thing or such a thing in the scriptures is also in your church seruice It were too great a disgrace for you to say or sing in plaine English praise yée the Lord. Apoc. 19. 7. The text Let vs be glad and reioice and giue glorie to him bicause ⸫ the marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath prepared hir selfe The note At this day shall the whole church of the elect be finally and perfectly ioined vnto Christ in marriage inseparable The answer In the meane space we had néed to take great héed of being seduced by your perswasions and so of forsaking Christ and coupling our selues to another man that is to the pope which is both the popes and yours whole endeuors Apoc. 19 9. The text And he said to me write Blessed be they that are called to the ⸫ supper of the marriage of the Lambe The note That is the feast of eternall life prepared for his spouse the church The answer And not for you which imbrace another head and spouse in his stéede to whom you haue giuen greater preheminence then to Christ himselfe Apoc. 19. 13. The text And he was clothed with a garment sprinckled with blood and his name is called the word of God The note The second person in Trinitie the Sonne or the word of God which was made flesh Io. 1. The answer Who shall confound antichrist and all the power of the earth which taketh his part euen with the sword that procéedeth out of his mouth Apoc. 19. 16. The text And he hath in his garment and in his thigh written king of kings and lord of lords The note Euen according to his humanitie also The answer Our Lord and Sauior Christ God and man after his resurrection is aduanced aboue all principalities and powers and euery name that is named in heauen and in earth Apoc. 20. 1. The text And I sawe an angell descending from heauen hauing the key of the bottomlesse depth and a great chaine in his hand The note See in S. Augustine lib. 20. de ciuit ca. 7. 8. seq the exposition of this chapter The answer Your referring men to the doctors sheweth that your care is not for ignorant men to profite them for they are not the better for this reference and the learned néedeth it not Apoc. 20. ◠The text And I sawe seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen them and the soules of the beheaded for the testimonie of Iesus and for the word of God and that adored not the beast nor his image nor receiued his character in their foreheads or in their hands and haue liued and reigned with Christ a thousand yeeres The note Quid in millenario numero nisi ad proferendam nouam sobolem perfecta vniuersitas praestitae generationis exprimitur hinc per Iohannem dicitur Et regnabunt cum illo mille annis quia regnum sanctae ecclesiae vniuersitatis perfectione solidatur D. Gregorius libro 9. moral cap. 1. The answer Your poore countrimen are greatlie beholding to you they are much the better for your note they vnderstand it as well and are edified as much by it as by your church seruice And for my part bicause you haue not vouchsafed to turne it into English your selues and bicause it toucheth no matter of controuersie betwixt vs I will also take mine ease and leaue it as I finde it Apoc. 20. 7. The text And when the thousand yeeres shall be consummate Satan shalbe loosed out of his prison and shall go foorth and seduce ⸫ the nations that are vpon the foure corners of the earth Gog and Magog and shall gather them into battell the number of whom is as the sand of the sea The note Saint Augustine thinketh that these do not signifie anie certaine nations but all that shall then be ioyned with the diuell and Antichrist against the church lib. 20. de ciuitate cap. 11. See Saint Hierome in Ezechielem lib. 11. The answer We agrée with Augustine that all enemies of the church are signified open as Turkes and such like priuie as the Pope papists and such like who vnder the name and title of Christ persecute the members of Christ which the text it selfe doeth plainlie insinuate which saith that they are the nations which are vpon the foure corners of the earth Apoc. 20. 11. The text And I sawe a great white throne and one sitting vpon it from whose sight ⸫ earth and heauen fled and there was no place found for them The note They shall then be new not the substance but the shape changed 2. Peter 3. See Saint Augustine lib. 20. de ciuit cap. 14. The answer That this is to be expounded of the innouation of heauen and earth we consent but I muse for whome you gathered your notes The learned without you know whither to repaire for resolution in their doubts The vnlearned can not consult with Augustine though they would These references to sée the iudgement of Doctors haue no profit but to make a shew of your reading Apoc. 20. 12. The text And I sawe the dead great and little standing in the sight of the throne and ⸫ bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is of life the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their works The note The bookes of mens consciences where it shalbe plainlie read what euerie mans life hath bene The answer Our owne consciences and thoughts at that day shall either accuse or excuse vs. Looke therefore well into your consciences and take héede that you trust not too much and to farre to your Pope of Rome for it is well knowen that he is but a mortall man and not God Apoc. 20. 15. The text And ⸫ he that was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the poole of fire The note Such as do no good workes if they haue age and time to do them are not found in the booke of life The answer Your note is neither gathered out of this place neither warranted by anie other He that liueth to mans state hath age and he that liueth long hath time to do good workes but suppose they haue done none shal we cut frō them hope of mercie afore the last gaspe may not the like grace be shewed them that was graunted to the penitent theefe The time therefore of working must begin at their conuersion and true turning to God whether it be earlie or late otherwise this place sheweth nothing but that onlie the elect shalbe saued Others though in shew they haue led a painfull religious life though they shalbe able to say Lord haue not we done thus and thus in thy name yet shall haue answere depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I neuer knew you Apoc. 21. 2. The text And I Iohn sawe ⸫ the holie citie Hierusalem new descending from heauen prepared of God as a bride adorned for hir husband The note The Church
