Eremites Luke 2. 1. The text And it came to passe in those daies there came foorth an edict from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be inrolled c. The note In the yeere from the creation of the world 5199. from Noes stood 2957. from the natiuitie of Abraham 2015. and from Moses and the comming foorth of the people of Israel out of Egypt 1510. from Dauid annointed king 1032. from the first Olimpias 800. from the building of Rome 752. hebdomada 63. according to the prophesie of Daniel c. 9. that is in the yeere 440. or thereabouts in the sixt age of the world when there was an vniuersall peace in al the world the eternall God and sonne of the eternall father meaning to consecrate and sanctifie the world with his most blessed comming being conceiued of the holie Ghost nine months after his conception Iesus Christ the sonne of God is borne in Bethlehem of Iudah in the yeere of Caesar Augustus 42. Vsuard in martyrologio Decembris 25. according to the common ancient supputation The answere It is but a follie to endeuour to reduce them to truth that wittinglie wilfully do deceiue and are deceiued for so a man shuld be but sure to loose his labour Those that be desirous to know the true supputation of these times haue alreadie in the English bibles the true summe of these yéeres according to the truth of the Hebrue As for your Chronographie with the authour thereof may haue some commendation for the paines he bestowed about it and not for the truth that is in it But we can not maruaile that those in whome there is no loue of truth be giuen ouer to beléeue lyes Luke 2. 35. The text And ⸫ thine owne soule shall a sword pearce that out of manie heartes cogitations may be reuealed The note Simeon prophecied not onelie of Christ but of our blessed Ladie of all her sorowes wherein she was alwaies partaker with our Sauiour from his flight into Egypt euen to his death The answer God by Simeon forewarned the blessed virgin that notwithstanding the great prerogatiue which God gaue her to be the mother of God and whereof no doubt she was excéeding ioyous yet she should not looke for worldlie happinesse but prepare her selfe to be partaker of the crosse and sorow with her sonne Luke 3. ◠The text And he came into all the countrie of Iordan preaching the baptisme of ⸫ penance vnto remission of sinnes The note Penance prepareth the way to Christ. The answer It is verie true that the knowledge of our sinnes with the sight of Gods wrath and indignation against them ioyned with an wholesome griefe and sorow therefore maketh men earnestly to séeke how to escape the seuere iustice of God and to obtaine remission and pardon of their sinnes which when they can finde no where els they are constrained to embrace the promises of mercie offered them in Christ. But if your imagined satisfaction for sinnes by penance be true the preaching thereof were a way to kéepe a man from Christ and to make men to rest in themselues Luke 3. 8. The text Yeeld therefore ⸫ fruites worthie of penance The note Fruites of penance be workes satisfactorie The answer Men may be satisfied for offences made toward them by the fruites of penance or repentance but that God also may be so satisfied all the papists in the world are neuer able to prooue For if men by their works might satisfie for their sinnes then what néede they séeke for remedie out of them selues and to what purpose is the death and satisfaction of Christ But it is no maruaile though you hold this fast for it is one of the best things that the Pope hath to heate his kitchin with Luke 3. 9. The text ⸫ Euery tree therefore that yeeldeth not good fruit shall be cut downe and cast into the fire The note A man without good works is vnfruitfull and shall be cast into euerlasting fire The answer If by good you did not imagine meritorious or satisfactory we should easilie condiscend to you in this note for all faithfull are fruitfullie replenished with euery good worke as time place occasion and other circumstances serue Luke 3. 11. The text ⸫ He that hath two coats let him giue to him that hath not and he that hath meate let him do likewise The note Almes counselled or inioyned for sinnes and to auoid damnation The answer In this note there are almost as many popish corruptions as words For by almes counselled you would haue men to vnderstand that it is matter of greater perfection then the commandements of God By the word inioined you would haue yours to thinke that Iohn inioyned this as a parcel of penance that it might séeme to warrant the penances imposed by your ghostly fathers in your eare shrift For sinnes and to auoid damnation by these you would teach the giuing of almes to be meritorions and satisfactorie for sinne but S. Iohn neuer taught any other means to take away sinnes but the lambe of God but with you whosoeuer teacheth or aduiseth any good thing to be vsed of man teacheth satisfaction and merit Luk. 3. 15. The text And ⸫ the people imagining and all men thinking in their heartes of Iohn least perhaps he were Christ. The note Iohn was so holie that manie might by errour easilie thinke he was Christ. The answer In that manie were readie to haue accepted Iohn for Christ who afterward would not receiue Christ him selfe appeareth the natural corruption of man by which he is prone and readie to erre and to be deceiued and also the negligence of men that did but superficiallie looke ouer that which was foretold of either of them by the Prophets whereby they might easilie haue béene discerned and knowne asunder Luke 3. 