men and the praise of men Mar. fol. 112. An exposition of this place following Giue almes and all things are cleane vnto you ¶ These words maie be expounded thrée manner of waies The first waie is to saie that that kinde of speach was anie Ironie as if Christ should haue said to the Phariseies ye giue almes and ye thinkâ— straight yâ— all things are cleane vnto you which is not so for we ought first to make cleane those things which are within An other waie is which Augustine followeth in his Enchiridion to Laurentius certaine had perswaded themselues that if they gaue almes they shuld be saued though they ceased not from sinning their chiefest anker hold was these words of Christ. Augustine answereth that those words of Christ are to be vnderstood of the true approoued almes of which it is written in Ecclâ— the. 30. Chapter Haue compassion of thy soule and please God Wherefore thou oughtest to begin true almes at thine owne selfe that hauing compassion on thy selfe thou maist be conuerted vnto God and cease of from sinnes and afterward haue compassion on othâ—rs And the third waie is this which in my iudgement more agréeth vnto the purpose Christ being at dinner with the Phariseies he began to eate with vnwashed hands for which thing when they were offended Christ beganne to reprooue their ignoraunce which would haue their dishes handes and all outward things made cleane and beautifull but as touching that which they had inward that is in their minde they were nothing carefull Wherefore he first exhorted them to purifie the heart which is inwardlie which thing is done by faith for in the Actes it is written By faith purifieng their hearts Afterward as touching outward things he addeth Giue almes and so all things shall be cleane vnto you c. Pet. Mar. vpon the Rom. 383. What thing we ought to take heed vnto in giuing our almes Take héed to your almes c. ¶ That our almes maie bée acceptable vnto God thrée things are required First that wée giue with a ioifull heart for he loueth him that giueth chéerefullie Secondlie that we giue liberallie putting aside niggardship for he that soweth litle shall reape litle and he that soweth plentifullie shall reape plentiouslie Let euerie man doe according as he is able The poore woman that did offer but two mites did highlie please God Thirdlie that we giue without hypocrisie and ostentation not seeking the praise of men nor our owne glorie Cheeke What profit commeth by almes giuing If we giue almes we shall prouoke men to giue immortall thankes vnto God so that by our almes two profits shall ensue and followe First our poore bretheren shall be succoured helped secondlie God the Author of all goodnesse shall be through the same liberalitie that he hath stirred vp in vs be praised and lauded which thing all Christians ought to séeke Read 2. Cor. 9. 12. Of the almes sent to the Saints at Hierusalem It is not my minde that other be set at ease and ye brought into combrance but that there be equalnesse now at this time c. ¶ Liberalitie ought to be moderated that they which doe giue be in no wise thereby brought to extreme penurie and pouertie the other vnto whom it is giuen in the meane season liuing at ease in idlenesse This is the equalnesse that S. Paule speaketh of héere The Corinthians had riches the Saints of Hierusalem had wholesome doctrine coupled with godlinesse at that time there was great dearth in Hierusalem and in all Syria This is then the meaning of the Apostle I will that with your riches whereof ye haue great plentie abundance ye succour their néed and that they with their godlie doctrine do supplie that which is wanting in you Sir I. Cheeke The meaning of this place following Sell that ye haue and giue almes ¶ This is the figure Metonymia For by this word Almes is meant that compassion and friendlinesse of an heart that tendereth the miserie and poore estate of a man and sheweth forth it selfe by some gift and hath the name giuen it of the Gréeke tongue of mercie and compassion And therefore he is said to giue Almes who parteth with some thing to another and giueth to the poore shewing thereby that he pitieth their poore estate Beza Of the almes that Atticus Bishop of Constantinople sent Atticus vnto Calliopius Minister of Nice sendeth gréeting in the Lord. I am giuen to vnderstand that there is an infinite number in your citie readie to perish with famine and stand in néede of the almes and charitie of godlie and well disposed persons Where I write an infinite number I meane a great multitude the certaine number whereof I doe not readelie knowe Therefore seeing I haue receiued moneie of him which bestoweth abundance and plentie of riches vpon them which vse it aright séeing also dailie experience teacheth vs that some doe want to the ende that such as be rich wealthie and minister not vnto them maie throughlie be tried my will is welbeloued brother that thou receiue of me these thrée hundred péeces of gold and distribute them at thy discretion among the poore people of thy parish sée thou deale the same not among such as respect onelie the bellie and make a liuing or trade throughout their life time of begging but among such as are ashamed to begge Neither would I haue thée héerein to respect anie opinion or sect whatsoeuer neither to preiudice them which practise in doctrine a contrarie faith vnto vs but onelie to haue consideration of this that thou relieue them which hunger and thirst and haue not wherewithall to helpe himselfe Eusebius fol. 391. Of the almes of Cornelius ¶ Looke Cornelius ALOES ¶ Looke Mirrhe ALOGIANI What manner of heretickes they were THese men denied that the sonne of God was Logos which some doe interpret in Latin Verbum some Sermo And therefore they reiected the Gospell of Saint Iohn and his Apocalipsis saieng that they were not his words But that Cerinthus the heretike wrote the Reuelation Eliote Epipha heres â— 1. Augustine ALMVTH LABEN What this word signifieth IT signifieth as some thinke a certaine instrument of Musicke Some saie that Almuth signifieth of the death which some vnderstand by Laben Goliah or some other Philistine Some read the Title thus A vehement and often made exhortation of a secret or foolish sonne they vnderstood thereby the righteous which by faith is the sonne of God and the same is to the world foolish because he is continuallie in death and secrets for his life is hid in Christ till the hid things be shewed Againe in the iudgement of God then shall it appeare that the death of this world is glorie Felix readeth the title thus vnto the victor or ouercommer of the death of a foole which ye maie well vnderstand of the death of foolish Antichrist and of the ruine of
