multiplier 11  475  475 The summe amounting 5225 Againe if ye diuide the 5225. dayes by 30. you shall finde 174. moneths and fiue dayes thus The number to be diuided 5225 5 daies 174 moneths The diuisor 30 To these you must adde 87. daies because the moone hath not aboue 29. daies and the halfe of one day Thirdly if ye will diuide the 174. moneths by 12. ye shal finde 14. yeeres and 6. moneths thus The number to be diuided 174 6. moneths 14 yeeres The diuisor 12 Now these 6. moneths remaining togither with the 92. dayes od houres and minutes wil suffice to make vp the 15. yeere that is wanting in the last diuision So then this supputation is consonant to the yeeres of the monarkes and to the iust record of the Olympiades of the Greekes which by vniforme consent of all learned writers are most certaine as also answerable to euery thing in Daniel which no other supputation is able by any possibilitie to affoord For it is without all controuersie that the weekes of Daniel were ended in the 4. yeere of Tiberius Cesar at which time Christ was crucified from which yeere vntill the fourth yere of the 83. Olympiade which was the twentieth yeere of Artaxerxes Longimanus where I holde the 70. weekes of Daniel to beginne be iust 475. yeeres after the course of the sunne which make as is already prooued 490. yeeres after the course of the moone CHAP. V. Of the sabbaoth and festiuall dayes of the Iewes WHen the children of Israel were come againe out of captiuitie they and all such as had forsaken heathenish idolatry and ioyned themselues vnto them kept the feast of vnleauened bread seauen dayes with ioy And after the temple was finished in the sixt yeere of Darius the Priests Leuites and residue of the children of the captiuitie kept the dedication thereof Esdr. 6.16 22. Concerning which festiuall dayes and the like because many are superstitious and some very ignorant it shall not be impertinent in this place to set downe a briefe discourse thereof The first Section Of sabbaoths one is legall an other spirituall the third celestiall The spirituall sabbaoth is a ceasing from sinne and is peculiar to the godly and regenerate for with it dissolute liuers and carnally affected persons such as Sardanapalus was can haue no fellowship at all albeit they professe a certaine externall obseruance of the ceremoniall sabbaoth and glorie no little therein For as the apostle saith Rom. 8.13 they that liue after the flesh must die but they that mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the spirit shal liue This sabbaoth is not tied to any certain time or daies but ought to be kept euery day without anie intermission for we must euer beleeue euer hope euer loue euer bring foorth the fruites of the spirit Otherwise there should be no proportion betweene the spirituall sabaoth and the spirituall man The second Section The celestiall sabbaoth is it in which wee shall rest both in body and soule from the labours and vexations of this present mortalitie Yet in this life we may labor in the body although the mind regenerate do sabbatize vnto the Lord. For the spirituall sabaoth doth not so prohibite the regenerate from corporall labours but that they may in due season exercise the same for their own honest sustentation and of others Yea the minds euen of the godly albeit they sabbatize in the Lord yet are they oft afflicted now w t tentations now with errours with tribulations now with anguishes with charitable cōpassions ouer their brethren These are the imperfections of this present life which the spirituall sabaoth cannot take away but the celestiall sabbath in the heauenly Ierusalem will vtterly make an ende thereof For in that sabbath there shall be no place to anie labours errours tentations or miseries whatsoeuer For the vision beatificall will wipe away all teares from our face This is the pure and perfect sabbath not of the bodie onely as the legall whereof I am to speake by and by nor of the mind only as the spirituall but of soule and body both together which sabbaoth was shadowed in the olde law begunne in the new lawe and shall be accomplished in the kingdome of heauen where we shall celebrate the sabbaoth of all sabbaoths world without end The third section The legall ceremoniall and externall sabboth is a certaine set time appointed in the church for the ministerie of the worde and administration of the sacraments And it is of two sorts immediate and mediate the immediate is that which was instituted immediately in the old Testament and this kind was manifold because there was the sabboth of dayes as the seauenth day of the weeke which was tearmed by the peculiar and proper name of sabboth as well in respect of the diuine rest which God had from creating new creatures as of the rest which Gods people must keepe that day There were also other sabbothes of dayes though not properly so tearmed but by the names of feasts to wit the feast of the Passeouer the feast of Pentecost the feast of Tabernacles the feast of expiacion the feast of blowing trumpets the feast of vnleauened bread the feast of the first fruites Againe there was the sabboth of moneths called neomeniae 2. Paralipomenon the second chapter and the fourth verse Thirdly there was a sabbaoth of yeares as euerie seuenth yeare Leuiticus chapter 25. vers 4. in which yere the Israelites were prohibited to till the ground to sow their seede and to cut their vineyardes Fourthly there was also the sabboth of Iubilee which came euerie fiftieth yeare Leuit. 