16. The text I in deed baptize you with water ⸫ but there shall come a mightier than I whose latchet of his shoes I am not worthie to vnloose he shall baptize you in the holy Ghost and fire The note How say then the heretikes that the baptisme of Christ is of no greater vertue than Iohns The answer You delight by ambiguitie of words to beguile the simple If by Christs Baptisme you meane the baptisme vsed in the church of Christ then we say that the baptisme of Ihon and it is all of one vertue But if you meane by Christs baptisme the inwarde and inuisible operation in baptisme which is Christs proper worke then we say that the baptisme of Christ is greater not onely than Iohns Baptisme but also then the baptisme of any other minister So if in baptizing Iohn be compared with Christ he must as a seruant giue place to his Lord but if his ministerie therin be cōpared with the ministery of others Christs ministers we saie and are ready to prooue that they are of equal force and vertue Luk. 3. 36. The text ⸫ Who was of Cainan The note Beza boldly wipeth out of this
the Iewes ignorantlie vnderstood not the place in Deuteronomie of Christ and therefore they aske also whether he be the prophet there spoken of See also cap. 7. 40. The answer Whether the Iewes had in this their question reference to that place of Deuteronomie or no it is vncertaine neither can anie proofe be made of it but coniecturall The like I say to your other place cap. 7. 40. and yet we do not doubt of their blindnes and ignorance in not vnderstanding the Scriptures which appeareth manifestly in their reply to Iohn after he had told them I am the voice of one crying c. Iohn 1. 26. The text Iohn answered them saying ⸫ I baptize in water but there hath stood in the middest of you whom you know not c. The note He doth often heere signifie the great difference of his baptisme and of Christs as of his person and Christs See annot Matth. 3. The answer We haue often answered that you doo but bleare the eies of the simple with the name of Christs baptisme which they take for the baptisme of euerie minister in the church and being so taken there is no difference betwéene Iohns baptisme and it Otherwise in this place and in the like Iohn considereth of him selfe as of a seruant or minister and of Christ as of his master and Lord and attributeth to him selfe the outward worke and washing in baptisme and to Christ the inward grace and workemanship In which comparison we learne the general difference betwéene all ministers and Christ their worke and his Your annotations are séene and they are like your selues slaunderous lying vntrue and shall bée answered in the generall answer to your annotations Iohn 1. 41. The text He findeth his brother Simon and saith to him we haue found ⸫ Messiah which is being interpreted Christ. The note Messias in Hebrue in Greeke Christ in English anointed to wit with the spirituall oile of grace aboue his brethren Psalme 44. The answer You must néedes exempt the pope from amongst the brethren of Christ for he is not Christs inferior in grace if that which is attributed to him by popish parasites be true Iohn 1. 42. The text And Iesus looking vpon him said Thou art Simon the son of Iona thou shall be called ⸫ Cephas which is interpreted Peter The note Cephas in Siriacke and Peter in Greeke in English Rocke See Matthew 16. 18. The answer I maruell that Paul knew not this mysterie for he taught to build vpon Christ and not vpon Peter And Peter though he make all beléeuers liuely stones yet teacheth none other chéefe stone but our Lord and Sauiour Christ. Iohn 2. 9. The text And after the cheefe steward tasted the ⸫ water made wine and knew not whence it was but the ministers knew that had drawen the water c. The note He that seeth water turned into wine needeth not to dispute or doubt how Christ changed bread into his bodie The answer He that séeth and knoweth the perpetuall phrase and maner of speaking of the holy Ghost touching sacraments will woonder that men should be so blind or else so wilfull as to dispute and contend for such a change of bread into the bodie of Christ as neither can stand with that phrase of spéech nor with the nature of a sacrament neither yet with the articles of our beléefe Iohn 3. 8. The text The spirit breatheth where ⸫ he will and thou hearest his voice but thou knowest not when he commeth and whither he goeth The note We follow rather saint Augustine and those ancient fathers which most commonly vnderstand this place of the holy Ghost and not of wind although both be good The answer And we do follow saint Augustine and those fathers which do interpret this to be meant of the wind bicause both the hearing of the sound of it and the force of the comparison which must néedes be betwixt things diuers doth inforce it to be the truer Iohn 4. 1. The text When Iesus therefore vnderstood that the pharisies heard that Iesus maketh mo disciples and baptizeth than Iohn howbeit ⸫ Iesus did not baptize but his disciples he left Iewrie and went againe into Galile The note He did not baptize ordinarily yet that he did baptize his Apostles saint Augustine thinketh it very probably Epist. 