fall away from the obedience of the Emperour Moreouer Iohn in his Apocalips setting foorth the Church of Rome vnto vs to be not the spouse of Christ but of Antichrist saith That he saw a certeine whore the mother of all vncleannesse abhomination of all the world holding a golden Cup in her hand of whose mingled liquor all the dwellers of the earth should be made dronke from the highest to the lowest And further this whore shall be made dronke with the blood of Saints and of the Martirs of Christ and vpon hir forhead she had written Babilonia And least any man should doubt whether Iohn speake of Rome or not hée saith plainlie that the Whore sate vpon seauen hills which thing is well knowen to be agréeable vnto Rome wherevpon it is called the Citie with seauen hills wherefore Antichrist seate must be at Rome which thing is euident both by holie scripture and also by Hierom in an Epistle he wrote to Fabiola against Iouinian to Marcello and Aglasia in the 47. Chapter of his Commentaries vpon Esay and in the second Chapter vpon Ose The same is confirmed by authoritie of Tertulian writing against the Iewes and the Gentiles in a booke of the resurrection of the bodie and of Saint Austen also in his booke De ciuitate Dei In the same opinion is Nicolaus de lyra and many other beside Bar. Ochine Of Antichrists disciples Saint Paule foretelleth of Antichrists disciples 1. Timo. 4. that they shall beare a great countenaunce of continent life forbid mariage And of such Saint Hierom saith Iactant pudicitiam suam inpudenti facie They make bragge of their chastitie with whorish countenaunce Iewel Of Antichrists progenie Antichrist was the sonne of a certaine wicked person called Sinne hauing to his mother a certaine woman called Perdition who caused him to be brought vp of a corrupt nursse called dame Falsehood the daughter of Satan The person of this Antichrist is not simple but compounded of two natures that is to say diabolicall and humaine as Iesus Christ is compounded both of diuine and humaine And as of God and man is made one Iesus Christ so of the Diuell and of the Pope is made one Antichrist And as Iesus Christ is the head of the beléeuing Church which is his bodie so is Antichrist likewise the head of the malignaunt Church which is his bodie and doth receiue of him béeing hir head all manner of corrupt humours running downe into her And because he is borne into the world onelie to bée contrarie to Iesus Christ therefore all his thoughts all his will all his workes all his doctrine and briefelie all his life is repugnaunt to IESUS CHRIST euen to the drawing of his sword against him Albeit he would haue the world beléeue that hée doth all this for the better obseruing of Christian religion F. N. B. the Italian ¶ Looke more of Antichrist in Rome Pope ANTIPAS Of his faithfull seruice to God ANtipas my faithfull witnesse was put to death among you ¶ It is a likelihood that this Antipas was some one of the notable Ministers of the Church whom the seruants of Satan could the lesse away with because he taught Christ there more earnestlie and stronglie then other did and stood more stoutly against the aduersaries in defence of the things which the true faith conteineth and that is to be coniectured vpon this that he calleth him a faithfull witnesse such a one as Stephen was at Hierusalem And trulie this name agréed verie well vnto him for this word Antipas is as much to say as before or against all men For nothing ought to moue a Christian heart from the constancie of faith and pure confession of the truth Marl. vpon the Apoc. fol. 44. ANTROPOMORPHITAE What a kinde of Heretikes they were THese were Monkes inhabiting the Desarts of Aegypt who affirmed that God had a bodie and members as a man had And héere vpon it rose saith Socrates li. 6. cap. 7. that God the father hath bene painted like an olde man in a graie beard They were about the yeare of our Lord. 380. The Antropomorphites perswaded themselues that God might be known by the senses as men which did attribute vnto God a humane bodie but their opinion is vtterlie reiected for the holie scripture testifieth that God is a spirit and it also putteth a manifest difference betwéene a spirit a bodie when our Sauiour saith Féele and sée because a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones And there is none which vnderstandeth not that a humaine bodie and his members cannot consist without flesh and bones Further their foolishnesse héereby appeareth because there is not a bodie found which is euerie way pure and simple for let it be as equall as thou wilt at the least way it hath parts whereof it is composed and that all composition is against the nature of God euen the Ethnicke Philosophers perceiued c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 118. APPARICIONS OF SOVLES ¶ Looke Soule APELLES What his heresie was APelles was a Marcionite he said that Prophecies were of a contrarie spirit he was guided by one Philumena a woman He thought it was not for men to reason of religion but euerie one to continue as he beléeued Eusebius li. 5. cap. 12. How Tertulian confuteth his heresies Apelles the Heretike being in manner ouercome with the foresaid reasons of Tertulian graunteth that Christ had indéed true flesh but he denied that he was borne but brought from heauen and he obiected that the bodies which were taken by Angels were true bodies but they were not borne such a bodie saith he had Christ. Tertulian aunswereth héerevnto They saith he which set forth y◠flesh of Christ after the example of the Angels saieng that it was not born namely a fleshly substance I would haue them compare the causes also as well of Christ as of the Angels for which they came into the flesh No Angel did at any time therefore descend to be crucified to suffer death and to rise againe from death If there were neuer anie such cause why Angels should be incorporate then hast thou a cause why they tooke flesh and yet were not borne They came not to die therefore they cannot be borne But Christ being sent to die it was necessarie that he should be borne that he might die for none is woont to die but he which is borne c. Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 210. APOLINARIS Of the heresies he fell into THis man was Bishop of Laodicia Who notwithstanding he had written 30. bookes of our faith against Porphirius fell into heresie saieng that Christ receiued no flesh of the Uirgin Mary but that in the act of his incarnation◠some part of the word was conuerted into flesh He said that Christs soule was not of that part that was rationall but onlie of that part which kept the bodie liuing And therfore in his incarnation he tooke onelie the bodie and not the