wise man will wander after such vncertaine steps as they lead him in Hierome taketh this place to be paradise and Hierome taketh this place not to be paradise in this place by you quoted and if your owne authour be not constant what shall we thinke of the rest Augustine can not tell whether the bosome of Abraham be paradise or hell but in reasoning the case he deliuereth thrée reasons why it should not be hell first bicause hell is named in the text in the death of the rich man and not named in the death or rest of Lazarus Secondlie bicause it is hard to finde the name of hell in scriptures taken in good part for a place of ioy and rest so that if the scriptures had said that Christ had gone into Abrahams bosome after death and had not told of the loosing of the sorrowes of death he would haue marueiled that any durst haue béene so bold as to haue affirmed that he discended into hel Thirdlie the great and wonderfull distance héere mentioned betwixt hell and Abrahams bosome it were too long and not agréeing with the breuitie which I haue hitherto vsed to rippe vp the disagréeing iudgements of the fathers whether Abrahams bosome be parcell of heauen or hell or whether it be aboue vs or beneath vs for so alwaies it is when men are vncertainlie caried after the vanitie of their owne minde and conceite they wot not whither them selues How much better had it béene for them and you to hold fast that which saint Augustine calleth the faith of the Catholikes namelie that the kingdome of heauen is a place of ioy for the faithfull and hell a place of punishment for infidels and apostataes and that a third place either for rest or punishment is vnknowne and no where found in scriptures These two places are héere liuelie described for the rich man went to hell a place of torments but Lazarus was caried into Abrahams bosome a place of ioy and rest Heauen is called Abrahams bosome bicause that God gaue him that honour to bée father of the faithfull therefore his children are said to be gathered into his bosome when together with him they are crowned with heauenlie ioy and rest the reward of his and their faith Luke 16. 25. The text And Abraham said vnto him Sonne remember that thou didst receiue ⸫ good things in thy life time and Lazarus likewise euill but now he is comforted and thou art tormented The note To be in continuall pleasures ease welth peace and prosperitie in this world is perillous and a signe of paines in the next Saint Hierome The answer You haue cited Saint Hierome at randon in a cause néedlesse we haue learned of the Apostle that God doth chastice euery child whom he receiueth and that they which in this life escape his rod are bastards and not children Séeing then Hieroms spéech is warranted by the word we acknowledge with you that continual pleasures ease welth peace and prosperitie are perillous and betokeneth that God deferreth the punishment of such to the next life Luke 16. 29. The text And Abraham said to him ⸫ They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them The note Abraham had knowledge of things in earth which were not in his time as that they had Moyses and the prophets bookes which he neuer saw Augustin de cura promortuis cap. 14. The answer Augustines iudgement is that the dead know no more what we do héere then we know what they do there against which his iudgement he obiecteth this which you boldlie put downe for his assertion To which he answereth that this knowledge was extraordinarie either by relation of Moyses and the Prophets now dead and with Abraham or by ministerie of Angels which serue men héere who reueale to saints there so much as it pleaseth God to let them know What is this then to anie ordinarie knowledge of our affaires héere Which is the thing that you would faine persuade men to encourage them forward in inuocation of dead mē which you may the easilier get at their hands if you can assure them that the saints departed know their necessities and heare their praiers But how much better and trulier might you haue noted that God denieth to those to whom hée hath graunted his word extraordinarie instruction by the dead which would ouerthrow the credit of those fables whereupon your purgatorie is grounded Luke 17. 1. The text And he said to his disciples It is ⸫ impossible that scandale should not come but wo to him by whom they come The note Not of meere necessitie for then it were no fault but presupposing the great wickednesse of men it is impossible but there shalbe scandales and therefore it followeth wo to him by whom they come The answer If it were such necessitie as should exclude will then there were no fault but nowe as scandals as you tearme them are necessarie so you wilfullie and wittinglie runne into them and therefore wo to you To omit all other the séeking to murther the Lords anointed our most gratious soueraigne an horrible offence answer it and excuse it if you can Luk. 17. 