his help but goe about without him to helpe them selues by ther owne workes and wisedome or are impatient in their troubles them doth he forsake vtterlie in the middes of their afflictions Sir I. Cheeke What Gods curse is Gods curse is the taking awaie of his benefites As God cursed the earth and made it barren so now hunger dearth warre pestilence and such like are yet right curses and signes of the wrath of God vnto the vnbeléeuers but vnto them that know Christ they are verie blessings and that wholsome crosse and true Purâ—â—torie oâ— our flesh through which all must go that will liue godlie and be saued As thou readest Math. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake c. And Heb. 12. 6. The Lord chasteneth whom he loueth and scorgeth all the children that he receiueth Tindale What God appointeth and no more Whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done ¶ Héere we doe learne that the enimies of Christ can goâ— no farther then God hath appointed them Therefore let the Preacher of the truth be of good comfort though Satan with all his legion of diuells the world all the mightie Princes thereof doe arise and conspire against them yet they can doe no more then the Lords hand and counsell hath appointed before Sir I. Cheeke How all things come to passe by Gods will ¶ Looke Will Of two wills in God ¶ Looke Will. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the author of sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. Of the God of this world Iâ— whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beléeue not ¶ Satan is Gods minister and can doe no more then he appointeth him to doe Neuertheles Christ calleth him the Prince of this world Iohn 16. 11. And héere the Apostle calleth him the God of this world because the worlde doth most commonlie forsake the true God and serueth him For vnto whom soeuer we obaie we make him our God As S. Paule calleth the bellie their God that are earthlie minded serue their owne bellies Phil. 3. 19. What is meant by the God of Iacob ¶ Looke Iacob What the seate of God is ¶ Looke Seate GODHEAD IN CHRIST How Christs Godhead is vnderstood FOr in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodelie ¶ We must beware that we doe not with the Antropomorphiâ—es think that God hath a bodilie shape because the Apostle saith that the Godhead dwelleth in Christ bodelie for that is as much to saie that the Godhead doth dwell trulie and naturallie in Christ being a 〈…〉 and◠〈…〉 God and that therefore he is a sufficient treasure of all 〈…〉 riched Sir I. Cheeke ¶ In saieng that the Godhead is reallie in Christ he sheweth that he is verie God Also saieng In him he declareth two distinct natures And by this word Dwelleth he proueth that he is there foreuer Geneua How Christ in his Godhead is euerie where How maie Christ be called a straunger is he departed into a straunge countrie Séeing he is with vs vnto the worlds end and is among them that he gathered in his name Aunâ—were Christ is both God and man hauing in him two natures and as man he is not with vs vnto the worldes ende nor is present with his faithfull gathered together in his name But his diuine power and spirite is euer with vs. Paule saith he was absent from the Corinthians in bodie but he was present with them in spirite So is Christ gone hence saith he and absent in his humanitie which his diuine nature is euerie where And in these saiengs we reserue to both his natures their owne properties Origen in Math. homil 33. GODS MERCIE Of such as presume too much thereof MAnie doe presume so much of Gods mercie that they sinne at pleasure and repent at leasure But be not seduced saith S. Paule for God is not mocked whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Hemmyng How the Magistrates are called Gods ¶ Looke Iuâ—ges What the nature of Gods word is ¶ Looke Word Nature GODLIE SORROVV What godlie sorrow bringeth to a man FOr godlie sorrow causeth repentaunâ—â— c. ¶ There be two manners of sorrow The one commeth of God and ingendereth repentaunâ—e 〈…〉 life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter For they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and of Iudas was fleshlie and carnall and therefore being without godlie comâ—ort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godlie sorrow did flie vnto the father of mercies with a true repentant heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirite doth touch he is sorie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a father and these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Others which are sorie for their sinnes onelie for feare of punishment and Gods vengeaunce fall into desperation as Cain Saule Achitophel and Iudas Geneua GODLINESSE What Godlinesse is GOdlinesse is not made of words as wood is made of Trées but it is an earnest loue procéeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfained faith in which we maie glorifie God and doe good to his people Paule was godlie when he gloried in nothing but in the crosse of Iesus Christ by which the world was crucified vnto him and he vnto the world They are godlesse hypocrites which in word confesse they know God but in deede doe denie him They are Christs which haue crucified the flesh with the affections and concupiscence of it They are of their father the Diuell that in wickednesse doe the desire of the Diuell c. M. Deering GOG AND MAGOG What they were and what they doe signifie SAint Austen in his 20. booke De ciuitate Dei willeth by Gog to be signified the glorious hypocrites of the world by Magog the open enimies of righteousnesse pretending the contrarie As testifieth Berosus the Chaldean in the first booke of his histories 5. chapter Gog was a mightie gouernour in the land of Sabea Arabia the rich vnder Nimroth the great king of Babilon and there ruled with Sabâ—s his Father in the 18. yeare of his raigne In the 38. Chapter of Ezechielâ— Prophecie ver 2. he is called the chiefe Prince of Mosoch and Tâ—â—bal whom some Expositours taketh for Capadoce and Spaine But after the opinion of S. Hierom and Isidorus which was a Spaniard the Hebrue taketh this Thubal for Italy which is much more agréeable to the purpose Magog was the seconde sonne of Iaphet which was the third sonne vnto Noe. This Magog as witnesseth Iosephus in the first booke of his Antiquities the 11. chapter was the first beginner of the Magogites whom the Greekes called the Scythians and we now the Tartarians And all the chiefe
of them which beléeue in the name of Christ and doe receiue the right of the adoption of the sonnes of God they which are such are not borne of flesh bloud but of God flesh bloud begetteth not the children of God That which is of the flesh is flesh that which is of the spirit is spirit By these words the Euangelist meaneth nothing els but the carnall birth For he maketh a comparison of the generation of the flesh and the spirit reiecting the one and allowing the other c. They which beléeue in Christ being before vncleane Gentiles are not borne the sonnes of God out of the wombe or by flesh and bloud but are brought therevnto by the workmanship of the holy Ghost And although properly he hath respect vnto the Iewes which were proud in the flesh yet notwithstanding of this place a generall doctrine maye be gathered namely that whereas we are counted the sonnes of God it commeth not by the propertie of our nature neither of our selues but because the Lord hath begotten vs of his owne frée will singular loue Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 19. That we should be called the sonnes of God ¶ Being made the sons of God in Christ he sheweth what qualities we must haue to be discerned from bastards Geneua SOPHIST What a Sophist was at the beginning and what it is now SOphists at the first beginning were men that professed to be teachers of wisdome and eloquence And the name of Sophists was had in honour and price and they were of the same estimation and of the verie same facultie science that afterward wer called Rhetores that is Rethoritians yea also Logitians For when the Sophists fell to cauilling brawling and triâ—ling by little and little the estimation decayed So that or the time that Socrates liued in a Sophist was a name of contempt and hatred and so it is yet still at this day Vdal SORROVV Of godly sorrow and worldly sorrow FOR godly sorrow causeth repentaunce vnto saluation Godly sorrow is when we are not terrified with the feare of punishment but because we féele we haue offended God our most mercifull Father Contrarye to this there is an other sorrow that onely feareth punishment or when a men is vexed for the losse of some worldly goods the fruite of the first is repentaunce the fruite of the second is desperation vnlesse the Lord helpe spéedely Beza ¶ Ther be two manner of sorrowes The one commeth of God and engendereth repentaunce vnto life The other commeth of the flesh and bréedeth desperation vnto death We haue examples of both in Cain and Dauid in Iudas and Peter for they all sorrowed but the sorrow of Cain and Iudas was fleshly carnall and therfore being without godly comfort it did driue them to desperation Whereas Dauid and Peter in their godly sorrow did flye vnto the father of mercie with a true repentaunt heart and were receiued againe into the fauour of God Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Whose heart Gods spirit doth teach he is sorrie for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a God these are the fruites of his repentaunce as witnesse Dauids and Peters teares Other which are sorrie for their sinnes onely for feare of punishment and Gods vengeance fall into desperation As Cain Saule Iudas Achitophel c. Geneua How Christ ouercame the sorrowes of death And loosed the sorrowes of death ¶ The death that was full of sorrowe both of body and minde Therfore when death appeared conquerour and victour ouer those sorrows Christ is rightly sayd to haue ouercome those sorrowes of death when as being dead he ouercame death to liue for euer with his father Beza ¶ Both as touching the paine and also the horrour of Gods wrath and curse Geneua SOVLDIER What the profession of a souldier is TO professe a souldier is of it selfe saith Erasmus to confesse the puddle and sinke of all mischiefe The meaning of this place following Thou therfore suffer afflictioÌ„ as a good soldier of Iesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this lyfe because he woulde please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier ¶ The latter sentence is generall and perteyneth to all men The meaning is this Whosoeuer would be a souldier vnto Christ must leaue all worldly things and follow him And what Saint Paule meaneth by the affaires of this lyfe Heare Maister Caluines iudgement by the affaires of this life the Apostles vnderstandeth the care of gouerning his family and other ordinary businesse He also applieth the place on this wise Now this comparison saith he is to be applied to the present purpose that whosoeuer will playe tho warrier vnder Christ leauing all worldly matters and impediments must giue himselfe wholy vnto him SOVLE The diuerse taking of this word Soule THe soules of them that were put to death c. ¶ The worde soule is put somtime for the life because the soule is yâ— cause of lyfe and because the life consisteth in the soule as in yâ— Psal. 119. 109. and in Iob. 16. 4. Also it is taken for will minde or desire because it is the seate of the will and desire In which sense the soule of Ionathas is sayd to be linked to the soule of Dauid 1. Re. 18. 1. And the soule of Sichem is saide to haue cleued to Dina the daughter of Iacob Ge. 24. 8. And Luke saith that the multitude that beléeued were of one heart and of one soule Act. 4. 32. Many times it is taken for the whole liuing man as when it is saide that thréescore sixtéene soules went with Iacob into Aegypt Ge. 46. 27. Also the soule that sinneth the same shall dye Eze. 18. 20. And the soule that steppeth aside to witches and southsayers shall dye the death c. Leuit. 20. 6. And again eight soules wer saued by water â— Pet. 3. 20. Somtime it is taken for the breath which men doe breath in out wherein consisteth the liuely mouing of the body like as when it is said perplexity hath caught hold of me although my whole soule be still within mâ—â— 2. Reg. 1. 9. And his soule is in him Act. 20. 10. Also let the soule of the child returne into his bowels 3. Reg. 17. 21. And like as in the Latin phrase of speach they be commonly wont to say that the soule is puffed or breathed out so also doth the scripture say that the soule passeth or goeth out as it is said in Rachel And as her soule was passing or going out for she was then vieng she called the child Benony Gen. 35. 18. But most often the soule is taken for the immortall spirit of man lyke as it is sayd feare not them that kill the bodye but cannot kill the soule Math. 10. 28. In this sense doth Iohn say héere that he sawe the soules of them that were put to death c. Marl. vpon the Apoc.
the Priests eare for that is but mans inuention but to God in the heart and before all the Congregation of God how that we be sinners and sinfull and that our whole nature is corrupt and inclined to sinne and all vnrighteousnesse and therefore euill wicked and damnable his lawes holy and iust by which our sinfull nature is rebuked And also to our neighbour if we haue offended any man perticularly Then Contrition sorrowfulnesse that we be such damnable sinners and not onely haue sinned but are wholly inclined to sin still Thirdly Faith of which our olde Doctors haue made no mention at all in the description of their Penaunce that God for Christs sake doth forgiue vs and receiue vs to mercie and is at one with vs will heale our corrupt nature And fourthly satisfaction or amends making not to God with holy works but to mine neighbour whome I haue offended if anye open crime be found in me and submitting of a mans selfe vnto the Congregation of the Church of Christ. And note this as satisfaction and amends making is counted righteous before the world and a purging of sinne so that the world to whome I haue made a full amends hath no farther to complaine euen so faith in Christs bloud is counted righteousnesse and a purging of all sinne before God Moreouer he that sinneth against his brother sinneth also against his Father almightie God as the sinne committed against his brother is purged before the world with making amendes or asking forgiuenesse Euen so is the sinne committed against God purged through faith in Christs bloud onely for Christs â—ake Iohn 8. 24. Except ye beleeue that I am he ye shall dye in your sinnes that is to say If ye thinke that through anye other Sacrifice or satisfaction to God-ward then me ye remaine euer in sinne before God how soeuer righteous you appeare before the world Wherefore now whether ye call this Motanoe Repentaunce Conuersion or toâ—â—ing againe to God either amending c. Or whether ye say repent be conuerted turne to God amend your liuing or what ye list I am content so ye vnderstande what is meant thereby as I haue now declaâ—ed Tindale fol. 37. HOW repentaunce is attributed to God I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vppon them ¶ When the Scripture attributeth repentaunce vnto God it is not that he doth contrary to that which he hath ordeined in his secret counsell But when he threateneth it is a calling to repentaunce and when he giueth man grace to repent the threatening which euer containeth a condition in iâ— taketh no place And this the Scripture calleth repentaunce in God because it so appeareth to mans iudgement Geneua The Lord repented of the plague ¶ In the diuine nature there is no such affections or chaungâ—ablenesse But God is sayde after the mauner of men to repâ—â—it when he doth not execute that he had denounced or doth deferre the plague which he had threatened Geneua I repent me that I made Saule King ¶ God in his eternall counsell neuer chaungeth nor repenteth as ver 29. though he séemeth to vs to repent when many things goeth contrarye to his temporall election Geneua ¶ The repentaunce of God is onely chaunging of the deede And as the affection of mercie and of fatherly loue is attributed vnto God euen so doth the Scripture attribute vnto God after his manner of speach to affliction of anger and of fury and of repentaunce also for men cannot otherwise speake of God T. M. ¶ It repented the Lord that he had made man ¶ God doth neuer repent but he speaketh after our capacitie because he did destroy him and in that as it were did disaâ—owe him to be a creature Geneua Of Esaus repentaunce And founde no place of repentaunce ¶ Nouatus did not well vnderstande this place gathering thereby that they which doe of a fraylenesse sinne though they repent neuer so truly ought not be receiued to fauour againe For heere is not one word spoken of remission of sinnes but of the right of the first borne which being sold for a vile messe of poâ—age could not be recouered againe though he sought it with teares Sir I. Cheeke The meaning of this place following My repentings are rouled together ¶ Meaning that his loue wherewith he first loued them made him betwéene doubt and assuraunce what to doe and héerein appeareth his fatherly affection that his mercie towards his shall ouercome his iudgements as he declareth in the next verse Geneua Of two manner of repentaunce I finde saith Frith to Rastall two manner of repentaunce one is without faith is such a repentaunce as Iudas Rastals Christen men which continue still in sinne haue at latter end which doth rather purchase them an halter then the remission of sinnes Another repentance followeth instification remission of sins is a florishing fruit of faith for when by faith wee do perceiue the fauour kindnesse yâ— our louing father hath shewed vs in his sonne Iesus Christ and that he hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by the bloud of his sonne then begin we to loue him the more we hate the body of sinne and lament and be sory that our members are so fraile that they cannot fulfill the lawe of God and so in mourning and bewailing our infirmitie it causeth vs to abstaine both from meate and drinke and worldly pleasures which is the pure fasting that we talke off but you vnderstand it not And this repentaunce commeth not to purge the sinnes which is committed before but onelyâ— taketh an occasion by the sinnes before committed to know what poyson there remaineth in our flesh and seeketh by all meanes to make vs hate this body of sinne and to subdue it with all manner of workes that God hath appointed to the intent that it should in time to come no more displease God our most mercifull Father which of gentlenesse so often pardoneth and forgiueth vs as I touched before This is the manner of repentaunce which I finde in scripture but this helpeth that we should sinne no more but what Rastall dreameth I wote not But to expresse the vttermost what I meane by repentaunce marke this example If a man builde an house which doth cost him much labour and money and haue layed no sure foundation but that when a tempest commeth his house doeth fall then will he be very sorie and repent that he hath so foolishly bestowed his money and labour Notwithstanding all this great sorrow and repentaunce cannot set vp his house againe which is fallen but onely it taketh an occasion by the ruine of the house to teach the owner wit against another time yâ— when he buildeth againe he may make a sure foundation Euen so though thou repent neuer so much that cannot get remission of thy sinnes that is but that must be pardoned onely by the faith in Christs bloud Neuerthelesse it doth
¶ This word Selah after Rabikim was a signe or token of lifting vp the voice also a monition and aduertisement to enforce the thought minde earnestly to giue héede to the meaning of the verse vnto which it is added Some will that it signifie perpetually or verily T. M. ¶ Selah heere signifieth a lifting vp of the voice to cause vs to consider the sentence as a thing of great importance Geneua ¶ Concerning this word Selah the interpretours agrée not among themselues Some vpholde it to be a marke of affirmation to signifie as much as truely or verely or so be it Other take it for time without end Howbeit forasmuch Salal signifieth to lift vp the opinion of those is allowable which thinke yâ— by this word is betokened yâ— lifting vp of the voice in tune Neuerthelesse it is to be vnderstood therwithall that the notes of singing were applyed to the meaning of the matter And so the tune aunswered the thing or the matter that it was set vnto Caluine vpon the. 3. Psal. SEALE The opening the. 7. Seales and the meaning thereof THe opening of the first seale telleth the state of the Church in yâ— time of the preaching of Christ and of his Apostles For the first beast that is the Lion gaue his voice that â—etokeneth the preachers of Christs resurrection and of his ascention for then yede out a white horse and he that sate vpon him had a Bowe in his hande and he yede out ouercomming to be ouercome By this white horse we vnderstand the cleane lyfe and conuersation that these preachers had and by the bow their true teaching pricking sorrow in mens heartes for ther sinnes without flattering And they went out of Iewrie yâ— they commen off ouercomming some of the Iewes and making them to leaue the trust that they hadden in the olde law and to beléeue in Iesus Christ and shewen his teaching And they wenten out to the Paynims shewing to them that their Images were no Gods but mens workes vnmightie to saue themselues or any other drawing them to the beléefe of Iesus Christ God man In the opening of the second seale ther cryed the second beast that is a calfe that was a beast wonted to bée slaine and offered to God in the olde lawe This sheweth the state of the Church in the time of Martirs that for their stedfast preaching of Gods true lawe shedde their bloud that is signified by the redde horse that went out at this second opening this estate beganne at Nero the cursed Emperour and dured till the time of Constantine the great that endued the Church For in his time many of Christs seruauntes and leaders of Gods flocke were slaine For of 32. Bishoppes of Rome that were betwéene Peter and Siluester the first I reade but of foure but that they were Martirs for the lawe of Christ. And also in the time of Dioclesian the Emperour the persecution of the Christian men was so great that in thirtie dayes were slaine two and twentie thousand men and women in diuerse countries for the lawe of God The opening of the third seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Heretikes that beth figured by the blacke horse for false vnderstanding of holy writ for that cried the third beast that is a man for at that time was it néede to preach the mysterie of Christs incarnation and his passion against these Heretikes that â—elden misse in these pointes Howe Christ tooke verye mankinde of our bodye him béeing God as hée was before and his mother béeing maide before and after The opening of the fourth seale telleth the state of the Church in the time of hypocrites that beth by signified the pale horse yâ— beth signes of penance without forth to binde the people And he yâ— sate vpoÌ„ the horse his name was Death for they should slay Ghostly them that they leden and teacheth to trust vppon other thing then God And hell followeth him for hell receiueth thilke that those destinieth At that time shal it néede that the fourth beast that is the Eagle make his crie that flyeth highest of foules to reare vp Gods Gospell to praise that lawe aboue other least that mens wit and their traditions ouergrow and troden downe the lawe of God by enforming of those hypocrits and that is the last state that is either shall be in the Church before the comming of the great Antichrist The opening of the fift seale telleth the state of the Church that then shall follow and the desire that louers of Gods law shuldeth haue after the end of this worlde to be deliuered of this woe The opening of the sixt seale telleth the state of the Church in time of Antichrists time the which state ye may know to be in the Church when ye séeth fulfilled that Saint Iohn prophesieth to fall on the opening of this seale where he saith thus After this I sawe foure Angels standing vpon foure corners of the earthâ— holding the foure windes of the earth that they blowne not on the earth ne vpon the sea ne vpon any tree These foure Angels be the number of all the diuels ministers that in that time shalleth in the pleasance of the Lord Antichrist stop the foure windes that beth the foure Gospels to be preached and so let the breath of the grace of the holy Ghost to fall vppon men mourning for sinne casting them to amendement and to other that woulden increase in vertues either vpon perfect men What is there after this to fall but that the mysterie of the seauenth seale be shewed that he come in his own person That Iesus Christ shall sleye with the breath of his owne mouth when the fiend shall shew the vttermost persecution that he and his seruants may doe to Christs lims that shall be the third warning that the world shall haue to come to the dreadfull iudgement c. This is drawne out of a Sermon in the booke of Martirs preached in the yere of our Lord. 1389. and in the daies of king Henry the fourth by Richard Wymbeldon fol. 653. The meaning of this place following Whom God the Father hath sealed ¶ That is whom God the father hath distinguished from all other men by planting his owne vertue in him as though he had sealed him with his seale that he might be a lyuely pattern and representer of him and that more is install him to this office to reconcile vs men vnto God and bring vs to euerlasting lyfe which is onely proper to Christ. Beza ¶ Sealed that is he hath put his marks of the Holy ghost which testifieth with miracles what he is Tindale ¶ Sealed For when he appointed him to be the Mediator he set his marke and seale in him to be the onely one to reconcile God and man together Geneua SELEVCIANI What the opinions of these heretikes were