that Paule was the seruant of Iesus Christ onelie and so not the seruant of God the Father nor of the Holie Ghost Or these wordes that Paule spake vnto the Kéeper Beléeue in the Lord Iesu doe discharge him from beleeuing in the other two persons of the holie Trinitie Of the Baptime of Infants Note héere that the Fathers made a league with God not onelie for themselues but also for their posteritie as God againe for his part promised them that he would be the God not onelie of them but also of their séede and post eritie wherefore it was lawfull for them to circumcise their children béeing yet Infants And in like manner it is lawfull for vs to baptise our little ones being yet Infants forasmuch also as they are comprehended in the league For they which haue now the thing it selfe there is nothing that can let but that they maie receiue the signe It is manifestlie written in the. 29. Chapter of Deu. That the league was made not onelie with them which was present but also with them which was absent and not yet borne Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 75. Concerning young children because their faith is vnknowen to vs it is requisite that they be partakers of yâ— fruites of the sacraments and it is not verie likelie that they haue faith because they haue not the vse of vnderstanding except God doe worke in them extraordinarilie the which appeareth not to vsâ— neuerthelesse we cease not to communicate to them Baptime First forasmuch as there is now the same cause in Baptime which was sometime in Circumcision which is called by Saint Paule the seale of righteousnesse which is by faith and also by expresse commaundement of God the male children were marked the eight daie Secondlie there is a speciall regard to be had to the Infants of the faithfull For although they haue not faith in effect such as those haue that be of age yet so it is that they haue the séede and the spring in vertue of the promise which was receiued and apprehended by the Elders For God promiseth not vs onelie to be our God if we beleeue in him but also that he will be the God of our ofspring and séed yea vnto a thousand degrees that is to the last end Therfore said Saint Paule that the children of the faithful be sanctified from their mothers wombe By what right or title then doe they refuse to giue them the marke ratification of that thing which they haue possesse alreadie And if they alleadge yet further that although they come of faithful Elders or parents it followeth not yâ— they be of the number of the elect by consequent they be sanctified For God hath not chosen all the children of Abraham and Isaac The aunswere is easie to be made that it is true all those be not of the kingdome of God which be borne of faithfull parents but of good right we leaue this secret to GOD for to iudge which onelie knoweth it yet notwithstanding wée presume â—â—stlie to be the children of God all those which be issued descended from faithfull parents according to the promise Forasmuch as it appeareth not to vs the contrarie According to the same we baptise the young children of the faithful as they haue vsed and done from the Apostles time in the Church of God we doubt not but God by this marke ioined with the praiers of the church which is their assistaunt doth seale the adoption election in those which he hath predestmate eternallie whether they die before they come to age of discretion or whether they liue to bring foorth the fruites of their faith in due time and according to the meanes which God hath ordeined Beza The place alleadged of the Anâ—baptists is in the Actes where the Eunuche was not permitted to be baptised before confession made of his faith ¶ The aunswere is made thus that that was done to the Eunuche must not be drawen to the Infants of Christians rashlie to kéepe them from Baptime which onelie is to be obserued in straâ—ngers to religion those that are of full age For we affirme that such as are strangers from the Church of Christ as sometimes were the Iewes and Gentiles and as are at this daie the Iewes and Turkes and other such like ought not to be baptised vntill they haue made profession of their faith But the reason of Infants borne of Christians is of a farre other sort and case for they are accounted among the children and household of the Church by reason of the lawe of Couenaunt They be holie and Christ commaundeth them to be brought vnto him It is manifest they please God because their Angels alwaies sée the face of the father And although our capacitie cannot conceiue their state and condition yet Christ testifieth they haue faith and that they haue the Holie Ghost the examples of Iohn Baptist and others teach vs. Gualter fol. 385. How baptime is no baptime but to the childe Christ bidde the Church to baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost If a Priest saie these words ouer the water and there be no child to be baptised these words onelie pronounced doe not make Baptime And againe Baptime is onelie Baptime to such as be baptised and not to anie other standing by As Baptime is no Baptime but to the childe that is baptised and not to the standers by so the Sacrament of the bodie is no Sacrament but to them that worthelie receiue Whereas Saint Austen saith that Infants are baptised In Fide Susceptorum in the faith of their Godfathers yet in so saieng hée meaneth of the faith of Christ which the Godfathers doe or ought to beléeue and none otherwise Iohn Philpot in the booke of Martirs Significations of baptime As the people of God in the time of Iosua were conueied through the water of Iordane into the Land of promise following the Arke of God which the Priest bare before them euen so are all we that beléeue in Christ conueied out of the Kingdome of Satan into the Kingdome of God by Baptime following our Arke Christ which is gone before vs. The passing of Helias through the water of Iordane and so lifte vp into Heauen doth signifie in a shadow to vs that our passage into Heauen should be made by Baptime The cleansing of Naaman the Sirian in the Water of Iordane from the filthie Leprosie at the commaundement of Helias doth prefigure vnto vs the spirituall cleansing from sinnes to be made by Baptime through the inwarde working of the holie Spirit That Baptime should be a figure of Christs death buriall and resurrection is proued by that he termed his passion by the name of Baptime when he aunswered the children of Zebedy on this wise Can ye be baptised with the Baptime that I am baptised withall Hemmyng Considerations of baptime We must be fullie resolued that