19. The text And he said to him Arise go thy waies bicause ⸫ thy faith hath made thee safe The note And yet we see heere it was not onlie faith but also his thankefulnes and returning to giue glorie to God The answer We sée héere two things First the impudent boldnes of papistes that dare controll the spéech of our Lord and Sauiour Christ. Secondlie that though faith be accompanied with many other vertues yet Christ ascribeth the receiuing and embracing of safetie and such benefits as procéed from God to men to faith onlie and alone Luk. 17. 21. The text The kingdom of God commeth not with obseruation neither shall they say loe heere or lo there for loe the kingdome of God is within you The note Whiles they looke and aske for a temporall kingdome in pompe and glorie loe their king and Messias was now among them whose spirituall kingdome is within all the faithfull that haue dominion ouer sinne The answer If the kingdome of God commeth not with obseruation then how say you that it must alwaies haue a visible and a knowne succession of bishops in a place certaine which is directlie against this spéech of Christ. Luke 17. 23. The text And they will say to you Lo heere and lo there ⸫ Go not neither do ye follow after The note No man must run out of the Church after schismatikes to heare them preach Christ in corners Christs doctrine being open in al the world See annot Matthew 24. 23. The answer But all they are schismatikes who haue diuided themselues from the doctrine which Christ and his Apostles openly deliuered to the whole world therefore whether they preach openly or in corners men may not heare them nor go after them But you papists teach that whereof there is no commandement no
much of your vsuall corruption as commonly your notes do Other thing it hath not woorth the nothing downe Mat. 12. 25. The text Euerie kingdome ⸫ diuided against it selfe shal be made desolate and euerie citie or house diuided against it selfe shall not stande The note Therefore the kingdome of heretikes can not possibly stand bicause it is alwaies full of diuision and dissention The answer If all heresies and sects in the whole world be raked out and al their contentions and strifes numbred yet neither in number nor in weight can they excéede the strifes that haue béene and are among our popish heretikes themselues Wherefore as their kingdome hath alreadie begun to fall so it is not like to endure Mat. 12. 33. The text Either ⸫ make the tree good and his fruite good or make the tree euill and his fruit euill The note It is a mans owne free will and election to be a good tree or an ill tree to bring foorth good fruits or bad So Augustine vpon this place Lib. 2. cap. 4. de Actis cum Foelice Manichaeo The answer I maruell not that péeuish papists hold this for their own consciences do testifie to them that the best ground they haue for being such trées as papists may be is the corrupt motions of their owne will and choise But we know that no man commeth to Christ but whom the father draweth and he hath no shéepe but those whom his father hath giuen him and of them he pronounceth they make not choise of him but he of them As for Augustine he wrote scant aduisedly of fréewill till Pelagius did awake him For till then as he himselfe confesseth he had not diligently sought nor yet found what the election of grace ment Therefore in the matter of fréewill if you bring any thing that Augustine wrote afore he wrote against Pelagius you do but abuse men with his name against his minde which in this shall appéere thus The question betwéen the Manichées and Augustine was what was the originall cause of euil The Manichean maketh two eternall incommutable natures one good the other euill one the author of good the other the author of euill On the contrarie part Augustine maketh freewill the originall cause of euil The Manichean amongst other scriptures wrested to his purpose to prooue his two natures vseth this of the two trées good and bad Augustine to take away his application of this text answereth that it was the wil of man that made him a bad tree and that it was in his choise whether he would be good or bad After this ariseth Pelagius of whom the papists haue learned their freewill he for his defence catcheth at spéeches vsed by Augustine against the Manicheans Augustine replieth that though some spéeches vsed against the Manicheans might séeme to fauor the error of fréewill yet other spéeches of his euen in those his books against the Manicheans will sufficiently cleere him from any such meaning and therefore giueth men this rule that that which in those bookes and in that question he spake of will to do well he spake of the will of man in which man was first created and not otherwise Thus we sée that our Rhemists learned this of their captaine Pelagius and that they go about by Augustine to prooue that which he ment not that is the freedome of our wils now Matt. 13. 13. The text Therefore in parables I speake to them bicause seeing they see not and ⸫ hearing they heare not neither do they vnderstande The note When Gods word is preached they properly haue eares to heare that haue harts to obey and they hearing do not heare which heare by sense of their bodie and obey not by consent of their harts August de done perseuerantiae cap. 14. The answer We like Augustines exposition verie well and praie to God most hartily for you that he in mercy wil vouchsafe to withdraw from you that his heauie iudgement which most manifestlie hath lien vpon you and to giue you now at length eares to heare and eies to sée withall which hitherto you haue most dangerouslie wanted Matth. 13. 39. The text And the enimie that sowed them is ⸫ the diuell The note Not God then but the diuell is the author of all euill The answer In this we consent sauing that we know you haue a malicious meaning to make your blind ignorant followers beléeue that we holde God to be the author of euill which assertion we and euerie one of vs do with all our harts abhorre and detest as most wicked and blasphemous Matth. 