c. which haue the gifte of continence and vse it to serue God with more frée libertie Geneua Obiection How can ye proue that they which make themselues chast or gelde themselues for the kingdome of heauens sake haue receiued the gift of chastitie before Aunswere When the Apostles had said If the matter be so betwéene man and wife then it is not good to marie Our Sauiour Christ did aunswere and say All men be not able to comprehend or receiue this saieng but they to whom it is giuen Now if ye will aske me who they be that geld themselues or make themselues chast for the kingdome of heauens sake I will answere that they gelde themselues and make themselues chaste for the kingdome of heauen sake vnto whom it is giuen He that is able to receiue this let him receiue it ¶ This gifte meaning Chastitie is not common for all men but is verie rare and giuen to fewe therefore men maie not rashlie abstaine from mariage Geneua How in breaking of Chastitie the one part may offend and not the other An adulterer abuseth a womans bodie against hir will the man doth sinne and yet the woman is vndefiled because hir minde is chast and vnspotted Lucretia the Romane Matrone liueth chast for euer of whose bodie though proude Tarquinius Sonne had his pleasure yet hir minde continued still most chast and faithfull to hir husbande and therefore shée not consenting in heart to sinne is by Fame recorded to bée the Ornament of all womanhood and perfect Chastitie and therefore saith Saint Hierom verie well Corpus mulieris c. Not violence but will doth defile a womans bodie S. Augustine to Victorianus saith Ad Deum ingemiscentibus c. He will euer be present with his that sigh grone to God as he hath wont to be present with his and either he suffereth nothing to be done in their chast bodies by diuelish lust or if he doth suffer where are their minde is not defiled with anie filthinesse of consent he doth defend his owne flesh from offence And whatsoeuer either the lust of the patient hath either not consented vnto nor suffered it shal be the fault of the onelie doer And all that violence shall not be imputed for the filthines of corruption but for the wound of suffering For the soundnesse of Chastitie is of such force in the minde that when the minde is vndefiled chastitie cannot be defiled in the bodie whose members might haue bene disseuered one from another In another place Magis timeamus c. Let vs feare more least the inward vnderstanding being corrupt the chastitie of faith doth therewith perish rather then least women should be violentlie defiled in their flesh for chastitie is not defiled by violence if it be kept sound and cleare in the minde forasmuch as none is defiled when the will of the suffered doth not filthelie vse the flesh but suffereth that thing without consent which another doth worke by violence Of counterfait Chastitie S. Paule foretelleth of Antichrists disciples 2. Tim. 4. that they shall beare a great countenance of continent life forbid mariage And of such S. Hierom saith Iactant pudicitiam suam impudenti facie They make bragges of their chastitie with whorish countenaunce Iewel fol. 482. CHAVNCE How nothing commeth by hap chaunce THe prouidence of God is of that nature that through the immutable certaintie thereof whereby all things be ruled it excludeth all chaunces and hap of fortune I call it chance and hap of fortune whatsoeuer appeareth and betideth vnlooked for vnforeséene at all aduentures and without anie sure cause or reason so that it appeareth to be done by no foresight at all neither of God neither of man such as without number doth befal among men in the world Therfore looke how much any doth yéeld vnto chaunce and fortune so much hée doth pul awaie from the prouidence of God Unto good christian men it is a cléere case y◠ther chaunceth nothing throughout all the whole world at hazard or all aduentures with the prouidence of God which disposeth all Wherfore my iudgement is sayth Musculus that chaunce and fortune be vaine words and to no purpose Musculus fol. 432. Achab the king when he went on warre-fare chaunged his apparell and would not be knowne to be the king but bée counted a rascall souldier yet was he slaine with an Arrow which was shot at aduenture which thing might haue bene seemed to haue bene done by chaunce when as yet God in verie déede gouerned the shot And in like manner as Plutarch telleth Pirrhus was slaine of a woman in besieging Thebes she throwing downe a Tyle from the house toppe Uerie manie such thinges are done in our time which séeme vnto vs therefore to haue happened by chaunce because we know not the causes of things and iudgements of God Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 172. ¶ Looke Fortune CHAVNTER What this word signifieth TO the Chaunter ¶ That is héere translate to the Chaunter is in Hebrue Lamnazah which word after y◠minde of Abrah Ezra Dauid Kimhi expositours in Hebrue signifieth to the chiefe of the singers which we commonlie cal in English setters of the quiers or chaunter◠This interpretation also do both the most best learned of the Latinists best alow and therefore haue I folowed the same the whole Psalter through Expressing it by this word chaunter Notwithstanding diuerse Authors doe diuerslie interpret it Some saie it signifieth to the victor or ouercommer Some to the victorie which maie thus agrée and concord together if thou take a Psalme to bée a stirring and an exhortation to put our trust in God béeing sure to obteine the victorie And where some interprete vnto the end vnderstand euen the same For therefore doe we put our trust in God that we maie come to the end of the victorie Some translate the title thus A vehement and often made exhortation in instruments of musike a Psalme to Dauid that is as they themselues expound it a Psalme reuelate to Dauid for Dauid is in Hebrue the Datiue case and not the Genitius T. M. CHEEKE What is meant by turning of the cheeke WHosoeuer saith Christ shall smite thée on the right chéeke turne to him the other also ¶ To turne the other chéeke is a manner of speaking and not to be vnderstood as the words doe sound and it is to cut of the hand and to plucke out the eie And as we commaund our children not onelye come nie a brooke or water but also not so hardie to looke that waye either to looke on fire or once to thinke on fire which are impossible to be obserued More is spoken then meant to feare them and to make them perceiue that it is earnest that wée commaund euen so is the meaning heere that we in no wise auenge but be prepared euen to suffer as much more neuer think it lawful to auenge how great so euer
And the same meant also S. Hilarius by this word Naturallie when he said Christ dwelleth naturallie in vs. And as Saint Paule when he said that in Christ dwelled the full diuinitie corporall by the word corporallie he meant not that the Diuinitie is a bodie and so by that bodie dwelleth bodilie in Chist But by the word corporallie he ment that the diuinitie is not in Christ accidentallie lightly slenderlie but substanciallie and perfectlie with all his might and power so that Christ was not onelie a mortall man to suffer for vs but also he was an immortall GOD able to redéeme vs c. Cranmer What Christ is in the holie Scripture In the holie Scripture Christ is nothing els but a Sauiour a Redéemer a iustifier and a perfect peace-maker betwéen God and man The prooues He shall saue the people from their sinnes Christ is made our righteousnesse our satisfaction and our redemption For the wretchednesse of my people haue I striken him There is none other name giuen vnto men wherein they must be saued He it is that hath obtained grace for our sinnes He sent his sonne to make agréement for our sinnes ¶ Héere is the verie nature of Christ and his verie properties full and whole And whosoeuer denieth anie thing thereof or taketh anie part of them applie them or giue the glorie of them vnto anie other person then to Christ onelie the same man robbeth Christ of his honour and denieth him How Christ entred the dores being shut ¶ Looke Dores How Christs naturall bodie is in one place S. Augustine saith as it is alledged by Gracian Corpus Domini in quo resurrexit The bodie of our Lord wherein hée rose againe must néedes be in one place Againe he saith Christus secundum presentiam corporalem c. Touching bodilie presence Christ could not be in the Sunne in the Moone and vpon the Crosse and all at once Iewel fo 85. 86. The heauens saith S. Peter must containe and hold him vntill the time that all things be restored ¶ Cyrillus in Iohn li. 11. cap. 3. saith Christus non poterat c. Christ could not be conuersant with his Disciples in the flesh after he had ascended vnto the Father I. Frith ¶ Looke Bodie of Christ. How Christ is called Messiah ¶ Looke Messiah How Christ is called our Altar Ireneus calleth Christ our Altar And Origen calleth our hearts our Altar not that either Christ or our hearts be Altars indéed but by a Metaphore or a manner of speach How Christ is called sinne ¶ Looke Sinne. How Christ is the Fathers word ¶ Looke Word How Christ is onelie the Image of God ¶ Looke Image How Christ in his Godhead is euerie wher Loo Godhead How Christ is not carnally presēt with vs nor in the sacramēt Christ by his Godhead saith S. Austen is euer with vs but vnlesse he had departed awaie bodilie from vs we should euer more carnallie sée his bodie These words are speciallie to bée noted If Christ were bodilie héere he should carnallie be séene Therfore S. Austens iudgement if Christ wer bodilie present in the Sacrament we should sée him carnallie in the sacrament A man maie haue Christ verely present though he haue him not in his mouth For thus S. Austen saith Habes Christum in presenti c. Thou hast Christ in the time present by his signe or token in the time present by faith in the time present by the Sacrament of Baptime Christ is present in the Sacraments as they teach that hée is present in his word when he worketh mightelie by y◠fame in the harts of the hearers by which manner of speach it is not ment that Christ is corporallie present in the voice or sound of the speaker which sound perisheth as soone as the words be spoken but this speach meaneth that he worketh with his word vsing the voice of the speaker as his instrument to worke by as he vseth also Sacraments whereby he worketh and therfore is said to be present in them Cranmer The same flesh that was giuen in Christs last supper was giuen also vpon the Crosse is giuen dailie in the ministration of the Sacrament But although it be one thing yet it was diuerslie giuen for vpon the Crosse Christ was carnallie giuen to suffer and to die at his last Supper he was spirituallie giuen in a promise of his death in the Sacrament he is dailie giuen in the remēbrance of his death yet it is al but one Christ that was promised to die that died indéede whose death is remembred that is to say the very same Christ the eternall word that was made flesh the same flesh was also giuen to be spirituallie eaten was eaten indéed before his supper yea before his incarnation also Of which eating not of the sacramental eating he spake in the 6. of Iohn My flesh is verie meate my bloud is verie drinke he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Cranmer fol. 21. How Christ dranke of it himselfe He also dranke of it least when they heard his words they should saie whie doe we then drinke bloud eate flesh and so should be troubled for when he spake these things they were offended with his words because that should not also chance he himselfe dranke first of it that he might cause them to come without feare to the partaking of those mysteries ¶ Heere Chrisostome noteth that Christ dranke of it to draw them from the grose vnderstanding of his words by his drinking to testifie vnto them that it was not his naturall flesh indéed but memorials representations of his bodie and bloud I. Frith How Christ bare himselfe in his owne hands S. Augustine hath a saieng that in the Sacrament Christ was borne in his owne hands doth expound himselfe in another place saieng Ferebatur tanquam in manibus that is he was borne after a certeine manner in his owne hands And by that y◠he saith after a certaine manner we may soone perceiue what he meaneth Howbeit if S. Austen had not expounded himselfe yet he saith ad Bonifacium that the Sacrament of a thing hath a similitude or propertie of the thing which it signifieth And so he saith y◠he bare himselfe because he bare the sacrament of his bodie and bloud which did so earnest expresse himselfe as nothing might more doe it I. Frith Of Christs name and Offices First he is called by the name of Iesus which signifieth Sauiour to admonish vs that he was sent vnto vs from the father to saue vs that we maie haue saluation by none other but by him onelie His Offices be these thrée A Prophet a King a Sacrificator for the name of Christ signifieth annointed because that in the auntient Church of Israel y◠Priests Kings and
was ment by Circumcision Lactantius lib. Insti 4. chap. 17. saith thus The meaning of Circumcision was that we should make bare our breasts to wit that we shoulde liue with a simple and plaine dealing heart because that part of the bodie which is circumcised is partlie like to a heart and is therefore part of the priuitie And the cause why GOD commaunded to make it bare was that by that signe he might admonish vs not to haue a couered hart yâ— is that we should not couer within the secretes of our conscience anie 〈…〉 whereof we ought to be ashamed And this is the Circumcision of the heart wherof the Prophets speake which God hath than 〈…〉 〈…〉 the mortall flesh to the immortall soule For the Lord being whole set fullie minded according to his eternall goodnesse to haue a cure for our life and safegarde did set repentaunce before our eies for vs to followe â—s a waie to bring vs therevnto So that if we make bare our hearts that is if by confession of our sinnes we satisfie the Lord we should obtaine pardon which is denied to the proud and those that conceale their faults by God who beholdeth not the face as man doth but searcheth the secrets of the breast How Circumcision is the signe of the Couenaunt And he gaue him the couenaunt of Circumcision ¶ Circumcision is not the Testament but a sacrament or holie signe of the couenaunt That is to saie of promise that God made to Abraham saieng I will be thy God and the God of thy séede after thee Sir I. Cheeke Why Christ was circumcised Why was Christ cirumcised seeing he is exempted from the number of sinners This doth S. Paule expound to the Galathians 4. 4. where he saith When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his sonne borne of a woman made subiect to the Lawe that he might redeeme those that were vnder the Law Wherefore as he was borne for vs so was he circumcised for vs. Neither was it his will to abolish Circumcision before hée had made his present Sacrifice vpon the Altar of the crosse by which doing he bare witnesse that Circumcision was Sacrament ordeined of God Hemmyng Why Circumcision was marked in the member of generation Out of Augustine in diuers places we gather that therfore God would haue it so to put vs in minde that Originall sinne is by generation tâ—aduced from the parents into vs And that euen as the foreskinne being cut off in the Parent doeth notwithstanding returne againe into the childe which is begotten so Originall sinne being remiâ—â—d vnto the parents buddeth by againe in the children which are brought foorth c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 85. How the Iewes circumcise their children Whilest the Iewe circumcise the Infant there standeth one by with a little vessell full of earth or of dust whereinto they thrust the fores kinne being cut off as though the Diuel séemed by that meanes to haue his meate For the Lord said vnto the Serpent euen straight waie at the beginning vpon thy breast shalt thou créepe and earth shalt thou eate They séeme to thinke that the Diuell hauing thus gotten his meate departeth from the childe and will not afterward trouble him anie more Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 87. How the Aegyptians circumcise their children The Aegyptians saith Ambrose circumcised not in the eight daie as God had commaunded but in the 14 yeare for that Ismael at that time receiued Circumcision which manner also it is most likelie the Arabians followed for at this day the Turkes also are circumcised at that age Although the Aegyptians as the same Ambrose affirmeth were woont also to circumcise their women kinde and that in the 14. yeare as they did their males And of this thing they gaue this reason that they would by this signe signifie that lust is to be restrained which in either kinde at that age beginneth chiefelie to be kindeled But God commaunded that onelie the male kinds shuld be circumcised and yet were not the women of the Hebrues counted either straungers from the Church or from the Couenaunt for they are alwaies numbred together with the men they that were vnmarried with their Fathers and the married with their husbands c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 87. Obiection The people in the wildernesse ceased from Circumcision notwithstanding it was commaunded Aunswere They had Gods speciall dispensation so to doe for they were in continuall trauaile from place to place and could abide no labour being newlie circumcised but they made no lawe that circumcision should be quite abolished Lyra. ¶ They looked dailie to remoue at the Lordes commaundement which thing they that were newlie circumcised could not doe without great daunger Geneua CLOVDES How God did couer himselfe with cloudes when he spake to the people SUch is the vnspeakable power the high maiestie of God that like as Princes doe appeare and shew themselues in goodlie Tabernacles or houses and palaices richlie hanged and princelie adourned so the Cloudes serue vnto God to compasse him about when he speaketh vnto men As the Prophet saith Posuit tenebras latibulum suum in circuitu eius tabernaculum eius tenebrosa aqua in nubibus aeris He hath made darknesse to be vnto him as it were a secret closet or priuie chamber his Tabernacle that compasseth him round about is darke water thicke Cloudes of the aire And to make this as plaine as can be made to our dull senses read the 19. of Exodus and there shal ye finde it written that when God gaue the Lawe to the people of Israel he appeared to Moses vpon the top of Mount of Sinai in a thicke Cloud compassed about with smoke and flames of fire by the which straunge sight God declared his presence and also his power vnto the hard hearted people of the Iewes Likewise in the third booke of Kings the 8. Chapter we read that after the time king Salomon had builded the Temple almightie God to declare his presence to be readie to heare their praiers and to accept their Sacrifice made in that place filled the Temple at noone daie with a darke Cloud so that the Priests could not stand and minister because of the Cloude Also in the new Testament ye shal read in the 17 of S. Mathew yâ— when Christ vouchsafed to giue to the Apostles a tast of his heauenlie glorie before he should goe to the suffering of his passion to the ende that they should more stronglie constantlie abide in those bitter stormes of temptation when he should be spitted at and reuiled of the Iewes our Sauiour did transfigure and chaunge the state of his naturall bodie into the cléerenesse brightnesse and gloriousnesse of his heauenlie bodie that he should haue after his Resurrection in such wise yâ— his face did shine as bright as the Sunne and his garments that he did weare vpon his bodie
seuerally at seueral times they think theÌ„selues purer theÌ„ other people Epipha de haere The Esseans saith Iosephus Antiquit. lib. 15. cap. 13. exercise the like trade of life as Pythagoras deliuered among the Grecians Againe lib. 13. cap. 8. They affirme all things to be gouerned by destenie They marie no wiues They thinke Bel. Iud. li. 2. ca. 7. that no woman will kéepe hir selfe to one man They haue nothing proper but all common They are in number aboue 4. thousand Antiq. li. 18. ca. 2. There is a second sort of Esseans saith Iosephus Bel. Iud. li. 2. cap. 7. which agrée with the other in all things mariage onlie excepted They commend mariage for the maintenaunce of succession Their manner is for thrée yeares space to behold the health and behauiour of maidens then if they sée them healthie and fit for procreation they marie them Of the people called Esseni or Essei A people inhabiting Iudea toward the West which doe liue without women and contemne gold siluer and all other riches They liue by eaâ—ing of Dates There resorteth continuallie vnto them by the prouidence of God men from diuers parts so that their companie neuer faileth but none is receiued vnlesse the merite of his vertue and chastitie do aduance him Eliot ESTRICH The nature and propertie of the Estrich THis Bird hath such a waightie bodie that he cannot mount vp to flie aloft but flickereth in such wise as he cannot be ouergone A man maie wel runne post after him but he cannot ouertake him For what with his halfe leaping vpon his clées and what with his halfe flieng with his wings he passeth all the swiftnesse that can be in horses or in anie other beast They haue this pollicie to take vp stones by the waie throwe them at such as follow after them But againe there is such foolishnesse in them that if they once hide their head they thinke that all their bodies are hidden and yet the huge carkasses of them are séene still And as touching their Egges they sit not vpon them But forasmuch as they kéepe in hot Countries they hide them in the sande and the Sunne giuing warmnesse vnto them doth by that meanes hatch them c. Caluine vpon Iob. fo 716. EATING Of the eating of Christs flesh and drinking his bloud WHen our Lord Iesus Christ spake of his bodie Except saith he a man eate my flesh and drinke my bloud hee shall haue no life in himselfe for my flesh is verie meate my bloud is verie drinke The spirituall vnderstanding saueth him that beléeueth for the letter killeth but the spirit quickeneth August in ser. ad infantes ¶ Heere it is plaine that the text must be taken spirituallie Marke saith Origen that they are figures which are written in the Scripture of God and therefore examine them as spirituall men and not as carnall vnderstand those things that are spoken For if thou follow after the letter this saieng that is spoken Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you can haue no life in you this letter killeth Origen in Leuit. 7. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him This is therefore saith S. Austen the eating of that meate and drinking of that bloud is to abide in Christ and haue him abiding in vs. And therefore he that abideth not in Christ and in whom Christ abideth not without doubt hee eateth not Christs flesh nor drinketh his bloud although he eate drinke the Sacrament of so great a thing vnto his owne damnation Augu. sermo circa feria pas ¶ Héere it is plaine that he which abideth not in Christ that is to saie he that is wicked vnfaithfull doth not eate his flesh nor drink his bloud although he eate and drinke the Sacrament of so great a thing And so must it néedes follow that the Sacrament is not the verie naturall bodie of Christ for then the vnfaithfull should eate his flesh séeing he eateth the Sacrament of his bodie but that doth S. Austen denie Wherefore it must néedes be but onelie a token of a remembraunce and a signe of his bodie breaking and a representation of his passion He that abideth not in me and in whom I abide not let him not saie or think that he eateth my bodie or drinketh my bloud They abide not in Christ which are not his members which make themselues the members of an harlot ¶ Héere it is plaine that the wicked and vngodlie or vnfaithfull which are not the members of Christ do not eate his bodie nor drinke his bloud and yet they doe eate the Sacrament as well as the other Wherefore it must néeds be that the Sacrament is not the verie bodie of Christ but a figure token or memoriall thereof The bread saith Saint Ambrose that goeth into the bodie is not so gréedelie sought of vs but the bread of euerlasting life which vpholdeth the substaunce of our soule so he that discordeth from Christ doth not eate his flesh nor drink his bloud although he receiue yâ— sacrament of so great a thing to his damnation and destruction Ambrose de Sacra ¶ Heere S. Ambrose confirmeth S. Austens saiengs before Though we doe verelie eate Christ yet it it followeth not that we doe groselie and naturallie eate him with our mouth And though Christ be verie meate yet it followeth not that he is therefore reallie fleshlie in the Sacrament S. Austen saith What preparest thou thy téeth or thy bellie beléeue and thou hast eaten In another place he saith Beléeuing in him is the eating of the bread of life You shall not eate this bodie that you sée nor drinke that bloud which they that crucified me shed out I haue giuen a verie sacrament vnto you if it be spirituallie vnderstood it quickeneth you but the flesh profiteth nothing Augu. prefa psal 98. ¶ This is plaine enough spoken Frith He that discordeth from Christ saith this Doctour doth neither eate his bodie nor drinke his bloud although he receiue indifferentlie the sacrament of so great a thing vnto his condemnation of his presumption These are also the verie wordes of Bede vpon the 11. chapter of the first Epistle to yâ— Corinthians ¶ Therefore saith S. Cipriane he that drinketh of the holie Cup remembring this benefite of God is more thirstie then he was before lifting vp his heart vnto the liuing God is taken with such a singular hunger and appetite that he abhorreth all gallie and bitter drinking of sinne all sauour of carnall pleasure is to him as it were sharpe and sower vineger And the sinner being conuerted receiuing the holie mysterie of the Lordes supper giueth thankes vnto God and booweth downe his head knowing that his sinnes be forgiuen and that he is made cleane and perfect and his soule which God hath sanctified hée rendreth to God againe as a faithfull