sinne wherefore hast thou made me such a one If thou be the preseruer of men â—hy shouldest thou condempne me so seeing it lyeth in thée to saue me But a man may well sée that this is not the naturall meaning And such as take it so neuer knewe the intent of the Holy ghost as touching this streine and moreouer they haue ill considered yâ— which is witnessed vnto vs concerning lob how he was patient howsoeuer the world went with him What is it then that Iob ment It is as if he should say Well I confesse my fault and I cannot escape the iudgement of God why so He is the kéeper of men But this word Keeper hath bene misconstrued for men haue taken it for a preseruer of mankind for one that shieldeth them vnder his protection It is certaine that as yâ— Gréeke Translater also hath well marked which thing he is commonly wont to doe Iob ment to say that God wayteth vpon vs that he watcheth vs and that he knoweth all as if a man should watch one to spye and marke all that euer he doeth and saith We sée then in what sence Iob applyeth this title vnto God that is The kéeper of men Cal. vpon Iob. fol. 135. KILL How the intent to kill is worse then the slaughter it selfe BUt ye goe about to kill me c. ¶ We are taught by this place that the minde and purpose to do any work is accounted for the worke it selfe Yea if thou consider well the intent to doe any euill thing is worse then the worke it selfe and the intent to doe any good worke is better then the worke it selfe Better is the desire to doe good to those that are in misery then the Almes déede it selfe And the intent to kill is worse then the murther it selfe The Almes déede may be so done that it may displease God concerning the which reade the 5. of Mathew verse 42. A murderous déede may be so done that it may please God as may appeare in the Leuiticus in Phinehes in Iehu and so refused that God may be displeased for the not dooing of it as we may sée in Agag Amalech whom Saule kept alyue But the desire and intent to do good cannot displease God euen as the desire to kill cannot please him Marl. vpon Iohn fol. 317 KING How and wherefore we are called Kings and Priests AS euery perfect beléeuing man in our Sauiour Christ are called Priests of offering of spirituall Sacrifices so are they â—alled Kings of ruling and subduing the temptations and suggestions of their sinfull appetites vnto reason and to the will of God vppon the perfourmaunce of this condition Moses doeth call vs Kings and Priests saieng If ye will heare my voice and kéepe my appointment ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine ye shall be also vnto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy people Ric. Turnar Of the Kings of Israel and Iuda how many were good Of all the kings that reigned ouer Israel and Iuda there were no mo but Dauid Ezechias and Iosias that continued perfectly vnto the ende of their liues in the true religion of God not that these thrée were men of such perfection that they did not notably offende the lawe of God in their life time But these wer such men that they wer neuer infected with the foule sinne of Idolatrie and wicked worshipping of straunge Gods Into other sinnes in déede they fell and from the same by true repentaunce obteined mercie and forgiuenesse aâ— Gods hand So that notwithstanding both the murther adulterie of Dauid the foolish vaine glory of Ezechias that shewed all his treasure and all his secrets vnto the Ambassadours of Babilon for the which Esay the Prophet did openly reproue him to his face Yet otherwise they stoode vpright kéeping themselues pure and cleane from the most detestable sinne of Idolatry And therefore Dauid strong in the armes and amiable of countenaunce and Ezechias which by interpretation is called the health of our Lorde and Iosias Fortitudo Domini the strength of the Lord These thrée doe beare the bell away and are preferred aboue all the Kings of Iuda as we reade in the Booke of Ecclesiasticus 40. Chapter where their praises are commended to endure to the worlds ende Ric. Turnar How Kings haue to doe in matters of religion Dauid commaunded Sadoch and Abiathar the Priests and the Leuites to bring the Arke of the Lord God into the place which he had prepared for it Salomon displaced Abiathar from the high Priests office put Sadoch into his roome Heare me O you Leuites and be sanctified cleanse the house of the God of your Fathers and take awaye all vncleannesse from the Sanctuary ¶ Thâ—se are not words of entreatie but flat commaundements as Lyra saith Ezechia cupiens renouare foedus c. Ezechias desirous to renue the Couenaunt with the Lord first did commaund the Leuites to be sanctified Second by them being sanctified the Temple to be cleansed Thirdly by those which were cleansed sacrifice to be made for the offence of the people Fourthly by sacrificing God to be praised Fiftly by cleansing the holye Burnt-offerings to bée offered vp ¶ Thus were all things done by his commaundement by his constitution and at his pleasure c. I. Bridges fol. 285. Nunc mihi debio c. I iudge it saith Constantine the great that this ought before all other things to be my scope that among the most holy multitude of the Catholike Church one faith and sincere Charitie and godlynesse agréeing together towards almightie God might be conserued I. Bridges fol. 117. Quanto subditorum gloria c. How much more saith the king of Spaine called Richardus we are exalted in royall glorie ouer the subiects so much more ought we to be carefull in those matters that apperteine vnto God Either to augment our owne hope or else to looke to the profit of the people committed to vs of God And as ye sée me in very déede inflamed with the seruice of faith God hath stirred me vp to this end that the obstinacie of infidelitie béeing expelled and the furie of discorde remoued I should reuoke the people to the knowledge of faith and to the fellowship of the Catholike Church who serued errour vnder the name of religion These be the wordes of this christen king which he spake openly in the third counsel at To-let before all the Bishops there assembled S. Austen sayth that the auncient actes of the godly kings mentioned in the propheticall bookes were signes of the like factes to be done by the godly Princes in the time of the new testament I. Bridges fol. 505. Of Iosaphats supreme gouernement ¶ Looke Iosaphat Carolus Magnus commaunded that nothing should be read openly in the Church sauing onely the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scripture And that the faithfull people should receiue