13. â—8 The text Which when it was filled drawing it foorth and sitting by the shore they choose out the good ⸫ into vessels but the bad they did cast out The note Here also are signified good and bad in the church The answer No man doth denie but that in the outward account of the church so long as it is in this vale of miserie many hypocrites are and yet in truth and in the iudgement of him that cannot be deceiued in discerning his neuer of the church Matth. 14. â— The text And the king was stroken sad yet bicause of his ⸫ oth and for them that sate with him at table he commanded it to be giuen The note A wicked and a rash oth and more wickedly fulfilled bicause an vnlawfull oth bindeth no man The answer That a wicked rash oth bindeth no man to performance we easily consent But this can be no cloke for the manifold periuries which your companie haue committed many waies but most specially in breaking the lawfull oth of obedience to their lawfull prince not rashly but with good aduise and deliberation made by the most part of them Matth. 14. 1â— The text And his disciples came and tooke the bodie and buried it ⸫ and came and told Iesus The note Saint Iohns disciples at this time had wel learned their dutie toward Christ. The answer Two things commendable in Iohns disciples are héere set downe vnto vs Their expressing of their loue toward their master and teacher in burying his bodie and their repaire to Christ. But how much and how greatly they had prâ—fited in the doctrine which their master had taught them that appéereth not Matth. 14. 31. The text And incontinent ⸫ Iesus stretching foorth his hand tooke hold of him and said vnto him O thou of little faith The note Notwithstanding the infirmities of them that gouerne the Church yet Christ sustaineth them and holdeth them vp yea and by them whatsoeuer they are he vpholdeth and preserueth his Church The answer Far fetched and déere bought is good for ladies Christ saued Peter from drowning notwithstanding the weaknes of his faith Therefore he must néedes saue the Pope whatsoeuer infirmities be in him Other or better consequence than this out of this place I am sure you can make none For that you do not meane all that gouerne any part of the Church I gather both
men from the true catholike and vniuersall church and so bring them to the pit of perdition Iohn 8. 49. The text Iesus answered ⸫ I haue no diuell but I do honor my father and you haue dishonored me The note He denieth not that he is a Samaritane bicause he is our keeper or protector as the word signifieth and bicause he is indeed that mercifull Samaritane in the parable of the wounded man Luk. 10. 33. August tract 43. in Iohn The answer Augustine as some other also of the fathers is much delighted with allegories sometime more then enough But why did you not spare Augustine héere where you néeded him not and vse him afore in that you knew would be denied to you to prooue that works make men the children of Abraham what is it not bicause you could get no helpe at his hand Iohn 9. 3. The text Iesus answered ⸫ neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God may be manifested in him The note Though manie infirmities fall for sinne yet not all some comming for probation and some sent that God by the cure thereof may be glorified The answer Men are not rashly to be iudged of for the afflictions or the infirmities which God laieth vpon them or theirs Considering that God hath diuers ends purposes for the which he scourgeth his owne chosen children as wel as the vngodly wicked and reprobate Iohn 9. 5. The text The night commeth ⸫ when no man can worke The note The time of working and meriting is in this life after death we can deserue no more by our deeds but must onely receiue good or ill according to the difference of works heere The answer If this note be true then how excuse you your selues in making men pay for your praiers your pardons masses diriges trentals and such like trash for the soules of their friends departed séeing works after death do them no good and séeing they must receiue according to that they haue done in their bodies whether it be good or bad Are you not ashamed to cosin your credulous followers Your coupling of works and merits déedes and deseruing is not woorth the noting bicause it cannot now besot any but méere fooles Iohn 9. 7. The text Go ⸫ wash in the poole of Siloe which is interpreted sent The note This was a figure of baptisme to which al men borne in sin and blindnes are sent for health sight Ambrose Lib. 3. cap. 2. de Sacramentis The answer Stil we must sée your great reading and your followers must thinke that there is no such clearks in the whole world againe The truth of Ambroses spéech héerin is not woorth the discussing but it is ynough to you that a father speaketh it if it be not against anie thing determined by your church of Rome Iohn 9. 24. The text They therefore againe called the man that had beene blind and said to him ⸫ Giue glorie to God we know that this man is a sinner The note So saie the heretikes when they derogate from miracles done by Saints or their relikes pharisaically pretending the glorie of God As though it were not Gods glory when his saints do it by his power vertue yea his greater glorie that doth such things by his seruants and by the meanest things belonging to them as Peters shadow Act. 5. and Paules napkin Act. 9. The answer If by pretence of giuing glorie to God the pharisies had not gone about to derogate from the glory of our Lord and Sauiour Christ their words had not béene faultie We confesse that by the smaller and weaker things God worketh the more his glory thereby appéereth Yet that maketh nothing for your impudent shamelesse forged miracles as in making our Ladie a chappell kéeper I will not saie a baude in a nunnerie xv yéeres togither to couer the vile life of Beatrix the Nun who plaied the whoore so many yéeres togither Do you thinke that such miracles as this will make to the glorie of God And yet your bookes of lies are full of them Iohn 9. 