holy Ghost yâ— saluation is laid vp in store for vs because God forgiueth sins he himselfe giueth merits and he himselfe giueth rewards that we may not â—aie still in this beginning Cal. in his Insti 3. b. chap. 2. Sect. 4. From faith to faith what it is For by it the righteousnesse of God is knowne from faith to faith ¶ From faith to faith yâ— is from an vnperfect faith to a perfect faith from a weake faith to a strong faith or from one battel of faith to an other For as we haue escaped one ieoperdie through faith an other inuadeth vs through which we must wade by the helpe of faith also Tindale How the faith that saued the olde fathers shall saue vs. Looke Abraham How Faith is a worke Faith is a worke therefore will some saie we be iustified by works but yâ— answere of the which so say auaileth not because loue also other vertues be the works of God yet are we not iustified by them The maior is not so to be vnderstood we be not iustified by faith because it is a worke or qualitie in vs but because it leaneth vpon mercie receiueth mercie And this saieng we be iustified with faith must be vnderstoode by the waie of a comparison that is to saye by mercie we bée pronounced iust but it must bée receiued with faith Although then faith be a worke or new qualitie in vs yet we bée not iustified by the worthinesse thereof for this faith is as yet vnperfect like as other vertues be but we be iustified by that thing wherevpon faith leaneth and the which faith receiueth that is to saye for Christs sake Out of a booke called the Summe of Diuinitie Of Faith before workes ¶ Looke Cornelius How Faith is perfect Faith is perfect when it receiueth and taketh holde of Christ perfect And yet it hath néede of increasement to the intent it maie become full in all his partes The man that saide Lorde I beléeue had perfect faith and yet was it greatâ—â—e increased afterward Likewise Peter had a perfect faith when he saide Lorde whether shall I goe c. Which faith of Peter was much more increased after he had receiued the holie Ghost at Whitsontide c. How Faith ouercommeth the world Faith is not an idle assent or thought but it is a stoute Gyaunt which as Saint Iohn saith ouercommeth the world but how Euen through the conquerour Christ which it possesseth How Faith and inuocation are inseparable No man commeth to Christ as to a Sauiour nor calleth vppon him but hée that beléeueth vppon him for like as no man beléeueth but he that heareth so no man calleth vppon him but hée that beléeueth Rom. 10. 17. Faith and inuocation are so knitte together that ye maie sooner separate the heate from the fire then plucke them asunder one from an other Hemmyng How Faith is called the marriage Garment Faith in Christes bloud maketh the marriage betweene our soules and Christ and is properlie called the marriage garment or the signe Thau Tindale Of Faith Loue and Hope Obiection If Faith Loue and Hope be thrée vertues inseparable then faith onelie iustifieth not Aunswere Though Faith Hope and Loue be thrée vertues inseparable in this lyfe yet haue they separable and sundrie offices in effectes As heate and drieth bée inseparable in the fire haue yet their separable operations for the drieth onelye expelleth the moistnesse of all that is consumed in the fire and heat onelye destroieth all coldenesse for drieth and colde maie stande together and so maie heate and moistnesse It is not all one to say the drieth onelie and the drieth that is alone Nor all one to saie Faith onelie and Faith that is alone The office of Faith Faith onelie which is a sure and vndoubted trust in Christ and in the father through him certifieth the conscience that the sinne is forgiuen and the dampnation and imposibilitie of the lawe taken awaye c. And with such perswasions mollifieth the heart and maketh her loue GOD againe and his lawe And as oft as we sinne Faith onelie keepeth vs that we forsake not our profession and that loue vtterlie quench not and hope faile and onelie maketh the peace againe For a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ onelie not in his own merits or works or ought els for the remission of sins Tindale What one mans faith doth profit in other Obiection When as Christ by the faith of the hearers healed the man sicke of the palsie it is demaunded of some in this place of Mathew what one manâ— faith doth profit an other Aunswere First of all we know for certeine that the faith of Abraham did profit his posteritie wheÌ„ as he embraced yâ— couenant promise made to him and his séede The like we ought to iudge in all the faithfull because by their faith they spread out the grace of God to their children posteritie and that before they bée borne And also the same taketh place in children young infants who for want of age are not apt to haue faith But they which are ripe of yeares whose faith is insufficient whether they be straungers or of yâ— same line or kinred an other mans faith in respect of the eternall saluation of the soule doth nothing profit them but onelie mediate Marl. fol. 173. And when Iesus sawe the faith of them ¶ And also his faith the had the palsie for except we haue faith our sinnes cannot be forgiuen Geneua ¶ That the faithfull maie praie for me offer me vnto God with their faithfull praiers yet vnles I haue faith my selfe I cannot be saued for the righteous liueth with his owne faith Abac. 2. 4. Rom. 1. 17. Sir I. Cheeke The Centurion beléeued his seruant was healed ¶ Of this we may learne yâ— the godly by their faith maie obteine corporal benfits for other but to be saued with eternall saluation by an other mans faith it caÌ„not be for no man can be saued without his owne faith Hemmyng ¶ Againe As one man by his wisdome may make an other man proue wise so he yâ— beléeueth may by his faith obtein faith for other men But as no man is wise by another mans wisdome but by his owne so is no man saued by an other mans faith but by his owne Hemmyng How faith is taken in these places following If I had all faith so that c. ¶ Héere faith is taken for the power to do myracles For when faith is taken for that assured trust in God through the bloud of Iesus Christ it can in no wise be without charitie and loue Sir I. Cheeke Faith is héere takeÌ„ for yâ— vse of doing miracles which the wicked may haue as Mat. 7. 22. also for yâ— faith called historical which beléeueth yâ— mighty power of Christ but caÌ„not apprehend gods mercy wtout him And this diuels haue Iames. 2. 19. therefore is separate from charitie but
of tongue in suppressing of anger in cutting off concupiscence back biting lieâ—g and periurie c. True fasting is a religious worke ordeined to testifie our humlitie and to make the flesh make obedient vnto the spirite that we maiâ— be the quickeâ— to praie 〈…〉 to all good workes Iewel fol. 15. ¶ Looke Abstinence ¶ The true vse of fasting which is spoken of in holie Scripture is the taming and subduing of the flesh thereby either to be the better disposed 〈…〉 â—ditation and to those praiers which thou offereâ—â— to God or els for aâ—estimonie of humblenesse at such time as thou confessest thy faults before God himselfe F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Fasting is to abstaine from surfetting or ouermuch eating from dronkennesse and care of this world as thou maist read Luke 21. 34. And the â—nâ—e of fasting is to tame the bodie that the spirite maie haue a frée course to God maie quietlie talke with God For ouermuch eating and drinking care of worldlie businesse presse downe the spirit choke hir tangle hir that she cannot lift vp hir selfe to God now he that fasteth for anie other intent then to subdue the bodie that the spirite maie wait on God and freelie exercise hir selfe in the things of God the same is blinde woteth not what he doth erreth shooteth at a wrong marke his intent and imagination is abhominable in the sight of God When thou fastest from meate drinke all daie is that a christian fast either to eate at one meale that were sufficient for foure A man at foure times maie beare that that he cannot do at once Some fast from meate and drinke yet so tangle themselues in worldlie busines yâ— they cannot once thinke on God Some abstaine from butter some from egges some from all manner of white meate some this daie some that daie some in the honour of this saint some of that euery man for a sundrie purpose Some for the tooth-ach some for yâ— head-ach for feuers pestilence for sodaine death for hanging drowning to be deliuered from the paines of hell Some are so mad that they fast one of the Thursoaies betwéen the two S. Maries daies in the worship of that Saint whose daie is hallowed betwéeneâ— Christmas and Candelmas All these men fast without conscience God without knowledge of the true intent of fasting do none othâ—â—â—â—â—onour Saints as the Gentiles and Heathen worshipped their Idolls are drowned in blindnes know not of the Testament that God hath made to man-ward in Christs bloud In God haue they neither hope nor confideÌ„ce neither beleeue his promises neither know his will but are yet in captiuitie vnder the Prince of darknesse Tindale fol. 80 ¶ Fasting standeth not in eating and drinking onelie and much lesse in flesh alone but in abstinence of all that mooueth the flesh against the spirit as long sléeping idlenesse and filthie communication and all worldlie talking as of couetousnesse promotion and such like and wanton companie and softe cloathes and soft beddes and so foorth Which are that right hande and right eie that must be cutte off and plucked out that the whole man perish not Obiection Some man will saie séeing fasting is to withdrawe all pleasures from the bodie and to punish the flesh then God delighteth in our paines taking Aunswere God delighteth in true obedience and in all that wée doe at his commaundement and for the intent he commaunded it for If thou loue and pitie thy neighbour and help him thine almes is acceptaple If thou doe it of vaine glorie to haue the praise that belongeth to God or for a greater profite onelie or to make satisfaction for thy sinnes past and to dishonour Christs bloud which had made it alreadie then is thine almes abhominable If thy praier be thankes in heart or calling to God for helpe with trust in him according to his promise then thy praier pleseth If thou beleeue in Christs bloud for the remission of sins and hencefoorth hate sinne that thou punishest thy bodie to slaie the lusts and to keepe them vnder that thou sinne not againe then it pleaseth God exceedinglie But and if thou thinke that God delighteth in thy worke for the worke it selfe the true intent awaie and in thy paine for the paine it selfe thou art as far our of the waie as from heauen to the earth If thou wouldest kill thy bodie or when it is tame enough punish it farther that thou wert not able to serue God and thy neighbour according to the roome and estate that thouâ—aâ—â— in thy Sacrifice were cleane without falt altogether vnsauerie in the taâ—â—e of God and thou mad and out of thy wit But and if thou trust in thy worke thou art then abhominable Tindale fol. 229. How it is not appointed in Scripture vpon what daâ—es we ought to fast Saint Austeniâ—â—â—th Quibus die bus oporteâ—t ioiunare c. Upon what daies we ought not to fast and vpon what daie we ought to fast I finde it not appointed by anie commaundement either of our Lord or of the Apostles Iewel fol. 197. Who first prescribed laâ—ves of fasting Eusebius in his 5. booke and. 16. chapter saith that Montanus the Heretike was the first that prescribed lawes of fasting How the Maniches fast and the Papists were much alike The Maniches of whom S. Austen testifieth vnder the colour of abstinence refrained from anie liuing thing from drinking of wine yet did they 〈…〉 pamper themselues with delicate fruites and spices with drinke made of the â—uice of Dates which fast was much like to our Papists fast How Fasting is of three sorts Fasting is an outward for bearing of meate and drinke for a time whereby the bodie is kept lewe and as it were mortified And it is of thrée sorts indifferent godlie and vngodlie The indifferent Fast is when a man abststaineth either for pouertie or for health sake c. The godlie fast is not onelie an abstinence from meate and drinke but also from all other things that may delight or prouoke the flesh to sinne The vngodlie Fast is an abstinence from certaine kinde of meates which of it selfe is thought to be a worshipping of God and a thing acceptable to God for the workes sake and therefore also meritorious c. And this hypocriticall Fast is it that the Prophet doth condemne Hemmyng The manner of Fasting in the olde time I caused a Fast to be proclaimed c. Fasting as the Scripture maketh mention haue bene common humiliations and supplications done before God either for some great tribulation suffered or comming at hand or for a singular repentaunce and earnest fore-thinking of their sinnes as it is written 1. Reg. 7. 6. and. 31. 13. 2. Esd. 1. 4. ¶ When Iehoakim King of Iuda heard that the King of Babilons armie was comming to besiege Hierusalem he appointed a solemne and publike fast for all the people commanding them to resort
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
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
to harden GOd is said to harden when he calleth he resisteth making himselfe vnworthie of the kingdome of heauen he doth then permit him vnto himselfe that is he leaueth man vnto his owne corrupt nature according vnto the which the hart of man is stonie which is onlie mollified and made tractable by the onelie grace of God therefore the withdrawing of Gods grace is the hardening of mans hart and when we are left to our selues then are we hardened Bullinger fol. 490. ¶ God is said to harden mans heart when he doth iustly punish his obstinacie and wickednesse by withdrawing his spirite and grace The Bible note ¶ Harden his heart ¶ By returning my spirite and deliuâ—ring him to Satan to increase his 〈…〉 Geneua HEART Where the heart of man is placed THe heart of man is placed on the left side all other beasts in the middle of the â—reast The opinion of all naturall Philosophers is that the first that is formed in man is the heart and the last member that dieth in man How some mens hearts be hairie Plinie saith that some mans heart is hairie which betokeneth hardie couragious and actiue as it was proâ—ed by one Aristodamus which fought against the Lacedemonians and slew thrée hunâ—red with his owne handes and he being dead and opened his heart was found hairie How the heart of man that is poysoned will not burne Sweton and Plinie saith both that if a man die of poyson the heart of that man can not be burned though it be cast into the fire which was proued of Germanicus father to Caligula Of the heart and wombe of God The heart of God the Father signifieth the secret of his wisdome of which he begate his word that is his Sonne without beginning without anie passion Psal. 45. 1. My heart is inditing of a good matter His wombe is vsed in the same signification Psal. 110. 4. Of my womde before the morning starre I begate thée Augustine HART OR STAGGE Aâ— the Hâ—rt being poysoned doth couet the watâ—r so we being poysoned with sinne ought to flie vnto Christ for succour THose that doe write of the nature of beasts doe saie that an Hart among other his peculiar properties hath a great desire aboue all other beasts to the waters and that for thrée causes One is for the quenching of his thirst and that desire is common to him with all other beasts he hath also a naturall desire to the water when he is hot and chafed with the chasing of dogs and that for two causes One the colde water cooleth his heat and refresheth his strength Secondlie the water by the meanes of his readinesse and aptnesse to swimme doth not onelie sette him forward and giueth him a vauntage before the dogs but also doth sometime thereby deceiue the Hounds and sometime defendeth him against the â—ray-hounds So that the Hart being chased and in daunger of his 〈…〉 hearesorteth by and by for hisâ— comfort and defence Ad 〈…〉 aquarum vnto the water springs vnto the Brookes or Riuers Our Hunters I trowe tearme it not to call it the water Springs but they call it the Sound The Stagge saie they got him to the Sound and there the Hounds made a fault and had lâ—st him clearelie had not one olde Hound haue bene which iusâ—â—lie leaped into the water and on the other side tried which waie he was gone and so followed the chase afresh Beside these two great causes why the Hart desireth the water there is yet another as great as anie of the other two but not so well knowen to the most part of men as the other be In Affrike and other hot Countries where many Serpents be there is a naturall enmitie betwéene the Harte and them and as soone as the Hart hath deuoured the Serpent the poyson of the Serpent doth cast the Hart into such a feruent heate that it causeth him to haue a meruailous desire to the water without which the Hart must néede die Such a loue ought all men haue to godlinesse and to runne to God for succour when they be poysoned with the venime of sinne or oppressed with anie kinde of trouble as the Hart hath 〈…〉 runne to the water Springs when he is chased with Dogges or poysoned with Serpents So that they maie saie with the Prophet Dauid As the Hart desireth the water Springs so my soule desireth thée O Lord. Ric. Turnar HARVEST What is vnderstood by this word Haruest THe Haruest is great but the labourers are fewe ¶ The Haruest are the hearts of men prepared to heare the worde as it appeareth by the Samaritanes Iohn 4. 39. Tindale Because the haruest of the earth is ripe ¶ This Haruest is the verie same that Christ willeth to be taried for when he teacheth of the sâ—oling out of the good from the bad Suffer ye them saith he to growe together till Haruest and when Haruest commeth I will saie to the Haruest folke First gather together the Darnell and binde it vp in bundells to be burnt but gather ye the Wheate together in my Barne Mat. 13. 30. Marl. fol. 216. HATE The meaning of this place following HE that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto life eternall ¶ He that can be content to loose his temporall life in this world for Christs sake and his word shall liue for eueâ— As in Maâ—h 〈…〉 Tindale When a man maie hate his neighbour WHen thy neighbour hath shewed thée more vnkindnesse tâ—en God hath loue then maâ—â— thou hate him and not before but must loue him for Gods sake till he fight against God to 〈…〉 the name and glorie of God Tindale fol. 204. HATH 〈…〉 following For 〈…〉 But whosoeuer hath not c. ¶ That is to 〈…〉 He that hath a good heart toward the word of God and a set purpose to fashion his déedes thereafter and to garnish it with godlie liuing and to testifie it to other the same shall increase more more dâ—ilie 〈…〉 the graâ—e of God and Christ. But he that loueth it not to liue thereafter and to edifie other the same shall loose the grace of true knowledge and be blinded againe and euerie daie worse and worse blinder and blinder till he be an vtter enimie vnto the word of God and his heart so hardened that it shal be impossible to conuert it Tindale ¶ He that hath anie thing as he should haue it righâ—lie and vseth it well as he should do the same shal abound and increase more and more in goodnesse and godlinesse But he that hath not euen that he hath shall be taken from him that is he that liueth not according to the knowledge he hath in Gods open word of his commaundements but knoweth the Lords will doth it not shall be depriued of that he hath and turned ouer into blindnesse and darknesse ¶ They that haue a desire of righteousnesse and of the truth shall be more and