25. vers 12. in the which yeare libertie was proclaimed to all that were in bondage in which yeare none might sowe none might reape none might gather grapes in which yeare euerie one returned to his owne possession in which yeare all land that had beene sold returned to the familie which yeare when it was farre off they might sell dearer but the nearer it was the better cheap ought they to sel their land An apishimitation of this Iubilee the late Bishops of Rome pretend vnto the worlde But alas who seeth not what a diabolical illusion it is In this Iubilee none did or could pardon their neighbours sinnes but the Pope pardoneth al as well great as small in this Iubilee all bond men were set at libertie but in the Popes Iubilee the Turks stil row in galies in bondage they stil remaine both in Italie in Spain in this Iubilee all sold lands had an end and returned againe to the seller but in the Popes Iubilee not onely sold landes do not returne againe but landes bought with other mens goods do stil remain Note wel gentle reader what I say for of late yeares since the Pope by diabolicall perswasions of ambitious and seditious Iesuites intended the inuasion of this land he hath promised facultie to his Iesuites and seminaries that they may dispense
in clericis secularibus de substantia ordinis nec de iure diuino quia alià s Graeci peccarent nec excusaret eos consuetudo Sequitur non solum credo potestateminesse ecclesiae hoc condendi sed credo pro bono salute esset animarum quod esset salubre statutum vt volentes possint contrahere quia experieÌ„tia docente contrarius prorsus effectus sequitur ex illa lege continentiae cum hodie non viuant spiritualiter nec sint mundi sed maculantur illicito coitu cum eorum grauiss peccato vbi cum propria vxore esset castitas Continencie in secular priests is not of the substance of their orders nor of the law diuine because otherwise the Greeks should sinne and their custome could not excuse them and I doe not onely beleeue that the church can make such a law but also that such a law were for the good and for the saluation of soules that such as would might marrie because experience teacheth that a contrarie effect followeth of that lawe of continencie since this day they liue not spiritually neither are cleane but are polluted in vnlawfull copulation with their sinne most greeuous though they might liue chastly with their owne wiues Out of which wordes of Panormitan who was their canonist their Abbot their archbishop their cardinall I note first that the prohibition of marriage in secular priestes is neither of the substance of the ministerie nor by the law of God but onely enforced by the law of man I note secondly that priestes marriage may be honourable and honest chastitie I note thirdly that the prohibition of priestes marriage is against their soules health as which causeth the priests to sin damnably Out of which notes I inferre this memorable corollary that the prohibition of priests marriage is against Gods law against the health of mens soules and against the good of the common weale and that by constant popish doctrin So then the pope is neuer able to purge himself of his shameful dealing CHAP. V. Of popish pardons and the originall thereof I Haue spoken so copiously of popish pardons in my booke of Motiues as much more shall not be needfull in this place There I prooued by the testimonie of Roffensis Syluester and other popish doctors that popish pardons are not grounded in or vpon the word of god as also that they crept into the church long after Christes ascension into heauen Bonifacius the eight of that name who began his popedome as a foxe continued in it as a wolf and ended it as a dog their owne writers Platina and Carranza so affirming was the first bishop of Rome that euer tooke vpon him to pardon sinne by publique bulles He appointed a Iubilee and graunted full remission of al sinnes to such as would come in pilgrimage to Rome Their owne Platina hath these expresse wordes Iubilaeum idem retulit anno millesimo trecentesimo quo plenam delictorum omnium remissionem his praestabat qui limina apostolorum visitassent ad exemplum veteris testamenti Pope Boniface brought againe the Iubilee after 1300. yeares and gaue full pardon of all sinnes to those that did visite S. Peters Church in Vaticano at Rome after the example of the olde lawe Out of these words I note first that the old iubilee was neuer heard of in Christs church til the time of Bonifacius our Iewish pope I proue it by the word retulit he brought again from the Iewes I note secondly that the church was free froÌ„ popish pardons the space of 1300 yeares so as popish pardons are not yet 300. yeares old albeit sillie people do so magnifie the same I note thirdly that this pope pardoned not only the paine but euen the sin it selfe yea all sinnes whatsoeuer Though our latter papists to hide their shame if it could be do violently interpret him of the pain I note fourthly that this good father Maliface brought again the Iewish ceremonial law