108. The answer Augustine doubteth not but that the Apostles of Christ were baptized either by Christ or by Iohn afore they tooke vpon them to baptize but by whether he is not resolute neither is it materiall But that some of them were by Iohn baptized it is manifest bicause they were Iohns disciples afore they were Christs Apostles Iohn 4. 7. The text There commeth ⸫ a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus said to hir Giue me to drinke The note This woman is a figure of the church not yet iustified but now to be iustified August tract 15. in Iohannem The answer You willingly follow allegories bicause many times they are far fetched and serue you to dally withall howbeit I do not sée to what vse this may serue you I do not thinke that you your selues do thinke that this womans fiue husbands were either the fiue bookes of Moses or hir fiue senses which notwithstanding Augustine affirmeth in the same treatise The lessons which the plaine letter do giue do both more edifie and are more safe Iohn 4. 9. The text How doest thou being a Iew aske of me to drink which am a Samaritane woman For the Iewes ⸫ do not communicate with the Samaritans The note There were many other causes why the faithfull Iewes could not abide the Samaritans but their precise abstaining from their companie and conuersation was their scismaticall temple and seruice in mount Garizim The answer It is very true that those which make a scisme and continue therein are not to be communicated with of faithful Christians and yet I thinke in that corrupt state of the Iewish church the other causes were rather stronger than that Iohn 4. 10. The text If thou didst know the gift of God and who is he that said to thee Giue me to drinke thou perhaps wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thee ⸫ liuing water The note He speaketh of his baptizing in the holy Ghost See Iohn 7. 39. The answer He speaketh of giuing his holy spirit to them that in faith aske and require it Iohn 4. 39. The text And of that citie many beleeued in him of the Samaritans for the words of the ⸫ woman giuing testimonie that he told me all things whatsoeuer I haue done The note This woman mysticallie being the church it is heere signified that they which at the first beleeue bicause the church teacheth so afterward be much confirmed finding it in the Scriptures also and by other instructions The answer It is here signified by what weake and vnlikelie instruments God can worke in drawing men to the knowledge of him selfe and embracing his mercies
canons and constitutions are not better beléeued and obserued in your Romish church Actes of the Apostles Act. 1. 1. The text The first treatise I made of ⸫ al things O Theophilus which Iesus began to do and teach c. The note Not al particularly for the other Euangelists did write diuers things not touched by him but all the principall and most necessarie things The answer That Luke did not write all things particularly we know but that he vnderstandeth by all all the principall and most necessarie things that we can not grant For the things which the Euangelist Iohn wrote and the other Euangelists omitted were not in any respect of dignitie or necessitie inferior to the other Therefore we vnderstand by all neither euerie particular acte and doctrine neither all the principall and most necessarie things but the whole and complete storie of his life beginning from his birth and ending with his resurrection and ascension Act. ◠5. The text For Iohn indeed baptized with ⸫ water The note Iohns baptisme gaue not the holie Ghost The answer Neither yet the baptisme of any other priest or minister Act. 1. 5. The text But you shall be ⸫ baptized with the holie Ghost after these fewe daies The note The aboundant powring of the holy Ghost vpon them on Whit sunday he calleth baptisme The answer Giue to euerie man his due praise and commendation and confesse that you borrowed this note from Master Beza vpon this place Act. 1. 13. The text And when they were entred in they went vp into an vpper chamber where abode ⸫ Peter and Iohn Iames and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartholomew Matthew Iames of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes and Iude of Iames. The note This visible companie was the true church of Christ which he left and commanded to keepe togither till the comming of the holie Ghost by him to be further informed and furnished to gaine all nations to the same societie The answer I pray you what companie of men vpon earth were euer inuisible We will easilie confesse that the church vpon earth is alwaies visible as these were visible They were but a few they kept close secret togither for a time the enemies of the church knew not as yet of their assemblies they did not glitter nor shine in the eies of the world by anie worldlie authoritie or pompe finallie here is no visibilitie but such as doeth well agrée to the secret and hidden church of God Actes 1. 14. The text All these were perseuering with one minde in praier with the ⸫ women and Marie the mother of Iesus his brethren The note The heretikes some in the text other in the margent translate wiues to wit of the Apostles most impudentlie knowing in their consciences he meaneth the Maries and other holie women that followed Christ as Luke 8. 