the ground and yet when the king calleth pay we neuerthelesse So that if we looke indifferentlye their condition was easier then ours and but euen a verie indifferent way both for the common people and the king Tindale fol. 7. Why they buried Iosephs bones Buried them in Sichem ¶ They buried Iosephs bones partly to performe their promise Gen. 50. 25. and partly for a remembraunce of Gods holye promises concerning the lande of promise and not to be abused as the Sepulchres and reliques in these our latter daies haue bene The Bible note IOSIA How his name was prophesied many yeares before AND bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left ¶ His zeale was prophessed of and his name mentioned by Iddo the Prophet more then thrée hundred yeares before 3. Reg. 13. 2. And being but eight yeares olde he sought the God of his father Dauid Geneua How he remoued the groues ¶ Looke Groues How he put out the Idolatrous Priests from ministring Neuerthelesse the Priests of the high places came not vp to the altar of the Lorde to Hierusalem ¶ Iosia thought not meete that those Priests which had serued Idols should be ministers in the temple of God The Bible note IRONICE What Ironice is IRonia is a figure in speaking when a man dissembleth in speach that which he thinketh not as in scoffing calling that foule which is faire or that swéete which is sowre ISAAC At what age he was sacrificed ISaac the sonne of Abraham was sacrificed by his Father in the 13. yeare of his life as Aben Esra and Saule do write but Iosephus affirmeth it to be done in the. 25. yeare Lanquet ISOPE The meaning of this place O Purge me with Isope I shall be cleane c. ¶ In the solempne sacrifice for sinne of which Nu. 19. and in the cleansing of the leaper of which Leuit. 14. There was Isope anexed and ioyned to By that sprinkling was signified right purenesse of heart for that praieth he héere that is for full remission of his sinne which once had and the fauour of God obteined the mind reioyseth with vnspeakable ioye and becommeth much whiter to the eye of the soule then doth anie Snowe to the bodely eye Sâ—me vnderstand by Isope the passion of Christ by which onely we are purified from our sinnes T. M. ISRAEL What Israel doth signifie Israel by 〈…〉 pretation is as much to saye as a man that feareth GOD. So that euery Christian is an Israelite a man that feareth God Wherfore when the Prophet saith Deliuer Israel out of all his troubles is as much to say as deliuer Lord euery true beléeuer Ric. Turnar Of the goodnesse of God toward Israel Beholde I haue purged thée and not for moneie c. ¶ Some reade beholde I haue purified thée but not as siluer I haue chosen thée out of the furnaice of affliction for mine own sake for mine owne sake haue I done this For lyke whom would they pollute mee truly I wil not giue my glory to any other HarkeÌ„ c. There be some that expound it thus I would not suffer thée wholy to perish for if I had proued and purified thee as golde and siluer is proued and purified from which all manner of drosse is cleansed there should nothing haue remained in thee but I brought thée vnder and proued thée in the furnaice of affliction that is wrapped thee in captiuitie and bondage in Aegypt from which I afterwarde deliuered thée and this haue I done for mine owne sake that is onely for mine owne name and glorie of mine owne gentlenesse and louinge kindnesse not for anye of thy merites or deseruinges which were none at all For how woulde the Gentiles Heathen haue blasphemed my name if I had rooted out mine owne people so haue made the truth of the promises which I had determined to fulfill in Christ vaine and vntrue For as well this prayse of my truth as the glory of the blessing promised in the séede of Abraham Dauid wil I not giue vnto another people or nation The health of the worlde shall come of the Iewes Iohn 4. and from none other The gladde tidinges of the health shall the whole world receiue of none other then of Christ by the preaching of the Apostles c. T. M. Of Israels aduersitie ¶ Looke in the word Nauell What Saint Paule meaneth by Israel of God And vpon Israel that perteineth to God ¶ Because that they which taught circumcision mixing the lawe with the Gospell were of the Israelites Héere Saint Paule doth séeme to put a difference betwéene them and the other which preached the gospell sincerely whom he calleth the Israel of God or that perteyneth vnto God Sir I. Cheeke IVBELY What the Iubely signifieth IT shall be a yeare of Iubely vnto you ¶ Iubely is of this Hebrew word Iobel which in English signifieth a Trumpet a yeare of singuler mirth and ioy and of much rest wherin their corne and all their fruites come forth without sowing tilling or anie other labours And also by this Iubely is signified the restoring of all things vnto her perfection which shall be after the general iudgement in that flourishing world when the chosen shall be admitted into libertie from all wretchednes pouertie anguish and oppression when all shall be fully restored againe in Christ that through the sinne of the first man was taken away T. M Then thou shalt cause to blow the Trumpet of the Iubely c. ¶ In the beginning of the 50. yeare was the Iubely so called because the ioyful tidings of libertie was publikely proclaimed by the sound of a Cornet Geneua Who and by whom the Iubely was first brought vp Boniface the 8. about the yeare of our Lord. 1300. ordeyned that the Iubely should be euerye hundred yeare Clement the sixt brought it backe to euery fiftie yeare And Sextus the fourth brought itâ— downe to euerye 25. yeare pretending the shortnesse of mans lyfe for a cloke to their owne gaine Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 128. IVDAS How this place of Iudas dipping is vnderstood HE that dippeth his hand with me in the dish ¶ That is to say whom I vouchsafed to come to my table alluding to the place Psa. 41. 9. which is not so to be vnderstood as though at yâ— selfe same instant yâ— the Lorde spake these wordes Iudas had his hand in the dish for that had bene an vndoubted token but it is meant of his tabling and eating with him Beza Wherevnto Iudas was called Iudas was not giuen Christ of his heauenlye Father for to be kept and preserued with the other vnto lyfe euerlasting but for to beare the office of an Apostle for a time which appereth to bée most true by that which Christ sayth All that my Father giueth mée shall come to mée and him that commeth I will not cast out The lyke maye be sayd of all those that for a time doe séeme
called the friend of God Thus wée sée S. Paule Lames reconciled both teach Iustification by faith in the sight of God I. Gough How God is iustified in vs. To the end saith S. Paule that all months might be stopped and all the world acknowledge it selfe to be indebted vnto God and that he onely should be iustified ¶ After what sorte is it that God shall be iustified in vs according to S. Paule To wit when all of vs condemne our selues and haue not the boldnesse to striue against God but doe willingly confesse that all of vs are indaungered vnto him if we be once come to that point then is God iustified yâ— is to say his righteousnes is commended by vs with such praise as he deserueth But contrariwise if men exalt themselues and acknowledge not that they be indaungered vnto God so as may condemne them nor confesse the bonde of debt which they haue forfeited vnto him although they protest that they minde to iustifie him that is to say to confesse that he is righteous yet neuerthelesse they condemne him Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 562. ¶ Looke in Workes in Faith that iustifieth How wisedome is iustified ¶ Looke Wisedome Obiection Men will waxe remisse in doing good workes if Faith alone iustifie Aunswere In Iustification a pardon is graunted for sinnes past and not of sinnes to come And if any man liue wickedly after Iustification without doubt he dispiseth the grace of iustification For who doth digge about the roote of a trée to the ende it shuld onely be a trée and not rather that it should be a good trée and bring foorth fruite Origen A liuely comparison for Iustification The iustifieng Faith is as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast foorth brightnes And lyke as yâ— flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that Faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same Faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore lyke as we sée a flame of fire that giueth no lyght we know by by that it is but vaine and painted even so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that hée hath not the true inspired Faith which God giueth to his elect and chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for a certeintie that S. Iames meant so when he said Shewe me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thée my faith by my workes Bar. Traheron IVSTINVS How he suffered martirdome for the defence of Christes Religion THis man in learning and Philosophie was excellent and a great defender of Christian Religion He exhibited vnto the Emperour and to the Senate a Booke or Apologie in defence of the Christians and afterward himselfe also died a Martir He suffered martirdome in the yeare of our Lord. 154. vndeâ— Antonius Pius as the Chronicles doe witnesse Abb. Vesperg and Eusebius in his Chronicle in the 13. yeare of the Emperour Antonius In the bo of Mar. fo 58. What moued him to imbrace the faith of Christ. This Iustinus Martir when he was an Heathen Philosopher as he confesseth of himselfe was moued to imbrace the Faith and Religion of Christ in beholding the constant patience of the Martirs which suffered for Christ in his time Keye What a Keye is after the minde of S. Austen SAint Austen saith that must be called a Keye whereby the hardnesse of our hearts are opened vnto faithâ— and whereby the secretnes of minds are made manifest A keye is it saith he the which doth both open the conscience to yâ— knowledge of sinne also including grace vnto the whole sonnes of euerlasting mystery This is the definition of this keye we speake off after S. Austen D. Barnes fo 258. ¶ The Law in hir right vnderstanding is the keye or at the lest way the first and principall keye to open the â—ore of the Scripture Tindale fo 184. ¶ What keye had the Doctors of the lawe sauing the exposition of the lawe Tert. cont Marcion lib. 4. The Captaines of the Church haue the keyes of knowledge to open the Scriptures vnto the people to them committed Therefore Commaundement is giuen that the Minister shuld open and the scholer should enter Hier. in Esa. li. 6. ca. 24. ¶ The keye is the knowledge of the scriptures whereby is opened the gate of turth Chrisostome in Math. homil 44. How the word of God is the right keye The word of God is the very keye in that is all the might and power to looke our sinnes and a man is but a minister and a seruaunt vnto this word This may be proued by our Master Christs words where he saith Goe your wayes into all the world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures and hée that doeth beleeue and is baptised shall be saued but hée that doeth not beléeue shall be damned Heere maye you plainely sée that the Apostles be but ministers and seruaunts and haue no power but all onely ministration c. D. Barnes fol. 259. How the keyes were giuen vnto the Church Christ say they appointed Peter Prince of the whole Church when he promised that he would giue him the keyes But that which he then promised to one in another place he gaue it also to all the rest and deliuered it as it were into their hands If the same power were graunted to all which was promised to one wherein shall he be aboue his fellowes Héerein say they he excelleth because he receiued it both in common What if I aunswere with Cipriane and Augustine that Christ did it not for this purpose to preferre one man before other but so to settâ— out the vnitie of the Church for thus saith Cipriane that God in the person of one gaue the keyes to all to signifie the vnitie of all and that the rest were the same thing that Peter was endued with like partaking both of honour and power but the beginning is taken at vnitie that the Church of Christ maye bée shewed to be one Augustine saith If there were not in Peter a mysterie of the Church the Lord would not say vnto him I will giue thée the keyes for if this wer said to Peter the Church hath them not but if the Church hath them then Peter when he receiued them betokened the whole Church And in another place when they were all asked onely Peter aunswered Thou art Christ and it is said to him I will giue thée the keyes as though he alone had receiued the power of binding and loosing whereas he being one said the one for all and he receiued the other withall as hearing the person of vnitie Therefore one for all because there is vnitie in all Cal. 4. book chap. 6. sect 4. How the Dunce men interpreteth the keyes Dunce and all his
to accuse you that being accused ye should feare fearing you should craâ—e pardon not presume of your owne strength Againe The law was giuen for this purpose of great to make little to shew that thou hast no strengh of thine owne to righteousnesse that thou as poore vnworthy and néedie shouldst flye vnto grace After he furneth his speach to God saith Doe so Lord doe so mercifull Lordâ— commaund that which cannot be fulfilled yea command that which cannot but by thy grace be fulfilled that when men cannot fulfill it by their owne strength euery mouth maye bee stopped no man may think himselfe great Let all be litle ones let al yâ— world be guiltie before thée Ca. in his In. 2. b. ca. 7. se. 9. How the lawe was giuen by Moses The lawe was giuen by Moses but grace veritie came by Iesus Christ. ¶ This place doth Tindale in his exposition of the 5. 6. 7. of S. Mathew expound on this wise Though Moses saith he gaue the lawe yet he gaue no man grace to doe it nor to vnderstand it aright or wrote it in any mans hart to consent that it was good and to wish after power to fulfill it But Christ giueth grace to doe it and to vnderstand it aright and writeth it with his holy spirit in the tables of the hearts of men and maketh it a true thing there and no hypocrisie Folio 184. How we are dead through the lawe But I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that I might liue vnto God ¶ But I through the lawe am dead to the lawe that is by the lawe of libertie grace graunted in Christ I am deliuered from the lawe of bondage ministred by Moses and from the burthen and cursse thereof Tindale ¶ Are dead concerning the lawe by the body of Christ. ¶ Because the body of Christ is made an offering and a sacrifice for our sinnes whereby God is pleased and his wrath appeased for Christs sake the Holy Ghost is giuen to all beléeuers whereby the power of sinne is in vs daily weakned we are accounted dead to the lawe for that the lawe hath no dominion ouer vs. The Bible note ¶ Looke Vnder the lawe How the Lawe increaseth sinne But the lawe in the meane time entred in that sinne should increase ¶ The lawe increaseth sinne and maketh our nature more gréedie to doe euill because the law ministreth no power nor lust to yâ— the biddeth or to refrain from yâ— the forbiddeth Tin Why the lawe is called the messenger of death The lawe is called the messenger of death namely becaus that if we haue no more but the doctrine that is contained in the lawe we shall be vtterly ouerwhelmed afore God we shal be cast away without any remedy Then if God indite vs but according to the forme of yâ— lawe he shall discouer filthines inough in vs. Cal. vpon Iob. fo 172. What the lawe of God requireth The lawe of God requireth loue from the bottome of the heart and cannot be satisfied nor fulfilled with the workes therof as mans lawe is for the lawe is spirituall as S. Paule saith Rom. 7. which no earthly creature by his owne strength enforcement is able to fulfill but by the operation and working of the spirit of God Tindale What it is to be vnder the lawe To be vnder the lawe is to deale with the workes of the law and to worke without the spirit and grace for so long no doubt sinne raigneth in vs through the lawe that is to say the lawe declareth that we are vnder sinne and that sinne hath power and domination ouer vs séeing we cannot fulfill the lawe namely with the heart forasmuch as no man of nature fauoureth the lawe consenteth therevnto and delighteth therein which thing is excéeding great sinne yâ— we cannot consent to the lawe which lawe is nothing els but the will of God c. So that to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfill the lawe but to be debter to it and not able to paye that which the Lawe requireth c. Tindale ¶ To be vnder the lawe is nothing els but to be bounde or subiect vnto sinne for the law through sinne condemneth vs as guiltie But to be dead vnto the law is nothing els but to haue that extinguished in vs by which the law accuseth and condemneth vs and that is the olde man the flesh naturall lust corruption of nature when these things be once dead in vs that Christ liueth and raigneth in vs we can by no meanes be condemned by the law c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. fol. 161. What it is not to be vnder the Lawe Not to be vnder the lawe is to haue a frée hart renued with the spirite so that thou hast lust inwardly of thine own accord to do that which the lawe commaundeth without compulsion yea though there were no lawe Tin in his pro. to the Rom. Why Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lawe Tell me ye that would be vnder the law c. ¶ Why doth Paule call the booke of Genesis out of the which he alledgeth the historie of Ismael and Isaac the Lawe séeing that booke containeth nothing at all concerning the law but onely containeth a plaine historie of Abrahams two children Paule is wont to call the first booke of Moses the law after the manner of the Iewes which although it containe no lawe besides the lawe of circumcision but the principall doctrine thereof is concerning faith and that Patriarks pleased God because of their faith yet the Iewes notwithstanding onely because of the law of circumcision which is there contained called the booke of Genesis the lawe as well as the other bookes of Moses so did Paule himselfe also being a Iewe. And Christ vnder the title of the lawe comprehendeth not onely the bookes of Moses but also the Psalmes Iohn 15. 25. But it is that the words might be fulfilled which were writen in the lawe They hated me without a cause Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 205. How the lawe is impossible for a man to fulfill The Pelagians saith S. Austen thinke themselues cunning men when they say God would not commaund that thing that he knoweth a man is not able to doe who is there that knoweth not this But therefore God commaundeth vs to do some thing that we are not able to doe that we may vnderstand what we ought to craue of him Iewel fol. 3â—7 ¶ And the law had righteousnes but for a time not because it could iustifie before the Lord for it could not so forgiue sinne that of sinners it could make them iust But to this end it was giuen that it might be a terrour prouoking men to a godly life punishing the disobedient and vnreuerent persons Therefore is not a lawe giuen which can giue life but condempne I. Gough
How the Letter killeth For the Letter killeth but the Spirit giueth lyfe ¶ The Letter héere and in the seconde to the Romanes verse 27. and in diuerse other places of the Scripture signifieth the Lawe or olde Testament and the Spirit the Gospell or new Testament And so doth Saint Austen expounde them in sundrie places of his booke which hée wrote of the letter and the spirit And Erasmus also both in his Paraphrases and Annotations Because the lawe findeth vs guiltie and thervpon condemneth vs therefore saith the Apostle rightly that it killeth And the gospel because it pronounceth vs righteous in Christ and sheweth vs that by him we are iustified from all thinges whereof we could not be iustified by the lawe Act. 13. 39. doth therefore bring lyfe As for such as by the letter will vnderstand the litterall sense and by the spirit the spirituall sense can no learned or christen man allowe For these wordes Letter ministration of death ministring of condemnation and that which is destroied signifieth all one thing And these Spirit Ministration of righteousness and that remaineth be there verie contraries Now wordes meaning one thing must haue one interpretation And by some of the first cannot the litterall sense be vnderstoode nor by some of the last the spirituall Ergo neither by these wordes Letter or Spirit sith Letter is all one with the first and spirit with the latter Tindale ¶ Origen writeth thus Et est in Euangelio littera c. Euen in the Gospell there is a Letter that killeth For when as Christ sayth Unlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. If ye take the same according to the Letter the Letter killeth What is Littera occidens the murthering Letter Truely the lawe which causeth anger by which commeth knowledge of sinne which is a Schoolemaster vnto Christ. The lawe first killeth yâ— Christ may make aliue it condemneth yâ— Christ may iustifie it sheweth sinne it healeth sinne Ro. Hutchynson How letter and circumcision is taken in this place Which being vnder the Letter Circumcision doth transgresse the law ¶ The letter is héere taken for the outward shew or ceremonie as a little after by the spirit he vnderstandeth the circumcision of the heart Sir I. Cheeke ¶ When the Lawe is called the Letter or that is prouoketh death in vs or that it killeth or is the minister of death or that it is the strength of sinne it is meant as we consider the law of it selfe without Christ. Geneua LEVEN How Leuen is diuersely taken in the Scripture Leuen is sometimes taken in an euill sense for the doctrine of the Pharesies which corrupted the swéetnesse of the word of God with the leuen of their gloses And sometime in a good sense for the kingdome of heauen that is to saye the Gospell and glad tidings of Christ. For as leuen altereth the nature of dowe and maketh it through sowre euen so the Gospel turneth a man into a new lyfe and altereth him a little and little first the heart and then the members Tindale fo 226. Take heede and beware of the leuen of the Pharesies and of the Saduces ¶ By leuen héere is vnderstoode the doctrine and inuention of the Pharesies and of all other men lyke conditioned vnto them Sometime leuen in the Scripture is taken in an euill sense as héere and sometime in a good sense As in the. 13. 33. and in the 12. of Saint Luke verse 1. it is noted by the name of hypocrisie because it is deceitfull false and vngodly and maketh all the louers thereof hypocrits Tindale ¶ Leuen héere is taken for the â—rronious doctrine of the Pharesies Saduces which with their gloses deprauated the Scriptures Some thinke this word 〈…〉 n is taken for wholesome doctrine of the Gospell Math. 13. 33. Sir I. Cheeke Beware of the leuen of the Pharesie◠¶ He wi 〈…〉 eth the in to beware of contagious doctrine and such sâ—bile practises as the aduersarie vsed to suppresse the Gospell Ge 〈…〉 LEVY Of Leuy otherwise called Mathew AND sawe Leuy the sonne of Alpheâ— sit at the râ—ec 〈…〉 e of â—ustome ¶ He that is heere in Marke called Leuy in the Gospell before Chapter 9. and verse 9. is called Mathew in whom we haue an example how they that be called and beléeue ought to bring foorth worthy fruites of repentaunce Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Looke Mathew LEVITES What their office was TAke the summe c. from thirtie yeare olde and aboue ¶ The Leuits were numbred after thrée sortes first at a moneth olde when they were consecrate to the Lord next at 25. yeare old when they were appointed to serue in the tabernacle and at 30. yeare olde to beare the burthen of the tabernacle Geneua â— He sayd vnto the Leuites that taught all Israel and were sanctified vnto the Lorde put the holy Arke in the house which Soloâ—on the sonne of Dauid king of Israel did builde it shall â—e no more a burthen vppon your shoulders ¶ It appeareth héere that the Leuites charge was not onely to minister in the Temple but also to instruct the people in the worde of God And where as he sayth It shall bée no more a burthen vpon your shoulders that is as it was before the temple was builtâ— Therefore your office onely is now to teach the people to praise God Geneua How this place following is to be vnderstood For the Leuites were purer hearted to bée sanctified then the Priestes ¶ Pelicane translateth the wordes thus Leuitae quip 〈…〉 〈…〉 ritu c. For the Leuites were sooner or easier sanctified then the Priestes which he expoundeth more plainely in his Commentaries saieng Intiligitur Sacerdotum numerum imminutum fuisse c. It is to bée vnderstoode that the number of the Priestes was diminished which should haue sufficed for to prepare the Sacrifices and therefore they desired the helpe of the Leuites that all thinges might bée done more diligentlye There was also an other cause of the Leuites helpe for the sanctifieng of the Temple and the preparation of the Sacrifice was so sodeinly commaunded that many of the Priestes had not time to sanctifie themselues according to the lawe which required a certeine space for the same and the Leuites might bée sanctified with lesse adoe and in shorter time And surelye the verye circumstaunce of the place doe proue this to be the true vnderstanding of it for these be the wordes that immediatelye goe before but the Priests were too fewe and were not able to sleye all the burnt offeringes therfore their brethren the Liuites did helpe them vntill they had ended the worke and vntil other Priests were sanctified I. W. fol. 11. LEVIATHAN What Leuiathan signifieth DArest thou drawe out Leuiathan with an Angle c. ¶ Leuiathan as diuerse learned men expounde signifieth the greatest fish that liueth in the Sea which is a Whale T. M. Euen