39. The text And Iesus saide to him For iudgement came I into this world ⸫ that they that see not may see and they that see may become blind The note By this we see that this miracle was not onely marueilous and beneficiall to the blind but also significatiue of taking away spirituall blindnes The answer It is very true that the miracles of Christ were not lik popish miracles strange things onlie to be wondered at but foretold by the prophet Esaie beneficiall to the parties for whom they were done or wrought and significatiue that is bearing witnes to the truth of his doctrine All which properties the lying signes and wonders of the popish church want Iohn 10. 1. The text He that entreth not by doore into the folde of sheepe but climeth vp another way he is ⸫ a thiefe and a robber The note The thiefe is the heretike speciallie and anie other that vnlawfully breake in vpon the sheepe to kill and to destroy them by false doctrine and otherwise The answer Poperie is a dunghill compacted of the shreds of many heresies Christ being the onlie doore and heauen the folde prouided for the safe kéeping of Gods flocke the papists must néedes bée théeues and robbers for that they will clime into heauen by many waies besides Christ. Iohn 10. 4. The text And when he hath let foorth his owne sheepe hee ⸫ goeth before them and the sheepe follow him bicause they knowe his voice The note That is the fashion of Iurie and other countries signifiyng that the shepherd or pastor must teach the sheepe and not they him The answer Onlie England haue their shéepe and other cattell wander abroad harmelesse hauing no kéeper which in other countries is counted a miracle Your signification we accept and therefore conclude that you are none of Christs shéepe bicause you take vpon you to set your shepherd to schoole Further it is to be noted how continuallie the scripture calleth the shéepe of Christ to the hearkening to his voice contrarie to the papists who call all to the harkening to and obeying of their church Iohn 10. 15. The text As the father knoweth me and I know my father ⸫ I yeeld my life for my sheepe The note Christs death was so necessarie for the flocke that when he might haue escaped he voluntarilie offered him selfe to death for his flocke The answer That Christs death was necessarie in word you graunt but when it cōmeth to péecing of it with other parts of your doctrine it must stand for a worke néedlesse else it can not hold togither For if the blood of saint Thomas could helpe vs to heauen what néeded Christ to haue shed his blood for vs Iohn 10. 16. The text And ⸫ other sheepe I haue that are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be made one fold
and one pastor The note He meaneth the Church of the Gentils The answer It is true that Christ made of Iewes and Gentils one folde and of both he and not the pope is the one only pastor and head Iohn 10. 29. The text My father ⸫ that which he hath giuen me is greater then al. The note Another reading is my father that hath giuen me c. The answer In diuers readings you choose that which is most obscure and can not carie any true sense if it be weied with the circumstances of the place and leaue that which is plaine and carieth an inestimable comfort to all that loue God and best agréeth the Gréeke originall Iohn 11. 44. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ Loose him and let him go The note S. Cyril lib. 7. cap. vlt. in Ioh. and Augustine tract 49. in Ioh. applie this to the Apostles and priests authority of absoluing sinners affirming that Christ doth reuiue none from sinne but in the church and by the priests ministerie The answer Wée beléeue that the promise of life eternall pertaineth to none but to such as are or shalbe of the Church of God and that the ordinarie meanes whereby God effectuallie calleth men to be of his church is the ministerie of his woord But we dare not tie God to his ordinarie meanes sith he extraordinarilie called Paul and others But how well this place is applied to the ordinarie authoritie of ministers or priestes in absoluing I will spare to speake for reuerence of them whom you alledge It is well that the church hath plaine euidence of scriptures for the authoritie of binding and loosing for if it staid it selfe vpon the authoritie of men wresting such places as this to that purpose it were but a poore sillie comfort that the conscience of a poore penitent sinner could reape by the churches absolution Iohn 11. 48. The text If we let him alone so all will beleeue in him and the Romans will come and ⸫ take away our place and nation The note All men but speciall nations must take heed that whiles to saue their temporall state they forsake God they loose not both as the Iewes did August tract 49. in Io. The answer Therefore we vndergo all the perils and dangers which by your stirring vp the force and might of all the popish princes in the world can bring vpon vs rather than to displease God by giuing ouer his truth wherwith he hath blessed vs least we should prouoke his heauie indignation against vs and so perish as the Iewes haue done before vs. Iohn 12. 