I note fiftly that the remission of the olde law which they pretend apishly to imitate was not of sins but of debts lands bondage such like which the pope vseth not to pardon and yet forsooth he would be thought to bring the Iubilee againe Two hundreth yeares after this that is 1500. yeares after Christ pope Alexander the sixt appointed his Iubilee and like pardons not onely for comming to Rome but to all persons in all places wheresoeuer So writeth their own Polydore and Platina accordeth therunto for the rest see my Motiues in this point The first obiection The church of God vsed to giue pardons aboue a thousand and two hundred yeares sithence as appeareth by the great councell of Nice and by other ancient synods Yea S. Gregorie gaue pardon to al those that did visit the churches at Rome The answere I say first that Emperors kings absolute princes common weales independent may lawfully pardon malefactours the due circumstances of times places and persons wel considered and so may one neighbour pardon an other for trespasses done vnto him I say secondly that in the primitiue church such as were notorius offenders had giuen publike scandall to y e church were inioyned by the church to do publike penance for their publike faults before they could be admitted into the church again Which thing is this day obserued in all reformed churches abroad and in all particular churches God be thanked for it throughout the Realme of England I say thirdly that in the ancient churches many yeares of penance or publike exercises of humiliation were ordained for euerie publike grieuous offence Whereupon it followed that when many penitent persons gaue euident tokens of tru internal remorse for their former scandalous conuersation then the church thought good to giue to such persons some relaxatioÌ„ of their so inioyned publike penance which maner of pardoning is plainely acknowledged in the holy councel of Nice These are the expresse words De his qui praeter necessitatem praeuaricati sunt aut propter ablationem facultatum aut propter periculum aut aliquid huiusmodi quod factum est sub tyrannide Liciniâ— placuit sanctae synodo licet sint indigni misericordia tameÌ„ aliquid circa eâ—s humanitatis ostendi Concerning those that haue voluntarily transgressed or for feare to lose their worldely goods or for danger or anie such like occasion as chanced in time of Licinius his persecution to such although they be vnworthie of mercie yet is it the holy councels mind to graunt them some pardon or relaxation in that behalfe In the councel of Arles and in the councell of Ancyra the like pardon is granted to penitent offenders of which kind of pardons the ancient fathers Irenaeus Tertullianus Eusebius Sozomenus and others do often make relation Yea of this sort were the pardons that Saint Gregorie gaue but of late popish pardons that is of applying to whom they list when they list as well to the liuing
and Aquinas saw the force of this reason and grauely vrged the same Yea the holy virgin renounceth flatly their hereticall and hypocriticall doctrine in her humble thankes to God for her saluation My soule saith she doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my sauiour For this cause Bernard cryeth out in these words Non est hoc virginem honorare sed honori detrahere The virgin is not this way honored but greatly dishonored Secondly because as Bernard saieth Where lust is there must needs be sinne and therefore since the virgin was conceiued with lust or else as they dare not say by the holy ghost it followeth that she was conceiued in sinne Other reasons the same Bernard hath but these may suffice The second reply But saint Austen saith that hee will alway except the holy virgine Mary when he disputeth or reasoneth of sinners or sinne The answer I say first that saint Austen confesseth flatly as you haue heard that the blessed virgin was vndoubtedly conceiued in original sin I say secondly that originall sin is of infinite deformitie as is already proued and consequently that the blessed virgin being polluted therewith was neuer able to yeeld condigne compensation for the same howe great soeuer her holinesse was afterward the reason is afore yeelded for that the infinit malice of sin surmounteth the value of the finite actions of all creatures And if she were not able to satisfie for her own sinnes much lesse had shee any surplussage of satisfaction left which may serue to binde vp the popes pardons for the sins of others I say thirdly that albeit S. Austen would not for the honor of our Sauior as he saith call the blessed virgin into question touching sin yet doth he not affirm her to haue bin void of all actual sinne but seemeth rather to hold the contrary For he addeth these words Vnde enim scimus quod ei plus gratiae colla tum fuerit ad vincendum omni ex parte peccatum quae concipere ac parere meruit quem constat nullum habuisse peccatum For how know we that she had more grace giuen her to ouercome all sinne who did conceiue and beare him that certainely was free from al sin In which words S. Austen sheweth plainly that he can not tell whether the blessed virgin was voide of all actuall sinne or no yet is he vnwilling to call her into question for the honour of our Lord Iesus whose mother