workes which thou hast done and shall doe for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ be vnto thée auailable for the remission of thy sinnes the increase of desert grace and the reward of euerlasting life Amen ¶ Ye heare the merite of Christ mentioned in these words but if ye weigh them well ye shall perceiue that Christ is there altogether vnprofitable and that the glory and name of a iustifier and Sauiour is quite taken from him and giuen to Monkish merites Is not this to take the name of God in vaine Is not this to confesse Christ in words and in very deede to denye his power and blaspheme his name c. Luther vpon the Gal. fol. 72. Of the profite that is of the Moone HE appointed the Moone for certaine seasons ¶ The Interpreters agrée that this ought to be vnderstood of the ordinary and appointed â—easts For inasmuch as the Hebrewes are wont to recken their months by the Moone they vse hâ—r as the directer of their festiuall daies and as well â—or their holy assemblies as for their méetings about politike affaires Notwithstanding I doubt not but that ther is the figure Synechdoche as if the Prophet had said that the Moone not onely putteth a difference betweene the nights and the dayes but also boundeth the yeres and months consequently serueth to many purposes because the distinction of times is fetched out of hâ—r course MORNING AND EVENING How this place of Iob is vnderstood FRom Morning to Euening they be destroied ¶ Some expounde this as though it were meant that men perish in small time and that is very true But héerewithall there is yet more that is to wit that we passe not a minute of our lyfe but it is as it were approching vnto death If we consider it wel when a man riseth in the morning he is sure that he shall not step forth one pace he is sure he shall not turne about his hand but he shall still waxe elder elder and his life euer shorteneth Then must we consider euen by eye sight that our lyfe fléeteth slideth away from us Thus we sée what is meant by consuming from morning to euening Ca. vpon Iob. fo 75. MORTIFICATION What true mortifieng is TO mortifie is nothing els but for a man to be violent against himselfe and to withstand and resist wicked lusts Peâ— Mar. vpon the Ro. fol. 203. The flesh is mortified when the custome of sinne is abolished and the spirit is quickened when we begin to performe newe obedience vnto God Mortifie therefore your members c. ¶ The true mortiâ—ieng is when the feare of God doth fray vs from sinne so that our hearts trembleth for feare of Gods iudgement when wée are tempted or entised vnto sinne The heart beeing thus striken with the feare of God acknowledgeth his weaknes and calleth vnto God vnfainedly for helpe This mortifieng is the worke of the Holy ghost Rom. 8. and worketh out wardly a sobernesse of liuing and other godly exercises Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Extinguish all the strength of the corrupt nature which resisteth against the spirit that ye may liue in the spirit and not in the flesh Geneua How we cannot mortifie the flesh by our owne free-will If you mortifie the déedes of the flesh by the spirite ye shall liue ¶ S. Austen vpon this place Thou wilt say saith he that can my will doe that can my frée-will doe What will what manner of free-will except he lift thée vp thou lyest still how canst thou doe it then by thy spirit seeing that the Apostle saith as many as be led by the spirit of God be the children of God wilt thou doe of thy selfe Wilt thou be ledde of thine owne selfe to mortifie the déeds of the flesh What wil it profite thée for if thou be not voluptuous with the Epicures thou shalt be proud with the Stoikes Whether thou be an Epicure or a Stoike thou shalt not be among the children of God for they that be guided by the spirit of God be the children of God not they that lyue after their owne flesh not they that lyue after their owne spirit but as many as be led by the spirit of God But héere a man will say Ergo then are we ruled and we doe not rule I auns were thou both rulest and art ruled But thou dost then rule well if thou be ruled by the good spirit vtterlye if thou doe want the spirit of God thou canst doe no good Thou dost truly without his helpe by the frée-will but it is but euill done vnto that is thy will which is called frée-wil and by euill doing is she made a bondseruaunt When I say Without the help of God thou dost nothing I vnderstand by it no good thing For to doe euill thou hast frée-will without the helpe of God though that be no fréedome Wherefore you shall know that so doe you goodnesse if the helping spirite bée your guider the which if he be absent can doe no good at all Auguâ— de verbis Apost ser. 13. MOSES How Moses came by his impediment of speach OF Moses it is written that the King of Aegypt on a time for his daughters sake tooke the childe Moses in his armes and set the crowne vpon his head which Moses as it were childishly playing hurled if downe to the ground and with his feeâ—e spurned it Then the Priests and Soothsaiers séeing that cried out saieng that this was he whom before he had prophecied should be borne which should destroy the kingdome of Aegypt except he werâ— preuented by death Then Termuth the Kings daughter excused the childe alleadging that his age had yet â—o discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to bée put to his mouth which the childe with his tongue lickâ—d wherby he euer after had an impediment in his tongue And by this meanes their furie at that time was appeased T. Lanquet The cause why Moses fled from Pharao Moses being about the age of 40. yeares fledde for feare of Pharao when he had slaine the Aegyptian Iosephus saith that it was for displeasure because in the warres of Aethiope wherof he was Captaine he tooke to wise the Kings Daughter of Aethiope How Moses seemed to doubt in Gods promises When God said to Moses that he wold giue the people flesh to eate euen a moneth long he aunswered shall the Shéepe and the Oxen be slaine for this people to eate which are vi hundred thousand or shall the fish of the Sea be gathered together to serue them ¶ Héere it séemeth that Moses did doubt in Gods promise which was not so For he doubted no more that God was able to accomplish and fulfill his word then Mary the mother of Christ did doubt in the words of the Angell when shée said How shall this be séeing I know no man Lyra. How the Lord was angry with Moses and why Moses being in his Inne the Lord met
heresie of Nouacius concerning the peruerse doctrine of penance For he taught that they which had receiued Baptime and fell into sinne could not come againe to saluation And with this errour brought he many to desperation and spoyled the concord of the Church or Congregation Carion Obedience The definition of Obedience WE may make a definition of Obedience by yâ— very word it selfe which is called in Gréeke Lakai And is nothing els but a faithfull submission of minde wherby the word will of the commaunder is obeyed when both the heart and eares be attent vnto his words and will those things which be commaunded according to their abilitie be accomplished without any gain-saieng For true obedience must haue not onely an obedient hand but a following will also Wherefore they cannot be counted for obedient in whom the definition of true obedience taketh not place such as they be which doe obey in fact onely without the redy wil of minde or els in word or eare onely without doing it when they may For when the thing cannot be done the will to obey is reputed for the doing And so we say most commonly that God accepteth our good wil in steede of the fact Musculus fol. 479. What is ment by obeing in this place following To obey is better then Offering c. ¶ To obey what Mans inuention mans dreames or traditions Nay verely but GODS holy wordes his blessed Commaundements yea and to obey them is better then to offer Sacrifices which yet was ordeined and appointed by God himselfe How much better then is it then our Offerings which are inuented without any of Gods word or any mention theroff made the whole Scripture through Ioseph de antiq li. 6. cap. 9. expresseth Samuels saieng in lyke manner but his wordes are too long to rehearse T. M. OBSERVING OF DAIES How the obseruing of daies are reproued how they may be obserued YE obserue daies and months and times and yeares ¶ By the daies he vnderstandeth Sabboths and new Moones by the months the first seuenth month by the times Whitsontide Easter and the feast of Tabernacles by the yeres he vnderstandeth the yeares of Iubely or of forgiuenesse It is not ment but that we may well kéepe certaine daies not that one is holier then another but that we may haue time to come together both to preach and to heare the worde of God offering with one accord our common supplications vnto him Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Ye obserue daies as Sabboths and new Moones ye obserue months as the first and seuenth month ye obserue times as Easter Whitsontide the feast of Tabernacles ye obserue yeares as the Iubely or yeare of forgiuenesse which beggarly Ceremonies are most pernitious to them which haue receiued the swéete libertie of the Gospell and thrust them back into superstitious slauery Geneua ¶ Daies are obserued least the rude multitude should diminish their faith And certaine daies are appointed for vs to come together in Not to the intent the day should be more solemne or high in which we gather together but that great ioye maye rise to vs of our beholding one another D. Heynes OFFENCE Of three manner of offences SOme kinde of offences are to be eschewed which take their differences of their causes There is one kinde of offence that riseth of euill doctrine corrupting the doctrine of the Church He yâ— after this manner is an offence vnto others followeth the steps of the Diuell his father who ouerthrew the first man and woman with this kinde of stumbling block Gen. 3. Another kinde of offence is that which springeth of euil manners that is to wit when other folkes regarding thée do counterfaite thy euill conditions He that on this wise is an offence to man buildeth vp the kingdome of Satan and ouerthroweth the kingdome of Christ. The third kinde of offence riseth of the abuse of things which of their owne nature are indifferent which must be shunned yâ— the weak be not offended The wilfull and vngodly are to be despised and for warrant thereof we haue Christs example Of an offence giuen and an offence taken An offence is giuen then when by thy fault by thy importunitie I say thy lightnesse thou either dost or saist a thing for which thy brother hath a cause to be offended The other offence is not giuen but taken or picked out not by thy faults but by the works or wickednesse of another man As for example when thou doest sinne neither in worde nor déede when thy déedes are nothing insolent nor thy words vnseasonable when thou saist or doest the thing that is frée and lawfull for thée to say do and yet another taketh Pepper in nose and is offended with that libertie of thine Which is all one as if a man that walketh in a plaine path should â—ap to trip or stumble and presently quarrell with his companion as though he had laide a blocke in his way Bullinger fo 451. ¶ To giue offence is a great sinne For Christ doth saye Woe vnto the world because of offences It must néedes be that offences come but woe to the man by whom the offence commeth Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones c. Saint Paule also speaking to the bretheren that giue offence saith Through thy giuing of offence perisheth thy brother for whom Christ died and so ye sinning against your bretheren and wounding their weake consciences doe sinne against Christ himselfe Bullinger fol. 452. What it is to be offended in Christ. Happy is he that is not offended by me ¶ To be offended in Christ is to will neither to knowe Christ nor yet to beleeue in him And not to bée offended in him is to receiue him and knowledge by a perfect faith that he is our Sauiour ¶ Happy is he c. That take no occasion by Christ to be hindered from the Gospell Geneua How a man may offend God and not his owne conscience When Paule and Barnabas men elect to be Apostles by the reuealation of the holy Ghost as it is written in the second of the Acts fell out one with another for Iohn Marke as it is in the 15. of the Acts insomuch as the one forsooke the others company it cannot be denied but either Paule or Barnabas or both were in a great fault to fall out for such a trifle and yet there was neither of them both but he thought in his conscience that he did well and did contend for the glory of God So vndoubtedly the most circumspect men in their liuing and most studious to doe all their workes and to vtter all their words to the glory of God yet oftentimes they shall conceiue in theyr thoughts wish in their hearts and also speake and doe such things as shall be very great sinnes in the sight of God and yet they shall not offend their conscience nor think they doe amisse And therefore the Prophet Dauid desireth almightie God not onely
mortifie his body for to liue according to the doctrine yâ— he himselfe did teach least be should be reproued of men when they should sée him doe contrary or contemne yâ— thing which he taught other to doe Ric. Turnar Of Paules vnquietnesse of the flesh ¶ Looke Flesh. How Paule wrought with his hands He abode with them wrought Their craft was to make tents ¶ How doe they followe Paules example which neither giue themselues to the studie of holy Scriptures to feede the flocke of Christ nor yet will labour with their hands but liue idly with the sweate of other mens browes there was a lawe among the Massilians that if any man did go about to liue idly vnder the pretence of some kind of religion he shuld in no wise be receiued into their citie Sir I. Cheeke ¶ Thus he vsed where euer he came but principally at Corinthus because of the false Apostles which preached without wages to winne the peoples fauour His craft was to make tents or pauilions which were made of skinnes Geneua Wherefore Paule wished himselfe to be seperate from Christ. For I haue wished my selfe to be seperated from Christ for my bretheren c. ¶ The Apostle loued his bretheren so entirely that if it had bene possible he would haue bene ready to haue redeemed the casting away of the Israelites with the losse of his owne soule for euer For this word seperate betokeneth as much in this place Beza ¶ He sawe the losse and destruction of his whole nation falling so farre from Gods true religion he considered how far God should be dishonoured when his wonderfull benefits and blessings bestowed vpon his people should take none effect but vtterly be defaced which so mightely moued him the he wished rather to be cut off from Christ then those things should come to passe The Bible note ¶ He would redéeme the reiection of the Iewes with his owne dampnation which declareth his zeale towardes Gods glorie Read Exo. 32. 32. Geneua How Paule had a wife Paule wished that all men were as he was That is hée wished that all the Corinthians which aduaunced themselues of virginitie widowhood could liue chast without a woman as he did which left his wife in an other place then where hée preached that all men were without care as he was which thing commonly followeth marriage ¶ Looke Apostles had wiues what Erasmus saith thereof ¶ Ignatius and also Clemens Alexandrinus which were verie nigh the Apostles time doth plainely affirme that S. Paule had a wife Ecclesiast histo li. 3. cap. 30. What Paule calleth the infirmitie of the flesh Paule calleth the infirmity of the flesh no disease of yâ— body or temptation of the flesh but his suffering and affliction which he suffered in his bodie So that he setteth the same against the vertue and power of the spirit But least we should séeme to wrast and peruert Paules words let vs heare himselfe speaking in the. 2. Cor. 12. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions and anguish for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I stronge And in the. 11. chapt 13. In labours more abundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more plenteous in death oft of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I was thrise beaten with roddes I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwracke c. These afflictions which hée suffred in his body he calleth infirmities of the flesh and not corporall diseases Of Paules voice Looke Voice PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS Of the heresie that this man taught THis man was Bishop of Antioch He denied the trinitie He taught that Christ tooke his beginning of our lady And was a man onely of our common nature which heresâ—e was condemned by a generall Councell Paulus excommunicated He was about the yeare of our Lord. 267. PEACE How Christ came not to send peace on earth but debate SUppose ye that I am come to send peace on earth I tell you nay but rather debate ¶ So the peace as this world loueth which is then at peace when mens appetites and desires are satisfied and when the euill agrée with the euill came I not to send on earth but therfore came I with yâ— words of very peace to destroy the peace of this world For sith the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth all peace shal be enuied of many it cannot be but debate must arise euen amongest greatest friends while they that loue this world will sooner exercise cruelty towards them yâ— they loue best then leaue yâ— vices which they haue bene accustomed vnto And againe those whome the fire of the charitie belonging to the Gospell hath touched will by no meanes suffer themselues to be deuided from that which they haue begun to cleaue to Betwixt these two am I not come to set peace but debate Tindale What it is to be at peace with God Because therefore that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. ¶ To be at peace with God is none other thing then to haue tranquility rest in our hearts to Godward knowing assuredly the we be accepted of him do please him which thing we finde by fayth onely in that it receiueth forgiuenesse of sinnes newnesse of life euerlasting by mercy obteined at Christs hands Our own workes can bring no such tranquilitie because they be vnsure and engender doubt of which followeth desperation and of it dampnation we are not ashamed of our hope for we are sure by the death of Christ that God loueth vs and will bring our hope to passe ¶ By peace héere is meant that incredible and most constant ioye of minde when we are deliuered from all terrour of conscience and fully perswaded of the fauour of God this peace is the fruit of faith Geneua ¶ By peace which is the fruite of faith is ment the incredible and most constant ioy of minde our conscience being quiet and established in Gods grace The Bible note How peace makers be blessed Blessed be the peace makers c. ¶ To inherit this blessing it is not onely required that thou haue peace in thy selfe and that thou take all to the best and be not offended lightly and for euery small trifle alway ready to forgiue nor sowe â—o discord nor auenge thine owne wrong But also that thou be feruent and diligent to make peace go betwéene person persoÌ„ that thou leaue nothing vnsought to set theÌ„ at one Tin ¶ Cursed be the peace breakers pikequarrellers whispers backebiters sowers of discord dispraisers of them that be good stirrers vp of Princes to battell bée-liers of the true preachers of Gods word c. Tindale What peace offering is To offer peace offering of Oxen vnto the Lorde ¶ Peace offering is to reconcile God towards men to be at peace with them to forgiue
his Crosse and in mortifieng the peruerse and crooked disposition of the flesh We ought alwaies to beare in minde the saieng of our Sauiour Christ If any man will follow me let him deny him selfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me c. Marl. fo 432. How mans perfection is vnperfect Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy power Ye shall not turne neither to the right hand nor to the lefte Accursed is he that standeth not in euery thing that is written in the law to performs the same And S. Iames saith Who so offendeth in one commaundement is guiltie in all And Christ saith Be ye perfect not meaning your selues by your owne abilitie but as your father is perfect which is in heauen And yet héerby he meaneth not the perfection that is in God and his Angells but onely the perfection that is required in man I beseech you saith S. Hierom hath God commaunded me that I should be the same that God is that there should be no difference in perfection betwéene me and my Lord the Creator that I should be aboue the highnesse of Angells or that I shuld haue that the Angells haue not I sayd it is possible that a man maye be without sinne if he want not will the power of God assisting him And yet I finde that besides Christ in whom all men shall be quicknesse to life there was neuer man nor neuer shall be who being in this life shall haue this perfection Wherefore doth Christ say Be ye perfect wherefore doeth Paule say As many of vs as be perfect c. Heereto S. Hierom aunswereth thus What then doe we think or what ought we to thinke that be not perfect We ought to confesse that we are vnperfect and that we haue not yet gotten nor taken that perfection that is required This is the true wisedome of a man to know himselfe to be vnperfect And as I might say the perfection of all iust men liuing in the flesh is vnperfect He hath much profited in this life that by his profiting hath learned how farre he is from the perfection of righteousnesse Our very righteousnesse it selfe is so great in this life that it standeth rather in forgiuenesse of our sinnes then in perfection of righteousnesse Iewel fo 316. 317. 318. ¶ Looke Sound PERGAMVS What Pergamus was CHurch which is at Pergamus ¶ Pergamus was the name of a famous Citie in olde time in Asia where the kings of the Atalians were alwaies resident The faith of them of Pergamus is much cōmended because they remained constant euen in the very heate of persecution Theo. Beza PEARLE What a Pearle in Scripture doth signifie NEither cast ye your Pearles before swine ¶ A Pearle hath his name among the Grecians for the orient brightnesse that is in it And a Pearle in auncient time was in great estimation among the Latines for a Pearle that Cleopatra had was valued at two hundred and fiftie thousand Crownes and the word is now borrowed from that to signifie the most precious heauenly doctrine Theo. Beza PERIVRIE How periury is made lawfull by the Popes law YE shal vnderstand that these two worthy Martirs of Iesus Christ Iohn Hus and Hierom of Prage were called to the generall Councell holden at Constaunce and faith was made to them that by safe conduct they should come safe and returne safe and yet were they contrary to the faith taken and burned And least that holy Councell should séeme to doe anye thing wherein all their sect did not consent they made this Antichristian lawe in the 19. Session Presens sancta Synadus c. This present holy Counsell doth publish and declare that there can no preiudice hurt or hinderaunce come to the Catholike faith or to the Ecclesiastical iurisdiction by reason of any safe conduct graunted by the Emperour by Kings or other Princes of the earth to any which either be heretikes or defamed of heresie for what bond or promise soeuer the same Princes haue made vnto them their safe conduct notwithstanding it is lawfull for any compitent Ecclesiasticall Iudge to enquire of the errours yea although they come to y◠place of iudgement trusting vpon their safe conduct so that otherwise they would not haue come Neither he that maketh any such promise any whit bound to performe it if he haue done that that lay in him otherwise I. Pon. PERMISSION Of Gods permission or suffering WE must note that when either the Scriptures or Fathers doe séeme God to be the cause of sinne this word permission is not there so to be added as though he only suffered men to sinne and by his prouidence or gouernment wrought nothing as concerning sinnes Indéede he letteth them not though he can but vseth them and sheweth in them his might and not onely his patience which thing Augustin vnderstood right wel and disputed against Iulianus he confuted that sentence wher it is sayd that God suffereth sinne onely according to patience and proueth that his might is also therevnto to be added by the words of Paule who wrote vnto the Romanes If God by much patience haue suffered vessells of wrath prepared for destruction to shewe forth his anger and to make knowen his might And vndoubtedly there are many things in the holy scripture which cannot alwaies be dissolued by the word of permission or patience For the heart of the King is said to be in the hand of the Lord so that he inclineth it whether soeuer it pleaseth him And Iob testifieth that it was so done as God would But as touching the sinne of the first man when yet nature was not viciated corrupted we graunt y◠the cause therof came from the will of Adam suggestion of the Diuell we saye that God permitted it because when hée might haue withstood and letted it he would not doe it but decreed to vse that sinne to declare his Iustice and goodnesse Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic fol. 167. PERSECVTION What persecution is PErsecution is an obstinate pursuing to destroy by the which there is no place of rest and quietnesse giuen but the destruction of Innocents is sought with all kinde of violence and deceits Mar. vpon Math. fol. 81. They which doe follow vpon any man for to be reuenged so that they make no ende of pursuing of him nor leaue from that which they had begun withal be rightly called persecuters although that at length they be compelled to leaue off contrary to their determination and purpose as it betideth to all persecuters which are at the last constrained whether they will or not to breake off the race and course of their persecution Some doe take the word of persecuting or pursuing to be a ful following or pursuing in all poynts As when an Hound followeth the Deare a drye foote vp hill and downe through thick and thinne c. Both senses be applyed