3. The text ⸫ Marie therfore tooke a pound of ointment of right spikenard precious and annointed the feete of Iesus and wiped his feete with hir haire and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment The note Of this womans extraordinarie offices of deuotion and how acceptable they were to Christ See the annot Mat. 26. The answer Bicause those annotations are to receiue answer by themselues therefore I thought not good to touch them here Iohn 12. 7. The text Iesus therefore said Let hir alone that she may keepe it for the day of my ⸫ buriall The note The deuout offices of balming and annointing the dead bodies of the faithfull are here also allowed The answer And we do not disallow whatsoeuer in buriall serueth either for comfort of them that be aliue and for the honest and comely bringing the dead to the graue being the last duties that men can do to their faithfull friends Iohn 12. 8. The text For the poore you haue alwaies with you but me you shall not haue alwaies The note Not in visible and mortal condition to receiue almes of you and such like offices for supply of my necessitie The answer And why do you not say not in bodie nor in humanitie Bicause you would faine with some color shift of Christs bodily absence from the earth for the better safetie and defence of your reall preseâ—ce in the sacrament You are full of fathers in matters nâ—edlesse why do you not in this place so often repeated bring vs at the least one plaine place of some father affirming that he is not simply absent in bodie from vs but onely in such sort as you do imagine Is it not a secret confession that all antiquitie is against you I maruell that you are so impudent still to glory and to cry that your faith hath continued almost xvj hundred yéeres when you know that in a number of things you are not able to bring foorth any true authoritie of halfe the age Iohn 12. 20. The text And there were certaine Gentils of them that came vp to adore in the festiuall day The note We may see there a great difference where a man pray or adore at home or in the church and holy places When the Gentils also came of deuotion a pilgrimage to the temple in Hierusalem The answer Now pilgrimages are prooued and that full pithily For the Gentiles came to adore at Hierusalem When you can find such expresse commandement of God for running to saint Iames of Compostella or our Ladie of Walsingham or visiting the holie sepulchre as was for al both Iewes and conuerts then to appéere before the Lord at Hierusalem then your reason will hold Otherwise it is as much as if I should say The Iewes and conuerts of the Gentils obeied the commandement of God in going to Hierusalem at the feast daies to worship Ergo it is lawful for me to go a roging to what place of pilgrimage in the world séemeth best in mine owne eies without further warrant As for the difference of publike and priuate praier and of seruing God at home and in the common assemblies are both knowen and practised amongst vs. Iohn 12. 40. The text Therfore they ⸫ could not beleeue bicause Esay said againe he hath blinded their eies and indurated their harts c. The note If any man aske saith saint Augustine why they could not beleeue I answer roundly bicause they would not Tract 33. in Io. See annotations Matth. 13. 15. Mark 4. 12. The answer It is true that the corruption of mans will is the cause of all euill and wickednes in man But héere either your printer made a fault or your note booke deceiued you for it is in 53. treatise And I muze why you should so much couet so force Augustine to speake for you séeing that you know that of all other he is most earnest in this cause of frée will against you For in the same place he acknowledgeth the iust iudgement of God vpon them in leauing them in blindnes and not helping them to sée And teacheth vs in inquiring why God would so leaue them to crie out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. Which exclamation sheweth that Augustine had an eie to somwhat more than their will yea and to such a somwhat as was not
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
vs not to apprehend Christs iustice by faith onlie but to be renued in our selues truly and to put on vs the new man formed and created in iustice and holines of truth By which freewil also is prooued to be in vs to worke with God and to consent vnto him in our sanctification The answer Who doth so teach iustification by faith onely that he doth not also teach sanctification as the ioined companion thereof But lieng and slaundering is your delight which I do not saie bicause you haue expresly vttered your minde but bicause you do couertly insinuate so much to your blinde followers Your proofe for fréewill is woorth thrée skips of a louse You may conclude it out of euerie exhortation as well as out of this it will follow all alike Ephes. 5. â— The text For vnderstanding know you this that no fornicator or vncleane or couetous person which is ⸫ the seruice of idols hath inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God The note See the hereticall corruption of this in the annot Col. 3. 5. The answer We haue séene your annotation and finde your quarrel stale as being mooued afore by master Martinius and answered by master Doctor Fulke And farther we sée that idolaters are beholding to you for you take as great paines as men may do to vpholde them in their idolatrie which in plaine English signifieth worshipping of images Ephes. 5. 