she was according to the flesh Yea Saint Austen in his questions vpon the new testament if it be his worke confesseth freely that she sinned for want of faith These are his expresse words Hoc vtique significauit quia etiam Maria per quam gestum est mysterium incarnationis saluatoris in morte domini dubitaret ita tamen vt in resurrectione firmaretur This verily is signified that Marie by whome was accomplished the misterie of the incarnation of our Sauiour doubted in the death of our Lord yet so as she was confirmed in his resurrection Thus hee writeth and yet knoweth euerie child that to doubt in matters of faith is no little sinne S. Basil dissenteth nothing from Saint Augustine when hee telleth vs that the blessed virgin standing by the crosse wauered and was doubtfull in her minde while shee behelde on one side what miserie hee suffered on the other side what wonders he had done Saint Chrysostome affirmeth so expressely that the blessed virgin sinned that their angelicall doctour Aquinas is enforced to vse this sillie shift for a colorable answere to his words to wit that hee was excessiue in his words But who wil not rather thinke that hee was presumptuous in his answere These are S. Chrysostomes expresse words Quae estmater mea fratres mei aiebat siquidem nō adhuc debitam de ipso opinionem habebant sed more matrum Maria iure omnia filio se praecepturam censebat cum tanquam dominum colere reuereri licebat ideo in hunc modum respondit who is my mother my brethren said Christ for they had not yet a right opiniō of him but Mary after the maner of mothers thought she might command her sonne to do all things albeit she might well haue honored him as her Lord therfore did he answer in this maner Againe he saith thus Optabat enim vt tam hominum gratiam conciliaret ipsa clarior filij gratia efficeretur fortasse aliquo humano afficiebatur affectu For she wished that now he would win the fauor of men that she might be more famous for his sake and perhappes she was touched with some humane affection Againe in another place he saith thus Ambitione quadam ac ostentatione commoti foris eum in praesentia omnium euocarunt vt viderentur facile ac magna cum potestate Christo imperare Infra vnde patet inani quadam gloria illos commotos fuisse nihil adhuc magni de ipso cogitantes quod apertius Ioannes significauit dicens quia neque fratres eius credebant in eum They being tickled with ambition and vaine glorie called him out in the presence of all that they might seeme to command Christ at their pleasure and with authoritie Whervpon it is cleare that they were tickled with vaine glorie hauing no great opinion on him as yet which Iohn signified euidently when he saide For neither did his brethren beleeue in him Saint Hierome shall conclude this point which I haue handled more at large because many stumble at it and fewe seeme to vnderstand it well these are his expresse words Conclusit Deus omnes sub peccato vt omnium misereatur absque eo solo qui peccatum non fecit nec inuentus est dolus in ore eius God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that he may shew mercie vnto all him onely excepting that sinned not neither was there guile found in his mouth The third replie She was Christs mother and therefore was more blessed then al other women The answere I confesse willingly that shee was blessed aboue all women and yet that shee was a sinner and had Christ not onely for her sonne but euen for her Lorde and Sauiour neither was it so great a grace simplie and barely to beare Christ as the Papists faine it to be but the holy fathers S. Austen and S. Chrysostome shal tel vs what they thinke therof S. Austen hath these expresse words Hoc in ea magnificauit dominus quia fecit voluntatem patris non quia caro genuit carnē Propterea cum dominus in turba admirabilis videretur faciens signa prodigia ostendens quid lateret in carne admiratae quaedam animae dixerunt foelix venter qui te portauit ille imò foelices qui audiunt verbum Dei custodiūt illud hoc est dicere mater mea quam appellatis foelicem inde foelix quia verbum
to eate their owne bread but also to weare their owne clothes that so they be no way burdenous to him And yet as our Iesuite Bellarmine and other papists woulde haue it vnderstood in Genesis the text must yeeld this sense Wee will eate our owne bread and weare our own garments and desire onely that wee may inuocate thy name and make our prayers to thee when thou art dead Which sense is most absurd as euerie childe may perceiue for first if this had beene the meaning of the women in vaine had they made mention of eating their owne bread and wearing their owne garments as which coulde neither profite nor disprofite the man Secondly these women knew not whether the man should be a saued soule in heauen or a damned spirit in hel and therefore would they neuer make such a request to him Thirdly praying to him being dead could not take away their reproch on earth Fourthly the man might suruiue and liue after them all and so their desire was in vaine Fiftly Saint Hierome expoundeth this text euen as I haue saide For these are his words Tantùm ne absque marito esse videantur subâ—acere illi maledicto quod scriptum est maledicta sterilis quae non facit semen in Israel Onelie