to this word of persecuting The first is touched in Samuel Saule sought or pursued for Dauid euery day but the Lord did not deliuer him into his handes What is it els to séeke a man euery day to slay him but to persecute him continually Of the second we doe read in the same Chapter where he saith But in case he doe hyde him in the earth I will search for him amongst or out of all the thousands of Iuda He meaneth that he will search for Dauid diligently in euery corner and that he will omit nothing touching the persecution of him And Dauid vsed this word properly in the Psalme saieng I will persecute mine enimies and ouertake them I will not returne till they shrinke I will breake them so that they shall not be able to stand they shall fall vnder my féete When he saith I will persecute mine enimies and ouertake them he doth expresse the purpose of them which doe persecute which is bent to this ende to ouertake and catch them whom they doe persecute And whereas he doeth adde I will not returne vntill they doe shrinke it declareth his earnest diligence and desire in the persecution or following And that poynt I will breake them and crush them together that they shall not be able to stand they shall fall vnder my féete expresseth the reuenge which the persecutour entendeth to take vppon him when hée doeth persecute And these bée the partes of full and perfect persecution continually without ceasing to persecute to catch and to reuenge Musculus fol. 516. How some persecution is iust and some wrong If that be the true Church saith Augustin which suffereth persecution not that which doth it so said the Donatist let them aske of the Apostle what church Sara signified when the did persecute hir hand-maid for he saith that the frée woman our mother the heauenly Hierusalem that is to say the true Church of God was figured in that woman which afflicted hir handmayd And a little after Againe I demaunde in case that the good and holy doe persecute none but onely suffer whose saieng suppose they that the same is in the Psalme where we read I will persecute mine enimies and ouertake them and I will not tourne till they shrinke Therefore if we speake and acknowledge the truth that is a wrongfull persecution which the vngodly maketh vpon the Church of Christ and that persecution is iust which the Church of Christ maketh against the vngodly Thus saith Augustine Musculus fol. 518. How the Church doth persecute The Church saith Augustine in the place before doth persecute by louing to reforme and to call men backe from errour and to make them to profite in the truth And it is like the persecution of a louing mother and not of a spitefull stepdame Such I would haue the Church persecution saith Musculus when the rulers of the Church shall in the name of the Church persecute not the innocent but the hurtful more politikely then Church lyke But whereas the false shepheards vnder pretence of heresie and schisme doe persecute not the Goates which they cherish but the true shéepe of Christ which doe follow the voice of their onely shepheard and doe abhorre the voice of straungers with banishment and out-lawe prison wrongfull iudgements snare sword faggot and fire what shall we call it els but the tyranny of Antichrist whereas Augustine sayd that is a wrongfull persecution which the vngodly maketh against the Church of Christ he might well haue added therevnto and that in ten times more wrongfull which the malignant Church worketh against the godly But in his time the Romish Tyranny had not yet so openly set vp hir shamelesse head to practise all kinde of persecutions and publike oppressions of them that would discent from them Musculus fol. 519. Wherefore the true Christians are persecuted Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake ¶ If the faith of Christ and lawe of God be written in thine heart that is if thou beleeue in Christ to be iustified from sinne or for remission of sinne and consentest in thine heart to the lawe that it is good holy and iust and thy dutie to do it and submittest thy selfe so to do and therevpon goeth forth and testifieth that faith righteousnesse openly vnto the world in word and déede Then will Satan stirre vp his members against thée and thou shalt be persecuted on euery side but bée of good comfort and faint not Call to minde the saieng of Saint Paule 2. Timothy 3. 12. Now all that will lyue godlye in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution c. Tindale Chrisostome saith Doth the Shéepe persecute the Wolfe at any time No but the Wolfe doth persecute the Shéepe For so Cain persecuted Abel not Abel Cain So Ismael persecuted Isaac not Isaac Ismael so the Iewes persecuted Christ not Christ the Iewes So the Heretikes persecute the Christians and not the Christians the Heretikes Therefore ye shall knowe them by their fruites Againe Chrisostome saith in the same place Whomsoeuer ye sée reioyce in the bloud of persecution he is a Wolfe Iewel fol. 2. Moses saith Ismael plaied or sported with Isaac But Saint Paule saith the same plaieng and sporting was persecution For thus he writeth He that was after the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit D. Heynes How the Christians in persecution doth multiply The Christians saith S. Austen were bound were imprisoned were beaten wer tormented were burnt and yet wer multiplied c. The miserable ende of certaine cruell persecutors Saule did murder himselfe Achitophel hanged himselfe Iudas did the lyke Sennacherib murdered of his owne sons Herode and Antiochus murdered by lyce Pilate murdered of himselfe Nero murdered of himselfe Dioclesian and Maximianus Emperours deposed themselues Maximinus eaten vp with lyce Maxentius and Pharao both drowned in their owne harnesse PETER Why Peter is called chiefe of the Apostles THey say that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles verely◠as Appelles was called chiefe of Painters for his excellent cunning aboue other euen so Peter may be called chiefe of the Apostles for his actiuitie and boldnesse aboue the other But that Peter had anys authoritie or rule ouer his bretheren and fellow Apostles is false contrary to the Scripture Christ forbad it euen the last houre before his Passion and in diuers times before and taught alway the contrary Tindale fo 143. Of Peters confession When Peter had professed the very true confession of Christ that he was the Sonne of God Christ said to him Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church that is to say vpon the faith whereby thou hast confessed and acknowledged me And that Christ by this Rocke wherevpon he said he would build his Church did vnderstand and meane himselfe Saint Austen doth write in an Homely which he hath written vpon this place where he saith If Christ would haue layed 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
we not to reioice therefore for we shall haue no profit at all thereby but other shall haue the profite that come thereof But this ought to be our chiefe ioye and comfort that we are elect and chosen in Christ Iesu afore the foundation of the worlde were laid whose names are written in the booke of life S. I. Ch. RELEASEMENT How releasement and payment cannot stand togethers THe Lord forgaue the seruaunt his debt ¶ By this it appeareth that saluation falleth vnto men by releasement of the debt and not for satisfieng of the debt For releasement and payment cannot stand in one respect together It ouerthroweth Popish satisfaction which say they must be done by Pilgrimages fasting and almes deedes It quencheth the fire of Purgatorie For where the debt is forgiuen the debter ought not to be punished RELIGION How couples ioyned in marriage of diuers Religions is doubtfull THe prohibition of S. Paule is that we drawe not the yoake with the vnbeleeuers which thing is to be vnderstood not only of doctrine but of all trade of life For he that toucheth pitch saith Salomon shall be defiled therewith For it cannot bée but that he which keepeth company with the vngodlye must néedes himselfe gather some infection thereby As Salomon kéeping companie with Heathen women became an Idolater Achab through the counsell of lezabel slewe the Prophets Hemmyng Be not vnequally yoked with the Infidels ¶ He séemeth to allude to that which is written Deut. 22. 10. where the Lord cōmaundeth that an Oxe and an Asse be not yoked together because the match is vnequall So if the faithfull marry with the Infidells or els haue to do with them in any thing vnlawfull it is héere reproued Eccl. 13. 18. Geneua How the Diuell is sory to see the religion of Christ flourish Diabolus gentium vocatione cruciatur c. The Diuell is sore greeued with the calling of the Heathen to the faith and with the daily decresing of his power sorrowing to sée himselfe forsaken and Christ the true King to be worshipped in all places therefore he deuiseth guyles and imagineth dissentions REMEMBER How God is said to remember GOd remembred Noe. ¶ This is not so to be vnderstood that there is any forgetfulnesse in God But the Scripture speketh after the manner of our speaking As when we maye delyuer a man that is oppressed and doth it not then it is sayde we doe forget him And when we begin to goe about his delyueraunce then it is said we doe remember him REMNAVNT Of the remnaunt that God saith he had reserued I Haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men c. ¶ He speaketh of remnaunts and reserued people which were chosen from euerlasting and not of remnaunts that should bée chosen afterward For they are not chosen because they were no Idolaters but therefore they wer no Idolaters because they were chosen and elect Theo. Beza RENT What is ment by renting of clothes HE rent his clothes ¶ It was specially vsed among the Hebrues to rent clothes when the glory of God was contemned And héere where they feared God so little as to kill their owne brother T. M. Then they rent their clothes ¶ To signifie how greatly the thing displeased them and how sorie they were for it Geneua What is ment by renting of our hearts Rent your hearts and not your garments Ioel meaneth that it is to no purpose for men to haue great store of ceremonies and to martir themselues much in outward sight of the world except their hearts be broken before And what manner of renting or breaking is it that God requireth in our hearts it is that we should be cast downe and humbled before him that when we perceiue any signes of his wrath specially when we feele the blowe of his hand already we should be patient assuring our selues that all commeth for our sinnes and that we doe not as many doe who when they be beaten with Gods rod chawe their bridles lyke mules and conceiue I wot not what a fiercenesse bitternesse which serue to set them in a rage against God notwithstanding that they make countenaunce as though they were well tamed But contrariwise as I haue said it behooueth our hearts to be rent according to the exhortation that is made vnto vs in the Psalme by laieng our hearts open before God to the ende that he should knowe all that is within it Then let vs follow the said saieng of the Prophet Ioel that we should not rent our garments but our hearts rather for therein will the true repentaunce shewe it selfe Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 46. And rent your hearts c. ¶ Mortifie your affections and serue God with purenesse of heart and not with Ceremonies Geneua REPENTAVNCE What Repentaunce is and the definition thereof REpentaunce is an vnfained tourning to God whereby wée being of a sincere feare of God once humbled doe acknowledge our sinnes and so by mortifieng our olde man are afresh renued by the spirit of God Bulling fol. 562. Repentaunce is a very displeasure which man hath in his heart of his sinne the which ingenderesh in him an hatred against sinne a desire to liue better in time to come reseruing his life to the will of God Peter Viret Repentaunce is nothing but a conuersion of the minde and an alteration of the former opinion as appeareth by the sayeng of the Prophet Turne vnto me and ye shall be safe Againe I will not the death of a sinner but that he turne liue Also Repent and amende that your sinnes may be done away Marl. Repentaunce is an inward thing which hath his seate in the heart and minde and bringeth foorth fruits in chaunging the life Marl. vpon Math. fol. 47. Concerning this word Repentaunce as they vsed Penaunce the Hebrue hath in the olde Testament generally Sob Turne or be conuerted for which the Translation that we take for S. Hieromes hath most part Conuert◠to turne or to bee conuerted And sometime Agite poenitentiam And y◠Gréeke in the new Testament hath perpetually Metanoeo to tourne in the heart and minde and to come into the right knowledge to a mans right wit againe for which Metanoeo S Hieroms translation hath sometime Ago poenitentiam I doe repent Sometime Poeniteor I am repentaunt Sometime Habeo poenitentiam I haue repentaunce Sometime Poenitet me it repenteth me And Erasmus vseth much this word Recipisco I come to my selfe or to my right minde againe And the very sense and signification both of the Hebrue also of the Gréeke word is to be conuerted and to turne to God with all the heart to know his will and to liue according to his lawes and to be cured of our corrupt nature with the Oyle of his spirit wine of obedience of his doctrine which conuersion or turning if it be vnfained these foure doe accompanie it and are included therein Confession not in
of the Tabernacle wherin the Arke of couenaunt the propiciatorie seate and the golden Censures were kept yet almightie God to preserue the people of Israel from worshipping of hills and mountaines woods and groues as the Heathen Idolaters did he commaunded Moses to make him a Tabernacle within the which Tabernacle the chiefe part was called Sanctum sanctorum the holy of the holyest where God promised fauourably to heare the praiers of the people And at such time as this Psalme was made this Sanctuary was placed by the Commaundement of King Dauid in the mount and high tower belonging to the Citie of Hierusalem called Syon and according to the same hée commaunded now the people to pray in this Psalme made for the preseruation of their King and say Mittet tibi auxilium c. The Lord sende vnto thée helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Syon That is the Lord which hath promised to heare your praiers out of his Sanctuary the holy of holyest which is now placed in Mount Syon O King the same Lord send thée helpe and defend thee Turnar What it is to feare the Sanctuary And feare my Sanctuary ¶ To feare the Sanctuary is diligently to performe the true worshipping seruice of God and leaue of nothing to obserue and kéepe the purenesse both of body and minde verely and not Hypocrite lyke to beléeue that hee knoweth beholdeth doeth and ruleth all things to beware of offending him and with all feare and diligence to walke in the pathes of his lawes T. M. SAPHIRE The nature of the Saphire what is ment by it THe second a Saphire ¶ This stone is lyke the cléere skie which being striken with the Sun beames casteth foorth a burning brightnes And it betokeneth the highnesse of the hope of holy men whose conuersation is in heuen Phi. 3. 20. And who being renued by the true sonne doe the more earnestly séeke euerlasting things and teach other to doe the same Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 299. The second foundation was of a Saphyre whose colour is as the aire cleare but not very precious in sight This betokeneth those simple soules which though they were as Iob Ioseph the Carpenter not precious to the world yet had they their daily conuersation in heauen Bale SAPIENCE A definition of this word Sapience SApience is defined to be the knowledge of things pertaining to God and man and of things diuine and worldly which they that had gotten were called Sapientes that is men of perfect knowledge vertue and honestie For of right knowledge consequently ensueth honestie of life Vdall SARDINE A description of this stone and what it betokeneth THe sixt a Sardine ¶ This stone is all of one colour lyke bloud and it betokeneth the glorye of Martirdome after the suffering of the Martyrs themselues Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 300. The sixt a Sardine which in similitude is very lyke vnto redde earth and such are they as notwithstanding the great benefite of God thinketh themselues the vnworthy children of Adam whose interpretation after Philo is redde earth indéede Mary Christs mother was of this sort confessing hir selfe after most high benefits to be but an handmaid and hir spirite to reioyce in God hir Sauiour So was Abraham calling himselfe but dust and Ashes before the Lord. Bale SARDIS What Sardis is CHurch which is at Sardis ¶ Sardis is the name of a most flourishing Citie wher the kings of Lydia kept their Courts This Sardis which is as much to say as a prince of plesantnes or a song of mirth or that which is the remnaunt or leauing of a thing or in the Syrian language a Cauldron was also another Citie whose scituation is notwithstanding vnknâ—wen Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 19. SARDONIX The description of the Sardonix and what it betokeneth THe 5. a Sardonix ¶ A Sardonix is of diuers colours Blacke in the bottome white in the mids and red in the top Euen so the Saints are red through sufferaunce of aduersities and troubles white by inward purenesse of conscience blacke or despised in themselues through lowlinesse Marl. fol. 299. The. 5. was a Sardonix which is compounded of a Sardiâ— and an Onix and is beneath blacke in the middle white and aboue red Such were those méeke sprited that confesseth themselues sinners with Dauid and Magdalene being through faith both pure and orient before God Though I be blacke saith the true Congregation yet am I faire and well fauoured We faint not saith Paule for though our outward man be corrupt yet is he that is inward daily renued Bale SATAN How Satan is taken for an enimie and aduersary SAtan doth signifie an enimie an aduersary a hurtful person as Dauid sayd What matter is betweene you and me for this day ye are become aduersaries vnto me The latin text hath Cur efficimini mihi hodie in Satan EueÌ„ so to Peter perswading Christ from the Crosse it was said Come after me Satan for he was an aduersary vnto Christ reuoking him from his Fathers commaundement Marl. fol. 38. How Satan is called the Prince of this world S. Austen in his treatise vpon Iohn 15. saith God forbidde we should thinke the Diuell were so called the Prince of the world that we should beleeue that he is able to rule ouer Heauen and earth but the world for he is said to be the Prince of this world is saide to be in wicked men which are dispearsed throughout the whole compasse of the earth And againe the same Augustine in his 1. chap. De agone christia saith The Prince of this world is cast out not that he is cast out of the worlde but out of their mindes which cleaue vnto the word of God and loue not the world whereof he is Prince because he hath dominion ouer them which loue temporal goods which are contained in this visible world not for the he is Lord of this world but Prince of those concupiscences whereby euery thing is coueted that is transitory By this concupiscence the Diuel raigneth in man and holdeth his heart in possession Bullâ—n fol. 750. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out ¶ Satan is called Prince of this world not because he is the lawful Prince of the same but by rapine by which he hath made mankindâ— subiect vnto him by sinne Other wise the earth is the Lords all that therein is the compasse of the world and they the dwell therein The Apostle Paule calleth him the God of this world which worketh in the children of vnbeliefe by whom they are helde captiue to his will pleasure for his kingdome is in the hearts of the vnbeléeuers but by the power of Christ he is cast out of the hearts of mortall men And now we must take héed least he get entraunce againe into his olde seate Christ and the Prince of this world cannot reigne together Christ béeing let in expelleth Satan and Satan