2. 24. 10 See Beza and the English Bible 1579. The answer If you had not stirred vp the hatred of your blind followers against vs by the odious names of heretikes and impudent men the rest of your note had not béene woorth a rush First denie if you can that the Gréeke héere doeth not as indifferentlie signifie wiues as women and then let vs consider which translation the circumstances of the place fauour must First you can not denie but that manie of the Apostles and also other beléeuers héere gathered with them were married men that they had special care of auoiding whatsoeuer might bée offensiue or open the mouth of the wicked to speake euill which they had had great occasion of if the Apostles other beléeuers had left their owne wiues and liued in secret with other women And againe who can thinke that the Apostles and a great manie of the other disciples had not beléeuing wiues And if they had what reason shuld mooue vs to thinke that they were not more likelie to kéepe their husbands companies to be at the first assemblies of the church of God then other women If then Gréeke word may be so translated and the circumstances of the text lead vs thereunto why should you so crie out impudent and heretikes Actes 1. 22. The text Therefore of these men that haue assembled with vs all the time that our Lord Iesus went in and out amongst vs beginning from the baptisme of Iohn vntill the day that he was assumpted from vs ⸫ there must one of these be made a witnes with vs of his resurrection The note No small mysterie that the number of twelue Apostles must needs be made vp againe The answer You expresse not your mysterie and therefore we leaue your note as we finde it Actes 2. 14. The text But ⸫ Peter standing with the eleuen lifted vp his voice and spake to them The note Peter the head of the rest and now newlie replenished with all knowledge and fortitude maketh the first sermon The answer If you did not with colour of words go about to beguile the ignorant we would not stumble at your naming Peter the head of the rest but now because vnder that terme you would haue men vnderstand that supremacie and superioritie which you chalenge for the bishop of Rome therefore it is not amisse to shew how vaine your collection is out of this place Peter spake for himselfe the rest Ergo he is head of the rest Master Recorder speaketh for my Lord Maior of London and his brethren Ergo master Recorder is aboue my Lord Maior and the bench And where you say he maketh now his first sermon except you meane the first after he receiued the gift of tongues you are deceiued for he both preached when Christ was vpon the earth and afterward at the election of another into the roome of Iudas Actes 2. 27. The text Because thou wilt not leaue my soule in ⸫ hel nor giue thy holie one to see ⸫ corruption The note Who but an infidell saith Saint Augustine will denie Christ to haue discended into hell Epist. 99. As his soule suffered no paines in hel so neither did his bodie take anie corruption in the graue The answer And we also say the like and teach the people the true meaning and sense of that article as our Catechismes do sufficientlie for vs testifie If anie hath séemed to denie it it hath béene in that grosse and vntrue sense which you papists take it in in which sense Augustine beléeued it not For he disputing the matter to fro and setting downe diuerse opinions resolueth him selfe no way But he flatlie reiecteth your popish opinion that he went to the fathers which were in rest in Abrahams bosome and vrgeth against it the loosing of the sorrowes of hell mentioned in this present chapter Then they that are loath to beléeue they wote not what must learne of Augustine to examine other mens opinions so by what authoritie they confirme their iudgements and rest vpon that which they sée hath good ground and warrant As for hell in that
but now it hath vtterly none Penitents in the primitiue church did but giue testimonie vnto the church of their heartie and vnfained repentance and not as you would haue men imagine satisfie for their sinnes and deserue at Gods hand remission and pardon therof Augustine neuer dreamed of any such matter but he wrote against the Nouatians who denied repentance to them that sinned after they were baptized against whom he prooueth by the example of Peter which had denied Christ by the authoritie of this present text that men after baptisme were not to be excluded from repentance and so maintaineth the custome of the church in admitting penitents which had béene afore for their faults excommunicated what is this to that you alledge him for against our translation 2. Cor. 13. 10. The text Therefore these things I write absent that being present I may not deale hardly according to the power which our Lord hath giuen me vnto edification and not vnto destruction The note Ecclesiastical ⸫ power to punish offenders by the censures of the church The answer Which power we reuerence and kéepe offenders in awe withall though we contemne and despise the vsurped power of the Romish church and care not for her thunderbolts GALATHIANS Galat. 1. 