for couetousnesse as when I cherish or flatter a rich man for his goods when I make much of them that haue done me plesures and may doe me moe The fifte way I may loue for my sensuall lust as when I loue to fare deliciously or els when I mad or dote vpon women The first way to loue my neighbour for the loue I beare to God is onely worthy to be praised The second way naturally deserueth neither praise nor dispraise The third the fourth and the fift to loue for glorie and aduantage or pleasure all three be stark naught Lupset LOVVLINESSE Wherefore lowly men come to worship THe lowly person shall come to worship ¶ Not for that lowlinesse deserueth these things but that these fall vnto the lowly for the lowlinesse of Christ. Hemmyng ¶ Saint Augustine saith that the whole lowlinesse of man consisteth in the knowledge of himselfe Caluine Psal. 9. Of loosing binding ¶ Looke Binding loosing Of the loosing of Lazarus ¶ Looke Lazarus LVCIFER What is meant by Lucifer ¶ Looke Nabuchodonosor LVKE The life of S. Luke written by S. Hierome LVke a Phisition born at Antioch was not ignorant of the Gréeke tongue as his writing do shew he was a follower disciple of the Apostle Paule a companion of al his peregrination he wrote a volume of the Gospell of whom the same Paule saith on this wise We haue sent with him a brother whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Congregations And againe to the Collossians Most deare Lucas the Phisition gréeteth you And to Timothie Luke is with me alone He set foorth also an other speciall good booke which is intitled the Actes of the Apostles the storie whereof came euen full to Paules time béeing tarieng two yeares at Rome that is to say vnto the fourth yere of Nero the Emperour there whereby we do wel perceiue that the same booke was made in the same Citie Therfore as for the circuites of Paule of Tecla the Uirgin and all the tale of Leo by him baptised we recken among the Scriptures that be called Apoâ—ripha For what manner a thing is it that a companion which neuer went from his elbow should among his other matters be ignoraunt of this thing alone Tertulian which was néere vnto that time reporteth that a certaine Priest in Asia being an affectionate fauourer of the Apostle Paule was conuict before Iohn for being Author of that booke and that the Priest confessed himselfe to haue done the thing for the loue that he bare to Paule and the booke by reason thereof to had escaped him Some Writers déeme that as often as Paule in his Epistles saith according to my Gospel he signifieth of the worke of Luke And that Luke learned the Gospell not onely of the Apostle Paule who had not bene conuersant with the Lord in the flesh but also of the rest of the Apostles which thing Luke also himselfe declareth in the beginning of his owne workes saieng As they haue deliuered them vnto vs which from the beginning sawe them themselues with their eyes and were Ministers of the things that they declared The Gospell therefore he wrote as he had heard but the Actes of the Apostles he composed as he had seene He liued lxxxiiij yeares not hauing any wife Buried he was at Constantinople vnto which Citie his bones were remoued conuaied out of Achaia together with the bones of Andrew the Apostle in yâ— 20. yere of Constantius yâ— Emperour Eras. In this second booke the blessed Euangelist S. Luke whose life we haue set foorth already at the beginning of his Gospell doth declare write vnto vs if we will be Theophile that is to say vnfained louers of God what was done and wrought for our secular comfort after the glorious Resurrection most triumphant Ascention of our Sauiour Iesus Christ how that our Lord Iesus did both promise also gaue most abundantly his holy spirit vnto all his Disciples And what this spirit did worke by the preaching of the word both in the Iewes and also in the Gentiles that beleeued in Christ this booke hath alwayes bene in great estimation and that most deseruingly For the Actes of the Apostles saith S. Hierom seeme to be but a bare history because in them onely the infancie of the Church which then began to spring is set forth but if we consider that Luke the Phisition whose praise is in the Gospell hath written them we shall also perceiue that all his words are the phisick of a languishing sick soule What other thing I beséech you is this sacred heauenly history but one of the chiefest parts of the Gospell For truly in yâ— other bookes which are intitled the Gospell the corne of wheate are cast into the ground discribed But héere in this booke yâ— selfe same corne is set foorth being already sprong vp and declaring most effectually his riches vnto the world Againe if we had not by Luke known after what manner Christ forsooke the earth where and in what place how and after what fashion the promised Comforter did come what beginning the Church had wherein it did flourish by what meanes it did increase should we not haue lacked a great parte of the Gospell Therefore Bede did right well saieng that Luke had not onely made an historie vntill the Resurrection and Ascention of the Lord as the other did but also did so set foorth by writing the doings of the Apostles as much as he knew to be sufficient to edifie the faith of the readers hearers that onely his booke touching the Actes of the Apostles was by the Church thought good to be credited all other which presumed to write of the same matter being reiected disapproued Chrisostome also to them that did meruaile why S. Luke had not written forth all the Apostolicall historie vnto the ende or that he had not described the Actes of euery one of them seuerally in books by themselues doth aunswere godly saieng These are sufficient vnto them that will apply their mindes and take héede Therefore leauing vnprofitable questions why was not this written or that written let vs take heede vnto those wholesome saiengs of the Euangelist that so we may apply this most comfortable salue ministred vnto vs by him vnto our wounded soules Sir I. Cheeke Luke warme ¶ Looke Colde LVNATIKE Of the man that was lunatike MAister haue pitie vpon my sonne for he is lunaticke ¶ They that at certaine times of the Moone are troubled with the falling sicknesse or any other kinde of disease But in this place we must so take it that beside the naturall disease he had a diuelish phrensie Beza LVTHER What he vvas LVther was an Augustine Frier And began to write against the Bishop of Romes Pardons in the yeare of our Lorde 1517. The cause why he first wrote against the Bishop of Rome Frier Tecel the Pardoner made his proclamations vnto the people openly in the