least they seeme to bee without an husband and to bee subiect vnto the curse which is written Accursed be the barren which bringeth not foorth seede in Israel In sundry places of the Scripture the selfe same phrase is found which can not possibly yeelde any other sense and therefore most impudent are the papists who blush not to father their praying to Saints vpon this fact of Iacob Peruse the ninth chapter of Daniel the eighteene and nineteene verses where it is thus written Beholde the citie wherevpon thy name is called For thy name is called vpon thy citie and vpon thy people That is to say it is named thy citie and they are called thy people Ponder well these words of Saint Iames the second chapter 7. verse Doe not they blaspheme the good name that is inuocated vpon you that is you that of Christ are called Christians The like phrases are in Ieremie the seuenth in Esay the 44. chapter in the booke of kinges and in other places But our Iesuite thinketh the wordes aforegoing in Genesis to prooue his purpose effectually For Ioseph praied to the angel to blesse the sonnes of Ioseph But I answere that that angel whereof Iacob spake is Christ himselfe And I prooue it by other places of the same booke where Iacob calleth God an angell The angel of God saith Iacob said to me in a dreame Yet in y e verse following the angel calleth himself the God of Bethel Which God was the angel that deliuered Iacob from all euill Which God was that Christ in whom Iacob and his seed are blessed And so by conferring place with place it is euident that Iacob praied to God not to the angel Our Iesuites vrge yet another Scripture to prooue inuocation of saintes Call now if anie wil answere thee and turne thee to some of the saintes I say first that these be the wordes of Elyphas the Themanite one of Iobes frindes and therefore not a sufficient warrantize for an article of our faith I say secondly that he speaketh not of the saints departed but of the godly then liuing Whose behauiour he willeth Iob to consider if any of the godly rage against God as he did I say thirdly that our Iesuite confesseth elswhere as I haue prooued that before Christes ascension praying to saintes was not vsed The second conclusion To pray to Saintes departed is a thing at the least vaine and needles I prooue it because God is most able and most willing to helpe vs. Most able for that hee is omnipotent the fountaine of all grace and the giuer of euery good gift Most willing in that he hath not onely mercifully inuited vs to call vpon him but withall faithfully promised to heare and graunt our petitions If any man lacke wisedome saith S. Iames let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shalbe giuen him If any man sinne saith S. Iohn we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes euen for the sinnes of the whole world Call vpon me in the day of trouble saith God by his prophet and I will deliuer thee The scripture telleth vs in many places that whosoeuer asketh any thing of God shall receiue and whosoeuer seeketh shall finde and to euery one that knocketh the dore shall be opened And that whatsoeuer we shall aske in Christes name we shall attaine the same vndoubtedly The 1. obiection God will often accept the praiers of others for vs when hee will not heare our selues For when his wrath was kindled against Eliphaz the Themanite and his two friendes he would not heare them but yet accepted Iobs praiers for them The answere I answere that God meant not vtterly to reiect Eliphaz his friends for if he had so determined he would neuer haue accepted Iobs praiers for them But because they had contemned Iob and preferred their owne righteousnesse God to giue a testimonie of Iobs innocencie true faith and patience and to confound the proud conceites of Eliphas and his fellowes sent them to Iob and said that hee woulde accept his praiers for them Which my exposition is grounded on these words my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friendes for yee haue not spoken of me the thing that is right like my seruaunt Iob. As if God had saide yee haue offended much more then my seruaunt Iob in that yee condemned him by his outward afflictions and did not comfort and solace him with my mercies And therefore doe I send you vnto him that you may know that he hath greater fauour in my sight Thus God shewed the faith of Abraham praying for the Sodomites of Moses for the Israelites and of Paule for the 276. persons in the ship with him The replie If it were true that because God is most willing and most able to helpe vs therefore it is needles and vaine to inuocate or call vpon saintes departed by the same reason it is needlesse to inuocate and call vpon the saintes liuing which yet the scripture commandeth vs to doe The answere I say first that in proper kind of speech inuocation is a speciall part of diuine worship comprehending the affection of the minde that appealeth to his grace help and aid whom it doth inuocate and so it is proper to God alone yet in a large acception it may bee giuen to the liuing I say secondly that the one is vaine and needlesse not so the other The reason is this because we haue commaundement and promise for the one not so for the other For that is neuer to be deemed vaine or