6. The text I maruell that you are so soone transferred from him that called into the grace of Christ vnto another Gospel which is not another vnlesse there be some that trouble you and will ⸫ inuert the Gospel of Christ. The note New Gospellers that peruert corrupt or alter the one onlie true and first deliuered Gospell are to be auoided See Saint Augustine contra Faust. libro 32. cap. 27. The answer The Gospel of God is the power of God to saluation to euery beléeuer whosoeuer therefore doeth preach any power of pope of man of fréewill or of anie other creature or thing whatsoeuer to saluation preacheth a newe Gospell and not the Gospell of God and therefore are to be auoided The whole doctrine therefore of the Popes church is to be auoided for it is nothing els but a new coined Gospell Your note booke still deceiueth you there are not so many chapters in that booke Galat. 1. 19. The text But other of the Apostles sawe I none sauing Iames ⸫ the brother of our Lord. The note Saint Iames was called our Lords brother after the Hebrew phrase of the Iewes by which neere kinsemen are called brethren for they were not brethren in deede but rather sisters children The answer If vpon this you should méete with men as froward as your selues are in expounding this is my bodie they might make you worke by not admitting any interpretation and therefore you might sée how fond a thing it is so to sticke to the letter that you will not admit the mind of the speaker Galat. 2. 11. The text And when Cephas was come to Antioch I resisted him ⸫ in face bicause he was reprehensible The note That is in presence before them all as Beza him selfe expoundeth it yet the English Bezites to the more disgracing of saint Peter translate to his face No. Testamen anno 1580. The answer It is somwhat that once in your liues you are content to acknowledge that you haue learned somwhat of master Beza but I thinke he should not haue béene spoken of héere but to take occasion by him to vtter your choller and to ease your stomacke a little vpon those whom you call English Bezites whose intent as you surmise was in their translation to disgrace S. Peter As if it had béene greater disgrace to saint Peter to be told of his fault to his face than to be told of it reprooued for it in the presence of the multitude But howsoeuer it was we sée plainly S. Peter went awry and brought others into the like danger And further we sée that his authoritie was not so great but he might be reprooued Yet though the pope go headlong to hell and lead thousands of souls with him thither no man may say Why dost thou this Gal. 2. 16. The text But knowing that a man is not iustified by the ⸫ works of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ we also beleeue in Iesus Christ that we may be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for the which cause by the works of the law no flesh shall be iustified The note By this and by the discourse of the whole epistle you may perceiue that when iustification is attributed to faith the works of charitie are not excluded but the works of Moises law that is the ceremonies sacrifices and sacraments thereof principally and consequently all works done meerly by nature and free will without the faith grace spirit and aide of Christ. The answer Helpe helpe Paul hath set the popes kitchin on fire Our Rhemists bring water but it runneth out by the way For both by this and the whole course of this epistle we sée that this new Gospell into the which the Galathians were translated was a péece of poperie Namely that they ioined in the cause of iustification saluation their works with Christ the law with the gospel But our Rhemists tel vs first that not the works of charity but the works of the law are excluded by S. Paul As who should say that there were any works of loue that are not commanded in the law And therefore if the works of the law be excluded the works of loue and charitie must be excluded also But to helpe this they adde that ceremonies sacrifices and sacraments are meant principally But against that Paul maketh him accursed that abideth not in all that is written in the law to do it If blessednes and iustification be our deliuerie from that curse who séeeth not that the whole law and euery part of it and euery worke of it must be excluded But further they adde that al works done méerely by nature and frée will are excluded wherein the word méerely is to be noted bicause it expresseth that their meaning is if there be a little helpe of faith or grace that then works be not excluded To the which I say this was the case of the Galathians and the very matter against the which the Apostle bendeth his whole force for that they being Christians and so beléeuers did not exclude their works and méerely ascribe their iustification to the grace of Christ for that they parted the matter as the papists do betwixt Christ and their works the whole maner of the Apostles reasoning in the next chapter doth plainely shew And therefore I will conclude with the Apostle By grace we are saued through faith and that not of our selues for it is the gift of God not of works that no man glorie Galat. 3. ◠The text O senselesse Galathians who hath ⸫ bewitched you not to obey the truth before whose eies Iesus Christ was proscribed being crucified among you The note For any people or