foorth the truth Ridley Teaching you vaine speculations as worshipping of Angells of blinde ceremonies and beggerlye traditions for nowe they haue no vse séeing that Christ is come Geneua PHISICKE By whom it was first inuented AESculapius the sonne of Apollo was the first inuenter and practiser of Phisick who for that science the antiquitie honoured as a God And such as recouered from anye disease did sacrifice vnto Aesculapius a liue Cock But the Poets do fable that he was slaine with lightening of Iupiter because he had with cunning of Phisick restored Hippolitus the sonne of Theseus to lyfe Vdal Of the woman that had spent all her goods in Phisicke Had suffered many things of many Phisitions and had spent al that she had ¶ Heere the woman is not blamed because shée had spent and bestowed much substaunce vpon Phisitions but rather we doe learne that Phisicke ministred without God is vnprofitable Let vs not then despise Phisicke which the highest did create from the earth but let vs resigne put our whole wil into the hands of God whether he wil heale vs by phisick or bring vs to our graue Sir I. Cheeke How God must be sought before the Phisition He sought not the Lord but Phisitions ¶ He sheweth that it is in vain to séeke to phisitions except first we séeke to God to purge our sinnes which are the chiefe cause of all our diseases and after vse the helpe of the Phisition as a meane by whom God worketh Geneua PHOTINVS Of his heresie PHotinus Bishoppe of Sirmium mainteined the heresie of Sabellius Paulus Samosatenus that Christ was not God before Marie bare him He said the worde was at the beginning with the Father but not the Sonne Socrates li. 2. cap. 24. Epiphan heraes 71. PIETIE What Pietie is PIetie is a true worshipping of God a soundnesse of doctrine and a pure lyâ—e which things follow hope and fayth Pet. Mar. vpon Iudic. fol. 279. Lactantius calleth it iustice and deuout worshipping and knowledge of God godlinesse godly affection naturall loue towards the parents and kinsfolke naturalnesse naturall zeale or affection PILATE Of the Acts and death of this man THis man being ordeined President of Iudea at his first entrie to flatter Tiberius caused the Image of Caesar to be brought into the Temple of Hierusalem whereby rose a great sedition forsomuch as the Iewes being therewith grieuously offended offred themselues rather to the death theÌ„ they wold suffer any Image in yâ— temple Pilate in like manner vsed the treasure called Corbona contrarie to the custome and lawe of the Iewes and because diuerse of the Iewes shewed themselues to be gréeued therewith he beate and slew a great number of them And after the death of Christ as witnesseth Tertulian Pilate wrote to Tiberius the Emperour of the death vertue and miracles of Christ who after he had published the same in the Senate would haue had Christ to be ascribed and numbred among the Gods of the Romanes but the Senatours woulde not consent thereto in anye wise because that Pilate wrote to the Emperour and not to them But Tiberius continued in his sentence defeÌ„ded on pain of death that no man should persecute the christen people Pilate at the last was commanded by Vitellius prouost of Surrey to goe to Rome there to aunswere to certeine complaints which should be layde to his charge by the Iewes for which accusations hée was after deposed and banished to Lions in Fraunce where as Eusebius saith he slew himselfe ¶ Of Pilate Iosephus writeth hée succéeded Valerius Graccus vnder Tiberius and was deputie of Iudea ten yeares About the eight yeare of his gouernment he crucified Christ. And two yeares after that being expired he was put out of his office by Vitellius deputie of Siria for the innocent Samaritanes that were slaine an other béeing put in his place and he constrained to go to Rome to purge himselfe in the iudgement of Caesar against the accusation of the Samaritanes But before he came to Rome Tiberius was dead and Gaius appointed in his roome Under this Gaius as Eusebius maketh mention in his ecclesticall historie Pilate slew himselfe Marl. vpon Math. fol. 685. Of Pilates wife His wyfe sent to him sayeng Haue thou nothing to doe with this iust man for I haue suffered manye thinges this daie in my sléepe because of him ¶ Onely Mathew maketh mention of this thing concerning the wife of Pilate which was done when Pilate was sitting downe on his Tribunall seate to giue iudgement of death against the Lorde Haue nothing to doe with that iust man As touching the Gréeke text it is sayde Thou hast nothing to doe with that iust man But the Hebrew text hath Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man Beholde and note héere how the innocency of Christ deserued testimonie of euery one namely of Iudas of Pilate of Pilates wife of Anna of the false witnesse of the wise men of the Cananites of the Samaritanes of the Centurion and lastlye of the theese hanging on the Crosse. For I haue suffered manie thinges although the meditation and studie in the daye time might be occasion of this dreame yet notwithstanding it is without al doubt that the wife of Pilate suffered those torments not naturally as many doe at this daie oftentimes but rather by singular instinct and motion of God Many haue thought that the Diuell suborned this woman and craftely couloured the matter in her that hée might staye the redemption of mankinde the which is verye vnlikely in all pointes when as by the motion prouocation of the Diuell the chiefe Priests and Scribes did so greatly séeke and desire to destroye Christ. Therefore we must this rather thinke of it that the innocencie of Christ was proued by manye meanes of God the Father to the end that it might appeare that he died not for his owne but for others sakes And for that cause he thought good to be absolued so oftentimes by the mouth of Pilate before hée was condempned that in his innocent dampnation there might appeare a lawfull satisfaction for our sinnes But Mathew very expresly and plainely setteth forth the matter least any man shoulde meruayle why Pilate was so carefull and diligent to defend and contende in the tumult of the people for the lyfe of a contemned man And truely God constrained him by the terrour of the dreame which his wife suffered to defend the innocencie of his sonne not that he might deliuer him from death but onely to declare that he was punished for other mens faultes c. Mar. fol. 702. Why the priests deliuered Iesus to Pilate And deliuered him to Pilate ¶ It was not lawfull for them to put anye man to death For all causes of lyfe and death were taken awaye from them first by Herode the great and afterward by the Romanes about fortie yeares before the destruction of the temple and therefore they deliuered Iesus to Pilate Theo.
