie angrie but such was not the anger of Herod The vndeserued anger is when as they are let by some meanes or other from their wicked intent and purpose He that giueth occasion to these is not in fault With this kinde of anger was Herod angrie therefore the fault was in himselfe and not in the wise men Marl. vpon Math. fol. 24. ANOINTING What is meant by the Anointing of the head But wheu thou fastest anoint thy head c. ¶ To anoint the head is meant as turning the other chéeke and of that the left hand should not knowe what the right did That is that they should auoide all vaine glorie and fast to God and for the intent that God ordeined it for And that with a merie heart and cheerefull countenaunce thereby to seeke the working of God and to be sure of his fauour Such is the meaning and not to binde them that fast to anoint their heades and wash their faces And the manner and phrase of speaking commeth of an vsage that was among the Iews to anoint themselues with swéete and odiferous ointmentes when they were disposed to be merie and to make good cheere As ye sée how Mary of Bethanie powred a boxe of precious ointments vpon Christs head as he sate at supper Tindale Of the anointing of the sicke with Oyle what was meant thereby And they anointed manie that were sicke with Oyle ¶ In healing the sicke the Apostles did vse oyle to signifie thereby that they were healed by the vertue of the holie Ghost which in the holie Scriptures manie times is signified by outward vnction Sir I. Cheeke Looke Oyle ANTES The first
inuenters of a common weale PLato saith that the first inuenters of a common weale were the Antes for as we sée by experience they liue togethers they trauaile togethers and make prouision in the winter togethers And in going and comming from their worke they hurt not one an other but each one reioiceth at others trauaile and none doe giue them to anie priuate thing but altogethers for the common wealth and they liue by thousands together in one little hillock where as two men onelie in a common weale cannot liue in peace and concord ANTICHRIST What Antichrist is ANtichrist is not the proper name of a person but of an office For as S. Iohn in his first Epistle and second Chapter saith manie are Antichrists ¶ Antichrist signifieth not anie perticuler man which as the people dreame should come in the end of the world For yée sée that in Saint Iohns time he was alreadie come But all that teach false doctrine contrarie to the worde of God are Antichrists Tindale Marke this aboue all things that Antichrist is not an outward thing that is to saie a man that should sodeinlie appeare with wonders as our Fathers talked of him no verilie For Antichrist is a spirituall thing is as much to saie as against Christ that is one that preacheth false doctrine contrarie to Christ. Antichrist was in the olde Testament and fought with the Prophets He was also in the time of Christ and of the Apostles as thou readest in the Epistles of Saint Iohn and of Paule to the Corinthians and Galathians and other Epistles Antichrist is now shall I doubt not endure vnto the worlds ende But his nature is when he is vttered and ouercome with the word of God to go out of the place for a season theÌ„ to come in againe with a new name a new raiment As thou séest how Christ rebuked yâ— scribes the pharesies in yâ— gospel which were verie Antichrists saieng Wo be vnto you Pharesies for ye rob widdows houses ye pray loÌ„g praiers vnder a colour ye shut vp the kingdome of heauen suffer theÌ„ not yâ— would to enter in ye haue taken awaie the key a knowledge ye make meÌ„ to breake Gods coÌ„mandements with your traditions ye beguile yâ— people with hipocrisie such like which things al our prelats do but haue yet got theÌ„ new names other garments are other wise disguised Ther is difference is yâ— names betwéene a Pope a Cardinal a Bishop so foorth to saie a Scribe a pharesie a Seuiour so foorth but the thing is al one Euen so now wheÌ„ we haue vttered him he will chaunge himselfe once more turne himself into an angel of light 2. Cor. 11. read yâ— place I exhort thée whatsoeuer thou art that readest this note it wel The Iews looke for Christ and he is come 1500. years agoe they not aware we also haue looked for Antichrist he hath reigned as long we not ware that because either or vs loked carnallie for him not in yâ— place where we ought to haue sought The Iewes had found Christ verilie if they had sought him in yâ— law Prophets whither Christ seÌ„deth theÌ„ to séeke Iohn 5. We also had spied out Antichrist long ago if we had looked in yâ— doctrine of Christ his Apostles where because the beast séeth himself now to be sought for he roareth séeketh new holes to hide himselfe in changeth himself into a thousand fashions with al maner wilines falsehood subtiltie craft because yâ— his excommunications are come to light he maketh it treson vnto the king to be acquainted with Christ. If Christ they may not liue together one hope we haue yâ— Christ shal liue for euer The old Antichrist brought Christ vnto Pilate saieng by our law he ought to die and when Pilate had them iudge him after their lawe they answered It is not lawful for vs to kil anie man which they did to the intent yâ— they which regarded not the shame of their false excommunications shold yet feare to confesse Christ because yâ— the temporall sword had condemned him They do all things of a good zeale saie they They loue you so well yâ— they had rather burne you then yâ— you should haue fellowship with Christ. They are zealous ouer you amisse as saith S. Paul Gal. 4. 17. They would deuide you from Christ his holie Testament and ioine you to the Pope to beléeue his Testament Tindale fol. 60 It is to be noted that as oft as anie mention is made of Antichrist it must not be restrained vnto anie one man but rather be extended to some whole kingdome which sets it selfe against Christs kingdome For ther haue ben many Antichrists from the beginning according as Iohn declareth 1. Iohn 2. 18. namelie euen as manie as haue gone about to lead Christs Church awaie from the purenes singlenes of Gods word by their vntoward noisome errors c. Marl. vpoÌ„ the Apo. fol. 183 A prophesie of Antichrists birth While king Richard was yet in the land of Palestine he sent to the I le of Calabria for Abbas Ioachim of whose famous learning woÌ„derfull prophesies he had heard much Among other demaunds he asked him of Antichrist what time in what place he should chieflie appeare Antichrist saith he is alredie borne in the citie of Rome will set himselfe yet higher in yâ— seat Apostolike I thought saith yâ— king that he shold haue ben borne in Antioch or in Babilon to haue come to the stocke of Dan. I reckoned also yâ— he shold haue raigned in the temple of God within Hierusaleâ— onelie haue trauailed for yâ— space of three yeares a halfe wheras Christ trauailed to dispute against â—noch Helias Not so saith Ioachim but as the Apostle reporteth he is the onelie aduersarie which extolleth himselfe aboue al yâ— is called God For whereas the Lord is called but holie he is called the most holie father This Antichrist shal be opened him shall God destroie with yâ— spirit of his mouth light of his coÌ„ming c. Bale The time of Antichrists disclosing If ye will weigh Paules words diligentlie we shall also know the time wherin Antichrist must be disclosed to the world For writing to yâ— Thessalonians yâ— thought yâ— Christ should shortlie come to iudgement minding to bring them out of yâ— opinion saith yâ— there shall a departing come before the daie of iudgmeÌ„t yâ— is to say yâ— men must fal from yâ— Emperour of Rome as Hierom Anselme Theophilact Bede Dionise almost all yâ— rest of yâ— interpreters take it True it is yâ— Paule spake this thing dark lie least he shold offend mens minds Therfore then saith Paul yâ— great wicked bodie shall shew foorth himself yea he shal not onlie succéed especiallie at Rome in his owne strength but also as Daniel writeth he shall bring to naught yâ—