reproued of all men then fornication it selfe False Prophets false Apostles and false Priests sprang vp which vnder a counterfait religion deceiued the people the most part of them vnder the honest name of chastitie commit whooredome adultery incest commonly and without punishment The Bishops Priests of this time how do they endeuour to kéepe either in heart or in hody the holynesse of chastitie without which no man shall sée God They are giuen ouer into a reprobate minde and doe those things that are not conuenient for it were shame to vtter what these Bishops do in secret Againe he saith absteining from the remedy of marriage afterward they flow ouer into all kinde of wickednesse Againe such notorious filthynesse of lecherie there is in manye partes of the world not onely in the inferiour Clarkes but also in Priests yea in the greatest Prelates which thing is horrible to be heard Bar. de conuers ad cleri chap. 19. in ope triperti li. 3. cha 7. Huldericus the Bishop of Augusta in Germany wrote sharply against Pope Nicholas in this wise I haue founde thy decrées touching the single lyfe of Priests to be voyde of discreation thou séest that many followers of thy counsell willing vnder a feined colour of continēt life rather to please man then God commit hainous actes in the end he concludeth thus by such discipline of discretion as you know best roote this Pharesaicall doctrine out of Gods folde I beléeue it were a good lawe and for the wealth and safety of soules that such as cannot liue chast may contract matrimonie For we learne by experience that of the law of continence or single lyfe the contrarie effect hath followed for as much as now a daies they liue not spiritually nor be cleane chast but with their great sinnes are defiled with vnlawfull copulation whereas with their owne wiues they should liue chastly Therefore the Church ought to doe as the skilfull Phisition vseth to doe who if he sée by experience that his medicine hurteth rather then doth good taketh it cleane away And would to God the same waye were taken with all positiue constitutions SINNE The definition of sinne SAint Augustine in his 2. booke De consensu Euangelistarum saith Sinne is the transgression of the law Ad simpliciatum li. 1. Sin is an inordinatenesse or peruersenesse of man that is a turning from the more excellent creator a turning to the inferiour creatures De fide contra Manichaeus cap. 8. he saith What is it else to sinne but to erre in the precepts of truth or in the truth it selfe Again Contra Faustū Manicheū li. 22. ca. 27. Sin is a déed a word or a wish against the law of God The same Augustine De duobus animabus contra Manichaeus ca. 11 saith Sin is a will to reteine or obteine the which iustice forbiddeth is not frée to absteine And in Retract li. 1. cap. 5. he saith That will is a motion of the minde with copulation either not to loose or else to obteine some one thing or other All which definitions as I do not vtterly reiect saith Bullinger so do I wish this to be considered thought of with the rest Sin is the naturall corruption of mankind the action which ariseth of it contrary to the law of God whose wrath that is both death sundry punishments it bringeth vpon vs. Bullinger fo 478. What sinne is Sin in the scripture is not called the outward work only committed by the body but all the whole busines whatsoeuer acompanieth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward déede and that whence the works spring as vnbeleefe pronenesse readinesse vnto the déede in the ground of the heart with all his powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sin So that we say the a man thē sinneth when he is carried away headlong into sinne altogether as much as he is of that poison inclination corrupt nature wherein he was conceiued and borne for there is none outward sinne committed except a man be carried away altogether with life soule heart body lust minde therevnto The Scripture looketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the race originall fountaine of all sin which is vnbeléefe in the bottome of the heart for as faith onely iustifieth and bringeth the spirit and lust vnto outward good works euen so vnbeleefe onely damneth kéepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh stirreth vp lust vnto euil outward works as it fortuned to Adam Eue in Paradise Ge. 3. For this cause Christ calleth sin vnbeléefe and that notably in the. 16. of Iohn The spirit saith hée shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beléeue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes there must néeds hée fayth in the heart whence they spring And before all bad déeds and bad fruits there must néedes be vnbeléefe in y◠heart as in the roote fountaine pith and strength of all sinne which vnbeléefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seede Christ must tread vnder foote as it was promised to Adam Tindale in his Pro. to the Rom. How euery sinne is mortall That euery sinne is mortall in that it is sinne is euident by the words of God himselfe who can best iudge in this matter In the. 18. of Ezechiel verse 4. saieng thus The soule that sinneth shall dye héere is no exception or difference made of sinne but any sinne in that it is sinne is deadly as Saint Paule sayth Rom 6. 23. For the reward of sinne is death Héere also you see that Saint Paule maketh no difference of sinne but that Mors death is the reward of sinne generally without exception And Saint Iohn sayth Euerie one that committeth sinne the same also committeth iniquitie and sinne is iniquitie Heere also you see that Saint Iohn sayth making no difference of sinne that sinne in that it is sinne it is iniquitie without exception Christ sayth that out of the heart procéedeth euill thoughts murthers adulteryes c. And againe hée sayth That whosoeuer beholdeth an other mans wife to lust after her hath already committed adulterye with her in his heart And Saint Iohn following his maister lyke a good scholler saith thus Omnis qui odit c. Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer So it is euident by the sacred Scriptures that all sinnes without exception are mortall and deadly I. Gough The Doctours saieng in this matter There were also before Christ worthy men both Prophets and Priests but yet conceiued and borne in sin Neither were they frée from originall and actuall sinne And there was found in them all either ignoraunce or insufficiencie in which they going astray haue sinned and haue néeded the mercye of God By the which béeing taught and instructed haue giuen thanks to God haue cōfessed themselues to haue lacked much of the full measure of
righteousnesse trusting in God haue not presumed to ascribe vnto themselues any societie or righteousnes of their owne No man can be without sinne so long as he is laden with the garment of the flesh the weaknesse whereof is thrée manner of waies brought in thraldome and subiection of sin to wit by déeds thoughts by words Lact. in his 6. b. de ver cul ca. 13. We may so long as we dwell in the tabernacle of this body are compassed about with fraile flesh measurably rule our affections and passions but cut them off quite we cannot by any meanes Hierom. in his Epist. ad Algasis It is to be demaunded if the nature of man be good which none dare be so bold to deny but Manicheus Marcion How then is it good if it be not possible for it to be without euil For that all sinne is euill who doubteth we answere both that the nature of man is good c. Sée the place August de per. iust li. Wherevpon S. Gregory saith he that gathereth vertue together without humility is as one that heareth dust into the wind For like as dust with a mightie blast of winde is scattered abroade so euery good thing without humilitie is with the winde of vaineglorie dispearsed asâ—nder And also it is much better to be an humble sinner theÌ„ to be a righteous man arrogant Which thing is plainly set forth by the Lord as the Publican and Pharesie are brought in for example as a certeine wise man saith Better is in wicked déedes an humble confession then in good déedes a proud boasting Gregory de donis spiri sanct cap. 2. How God ordeined sinne and yet is not the Authour of sinne To ordeine a thing to be the proper cause authour worker of a thing is not all one as by these examples following He that setteth his wine abroad in the Sunne to make vineger ordeined it to be made vineger and yet he is not the proper cause of vineger but the nature of the wine and the hotte Sunne beames He that in Spaine cutteth downe grapes in the Summer layeth them in a Sunny place ordeineth them to be made raisons and yet he is not the proper cause of raisons but the nature of the grapes and the heate of the Sunne Finally to bring a plaine rusticall example he yâ— hangeth vp Swines flesh in a chimney ordeineth it to be made Bacon and yet he is not the proper cause of Ba 〈…〉 but the nature of the flesh and smoake Wherefore sith it is euident yâ— it is not euer all one to ordeine a thing to be the proper cause authour of a thing we may boldly say the scripture bearing plaine record and S. Austen and sundry other most excellent writers holdeth vp their hands to the same that God ordeineth sinne yet is not the authour of sinne Traheroâ— The cause of sinne is not to be layed vnto God God compelleth no man to doe euil but euery man willingly sinneth wherfore the cause of sinne is not to be laied on him For séeing he procreateth not in vs wicked desires he ought not to beare the blame if wicked actions doe spring out of a corrupt 〈…〉 of wicked affections yea the goodnesse of God is rather to be acknowledged which is present and so gouerneth the wicked affections that they cannot burst forth nor bee hurtfull nor troublesome to any but when he hath appointed to chastin some and to call them backe to repentaunce or to punish them Pet. Mart. vpon Iudic. fol. 167. How all sinne is both deadly and veniall We say that all sinne in that it is sinne is deadly And yet we say againe that there is not any one sin but that the same is both deadly and veniall Deadly if the offender repent not veniall if the same be vnfeinedly repented and by mercie craued at the hands of God in the bloud of Christ. For the same God that sayd in Ezechiel Anima c. The soule that sinneth shall dye sayth also in the same Chapter And when the wicked man turneth away from his wickednesse that he hath done doth the thing which is equall and right he shall saue his soule aliue Héere you sée like as all sin in that it is sinne is deadly So againe all sinne in that it is vnfeinedly repented is also veniall I. Gough How sinne is not of Gods creation in man Whereas sinne is in mans nature it is not of Gods putting in by creation but by reason that Satan did spread his naughtinesse farther abroad at such time as man was beguiled by his wilinesse to disapoint the benefit of God c. Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 16. How sinne entered into the world As by one man sinne entered into the world and death by the meanes of sinne c. ¶ Sinne is heere taken for the naturall inclination or readinesse to sinne which some doe call right-well the originall coruption of man which though it bee â—id in mans heart and declarâ— not it selfe vnto the manifest works of wickednesse yet it is able to condemne all men onely they being excepted whom faith in Iesus Christ doth saue This originall corruption doth manifest it selfe first by wicked and vncleane thoughts Second by consenting vnto the concupisence or thoughts Thirdly by committing the déede or fact Sir I. Cheeke But sin is not imputed so long as ther is no law ¶ Though man imputeth not sinne where there is no lawe yet it followeth not that God which from the beginning hath written in mens hearts the lawe of nature doth impute no sinne Foâ— sith that death which is the punishment of sinne did reigne ouer all men euen from Adam it is euident that sinne was impâ—ted Sir I. Cheeke How Christ is called sinne Whereas Christ is called sinne it might be vnderstood sayth Saint Augustin that he was the sacrifice for sinne For Christ was without sinne as S. Paule saith He hath made him sinne for vs which knew no sinne And againe God sent his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and not in sinfull flesh How no man can pardon sinnes but Christ. Sonne be of good chéere thy sinnes be forgiuen thée ¶ The same moued the Scribes that sinne should be pardoned by a man for they regarded and beheld nothing in Iesus Christ but manhood and that the lawe could not release that which was pardoned of him for onely faith iustifieth and afterwarde the Lord behelde inwardly their murmuring and said that it was easie for the Sonne of man to pardon sinnes in earth but neuertheles none can pardon sinnes but God only wherfore he that doth pardon them is God for none can pardon but God Hil. vpon S. Mathew in the 9. Canon To sinne against the Holy ghost what it is But whosoeuer shall speak against the Holy ghost c. ¶ To perseuer and continue in sinne of infidelitie to
kicke against the manifest and knowen truth and so to dye without repentaunce with a dispaire of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ is to sinne against the Holy ghost Sir I. Cheeke But whosoeuer c. ¶ That is he that striueth against the truth which he knoweth and against his owne conscience cannot retourne to repentaunce for he sinneth against the Holye ghost Geneua He resisteth the Holy ghost which openly repugneth against the veritie of God and by despite enforceth himselfe as much as he can to ouerthrow it Now a man may sinne willyngly yet be not in wil to warre against God or to blaspheme his holy word Caluine It is named the sinne of the Holy ghost not against the godhead of the Holy ghost for the same God is also father sonne nor against the person of the Holy ghost for it is no greater then the person of the Father and of the Sonne but it is to sinne against the graces of the spirite within vs and so to sinne against them that we contemne and despise them treade them vnder féete accompt them prophaneâ— and maliciously cary them away to all wantonnesse This then is sinne against the Holy ghost In a continuall Apostacie and general falling from God to sinne against thine owne conscience so that thou despise the graces of God which he had giuen thée to the setting foorth of his praise and turne them to the contempt of his maiestie and glorie By the example of Satan and the Angels that fell from heauen by Caâ— that flew his brother by the Scribes Pharesies against Christ and Iulianus the Emperour and that is written before it appeareth that the sinne of the Holy ghost is a generall Apostacie from God with wilfull malitious vnrepentaunt heart to persecute the truth vnto the ende As manie as doe feare at the remembrance of this sinne they are as farre from it as the East is from the West for this sinne is a mocking and scoffing of the Sonne of God it is not a wéeping and mourning Deering When couetousnesse findeth aduauntage in seruing falshood it riseth vp in an obstinate mallice against the truth and séekeâ—h all meanes to resist it this is sinne against the Holy ghost As by example Balaam the false prophet though he wi 〈…〉 that God loued Israel and had blessed them promised them great things and that he would fulfill his promise yet for couetousnesse and desire of honour fell into such mallice against the truth of God that he sought how to resist and to cursse the people Christ saith It shall neuer be forgiuen héere nor in yâ— world to come that is that as the sinne shall be punished with euerlasting damnation in the life to come euen so shal it not escape vengeaunce heere as thou séest in Iudas Pharao and in Balaam and in all other Tyrants which against their consciences resisted the open truth of God The cause why it shall not be forgiuen is for that the offender cannot repent but is vtterly shut out from repentaunce hath his heart hardened for if he were able to repent he shuld be pardoned because that by repentaunce and faith all things are washed away Wherefore the Holy ghost will rebuke the world of sinne Of sinne because they beléeue not in me ¶ Unbeléefe is that sinne that condemneth the world by the world vnderstand the wicked reproued and vnfaithfull and not all the creatures that be in the world and faith is the righteousnes of beléeuers This thing because the world and naturall reson will not know but will be iustified saued by their owne works is euen it wherof the Holy ghost shall rebuke the world and shew that it shall be iustly condemned Tindale Of sinne c. His enimies which contemned him and put him to death shall be conuict by their owne conscience for that they did not beleeue in him Act. 2. 27. And shall knowe that without Iesus Christ there is nothing but sinne Geneua How sinne is taken in this place following And by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh ¶ Sinne is héere taken for a sinne offering after the vse of the Hebrue tongue Tindale God through the sacrifice of sin which Christ his onely sonne offered vpon the Crosse in his flesh and abolished sinne which raigned in our mortal bodies The Bible note Of sinne vnto death how it is declared There is a sinne vnto death and for it I say not that thou shouldest pray ¶ Whatsoeuer sinne we sée in the world let vs pray and not dispaire for God is the God of mercie But for the sinne to death which is resisting grace fighting against mercie open blaspheming of the Holy ghost affirming yâ— Christs miracleâ— are done in Belzabub and his doctrine to be of the diuell I thinke no Christen man if he perceiue it can otherwise pray then as Paule prayed for Alexander the Coppersmith the 2. to Timothy the last that God would rewarde him according to his workes They that goe backe againe after they knowe the truth and giue themselues willingly to sinne for to follow it and persecute the doctrine of truth by profession to maintain falshood for their glory and vauntage are remediles as ye may sée Heb. 6. and 10. Balaam so sinned the false Prophets in the olde Testament so sinned the Pharesies so sinned Alexander so sinned and now many so sinne following their pride couetousnesse Tindale ¶ What this sinne vnto death is our Sauiour Christ doeth sufficiently declare saieng If ye will not beléeue ye shall dye in your owne sinnes So that this sinne vnto death is nothing els but a wilfull obstinate infidelitie this sinne no man that is borne of God doth commit though of frailenesse we be subiect to sinne as long as we liue Sir I. Cheeke If we sinne willingly after we haue receiued yâ— knowledge of the truth ¶ This is the sinne whereof is spoken Mat. 12. 31. that is the sinne of blasphemie against the Holy ghost which sinne Iohn calleth the sinne vnto death 1. Iohn 5. 16. ¶ They sinne willingly which of set purpose and mallice doth withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse and lying which know that in all the world ther is no other Sacrifice for sinne but that onely Omnisufficient sacrifice of Christs death and yet they will not commit themselues vnto it but rather despise it and abide still obstinately in their wickednesse and sinnes vnto such remaineth a most horrible and dreadfull iudgement Sir I. Cheeke For it is not possible that they which were once lightened haue tasted ¶ This text denieth not impossibilitie of mercie in God but the impossibilitie of repentaunce in such men as malâ—tiously forsake the truth blaspheme Christ take part against the Holy ghost For the truth is that with the Lord ther is mercie plenteous redemption Psa. 130. 7. So that whosoeuer calleth vpon his name shal be saued Ioel.
the horns of the Unicornes By these Vnicornes vnderstande the common people of the Iewes which cruelly and furiously put themselues in prease against Christ crieng Crucifie him Crucifie him Mat. 27. 22. T. M. VNIVERSALL CHVRCH What it is THe vniuersall Church is a multitude gathered of all manner of nations which béeing sette a sunder and dispearsed by distaunce of places doth neuerthelesse consent in the one truth of the heauenly doctrine and is knitte together in one selfe same bonde of religion But for as much as it is not possible for all Christs members to growe together into one place vnder the vniuersall Church are comprehended the seuerall Churches which are disposed in euery Towne and Uillage according as mans necessitye requireth So as each one of them doth worthely beare the name and authoritie of the Church In the same sense doth Paule saye that he had a dayly care for all Churches 2. Cor. 11. 28. Marl. fol. 7. Whether Christs Church or the Popes be the vniuersall Church That the Church of Christ and not the Romish Church is that true vniuersall Church that hath alwaies remained and euer shall read S. Augustine to Casulane Epist. 80. where yée shall see the Romish Church and other Westerne Churches agreeing with her guiâ—e exempted froÌ„ Christs vniuersal church as one departed from the faith of Christ. Proues against the vniuersall head ¶ Looke Pope VNQVIETNESSE OF THE FLESH Looke Messenger of Satan VNSAVERIE The meaning of this place of Iob. THat which is vnsauerie shall it be eaten without Salt ¶ Canne a mans taste delight in that that hath no sauour Meaning that none toke pleasure in affliction seeing they cannot awaye with thinges that are vnsauerie to the mouth Geneua VNTILL What this word Vntill doth signifie KNew her not vntil she had brought forth her first begotten sonne ¶ This word Untill also doth sometime signifie the certeintie and appointed time And sometime it signifieth the time infinit without end or ceasing as in these places that followeth I am I am and vntill you waxe olde I am Now in this place because hée sayth vntill they be old he will be their God will be therefore when they are olde cease or leaue off to be their God And our sauiour Christ to his Apostles Behold I am with you euen vnto the end of the world will the Lord after the consummation of the world forsake his Disciples Againe the Psalmist saith â— He shall reigne vntill he haue put all his enimies vnder his fâ—â—â—e shall he therfore when his enimies are subdued reignâ— no longâ—â— Againe as the eyes of the maide doe waâ—te vppon thee handes of her mistres euen so doe our eies waie vppon thée vntill thou haue mercie vppon vs when the Lorde therefore hath compassion and mercie vppon vs shall we waite no longer In the lyke sense this word Untill is to be taken in this place for the Euangelist saith He knew hir not vntill she had brought foorth hir sonne that we may much more perceiue and gather that he knew hir not after Marl. vpon Mat. fol. 19. ¶ Christ is héere called the first borne because she had neuer any before and not in respect of any she had after neither yet doth this word Untill import alway a time following wherein the contrary may be affirmed as our Sauiour saieng that he will be present with his disciples vntill the ende of the world meaneth not that after the end of the world he will not be with them Geneua This little word Untill in the Hebrue tongue giueth vs to vnderstand also that a thing shall not come to passe in time to come As Michol had no childe vntill hir death daye 2. Samuel 6. 23. And in the last Chapter of the Euangelist Behold I am with you vntill the ende of the world Beza VNVVORTHELY Of the vnworthy receiuing of the Sacrament SAint Paule doth not say that Iudas did eate the bodye of Christ vnworthely for he speaketh not of his body vnworthely but of the Sacrament vnworthely For he saith Whosoeuer eateth of this bread and drinketh of this Cup vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lords body and not because he eateth the Lords body If Iudas did eate Christs body it must néedes follow that Iudas was saued For Christ saith in the 6. of Iohn ve 45. Whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp in the last day R. Woodman in the b. of Mar. fol. 2181. Who eateth Christs body in the Sacrament vnworthely He eateth this bread vnworthely which regardeth not the purpose for the which Christ did institute it which commeth not to it with spirituall hunger to eate through faith his very body which the bread representeth by the breaking distributing of it which commeth not with a merry heart giuing God hartie thankes for their deliueraunce from sinne which doe not much more eate in their heart the death of his body then they doe the bread with their mouth Obiection He that eateth and drinketh this Sacrament vnworthely shal be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. Now say they how shal they be guiltie of the Lords body and bloud which receiue it vnworthely except it were the very body bloud of the Lord. Aunswere He that despiseth the Kings seale or letters offendeth against his owne person He that violently plucketh downe his graces armes or breketh his broad seale with a furious minde or with violence committeth treason against his own person yet his armes broad seale are not his own person He yâ— clippeth the Kings coyne committeth treason against the Kings person the Common-wealth yet yâ— mony is neither the Kings person nor yâ— CoÌ„mon-wealth S. Paule saith yâ— euery man which prayeth or precheth w e couered head shameth his head his head is Christ shal we therfore imagin yâ— Christ is naturaly in euery maÌ„s head S. Austen saith that he doth no lesse sin which negligently heareth the word of God then doth the other whichâ—vnworthely receiueth the sacrament of Christs body bloud ¶ Héere it is plaine yâ— Christs natural body is not in the word when it is preched yet he sinneth no lesse saith S. Austen the negligently heareth it then doth he that vnworthely receiueth the Sacrament S. Peter witnesseth that our harts are purified by faith true faith therefore is the cleanesse of Christians whervpon S. Austen saith The vnbeléeuers eate not the flesh of Christ spiritually but rather eateth drinketh the sacrament of so great a thing to his owne condempnation because being vncleane hée hath presumed to come to Christs Sacraments which no man receiueth worthely but he that is cleane of whome it is said Blessed be the cleane in heart for they shall sée God Bull. 1107. VOICE The meaning of this place HEaring his voyce but séeing no man ¶ They heard Paules voice for