and goodnesse forgiue some and some againe he doth deale extreamely with-all according to his righteous iudgement who shall be so bolde to blame him for it The words of Fulgentius and Barnard God sayth Fulgentius did not promise all things which he foretold although he foretold al things which he promised As he did not predestinate all things which he foreknew although he foreknew al things which he did predestinate He foreknew the will of men good and bad but he did not predestinate yâ— naughtie wils but the good Fulg. in his 1. booke The kingdome of God sayth Barnard is giuen is promised is declared is receiued It is giuen in Predestination it is promised in calling it is declared in iustification it is receiued in glorification Thereof yâ— is sayd Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you So doth the Apostle saye Those whome be predestinate hée calleth whome he calleth he iustifieth and them he glorifieth In Predestination is grace in calling is power in iustification is ioyfulnesse in glorification is glorye and praise Barnard vpon the worke of the booke of Wisedome Feare not thou small flocke sayth Barnard for to you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of heauen Who be those Euen them whome hée hath foreknowne and predestinate to be fashioned lyke vnto the Image of his sonne A great and secrete Councell is made knowne The Lorde knoweth who be his but that which was knowne vnto God is not made manifest to men neither doth hée vouchsafe to make any â—â—â—er pertakers of so great a mysterie but those selfe same men whome he hath forknowne and predestinate to bée his c. Barnard in his 107. Epistle to Thomas Beuerly Obiections against Predestination aunswered Because of Christ comming we must denye both Predestination or election and reprobation for if Predestination saue the one and Reprobacion condemne the other then is there nothing left for Christ and his comming is in vaine Aunswere But so many as are predestinate are predestinate in Christ without whom there is no election for those whom he predestinateth them also he calleth in Christ. Obiection If doth appoynt a fatall necessitie and so driueth men to desperation Aunswere If rather confirmeth our hope for if saluation were by vs to be gotten then we are so immutable that we should euery minute of an houre cast away our selues but it is for our safetie that our saluation lyeth in the purpose of God Obiections in S. Augustines time That the true indeuour to rise againe was taken from them that were fallen and occasion of carelesnesse ministred to them which did stand also that it taketh away the true vse of preaching and rebuking and maketh to none effect Also that before S. Augustines time this doctrine was not preached yet notwithstanding the doctrine of faith without it still defended Aunswere It ouerthroweth not the gift of preaching for Paule the Apostle of the Gentiles and the preacher of the whole world so amply and so often vrgeth it in his Epistles to the Romanes to the Ephesians and to Timothy Also Luke in the Actes of the Apostles Math. 11. and. 22. Iohn 10. 17. and. 25. For like as calling is the meane to winne them that are predestinate so consequently by preaching is our calling fulfilled and contrariwise by preaching are the wicked and reprobate made inexcusable They that are predestinate are called by preaching They that are reprobate are condemned by preaching PRESCIENE Of the prescience of God what it is WHen we attribute prescience to God we vnderstande that all things haue euer bene and perpetually abide present before his eyes so that to his eternall knowledge nothing is by past nothing is to come but all things are present and so are they present that they are not as conceiued imaginations or formes and figures whereof other innumerable things procéede as Plato testifieth that of the forme and example of one man many thousands of men are fashioned but we saye that all things be so present before God that he doth contemplate behold them in their veritie and perfection And therefore it is that the Prophets oftentimes speake of things béeing yet after to come with such certaintie as that they were alreadye done And this prescience of God do we affirme to be extended to the vniuersall compasse and circuite of the world yea and to euery perticular creature of the same Knox. in his boo against an Anab. fol. 20. PRICKE OF THE FLESH The meaning of S. Paule in this place THere was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh ¶ He meaneth concupiscence yâ— sticketh fast in vs as it wer a prick insomuch as it constrained Paul he being regenerate to cry out I doe not that good I would doe c. And he calleth it a pricke by a borrowed kinde of speach taken from thornes and stumpes which were very daungerous and hurtfull for the feete if a man walke through woodes that are cut downe Theo. Beza The Gréeke word signifieth a sharpe péece of wood or a pole or sticke or sharpe thing which pricketh one as he goeth through bushes or thicke places Geneua PRIEST What a Priest doth signifie THe Priest shall be as the people ¶ A Priest doth often signifie euery man that ruleth the people be it King or Prince or other common officer Iere. 6. 13. And from the Prophet to the Priest T. M. ¶ Because this was a name of dignitie it was also applied vnto them which were not of Aarons family and so signifieth also a man of dignitie as 2. Sam. 8. 18. 20. 25. 1. Chro. 18. 17. And by these words the Prophet signifieth an horrible confusion where there shall be neither religion order nor policie Ose. 4. 9. Of the Priests deceiuing of the people O my peopleâ— Ribaulders oppresse thée women haue rule of thée O my people thy leaders deceiue thée ¶ Some read â—Exactours or Extortioners He noteth the couetousnesse of Priests and Prelates God heere calleth the poore widdowes the fatherlesse and all that are destitute of the comfort of this world his people whom the Pharesies then oppressed now the Priests such as falsly boast theÌ„selues to be spiritual iustly called exactors insomuch as they require their right as they cal it more by mens traditions themby the word of God and doe not to séeke soules to God as money for themselues Oppresse that is spoyle pill and euen shaue so that they scant haue ought What house field or merchandise is there that rendreth them not somewhat whether there be children christened or marriage made or men come to the table of the Lord whether yâ— sick be visited or the dead buried there is euer somewhat to be required Furthermore they are not onely accused to be couetous but also to be women that is effeminate and womanly because they most filthelye and idly spende and wast that which they haue scraped with