23. The text Let women be subiect to their husbands as to our Lord bicause the man is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the ⸫ church The note It is much to be noted that in the first English Bibles there is not once the name of Church in all the Bible but in steede thereof Congregation which is so notorious a corruption that themselues in their later Bibles correct it for shame and yet suffer the other to be read and vsed still See the Bible printed 1562. The answer Surelie Martinius was to blame that left you no quarel vnmooued to our translation it hath béene answered that our first translators translated aptlie and trulie when they translated congregation and that they therein committed no fault whereof they or others ought to be ashamed That the word Church was not shunned in anie sinister respect or meaning the translating of the same word church in the créede the vsing of the worde church in the notes of those first Bibles in our Catechismes alwaies in our latter translations as you confesse do manifestlie shew The cause whiâ— the translators did vse the word congregation rather then the word church was bicause in those times ignorance raigning the word congregation was more plaine and lesse ambiguous and doubtfull and therefore lesse danger in it of misconstruing or mistaking then in the other thus is your notorious corruption come to nothing Ephes. 6. 8. The text Knowing that euerie one what good soeuer he shall do that shall he ⸫ receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free The note God leaueth no good worke vnrewarded The answer It is verie true and yet you neuer the nigher your merit Ephes. 6. 14. The text Stand therefore hauing your loines girded in truth and ⸫ clothed with the brestplate of iustice c. The note If man could not be trulie iust or hâ—â—e iustice in him selfe how could he be clothed with iustice The answer Men after this life are clothed with their habitation in heauen their habitation in heauen is not in them selues In like maner may they be clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ which though it make them trulie iust yet is in Christ and not in them selues The whole armour is Gods and by him giuen vs to defend our selues withall I maruell that you finde neither holiwater nor crosse nor anie such deuise of poperie among all this armour I thinke therefore that it followeth manifestlie that those péeces of armour neuer came out of Gods store-house Ephes. 6. 23. The text Peace to the brethren and ⸫ charitie with faith from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ. The note Saint Augustine noteth in sundrie places vpon this same text that faith without charitie serueth not to saluation Lib. 50. hom 7. The answer As for that faith which is without charitie we as we haue often told you estéeme it not woorth two strawes otherwise that a true faith onlie and alone iustifieth Saint Augustine will tell you if you will vouchsafe to sée it It is necessarie for a man that not onlie when he is wicked he should be iustified that is of a wicked man made iust when good things are rendered to him for euill but also when he is now iustified by faith that grace should walke with him and he rest thereupon least he fall And againe that Paul should be called from heauen and be conuerted by so great and effectuall a calling the grace of God alone was the cause thereof for his merits were great but euill PHILIPPIANS Philip. 1. â—7 The text And in nothing be ye terrified of the aduersaries which to them is ⸫ cause of perdition The note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifest proofe and euidence The answer We thinke you can interpret a Gréeke word right if you list as you haue done this Philip. 2. 16. The text Conteining the word of life ⸫ to my glorie in the day of Christ bicause I haue not runne in vaine nor in vaine labored The note Such as haue by their preachings gained anie to Christ shall ioy and glorie therein exceedinglie at the day of our Lord. The answer And what shall they do that gaine from Christ to Antichrist Philip 2. â—7 The text But and if I be ⸫ immolated vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith I reioice and congratulate with you all The note Pastors ought to be so zealous of the saluation of their flocke that with Saint Paul they should offer themselues to the death for the same The answer Such example gaue the prince of pastors such strength hath God giuen to a number of faithfull ministers as our eies haue séene and infinite multitudes are able to testifie and the booke or monument of martyrs hath recorded to all posteritie Philip. 2. 21. The text For ⸫ all seeke the things that are their owne and not the things that are Iesus Christs The note Manie forsake their teachers when they see them in bonds and prison for their faith bicause most men preferre the world before Christes glorie The answer This is verie true and yet the text rather speaketh of them that should be carefull ouer the flocke that a number of them shranke away after the world and prouided rather for them selues then for the flocke And consider you well vpon this spéech whether Peters being at Rome then when Paul wrote this were likelie or no when Paul had there none like minded to him selfe And it is a very simple shift to say that Peter might then be absent from Rome