giuen to finde souldiers as Augustine doth often say Now reasons why ther shuld be wepons ther be many But this is yâ— speciall reson which the Cantons wher euery man wereth a weapon alledge for their so doing that the magistrate country may be assisted and defended And euery man do weare wepon ought to weare wepon for the magistrate ought not only to weare it but also to drawe it at the Magistrates voice to do as it is said in the. 3. booke fourth Chapter of Esdras If the king alone saie Doe kill they do kill If he say do forgiue they forgiue If he say smite they do smite If he say banish they do banish If he saye cut off they cut off I say if the people ought thus to do for the Prince magistrate to draw their weapons in his cause to lay downe their life at their foote how much more ought the magistrate for his owne cause and for all their causes to beare weapon and not to beare it in vaine but to purpose c. T. Draut Warres sent of God And sent forth his warriours to destroye those murtherers ¶ This was done by the Emperours of Rome Vespatianus Titus which destroied HierusaleÌ„ slew aboue eleuen hundred thousand men Note that the Romanes are héere called the armies of the Lord euen as they of the Assirians is in the Prophet called the seruants of God because that by him God did punish his people Sir I. Cheeke Of him that warreth vnder Christ. ¶ Looke Souldier VVASHING Wherevnto the washing of feet had relation IN those places that are extreame hotte when men haue done their iourney they vse to wash their béete and to wipe away the dust which office was somtime shewed vnto Christ our sauiour And he againe executed the same vnto his Apopostles Paule also required this of good widowes namelye to wash the féete of thâ— Saintes c. Pet. Mart. vppon Iudic. fol. 252. How this word wash is taken If I wash thée not ¶ There are some which refer this word Wash vnto the free remissâ—on of sinnes And there are other fome also which referre the same to newnesse of life And a third forte vppon a good consideration referre it to both For Christ washeth vs when he wipeth awaye our sinnes by the offering vp himselfe least they should come into iudgement Moreouer he washeth vs wheÌ„ by his holy spirit he abolisheth the wicked and sinfull desires of the flesh Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 461. Ye also ought to wash one anothers feete ¶ The Bishop of Rome too apishly foolloweth Christ in many thinges And in this he would seeme to follow Christ washing once in a yeare the feete of certeine poore folkes which haue bene washed before and not onely washed but also perfumed with swéete odours and waters And thus by a bare and naked ceremony they thinke that they haue done very well And when they haue done it they can be conâ—eÌ„ted to contemne their brethren and cruelly to teare the members of Christ and to spit in his face Wherfore that comminical pompe is nothing else but a filthy scorning of Christ. And verely Christ doth not héere commend vnto vs a yearely ceremonie but commaundeth vs all our lyfe time to be ready to wash our bretherens féete When Abigal sayd to the messengers of Dauid Beholde let thine handmaide be a seruaunt to wash the féete of the seruants of my Lord shée meant not such a counterfeit seruice as the imitating enimies of Christ doe vse but she meant that she would be so obedient loyall and seruable to Dauid that she would not refuse to wash euen the feet of his seruants So Saint Paule vnderstoode washing of the féete when hée required the good and vertuous widow to be a washer of the Saints féete that is to saye to be serueable to them in each point Christ sayth not ye ought to wash my féete but to wash one an others féete Marl. vppon Iohn fol. 463. Saint Augustine ad Iannar saith thus If thou demaunde vpon what consideration this ceremony of washing féete first began notwithstanding I haue well thought of it yet canne I finde nothing that séemeth more likely then this For that the bodyes of them that hadde appointed to be baptised at Easter being ill cherished by reason of the lenten fast wold haue had some loathsomnesse in the touching vnlesse they â—ad bene washed at sometime before And that therefore they chose this day chiefly to that purpose vppon which daye the Lordes supper is yearely celebrated Héere Saint Austen sayth it was the fulsomnesse of the bodyes loathsomenesse of the senses that first began this ceremonye and not the institution or commaundement of Christ. What is signified by washing of Christs Disciples feet And beganne to was his Disciples féete ¶ Hée washed their féete to declare that hée came to minister vnto other and not be ministred vnto And further to teach by this washing that his ministration was to purge and wash away the â—ilth of sinne which is done by the shedding of his bloud for the bloud of Christ sprinkled into our hearts by the worde of his Gospel and receiued by sayth cleanseth vs from all sinne Tindale ¶ He that is washed néedeth not saue to wash his feete ¶ Whosoeuer is washed that is to saye whosoeuer beleeueth in the bloud of Christ which doth wash away all our sinnes hée is cleane but yet he hath néede to wash his féet that is to say hée hath néed with continuall watch to came his carnal affections and fleshly concupiscenses dayly with a true repentant heart flieng vnto the Lord for mercye and pardon of his sinnes Héere they be confounded that affirme vs to be without sinne after we be regenerate Sir I. Cheeke Saue to wash his feete ¶ That is to be continually purged of his corrupt affections worldly cares which remain dayly in vs. Geneua VVAST SEA How Babylon is compared to the wast sea ¶ Looke Babylon VVATCH What it is to watch WAtch is not onely to absteine from sleepe but also to be circumspect and to cast all perills as a man should watch a Towre or Castle we must remember that the snares of the diuell are infinite and innumerable and that euerye moment arise new temptations and that in all places méete vs fresh occasions against which we must prepare our selues and turne to God and complaine to him and make our moue desireâ— him of his mercy to be our shield our towre our castle defence from all euill to put his strength in vs for with out him we can do nothing and aboue all thing we must call to minde what promises God hath made and what he hath sworne that he will doe to vs for Christs sake and with strong faith cleaue vnto them and desire him of his mercie and for the loue hée hath to Christ and for his truths sake to fulfill his promises If
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 ¶
bloud out of his bodie soked therein the bread and made a Sacrament thereof If the boy died he was counted a martiâ— if otherwise a great Priest Epiph. hâ—raes 48. August li. de heraes Eusâ—bius in his 5. booke and. 18. chapter writeth that one Appolonius reproued Montanus because he was the first that wrote lawes of fasting as though the Church before him was frée He by lawes prescripts prescribed what daies men should fast and what meat they should absteine from Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 278. MONKES Of the life of Monkes in S. Hieromes time S. Hierome describing the life and order of Monks in his time saith thus They brag not of their sole single life All coÌ„tention is who may be most humble Whosoeuer is laâ—â— is couÌ„ted first There is neither difference nor wondring in apparell howsoeuer it pleaseth a man to goe hée is neither slaundered for it nor commended no man is aduaunced for his fasting neither his abstinence praised nor sober refection condemned Each man either standeth or falleth vnto his Lord. No man iudgeth other least of the Lord he himselfe be iudged Of the Monkes that be now If the name of Monks that is to say Solitari be not sufficient to declare that those which at this day be named Monks be nothing lesse then that they be called there be other reasons sufficient to conuince them For the auncient Monestaries were as Colleges into the which men resorted for two causes First the better to be at quiet to studie Scriptures The second to exercise patience and austeritie of life Notwithstanding it was not to be strained and bound to one place during lyfe without exception but contrariwise to be the more méet to serue the churches when they should be called and elected therunto as it appeareth by Gregorie Nazienzene Basile Chrisottome namely in S. Augustines time To be idle and not to worke with the hands was intollerable for on the contrary they liued onely by the labour of their owne handes yea and they did giue the rest of their labour vnto the poore So that a Monke not trauailing for his liuing was estéemed as a théeâ—e according to the rule of S. Paule And to put saluation partly or altogether in their abstinence how extreme or hard so euer they wer they neuer thought it For they knew very wel what S. Paule had written of that point Moreouer S. Austen testifieth and saith Let none be oppressed aboue his power least ther be superstition in the abstinence of meates for the weake refusing foolishly the vse of wine were admonished brotherly that by their superstition they brought themselues rather more weake then holy it appeareth moreouer by that which S. Cipriane sayd yâ— it wer better for the virgins which wer dedicate by promise vnto God yâ— is to wit to the seruice of the poore not to be idle in couents if they wold not or could not continue yâ— they should marry rather then fall into the fire and burne by their delights as also Paule hath ordeined If this be heresie then Saint Cipriane must be an heretike Theo. Beza Apud hos c. AmoÌ„g these meÌ„ meaning Monks al things are counterfait their wide sléeues their great boots their course gownes their often sighes their visiting of Uirginnes their backbiting of Priests and if there come an holy day they ease vntill they be faine to perbrake S. Austen saith vnto the olde heretikes called the Maniches Ye say we maye not examine what men they be that professe your sect but onely what is their profession what thing can there be found more false more deceiptfull more malitious then yeu areâ— The olde Fathers opinions of Monkes Gods seruice These Monkes satih S. Austen serue not God they serue their bellies August de opera Monacho cap. 12. Againe We cannot tell saith he whether they became Monkes of purpose to serue God or els being wearye of theyr poore painfull life were rather desirous to be fed and cloathed doing nothing Under the colour of holinesse saith S. Hilary they seeke for daintie fare they maintaine their storehouses by the vnprofitable seruice of religious people of whome it is written They deuoure vp widowes houses although they think to serue God yet the same aunswere shall bée made them that is written in the Gospell We know that God giueth no eare to sinnerâ— They are loth to be abiects and in serâ—ile state For idlenes they will not labour to beg they are ashamed for being valiant and lustie people no man would giue them any thing Of the idlenesse of Monkes They speake much of their idlenesse as if it were the kéeper and Castle of the Gospel Againe in the same chapter he saith the same thing happeneth vnto them that S. Paule speaketh of young widowes liuing out of order they learne to be idle and not onely idle but also curious and full of words speaking such things as are not méete Saint Austen saith Unto the seruaunts of God there is nothing worse then idlenesse let them therefore worke in the name of God These Monkes saith S. Austen will haue idle hands full bellies Aug. de opere Monicho cap. 23. A learned Father was wont to say by the report of Socâ—ates A Monke that laboureth not with his handes maye be re sembled vnto a thiefe They meaning Monkes saith S. Barnard must néedes be in trauailes with Diuels that are not in the trauailes of men Such a number of Hipocrites saith S. Austen hath the Diuell scatterâ—d abroad euery where vnder the colour of Monkes Aug. de opere Monicho cap. 28. Of the originall of Monkes S. Hierom disputing of the originall of Monkes in the Iyfe of Paulâ—s hath thus written Among many it hath oftentimes bene called into question who first began chiefly to dwel in the wildernes of the Monks some fetching the matter somwhat too far off began to recken from Helias the holy prophet S. Iohn of whom Helias séemeth to vs to haue ben more then a Monk that S. Iohn began to prophecie before he was born But others in which opinion the most part of all people doâ— commonly agrée affirme that S. Antonie was the first beginner of that order which in part is true For the was not onely the first but also the motioner of all others therevnto Amathas and Macarius S. Antonies scholars whereof the first buried his maisters body doe now affirme that one Paulus Thebius was the first beginner of that way which thing we also confirme not onely in name but also in opinion Bull. fol. 1135. The forme of a Monkish absolution God forgiue thee my brother the merite of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and of blessed S. Mary alwayes a Uirgin and of all the Saints the merites of thine Order the straightnesse of thy religion the humilitie of thy confession the contrition of thine heart the good
Deering And went into the Sinagogue on the sabboth day sat down ¶ The truth neuer feareth the light but commeth forth boldly as it appeareth by Paule Barnabas which entered into the common Sinagogue Also héere we doe learne why the sabboth was instituted not for vaine sports and pastimes but that vpon that day the people should giue themselues to praier to read heare the word of God Sir I. Cheekeâ— How the Priests brake the Sabboth and were blamelesse ¶ That on the Sabboth the Priestes in the Temple brake the Sabboth and are blamelesse ¶ Not that the Priests brake the Sabboth in doing that which was commaunded by the lawe but he speaketh this to conâ—ute the errour of the people who thought the Sabboth broken if any necessary worke were done that day Geneua Sée that ye kéepe my Sabboth ¶ The Sabboth beside that it serued to come heare the word of God to seeke his will to offer and to reconcile themselues vnto God It was a signe vnto them also did put them in remembraunce that it was God that sanctified them with his holy spirit and not they themselues with their holy workes T. M. What is meant by the second Sabboth It came to passe in the second Sabboth ¶ Epiphanius noteth well in his treatise where he confuteth Ebion that the time when the Disciples plucked the eares of corne was in the feast of vnleuened bread now wheras in these feasts which kept many daies together as the feast of tabernacles and the passeouer their first day and the last wer of like solemnitie Leâ—â— 23. Luke fitly calleth the last day the second Sabboth though Thâ—ophilact vnderstand it of any of them that followed the first Beza The feasts which conteined many daies as the passeouer and the feast of tabernacles had two Sabboths the first day of the feast and the last Geneua A sâ—ieng of S. Austen concerning the Sabboth It is lesse euill saith Saint Austen to goe to plough then to play vpon one of those daies meaning the Sabboth daies Why the Machabees fought on the Sabboth Obiection The Machabees fought and defended themselues vpon the Sabboth day notwithstanding God had appointed that day to rest Aunswere The Machabees might lawfully defend themselues vpon the Sabboth day for Christ expoundeth the law man is not made for the Sabboth but the Sabboth for the man And the Iewes did euil saith Dâ—do being besieged vpon the Sabboth day to stand to yéeld them vnto their enimies Yet did not the Machabees proclaime yâ— it shuld be lawfull vpon the sabboth day to go to the field The meaning of this place following And beare no burden on the Sabboth day ¶ By meaning the Sabboth day he comprehendeth the thing the is thereby signified for if they trangressed in the ceremony they must néeds be culpable of the rest Read Exo. 20. 8. And by the breaking of this one coÌ„mandemeÌ„t he maketh them transgressours of yâ— who le law for as much as the first second table are conteined therin Geneua The signification of the Latine word Sabbathum Sabbathum was among the Iewes accompted the seauenth day in the which they fasted in remembrance of the seuen daies in the which they were fatigate going fasting in the desart of Arabia or they came to the mount of Sinai S. Austen vpon the Psalmes writeth the Sabbathum is taken three maÌ„ner of waies for ye. 7. day is called by the name in the which almightie God rested after his worke of 6. daies Sabbathum is also eternall quietnesse Moreouer Sabbathum is the conscience of a quiet minde aduaunced by hope of the time to come not being shakeÌ„ or vexed with stormes of things present Eliote Look Winter SACKCLOTH What the wearing of sackcloth signifieth SAckcloth shéering of mens heads renting of their garments and casting of dust and ashes vpon them were â—okens of repentaunce or els of great sorrow among the people of the East countries in olde time Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 29. SACRAMENT What Sacrament is A Sacrament saith S. Austen is the signe of an holy thing ¶ If it be the signe of an holy thing then it is not the very thing it selfe which it doth signifie I. Frith It séemeth to me that a Sacrament is an outwarde signe wherewith the Lord sealeth to our consciences the promises of his good will towards vs to sustaine the weaknesse of our faith And we againe on our behalfes doe testifie our godlinesse towards him as well before him and the Angells as before men We may also with more briefenesse define it otherwise As to call it a testimonie of Gods fauour towards vs confirmed by an outward signe with a mutuall testifieng of our godlinesse towards him Whether of these definitions it differeth nothing in sense from the definition of S. Augustine which teacheth that a Sacrament is a visible signe of an holy thing or a visible forme of an inuisible grace but it doeth better and more certainely expresse the thing it selfe for whereas in the briefenesse there is some darknesse wherin many of the vnskilfull sort are deceiued I thought good in more wordes to giue a fuller sentence that there should remaine no doubt Cal. in his Instit. 4. b. chap. 14. sect 1. A Sacrament as S. Austen defineth it is a signe of an holy thing But if the Sacrament be Christs body as the Papists say it is then can it not be a Sacrament that is the signe of an holy thing for it is the holy thing it selfe So that they must either deny the sacrament to be the body bloud of Christ either els the Sacrament therof For one thing cannot be both the signe the thing signified because they be in that respect most contrary the one to the other Crowley A Sacrament is a visible signe ordeined of Iesus Christ as a seale to confirme vs the better in the faith of the promises the which God hath made vs of our saluation in him Vnet Sacrament is a signe representing such appointments and promises as the Raine-bow representeth the promise made to Noe that God will no more drowne the world Tindale This word Sacrament is as much to say as an holy signe and representeth alway some promise of God as in the olde Testament God ordeined that the Raine-bow should represent and signifie vnto all men an Oth that God sware to Noe and to all men after him that he would no more drowne the worlde with water so the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ hath a promise annexed which the Priest should declare in the English tongue This is my body that is broken for you This is my bloud that is shed for many vnto the forgiuenesse of sinnes This doe in the remembraunce of mée â—aith Christ. Luke 22. 19. and 1. Cor. 11. 24. If when thou seest the sacrament or eatest his body or drinkest his bloud thou haue this promise fast in thy heart
that his body was slaine and his bloud shed for thy sins beléeuest it so art thou saued iustified therby if not so helpeth it thée not though thou herest a thousand Masses in a day or though thou dost nothing els al thy life long then eat his body drink his bloud no more then it shuld help thée in a dead thirst to behold a bush at a Tauerne dore if thou knewest not therby the ther wer wine wtin to be solde Tin This word sacrament did not signifie the same with the olde Writers as it doth now in the Church for they call a sacrament the oth or religious bond which was of the strength of an oth So they called yâ— souldiers oth wherby they sware when they shuld go a warfare for the Common wealth that they would serue faithfully The souldiers sacrament as we may perceiue by Seruius and Vigetius in their bookes of warre matters Augustine defineth a sacrament in this sort The visible sacrifice saith he is the sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice that is to say the holy signe And againe A sacrament saith he is a visible forme of an inuisible grace c. Musc. fol. 272. S. Austen describeth a sacrament thus The word of God comming to the Element maketh the sacrament And againe in another place he saith A sacrament is a thing wherin the power of God vnder the forme of visible things doth worke secret saluation And the Master of the sentences doeth describe a sacrament none otherwise A Sacrament saith he is an inuisible grace and hath a visible forme and by this inuisible grace saith he I meane remission of sinnes In the b. of Mar. fo 1352. What the Sacrament doth signifie The signification and substaunce of the Sacrament is to shewe how we are fed with the body of Christ that is that like as materiall bread feedeth the body so the body of Christ nailed vpon the Crosse embraced and eaten by faith féedeth the soule The like representation is also made in the Sacrament of Baptime that as our bodies is washed cleane with water so is our soules cleane with Christs bloud How the sacrament is called the body of Christ. It is called the body of Christ that is to say it signifieth the body of Christ. Glosa de consecra dist 2. Hoc est The right consecrating of the sacrament The same Christ that did adorne and beautifie the Table is now present and he doth consecrate the same also For it is not men that doth make these things that be set before vs of the consecration of yâ— Lords table to be yâ— body bloud of Christ but the same Christ which was crucified for vs. The words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the things are consecrated by the power grace of God This is saith he my body by this word are the things yâ— are set before vs consecrated And euen as yâ— voice which saith grow be multiplied replenish yâ— earth was but once spoken but yet doth at all times by the work of nature féele effect to generation so that voice also was but once spoken yet it giueth sure staye to the sacrifice throughout al yâ— tables of the Church euen to this daye from henceforth til his comming ¶ Chrisostome doth héere compare yâ— words yâ— Christ spake at yâ— insitution of his supper to the words yâ— God spake when he appointed man to be multiplied by generation affirmeth yâ— the same power yâ— worketh stil in the one doth stil work in the other also Not to charm out the substance of breadâ— to charme in yâ— substance of Christ vnder the accideÌ„ts of bread as you do teach meaning Watson But yâ— as by naturall order yâ— generation of mankind is continued according to the first voice so the inuisible graces yâ— wer promised by the death bloudshedding of our Sauiour Christ are by yâ— sacramentall vse of these creatures according to his commaundement continually preached to our senses and by â—aith receiued into our soules Crowley How the sacrament is a memoriall or signe of Christs death If Iesus haue not dyed whose memoriall and signe is this Sacrifice Thou seest what diligence he gaue that we shuld continually keepe in memory that he dyed for vs c. ¶ Héere Chrisostome calleth the Sacrament a memoriall or signe of Christ and that it was instituted to kéepe his death in perpetuall remembraunce And where he calleth it a Sacrifice he meaneth it to be a remembraunce of that holy sacrifice that Christ made vpon the Câ—osse once for all for he can be sacrificed no more seeing he is immortall I. Frith How the sacrament is receiued with our mouth Rabanus Maurus saith The sacrament is receiued with the mouth of our body but the body of Christ is receiued into the inner man and that with the spirituall mouth of our soule How the sacrament is more then bare bread or wine Our Bread and Cup be not of the common sort as in stéede of Christ bound togethers in eares of corne and twigs as they that is the Maniches do foolishly imagine but by vndoubted consecration it is made vnto vs mystical or sacramental bread it doth not growe such wherefore that foode that is not so made although it be bread and wine it is a nourishment of refection but not a sacrament of religion otherwise then that we blesse and giue thankes to God in all his gifts not onely spirituall but corporall also How the sacrament is made of two natures Ireneus saith that the Sacrament is made of two natures of an heauenly nature of a terrenall earthly nature now take away the substaunce of bread what earthly nature or substaunce remaineth in this holy Sacrament How sacraments are no cause of grace In Sacraments the onely promise of God by Christ both by word and signe are exhibited vnto vs which promises if we apprehende by faith then is the grace increased in vs and the gifte of God by faith receiued is by the Sacrament â—ealed in vs. What ought to be considered in sacraments S. Augustine saith in Sacraments we must consider not they be indéede but what they signifie All misteries or sacraments must be considered with inward eyes that is to say spiritually How the sacraments are holie whether the minister or receiuer be good or bad S. Augustin in this place against the Donatists shooteth not at this But whether Christs verye naturall bodie be receiued with our mouths but whether the Sacraments in generall bee receiued both of good and bad And he declareth that it is all one water whether Symon Peter or Symon Magus be christened in it all one Table of the Lord and one Cup whether Peter sup thereat or Iudas all one Oyle whether Dauid or Saule were annoynted therewith Wherefore he concludeth thus Memento ergo sacramentis Dei c. Remember