saith S. Austen that the manners of euill men hinder not the sacraments of God that either they vtterly be not or be lesse holy but they hinder the euill men themselues so yâ— they haue the sacraments to witnesse of their damnation not to helpe of their saluation And all processe spoken there by S. Austen is spoken chiefely of Baptime against the Donatists which said yâ— Baptime was naught if either the Minister or receiuer were naught Against whom S. Austen concludeth that the sacraments themselues be holy and be all one whether the Minister or receiuer bée good or bad Cranmer fol. 63. What the olde fathers doe teach of the sacrament Ireneus S. Agustine and other auncient Doctors yea and the Canon law doth teach there must be both the outward Element which in Baptime is water and in the Lords supper bread and wine and the outward grace as the two principalls thereof Take away the bread and wine and then it is no sacrament How the sacrament is our body Because Christ hath suffered for vs he hath betaken vnto vs in this sacrament his body and bloud which he hath made also euen our selues for we also are made his body by his mercie we are euen the same thing that we receiue And after hée saith Now in the name of Christ ye are come as a man wold say to the Chalice of the Lord there are ye vpon the Table and there are ye in the Chalice ¶ Héere ye may sée that the Sacrament is our body and yet it is not our naturall body but in a mysterie I. Frith If you wil vnderstand the body of Christ heare the Apostle which saith Ye are the body of Christ members 1. Cor. 12. 27. Therefore if ye be the body of Christ members your misterie is put vpon the Lords Table ye receiue the mysterie of the Lord vnto that you are you aunswere Amen and in aunswering subscribe vnto it ¶ Héere we may sée the Sacrament is also our body and yet is not our naturall body but onely our body in a mysterie that is to say a figure signe memorial or representation of our body For as the bread is made of many graines or cornes so we though we be many are bread one body for this propertie and similitude it is called our body beareth the name of the very thing which it doth represent and signifie I. Frith As the sacrament of the Altar is our body euen so it is Christs First vnderstand ye that in yâ— wine which is called Christs bloud is admixed water which doth signifie the people yâ— are redéemed with his bloud so that yâ— head which is Christ is not without his body which is the faithful people nor the body without the head Now if the wine when it is consecrate be turned bodely into Christs bloud then it is also necessary that the water which is admixed be bodely turned into the bloud of the faithfull people for wheras is one consecration must folow one operation whereas is like reson ther must follow like mysterie But whatsouer is signified by the water as concerning the faithfull people is taken spiritually therefore whatsoeuer is spoken of the bloud in the wine must also néedes be taken spiritually This is Bartrams reason vpon a. 700. yeares since How in the sacrament there can be no accident without his substance In the sacrament of the Altar saith I. Puruay after yâ— consecration ther is not neither can be any accident with yâ— substance but ther verely remaineth the same substance the very visible incorruptible bread likewise the very same wine yâ— which before yâ— consecratioÌ„ wer set vpon the Altar to be consecrate by yâ— Priest likewise as wheÌ„ a PagaÌ„ or Infidel is baptised he is spiritually coÌ„uerted into a meÌ„ber of Christ yet remaineth yâ— very same maÌ„ which he before was in proper nature substaÌ„ce B. of M. 649. Of a new article inuented in the sacrament Innocentius the third Pope was the head of Antichrist who after the letting loose of Satan inuented a new Article of our faith a certaine fained veritie touching the sacrament of tâ—e Altar that is to say that the Sacrament of the Altar is an â—â—cident without a substance But Christ his Apostles do teach manifestly yâ— the sacrament of the Altar is bread the body of Christ together after yâ— manner yâ— he spake And in yâ— he calleth it bread he wold haue the people to vnderstand as they ought with reason that it is very and substanciall bread no false nor fained bread In the b. of Mar. fol. 649. Of the sacramentall chaunge Of the sacramentall chaunge S. Bede which was about 900. yeres agoe saith thus The creature of the bread wine by the ineffable sanctification of the spirit is turned into the sacrament of Christs flesh and bloud In sacraments saith S. Augustine we must consider not what they be of themselues but what they doe signifie S. Ambrose saith What sawest thou in thy Baptime water no doubt but not onely water Againe he saith Before the blessing of the heauenly words it is called another kinde but after the consecration the body of Christ is signified Of the sacramentall word Let the word saith S. Austen be added to the element and there shall be made a Sacrament For whence commeth this so great strength to the water to touch the body wash the soule but by the word making it not because it is spoken but because it is beléeued For in the very word it selfe the sound which passeth is one thing the power which abideth is another This is the word of faith which we preach saith the Apostle whervpon in the Actes of the Apostles it is said By faith cleansing their hearts c. Cal. in his Inst. 4. b. chap. 14. sect 4. How in the sacrament remaineth bread wine That which you sée saith S. Austen in the altar is the bread the cup which also your eyes doe shew you but faith the weth you further the bread is the body of Christ the cup his bloud ¶ Heere he declareth two thingâ— yâ— in the sacrament remaineth bread wine which we may discerne with our eyes that the bread and wine be called the body and bloud of Christ. He that called his naturall body saith Theodoretus wheate and bread and also called himselfe a Uine the selfe same called bread and wine his body and bloud and yet chaunged not their nature And in his Dialogue he saith more plainely for saith he as the bread and wine after the consecration lost not theyr proper nature but kept their former substaunce forme figure which thâ—y had before euen so the body of Christ after his Ascention was chaunged into the godly substaunce Of the sacramentall eating ¶ Looke Eating What is to be wondred at in the sacraments The wonder is not