3. The text Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecie and ⸫ keepeth those things which be written in it for the time is nigh The note There be manie speciallie now a daies that be great readers hearers talkers of Scriptures but that is not inough to make them good or blessed except they keepe the things prescribed and taught therein according to our Sauiours saieng Luke 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The answer It is verie true that except men kéepe the word all their other indeuors about the word are little worth but men can not kéepe that which they know not Reading and hearing as here appeareth is the ordinarie meanes that men should vse to come by knowledge but you to the end you might maintaine blindnesse and ignorance haue kept the people from reading and hearing therfore you haue made â—ure worke that they should not attaine blessednes by kéeping Apocal. 1. 9. The text I Iohn your brother and partaker in tribulation and the kingdome and patience in Christ Iesus was in ⸫ the Iland which is called Patmos for the word of God and the testimonie of Iesus The note Banished thither for religion by Nero or rather by Domitian almost 60. yeeres after Christs ascension The answer By whom he was banished it is not materiall as long as wée coÌ„sent that these things were reuealed to him in his banishment Apocal. 1. 10. The text I was ⸫ in the spirit on the dominicall daie and heard behind me a great voice as it were of a trumpet saieng that which thou seest write in a booke c. The note I had a vision not with my corporall eies but in spirit I beheld the similitude of the things following The answer As Peter and Paul so Iohn in spirit also had reuelations and yet neuer none of them saw or knew of saint Patriks purgatory Apocal. 1. 12. The text ⸫ And I turned to see the voice that spake with me The note The first generall vision of the seuen according to Saint Ambrose The answer You delight your selues with fathers when and where you néede them not Your blind followers when and where they see any father cited suppose that it is for some matter of controuersie and thinke that all antiquitie make for you but in truth where you most néede them there you haue none at all Apoc. 1. 1â— The text And being turned I sawe seuen candlestickes of gold and in the middest of the seuen candlesticks one like to the Sonne of man vested in a priestlie garment to the foote and girded about neere to the pappes with a girdle of gold The note It seemeth not to be Christ him selfe but an angell bearing Christes person and vsing diuers speeches proper to Christ. The answer I sée no cause why it should not be Christ him selfe Apoc. 1. 20. The text And ⸫ the seuen candlestickes are the seuen churches The note Saint Irenaeus alluding to this saith The church euery where preacheth the truth and this is the seuenfolde candlesticke bearing the light of Christ. libro 5. aduersus haere The answer We are to obserue héere first that the signes here beare the names of the things which they signifie for the seuen starres are the angels of the seuen churches and the seuen candlestickes are the seuen churches euen none otherwise then bread is the bodie of Christ. Secondlie the cause whie the church is compared to a candlesticke is bicause it carieth that light whereof all godlie men are partakers And bicause in it as candles or shining lights the Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and doctors do shine by the most wholsome doctrine of Christ. Apoc. 2. 1. The text And ⸫ to the Angell of the church of Ephesus write thus saith he c. The note That which before he willed him to write to the church he now willeth to be written to the Angels or bishops of the same onlie where we see that it is all one to the church and the head or gouernour thereof The answer It is euident that Iohn was commanded afore to send that which he wrote to the churches and it is also plaine that he is commanded to write the same to the Angels that is to the pastors and gouernors of the church But that which thence you collect that it is all one to sende to the church and to the heads and gouernors thereof is true but sometimes and not alwaies As when some faithfull are saluted by the apostle and the church that is in their house it is manifest that by the church gouernors are not ment And againe bicause you set head and gouernor in the singular number wherein we suppose that you haue a secret relation to the onely soueraigne of your church therfore we are to admonish the Reader that when by the church the gouernors thereof be vnderstood there is neuer anie one gouernor of the whole church ment Apoc. 2. 4. The text But I haue against thee a few things bicause ⸫ thou hast left thy first charitie The note By this we see is plainly refuted that which some heretikes hold that a man once in grace or charitie can neuer fall from it The answer First we do not hold that a man cannot fal but that he whom God looueth cannot finally fall the contrarie whereof doth not héere appéere Secondly that by the angell of the church any one particular man is ment cannot be prooued but rather a societie or succession of men whereof the later may be vnlike the former Whereof S. Paul speaketh to the ministers of the same church that of themselues shoulde arise gréeuous woolues and whereof we haue had great experience in the church of Rome in the later bishops who are as vnlike the former as lions are vnlike to lambes or drosse vnlike to golde And therefore this cannot be iustly applied to any mutation in one and the same particular man Apoc. 2. 9. The text I know thy tribulation and thy ⸫ pouertie but thou art rich and thou art blasphemed of them that saie themselues to be Iewes and are not but are the synagogue of sathan The note This church representeth the state of them that are spoiled of their goods emprisoned and manifoldly afflicted for the catholike faith The answer And it is to be noted withall who afflicted them spoiled them blasphemed them that is spake and did al maner of euil of them and to them For the afflictors and persecutors here spoken of are such as saie themselues to be Iewes and are not that is such as take vpon them wrongfully the name title of Gods church and people being in déed and truth the synagogue of sathan How néere this toucheth you that violently vsurpe the name of catholikes consider with your selues well for the afflictions you haue brought vpon others are manifest Apoc. 2. 10. The text Be thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee ⸫ a crowne of life The note